Cricket

For Esakkimuthu, first impression is best impression

Danijones2 weeks ago04 mins

Tiruppur Tamizhans’ Esakkimuthu made a memorable TNPL debut against Dindigul Dragons. | Photo Credit: M. PERIASAMY In a highly competitive environment like professional sport, first impressions are often the best impressions one can leave, and A. Esakkimuthu did just that. The 23-year-old pacer starred under the night sky on debut for IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans against Dindigul Dragons in Sunday’s TNPL fixture, scalping four wickets to set-up a crushing nine-wicket win for his side. “When I started to bowl, I didn’t have much idea of what to do. I was playing in front of such a large crowd and under lights for the first time,” said Esakkimuthu after being adjudged the Player of the Match. After conceding 16 runs in his first over, the youngster wasn’t sure if he would get a chance again and credited captain R. Sai Kishore for bringing him on again. In his second spell, he returned figures of 3-0-10-4 and turned the game on its head. More impressive was his pace, which was consistently above 130 kph. Sai Kishore added, “He has pace and is nippy, and can hit the stumps regularly. More than anything, he seems to have a lionheart mentality and is an exciting prospect for us.” What is more astonishing is the fact that the pacer from Tirunelveli hasn’t come through the proper system of age-group cricket. It was only when he moved to Tiruchi for college that he enrolled in the Edden Sports and started playing with a cricket ball. His big chance came when he got selected in the TNCA’s talent hunt programme conducted in 2023. Esakkimuthu was part of the 30 players who made the final cut and underwent a three-week camp in Tiruppur in 2023 under the guidance of former Tamil Nadu all-rounder S. Mahesh. “In the beginning, I didn’t know what line to bowl. The training there was great. There were many raw bowlers like me. They explained the loads that a fast bowler takes and how one should recover after a game,” he said about how the camp helped him. Though these are early days and there is a lot to learn, Esakkimuthu is up for the challenge. “I only know how to run in and bowl. I used to love it when I beat the batter for pace. I am just beginning to learn what I should be doing with the ball.” Published – June 09, 2025 08:33 pm IST

WTC Final: ‘Hopefully it runs out of steam quickly’ — Josh Hazlewood reacts to ‘nickname’ given by RCB fans | Cricket News

Danijones2 weeks ago03 mins

Australia’s Josh Hazlewood (AP Photo/Trevor Collens, File) Australian cricketers Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon discussed Hazlewood’s nickname “Hazel God” given by Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans ahead of the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s on June 11.Hazlewood responded to his new nickname saying, “Yeah, hopefully it runs out of steam pretty quickly.”Starc shared his thoughts on the nickname stating, “Hopefully it sticks, because I don’t think he likes it too much. He’s had a fantastic few months, the big fella over in India, and he’s come home with bags of cash. So I look forward to seeing him in action here at the Lords.”Lyon revealed a surprising development about the nickname saying, “Hazel God, he actually referred to himself as it the other day, which totally took me back by surprise. Off the back of him winning the IPL, I think he’s running with it.” Bombay Sport Exchange Ep. 6: Harish Thawani on cricket’s TV market and the watershed moments Hazlewood has arrived in the UK following an impressive IPL campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he claimed 22 wickets and played a vital role in their championship victory.He has begun his preparation for red-ball cricket, bowling approximately five overs at moderate intensity during Australia’s optional training session in Beckenham on Saturday.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?If Hazlewood’s preparation goes well, he is likely to be selected ahead of Scott Boland in the starting XI for the WTC final.Since his return to Test cricket during the 2023 Ashes, Hazlewood has shown exceptional form, taking 57 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 19.68.The Australian squad for WTC final includes Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon, and Matt Kuhnemann, with Brendan Doggett as the travelling reserve.

WTC Final: ‘Two maces would be special, but 2023 World Cup tops it’ – Pat Cummins reflects on his legacy

Danijones2 weeks ago05 mins

Pat Cummins (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images) Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins has emphasised that while winning consecutive World Test Championship titles would reflect their team’s dominance over the past four years, their 2023 ODI World Cup victory over India remains his career highlight. Speaking ahead of the WTC final against South Africa on June 11, Cummins discussed Australia’s recent successes and team achievements.Australia secured their sixth ODI World Cup title by defeating hosts India in Ahmedabad and claimed their maiden WTC title in the same year. They are now pursuing their second WTC crown under Cummins’ leadership.“The ODI World Cup of 2023 is going to be hard to top, that’s number one for me. Having two maces is a really significant thing to show for that period of time – we feel like we have been the best team in the world across all different conditions and to hold the mace at the end of that would be a great sign of something to point to now but also down the track,” Cummins stated.“The last four years or so have been hugely successful for this group, and it’s been such a great chunk of our careers for players and staff. But I do believe the (World Test Championship) mace is just below that in terms of you’re up against every other team in the world and you’ve been successful for a couple of years to make the final, so the mace means a lot,” he added. Bombay Sport Exchange Ep. 6: Harish Thawani on cricket’s TV market and the watershed moments Australia has maintained an undefeated Test series record over the past two years. They won series in New Zealand and Sri Lanka, retained the Ashes in England in 2023, and secured victories against Pakistan and India at home, along with drawing against the West Indies.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?“It takes a whole army, really. There have been 15-plus players who have played in (the team), but the staff as well who worked hard over that period. You need players across different conditions, different injuries, and the pleasing thing as well is we’ve had quite a few debutants in this cycle who have stepped up and really made a name for themselves,” Cummins explained.The Australian captain highlighted specific memorable matches during their successful run. “The Christchurch victory, with Alex Carey getting 98 not out, we had no right to win that match, but we found a way. And last summer, the MCG was one of the great Test matches – late on day five, out of nowhere, we found a way of winning. When the moments get tense, yeah, there’s a real want for players to stand up and a real trust from others that they will,” he said.

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SoBo Mumbai Falcons vs NaMo Bandra Blasters, MTL, Today Match Prediction

Vann Hiso2 weeks ago2 weeks ago09 mins

𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 : SoBo Mumbai Falcons vs NaMo Bandra Blasters 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 : June 10,Tuesday𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 : 19:30 PM IST𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 : Dr. D.Y. Patil Sports Academy, Thane, India 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 : 2nd T20 Semi Final 2025 Keep an eye on Suved Parkar and Ishan Mulchandani—they’re the ones we’re expecting to make an impact with the bat in this clash. SoBo Mumbai Falcons vs NaMo Bandra Blasters TV channels: The fans can watch the match live on Hotstar Live Streaming: Live streaming of the match will be available on the FAFA191 Cricket Exchange India and website. SBMF vs NMBB Match Prediction & Analysis It’s time for the knockouts in the T20 Mumbai League 2025, and SoBo Mumbai Falcons will go head-to-head with NaMo Bandra Blasters in the second semi-final this Tuesday at Wankhede. The Falcons finished first in the group stage standings, while the Blasters secured third place. With their current form, the Falcons might look a step ahead, but matches like these can swing either way. This one has all the makings of a thrilling clash. TEAMS PREVIEW SoBo Mumbai Falcons Preview SoBo Mumbai Falcons have been the most consistent side in the T20 Mumbai League 2025, winning four out of five games to finish at the top of the table after the group stage. They’ve clicked with both bat and ball and look well-placed to make the final. Ishan Mulchandani has led the charge with the bat, scoring 147 runs in five games at an average of 36.75 and a strike rate of 165.17. Angkrish Raghuvanshi has carried over his IPL form into this tournament, piling up 111 runs in five matches at 123.33. They also have Shreyas Iyer in the squad. The India international had a strong IPL campaign with more than 600 runs and is expected to come in as the Impact Player for the semi-final. He could be a game-changer in this one. Siddharth Raut has taken charge with the ball, picking up seven wickets in four games while going at just 5.85 runs an over. Nikhil Giri, Akash Parkar, and Yash Dicholkar have done their part too, picking up wickets regularly and making this one of the most balanced attacks in the tournament. NaMo Bandra Blasters Preview NaMo Bandra Blasters have held their own in the tournament, grabbing two wins from five matches and securing third place in the standings. They’ve only been beaten once, while another match was washed out. Suved Parkar has been the standout performer with the bat, scoring 212 runs in five outings at a strike rate of 158.21—making him the tournament’s top run-getter. His blazing unbeaten 76 off 37 in the last group clash against Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals couldn’t have come at a better time, and he’s clearly in the zone heading into the semifinals. Besides Parkar, Shyamsundar Keshkamat and Vikrant Auti have chipped in with some handy innings, though their output has been a bit up and down. Dhrumil Matkar is someone else to watch. He’s stepped up with some late-order firepower and added value with the ball by picking up a few wickets at crucial moments. The MVP in the bowling attack has been Dhanit Raut, who’s taken seven wickets in five matches while going at 7.94 an over. Royston Dias and Sagarr Chhabriaa have added depth with six and five wickets, respectively. Meanwhile, Dhrumil Matkar and Karsh Kothari have bagged five wickets each, giving this unit a nice spread of options. Weather Conditions Batters often enjoy themselves at Wankhede, but early on, fast bowlers can extract some movement with the new ball and keep things tight. After that opening burst, the pitch flattens out and batting becomes smoother. There could be moments in the middle overs where spinners get some help, but with the surface expected to stay firm, taking pace off might end up being a risk for the bowlers. Conditions in Mumbai are humid with heavy cloud cover and possible thunderstorms, though a complete match should still be on the cards. SBMF vs NMBB Pitch Report At Wankhede, first-innings scores tend to land around the 170 mark. This year, the highest total at the ground has been Eagle Thane Strikers’ 205-6 against NaMo Bandra Blasters. That said, most games have seen teams finish somewhere between 140 and 160 while batting first. With this being a semi-final, both sides will be pushing for something above average. A target in the 180-190 range should give them something to work with and put pressure on the opposition. Toss: To Bowl Five of the last seven games in the T20 Mumbai League 2025 at the Wankhede stadium have been won by the chasing side. This venue clearly favors the team batting second and both captains are hence likely to field first in this crucial match., topping the charts

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WTC Final: ‘They’re here for a reason’ – Steve Smith on why South Africa can’t be taken lightly | Cricket News

Danijones2 weeks ago03 mins

Steve Smith of Australia (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images) Australian batting great Steve Smith, speaking at Lord’s on Monday, anticipates a challenging contest against South Africa’s pace attack in the World Test Championship final starting Wednesday, where defending champions Australia are favored to win against the Proteas in the five-day match.Australia, who defeated India in the 2023 WTC final, will face South Africa’s formidable bowling lineup led by Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen.“South Africa have a particularly good bowling attack led by Kagiso Rabada, his record speaks for itself. Marco Jansen — they are a good side, they are here for a reason,” Smith said.Rabada, 30, has accumulated 327 wickets at an average of 22, while the 25-year-old Jansen has taken 73 wickets at 21.76 in his 17 matches.Smith, 36, has demonstrated exceptional performance at Lord’s, scoring 525 runs in five matches, including two centuries, at an average of 58.33. Bombay Sport Exchange Ep. 6: Harish Thawani on cricket’s TV market and the watershed moments “It’s a nice place to bat. Personally I’ve had a bit of success here. It takes a bit of time getting used to the slope, one end thinking you are falling over, the other you feel a bit tall. It’s a nice wicket to bat on but can change with the overheads, the ball swinging around, can get a bit tricky,” Smith stated.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?Smith, whose career was affected by the 2018 ball-tampering incident against South Africa in Cape Town, noted that relations between the teams are now “pretty relaxed.”Regarding suggestions about extending the WTC final to multiple matches, Smith commented: “Maybe a three-match series would be good but good luck fitting it in the schedule, it’s pretty jam-packed as it is.”

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England vs West Indies, ENG vs WI 2025, Today Match Prediction

Vann Hiso2 weeks ago2 weeks ago07 mins

𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 : England vs West Indies𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 : June 10,Tuesday𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 : 23:00 PM IST𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 : The Rose Bowl, United Kingdom, United Kingdom𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 : 3rd T20 2025 West Indies end their tour of the UK and are still looking to secure a victory! England vs West Indies TV channels: The fans can watch the match live on Hotstar Live Streaming: Live streaming of the match will be available on the FAFA191 Cricket Exchange India and website. ENG vs WI Match Prediction & Analysis After home wins in Chester-le-Street and Bristol, the three-match T20I series between England and West Indies comes to a close on the south coast at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday evening. Sunday’s second T20I saw England triumph in the westcountry, beating the Men in Maroon by four wickets in a quirky contest which now holds the record for the highest number of runs in a T20I without any batter making a half-century! West Indies will travel back to Ireland after this game to finish this tour with three further T20Is but leaving England without a victory is something which Shai Hope’s side will be determined not to happen. And this contest at Hampshire’s home ground could be the game to finally record a win as England have been beaten in each of the last three T20Is at the Rose Bowl. TEAMS PREVIEW England Preview There was one change to the England XI from the opening game of the series in the north east as left-arm pacer Luke Wood made a return to international cricket after nearly a two year absence and took the place of Matthew Potts who debuted in the format in Chester-le-Street. And it would be a huge surprise to see Wood lose his place for this game after he took a wicket with the first ball of the game in Bristol and finished with figures of 2/25 on his way to the Player of the Match Award. Adil Rashid picked up another wicket in Sunday’s game but also conceded 31 runs from one over, the second highest number ever leaked by an English player in a T20I, and he needs only two dismissals to go joint-top as his country’s top wicket taker at the Rose Bowl in this format. With the bat, England continue to go for their shots throughout the innings and Jos Buttler will be looking to finish as their highest run scorer for the third game in a row. West Indies Preview West Indies posted 196/6 in the first innings of the game in Bristol but it was still not enough to end their losing streak on the British Isles and they must now win in Southampton or will leave the UK with six successive defeats! If they are to get a victory to end this leg of the tour, it might be worth pushing the likes of Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder, all who batted aggressively at the end the innings, up the order with Sherfane Rutherford who is out of form dropping down. Captain Shai Hope top scored in Bristol and opener Johnson Charles comes into this game after an impressive 47 runs from 39 balls. With the ball, Alzarri Joseph continues to lead the attack and always looks like picking up a wicket. Akeal Hosein and Jason Holder also impressed with economy rates under 9.00 in Bristol and will look to build pressure. Weather Conditions The weather forecast is for humid conditions throughout Tuesday afternoon and evening with a chance of rain at the toss and during the opening overs. The temperature will be over 20 degrees for the majority of the game. ENG vs WI Pitch Report The Rose Bowl is an excellent venue for international cricket and with only two team totals of 200+ across 12 T20Is, there is usually an excellent battle between bat and ball. A par total for the team batting first will be around 185-190. Toss: To Bat Each of the last three T20Is at the Rose Bowl have been won by the teams batting first and so we expect both captains to go out for the toss intending to bat first in this game.