Danijones

Gautam Gambhir Names Only Batsman He Has “Feared”. It’s Not Gayle, De Villiers, Dhoni Or Kohli

Danijones8 months ago04 mins

As Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) look to take on Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, the mentor of the 2-time champions, Gautam Gambhir, opened up on his respect for Rohit Sharma. While Gambhir has come up against some of the finest batters in the game during his active days as a cricketer, especially as the KKR skipper, there is no batter he has “feared” the most than Rohit Sharma. In a candid chat with the IPL broadcaster, Gambhir revealed that he often had to come up with multiple plans to stop Rohit from scoring runs. Gambhir, during his cricketing career, had to plan for marquee batters like AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, etc. But, it’s Rohit against whom he had the most difficult times. “The only batsman that I’ve feared is Rohit Sharma. The only batter who has given me sleepless nights… No Chris Gayle, no AB de Villiers, only Rohit. I always knew I had to have a Plan A, a Plan B and probably a Plan C as well, because if Rohit is in, I don’t think anything can control him,” Gambhir told Star Sports. Game recognises game “The only batsman I feared in IPL was @ImRo45“, @GautamGambhir praises the Indian captain’s batting prowess! Will he lead #TeamIndia to glory in the #T20WorldCup2024? | #MIvKKR | TODAY, 6:30 PM | #IPLOnStar pic.twitter.com/eEav5GbKG5 — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 3, 2024 “I’ve never planned for any other batter in the IPL except Rohit Sharma. There has been times where I had seen visuals and I said, ‘Fair enough. Plan A is fine’. But for Rohit, one night before I used to think, if this doesn’t work I have to get the other plan,” he further added. In IPL 2024, Sunil Narine has emerged as a consistent performer for KKR, both with the bat and the ball. While admitting that Narine vs Rohit is a battle that he has his eyes on, Gambhir also asserted that he needs more than just the 4 overs from the West Indian to keep Rohit in check. “If Sunil bowls his four over, then who is going to bowl the next 16? And if I finish off Sunil early and Rohit is there, he can hit 30 off one over. Probably, he was the only batter I feared as a captain,” he added. Topics mentioned in this article

SRH vs RR, IPL 2024: SunRisers Hyderabad Script Nervy One-Run Win Over Rajasthan Royals In Last-Ball Thriller

Danijones8 months ago07 mins

Bhuvneshwar Kumar did the star turn with a sensational final over as Sunrisers Hyderabad pulled off a heist, stunning Rajasthan Royals by just one run in a last-ball thriller to keep their IPL playoff hopes alive on Thursday. Needing two to win off the last delivery, Bhuvneshwar (3/41) trapped Rovman Powell (27) with a full toss to leave RR stranded at 200 for seven while chasing a target of 202. Opting to bat, Nitish Reddy (76 not out) and Travis Head (58) produced explosive fifties, while Heinrich Klassen made an unbeaten 19-ball 42 to power Sunrisers Hyderabad to 201 for three. Things were looking up when Bhuvneshwar removed Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson for ducks in the opening over to leave RR at 1 for 2. However, youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal (67) and Riyan Parag (77) came up with counterattacking fifties on way to a massive 134-run partnership to lay the foundation of the runchase. But once the duo was back in the hut, Shimron Hetmyar (13) hit a four and a six as it seemed like a regulation chase but T Natarajan got rid off Hetmyar, who perished at long-on and then skipper Pat Cummins removed Dhruv Jurel, who was caught at deep square leg in the 19th over. The sudden loss of wickets gave SRH hope of a turnaround but Powell produced a six in the last ball of the 19th over to bring the equation down to 13 off six balls. The West Indian kept a calm head to bring it down to 2 off the last ball but Bhuvneshwar denied him the glory. Following the win, SRH snapped their two-game losing streak and moved to the fourth spot with 12 points, same as Kolkata Knight Riders, Lucknow Super Giants, while RR stayed at the top with 16 points. Chasing the total, Jaiswal and Parag were dropped early in their innings and they capitalised on the reprieves to script a quick recovery. Parag broke the shackles in third over when he carted Bhuvneshwar for two fours and a six. Jaiswal then blasted Marco Jansen for two boundaries after Cummins spilled a straight forward catch. Parag, who was dropped on 24 by Abhishek Sharma, hammered Cummins for another maximum, before carting Jansen for two more fours. Cummins finally introduced spin into the attack but Jaiswal smashed Shahbaz Ahmed for a four to complete his fifty. Three balls later, Parag produced a reverse sweep four to reach his milestone in 32 balls. Jaiwal then played a T Natarajan delivery onto the stumps, while two overs later Parag was holed out at long-on. Earlier, Head forged a 96-run stand off 57 balls for the third wicket with Nitish, who also added another 70 off 32 balls with Klassen to take SRH across the 200-mark for the fifth time this season. Head, who was dropped by Parag in the first ball of the innings, hit six fours and three sixes, while Nitish smashed eight maximums and three fours during his brutal assault. Playing his 300th game, Yuzvendra Chahal, who has been picked for the T20 World Cup, was on the firing line as he conceded 62 in his quota of four overs. Avesh Khan (2/39) produced the first breakthrough, having Abhishek (12) caught at deep midwicket. Sandeep Sharma (1/31) then claimed a first-ball wicket, removing Anmolpreet Singh (5) as SRH scored 37 for 2 in the powerplay, their lowest this IPL. The spin duo of Chahal and R Ashwin (0/36), however, disappointed as the batters milked them for runs to set SRH on the road to recovery. Chahal had a horrible night as Head smashed him for two sixes and a four during an 18-run over after he came on to bowl immediately following the powerplay. The leg-spinner was then taken apart by Nitish, who plundered him for two sixes and two fours to accumulate 21 runs. Nitish, who also clobbered Ashwin and Avesh for two maximums, then sent Sandeep sailing over extra cover, while Head pulled Avesh for another six in the 15th over. The Australian, however, played the pacer onto his middle stump as SRH slipped to 131/3. New man Klassen then joined the party, sending Chahal into the orbit with back-to-back sixes. When Trent Boult was back, Klassen picked him for two fours, while blasting another six off Sandeep. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

Injury blow for Rajasthan Royals! Dhruv Jurel limps off the field – WATCH | Cricket News

Danijones8 months ago02 mins

NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals batsman Dhruv Jurel on Thursday limped off the field with a suspected hamstring injury during the IPL 2024 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.The incident occurred on the last ball of the ninth over when Sunrisers Hyderabad’s opener Travis Head hit a shot off leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who is part of India’s 15-member T20 World Cup squad, towards deep mid-wicket. Dhruv Jurel, positioned near the boundary, sprinted to stop the ball but ended up straining his hamstring.Jurel appeared to be in pain and was subsequently taken off the field.WATCH: Nitish Reddy and Travis Head’s fifties propelled Sunrisers Hyderabad to a formidable 201 for three against Rajasthan Royals.After choosing to bat, SRH opener Head capitalized on an early chance, smashing his fourth fifty of the season with a 44-ball 58. Meanwhile, Nitish, who remained unbeaten at 76 off 42 balls, notched his second half-century during a 96-run partnership off 57 balls for the third wicket.

‘Sunil Narine caught…’: Suryakumar Yadav pulls off unthinkable against star KKR spinner – WATCH | Cricket News

Danijones8 months ago02 mins

NEW DELHI: Whether celebrating a wicket, acknowledging the crowd after a half-century or century, star Kolkata Knight Riders player Sunil Narine usually maintains a serious demeanor. However, ace Mumbai Indians batsman Suryakumar Yadav found a way to make Narine smile.In a video shared by the Mumbai Indians’ social media, Suryakumar is shown imitating Narine’s celebration after scoring a century.As Narine watched Surya’s mimicry, he burst into laughter.WATCH: KKR will take on a struggling Mumbai Indians team at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.With six wins from nine games, KKR have 12 points and currently hold second place in the IPL standings.The path to the IPL playoffs appears out of reach for Mumbai Indians, even with five games remaining. If they win all of them, they can only reach 16 points, leaving them in the middle of the standings and not necessarily in contention with the consistently strong teams.

Virat Kohli is always the first to board RCB team bus. Here is why

Danijones8 months ago04 mins

Cameron Green revealed that Virat Kohli always boards the RCB team bus before anyone else and that it’s a conscious choice from the whole group. The Australian all-rounder said the rest of Kohli’s teammates prefer getting onto the bus when things settle down after the reception from fans for their former captain. The love and support for Kohli and RCB has only grown over the years, despite the team failing to lift the coveted IPL trophy year after year. While speaking at an event, Green was asked who was the ‘good boy’ in the RCB team, and who came for team meetings and the team bus on time. The star all-rounder picked Virat Kohli, much to the delight of the audience at the event. “Probably Virat to be fair, I think it’s good for him to get on the bus, all the crowd can go wild and then everyone, calms down, and we’ll just walk down quietly,” Green said. Despite their floundering campaign, RCB have had a healthy dressing room atmosphere and the camaraderie among the players has been evident. The former champions are rooted to the bottom of the points table with just 3 wins in their first 10 matches of IPL 2024. IPL 2024 Full Coverage | IPL 2024 Points Table and Standings | 2024 IPL Full Schedule RCB FANS’ LOVE FOR TEAM AND KOHLI RCB’s centurion from their last match against GT, Will Jacks, also talked about the support the franchise has received over the years. He pointed out that the fans with their RCB jerseys on made the team feel at home, whichever ground they play at. He also mentioned the players hearing RCB and Kohli chants wherever they go. The England batting star flaunted how RCB fans have dominated crowds across the country and highlighted the ‘Kohli, Kohli’ chants at every venue in IPL 2024. “I think I’m stuck on what counts as it feels like every game is a home game. It’s amazing, you see at least half of RCB shirts in the crowd. It’s an amazing feeling, they are always chanting obviously. Kohli chants everywhere and RCB chants. You don’t feel under pressure, like you are out of the way there and you feel like there is something out of there. You always feel you got support and if you do well, they will cheer for you,” Jacks said. Fans have lived up to the tag of ’12th man’ for RCB so far. The former finalists will look to play for pride and finish their season on a high. RCB next face Gujarat in Bengaluru on Saturday, May 4. Published By: Diya Kakkar Published On: May 2, 2024

Rohit Sharma laughs, Agarkar comes up with ‘experience’ retort on Virat Kohli’s strike rate question

Danijones8 months ago04 mins

Image Source : PTI/AP Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar, the Indian captain and chairman of selectors addressed the press conference regarding the T20 World Cup squad Indian captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar were pretty straightforward with their responses in the press conference in Mumbai on Thursday, May 2 with respect to the T20 World Cup announced a couple of days ago. The duo was asked pretty much everything from the omissions of Rinku Singh, and Shubman Gill to the presence of four spinners and form of certain players. One of the questions was regarding Virat Kohli’s strike rate and the first reaction from skipper Rohit suggested that they were expecting that. Rohit laughed instantly. It was a rather sheepish smile. Before he gestured towards Agarkar to respond to the question and the former India pacer mentioned that Kohli has been in terrific form in the season so far and came up with the experience retort while shedding light on the gap between IPL and international cricket. “I don’t think we have been discussing it. So, no look he’s been in great form fortunately in the IPL. So no concerns there at all. With regards to how it is going in the IPL, you are still going to a World Cup, it is still international, there’s still that gap there. So, you’ve got to prepare knowing that there is that gap. That’s where experience does matter a lot. If the tournament turned out to be where IPL is where 220 plays 220, I think we’ve still got enough in the team, the balance or the power that you can match that. “There’s no point in overthinking. You look and take positives that are happening in the IPL, form of some of the guys, some of the newer guys coming through. At the end of the day, when you turn up for a World Cup game, the pressures are a little different,” Agarkar added. Watch the video here (1:27:27 – 1:28:51): Kohli has had a couple of knocks where his strike rate came under the scanner, however, he has been in outstanding touch with the bat playing for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Kohli has amassed 500 runs at an average of 71.4 and a strike rate of 147.49. India have option of playing Kohli at the top or at No 3 give the rest of the combination they want to go with.

Pakistan targets right T20 combination against understrength New Zealand | Cricket

India unperturbed by Pandya’s form, Kohli’s strike rate ahead of World Cup

Danijones8 months ago05 mins

May 2 – India are not losing sleep over all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s form or batting stalwart Virat Kohli’s strike rate heading into the T20 World Cup in June, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said on Thursday. India unperturbed by Pandya’s form, Kohli’s strike rate ahead of World Cup Pandya, when fit and in form, is India’s preferred seam-bowling all-rounder and has also been retained as vice-captain of the Rohit Sharma-led squad for the T20 showpiece co-hosted by the United States and West Indies. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! Returning from an ankle injury suffered during the 50-overs World Cup last year, the 30-year-old has struggled with bat and ball in the Indian Premier League . Under his captaincy, five-times champions Mumbai Indians have slipped to ninth place in the 10-team league and will need a miracle to make the playoff. “The good part is he’s got through all the games for MI and we’ve got another month and a little bit till we play our first game,” Agarkar told reporters in Mumbai. “As long as he stays fit, we know what he brings, how much balance he gives the team. “I don’t think there’s a replacement for the things that he can do as a cricketer, especially with the ball. He really gives Rohit the option to play different combinations. “So his fitness for us is critical and so far, fortunately, he’s gone okay in this IPL.” CONSISTENT KOHLI Unlike Pandya, Kohli has been consistent in the IPL with 500 runs so far this season and only Ruturaj Gaikwad has scored more runs than the former India captain. Many find Kohli’s strike rate of 147.59 not impressive enough but Agarkar and Rohit laughed off that criticism. “He’s been in great form in the IPL, no concerns there at all,” Agarkar said stressing the need for experience in a World Cup campaign. “You’ve got to prepare knowing there’s a gap . That’s where experience does matter a lot.” “There’s no point over-thinking it.” While the IPL provides a glimpse into the form and fitness of the players, Agarkar said performance in the league alone did not influence team selection. With the ball likely to turn in West Indies, India have picked two specialist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal along with spin-bowling all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. “I wanted four spinners, three seamers and Hardik as the fourth one,” Rohit said. “Based on the combination of our opponents, there’s a good chance that Kuldeep and Chahal will play together…” Inaugural champions India will begin their campaign against Ireland in New York on June 5 and also face arch-rivals Pakistan, the United States and Canada in Group A. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

‘I expect him to play like a…’: Former India cricketer’s advice for Hardik Pandya | Cricket News

Danijones8 months ago04 mins

NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricketer Pragyan Ojha has urged Hardik Pandya to embrace the role of a “true leader” and rise to the occasion. Despite facing criticism, Hardik was appointed as the vice-captain of India’s 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup.Ojha expressed confidence in Hardik’s leadership capabilities and his prowess as an all-rounder. He stressed the significance of mental preparedness, highlighting the need for Hardik to be ready to take charge when circumstances dictate.Ojha’s endorsement underscores the belief in Hardik’s potential to excel not just as a player but also as a leader on the cricketing stage.“I expect him to play like a leader because he is next in command. If something happens to Rohit, we don’t want that, if anything happens, he (Hardik) will be leading the side, so he has to be prepared, he has to take that responsibility when he is batting,” Ojha said on Jio Cinema.Hardik’s journey since the October 2023 ODI World Cup match against Bangladesh has been marked by both triumphs and challenges. After recovering from an ankle ailment, he assumed the captaincy of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season, replacing Rohit Sharma. However, this decision sparked significant social media criticism, which evidently impacted the all-rounder’s confidence.Despite the adversity, Hardik has showcased glimpses of his batting prowess in the 2024 IPL season, scoring 197 runs at an impressive average of 150.38 in 10 games. However, his bowling performance has been less stellar, with only six wickets claimed at an economy rate of 11.0.Navigating through the highs and lows, Pandya’s resilience will be key as he seeks to regain his form and silence the critics, both on and off the field.Ojha, acknowledging Hardik’s significance in the Indian setup, lauded his ability to provide balance to the team. Despite the IPL ordeal, Hardik’s place in the T20 World Cup squad was never in doubt. His versatility as an all-rounder offered India the flexibility they needed, a fact not lost on selectors or fans.“For me, he is someone who will create that balance for the side. Every time we talk about Indian team selection, Hardik’s name always comes in. He creates that balance, he will give you that cushion. That you can have an extra batter or a bowler, wherever he is needed. That’s what we want him to do, to be mentally ready for the World Cup and just forget what is happening in the IPL and focus on the World Cup, that is more important,” Ojha added.(With IANS inputs)

Mitchell Marsh Gives Update On His Recovery From Hamstring

Danijones8 months ago06 mins

Australia’s new men’s T20I captain Mitchell Marsh said he hopes to get things right in the next three weeks to recover from hamstring injury and achieve full fitness to be ready in time for the World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, when Australia play their first game against Oman on June 6 in Barbados. Marsh has been out of action since April 3 clash for Delhi Capitals due to a right hamstring strain. He flew back home to Perth from IPL 2024 in India to begin his recovery, with Cricket Australia taking charge of it. Eventually, Marsh was ruled out of DC’s campaign, with them drafting Afghanistan all-rounder Gulbadin Naib as his replacement. “If we had to play tomorrow, I’d be in a bit of trouble. Still a couple of weeks away (from full fitness). The timing probably sits perfectly, barring no setbacks. I’ll be on the plane, ready to go.” “The hammy is good, it’s coming along really well. It’s pretty much exactly where we want it to be. It’s one of those things. Just got to get it right over the next three weeks and get on the plane,” said Marsh to reporters in Perth on Thursday. The 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup will be Marsh’s first full-time event as Australia’s skipper in the shortest format, after holding the position in an interim capacity. “Just really proud. It’s not every day you get to captain Australia and lead them to a World Cup. That’s very exciting. But I think one of the best things about our team is that there’s a lot of great leaders in our group.” “One of the biggest things I’ve learned is to not change too much. There’s a lot of preparation and planning that goes into a World Cup, and that’ll happen over the next month. But once we get there, it’s keeping everything nice and relaxed, keeping the environment good, and making sure we go out there and give it our all,” he added. Marsh also revealed he’s in constant communication with ODI and Test skipper Pat Cummins, who captained Australia to World Test Championship and ODI World Cup triumphs last year. For the T20 World Cup, Cummins will be playing under Marsh’s captaincy. “We’re always in communication as mates and, I guess, as leaders. But no real conversations around the cricket side of things, just always checking in on each other. We’re great mates so I’m looking forward to working with him over the next period of time.” Marsh signed off by backing the veteran David Warner to come good in Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign in what will also be his event as an international cricketer after retiring from Tests and ODIs earlier this year. Warner is currently recovering from a hand injury while batting in DC’s match against Lucknow Super Giants on April 12. Though he played in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 20, Warner has been out of action since then. “It’s been a long last hurrah, hasn’t it for Davey? We’re always really excited to have him in the team. Just the experience that he brings.” “I think if we look back at his career. There’s been so many big moments that you need your big experienced players to stand up and Davey has always been one of those. So we’re lucky to have him.” (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

India’s Thomas Cup title defence ends in quarterfinal after 1-3 defeat to China

Danijones8 months ago05 mins

India’s Thomas Cup campaign ended in the quarter-finals when the defending champions lost to powerhouses China 1-3 in Chengdu, China on Thursday, May 2. Lakshya Sen was the lone winner for India as the holders crashed out in a disappointing manner in the prestigious team tournament, which they won two years ago in Bangkok. There were warning signs for India as they were outclassed 1-4 in their final Group C tie by Indonesia on Wednesday. India took the court, less than 24 hours after the draining tie against Indonesia while China had a day’s break before their quarter-final. The fatigue was evident as India’s shuttlers were unable to cope with the intensity of the Chinese stars, who did not need the final match of the quarter-final tie. India’s top-ranked singles shuttler HS Prannoy lost to World No. 2 Shi Yuqi. Despite making a strong start with a win in the opening game, Prannoy was not able to maintain his intensity throughout the contest. Prannoy lost 21-15, 11-21, 14-21 in an hour and 6 minutes. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who headed into the quarter-final after a defeat in the tie against Indonesia, were beaten in three games by World No. 1`Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang. The Indian doubles stars, who played a key role in the Thomas Cup triumph 2 years ago, lost 15-21, 21-11, 12-21. It was a disappointing tournament for Satwik and Chirag as the Olympic medal favourites failed in two crunch ties for India, losing their doubles rubbers against Indonesia and China. LAKSHYA SECURES LONE WIN FOR INDIA Lakshya Sen then kept India’s hopes alive by defeating World No. 6 Li Shi Feng in a come-from-behind victory. Lakshya lost the opening game 13-21, but he fought back and took the match in an hour and 10 minutes. Lakshya raced to a 21-8 win the second game as he swung the momentum in his favour and did not look back. However, India were not able to push the quarter-final contest into the decider as Dhruv Kapila and Sai Pratheek were beaten 10-21, 10-21 to He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu in 34 minutes. India had picked Kiran George for the final singles rubber instead of Kidambi Srikanth. However, Kiran was not needed as China secured the win in the 4th match, sealing a 3-1 win. INDIA BOW OUT OF UBER CUP Earlier in the day, the Indian women’s team showed enough promise for the future despite losing to Japan 3-0 inthe quarter-final of the Uber Cup in Chengdu. Despite the absence of experienced campaigners, including PV Sindhu, India made it to the last eight stage with two convincing wins over Canada and Singapore is a huge shot in the arm for the next generation of women’s singles shuttlers. Published By: Akshay Ramesh Published On: May 2, 2024