Cricket

‘In my cricket life, MS Dhoni is playing my father’s role’ | Cricket News

Danijones7 months ago03 mins

Ever since asking Joginder Sharma to bowl the final over of the 2007 T20 World Cup against Pakistan, former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and India captain MS Dhoni has been known to putting his trust into young players and turning them into champion performers, and Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana is experiencing something similar at CSK in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season.IPL 2024: Results | Points TableHaving a slingy action similar to Sri Lankan fast-bowling legend Lasith Malinga, Pathirana is currently fifth on the list of top wicket-takers in this IPL season, with 13 wickets in six matches.He finished among the top 10 bowlers in the 2023 season as well.He credits that success to the confidence shown in him by Dhoni, who handed over CSK captaincy duties to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of IPL 2024. WATCH VIDEO “After my father, in my cricket life, mostly he (Dhoni) is playing my father’s role because he is always taking care of me, giving me advice, what I have to do, similar to my father when I am at home,” said Pathirana on the latest episode of ‘Lions Upclose’.Pathirana further revealed that Dhoni doesn’t say much and always stresses on the need to enjoying the game and taking care of fitness. “He’s not telling a lot of things when I am on the field and off the field. He tells just small tings, but it makes a lot of difference. So those little things, I take a lot of confidence (from),” said the 21-year-old Sri Lankan pacer. “In my cricket life, Dhoni’s like my father”| Lions up close Ft. Matheesha Pathirana “Off the field, we don’t talk that much; but if I have to ask something from him, definitely I would go to him and ask. Everytime he is telling me ‘enjoy your game and take care of your body’.” The pacer from Trinity College in Kandy then slipped in quiet request that is on every CSK fan’s wish-list. “Mahi bhai, if you can play one more season, please play with us. If I’m here (laughs).”

Today’s IPL Match: RCB vs GT Prediction, Head-to-Head, Bengaluru Pitch Report and Who Will Win?

Danijones7 months ago05 mins

Virat Kohli is back in form and so are RCB. After their loss in the final-ball thriller vs KKR, RCB have managed to stitch two confident wins in a row against SRH and GT – both away from home. The team will now return to Bengaluru and play their reverse fixture against Shubman Gill’s Gujarat. In the last game, Kohli and Will Jacks put in a tremendous partnership to chase down 200 runs against the famed spin attack of GT. While Kohli as unbeaten at 70, Jacks scored a terrific stroke-filled hundred. RCB will hope for the same, given they still have kept their playoffs hopes alive in the Indian Premier League at the moment. Captain Faf du Plessis has spoken about the side’s mentality and how much strength they have shown to make a comeback after an extremely poor start. The RCB unit seems confident of their approach and one would hope that they put in a strong performance in the back end of the tournament. Shubman Gill’s Gujarat have lost way in the IPL after their strong start at home and are currently in the 8th spot in the league table. Gill was not picked up in the main squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 and will hope that he is able to avenge the selection call. The batter has been far from his best this season but has shown glimpses of his prolific 2023 form. There can be no better ground than Bengaluru to return to form and Gill would hope for a statement outing today. IPL 2024 Full Coverage | IPL 2024 Points Table and Standings | 2024 IPL Full Schedule RCB vs GT: Head-to-Head RCB and GT have played four times in the Indian Premier League and the spoils are shared at 2-2 at the moment. In the last game, RCB hammered GT with a thundering partnership between Virat Kohli and Will Jacks. RCB vs GT: Team News Changes might be in cards for GT after their hammering in the last match. Noor Ahmad and Rashid Khan were ineffective vs Kohli and GT might think about trying out Spencer Johnson against the hosts. Johnson’s left arm angle could come handy on the day. RCB vs GT: Pitch Report The Bengaluru pitch has seen some really high scores this season. The last match played in the stadium was the one where SRH registered their world record. The pitch has gone through some work and is expected to provide a better balance between the ball and the bat. RCB vs GT: Predicted XI GT Predicted XI Shubman Gill (c), Wriddhiman Saha/Matthew Wade (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Azmatullah Omarzai/Vijay Shankar, Shahrukh Khan, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, R. Sai Kishore, Sandeep Warrier, Noor Ahmad/Spencer Johnson, Mohit Sharma Impact Player: Darshan Nalkande RCB Predicted XI Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Swapnil Singh, Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal Impact Player: Mahipal Lomror Published By: Kingshuk Kusari Published On: May 4, 2024

Rohit Sharma’s back issue resurfaces, suffers stiffness twice in 2 months as reason behind XI absence vs KKR revealed

Danijones7 months ago04 mins

Rohit Sharma didn’t take the field during KKR’s batting innings in Mumbai Indians’ match at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday. While the former MI skipper did return as an Impact Player in the run-chase, there was no official explanation for Rohit’s absence throughout the game. It was only in the post-match press conference following MI’s defeat that veteran spinner Piyush Chawla opened up on why Rohit was not in the XI. Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma plays a shot during the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Kolkata Knight Riders (AFP) Chawla revealed that Rohit had complained of back stiffness and that he was used as an Impact Player as a precautionary measure. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! “He just had a mild back stiffness, so it was just a precautionary thing,” Chawla told the media at the Wankhede Stadium. Interestingly, Rohit had faced a stiff back issue during the Test series against England earlier this year, too; he didn’t take the field during Day 3 of the final Test, with Jasprit Bumrah taking over the captaincy. The match ended the same day, with India clinching an innings-and-64-run win to take the series 4-1. Against KKR, Rohit failed to make an impact as he joined the XI during the run-chase, scoring 11 off 12 deliveries as MI slumped to their eighth defeat, falling 24 runs short of the 170-run target. With the loss, MI are almost certain of elimination, with only three matches remaining in their campaign. The 37-year-old MI batter has had a mixed season so far; while he did score a century during the clash against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings, the knock remains his only 50+ score this year. With 326 runs in 11 matches, Rohit’s form is also becoming a potential concern as Team India gears up for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Rohit will lead the side with his MI skipper, Hardik Pandya, as his deputy in the marquee global tournament, which begins June 1. What next for Rohit and MI? With the playoff chances turning bleaker with each passing game, Mumbai Indians now rely on other teams to produce favourable results and win all their remaining matches to stand a qualifying chance. Currently at 9th spot in the table, all of the side’s three remaining matches are against teams placed in top four (Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Lucknow Super Giants). If MI are eliminated, Rohit and the side’s T20 World Cup-bound players (Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah) will likely leave for the Americas earlier.

Why did Rohit Sharma play as Impact Player against Kolkata Knight Riders? Piyush Chawla reveals reason – India TV

Danijones7 months ago03 mins

Image Source : PTI Rohit Sharma alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Ishan Kishan. Rohit Sharma’s absence from Mumbai Indians’ playing XI in the 51st game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 17 raised many eyebrows and opened up room for speculation. The absence of “The Hitman” left many fans bemused as Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to field first against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on their home turf (Wankhede Stadium) in Mumbai. However, the anxiety of fans came to a pleasant end as the former Mumbai Indians skipper made his way to the wicket alongside his opening partner Ishan Kishan to get the chase underway for the hosts. Though Rohit didn’t last long and got out to Sunil Narine while attempting a pull, his arrival at the crease brought assurance to the hearts of the apprehensive fans. Mumbai lost the clash by 24 runs but are still alive in the race to the playoffs, barely though. With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 fast approaching, Team India can’t afford to lose Rohit to injury and hence the apprehension of fans is understandable. However, Mumbai’s veteran leg-spinner Piyush Chawla revealed that there are no major concerns with Rohit’s fitness and his inclusion in the game as an Impact Sub was just a precautionary measure. “Rohit had a mild back stiffness. So, just as a precaution he was brought in as an Impact Player,” Chawla revealed during the post-match presentation Chawla’s statement has allayed the fears of the Indian cricket fans who want to see Rohit lead the team from the front at ICC’s marquee tournament. The winners of the inaugural edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup have been placed in Group A alongside the co-hosts USA, arch-rivals Pakistan, Canada and Ireland. India begin their campaign against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 5.

Mild back stiffness forced Rohit Sharma to play as impact sub in MI-KKR clash

Danijones7 months ago05 mins

KKR’s Coach Gautam Gambhir and MI’s Rohit Sharma during the practice session ahead of IPL game between KKR and Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. | Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI India captain and Mumbai Indians opener Rohit Sharma was forced to play as an impact sub in the IPL clash against Kolkata Knight Riders due to a “mild back stiffness”, said leg-spinner Piyush Chawla. Playing as an impact sub, Rohit managed just 11 runs in 12 balls in the second innings during their 24-run loss against KKR, which has nearly put the five-time champions out of the IPL this year. “He just had a mild back stiffness so it was just a precautionary thing,” Chawla told the media after the match here at the Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai’s defeat was their eighth in 11 matches, essentially shutting the doors on the Hardik Pandya-led side and Chawla too conceded that it is only “pride” that they are left with to play for. “For the pride and the reputation, because sometimes when you enter on the field, you don’t think whether you are going to qualify or you are not going to qualify,” he said. “You have to play for your name and that’s what we are playing for,” he added. Chawla pointed MI’s inability to attain momentum at any stage in this IPL as the reason behind their poor performance. “You must have often heard about that T20 is all about momentum and just that we didn’t get that momentum going this season and it can happen to any team,” he said. “It’s not like it’s happening to us for the first time or any other team for the second time. It can happen to anyone and it’s just that that momentum was not our way.” The 35-year-old Chawla became IPL’s second leading wicket-taker when he went past Dwayne Bravo on Friday to take 184 wickets. “It has been a beautiful journey because IPL started 17 years back and at that time nobody gave that much preference to the spinners, but now if you see that in top few wicket takers in India, especially all the spinners, Ashwin, Yuzhi, myself (are there), so it’s a good feeling,” he said. Chawla also praised Manish Pandey for delivering in a pressure situation while playing his first game this season. Pandey (42) added 83 runs for the sixth wicket with Venkatesh Iyer (70) as KKR posted 169 allout in 19.5 overs. “It was a good partnership and credit has to go to them because they batted beautifully. Well, T20 is something in which experience plays a big role, (which is) what we saw today. “When Manish walked in, maybe if somebody walks in who must have played few games, he would have panicked that runs are not coming. “But he read the situation and the way he handled the situation because if you see in starting, he was hardly going at run a ball. But later on, he knew that he has to stand there with Venky.”

Irfan Pathan’s Epic Rant Goes Viral. Conclusion: “MI’s Story Ends Here”

Danijones7 months ago04 mins

Following Mumbai Indians’ (MI) loss to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan suggested that there is a lack of respect in the dressing room for captain Hardik Pandya. With eight defeats in 11 matches, Hardik has endured a disastrous first season in IPL as MI captain. Irfan, who has been critical of Hardik since the start of the season, once again questioned the tactics of the MI captain. He pointed out how Hardik gave the ball to Naman Dhir when KKR were tottering at 57/5. Irfan said that Hardik’s decision allowed KKR to rebuild their innings with the help of Venkatesh Iyer and Manish Pandey, who was playing his first game of the season. “Mumbai Indians’ story ends here. This team was so good on paper, but it wasn’t managed. The questions that were raised on Hardik Pandya’s captaincy were absolutely right. When you’ve restricted KKR to 57/5, you didn’t have to give Naman Dhir three successive overs. You had to bring your main bowlers, and you gave your sixth bowler three overs. Manish Pandey and Venkatesh Iyer posted a strong partnership. You could’ve bowled them out on 150 instead you let them score 170,” Irfan said in a viral video. Irfan Pathan exposes Hardik Pandya Captaincy – “Mumbai Indians solid team on paper not managed well by their captain again. This Complete team failure on this loss.” pic.twitter.com/oIdW97Chao — (@rushiii_12) May 3, 2024 Irfan further suggested that the MI players don’t respect Hardik as captain, which has further hampered the team this season. “Captaincy has a big impact in the game. Mumbai Indians don’t look like a united team, and management needs to consider this. Players need to respect and accept the captain, and we didn’t see that on-field. They have to improve in that aspect,” he added. The win helped KKR retain their second position in the table but now with 14 points to their credit from 10 games. Meanwhile, MI remained at the 9th spot with 6 points after playing 11 games. However, mathematically Mumbai Indians are still alive in the race to playoffs. They need to win their remaining three matches and hope for favourable results from other games to end at top 4. MI remaining games are against SRH, KKR and LSG on May 6, 11 and 17, respectively. Topics mentioned in this article

IPL 2024: Why Rohit Sharma played as an impact sub in Mumbai Indians-Kolkata Knight Riders clash | Cricket News

Danijones7 months ago05 mins

NEW DELHI: Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla stated that India captain and Mumbai Indians opener Rohit Sharma was compelled to play as an impact substitute in the IPL match against Kolkata Knight Riders because of a “mild back stiffness”.IPL ORANGE CAP | IPL PURPLE CAP | IPL POINTS TABLETheir 24-run defeat against KKR, in which Rohit was an impact substitute, saw him score just 11 runs in 12 balls in the second innings. This loss almost saw the five-time winners eliminated from the IPL this year.“He just had a mild back stiffness so it was just a precautionary thing,” Chawla told the media after the match here at the Wankhede Stadium.Mumbai’s eighth loss in 11 games has put an end to the Hardik Pandya-led team, and Chawla also acknowledged that their only remaining motivation is “pride”. “For the pride and the reputation, because sometimes when you enter on the field, you don’t think whether you are going to qualify or you are not going to qualify,” he said.“You have to play for your name and that’s what we are playing for,” he added.MI’s lack of momentum throughout this IPL season, according to Chawla, is the cause of their subpar play.“You must have often heard about that T20 is all about momentum and just that we didn’t get that momentum going this season and it can happen to any team,” he said. “It’s not like it’s happening to us for the first time or any other team for the second time. It can happen to anyone and it’s just that that momentum was not our way.”On Friday, the 35-year-old Chawla overtook Dwayne Bravo to claim 184 wickets, becoming him the second-highest wicket-taker in the IPL.“It has been a beautiful journey because IPL started 17 years back and at that time nobody gave that much preference to the spinners, but now if you see that in top few wicket takers in India, especially all the spinners, Ashwin, Yuzhi, myself (are there), so it’s a good feeling,” he said. In addition, Chawla commended Manish Pandey for his performance in his first game of the season despite being under pressure. As KKR scored 169 all out in 19.5 overs, Pandey (42) and Venkatesh Iyer (70) shared 83 runs for the sixth wicket.“It was a good partnership and credit has to go to them because they batted beautifully. Well, T20 is something in which experience plays a big role, (which is) what we saw today.“When Manish walked in, maybe if somebody walks in who must have played few games, he would have panicked that runs are not coming.“But he read the situation and the way he handled the situation because if you see in starting, he was hardly going at run a ball. But later on, he knew that he has to stand there with Venky.” (With PTI inputs)

“If This Was Virat Kohli….”: Irfan Pathan, Mohammad Kaif Slam Critics’ Double-Standard With SRH Star’s Example

Danijones7 months ago05 mins

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star batter Virat Kohli has been piling up runs in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), despite criticism over his strike-rate. The former RCB captain is second in scoring charts with 500 runs in 10 matches, only nine runs behind current Orange Cap holder Ruturaj Gaikwad. However, his knocks have been often overshadowed by his debatable strike-rate. Amid criticism, Kohli has found the backing of former India cricketers Irfan Pathan and Mohammad Kaif. Irfan and Kaif slammed his critics for showing double standards with the interesting example of SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter Travis Head. For the unversed, Head has been in sensational form in the IPL himself. The Australian opener has scored 396 runs in nine matches, striking at over 194. However, during SRH’s game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Thursday, even Head struggled to time the ball. At one point, he was batting on 25 off as many deliveries, and ended up scoring 58 off 44 balls with a strike-rate of 131.8. Speaking on Head’s knock, Irfan and Kaif suggested that if Kohli had played a similar knock, everyone would have been talking about his strike rate for days. “According to his ability, you have never seen him play like this. No matter what you say that there was good bowling and everything, but every cricketer should be treated equally,” Irfan said on Star Sports. Kaif echoed his sentiments, and added: “You are right, if this was Virat Kohli, I can guarantee that people would have said only 58 runs in 44 balls? What is this? They would say it is low and there would have debates about his strike rate. But I believe that this was a good innings by Head.” Irfan further explained how Kohli has been carrying RCB with his batting, especially with the franchise languishing at the bottom of the points table. “But if there was Virat Kohli instead, people would have stuck to the strike rate but here we are talking about taking responsibility for team’s victory, so please treat everyone equally,” Irfan added. Kohli had also addressed the debate surrounding his strike-rate. He had taken a swipe at his critics after the match against Gujarat Titans and said: “All the people who talk about [my] strike rate and me not playing spin well are the ones who love to talk about these things. But for me, it is just about winning the game. There’s a reason why you do it for 15 years. Because you do this day in and day out and won games for your team,” said Kohli after the Gujarat Titans game. “I am not sure if you haven’t been in that situation, to sit and speak about the game from the box. I don’t think it is the same thing. I am just doing my job. People can talk about their own ideas and assumption on the game (sic),” he added. Kohli will have the chance to reclaim the Orange Cap when RCB take on GT on Saturday. Topics mentioned in this article

Watch: As Mumbai Indians lose again under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy, ‘Rohit, Rohit’ chants echo in Wankhede | Cricket News

Danijones7 months ago03 mins

Hardik Pandya‘s captaincy was once again questioned after Mumbai Indians (MI) succumbed to their eighth defeat of IPL 2024, as the five-time champions failed to chase a below-par target of 170 on their home ground, Wankhede Stadium, against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday.IPL 2024: Results | Points Table Frustratingly enduring one of their worst seasons, the MI fans at the Wankhede broke into loud chants of ‘Rohit, Rohit’ during the match, a video of which has gone viral on social media. KKR put up 169 on the board, thanks to a half-century by Venkatesh Iyer (70 off 52 balls) and an equally crucial 31-ball 42 by Manish Pandey, despite MI having the visitors on the ropes at 57/5 in just the seventh over.WATCH VIDEO Mitchell Starc, the most expensive player in IPL history, finally did justice to his price tag with match-winning figures of 4/33 as Mumbai folded up for 145 in 18.5 overs despite Suryakumar Yadav’s 35-ball 56. Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell took two wickets each.Former India pacer Irfan Pathan came down heavily on Hardik’s decisions as captain, especially when KKR had lost half their side inside the seventh over.“When you had KKR’s five wickets for just 57 runs, there was no need to give Naman Dhir three overs in a row. You should have got your main bowlers on, but you had your sixth bowler deliver three overs. That allowed Venkatesh Iyer and Manish Pandey to put a partnership together….Where you could have bowled KKR out for 150, they went on to make 170, and that turned out to be the difference,” said Irfan. “In cricket, captaincy has a huge effect and it’s very important to manage, which did not happen. Mumbai Indians isn’t looking like a team that is playing as a unit, and this aspect needs to be looked at going forward for Mumbai Indians. Players need to respect the captain and also accept him appreciably, this is very important. That, I think, could not be seen on the field,” he added.