January 13, 2025
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"Are Hardik Pandya, Tim David That Bad?": Virender Sehwag Fumes At MI, Demands Serious Actions

“Are Hardik Pandya, Tim David That Bad?”: Virender Sehwag Fumes At MI, Demands Serious Actions

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Former India batter Virender Sehwag questioned Mumbai Indians (MI)’s tactics during the 24-run defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their IPL 2024 match on Friday. Chasing a below-par 170, Mumbai lost wickets at regular intervals and were eventually bowled out for 145 off 18.5 overs at the Wankhede Stadium. While analysing the match, Sehwag said he was “baffled” with captain Hardik Pandya and Tim David arriving at No.7 and 8 in the lineup, respectively. Sehwag also posed a similar question for KKR after star all-rounder Andre Russell batted down the order. “KKR saved Andre Russell; he played only two balls. Mumbai Indians saved Hardik Pandya and Tim David. What did you achieve by doing that? There were many deliveries left, and they all got out. You could’ve come earlier, or maybe you could’ve finished the game earlier, too. I don’t know what happens to them when they chase… Hardik Pandya at seven and Tim David at 8. I just don’t understand what they did. Are these players that bad that they will get out if they come earlier?” Sehwag told Cricbuzz. Sehwag also slammed Hardik for batting down the order for MI, and pointed out how the all-rounder used to bat in the top order for Gujarat Titans. He added that the MI owners should take serious actions against the players and management. “Hardik Pandya batted at 4 consistently when he was the GT captain. What has happened here? It baffles me that the experienced players are coming so low. “I’m baffled by this. Management needs to take severe action on players and ask them what’s happening. Or, players should speak up about why their batting positions are changed. The captain, batting coach, bowling coach, and support staff are at fault here. Owners need to ask strict questions,” he added. Speaking on the loss, Hardik said after the game that his team failed to form any needed partnerships, and there are a lot of questions that will take time to answer, but he has not much to say at the moment. “I mean obviously in the batting inning, we couldn’t form partnerships and kept losing wickets, in T20s if you don’t form partnerships, it will cost you. Not much, there are a lot of questions that will take some time to answer but for now, not much to say,” Pandya said in a post-match presentation. Topics mentioned in this article

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Venkatesh Iyer asks Mitchell Starc where was he hiding Alyssa Healy after match-winning spell vs MI

Venkatesh Iyer asks Mitchell Starc where was he hiding Alyssa Healy after match-winning spell vs MI

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KKR and star Australia seamer Mitchell Starc had a phenomenal outing during Match 51 of the Indian Premier League 2024 against MI as he picked 4/33 in 3.5 overs. Notably, the 34-year-old’s spouse and Australian women’s team skipper Alyssa Healy was also present at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai as Starc picked three wickets in his last over to set up a 24-run victory for KKR. Following the match-winning spell by the most expensive player in the history of the league, Starc’s KKR teammate Venkatesh Iyer hilariously asked him where he had been hiding his lady luck all this while. The speedster replied that Healy had been at home since she had been on the road for a long time due to international commitments. “Mitch very well bowled but I have to ask you where were you hiding Alyssa Healy till now,” asked Iyer in the post-match chat posted by IPL. “She’s been at home because she’s been on the road for a while so now she’s here but she stayed till the end so hopefully that’s a good sign,” Starc replied. IPL 2024 Full Coverage | IPL 2024 Points Table and Standings | 2024 IPL Full Schedule Further speaking ahead, the left-arm seamer spoke about his plans in the finishing over where he got the prized scalp of Tim David (24 off 20) which sealed the win for his side. “I was watching a little bit of video and talking a few people and trying to change a few things. I haven’t felt like it’s been going wrong. Nice to get a few in the right areas tonight with a bit of rhythm and close out the game which is nice. The last over, obviously Timmy (Tim David) got hold of that first ball and then just tried to stay step ahead trying to get those wide yorkers in there and missed on the fuller side. I think its equal, the spinners in the middle is a fantastic spell of overs there. They just really strangled the innings in the middle and really made it a lot easy for us at the back end,” he added. In the nine matches played in the season so far, Mitchell Starc has picked 11 wickets at an average of 33 and an economy of 11.40 with best figures of 4/33. Earlier, he also registered match-winning figures of 2/25 vs DC and 3/28 vs LSG. Published By: Saurabh Kumar Published On: May 4, 2024

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'In my cricket life, MS Dhoni plays my father's role': Matheesha Pathirana reserves highest praise for CSK legend

‘In my cricket life, MS Dhoni plays my father’s role’: Matheesha Pathirana reserves highest praise for CSK legend

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MS Dhoni’s cricketing prowess is world-renowned, but perhaps equally remarkable is his knack for nurturing young talent. Since becoming the Indian captain for the first time in 2007, Dhoni has played a pivotal role in cultivating a rich pool of Indian cricketers, propelling the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to batting stardom, among numerous others. This talent cultivation extends seamlessly to the IPL; under Dhoni’s astute leadership, Chennai Super Kings have clinched a record 5 titles, witnessing the transformation of budding talents like Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja into world-class cricketers. Chennai Super Kings’ Matheesha Pathirana, left, celebrates a dismissal with MS Dhoni in IPL 2024(AP) But it’s not just the Indian cricketers who benefited from Dhoni’s rich presence at the CSK dressing room. Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana is among the first names in his national team’s playing XI in limited-overs formats, but MS Dhoni was among the first ones to spot him. It was at CSK where Pathirana first announced his arrival to the cricketing fraternity in 2022, eventually making his national debut the same year. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! In an interaction with CSK on their official YouTube account, Pathirana showed his immense gratitude to Dhoni for propelling his career. Labelling him a father figure in his cricketing life, Pathirana said Dhoni has always supported him. “After my father, in my cricket life, he (Dhoni) plays my father’s role. He takes care of me, and he gives me advice on what I have to do, similar to my father’s thing when I’m at my home. I think that’s enough,” said Pathirana. “He doesn’t tell me a lot of things when I’m on the field and off the field, but he tells just small things that make a lot of difference and gives me a lot of confidence. He knows how to maintain the players. Off the field, we don’t talk much, but if I have to ask something from him, definitely I’d go to him and ask him,” Pathirana said further. Pathirana’s impact at CSK Pathirana was crucial to CSK’s success in the previous edition of the IPL, where he picked 19 wickets in 12 matches and helped the side win a record-equalling fifth title. This year, too, Pathirana has been brilliant for the side so far; in six matches, the Sri Lankan has taken 13 wickets and is in the top ten in the Purple Cap list.

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Like Dad, Like Daughter: Suhana Khan's Post On KKR Ending 12-Year Jinx Has Our Heart

Like Dad, Like Daughter: Suhana Khan’s Post On KKR Ending 12-Year Jinx Has Our Heart

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File photo of Suhana Khan.© Instagram Suhana Khan, daughter of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, was over the moon after the team won their game against the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday. Suhana came to support KKR in the absence of his father and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who was banned in 2012 by Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) from entering the venue. While his five-year ban was lifted by the MCA in 2015, Shah Rukh Khan was nowhere to be seen on Friday. Nonetheless, KKR registered a memorable win over MI by 24 runs, ending a 12-year wait for a victory over the hosts at the Wankhede Stadium. Taking to Instagram, an elated Suhana posted a story after KKR’s win. She shared a few hearts with the Wankhede big screen showing, “KKR win by 24 runs.” Her post has gone viral on social media. Coming back to the match, Venkatesh Iyer’s brilliant fighting half-century topped a similar effort by Suryakumar Yadav as Mitchell Star’s four-fer helped KKR beat MI by 24 runs. In a match dominated by the bowlers, Iyer rescued KKR from a precarious 57/5 by scoring a valiant 52-ball 70 to help them reach a lowly 169. KKR’s spin twins, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, then claimed identical hauls of 4-22 in their four overs each to reduce Mumbai Indians to 61/4. MI were soon down to 71/6 before Suryakumar Yadav launched a valiant rescue attempt, hauling them to 120 in the company of Tim David before Andre Russell (2-30) and Mitchell Starc shared five wickets between them to end Mumbai Indians’ fightback. Starc claimed three wickets in the 19th over, two of them off successive deliveries as MI were bowled out for 145. KKR consolidated their second spot in the IPL 2024 points table, while MI are all but out after suffering their eighth loss in 11 matches. (With IANS Inputs) Topics mentioned in this article

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Will rain wash away Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans IPL 2024 clash? – India TV

Will rain wash away Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans IPL 2024 clash? – India TV

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Image Source : PTI RCB vs GT. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) meet Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 52nd fixture of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 17 on Saturday (May 4) with hopes to remain alive in the race to the playoffs. RCB are reeling at the bottom of the points table but have form on their side. They are on a two-game winning streak and got better of Titans in the previous meeting by nine wickets. Hence, RCB would want to make the most out of the winning momentum and make it three out of three.  The inclusion of Will Jacks worked wonders for RCB in the game against Titans. The English player smashed an unbeaten hundred with the help of five fours and 10 sixes to help RCB make mincemeat of the Shubman Gill-led side. However, RCB’s intention can be marred by the ongoing spell of rain in Bengaluru. The city was experiencing a heat wave a few days ago and the sudden precipitation has brought relief to its people. RCB vs GT Weather Report As per Weather.com, there is a seven percent chance of thunderstorms in Bengaluru till the afternoon. However, to the delight of fans, the chances of drizzle are likely to drop down to 1-2% in the evening during the game. Hence, the chances of a result are on the higher side. Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2024 squad: 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, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Himanshu Sharma, Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Lockie Ferguson, Suyash Prabhudessai, Reece Topley, Tom Curran, Mayank Dagar, Alzarri Joseph, Manoj Bhandage, Saurav Chauhan, Rajan Kumar Gujarat Titans IPL 2024 squad: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, David Miller, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Noor Ahmad, Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Warrier, Sharath BR, Vijay Shankar, Manav Suthar, Darshan Nalkande, Matthew Wade, Umesh Yadav, Kane Williamson, Jayant Yadav, Abhinav Manohar, Joshua Little, Kartik Tyagi, Spencer Johnson, Sushant Mishra

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Gautam Gambhir's Left Fuming As Rinku Singh Fails In 1st Match After T20 World Cup Snub. Video

Gautam Gambhir’s Left Fuming As Rinku Singh Fails In 1st Match After T20 World Cup Snub. Video

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Rinku Singh scored just nine runs in eight balls, despite a promising start.© X (Twitter) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Rinku Singh failed to impress on his first outing after being left out of India’s 15-man T20 World Cup squad. Rinku’s exclusion from the team has sparked a debate with fans and experts suggesting that the explosive batter should’ve been part of the 15-man squad. Rinku is one of the four travelling reserves for the tournament in the West Indies and USA. The 26-year-old, however, had a horror outing in his first IPL match after the unfortunate T20 World Cup snub. On Friday, during KKR’s game against the Mumbai Indians (MI), Rinku scored just nine runs in eight balls, despite a promising start where he hit Hardik Pandya for two boundaries. However, he was dismissed by Piyush Chawla in the veteran’s first ball of the match. Chawla deceived the youngster with a wrong’un, with Rinku chipping the ball straight back to him. Rinku’s dismissal, however, left KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir visibly frustrated in the dug out. Watch: Rinku Singh’s dismissal leaves Gautam Gambhir fuming https://t.co/r3JFmqLhmO — VEDANT BLANCO (@MrTrequartista7) May 4, 2024 Coming back to the match, Mitchell Starc picked up four wickets as a disciplined bowling performance helped KKR beat MI for the first time in 12 years at the Wankhede Stadium. Chasing a below-par 170, Mumbai lost wickets at regular intervals to be bowled out for 145 off 18.5 overs at the Wankhede Stadium. Suryakumar Yadav raised hopes with a 35-ball 56 but his dismissal in the 16th over tilted the scales in favour of Kolkata. Earlier, Kolkata lost five quick wickets including that of the prolific Phil Salt (five) and skipper Shreyas Iyer (six) after being put in to bat. Tottering at 57-5, Venkatesh Iyer (70) and impact sub Manish Pandey (42) steadied Kolkata with an 83-run stand and ensured a respectable total on the board. Iyer, who hit a century at the same ground last season, hit three sixes and six fours in his fighting 52-ball knock. (With AFP Inputs) Topics mentioned in this article

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T20 cricket is here to stay and will take the game forward: Sourav Ganguly | Cricket News

T20 cricket is here to stay and will take the game forward: Sourav Ganguly | Cricket News

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NEW DELHI: T20 cricket, according to former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, is a vital component of the game and has the potential to advance it. Ganguly believes that the game’s shortened version will always exist and continue to be an important part of the sport.In addition, he gave the T20 format a due and discussed why it has grown in significance in cricket.Ganguly said these things on Friday in Kolkata at the Bengal Pro T20 League trophy unveiling.In Kolkata, the Bengal Pro T20 League trophy was unveiled in the presence of Sourav Ganguly, Jhulan Goswami, the former Indian women’s cricket player, and Snehasish Ganguly, the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).“It is a great introduction to the game. Change is inevitable in everything. Many of us who started playing 2-day cricket and 4-day cricket will have to accept that T20 cricket is here to stay and it is something that will take the game forward,” Ganguly said during the event.The official franchise-based premier T20 cricket competition of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is called the Bengal Pro T20 competition.Speaking about the same to the media, Ganguly said, “It’s (T20 Leagues) happening in every state. We are probably 5-6 years late on this. Any way of playing the sport will always be very helpful. T20 is an important part of cricket these days and this will be a huge opportunity for everyone to perform.”The inaugural edition of the Bengal Pro T20 League is set to kick off from June 11, 2024, in Kolkata as 8 teams get to ready showcase their talent on the big stage. (With IANS inputs)

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

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

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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).”

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

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

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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

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

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

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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.

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