Cricket

IPL-17 | No plans to rest Bumrah yet: MI batting coach Pollard

Danijones10 months ago07 mins

Mumbai Indians’ Jasprit Bumrah celebrates after taking wicket of Abhishek Sharma during the IPL match between MI and Sunrises Hyderabad at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 6, 2024. | Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI Mumbai Indians have no plans to rest ace India pacer Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the T20 World Cup even though they are out of contention for the IPL playoffs, said batting coach Kieron Pollard. MI defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets here on Monday after Suryakumar Yadav (102 not out) struck his second IPL century to help his team chase down a target of 174 with 16 balls to spare. The win helped MI end their four-match losing streak and record only their fourth win in 12 matches. “I certainly haven’t had any discussions about that,” Pollard told media after the game when asked if there are any plans to rest Bumrah from MI’s remaining two matches keeping in mind the upcoming T20 World Cup. Also Read: IPL-17 | Technology comes to the rescue of practice pitches at Dharamshala “I don’t think that’s my role and function at this point in time. But let’s see what happens. We are all here to play an entire IPL. Sometimes when we think too far ahead of different things, thinking about World Cups, all these things could affect performances even from before the team was selected. “For us and in our camp, the most important thing is finishing off the IPL and let’s see what happens after that. When he leaves the IPL and he goes into the Indian team, I think that’s where that concession will take place.” MI’s last IPL game is against Lucknow Super Giants at home on May 17. The T20 World Cup, to be co-hosted by USA and the West Indies, will begin on June 1. Pollard said as a batting coach the most difficult aspect of coaching an all-round batter like Suryakumar is to curb his attacking instinct. “He’s one, who, by nature, instinctively, is very aggressive. He wants to take the bowler’s on more often than not. At times it’s just a matter of understanding the situation and respecting the new ball when it’s moving around,” Pollard said. “If the conditions are not suitable for a certain amount of shot making, having that discipline in order to be there for a period of time and they’ll get into your work. “I think that would be the hardest thing — to try to curb the attacking instinct. But it’s not something you want to curb too much and get them in a defensive frame of mind because of the direction the sport is heading now in terms of the amount of runs being scored.” SRH’s assistant coach Helmot doffs his hat to Suryakumar SRH’s assistant coach Simon Helmot said Suryakumar played an exceptional innings to take the game away from his side and the world No 1 T20I batter will have a lot of influence in the T20 World Cup. “On some days you just have to take your hat off and say well played and well played to him. He’s an exceptional cricketer and he’s always going to demand a spot in the Indian team and I’m sure he’ll have an influence in the World Cup,” he said. “It’s very difficult (to bowl at Suryakumar) and you guys have seen him close up for many years as I have. He’s a very difficult batsman to match up with when he’s in that sort of frame of mind, that sort of mood.” Helmot said the conditions assisted swing bowling with the new ball in both the innings which forced the batters to adjust their game. “Travis (Head) has been one of our best players this season at the top of the order. But even he found it difficult at times to time the ball out in the middle on this particular track and that will happen at different times during the season,” he said. Helmot said not losing their fourth spot in the IPL points table was the biggest positive for SRH in a resounding defeat. “The positives are that we’re still fourth in the ladder. It’s a really tight competition; one of the tightest competitions we’ve had in IPL for years that I can remember,” he said. “For us, we’ve got our very first fly tomorrow (Tuesday) and then play the next day against Lucknow (on Wednesday). For us, it’s (about) very quickly get through over this game,” he added.

“Don’t Talk To BCCI”: Kolkata Knight Riders Pacer’s Hilarious Dig After ‘Teasing’ Celebration

Danijones10 months ago10 months ago04 mins

Harshit Rana in action for KKR during IPL 2024© X (formerly Twitter) Kolkata Knight Riders fast bowler Harshit Rana took a hilarious dig at BCCI following their win over Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2024. Harshit was initially fined 50 percent of his match fee for giving a send-off to Mayank Agarwal during KKR’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He was handed an one-match suspension and docked 100 percent of match fees after another incident against Delhi Capitals which IPL deemed as a “breach of Code Of Conduct”. Harshit found him in the headlines once again after KKR’s win over LSG on Sunday when he teased his infamous ‘flying kiss’ celebration but did not complete it. This was the celebration that led to his punishments but this time, he kept his head down and put his finger on his lips. Harshit Rana said “BCCI se toh baat karo hi mat (Don’t talk to BCCI)”.pic.twitter.com/bIVdX6zNoC — Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) May 6, 2024 Following the match, KKR’s charter flight from Lucknow to Kolkata had to be diverted to Guwahati due to bad weather. In a video going viral on social media, Harshit can be seen having a conversation with head coach Chandrakant Pandit regarding their remaining fixtures in the IPL 2024. Harshit suggested that since they are already in Guwahati, they should just play Rajasthan Royals in the next few days and complete that fixture. The two teams will face each other in the final game of the group stages in Guwahati on April 19. Chandrakant Pandit was left amused by the suggestion and he playfully replied that it is a good idea and he will talk to his connections in BCCI about the suggestion. “BCCI se toh baat karo hi matt (Please don’t talk to BCCI),” Harshit replied. Harshit ended up taking 3 wickets for KKR in their victory over LSG. “We don’t want to take anything lightly and this is the kind of approach we want to have to make it to the playoffs. The coaches told me to focus on hitting the hard lengths and I got rewards for doing the same. I keep working on the areas that I need to improve, it becomes very handy when he (Russell) comes in and picks those wickets during the middle overs and it helps in shifting the momentum as well,” Harshit said.

No rest for Jasprit Bumrah before T20 World Cup, hints MI coach Kieron Pollard

Danijones10 months ago04 mins

MI batting coach Kieron Pollard has hinted that Jasprit Bumrah might not be rested for the remaining games in the Indian Premier League. Speaking at the post-match press conference after their win against SRH at the Wankhede Stadium, Pollard said that he was not aware of any discussion about resting Bumrah ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. With the IPL finishing on 26 May and the World Cup starting on June 1, there is not a lot of time for the players to rest. Certain sections of the fans on social media had hoped that the teams would rest their main India players in the final leg of the IPL to aid the Indian team. “I certainly haven’t had any discussions about that,” Pollard told media after the game when asked if there are any plans to rest Bumrah from MI’s remaining two matches keeping in mind the upcoming T20 World Cup. IPL 2024 Full Coverage | IPL 2024 Points Table and Standings | 2024 IPL Full Schedule “I don’t think that’s my role and function at this point in time. But let’s see what happens. We are all here to play an entire IPL. Sometimes when we think too far ahead of different things, thinking about World Cups, all these things could affect performances even from before the team was selected,” he further added. Pollard said that their main goal was to do well in the Indian Premier League and they would focus on the same. “For us and in our camp, the most important thing is finishing off the IPL and let’s see what happens after that. When he leaves the IPL and he goes into the Indian team, I think that’s where that concession will take place,” Pollard added. MI’s last IPL game is against Lucknow Super Giants at home on May 17. If MI do not qualify, Bumrah will have a week before the team flies out to the USA. MI have 4 wins from their 12 matches this season and are at the 9th position in the Indian Premier League table. McGrath Advocates Rest For Bumrah Jasprit Bumrah needs an ‘off-season’ since his bowling action with an ‘extensive effort’ could result in ace India pacer suffering further injuries, warned legendary Australian pacer Glenn McGrath here on March 19. Bumrah spent a lengthy period on the sidelines for undergoing a surgery for stress fracture on his back in March 2023, while being already out of action since September 2022. In between, he also missed the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia as well as the IPL 2023. Published By: Kingshuk Kusari Published On: May 7, 2024

Watch: In T20s you cannot say ‘mere ko settle hone ke liye time chahiye’, says Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson | Cricket News

Danijones10 months ago04 mins

Sanju Samson has remodeled his T20 game on the basis that he doesn’t wait now to go for a big shot, even if the opportunity presents itself on the first ball he is facing, and the Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) captain believes that’s the mindset every batsman needs to adopt for a team to succeed.IPL 2024: Results | Points Table Speaking on Star Sports segment ‘Captains Speak’ ahead of RR’s next IPL match against Delhi Capitals, Samson said: “Bees over ka game hai (it’s a 20-over game). Each and every over is five percent of the game. So you just can’t say ke bhai mere ko settle hone ke liye time chahiye (I need time to settle down), I will go for sixes after getting to 10 runs, I won’t hit this bowler, I will hit towards the end.” Incidentally, that approach has earned Samson India recall for the T20 World Cup.With 385 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 159.09 so far in IPL 2024, Samson sits at No. 10 on the list of top run-getters while 2008 champions RR are No. 2 on the points table with 8 wins in 10 matches. WATCH VIDEO “There is only one intent in this format – just have to go out and look for boundaries. You have to show that intent, you have to look for those sixes. You have to do that impact role as soon as possible,” Samson added.“There is no individual pattern of scoring runs in this (format). I think there is only one way — you go and dominate. If you don’t dominate, you expect yourself to get out and your teammates to go and dominate. But if everyone doesn’t dominate, we lose the game. So there is no second gear. It’s always going, going, going. That’s my belief about T20s.” Wicketkeeper-batsman Samson made his international debut in a T20I against Zimbabwe in July 2015 but played his first ODI only six years later in 2021. In nine years since wearing the India jersey for the first time, Samson has played only 16 ODIs and 25 T20Is.However, having re-invented his game lately, the 29-year-old batsman from Kerala would now hope to cement his place in the national side with a prolific show in the T20 World Cup.

Pakistan targets right T20 combination against understrength New Zealand | Cricket

Shastri expects big-hitting Dube to play a key role for India at T20 World Cup

Danijones10 months ago10 months ago04 mins

NEW DELHI, – Former India coach Ravi Shastri expects big-hitting Shivam Dube to set the T20 World Cup alight and says the 30-year-old batting all-rounder will be key to India’s hopes of racking up big totals in the tournament next month. Shastri expects big-hitting Dube to play a key role for India at T20 World Cup Dube, who is also a handy medium pacer, has established himself as one of the most destructive middle-order batters in the IPL, the Chennai Super Kings player scoring 350 runs in 11 matches at a 170-plus strike rate this season. Among the IPL’s Indian batters, only Abhishek Sharma has hit more sixes than Dube’s 26. “Please watch out for , because he is explosive, he’s devastating and he’s a match-winner,” Shastri told the International Cricket Council website. “He hits sixes for fun, and when it comes to spin bowling, he can kill you.” Shastri said that while the left-handed batter is particularly effective against spinners he had nailed down his batting approach against pace. “He’s understood the way to play and I think he holds the key at that number five-six position because if you’re in the doldrums, you want someone to change it in 20-25 balls, he’s the player to go to,” he added. The strike rate of India’s top order, which includes skipper Rohit Sharma and stalwart Virat Kohli, has been something of a concern and a fiery middle-order could be crucial to India’s hopes of winning a second T20 World Cup title. Shastri has high hopes for opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and said the presence of Dube in the middle order could help India post the big totals needed to win a major tournament. “His strike rate, which will be close to 200 most of the time, will help India immensely in going forward, getting those 190s, 200s that are needed in big competitions, especially like the World Cup,” he added. India will also be encouraged by Suryakumar Yadav’s form heading into the World Cup after his 51-ball hundred secured victory for the Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday. Suryakumar, the top-ranked batter in T20 internationals, is playing his first tournament since recovering from an ankle injury and a sports hernia operation.

Mumbai Indians: IPL 2024 Playoff Scenario: How Mumbai Indians still have an outside chance of finishing in top four | Cricket News

Danijones10 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians clinched a crucial victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad in a riveting IPL encounter at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. However, despite their commendable performance, the path to the playoffs remains arduous for the defending champions.With just two games remaining in the league stage, Mumbai Indians find themselves in a precarious position, sitting ninth in the IPL 2024 standings with 8 points from 12 games and a net run rate (NRR) of -0.212.Their comprehensive victory over Sunrisers propelled them slightly upward but not enough to secure a comfortable position in the playoff race.MI’s playoff hopes hinge on their ability to win their remaining fixtures against Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants. However, victory alone might not suffice. The team’s negative NRR poses a significant challenge, demanding not just wins but convincing performances to boost their run rate.The scenario is further complicated by the standings of other teams vying for playoff berths. Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals are already on 16 points each, making it impossible for MI to catch up with them. Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Lucknow Super Giants are also on 12 points each, potentially creating a logjam in the middle of the table. In such a scenario, MI’s only hope lies in multiple teams finishing with 12 points after the league stages, giving them an outside chance to progress based on a superior NRR. However, this would necessitate not only victories for MI but also losses for their competitors. The competition is fierce, with Delhi Capitals on 10 points and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings, and Gujarat Titans on 8 points each, all eyeing a playoff spot.With their playoff fate hanging in the balance, Mumbai Indians face a daunting task ahead. They must approach their remaining matches with unwavering determination, striving not only for victories but also for dominance on the field to enhance their NRR.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald backs captain Mitchell Marsh to be fit ahead of T20 World Cup

Danijones10 months ago04 mins

Australia coach Andrew McDonald has backed captain Mitchell Marsh to be back to full fitness before the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Marsh was pulled out of the IPL early last month due to a hamstring rupture, and his recovery has been far slower than planned since returning from India. Marsh joined a cohort of Australia’s squad members, not engaged in the IPL, for the initial three-day pre-tournament training camp in Brisbane. Another such camp is scheduled over the next two weeks before the squad leaves for the Caribbean on May 25th. Initially, Marsh wasn’t slated to attend the first camp due to his hamstring injury. However, his recovery allowed him to participate and bat in the nets over the last couple of days. Nonetheless, McDonald reiterated that Marsh’s bowling fitness would only be nearing completion closer to the tournament. “You probably won’t see him bowl in the next couple of weeks here,” McDonald told reporters at Allan Border Field on Tuesday. “It’ll probably happen the week before we leave. And then he’ll be able to ramp that up when we’re over there. We’ll be able to cherry-pick the moments during the tournament where he’ll be useful with the ball. We’ve got some all-round depth in the squad, which gives us good coverage anyway. “[His recovery was] probably a little slower than expected on the back of the hamstring. But we’ve got plenty of time now that he has been ruled out the IPL. The first game is just short of a month away now. So ample time for him to get ready. But really positive to see the skipper on the park.” McDonald said there was no concern about Marsh’s lack of match practice over the last two months, given that Australia will play some practice games before their debut match against Oman. “No real concern about match fitness,” McDonald said. “We’ve got a couple of practice games when we get to Trinidad in the support period. So he’ll likely get plenty of match opportunities. And if not, we’ll be able to simulate those through practice, which our coaching staff are pretty good at.” Published By: Saurabh Kumar Published On: May 7, 2024

‘Lagta hai yahi head coach, mentor sab hain’: How Gautam Gambhir scripted KKR’s win from dugout – Watch | Cricket News

Danijones10 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: Gautam Gambhir‘s emotions were on full display as he celebrated Nicholas Pooran‘s dismissal with great enthusiasm in the Indian Premier League match between Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday. He was later observed providing strategic advice to KKR captain Iyer by gesturing and offering words of wisdom to the player carrying drinks during the wicket break. A video of this incident has gone viral on social media, leading fans to speculate about Gambhir’s role in the franchise. Watch: After watching the video, one fan even commented, “Kabhi kabhi lagta hai Yahi head coach mentor saab hain (sometimes it feels like he is everything – the head coach and the mentor).”Under Gambhir’s guidance, KKR have been excellent in IPL 2024, with openers Sunil Narine and Phil Salt providing strong starts at the top.Narine’s brilliant half-century and a combined effort by the bowlers led to KKR’s convincing 98-run victory over LSG in the IPL on Sunday.LSG’s decision to field first backfired as KKR became the first team to surpass the 200-run mark at the Ekana stadium.Narine (81 off 38 balls) showcased his mettle with the bat once again, smashing seven sixes and six fours to propel the visitors to a formidable total of 235/6.Faced with a daunting target, LSG batters had to attack from the outset but struggled to find the boundary consistently. They were eventually bowled out for 137 in 16.1 overs.The victory led the Kolkata-based side to the top of the table with 16 points, equal to Rajasthan Royals but having played one extra game.

“Don’t Know Which Mathematical…”: Hardik Pandya’s Blunt Playoffs Reply To Sanjay Manjrekar

Danijones10 months ago10 months ago04 mins

The Mumbai Indians remain the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs hunt, though only mathematically, as they secured a 7-wickt victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday. Hardik Pandya, the Mumbai Indians skipper who hasn’t tasted much success this season, refused to get into the IPL playoffs numbers when informed about the same by former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar at the post-match presentation ceremony. For Hardik, the only focus remains is putting as many wins under the belt in the remaining two matches, as possible and see where the fate takes him and his team. (IPL 2024 Points Table) Mumbai Indians produced a much-better all-round display against the Sunrisers, with Suryakumar Yadav stepping up with a match-wining knock of 102 off just 51 balls. Hardik also looked astute with his bowling as well as captaincy decisions as MI handed SRH their 3rd defeat in last 4 matches. But, despite the win, Hardik isn’t getting carried away as far as MI’s playoffs chances are concerned. “I don’t know which mathematical situation we’re talking about, but at the same time, you want to focus on playing good cricket,” Hardik said in the post-match presentation, replying to Manjrekar’s suggestion. “The way our batters batted, that was excellent. My bowling, I like to bowl in the right areas, I bowl according to the situation. Bowled in the right areas today and it worked. I was like Chawla had to bowl from the shorter side. He (Chawla) had to be accurate, the margin of errors have become smaller these days for the bowlers. “It’s unbelievable, the best past of SKY is that he puts the bowlers under pressure. It’s sheer confidence, his game has changed, is one of the best batters. He can change a game in a different way, lucky to have him (SKY) in our side,” Hardik further said in the presentation ceremony. For MI to finish among the top 4 sides in the IPL this season, they don’t just need to win their remaining 2 matches in the league campaign but also hope for a few other results to fall in their favour. Even margins of MI’s wins in the last two matches have to be huge in order for them to remain in realistic contention.

KKR’s charter flight to Kolkata from Lucknow diverted twice due to bad weather, team stays in Varanasi overnight

Danijones10 months ago10 months ago04 mins

Image Source : KKRIDERS X Kolkata Knight Riders players at Guwahati Airport after the first diversion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) may be braving teams on the field in the 2024 edition of the IPL for fun, however, they didn’t have much say in front of inclement weather as a five-day break came to their rescue. KKR team’s Kolkata-bound flight from Lucknow was diverted to Guwahati late Monday night due to bad weather in Kolkata. However, an hour later when it was ready to take off from Guwahati, it was diverted yet again and the table-toppers find themselves in Varanasi currently. KKR, who played their last game on Sunday in Lucknow, will be in action on Saturday, May 11 against the Mumbai Indians at home, so they do have a few days before their next game and weather decided to take them on a ride. The Knight Riders as per the latest update will attempt another flight in afternoon after staying in Varanasi overnight. “Travel update: KKR’s charter flight from Lucknow to Kolkata diverted to Guwahati due to bad weather. Flight currently standing at the Guwahati Airport tarmac. More updates soon,” the first update at 9:34 PM IST from KKR on Twitter (now X) read. At 10:11 PM, they were ready to take off for Kolkata from Guwahati. “Update at 1:20 AM: Flight diverted to Varanasi after another failed attempt at landing in Kolkata due to bad weather. Current status: At the Lal Bahadur Shastri International airport tarmac,” read the next update. “Update at 3:00 AM: KKR team would be checking into Varanasi hotel for overnight stay. Return flight to Kolkata TBD on Tuesday (7 May) afternoon. Stay safe, Kolkata,” the final update read. KKR are due to play in Guwahati against the Rajasthan Royals on May 19, which will be their final league stage match but they didn’t know they would land in the city 12 days before. KKR are currently at the top of the table with eight wins in 11 matches. The weather in Kolkata brought some respite to the locals from the excessive heat and is set to remain cloudy with showers in the next few days with the forecast for Saturday, the match day also not being dry.