Cricket

Rohit Sharma gets eye-catching mention from Preity Zinta days after quashing fake news about wanting him as PBKS captain

Danijones6 months ago05 mins

A little over two weeks after Preity Zinta dismissed reports of wanting Rohit Sharma as captain of the Punjab Kings, the PBKS owner took to social media platform X to describe the former Mumbai Indians skipper. Taking questions from her fans, Zinta called Rohit ‘a powerhouse of talent’, indicating that if she ever were to seek him as leader of PBKS, it wouldn’t be a bad call after all. Preity Zinta had nothing but praise for Rohit Sharma (Agencies) Rohit, captain of the Indian team, is a bonafide legend of Indian cricket. The only batter in history to score three ODI double-centuries and a winner of six Indian Premier League titles, Rohit has taken Indian cricket to great heights and then some since taking over as captain. In the IPL, despite being tied with MS Dhoni for the most trophies – five – Rohit is the most successful captain for winning them in a span of 10 years. A proven behemoth of modern-day cricket, one can’t help but wonder if there can even be a more perfect term to sum up Rohit than how Zinta described him. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! Speculations are rife about Rohit’s future at MI. In December, the franchise removed him as captain and replaced him with the returning Hardik Pandya. And as it turned out, the move has backfired immensely. MI are languishing at the bottom of the IPL 2024 points table and on the verge of being the first team officially get eliminated from the race to the Playoffs. Rohit’s own form has been a bit of a letdown as well. With 326 runs from 11 matches, including a century, Rohit has an average of 32.6 and a strike rate of 154.5. While he may be set to better his previous season, Rohit is still not on par with the standard he has set for himself and cricket fans all over the world. When asked if she would entertain having MS Dhoni aboard Punjab Kings, Zinta also spoke about her love and admiration towards the CSK captain. Reflecting on Sunday’s game, the actor revealed she underwent a bittersweet emotion as PBKS emerged second best in the return match-up. “Everyone wants him, and everyone is his fan, including me. Yesterday was bittersweet. I wanted us to win and him to hit some big sixes, but we lost, and he got out. The only bright spot was that our bowlers did so well in restricting them, but eventually, it was not enough,” she added. Zinta’s PBKS is one of the original eight franchises to have never won an IPL title – Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru being the other two. In 16 years, PBKS have qualified for the Playoffs just twice, with their best show coming in 2015, where they finished runner-up to Kolkata Knight Riders. The wait to land an elusive IPL title can be painstakingly long, but Zinta manages to keep her spirits high. “Trust me, no one wants to know that more than I do, but I believe we will win it one day… Hopefully sooner than later,” she wrote.

Babar Azam backs Gary Kirsten to lead a positive change in Pakistan cricket

Danijones6 months ago06 mins

Pakistan’s cricket team skipper Babar Azam addresses a press conference ahead of the T20 series against Ireland, England and the T20 World Cup, in Lahore, Pakistan, on May 6, 2024. | Photo Credit: AP Pakistan limited overs skipper Babar Azam is optimistic that Gary Kirsten’s appointment as head coach of Pakistan’s white ball side will certainly improve its performance. The South African was roped in as the team’s limited overs head coach last month on a two-year contract, and this would be his third outing as an international coach, having guided India (2008-11) and South Africa (2011-13). “He (Kirsten) is a very experienced coach, and his presence should be beneficial for us all. He is already taking a lot of interest in the planning for the World Cup and discussing strategy with the team management,” Babar told a media conference in Lahore on Monday. Babar said Kirsten was in touch with the side daily, receiving reports about what they were doing and how they were planning things. “He (Kirsten) shares his plans with us, discussions are happening with coaches about our planning, and we update him on net practice plans, like how the bowling practice went today,” he said. Babar said there was already steady line of communication between him and Kirsten and he is looking forward to his arrival. The Pakistan skipper also dismissed concerns over some selections as the squad leaves for Ireland. Pakistani selectors will finalise the final 15-member squad for the global tournament from the same 18 players based on the form and fitness of players in Ireland and England. Kirsten is expected to join the team in England. “There is no issue about the top order as to who will open from amongst me, Rizwan, Saim or Fakhar. All decisions will be based on keeping in mind the team’s interests. There is no confusion there,” Babar said. He clarified that young and new players like Ayub, Azam, Irfan Khan and Usman Khan would require time to settle down in international cricket, and the management would back them completely in the lead-up to the World Cup. “I think there is little time for rotation now because the World Cup is around the corner, and in the remaining matches. We will try to give the team we want to play with in the World Cup a proper opportunity,” Babar continued. “We will sort out whatever our bowling and batting combination is, and we have almost done that. We will play with our best possible XI in the remaining matches.” Will plan against Kohli Asked if Pakistan was specifically strategizing to stop India’s in-form batter Virat Kohli from scoring against them, Babar said that as a team, one always looked at the best players in an opposing team as the aim was to win against eleven players. “The thing is, we plan against all eleven players of a team, and we don’t know much about how the conditions will be in New York. But yes, he [Kohli] is one of the best players, and we will plan against him as well,” Babar said. No rifts in team Babar also made it clear there were no internal rifts in the team over the captaincy issue, and he was also excited about his second stint as Pakistan captain. “Whatever success I achieved previously as captain was because of the players who supported me, and the same is true now. Important is the board is backing us completely to do well,” he concluded.

Fixing-Tainted Pakistan Pacer Faces Visa Issues For Travelling To This Country

Danijones6 months ago02 mins

Pakistan’s first T20 international against Ireland is on May 10.© AFP Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir may not be able to leave with the national squad on Tuesday morning for the three-match T20 series in Ireland due to visa issues. A reliable source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that while the rest of the squad had got their visas for Ireland, there was a delay in Amir’s case due to the jail term he served for the 2010 spot-fixing scandal. “Because of the spot-fixing case of 2010 and his subsequent jail term and ban his visa is still being processed,” the source said. He said a similar problem was faced by the PCB in 2018 as well when Pakistan went to Ireland and England but Amir was later issued a visa. “We are hopeful he will get his visa in a day or two and he can join them later,” he said. Pakistan’s first T20 international against Ireland is on May 10. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

Day After Virat Rant On Kohli’s Comments, Sunil Gavaskar’s Statement On MS Dhoni Resurfaces

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

File photo of Sunil Gavaskar.© X (Twitter) Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar didn’t mince his words while reacting to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) icon Virat Kohli’s rant at ‘pundits’ over criticsim of his strike-rate and struggles against spin. Kohli didn’t hold his emotions back as he took a swipe at critics after the match against Gujarat Titans (GT) last weekend. Reacting to Kohli’s rant, Gavaskar launched a scathing attack on the RCB icon, asking why those who continue to stay away from what’s said and written on social media are reacting to ‘outside noise’. However, Gavaskar didn’t stop there as he also slammed the broadcasters for showing that rant from Kohli ‘a dozen times’ on television. “That particular post-game interview has been shown on this channel earlier as well, right now, on this particular program it has probably been shown half a dozen times. I hope that Star Sports recognises that when that is being shown, asking where are the critics, the critics are the commentators. Your Star Sports commentators are the ones from whom the questions are being asked,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports. Amid his meltdown over Kohli’s rant, an old video of Gavaskar praising two-time World Cup winning captain MS Dhoni has resurfaced on social media. In the video, an emotional Gavaskar recalled the moment when he got his shirt signed by Dhoni during IPL 2023. Respect is earned, not given. Meanwhile Gavaskar with MS Dhonipic.twitter.com/dFHUE4HAeZ — (@rahulmsd_91) May 5, 2024 Gavaskar had said: “It was a very emotional moment for me (getting the shirt signed by MS Dhoni). MS Dhoni has done a lot for Indian cricket. If I have 2 minutes to live, I would like to witness Kapil Dev lift the 1983 World Cup trophy and MS Dhoni hit the World Cup winning six and the way he rolled over his bat after hitting the six.” For the unversed, Gavaskar got his shirt signed from Dhoni after CSK’s last home game of the season last year, assuming that the veteran might retire from the IPL after the tournament. Topics mentioned in this article

Mumbai Indians vs SunRisers Hyderabad, IPL 2024: Match Preview, Fantasy Picks, Pitch And Weather Reports

Danijones6 months ago08 mins

Mumbai Indians take on SunRisers Hyderabad in their IPL 2024 clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. Mumbai Indians have played 11 matches and are ranked tenth on the points table with six points. SunRisers Hyderabad have played 10 matches and are ranked fourth on the points table with 12 points. In the last match played by Mumbai against Kolkata Knight Riders, KKR beat MI by 24 runs. The top fantasy player for Mumbai Indians was Jasprit Bumrah who scored 106 fantasy points. In their last match in this series against Rajasthan Royals, SunRisers Hyderabad beat Rajasthan by one run. The top fantasy player for SRH was Nitish Kumar Reddy who scored 113 fantasy points. MI vs SRH, Pitch Report and Weather Conditions The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, will allow for good stroke play and the batters will find it easy to bat on the surface. It will not allow a lot of assistance to the bowlers and wicket-taking is going to be difficult. The average first-innings score at this venue in the last 20 matches is 169 runs. The team batting first at this venue has won 40% of its matches, so the toss does not make much of a difference here. Pace or Spin? The pacers have been very successful at this venue. They have taken 75% of the total wickets at this venue. We would suggest that you pick as many pace bowlers as possible in your team. Weather Report The temperature is expected to be around 28 degree C and humidity is expected to be around 82%. Winds at a speed of 3.52 m/s are expected. MI vs SRH, Head-to-Head In the 22 matches played between these two teams, the batters of both teams have earned the most fantasy points for their respective teams so far. In their previous encounter in this series, Abhishek Sharma was the Man of the Match. Tilak Varma scored the highest fantasy points for Mumbai Indians with 96 points while Heinrich Klaasen topped the fantasy points leaderboard for SunRisers Hyderabad with 124 points. MI vs SRH, Fantasy XI Top Captain and Vice-Captain Picks Travis Head Travis Head is a good-to-have player for your Fantasy XI Team. He has an average of 63 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 8.9. He is a top-order, left-handed batter. In the recent nine matches, Head has scored 396 runs at an average of 44 per match. Suryakumar Yadav Suryakumar Yadav is a batter with an average of 59 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 9.8 and is a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. He is a top-order batter, right-handed batter. In the recent eight matches, Suryakumar has scored 232 runs at an average of 29 per match. Abhishek Sharma Abhishek Sharma has an average of 53 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.4 and is a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. Abhishek is a top-order, left-handed batter. In the recently played 10 matches, he has scored 337 runs at an average of 48.1 per match. Jasprit Bumrah Jasprit Bumrah is a differential player for your Fantasy Team. He has an average of 50 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 9.2. He bowls right-arm fast and in the recently played 11 matches, he has taken 17 wickets at an average of 16.1. Hardik Pandya Hardik Pandya is an all-rounder with an average of 49 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 7.5 and can be a good safe pick for your Fantasy XI Team. He is a right-handed batter. In the recently played 11 matches, Hardik has scored 198 runs averaging 19.8 per match. He also bowls decently, bowling right-arm medium-fast and in recent matches, he has taken eight wickets at an average of 37.1 per match. Rohit Sharma Rohit Sharma is a batter with an average of 44 fantasy points in the last 10 games and has a fantasy rating of 8.7. He is a very inconsistent player in terms of fantasy points and can be a differential pick in your team. Rohit is a top-order, right-handed batter. In the recent 11 matches, he has scored 326 runs at an average of 32.6 per match. Gerald Coetzee Gerald Coetzee has an average of 39 match fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 7.7 and is a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. Coetzee is a right-arm fast bowler and in the recent 10 matches, he has taken 13 wickets at an average of 26.2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a bowler with an average of 29 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.4 and is a very inconsistent player in terms of fantasy points and can be a punt pick in your team. He bowls right-arm medium and in the recent 10 matches, Bhuvneshwar has taken eight wickets at an average of 47.1. MI vs SRH, Fantasy XI Team Wicket-Keepers: Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen Batters: Tilak Varma, Rohit Sharma, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma All-Rounder: Nitish Kumar Reddy Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Gerald Coetzee, T Natarajan and Pat Cummins Captain: Pat Cummins Vice-Captain: Jasprit Bumrah Topics mentioned in this article

IPL 2024, MI vs SRH IPL Live Score: Sunrisers set to strengthen playoff bid

Danijones6 months ago04 mins

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s T Natarajan talks with his captain Pat Cummins (R) during the Indian Premier League (IPL) match IPL 2024, MI vs SRH IPL Live Score: Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad -The Indian Premier League 2024 playoff race is heating up as free-scoring Sunrisers Hyderabad are eyeing another dominant show against a misfiring Mumbai Indians side on Monday. Champions in the 2016 edition of the cash-rich league, Pat Cummins and Co. have arrived in Mumbai for their reverse fixture against Hardik Pandya’s men at the famous Wankhede Stadium. Seeking consistency in the league phase of the elite T20 tournament, SRH will treat their meeting against MI as a must-win clash.…Read More SRH smashed the highest-ever total when the Hyderabad giants first met Mumbai in the IPL 2024. SRH are ranked fourth in the IPL standings with 12 points in 10 matches. SRH edged past Sanju Samson’s Rajasthan Royals by one run in the final-over thriller to avoid a hat-trick of defeats in the IPL 2024. Visitors SRH are level on points with Chennai Super Kings, who have played a game more than the Hyderabad giants. Hosts MI have hit rock bottom, and Hardik Pandya’s men are on the brink of being eliminated from the playoff race. With only three wins in 11 matches, the Mumbai Paltan is playing for “pride and name” at the IPL 2024. Despite a forgetful season, MI superstars Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik will focus on their individual form ahead of the T20 World Cup. Skipper Hardik has struggled to deliver the goods as an all-rounder. However, Pandya is roped in as Rohit’s deputy for the T20 World Cup. Former MI skipper Rohit has smashed 326 runs in 11 games. Top-ranked T20I batter Suryakumar has 232 runs in 8 games for Mumbai. Premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will aim to regain the top spot in the Purple Cap standings at Wankhede. Here’s all you need to know about MI vs SRH clash in IPL 2024: -SRH’s Travis Head needs 8 more runs to reach the 3000-run mark in T20s. -Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is three wickets away from entering the 300-club. -Jaydev Unadkat is one away from completing 100 wickets in the IPL. -With 12 wins over SRH (10), hosts MI have the bragging rights in the head-to-head record. -MI’s playoff challenge is all but over this season.

‘The one who completes me’: Jasprit Bumrah’s heartfelt birthday note to wife Sanjana Ganesan | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah took a break from the rigors of the IPL to celebrate a special occasion, penning a heartfelt note for his wife, Sanjana Ganesan, on her birthday.In a touching gesture shared on social media, Bumrah expressed his love and appreciation for his wife, emphasizing her role in completing him and making the world a wonderful place. “Happy Birthday to my person, the one who completes me and with her by my side the world is a wonderful place. Angad and I wish you have the best birthday, with lots of love and cuddles from us,” Bumrah wrote, accompanied by a beautiful photo. Amidst Bumrah’s personal celebration, the Mumbai Indians find themselves in a precarious position in the ongoing IPL 2024, battling to salvage their pride after a disappointing season. With eight defeats in eleven matches, including four consecutive losses, Mumbai Indians languish at the bottom of the tournament table, struggling to replicate their past successes.Despite the team’s struggles, Bumrah has been a standout performer, leading the Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack with distinction, claiming 17 wickets in 11 matches at an impressive average of 16.11. However, Mumbai Indians’ reliance on Bumrah underscores the collective underperformance of their star players, contributing to their dismal season.In contrast, Sunrisers Hyderabad, currently positioned at No. 4 with 12 points in 10 matches, are poised for a playoff berth, rejuvenating their campaign with promising performances. As they face off against Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad aim to further solidify their playoff aspirations, presenting a formidable challenge to their opponents.

MS Dhoni and Jitesh Sharma repeat 12-year-old unwanted feat in PBKS vs CSK clash – India TV

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

Image Source : BCCI/IPL MS Dhoni and Jitesh Sharma Chennai Super Kings (CSK) might have won the match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 28 runs but the fans were disappointed to see their talisman MS Dhoni bag a golden duck. As expected, there was a huge roar when the former CSK skipper came out to bat at number nine in the 19th over but the joy was short-lived for the fans with Harshal Patel becoming the first bowler to dismiss Dhoni in IPL 2024. This was also only the fourth golden duck for Dhoni in his much-celebrated IPL career. It was a brilliant delivery from Harshal that uprooted the batter’s stumps with even the 42-year-old appreciating the delivery while walking back to the dugout. Interestingly enough, Punjab Kings wicket-keeper Jitesh Sharma also bagged a golden duck with pacer Simarjeet Singh getting rid of him in the 10th over of the innings. Overall, this was only the second time that both wicketkeeper-batters bagged a golden duck in the an IPL match. Dhoni and Jitesh registered this unwanted record after 12 years with the first such instance happening way back in IPL 2012. Dinesh Karthik and Sreevats Goswami were the ones to do it for the first time in the MI vs RR clash 12 years ago. Instances when both wicketkeeper-batters bagged a golden duck in IPL Players Match IPL Season MS Dhoni, Jitesh Sharma PBKS vs CSK IPL 2024 Dinesh Karthik, Sreevats Goswami MI vs RR IPL 2012 As far as the overall record is concerned, this is only the fifth time that wicketkeepers of both teams bagged a duck with the bat in an IPL match. It last happened in the clash between Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad last year. Both wicketkeepers dismissed for a duck in an IPL game RR vs MI, Jaipur, 2010 MI vs RR, Mumbai WS, 2012 MI vs SRH, Mumbai WS, 2018 GT vs DC, Ahmedabad, 2023 PBKS vs CSK, Dharamsala, 2024

IPL-17 | Ravindra Jadeja’s versatility makes him class act, says Aaron Finch

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja celebrates a wicket during the Indian Premier League 2024 match against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala on May 5, 2024. | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy Former Australia skipper Aaron Finch has termed India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja a “class player” because of his versatility which brings in a lot of balance in all the teams that he represents. Jadeja scored 40-odd runs and took three wickets in Chennai Super Kings’ victory over Punjab Kings on May 5. “Ravindra Jadeja is such a versatile player, which makes him so effective. With the ball, he would have loved more wickets,” Finch told Star Sports. “He’s been economical, going at under eight per over throughout the tournament. Leading with three wickets today (Sunday), he showed he is an absolute class player.” Finch was impressed that Jadeja returned with fine figures of 3/20 in his full quota of four overs while defending a not-so-big total of 169. “Three wickets for just 20 runs when the Punjab Kings were chasing a total of 170 odd runs is just superb. It just shows why he’s one of the best players in the world,” the Australian said. Finch also spoke highly about Kolkata Knight Riders’ Sunil Narine. The 2021 World T20-winning Australian skipper feels that it is extremely difficult to contain Narine for a long period of time. “It’s truly remarkable, isn’t it? I mean, seeing Sunil Narine stride out to open the batting. “Before this season, you’re thinking, if we can just keep him quiet for a couple of balls, he’ll try and do something and play a big shot. But this season, he’s not only getting off to explosive starts but also batting smartly and seizing control of the innings,” Finch said. The 35-year-old Narine smashed 81 off just 39 balls to power KKR to a comfortable 98-run win over Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday night. In the process, Narine also became the fourth player to score more than 450 runs and take 10 plus wickets in a single IPL edition.

IPL-17: DC vs RR | Delhi Capitals host formidable Rajasthan Royals in a crucial encounter

Danijones6 months ago04 mins

Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant with his teammates during an IPL 2024 match. | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy Delhi Capitals’ (DC) stop-start IPL 2024 campaign enters its final lap as it takes on formidable Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on May 7. DC began the season on the wrong foot, losing four of its first five games. But the Rishabh Pant-led side soon clicked into gear, winning four of its next five matches to put itself in contention for a playoff spot. But a heavy defeat against Kolkata Knights Riders in its last match means DC’s top-four chances hinge on other results going its way. For the Royals, the plot has been far more buoyant. Sanju Samson’s men have been on a roll, winning eight of their ten matches. Batting fire-power Royals’ success this season has been built around their well-rounded batting unit. They currently boast four players — Riyan Parag, Samson, Yashavi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler — with a 300+ run tally this season, more than any other team this season. Royals’ batting brawn will fit well with the conditions here, which has seen runs flow faster than any other venue in this IPL (11.85 runs per over). DC too has some firepower in its rank, with the prominent ammunition being its young Aussie opener Jake Fraser-McGurk, who has scored 259 runs at a scarcely believable strike rate of 233.33 in his debut IPL season. When these two sides met earlier in the season, in Jaipur, Rajasthan Royals squeezed out a 12-run win. A similar result on Tuesday could all but ring the death knell for DC’s IPL campaign. Teams: Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (c), David Warner, Abishek Porel, Ricky Bhui, Yash Dhull, Shai Hope, Prithvi Shaw, Tristan Stubbs, Kumar Kushagra, Swastik Chikara, Ishant Sharma, Jhye Richardson, Rasikh Dar Salam, Vicky Ostwal, Anrich Nortje, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Praveen Dubey, Khaleel Ahmed, Sumit Kumar, Axar Patel, Mitchell Marsh, Lalit Yadav, Jake Fraser-McGurk. Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (c), Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Donovan Ferreira, Kunal Rathore, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Sen, Navdeep Saini, Keshav Maharaj, Sandeep Sharma, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan, Rovman Powell, Shubham Dubey, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Abid Mushtaq, Nandre Burger. Match starts at 7.30 PM.