"Lack Of Faith, Lack Of Skill": Irfan Pathan Tears Into Hardik Pandya's Captaincy

“Lack Of Faith, Lack Of Skill”: Irfan Pathan Tears Into Hardik Pandya’s Captaincy

Mumbai Indians captain and all-rounder Hardik Pandya was put to sword by fans and former cricketers after yet another underwhelming show in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Hardik faced brutal criticism from prominent former players lost the high-profile encounter against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. Hardik, who bowled the last over the innings, was ripped apart by the 42-year-old MS Dhoni, conceding 20 runs in the final 4 balls. His decision to bowl at the absolute end has been questioned by many, including former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan. (IPL 2024 Points Table) Booed and heckled by fans ever since he took over MI’s captaincy, Pandya found himself in the line of fire. Hardik was openly criticised by Irfan who put big question marks on the decision-making that the former Gujarat Titans skipper brings to the ground. It was the 26 runs that Pandya conceded in the final over with Mahendra Singh Dhoni going hammer and tongs, which proved to be decisive as Chennai Super Kings notched up a 20-run win over MI. Irfan feels the decision to bowl himself over Akash Madhwal shows lack of faith on the latter. Hardik Pandya bowling the last over showed the lack of faith on Akash madhwal’s bowling and his own lack of skill as a death over bowler. — Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) April 14, 2024 The likes of Sunil Gavaskar and Kevin Pietersen also questioned Hardik’s captaincy in the match. “Oh, absolutely ordinary bowling, ordinary captaincy. They should have been restricted despite the fact that Ruturaj Gaikwad had batted so well along with Shivam Dube. I do believe that they should have been restricted to 185-190,” Gavaskar said. “Probably the worst kind of bowling that I’ve seen for a long, long time,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports during the innings break after CSK posted 206 for 4. “It almost looks like I’ve had this embrace with my hero. I’ve got the kind of deliveries that he’s gonna hit for sixes. One six is fine. The next one is a length ball when you know this batter is hunting for a length ball that he wants to hit. “Third ball is again a full toss on the legs when you know he (Dhoni) is looking for a six.” Pandya finished with figures of 2 for 43 from his four overs and also had a tough time with the bat, managing a mere two runs off six balls at a crucial juncture of the game as MI ended at 186 for six despite a fine 63-ball 105 by former skipper Rohit Sharma. Pandya has faced fans’ ire right from the first match and even at the Wankhede Stadium, boos have followed him, forcing Rohit (against Rajasthan Royals) and Virat Kohli (in MI’s game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru) to ask the crowd to calm down a bit. Pietersen feels the outside noise is taking a toll on the flamboyant all-rounder. “I actually think, with Hardik Pandya, everything away from the game is affecting him so much. He’s smiling too much when he does the toss. He’s trying to act like he is so happy. He is not happy. I have been there. I have been in the firing line. And I can tell you now, it affects you. “The boos we have been hearing just now and I know they are happy to see former CSK captain (Dhoni), the lion, smacking him (Hardik) all over the park, it hurts you. Because he has emotions. And he is an Indian player and he doesn’t want to be treated like this. So when this is happening, it’s affecting him, it’s affecting his cricket and something needs to happen.” The 43-year-old former batter also wondered why Pandya didn’t use his spinners when the pacers were being targeted by CSK batters. “What I saw this evening wasn’t good enough. I saw a captain that had plan A from a team meeting that was five hours ago and a captain that didn’t want to go to plan B when he should have gone to plan B. “Like how on this Earth have you not bowled a spinner when your seamers are going for 20. Brian Lara said can we please bowl a spinner? Somebody needs to bowl here. You need to change the pace of the game.” MI will next take on Punjab Kings on April 18 in Chandigarh.

Read More
'There is no one to actually support...': Brian Lara slams Mumbai Indians' bowling | Cricket News

‘There is no one to actually support…’: Brian Lara slams Mumbai Indians’ bowling | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: West Indian cricket legend Brian Lara and former England captain Kevin Pietersen offered insightful analysis after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by 20 runs in their IPL encounter.Lara pointed out MI’s bowling deficiencies, beyond the formidable Jasprit Bumrah. He emphasized the lack of support for Bumrah, stating, “Their bowling is poor. Beyond Jasprit Bumrah, there is no one to actually support them in that bowling attack, and the CSK batters took them apart.” The batting maestro highlighted MI’s reluctance to utilize spinners against Shivam Dube and emphasized the need for MI to strengthen their bowling lineup. He emphasized, “The spinners, they only bowled 4 overs after around 7 runs an over, but they weren’t trusted with Shivam Dube out there. So, MI will have to improve in that area, they’ve got to find a couple of bowlers, match-winning bowlers.” Meanwhile, Pietersen lauded Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana‘s exceptional performance, describing him as “very unorthodox.” Drawing comparisons with legendary bowler Lasith Malinga, Pietersen added, “It was something that Malinga had as well, it was reverse, but it wasn’t reverse in, it was reverse down, and that’s always going away from the angle of where you’re trying to hit the ball.”ALSO CHECK: IPL SCHEDULEPietersen emphasized the challenge posed by Pathirana’s deliveries, noting, “When you’ve got a bowler that’s coming at an angle, but it’s not coming on at a natural angle, it’s coming on at an angle that actually starts to dip on you, then you can’t actually play the sweep, you can’t play the ramp, because it’s going to get under your bat, and then it also makes it really hard to hit down the ground. It’s a gem for CSK, what a bowler.”(Inputs from PTI)

Read More
Watch - 'A trip down memory lane': MS Dhoni with 2011 ODI and 2007 T20 World Cup trophies | Cricket News

Watch – ‘A trip down memory lane’: MS Dhoni with 2011 ODI and 2007 T20 World Cup trophies | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: The legendary MS Dhoni was back in Mumbai for Chennai Super Kings’ IPL 2024 match against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.IPL ORANGE CAP | IPL PURPLE CAP | IPL POINTS TABLEOn Saturday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had released three pictures of the former India captain visiting the board headquarters at the Wankhede and admiring the ODI World Cup trophy he had won for the country on April 2, 2011.On Sunday after the MI-CSK match, BCCI released a heart-warming video that shows Dhoni at the headquarters.Dhoni signed a photograph of himself hitting that iconic six in the final against Sri Lanka to win the ODI World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium. Dhoni also signed another photograph of himself playing a Test match and then was seen admiring the 2007 T20 World Cup trophy that had capitulated him to stardom.The heart-warming video shows Dhoni with a smile as he roamed about the room filled with nostalgia. In the match against Mumbai Indians, Dhoni scored 20 runs off four balls, and that proved to be the exact margin of victory for Chennai Super Kings.

Read More
Rohit Sharma

Sharma ton goes in vain as Chennai beats Mumbai in IPL. Salt leads Kolkata to win over Lucknow | Cricket

MUMBAI — Rohit Sharma’s eighth Twenty20 century overall went in vain as Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League on Sunday. Sharma scored 105 not out off 63 balls but couldn’t help his side reach the 207-run target, with Chennai winning by 20 runs. MS Dhoni’s 20 not out off the last four balls of Chennai’s innings was the difference as the visitors scored 206-4 in 20 overs. Mumbai could only reply with 186-6. Earlier, Phil Salt’s 89 not out off 47 balls powered Kolkata Knight Riders to victory over Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens. With their respective wins, both Chennai and Kolkata are now equal on eight points. Kolkata has four wins from five games and is second in the points’ table with a superior net run-rate. Chennai has four wins from six games and is third. Put into bat, Chennai lost opener Ajinkya Rahane early for five runs. Skipper Rituraj Gaikwad and Sachin Ravindra added 52 off 37 balls for the second wicket. Gaikwad scored a second successive half-century, finishing with 69 off 40 balls, including five sixes and five fours. While he anchored the innings, Shivam Dube lit up the Wankhede with an attacking 66 not out off 38 balls. They added 90 runs off only 45 balls for the third wicket with Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya dismissing Gaikwad in the 16th over. Dube hit 10 fours and two sixes to propel Chennai’s score, but seemed to be losing steam at the death. Jasprit Bumrah finished wicketless but gave away only 27 runs in four overs. Dhoni then walked out to bat in the final over, perhaps for the last time at this ground, and smacked three consecutive sixes off Pandya. His finish helped Chennai cross 200 and set up the game. Mumbai got off to a speedy start with Sharma and Ishan Kishan putting on 70 runs in just 7.1 overs. Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana then pegged them back with a double breakthrough in the 8th over — first Kishan was caught at midwicket and then Suryakumar Yadav was caught at third man for a two-ball duck. Sharma and Tilak Varma rebuilt the innings with 60 off 38 balls for the third wicket. Mumbai was back in the chase, when Pathirana struck again to send back Varma. Chennai then put on the brakes with some clever bowling and field placing. Sharma, who had reached 50 off 33 balls, was starved of the strike and only faced another 30 balls despite being unbeaten at the end. He did manage to double his score, reaching 100 off 61 balls, but Mumbai kept losing wickets at the other end. Sharma hit 11 fours and five sixes, but his efforts went in vain. Pathirana finished with 4-28 from four overs. It was Mumbai’s fourth loss in six games this season. SALT TOO STRONG In Kolkata, Phil Salt smashed 14 fours and three sixes in his whirlwind knock as Kolkata won with 4.2 overs to spare. It finished on 162-2 in 15.4 overs, replying to Lucknow’s 161-7. It was a second consecutive loss for the Super Giants who are now fifth with six points from as many games. Salt’s second half-century of the season powered Kolkata’s chase from the very start, despite losing in-form Sunil Narine cheaply. Left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan did the early damage for Lucknow, dismissing Narine as well as 18-year-old batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi . The double breakthrough didn’t impede Salt who helped Kolkata to a powerful start of 42-2 in 3.1 overs. Salt and skipper Shreyas Iyer then put on 120 runs for the unbroken third wicket off only 76 balls. Salt reached 50 off 26, including eight fours and two sixes, and then accelerated even more. One of the sixes was spilt over the boundary at deep square leg in the seventh over, giving the batter a second chance as well as bonus runs. He took another 39 runs off the next 21 balls, with six fours and a six, en route to his highest IPL score. Salt’s previous best was 87 for Delhi Capitals last season. The keeper-batter had come into the Kolkata squad to replace compatriot Jason Roy, who had pulled out of the tournament for personal reasons. Iyer finished on 38 not out, with six fours, letting his partner do most of the heavy work. Lucknow had been restricted to yet another sub-par score on an even batting surface at the Eden Gardens. Nicholas Pooran top scored with 45 off 32, including four sixes, after Lucknow was down to 111-5 in 14.4 overs at one stage. Pooran helped his side squeeze 50 runs off the last 27 balls, and he had some help from Ayush Badoni who scored 29. Left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc, the most expensive player in the IPL, finally found some bowling rhythm and finished with 3-28 in four overs. Skipper Lokesh Rahul scored 39 off 27 balls, with three fours and two sixes, but couldn’t help relaunch Lucknow’s innings. MITCH MARSH INJURY The Delhi Capitals have confirmed that all rounder Mitch Marsh flew home to Australia after picking up a minor hamstring injury. Marsh is expected to rejoin the Capitals later in the tournament and the 32-year-old is not considered to be a doubt for the Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean and US starting in early June. cricket: /hub/cricket This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

Read More
'There's a man behind the stumps…': Hardik Pandya makes big comment on MS Dhoni after CSK win | Cricket News

‘There’s a man behind the stumps…’: Hardik Pandya makes big comment on MS Dhoni after CSK win | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana delivered his standout IPL performance, claiming four wickets as the Chennai Super Kings defeated Mumbai Indians by 20 runs in an electrifying match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.Put into bat first, CSK’s star allrounder Shivam Dube and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad showcased brilliant stroke play, each notching up half-centuries, propelling the five-time champions to a mammoth 206/4.In reply, Pathirana dismissed Ishan Kishan (23), Surya Kumar Yadav (0), Tilak Varma (31), and Romario Shepherd (1), finishing with figures of 4 for 28, limiting the Mumbai Indians to 186 for six in their allotted 20 overs.IPL: POINTS TABLE | ORANGE CAP | PURPLE CAPMI captain Pandya, who managed just 2 runs before being dismissed by Tushar Deshpande, acknowledged Pathirana’s pivotal role in CSK’s victory.Pandya also lauded the strategic acumen of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose aggressive batting display against him in the final four deliveries, yielding three consecutive sixes, proved decisive in CSK’s triumph.“It (target) was definitely gettable, but they bowled pretty well. Pathirana was the difference. They were smart with the plans and their approach. They got the hang of it, there’s a man behind the stumps (Dhoni) who tells them what’s working, that helps,” Pandya said after the match. “It (pitch) was holding up a bit and getting difficult. It was about batting well and keeping the intent. We were going quite well (in the run chase) till Pathirana came into the attack and took those two wickets,” Pandya added.“It was about what is best at that time, we could have done something different. I like to play percentage cricket, it would have been difficult for him (Dube) against seamers rather than spin. We are on the road for the next four games, need to play good cricket, need to keep the intensity high,” the MI skipper said.Mumbai Indians will next face Punjab Kings on April 18 in Chandigarh, while CSK will be up against Lucknow Super Giants on April 19 in Lucknow.

Read More
'Those three sixes proved to be the difference': Ruturaj Gaikwad praises MS Dhoni's epic cameo | Cricket News

‘Those three sixes proved to be the difference’: Ruturaj Gaikwad praises MS Dhoni’s epic cameo | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad hailed the young wicketkeeper MS Dhoni for his exceptional performance, particularly his feat of hitting three successive sixes off Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.Gaikwad recognised Dhoni’s pivotal contribution, acknowledging that it ultimately made the decisive difference in the match.Dhoni scored 20 runs off four balls, and that proved to be the exact margin of victory for CSK.Set 207 for victory, five-time winners Mumbai finished on 186/6 even though Rohit Sharma raised his ton in 61 balls.IPL: POINTS TABLE | ORANGE CAP | PURPLE CAPDhoni arrived in the middle with the scorecard showing 186/4 in 19.2 overs, and in no time, vintage Dhoni (20 off 4 balls) made the scoreboard read 206/4 in the stipulated 20 overs, with the help of three massive sixes and a double off the last ball of the innings. “The young wicketkeeper scoring those three sixes helped us a lot, that proved to be the difference. We needed those 10-15 extra runs for this kind of venue. In the middle phase, Bumrah bowled really well. I feel we were spot on with our execution with the ball despite them scoring some great shots. I would have taken 6 overs 60 at the powerplay,” Gaikwad said at the post-match interaction.“You need to be on the mark with bowling and batting at this venue. Our Malinga bowled really well today, he nailed those yorkers. Not to forget, Tushar and Shardul also did well. (On plans ahead) I think we need to keep it simple, encourage all to be in a good headspace and continue the same way. Jinks was carrying a bit of a niggle, so thought it was better for him to open. I’m fine batting anywhere, plus it is the added responsibility as the team captain,” Gaikwad added.Gaikwad and the in-form Shivam Dube powered Chennai, who won their fifth title last year, to 206/4. Gaikwad hit 69 and Dube smashed an unbeaten 66 before warhorse M.S. Dhoni smashed three successive sixes in the 20th over to take Chennai past 200.Sri Lanka quick Matheesha Pathirana then took four wickets to push Mumbai to their fourth loss of the season.

Read More
IPL 2024 Points Table, Orange Cap, Purple Cap: Chennai Super Kings' Win Over Mumbai Indians Benefits Punjab Kings

IPL 2024 Points Table, Orange Cap, Purple Cap: Chennai Super Kings’ Win Over Mumbai Indians Benefits Punjab Kings

IPL 2024: CSK beat MI by 20 runs on Sunday.© BCCI Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana’s best IPL figures overshadowed Rohit Sharma’s fighting century as Chennai Super Kings defeated Mumbai Indians by 20 runs in the match at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. Despite Rohit’s heroic unbeaten century, Mumbai remained well short of the target set by Chennai. Pathirana dismissed Ishan Kishan (23), Suryakumar Yadav (0), Tilak Varma (31) and Romario Shepherd (1) to register figures of 4 for 28. MI were restricted to 186 for 6 in response of CSK’s 206 for 4. The result of the game saw only one change in the points table with MI slipping to number 8 and Punjab Kings rising to the 7th spot. Earlier in the day, Kolkata Knight Riders had defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 8 wickets. CSK, despite the win on Sunday, remained at the third spot. Meanwhile, KKR held the second position with as many points as CSK but with a better net run rate. Check IPL 2024 Points Table here: Virat Kohli remained at the top of the run-scorers chart with 319 runs from 6 games, while Yuzvendra Chahal led the wicket-takers’ list with 11 wickets from 6 matches. Top run-scorers: Leading wicket-takers: After leading CSK to win over MI on Sunday, Matheesha Pathirana bagged the Player of the Match award. “When we were bowling in the powerplay, I was pretty nervous. I was told to keep it calm and do my thing, that gave me the confidence today. I don’t think too much about results, just concerned with my execution. If I execute, I will get my rewards. Sometimes I have to change my plans depending on the batters. I was struggling with a bit of a niggle two weeks ago, but the support staff all backed me and that’s been the main reason for my form,” said the Sri Lankan pacer. Topics mentioned in this article

Read More
Ruturaj Gaikwad Shatters KL Rahul's Record To Claim Huge IPL Milestone

Ruturaj Gaikwad Shatters KL Rahul’s Record To Claim Huge IPL Milestone

Mumbai (Maharashtra) : Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad completed 2,000 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday, becoming only the fourth player from his franchise to do so. The 27-year-old accomplished this milestone against arch-rivals the Mumbai Indians (MI) at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Playing what was perhaps his most fluent knock of the season, Gaikwad scored 69 in 40 balls. His knock was decorated with five boundaries and five majestic sixers. His runs came at a strike rate of 172.50. In 58 IPL matches, Gaikwad has made 2,021 runs at an average of 39.62 and a strike rate of 134.91. He has scored a century and 16 fifties in 57 innings, with his best score being 101*. He is the fourth-highest run-getter in the IPL for CSK behind Faf Du Plessis (2,721 runs in 92 matches), MS Dhoni (4,547 runs in 226 matches) and Suresh Raina (4,687 runs in 176 matches). He is the fastest Indian to reach the milestone in just 57 innings and the overall third fastest behind Chris Gayle (48 innings) and Shaun Marsh (52 innings). Gaikwad’s finest season with CSK, a franchise he has represented since his debut in 2020, was the 2021 season. In that season, he scored 635 runs in 16 matches at an average of 45.35 and a strike rate of 136.26, with a century and four fifties. He won the ‘Orange Cap’ for most runs and also the fifth IPL title for the ‘Men in Yellow.’ This season, Gaikwad has so far scored 224 runs in six matches at an average of 44.80 and a strike rate of just over 130, with two half-centuries. His best score is 69, making him the seventh-highest run-getter this season. Coming to the match, MI won the toss and put CSK to bat first. After Ajinkya Rahane (5) and Rachin Ravindra (21 in 16 balls, with two fours and a six) did not make much impact, Gaikwad (69 in 40 balls, with five fours and five sixes) and Shivam Dube (66* in 38 balls, with 10 fours and two sixes) stitched a 90-run partnership. Later, MS Dhoni (20* in four balls) came during the final over and a hat-trick of sixes took CSK to 206/4 in 20 overs. Hardik Pandya (2/43) was the pick of the bowlers for MI. Shreyas Gopal and Gerald Coetzee got a wicket each. Topics mentioned in this article

Read More
Picture Perfect! Sachin Tendulkar hugs MS Dhoni after MI-CSK match | Cricket News

Picture Perfect! Sachin Tendulkar hugs MS Dhoni after MI-CSK match | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Irrespective of the match result in the IPL, the players’ camaraderie of the opposition camps often takes center stage. One such moment emerged after the Mumbai Indians-Chennai Super Kings match at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.The two legends of the game, former CSK captain MS Dhoni and MI mentor Sachin Tendulkar were seen hugging each other graciously after the match.CSK put an end to MI’s home winning streak and secured their first away victory in this IPL season. Defending a total of 206 runs, they relied on superb defensive bowling. Matheesha Pathirana shone brightly, leading the charge with figures of 4 for 28 in his four overs.Despite Rohit Sharma’s magnificent unbeaten 105, Mumbai Indians fell short by 20 runs as they attempted to chase down a formidable target set by defending champions CSK in a clash between IPL giants.Even though Rohit raised his century off 61 balls, Mumbai concluded their innings at 186-6, unable to overhaul the target at their home ground, Wankhede Stadium. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and the in-form Shivam Dube powered Chennai, who won their fifth title last year, to 206-4. Gaikwad hit 69 and Dube smashed an unbeaten 66 before warhorse MS Dhoni smashed three successive sixes in the 20th over to take Chennai past 200.Dhoni came in to bat with four balls left and scored 20. He smashed Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya for three sixes and finished with a two to end a 26-run over.

Read More
MI vs CSK, IPL 2024: Matheesha Pathirana Overshadows Rohit Sharma's Century As CSK Beat MI By 20 Runs

MI vs CSK, IPL 2024: Matheesha Pathirana Overshadows Rohit Sharma’s Century As CSK Beat MI By 20 Runs

CSK beat MI by 20 runs.© BCCI Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana came up with his best IPL figures, grabbing four wickets as Chennai Super Kings defeated Mumbai Indians by 20 runs, despite a heroic unbeaten century by Rohit Sharma at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. Pathirana took the wickets of Ishan Kishan (23), Surya Kumar Yadav (0), Tilak Varma (31) and Romario Shepherd (1) to return figures of 4 for 28 as MI lost the steam in the chase of an imposing 206/4, managing to score 186 for six. Rohit batted from start to finish for his unbeaten 105 off 63 deliveries — his second IPL century — but he could not find a partner who could stay with him long enough and build a big partnership. Earlier, CSK top-order batter Shivam Dube and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad struck stroke-filled half-centuries as the five-time champions scored 206/4. Dube slammed an unbeaten 66 off 38 deliveries, while Gaikwad smashed a 40-ball 69, including five maximums, as the duo put up a 90-run stand after CSK had lost openers Ajinkya Rahul (5) and Rachin Ravindra (21) cheaply. (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

Read More