Danijones

‘Please stop wearing that shirt immediately’: AB de Villiers asks RCB’s ‘bad omen’ | Cricket News

Danijones7 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: Former South African and Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricketer AB de Villiers has requested former New Zealand and Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Scott Styris to stop wearing the RCB jersey. The Bengaluru-based franchise has been struggling in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, with only two points from seven games, placing them at the bottom of the table. Styris, who has been seen sporting the RCB jersey on match days, is now considered a bad omen for the team. In response to Styris’ post, De Villiers commented, “Please stop wearing that shirt immediately!!!!” Styris, however, has thrown down the gauntlet to De Villiers, declaring that he will stop wearing the RCB shirt for the team’s upcoming matches if the South African legend agrees to wear a Chennai Super Kings shirt once. The former New Zealand all-rounder stated, “I said I would wear the shirt. It has been a bad omen. I am a bad mascot for RCB, which is pleasing from my perspective. So I am prepared to put out a challenge back to AB de Villiers because he says it’s time for me to stop wearing the shirt. I will stop wearing the shirt for RCB matches moving forward if De Villiers wears the CSK shirt once. He is coming back for The Insiders (Jio Cinema’s programme) for the last week of the playoffs.” Former England captain Eoin Morgan, who was part of the show, agreed with Styris that the counter-challenge to De Villiers was ‘fair’.RCB’s latest setback came against Sunrisers Hyderabad, who set a new IPL record for the highest total, amassing 287-3 on Monday. The match also witnessed the highest aggregate for a T20 game, with a combined total of 549 runs. ALSO SEE: IPL 2024 POINTS TABLEDespite valiant efforts from Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Dinesh Karthik, RCB fell short by 25 runs, resulting in their sixth defeat of the season.

Hardik Pandya: Hardik Pandya’s inclusion in T20 World Cup squad depends on IPL bowling performance: Report | Cricket News

Danijones7 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: India captain Rohit Sharma recently held a meeting with head coach Rahul Dravid and chief selector Ajit Agarkar in Mumbai during the ongoing IPL 2024 season, according to a media report. The primary agenda of the meeting, which took place at the BCCI headquarters, was to discuss the squad composition for the upcoming T20 World Cup.According to a report by The Indian Express, a crucial decision was made regarding Hardik Pandya‘s inclusion in the team.The trio decided that bowling regularly during the IPL 2024 will be key to Pandya’s chances of making the cut in the squad.IPL 2024: POINTS TABLE | ORANGE CAP | PURPLE CAPThe meeting focused significantly on the selection of fast bowling all-rounders for the T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the USA and Caribbean islands in June. However, the selectors face a challenge due to the limited quality options available. Despite this, they are closely monitoring Shivam Dube, who has been impressive with the bat but has only been utilized as an Impact Player by his franchise, Chennai Super Kings, due to their abundant bowling resources. Hardik Pandya, who is also leading the Mumbai Indians this season, has been struggling with his bowling form. In six games, he has bowled 11 overs, taking three wickets but conceding runs at an alarming economy rate of 12 per over. The Indian team management hopes that Pandya can find his rhythm, as his seam bowling adds balance to the playing XI, and his powerful hitting provides depth to the batting lineup.Reports suggest that the Indian selection committee is set to meet later this month to finalize the squad for the T20 World Cup, with the performance of the hopefuls in the ongoing IPL expected to play a significant role in their decision-making process.

Dharamsala to get India”s first ”hybrid pitch”

Danijones7 months ago04 mins

Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. | Photo Credit: AFP The picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium has become the first BCCI-accredited venue to install a state-of-the-art ‘hybrid pitch’ and future international and IPL matches will be held on this track. The Netherlands-based ‘SISGrass’, a part of the SIS Pitches group of companies, has been roped in for the first-ever hybrid pitch installation. According to a press release, “this cutting-edge technology will transform the game by providing a more durable, consistent, and high-performing playing surface.” HPCA president R.P. Singh said, “The arrival of ground-breaking hybrid pitch technology in India signifies a game-changing moment for our national cricket.” Paul Taylor, a former England cricketer and SIS’s international cricket director said, “As we inject new and improved technological advancements into India’s vibrant cricket ecosystem, we foresee a catalytic effect on its growth trajectory.” “At SISGrass, and working with fine turf specialists Greater Ten, our delivery partner in India, we are committed to investing in this ecosystem by providing top-notch facilities such as hybrid pitches,” he added. SIS forayed in India after the ICC allowed the use of hybrid surfaces for T20 and 50-over competitions. Following the success of installing hybrids across English cricket grounds, SIS decided to develop the technology in India. The surface contains a small percentage of polymer fibre with the natural turf inside cricket stadiums. This composition is believed to be more resilient to stresses created during play, while prolonging life of the pitch, guaranteeing an even bounce and easing pressure on groundstaff. The completed installations are still predominantly natural grass, with only 5% polymer fibre used to ensure that the characteristics of an all-natural pitch are maintained. ‘The Universal’ machine, used in Dharamshala for the hybrid pitch, will be taken to Ahmedabad and Mumbai to create further such pitches. It will remain in India for future projects. In the U.K., hybrid pitches are approved for T20 and 50-over competitions and will also be used in the four-day County Championship matches this season. The Universal machine has been used to install SISGrass at various grounds in England such as Lord’s, The Oval, Edgbaston, Old Trafford and Trent Bridge. It must be noted that Dharamsala pitch and outfield came under scanner during the ODI World Cup last year and the entire playing surface was refurbished.

IPL 2024: Dinesh Karthik’s 83 not enough as SRH’s 287 too good for RCB

Danijones7 months ago010 mins

Dinesh Karthik’s heroic effort was not enough for RCB as SRH secured a 25-run win over the hosts in the IPL 2024 run-fest in Bengaluru on Monday. Over 500 runs were scored, but Hyderabad managed to squeeze in a superb win over RCB. RCB managed to reach 262 but still fell 25 runs short of SRH’s record-breaking 287 for 3 in the match. With this batting effort RCB also the first team to score over 250 when chasing in an IPL match. It was their 2nd-highest total in the IPL and 5th-highest total in the tournament history. In what could easily be regarded as one of the finest display of batting in a T20 encounter, close to 550 runs were amassed in this match, precisely 549. However, despite witnessing an astounding total, Hyderabad emerged victorious, boasting an insurmountable lead. This fixture not only saw an unprecedented scoring spree but also shattered numerous records, officially securing its place as the highest-scoring T20 game ever recorded. With a staggering count of 79 boundaries, comprising 43 fours and 36 sixes, the sheer magnitude of this achievement is almost unfathomable. IPL 2024 Full Coverage | IPL 2024 Points Table and Standings | 2024 IPL Full Schedule Bengaluru suffered their sixth loss in seven games and remains rooted at the bottom of the table but this shows how underwhelming they have been with the ball. The batters gave it their all but 288 to get in 120 legal deliveries is almost unthinkable. Both Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis started aggressively and got a plethora of boundaries away but Kohli got out for 42, after which Faf went on a rampage, but the next three batters that came in couldn’t even get into double figures. Faf du Plessis eventually got out on 62, after which Dinesh Karthik took matters into his hands and just about kept Bengaluru with a 1 percent chance of a win. He made a sensational 83 off 35 balls but got out in the 19th over and even Anuj Rawat’s little cameo in the final over wasn’t nearly enough to get them that crucial win. Defending a massive total of 287 runs, Hyderabad couldn’t pick up a wicket in the Powerplay and were a bit unlucky with the edges and ended up conceding 79 runs. It was then Mayank Markande who knocked over Virat Kohli right after the Powerplay and then skipper Pat Cummins got a couple of quick wickets to hand Hyderabad the advantage. With 5 wickets already in the bag, the visitors couldn’t capitalize and seemed nervous in the death overs. Cummins did provide one more breakthrough but they kept conceding boundaries at an alarming rate and it was T Natarajan who finally got DK in the penultimate over that sealed the game. Overall, not the best bowling performance but there were some positives, especially the way Cummins bowled. HEAD POWERS SRH TO 287 Travis Head’s blistering century powered SRH to a staggering 287 for three against a struggling RCB in their IPL 2024 encounter. This marked a new record, surpassing their previous high of 277 against MI earlier in the season. Head led from the front with a scintillating 102 off just 41 deliveries, marking his maiden T20 hundred. He formed crucial partnerships, first putting on 108 runs with Abhishek Sharma (34 off 22 balls) and then adding 57 with Heinrich Klaasen, who blazed his way to 67 off 31 balls. The left-handed Head’s batting style may lack elegance, but his sheer effectiveness was evident as he relentlessly punished the RCB bowlers. His approach was simple yet devastating: anything in his hitting zone was dispatched with authority. Even the introduction of debutant Lockie Ferguson failed to stem the flow of runs, with Head taking a particular liking to his bowling. Ferguson’s first over was forgettable, conceding 18 runs as Head unleashed his power with disdain. Despite losing Head after his hundred, Hyderabad’s onslaught continued unabated, with Klaasen taking over the role of aggressor. The South African hammered the spinners, including a brutal assault on Mahipal Lomror, yielding 18 runs in a single over. Hyderabad’s assault culminated in a monumental total, with Aiden Markram’s single off Vysakh Vijayakumar marking the historic moment as they surpassed their own record total. Hyderabad, as habitual to begin on a flier, started off exactly in the same way. After examining the pitch for the first over, the dual southpaw duo opened the floodgates from the get-go, going aggressively against the Bengaluru bowlers. Travis Head was the real aggressor as he timed the ball to perfection. It seemed like the ball was just effortlessly springing off his bat into the stands. Hyderabad boosted to 100 for no loss in just 7.1 overs. Abhishek Sharma too, didn’t stay quiet for long and joined the party before getting dismissed on a well-supported 34. The Aussie southpaw however looked in no mood to calm down and went on to notch up a sensational 102 before getting out. But, the damage continued as Heinrich Klaasen joined the party and smashed a 23-ball half-century and kept inflating the scoring rate with glorious strokes. After his departure, Abdul Samad further compounded the damage as he struck a quickfire 37 off a 10-ball cameo. Aiden Markram too didn’t sit back and further helped his team to surpass the 277 mark, a record that they set just a few games ago. Records shattered left, right, and center, bowlers left reeling with absolute helplessness, and once again, it’s the team clad in orange and black that has showcased unrelenting ruthlessness with the bat. Indeed, Hyderabad has developed a habit of toppling records remarkably. Picture this – 22 monstrous sixes along with 19 boundaries. It is the second-highest team total in the history of all T20s and the highest total in the history of the Indian T20 League. It tells you a story, the kind of nightmare the Hyderabad batters have wreaked on this already struggling Bengaluru bowling attack. Published By: Saurabh Kumar…

MS Dhoni’s retirement talks intensified by Wasim Jaffer after CSK beat MI at IPL 2024: ‘Everyone expecting him to…’ | Cricket

Danijones7 months ago7 months ago04 mins

Completing a fairytale return to the iconic Wankhede Stadium, legendary cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni finished things off in style for Chennai Super Kings by taking Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya to the cleaners in the recently concluded encounter of the Indian Premier League season 2024. Giving CSK a late flourish in the final overs on Sunday, Dhoni smoked three sixes off Pandya to make sure the Yellow Brigade posted a match-winning total in the first El Clasico of the cash-rich league. Rohit Sharma , right, greets MS Dhoni at the end the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians in Mumbai(AP) After Dhoni finished off CSK’s innings in style by hitting three sixes off his first three balls at the Wankhede, former India opener Wasim Jaffer issued a cryptic post about the former CSK skipper. The former India skipper is in speculation about finishing his T20 career at the IPL 2024. Dhoni stepped down as CSK’s captain in the build-up to the new season. “MS has always done things that no one expected, especially when it comes to retiring from formats. Now everyone is expecting him to retire after this IPL..Baki aap khud samajhdar hai #MIvCSK #IPL2024,” Jaffer said in his post. Dhoni cameo proved to be the difference in Clasico Dhoni remained unbeaten on 20 off just 4 balls against Hardik’s Mumbai Indians in match No.29 of the IPL 2024. The 42-year-old batted at a strike rate of 500 as the former CSK skipper propelled the defending champions to 206-4 in 20 overs. Dhoni’s successor, Ruturaj Gaikwad, played a stroke-filled knock of 69 off 40 balls while power-hitter Shivam Dube remained unbeaten with Dhoni on 66 off 38 deliveries. Dhoni’s IPL legacy According to a report filed by news agency PTI, Dhoni can bid farewell to IPL cricket after the 2024 season. Dhoni picked Indian opener Gaikwad as his successor at CSK. Dhoni informed the CSK CEO about his decision to step down as captain just before the IPL 2024 skippers’ meet. “There is speculation that Dhoni will retire at the end of the season and therefore the franchise felt the need for a smooth transition in the stalwart’s presence as a player,” the news agency mentioned in one of its reports. Dhoni has won the joint-most IPL trophies as captain. Chennai icon Dhoni has guided CSK to five IPL title triumphs. The former CSK skipper has scored the most runs as a wicketkeeper-batter in the elite T20 tournament. The most-capped player in IPL’s history has played a record 11 finals in his iconic career.

Heinrich Klaasen enjoys battle against two Indian spinners who challenge him the most

Danijones7 months ago7 months ago04 mins

Heinrich Klaasen has transformed his batting superbly according to the modern day requirements. He is now a six-hitting machine possessing the ability to turn the game on its head from any position. The man is currently playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has already scored 186 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 193.75 with 17 sixes to his name. On the contrary, the wicketkeeper-batter has only hit seven fours. Klaasen is one of the toughest batters to bowl at these days. However, he finds it challenging to face two Indian spinners – Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja. Talking about Chahal who is playing for Rajasthan Royals in IPL, Klaasen recalls getting out to him on a couple of occasions but also rejoices smashing him for sixes. At the same time, the Proteas batter has also lauded Chahal for coming up with variations and also sticking to his game plan. As for Jadeja, his accuracy is what finds Klaasen challenging and is looking forward to facing him later in the season again. “I like facing [Yuzvendra] Chahal. It’s always been a good battle. He’s got me out a couple of times and I’ve been scoring off him, so that ratio is nice, I feel. I know he’s an excellent bowler, he’s one of my good friends as well so that will always be a nice challenge. He’s one of the bowlers that is always sticking to his gameplan. Even if you hit him for a couple of good shots, he still follows his process. Obviously he’s one of my mates so you want to take him down. He’s been good. “And Jadeja has been good on his type of wickets. So that’s always a nice challenge. So those two spinners in particular, it’s been good. I haven’t faced a lot of Jadeja so I am looking forward to more of that,” Klaasen said while speaking to Cricbuzz. Klaasen also picked SuperSport Park in Centurion as his favourite venue to bat while also clarifying that he also loves playing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad which is also the home ground of SRH. “Super Sport Park – I don’t think there’s any better place in the world to play cricket at, especially on a Friday night. And Boland Park (Paarl) has always been my favourite. The mountains in the backdrop and the sun set looks just unbelievable. In the IPL, I obviously enjoy Hyderabad. The wicket has been fantastic there. But probably one of the loudest places I’ve been to is Mumbai. It’s a nice wicket too, as well and a great atmosphere,” Klaasen added.

“Lack Of Faith, Lack Of Skill”: Irfan Pathan Tears Into Hardik Pandya’s Captaincy

Danijones7 months ago7 months ago07 mins

Mumbai Indians captain and all-rounder Hardik Pandya was put to sword by fans and former cricketers after yet another underwhelming show in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Hardik faced brutal criticism from prominent former players lost the high-profile encounter against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. Hardik, who bowled the last over the innings, was ripped apart by the 42-year-old MS Dhoni, conceding 20 runs in the final 4 balls. His decision to bowl at the absolute end has been questioned by many, including former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan. (IPL 2024 Points Table) Booed and heckled by fans ever since he took over MI’s captaincy, Pandya found himself in the line of fire. Hardik was openly criticised by Irfan who put big question marks on the decision-making that the former Gujarat Titans skipper brings to the ground. It was the 26 runs that Pandya conceded in the final over with Mahendra Singh Dhoni going hammer and tongs, which proved to be decisive as Chennai Super Kings notched up a 20-run win over MI. Irfan feels the decision to bowl himself over Akash Madhwal shows lack of faith on the latter. Hardik Pandya bowling the last over showed the lack of faith on Akash madhwal’s bowling and his own lack of skill as a death over bowler. — Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) April 14, 2024 The likes of Sunil Gavaskar and Kevin Pietersen also questioned Hardik’s captaincy in the match. “Oh, absolutely ordinary bowling, ordinary captaincy. They should have been restricted despite the fact that Ruturaj Gaikwad had batted so well along with Shivam Dube. I do believe that they should have been restricted to 185-190,” Gavaskar said. “Probably the worst kind of bowling that I’ve seen for a long, long time,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports during the innings break after CSK posted 206 for 4. “It almost looks like I’ve had this embrace with my hero. I’ve got the kind of deliveries that he’s gonna hit for sixes. One six is fine. The next one is a length ball when you know this batter is hunting for a length ball that he wants to hit. “Third ball is again a full toss on the legs when you know he (Dhoni) is looking for a six.” Pandya finished with figures of 2 for 43 from his four overs and also had a tough time with the bat, managing a mere two runs off six balls at a crucial juncture of the game as MI ended at 186 for six despite a fine 63-ball 105 by former skipper Rohit Sharma. Pandya has faced fans’ ire right from the first match and even at the Wankhede Stadium, boos have followed him, forcing Rohit (against Rajasthan Royals) and Virat Kohli (in MI’s game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru) to ask the crowd to calm down a bit. Pietersen feels the outside noise is taking a toll on the flamboyant all-rounder. “I actually think, with Hardik Pandya, everything away from the game is affecting him so much. He’s smiling too much when he does the toss. He’s trying to act like he is so happy. He is not happy. I have been there. I have been in the firing line. And I can tell you now, it affects you. “The boos we have been hearing just now and I know they are happy to see former CSK captain (Dhoni), the lion, smacking him (Hardik) all over the park, it hurts you. Because he has emotions. And he is an Indian player and he doesn’t want to be treated like this. So when this is happening, it’s affecting him, it’s affecting his cricket and something needs to happen.” The 43-year-old former batter also wondered why Pandya didn’t use his spinners when the pacers were being targeted by CSK batters. “What I saw this evening wasn’t good enough. I saw a captain that had plan A from a team meeting that was five hours ago and a captain that didn’t want to go to plan B when he should have gone to plan B. “Like how on this Earth have you not bowled a spinner when your seamers are going for 20. Brian Lara said can we please bowl a spinner? Somebody needs to bowl here. You need to change the pace of the game.” MI will next take on Punjab Kings on April 18 in Chandigarh.

‘There is no one to actually support…’: Brian Lara slams Mumbai Indians’ bowling | Cricket News

Danijones7 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: West Indian cricket legend Brian Lara and former England captain Kevin Pietersen offered insightful analysis after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by 20 runs in their IPL encounter.Lara pointed out MI’s bowling deficiencies, beyond the formidable Jasprit Bumrah. He emphasized the lack of support for Bumrah, stating, “Their bowling is poor. Beyond Jasprit Bumrah, there is no one to actually support them in that bowling attack, and the CSK batters took them apart.” The batting maestro highlighted MI’s reluctance to utilize spinners against Shivam Dube and emphasized the need for MI to strengthen their bowling lineup. He emphasized, “The spinners, they only bowled 4 overs after around 7 runs an over, but they weren’t trusted with Shivam Dube out there. So, MI will have to improve in that area, they’ve got to find a couple of bowlers, match-winning bowlers.” Meanwhile, Pietersen lauded Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana‘s exceptional performance, describing him as “very unorthodox.” Drawing comparisons with legendary bowler Lasith Malinga, Pietersen added, “It was something that Malinga had as well, it was reverse, but it wasn’t reverse in, it was reverse down, and that’s always going away from the angle of where you’re trying to hit the ball.”ALSO CHECK: IPL SCHEDULEPietersen emphasized the challenge posed by Pathirana’s deliveries, noting, “When you’ve got a bowler that’s coming at an angle, but it’s not coming on at a natural angle, it’s coming on at an angle that actually starts to dip on you, then you can’t actually play the sweep, you can’t play the ramp, because it’s going to get under your bat, and then it also makes it really hard to hit down the ground. It’s a gem for CSK, what a bowler.”(Inputs from PTI)

IPL Stars, Team Owners, Commentators Asked To Stop Posting Pictures From Stadiums. Here’s Why

Danijones7 months ago04 mins

The BCCI has informed all commentators, players, IPL owners, and social media and content teams associated with the squads not to post any pictures or videos from the stadium on match days on social media, says a report. A recent incident when a former India batter got a picture clicked of him commentating during an IPL game and posted it on social media irked broadcast-rights holders. Soon after, he was asked to delete it by a BCCI staff member, according to an Indian Express report. The BCCI has taken strict action and notified all commentators, players, IPL owners, and social media and content teams associated with the squads that there will be consequences for violating the rules, aiming to prevent individuals or teams from accruing social media followers by sharing images or videos on match days, the report said. “The broadcasters have paid big money for IPL rights. So commentators cannot post videos or photographs on match day on social media. There have been instances where commentators have done an ‘Instagram Live’ or posted a photo from the ground. One video got one million views. Even IPL teams can’t post videos of live games. They can post a limited number of photographs and can give live match updates on their social media platforms. If found guilty, a franchise will be fined,” BCCI official was quoted as saying by Indian Express. The officials also mentioned that some players had recently shared pictures on match days and were instructed to remove them. “Even players have been told to be mindful of social media posts on match days. All posts by players are being monitored. They had been informed of the rules but we found that some of them have not followed it,” the official added. The report further indicated that an IPL team incurred a fine of Rs 9 lakh for sharing a video clip of a live game in which they were participating. The two holders of broadcast rights, Star India for television and Viacom 18 for digital maintain exclusive control over content pertaining to “live matches” and the “field of play.” To enforce adherence to the rules, designated staff members from a BCCI team overseeing IPL production closely monitor posts made by commentators, IPL teams, players, and individuals present at the ground in an official capacity. (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

Watch – ‘A trip down memory lane’: MS Dhoni with 2011 ODI and 2007 T20 World Cup trophies | Cricket News

Danijones7 months ago02 mins

NEW DELHI: The legendary MS Dhoni was back in Mumbai for Chennai Super Kings’ IPL 2024 match against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.IPL ORANGE CAP | IPL PURPLE CAP | IPL POINTS TABLEOn Saturday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had released three pictures of the former India captain visiting the board headquarters at the Wankhede and admiring the ODI World Cup trophy he had won for the country on April 2, 2011.On Sunday after the MI-CSK match, BCCI released a heart-warming video that shows Dhoni at the headquarters.Dhoni signed a photograph of himself hitting that iconic six in the final against Sri Lanka to win the ODI World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium. Dhoni also signed another photograph of himself playing a Test match and then was seen admiring the 2007 T20 World Cup trophy that had capitulated him to stardom.The heart-warming video shows Dhoni with a smile as he roamed about the room filled with nostalgia. In the match against Mumbai Indians, Dhoni scored 20 runs off four balls, and that proved to be the exact margin of victory for Chennai Super Kings.