Cricket

“Praise Gautam Gambhir For KKR Win, Blame Shreyas Iyer”: West Indies Legend Slams Double Standards

Danijones6 months ago6 months ago04 mins

Former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop slammed trolls for targetting Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Shreyas Iyer. Despite KKR sitting top of the table, Iyer has been on the receiving end of some harsh criticism on social media from fans, who have instead credited mentor and former captain Gautam Gambhir for the franchise’s stunning form this season. Taking to X, Bishop shut down multiple trolls and questioned fans for showing double standards by attributing KKR’s wins to Gambhir and defeats to Iyer. While Gambhir has certainly brought the winning mentality back at KKR, Bishop highlighted Iyer’s respectable record as captain during the previous seasons. “Shreyas became DC captain in 2018 when GG stepped down after DC lost 5 of first 6 gms. DC then finished the season winning 4 of next 8 games. 2019 DC 3rd, 2020 DC 2nd. 2021 injury & only 8gms so Pant captained. To KKR 2022, new franchise, 7th. Missed 2023. 2024,” Bishop responded to fan on his post. Questioned the double standards, Bishop argued saying: “So GG gets the praise when they win. Shreyas gets the blame if they lose? Or will you say its GG’s fault to if they lose?” So GG gets the praise when they win. Shreyas gets the blame if they lose? Or will you say its GG’s fault to if they lose? — Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) May 6, 2024 Since returning to the franchise as a mentor, Gambhir has been pretty active in the dugout, passing on tactical aide to Iyer during timeouts and breaks. Speaking at the press conference on Sunday, KKR pacer Harshit Rana also credit Gambhir for his tactical brilliance. On Sunday, red-hot Sunil Narine smashed 81 off 39 balls to help KKR thrash Lucknow Super Giants by 98 runs and take top spot in IPL table. Narine’s blitz, laced with six fours and seven sixes, guided Kolkata to 235-6 after they were invited to bat first in Lucknow’s final home game. Two-time champions Kolkata bowled out Lucknow for 137 in 16.1 overs for their eighth win in 11 matches and almost guaranteed a play-off berth. Second-placed Rajasthan Royals have played one match fewer. The top four teams will make the play-offs with the final on May 26 in Chennai. Topics mentioned in this article

Premier League: Erik ten Hag takes blame for Manchester United’s thrashing vs Crystal Palace

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

Manchester United’s woes this season were laid bare again in their 4-0 Premier League hammering by Crystal Palace on Monday, but manager Erik Ten Hag believes he is the right man to fix a team that is limping to the end of the campaign. United had several injury issues ahead of the game and were forced to play midfielder Casemiro at centre-back, where he was exposed on a number of occasions as Palace’s mobile front three pulled their visitors apart. It leaves United in eighth with three league games remaining and facing several unwanted records. They currently have a club record number of losses (13) in a Premier League season and have already faced their most shots (618) in a single campaign. If they let in three more goals this term they will set a new mark for their most conceded in a campaign. “I will keep fighting, I have prepared the team in the best way I can,” Ten Hag told SkySports. “It (the performance) was not good enough and I have to take the responsibility for that. “But I will find the energy and prepare them for the next game. We have nine points to play for and we have to fight for those.” The manager refused to lay the blame on Casemiro alone for the poor defensive display. “You can’t put it on one player, it is a team performance. We did not adapt to the different situations,” Ten Hag said. “It’s clear, we didn’t act how we want to, it’s not good enough. “There are always reasons, everyone could see our backline today, where we had huge problems. But at the end of the day we have to deal with these issues and we should have done better.” Manchester United’s next game is at home to league leaders Arsenal on Sunday. Published By: Kingshuk Kusari Published On: May 7, 2024

Criticised As Captain, Hardik Pandya Goes On Record To Pinpoint His Brilliant Decisions vs SRH

Danijones6 months ago6 months ago04 mins

Following his side’s seven wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya lauded batter Suryakumar Yadav for putting bowlers under pressure with his counter-attacking ton after a quick loss of wickets at the start. From three wickets down in a chase of 174 runs, a long overdue Suryakumar special came to MI’s rescue as the centurion’s 143-run partnership for the fourth wicket guided MI to their fourth win of the season against SRH at Wankhede Stadium. Speaking at the post match presentation, Hardik said, “It is unbelievable, the best part of Suryakumar is that he puts the bowlers under pressure. It is 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.” “We want to focus on playing good cricket, still think we gave 10-15 runs extra. 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.” On Piyush Chawla’s three-fer, Pandya said, “I was like Piyush 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.” Coming to the match, MI won the toss and elected to field first. SRH lost wickets at regular intervals from the beginning and it was knocks from Travis Head (48 in 30 balls, with seven fours and a six) and skipper Pat Cummins (35* in 17 balls, with two fours and two sixes) that took SRH to 173/8 in their 20 overs. In the run chase, MI lost their top order early and was reeling at 31/3. It was then that Suryakumar (102* in 51 balls with 12 fours and six sixes) and Tilak Varma (37* in 32 balls, with six fours) launched a counter attack which guided MI to a win with 16 balls left. Suryakumar took home the ‘Player of the Match’ honour. MI is at the ninth spot with four wins and eight losses, giving them eight points. SRH is at fourth with six wins, five losses and 12 points.

KKR Players Caught In Weather Chaos, Charter Flight Diverted Twice

Danijones6 months ago6 months ago03 mins

KKR flight diverted due to bad weather in Kolkata© X(Twitter) Kolkata Knight Riders’ charter flight from Lucknow to Kolkata on Monday night was diverted twice — first to Guwahati and then to Varanasi — due to inclement weather. Kolkata are due to play a match at home, at the Eden Gardens, against Mumbai Indians on May 11. “Due to inclement weather over Kolkata, the KKR charter flight has been diverted to Guwahati. We’ve just landed here,” the franchise said in an official statement on Monday. However, shortly later, they got “clearance to fly back to Kolkata.” Update: Ground clearance received for take off from Guwahati. See you soon, Kolkata https://t.co/KKAQ8NLrmn — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 6, 2024 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 — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 6, 2024 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 pic.twitter.com/XFPTHgM2FJ — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 6, 2024 But again KKR posted another Tweet: “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.” And finally, “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.” KKR’s previous IPL 2024 match was in Lucknow, where they beat LSG at the Ekana Stadium on Sunday by an emphatic margin of 98 runs to climb to the top of the table.

‘Will park few balls out of Long Island…’: Rohit, Kohli ignored as Shastri picks 2 players key to India’s T20WC hopes

Danijones6 months ago6 months ago05 mins

With less than a month’s time left before India kicked off their T20 World Cup campaign in New York against Ireland on June 5, former India head coach Ravi Shastri picked two players who will play a key role in the side’s title hopes. And it’s neither Virat Kohli nor captain Rohit Sharma who will likely play their final T20I appearance at the tournament. Shastri instead picked two left-handed batters who are all set to make a debut in a multi-nation ICC tournament for India – Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube. Ravi Shastri picks 2 players key to India’s T20 World Cup hopes Jaiswal has stated success recently after smashing a record tally of runs in the Test series against England at home earlier this year, which is part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship series. However, he has been a force to reckon with in the shortest format as well, where he amassed 502 runs in just 16 innings for India since his debut in mid-2023, which comprises a century and four fifties. “The two gentlemen you’ve got to watch out for, and both are left-handers, both playing their first World Cup,” Shastri told ICC. “One is [Yashasvi] Jaiswal. We know a lot about him, he did extremely well against England, explosive at the top of the order, left-hander, he’s young, he’s fearless and he’ll play shots.” ‘Watch out for Shivam Dube’: Ravi Shastri The other player that Shastri picked is Chennai Super Kings star Dube, who cracked 26 sixes in just 11 matches in the ongoing IPL 2024 season. The left-hander earned his spot in the Indian T20 World Cup squad on the back of a stellar show in the T20 league in 2023 and 2024, along with his two back-to-back fifties for India in the home T20I contest against Afghanistan earlier in January. “But there’s someone in the middle order, please watch out for [him], because he is explosive, he’s devastating and he’s a match-winner. He hits sixes for fun, and when it comes to spin bowling, he can kill you,” Shastri said. “He’ll park a few balls out of Long Island into the small island, he’s that kind of a player. He hits it big, he hits it long, and like I said, against spin, he could kill you. “Even against the fast bowlers, he’s worked out his game, he’s understood the way to play and I think he holds the key at that number five, number six position because if you’re on the doldrums, you want someone to change it in 20-25 balls, he’s the player to go to.” Shastri was effusive in his praise for the tall all-rounder saying that he could be the key to unlocking big totals for India in the T20 World Cup. Dube has struck at a rate of 170.73 in this ongoing IPL season, while scoring a boundary in almost four deliveries. “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 [T20] World Cup. So enjoy it, watch out for this left-hander — he’s big, he’s strapping, and he hits a long ball.”

Suryakumar Yadav 102 vs SRH: T20 World Cup-bound MI star perfectly times return to form

Danijones6 months ago09 mins

Suryakumar Yadav came up with a statement of sorts on Monday at the Wankhede Stadium. His IPL 2024 form before MI’s home game against SRH was likened to the keys on a piano — up and down, as his scores read 0, 52, 0, 78, 10, 26, 10, 56. However, the World No. 1 T20I batter showed why he is rated the best in the world with a 51-ball 102 not out that helped MI comfortably outclass the in-form SunRisers. Suryakumar, who returned to the IPL 2024 season after a long injury layoff, battled tiredness during his whirlwind knock, not throwing in the towel even though he found it hard to run between wickets comfortably. “I felt it was the need of the hour for me,” Suryakumar Yadav said after winning the Player of the Match award. The Mumbai star acknowledged the value and the timing of his second IPL hundred. He proved his naysayers and detractors wrong. He never had to justify his spot in the T20 World Cup squad, but he needed self-assurance that everything was going right. It’s not easy returning from a long injury layoff, which involved surgery in treating sports hernia, and straightaway finding peak form in a tournament like the IPL. And Suryakumar was under pressure straight away as MI’s campaign, under their new captain Hardik Pandya, was floundering. Their captain was booed and the atmosphere in the dug-out looked tense. It was not as if Suryakumar was struggling to put bat to ball, but the seasoned campaigner was not able to live up to his own high standards. IPL 2024 Full Coverage | IPL 2024 Points Table and Standings | 2024 IPL Full Schedule However, on Monday, Suryakumar was a different beast. Building on a fifty he scored against KKR earlier in the month, Suryakumar showcased his ability to soak in pressure and play the situation in his imitable style. Suryakumar and Tilak Varma joined hands when Mumbai were reeling at 31 for 3 while chasing 174. SRH captain Pat Cummins greeted Suryakumar in the middle with a wicket maiden over. Suryakumar was beaten 4 times on the trot by Cummins, who bowled a Test match line on the Wankhede Stadium pitch that was assisting swing and seam bowling under the night sky. “Initially it was really tough. We were struggling and decided to play with the straight bat. Play it like Tests or ODI knowing we have a 360-degree batter,” Tilak Varma said after their unbeaten 143-run partnership — the highest for Mumbai for the 4th wicket of below in the history of IPL. SPECIAL UNDER PRESSURE Suryakumar was willing to see off the new ball. And it didn’t take long for him to launch a counter-attack as he tore into left-arm pacer Marco Jansen in the first over after the powerplay. 22 runs came off the 7th over with Suryakumar doing what Suryakumar does best – flick a fast bowler into the stands behind square on the leg side. Two sixes and two boundaries were hit in the over and the momentum swung in MI’s favour. There was no stopping Suryakumar from there on. He hit 6 sixes and 12 boundaries and reached his second IPL hundred in just 51 balls. He hit a six to get to the landmark and help complete MI’s chase of 174 in just 17.2 overs. The World No. 1 T20I batter well and truly arrived at the IPL party, showcasing how dangerous he can be even against some of the best bowlers. “During the chase, they had to get through those first 4 or 5 overs. But MI lost 3 wickets. But they kept hanging in there. And then this partnership, that was class, batting at its best. Under pressure initially, and then to be aggressive and take on the bowlers is very hard thing to do. And then capitalise and not give it away and get the team home is something special,” former Australian captain Michael Clarke told Star Sports, lauding Suryakumar’s hundred. “He finds the boundaries so easily. I know this ground is quite small, especially on one side. But the way he timed the ball, they were going for sixes in any ground in the world. So, we got another good look at his class. That’s an innings, I am sure he will remember for a long time. But I think we should not underestimate that knock. The team has been under pressure, the senior players failed at the top. He grabbed that today and stood up. That’s leadership,” he added. Suryakumar Yadav’s 2nd IPL hundred saw him equal Rohit Sharma’s record for most 3-figure scores for MI by a batter in the IPL. It was also his 6th T20I hundred. The MI star took his tally in the season to 334 runs in just 9 matches. As expected, Suryakumar has been striking at over 170 in the ongoing season. “Suryakumar is a high-quality batter. He knows how to absorb pressure. When he walked in, he absorbed the pressure. He did not do anything silly. He absorbed pressure, especially in the Cummins over. That was one of the best overs of the IPL, a maiden wicket. It was quality bowling, it was almost like we were watching Test bowling. Suryakumar Yadav was also aided by some ordinary bowling,” former fast bowler Varun Aaron said on Monday. Yes, Mumbai’s playoff hopes are all but over. However, the remaining two games of their campaign allow their World Cup-bound stars to find some form. Suryakumaar, who ruled out any injury after his blazing 102, will be hoping to send a couple more warning notices to India’s rivals before he joins the rest of the teammates on their trip to the T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean. Published By: Saurabh Kumar Published On: May 7, 2024

Gautam Gambhir’s Act From KKR Bench Triggers Plethora Of Questions. Watch

Danijones6 months ago6 months ago04 mins

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) put one foot into the IPL 2024 playoffs after beating Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to go top of the points table on Sunday. KKR now have 16 points from 11 games and only need a win from their remaining league matches to qualify for the playoffs. The two-time champions, who finished in the bottom half of the points table last season, have looked like a different team this season under captain Shreyas Iyer. However, a lot of that credit should go to former captain and mentor Gautam Gambhir, who returned to the franchise after spending two seasons in the dugout at LSG. Gambhir has provided tactical assistance to both head coach Chandrakant Pandit and under-pressure captain Iyer, who recently lost his BCCI central contract. His act made many wonder if it’s Gambhir who is running the show behind the scenes at KKR, prompting a plethora of questions among fans. Gambhir, who led KKR to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014, has also been the driving force behind star all-rounder Sunil Narine’s revival as a top-order batter. On Sunday, as LSG took on KKR, Gambhir was in the thick of things as he burst out of joy, following Nicholas Pooran’s dismissal. Soon after, he was seen sending tactical aid to KKR captain Iyer. A video of the same incident has gone viral on social media, and Gambhir’s gesture had fans reading between the lines. Gambhir Reaction On Pooran Wicket And Straight Away Sending Tips To Captain pic.twitter.com/I53aEOH0ZR — Aayush Sharma (@Ayushaaa1818) May 5, 2024 With Gambhir in the dugout, KKR have managed to thrive in IPL 2024, with openers Narine and Phil Salt laying strong foundations in their playoffs bid. Narine and Salt have done most of the damage in the Powerplays this season, scoring 461 and 429 runs, respectively, in 11 matches. Only Virat Kohli (542) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (541) have scored more runs than Narine this season, with the long-serving KKR star also scalping 14 wickets in addition to his prowess with the bat. While taking wickets has never been a problem for him, it’s the first time since 2018 that Narine has scored 350 or more runs in an IPL season. He had scored 357 runs during IPL 2018, but he failed to even cross the 150-run mark in each of the next five seasons. Meanwhile, Salt, who went unsold during the auctions, was only roped in by KKR as a replacement for Jason Roy.

IPL 2024 points table after MI vs SRH: Mumbai Indians finally ditch the last spot but joy may be shortlived

Danijones6 months ago6 months ago04 mins

The Mumbai Indians finally rose from their slumber with an emphatic win against Sunrisers Hyderabad in an IPL 2024 match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The one on Monday against SRH, one of the in-form teams of the tournament, helped them climb up in the IPL 2024 points table to No.9. The five-time champions were languishing right at the bottom of the table for quite some time. Mumbai Indians’ Tilak Varma (R) and Suryakumar Yadav celebrate after their team’s win against Sunrisers Hyderabad(AFP) MI now have four wins in this edition, taking their points tally to 8. They pipped the Gujarat Titans on net run rate. Apart from MI and GT, two other other franchises – Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru – are stuck with 8 points. However, MI have paid one match more than the rest of the teams, which means the chances of them making it to the playoff is next to impossible. Mathematically, they still have a chance. The Kolkata Knight Riders continued to be the table toppers, followed by Rajasthan Royals. Both KKR and RR have 16 points but the Purple Army has a better run rate. Sanju Samson’s side, however, has the cushion of an extra game. Despite the loss to MI, there was no change to SRH’s standings in the league table. They missed the chance of climbing up to the third spot. They remained at the fourth spot with 12 points in 11 matches, the same as Chennai Super Kings. needs at least two wins from its last three home games to seal a playoff spot. IPL 2024 points table updated after MI vs SRH match IPL 2024 points table Suryakumar Yadav’s masterful unbeaten century led Mumbai Indians to a seven-wicket win. Surya’s unbeaten 102 in 51 balls included six sixes and 12 boundaries at Wankhede. He ensured Mumbai cruised to 174-3 with 16 balls to spare in reply to Hyderabad’s 173-8. Mumbai ended a four-match losing streak. Captain Hardik Pandya (3-31) and leg-spinner Piyush Chawla (3-33) earlier squeezed Hyderabad to a total that became competitive only by captain Pat Cummins’ late 35 not out off 17 balls. News / Cricket News / IPL 2024 points table after MI vs SRH: Mumbai Indians finally ditch the last spot but joy may be shortlived

Flight Scare for Kolkata Knight Riders! Charter plane diverted after ‘failed attempt at landing’ | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago02 mins

The charter flight of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had to be redirected twice, first to Guwahati and then to Varanasi, after adverse weather conditions in Kolkata didn’t allow their plane to land.The Shreyas Iyer-led squad was returning to Kolkata following their big win over Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday. KKR hammered the Lucknow team by 98 runs. The updates about the KKR’s flight were shared by the franchise on microblogging website ‘X’. “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,” read the first post on ‘X’ from KKR. After taking off from Guwahati around midnight, the flight still couldn’t land in Kolkata due to bad weather and was diverted to Varanasi. “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.The team is now expected to fly from Varanasi on Tuesday afternoon.Table-toppers Kolkata will take on Mumbai Indians in their next IPL match at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.

‘Kamaal ka banda hai!’ Will the Suryakumar Yadav show continue at T20 World Cup? | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

After four consecutive defeats, Mumbai Indians (MI) lifted the gloom in the dressing room in style as Suryakumar Yadav‘s sensational century led the cheers in the home team’s seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their IPL match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday.IPL 2024: Results | Points TableChasing SRH’s 173 for 8, MI were in a spot of bother at 31 for 3, but Surya launched a counter-attack to score 51-ball 102 not out, including 12 fours and 6 sixes, to deflated SRH bowling with his 360-degree batting.He added 143 runs in an unbeaten fourth-wicket partership with Tilak Varma (37 not out). Earlier in SRH innings, MI captain Hardik Pandya (3 for 31) and veteran legspinner Piyush Chawla (3 for 33) led the bowling charts with three wickets each to restrict the visitors, who could reach a competitive total only because of opener Travis Head’s 48 off 30 balls and skipper Pat Cummins’s 17-ball cameo of 35 not out.The commentators were in awe of Surya’s T20 batting skills as he completed his century with a match-winning six off the second ball of the 17th over. WATCH VIDEO “I have done this after a long time,” said Surya at the post-match presentation. “I fielded for 20 overs and batted for 18 overs, only tired.”Skipper Hardik said it was an “unbelievable” knock by Surya.“It’s unbelievable! The best past of SKY is that he puts the bowlers under pressure. It’s sheer confidence…He can change a game in a different way. Lucky to have him in our side,” said Hardik after the match. While Mumbai’s playoff hopes are only mathematically alive in the ongoing IPL, Surya’s litmus test will be at the T20 World Cup in the US and West Indies, beginning June 2. If MI don’t reach the playoffs, Surya will have time to rest as well as refocus for the big-ticket T20 tournament, where India will begin their campaign with the group game against Ireland on June 5 in New York, followed by the big match against Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue.Co-hosts USA and Canada are the other two teams in India’s group.