Virat Kohli In New York But Might Miss India's Only T20 World Cup Warm-Up Game. Here Is The Reason

Virat Kohli In New York But Might Miss India’s Only T20 World Cup Warm-Up Game. Here Is The Reason

Virat Kohli’s participation in the practice match will depend on how he is feeling.© X (Twitter) India’s premier batter Virat Kohli arrived in New York on Friday for the T20 World Cup, five days after his other team members but it is still not clear if he would be playing the warm-up game against Bangladesh on Saturday. “Virat Kohli has checked in at the team hotel and after a long flight, he would be taking rest,” a senior BCCI source confirmed his arrival. Having travelled for 16 hours to reach the ‘Big Apple’, his participation in the practice match will depend on how Kohli feels and if he is willing to have a hit against the Bangladesh side at the Nassau County Cricket Ground. Kohli has scored 741 runs in 15 IPL games. He doesn’t need much match practice, and he will still get three quality net sessions before the first game against Ireland on June 5. There was an optional training session on Friday morning in which Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube and Mohammed Siraj sweated it out under the guidance of the support staff. The team management and the BCCI have often made exceptions about Kohli linking up with the national team. He was also permitted a break before the South Africa Test series when he arrived in the ‘Rainbow Nation’ only to leave for the UK for personal reasons before rejoining the squad. He skipped the entire England Test series at home in February-March for the birth of his second child. This time too, for the T20 World Cup, the first batch of players flew in on May 25 while the second group touched down on May 28. Kohli has so far missed three sessions of training but if one goes by what the team management feels, they understand that the legend knows his stuff and his routines won’t be tinkered with.  (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

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MS Dhoni: 'You can go out and express...': Gautam Gambhir praises CSK's strategy empowering MS Dhoni's impact in IPL 2024 | Cricket News

MS Dhoni: ‘You can go out and express…’: Gautam Gambhir praises CSK’s strategy empowering MS Dhoni’s impact in IPL 2024 | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer and current Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Gautam Gambhir lauded the strategic brilliance of Chennai Super Kings in harnessing the unparalleled prowess of MS Dhoni in the Indian Premier League 2024. Gambhir emphasized that CSK’s tactical approach, particularly in assigning Dhoni the finisher’s role with just 8-10 balls, has unleashed the legendary cricketer’s potential to make an immediate impact on the game.“It is a strategy of CSK (Dhoni facing just 8-10 balls) and that has given Dhoni the freedom. Different teams have different strategies and CSK has done this for the past 2-3 years. The freedom has allowed Dhoni to have an impact. When you play 20-25 balls you have that responsibility to consolidate, but when it’s just 8-10 balls you can go out there and express yourself with freedom,” expressed Gambhir in an interaction with Sportskeeda.Highlighting Dhoni’s phenomenal performance in the ongoing IPL season, Gambhir underscored the leadership similarities between Dhoni and himself during their IPL rivalry. “I feel insecurity is the biggest reason for a player’s failure. It’s not about ability. If you don’t have the ability you won’t reach the first-class, IPL, or international level in the first place. So it is important to have a secure dressing room. A secure dressing room is a happy dressing room and it eventually becomes a winning dressing room,” Gambhir remarked, reflecting on the conducive environment for players’ success. Dhoni’s batting prowess in the IPL 2024 has been nothing short of remarkable, with the veteran cricketer showcasing his unmatched skills as a finisher. Dhoni stands on the cusp of reaching a significant milestone of 250 sixes in the IPL. With a staggering strike rate of 229.16 in ten games, Dhoni’s impact on CSK’s fortunes has been undeniable.Despite a minor setback against Punjab Kings, where Dhoni (14 off 11) was run out off the final ball of the innings – his first dismissal in the season, his significance in guiding CSK through tense situations remains undiminished.

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Pakistan targets right T20 combination against understrength New Zealand | Cricket

Dube, Gaikwad and other Indian stars teach “nuts and bolts” of cricket to US diplomats

New Delhi [India], : As India continues to gear up for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, some of the Indian star players, including Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and others, gave insights about cricket to US diplomats based in Mumbai. Dube, Gaikwad and other Indian stars teach “nuts and bolts” of cricket to US diplomats The marquee event will kick off on June 1, with the co-hosts, the USA, taking on Canada in the opening match. As the World Cup fever runs high, top India stars Mohammed Siraj, Gaikwad, his wife Utkarsha Pawar, Dube and Jitesh Sharma taught the “nuts and bolts” of cricket to the American diplomats. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! “As they head to the United States for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, Indian cricketers Mohammed Siraj, Utkarsha Pawar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, and Jitesh Sharma teamed up to teach our American diplomats the nuts and bolts of cricket. Did our diplomats live up to the challenge,” US Consulate General Mumbai captioned a post on Instagram. Siraj offered tips on bowling, while Gaikwad and Dube helped the diplomats learn the art of batting. At the end of the video, the Indian players and US diplomats wished India the “best of luck” for the upcoming tournament. Last Sunday, the first batch of Indian players, including skipper Rohit Sharma, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and number-one-ranked T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav, left for the United States. At the Mumbai airport, besides skipper Rohit, Bumrah and Suryakumar, head coach Rahul Dravid, batting coach Vikram Rathour, batter Shubman Gill, all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Dube, pacers Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel were also captured. India will start their T20 World Cup campaign on June 5 against Ireland at the newly constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. Meanwhile, the most-awaited blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan will take place on June 9. They will later play tournament co-hosts USA and Canada to wrap up their Group A matches. In the tournament, India will be aiming to end their ICC trophy drought, having last won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. Since then, India has reached the 50-over World Cup final in 2023, the semifinals in 2015 and 2019, the title clash of the ICC World Test Championship in 2021 and 2023, T20 World Cup final in 2014 and the semifinals in 2016 and 2022, but has failed to secure a big ICC trophy. India will be aiming to win their first T20 WC title ever since they won the inaugural edition of the tournament back in 2007 in South Africa. In the last edition held in Australia in 2022, India lost to England by 10 wickets in the semifinals. India squad: Rohit Sharma , Hardik Pandya , Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant , Sanju Samson , Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. SirajReserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

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"Aukat Se Bahar": India, Pakistan Fans In War Of Words Over Video Of Stars Walking Past IPL Final Telecast

“Aukat Se Bahar”: India, Pakistan Fans In War Of Words Over Video Of Stars Walking Past IPL Final Telecast

India vs Pakistan – if on the field it’s an intense cricket contest, off the field too things are no less. Sometimes, the fans’ enthusiasm surpass the stars who play on the field. Even the broadcasters capitalise on the same (think about the ‘Mauk Mauka’ ad). The Indian cricket team and Pakistan cricket team will once again face off at the T20 World Cup 2024 on June 9. Though, India enjoy supremacy as far as head-to-head record is concerned, Pakistan are T20 World Cup runner-up of 2022.  Ahead of the clash, India and Pakistan engaged in a war of words over a viral video which showed Pakistan players walking past a TV screen, where IPL final was being telecast.  Unhe pata hai Aukat se bahar hai to kya matlab dekhkr dil jalane se — Dr. Rahul Jat (@Rahul_jaat001) May 30, 2024 Meanwhile International team players ignore Pakistan tour during IPL — ChauhanSahab (@chauhandwarrior) May 30, 2024 Pakistani Players ignored IPL Final pic.twitter.com/JigwfIFivA — Imran Siddique (@imransiddique89) May 30, 2024 Ahead of the high-octane India versus Pakistan clash in the ICC T20 World Cup on June 9, security cover will be raised at New York’s Eisenhower Park stadium following reports of threats to the match, reported ESPNCricinfo. As per a statement by the governor’s office, the situation is being monitored and according to their intel “there is no credible public safety threat at this time.” Eisenhower Park Stadium, located 25 miles east of Manhattan, is the host of eight ICC T20 WC matches from June 3 to 12, including the battle between two Asian arch-rivals. The governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, said that she is working with the law enforcement authorities to make sure these games go on smoothly. “I have also directed the New York State Police to engage in elevated security measures, including an increased law enforcement presence, advanced surveillance, and thorough screening processes,” she said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo. “Public safety is my top priority and we are committed to ensuring the Cricket World Cup is a safe, enjoyable experience,” she added. ESPNCricinfo has learnt that no corroborative evidence has been found by authorities to back the reported threat. But the International Cricket Council (ICC) has said that security will be “robust” throughout the tournament across all venues. With ANI inputs Topics mentioned in this article

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Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Today Match Prediction & Live Odds - IPL 2024

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Today Match Prediction & Live Odds – IPL 2024

Get to Know Who will win Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, IPL 2024 Match and toss Prediction with Head to Head stats, Playing 11, CBTFJSK Tips, Live score & winning percentage. 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 : Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 : Apr 21, 2024𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 : 15:30 IST / 10:00 GMT𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 : Eden Gardens – Kolkata, India 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 : IPL 2024 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Betting Tips Sunil Narine hit 109 from 56 balls at the top of the order against Rajasthan Royals and the experienced left-hander is our tip for KKR’s highest run scorer against RCB. Varun Chakravarthy has taken three wickets from his last two appearances at Eden Gardens and he is a strong choice for KKR’s top wicket taker in this game.Virat Kohli is the leading run scorer in the tournament and is averaging 72.20 from seven innings. He is well worth backing as RCB’s highest run scorer against KKR. Lockie Ferguson came into the team for the last fixture and took two wickets. He is our pick for RCB’s top wicket taker in this match.No batter has been as consistent as Virat Kohli so far in the 2024 IPL so we recommend backing him to hit the most fours in this clash. Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru 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. Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru T20 Match Prediction & Betting Tips, IPL 2024 Match 36 of the 2024 Indian Premier League sees Kolkata Knight Riders go head to head with Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday afternoon at Eden Gardens. KKR have won four of their six fixtures so far and are in second place with RCB down at the bottom of the table. Read on as we preview this match. The game begins at 15:30 local time in Kolkata on April 21st. Although KKR have suffered recent defeats, they have been against the early pace setters Rajasthan Royals and last year’s Champions Chennai Super Kings. They have had an impressive start to the tournament and we expect them to be able to win this clash against the bottom of the table side. RCB have no teams below them in the league at the moment and confidence is particularly low in their bowling unit as seen by all of their bowlers recording economy rates of 10.66 – 18.00 in their last match. In spite of their strong batters, we are not anticipating an RCB win in Kolkata. Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Match Toss PredictionAlmost 60% of the IPL matches at Eden Gardens have been won by the team chasing so we are predicting that both sides will want to field first in this clash. Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Pitch ReportThis certainly looks like being another good batting wicket in this year’s IPL and the surface at Eden Gardens delivered 447 runs in the last game! The pace bowlers are likely to be expensive unless they can produce some high level variations. Batters will find the bounce to be true and whoever bats first will be looking to post a total of at least 215 to be competitive. Kolkata Weather ReportThis is going to be played under very hot conditions on Sunday afternoon with the temperature likely to be in the high thirties throughout. There will be a light breeze and no rain is forecast. Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds, and match prediction for Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Indian Premier League 2024

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UAE vs Nepal T20 Today Match Prediction & Live Odds - World Cup Asia Finals 2023

UAE vs Nepal T20 Today Match Prediction & Live Odds – World Cup Asia Finals 2023

Get to Know Who will win UAE vs NEP T20I World Cup Asia Finals 2023 Match and toss Prediction with Head to Head stats, Playing 11, K9WIN , Live score & winning percentage. MATCH: UAE vs NepalDATE: Nov 03, 2023TIME: 08:45 IST / 3:15 GMTVENUE: Mulpani Cricket Ground – Kathmandu, NepalTOURNAMENT: T20I World Cup Asia Finals UAE vs NEP Betting Tips Kushal Bhurtel has scored over 140 runs in the tournament. He can be backed as Nepal’s top batter.Muhammad Waseem is a dangerous batter on his day and has scored 91 runs in the tournament, Back him as UAE’s top batter.Karan KC has been very consistent for Nepal and has picked 5 wickets this season. Back him as Nepal’s top bowler. UAE vs Nepal TV channels: The fans can watch the match live on Euro Sports Live Streaming: Live streaming of the match will be available on the K9WIn Cricket Exchange India and website. UAE vs Nepal Match Prediction & Betting Tips – T20I World Cup Asia Finals 2023Nepal will take on UAE in the 2nd semifinal of the T20 World Cup Asia Finals. The match will be played at the Mulpani Cricket Ground, Kathmandu and will start at 8:45 AM IST. UAE vs NEP, Mulpani Cricket Ground, Kathmandu Pitch ReportThe pitch will not have pace and bounce and fast bowlers will have to bowl in the right channel. The ground is not very big so we may see a high scoring game. Batters will have to get used to the slowness of the wicket before cutting loose. Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds, and match prediction for UAE vs Nepal, T20I World Cup Asia Finals 2023

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Rohit Sharma scripts history, becomes first Indian to achieve massive T20 milestone – India TV

Rohit Sharma scripts history, becomes first Indian to achieve massive T20 milestone – India TV

Image Source : AP Rohit Sharma broke a few records during his knock against the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2024 Indian captain and former Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma scripted history in the shortest format as he became the first Indian cricketer to hit 500 T20 sixes in the most-awaited clash of IPL 2024 against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday, April 14 at the Wankhede Stadium. Rohit with a six off Ravindra Jadeja in the 11th over having smashed his 43rd fifty in the IPL achieved the milestone as he became the fifth batter to do so and first Indian. On the same day, KL Rahul reached 300 sixes in the format in the earlier game between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Most sixes in T20 cricket  1056 – Chris Gayle (455 innings) 860 – Kieron Pollard (586 innings) 678 – Andre Russell (420 innings) 548 – Colin Munro (409 innings) 501* – Rohit Sharma (419 innings) Most sixes by Indian players in T20 cricket  502* – Rohit Sharma (419 innings) 383 – Virat Kohli (365 innings) 328 – MS Dhoni (334 innings) 325 – Suresh Raina (319 innings) 300 – KL Rahul (205 innings) Rohit also became the leading run-getter in the MI vs CSK fixture as he surpassed Suresh Raina after scoring just five runs. MS Dhoni equalled Rohit earlier after scoring 20 runs but the opening batter with an unbeaten century, left everyone miles behind. Both teams have locked horns quite a few times in the IPL as well as the now-defunct Champions League T20 and now that both are five-time champions, the rivalry has only gotten fearsome over the years. Most runs in MI vs CSK matches (IPL and CLT20) 837 – Rohit Sharma (MI) in 29 innings 736 – Suresh Raina (CSK) in 32 innings 732 – MS Dhoni (CSK) in 33 innings  664 – Ambati Rayudu (MI, CSK) in 33 innings  636 – Kieron Pollard (MI) in 25 innings Despite Rohit’s century, the Mumbai Indians failed to chase down 207 runs as Matheesha Pathirana’s figures of 4/28 proved to be the difference between the two teams as he kept pegging the home team back with regular wickets and no other batter was able to support the former skipper for the duration of the run-chase. Chennai Super Kings registered their fourth win of the tournament and maintained their third position on the table.

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Trichy Grand Cholas vs Lyca Kovai Kings Today Match Prediction & Live Odds - TNPL 2024

Trichy Grand Cholas vs Lyca Kovai Kings Today Match Prediction & Live Odds – TNPL 2024

Get to Know Who will win TRICHY vs LKK TNPL 2024 Match and toss Prediction with Head to Head stats, Playing 11, CBTFJSK Tips, Live score & winning percentage. 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 : Trichy Grand Cholas vs Lyca Kovai Kings𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 : Jul 16, 2024𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 : 19:15 IST / 13:45 GMT𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 : SNR College Cricket Stadium – Coimbatore, India𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 : TNPL 2024 Trichy Grand Cholas vs Lyca Kovai Kings Betting Tips Trichy Grand Cholas vs Lyca Kovai Kings 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. Trichy Grand Cholas vs Lyca Kovai Kings Match Prediction & Betting Tips – TNPL 2024 Trichy Grand Cholas will take on Lyca Kovai Kings at the Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science Ground, Coimbatore in Match 15 of the 2024 Tamil Nadu Premier League. This game gets underway at 19:45 local time on Tuesday 16th July 2024. TRICHY vs LKK, SNR College Cricket Ground, Coimbatore Pitch Report As there has been plenty of rain around, the pitch is still very fresh and does have some moisture in it. As a result, there should be assistance for the quick bowlers. Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds, and match prediction for Trichy Grand Cholas vs Lyca Kovai Kings, Tamil Nadu Premier League 2024

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Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPLT20, Today Match Prediction

Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPLT20, Today Match Prediction

𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 : ​​​​​​Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 : April 11, Friday 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 : 7:30 PM IST𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 :​ M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 : Indian Premier League 2025 Chennai Super Kings have a great record against Kolkata Knight Riders at the MA Chidambaram Stadium – 8 wins and only three losses. Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders 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. CSK vs KKR Match Prediction & Analysis Match 25 of IPL 2025 sees Chennai Super Kings (CSK) take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Chennai this Friday. CSK are having a torrid season so far, with just one win and four losses. KKR, last year’s champs, haven’t exactly had a smooth run either, sitting on two wins and three losses. Both sides head into this one after a defeat, and pressure is mounting. CSK will be banking on familiar conditions to pull off a much-needed win, but KKR have the tools to handle this surface and won’t go down without a fight. TEAMS PREVIEW Chennai Super Kings Preview CSK’s season has taken a nosedive after a bright start. Since their opening win, they’ve slumped to four straight losses, sitting at ninth place with a weak NRR of -0.889. Their most recent defeat came against Punjab Kings, losing by 18 runs despite putting up 201-5 in response to a 220-run target. There were some positives with the bat, which might help build some momentum going forward. Still, there’s plenty to fix across the board. The top order—Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, and Ruturaj Gaikwad—has been patchy and way too cautious during the powerplay, putting the rest of the lineup under unnecessary pressure. Shivam Dube brought some spark with a solid 42 off 27 last game, and Dhoni’s 27 off 12 added a late push. But outside of them, there just isn’t enough firepower to finish games. Relying on Dhoni at 43 or expecting Jadeja and Ashwin to go big at the death isn’t a winning formula. The bowling hasn’t helped their case either. Khaleel Ahmed’s been sharp with the new ball, grabbing 10 wickets at an 8.25 economy. You can almost count on him to strike early. Noor Ahmad has stood out as well, leading the team with 11 wickets at 8.33. He’ll be a big factor at Chidambaram. Kolkata Knight Riders Preview Kolkata Knight Riders have had a stop-start season so far, with two wins and three losses. Just when it feels like they’ve turned a corner, they slip up again. In their last outing, they came close to chasing down a massive 239 at home, falling short by just four runs. It was a match they’d feel they should’ve won, especially after cruising at 162-2 in 13 overs before collapsing under pressure. That said, the batting effort was still promising. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane led the charge with a fluent 61 off 35, while Venkatesh Iyer (45 off 29) and Sunil Narine (30 off 13) chipped in with useful cameos. Rinku Singh’s 38* off 15 at the back end gave them a chance, but it wasn’t quite enough. Their batting looks solid on paper, though Quinton de Kock’s patchy form hasn’t helped their cause. Andre Russell hasn’t found his rhythm with the bat either, and Ramandeep Singh has struggled to get going. Their bowling took a beating in that high-scoring game, but the surface at Chidambaram Stadium should work in their favor. Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine could make a big impact with their combined eight overs. Moeen Ali might also slot into the XI, likely replacing Spencer Johnson, adding another spin option and some depth to the batting. Weather Conditions Spin will be king at Chepauk again, with the surface slowing down considerably as the game progresses. Batsmen will need to capitalize during powerplays before the ball softens and starts gripping. Most overs will likely go to spinners in these slow conditions. Weather-wise, players can expect standard Chennai heat and humidity under clear skies. CSK vs KKR Pitch Report Chepauk tends to produce first-innings scores around 160. Out of the three matches played here in IPL 2025, the biggest total so far came from Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who put up 196-7 against CSK and won that one by 50 runs. The pitch should play slow again, offering plenty for the spinners. A first-innings target in the 170-180 range would put the batting side in a solid position. Toss: To Bat Recent results at Chepauk favor the team that bats first – they’ve won the last two IPL 2025 contests at this venue. The surface tends to get slower as the game progresses, creating tougher conditions for chasing teams in the second innings. 

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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

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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