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What Is Hybrid Pitch? The Innovation That Is All Set To Make Its IPL Debut

Danijones8 months ago03 mins

India’s first-ever ‘hybrid pitch’ was unveiled at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium in a grand ceremony on Monday. The event was attended by IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal and cricket dignitaries including Paul Taylor, a former England cricketer and SIS’s international cricket director. “The introduction of hybrid pitches is set to revolutionize cricket in India, following their success in iconic venues like Lord’s and The Oval in England,” said Dhumal, who hails from Himachal Pradesh. The hybrid pitch, which combines natural turf with synthetic fibres, promises enhanced durability and consistent playability, reducing the strain on ground staff and maintaining quality playing conditions. With only 5% synthetic fibres, the pitch ensures that the natural characteristics essential for cricket are preserved. Taylor expressed gratitude towards the HPCA for their collaboration on this pioneering project. “With the ICC’s approval, we’re excited to see the positive impact these pitches will have on the sport, starting with installations in Mumbai and Ahmedabad next,” he said. The ‘Universal Machine’, a critical component in installing the hybrid surface, was developed by SISGrass in 2017 and has been instrumental in the rollout of similar pitches across England’s county cricket grounds. This innovation aligns with the ICC’s recent sanctioning of hybrid pitches for T20 and one-day international matches, with plans to expand their use in four-day county championships starting this year. The integration of technologies like SISAir, a root aeration system, further underscores the commitment to enhancing cricket infrastructure in India. This system improves the pitch’s health and resilience, benefiting players with better and safer playing conditions. (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

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

Danijones8 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

Danijones8 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

Danijones8 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

Virender Sehwag Schools ‘Lucky’ Shubman Gill, Triggers Another ‘Strike-Rate Debate’

Danijones8 months ago04 mins

Former India batter Virender Sehwag has suggested that Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Shubman Gill is lucky to have his name in the travelling reserves for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Americas. Gill did not find a place in the 15-man squad, with the selectors preferring another youngster in Yashasvi Jaiswal for the openers slot. Gil, however, is one of the four travelling reserves. Gill, who was the Orange Cap winner last season, has only scored 322 runs in 11 matches during the ongoing season of IPL. Sehwag feels Gill should focus on scoring more runs so that he doesn’t get dropped from the team in the future. “I think he’s lucky that his name is in the T20 World Cup reserves. KL Rahul and Ruturaj Gaikwad are not even in that. That’s a good point and he should be motivated by that. Next time, he should not let his place go once he gets a chance. He should focus on scoring runs at a good strike-rate so he doesn’t get replaced,” Sehwag said during a discussion on Cricbuzz. Recalling his playing days, Sehwag recalled how the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman hardly gave the selectors any solid reason to drop them. “In my days, we had Ganguly, Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman. It doesn’t matter how many runs the other guys scored, these guys didn’t go out because they never stopped scoring runs. How will you drop them if they keep scoring runs? They never gave a reason to get dropped. This is what Shubman Gill has to learn. Once he returns to Indian team and plays regularly post the World Cup, he shouldn’t let such an opportunity arise again. Improve your skills and score big, because big scores will eventually save you,” he added. Gill is having a torrid season in IPL 2024, with his team also languishing in the bottom half of the points table. He had taken over captaincy from Hardik Pandya, who returned to Mumbai Indians ahead of the season to fill in the same role. With back-to-back defeats against RCB, Gill’s GT have slumped to ninth in the points table with eights points from 11 matches. Topics mentioned in this article

Why Didn’t Harshal Patel Celebrate MS Dhoni’s Golden Duck? His Reply Wins Internet

Danijones8 months ago03 mins

Harshal Patel dismissed MS Dhoni on a golden duck© X (Twitter) After dismissing former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni for a golden duck in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 on Sunday, Punjab Kings (PBKS) bowler Harshal Patel said he has too much respect for the 42-year-old legend and hence did not celebrate his wicket. Harshal picked up three wickets and gave 24 runs in his four-over spell at an economy rate of 6.00. He removed Dhoni for a golden duck in the fifth ball of the 19th over. While speaking after the first inning, Harshal commented on the pitch at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium and said the wicket was dry. The PBKS bowler added that during his first over the ball was reversing. “Wicket was on drier side. I have too much respect for him to celebrate when I get him out (on Dhoni). One of the advantages of playing a day game is that the square is quite rough. So the ball starts reversing. In my first over it was reversing. It’s all about the feel of that delivery (slower one). More you bowl the better you get. Most batters don’t pick it. Have been practicing in the nets, and when it comes out it gives you great results,” Harshal said. Ms Dhoni 0(1) vs Pbks Ball by ball Highlightpic.twitter.com/so8XWGi8W5 — ANSH. (@KohliPeak) May 5, 2024 Recapping the first inning of the match, Punjab won the toss and decided to bowl. Ravindra Jadeja (43), Ruturaj Gaikwad (32), and Daryl Mitchell (30) were the standout batters for Chennai and powered the visitors to 167/9. Rest no other batter could stand still in front of the PBKS bowling attack. Punjab displayed a stupendous performance while bowling and stopped CSK from making partnerships. Harshal Patel and Rahul Chahar led the PBKS bowling attack and bagged three wickets in their respective spells. The target of 168 proved too much for PBKS to chase, with the franchise suffering a 28-run defeat. Topics mentioned in this article

“There’s Terror Threat To T20 World Cup”: Trinidad And Tobago PM Reveals; ICC Reacts

Danijones8 months ago05 mins

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has said it is working closely with Men’s T20 World Cup host countries – the West Indies and the USA – to ensure appropriate plans are in place amidst a terror threat to the showpiece event. The men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place in the West Indies and the USA from June 1-29. Reports emerged from various sections in the Caribbean media that the World Cup hosting islands in the region received terror threats from an organisation in North Pakistan. “ICC is working closely with the host countries to ensure appropriate plans are in place. We immediately spoke to the authorities as the reports emerged, and the Cricket West Indies has assured everyone that a comprehensive security plan is in place to address any risk,” an ICC official told IANS when asked about the terror threat to the Men’s T20 World Cup. Dr Keith Rowley, the Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, said to Daily Express that the security agencies are working to combat terror threats to the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. “Unfortunately, the threat of terrorism in its many and varied expressions is an ever-present danger in the world of the 21st century. It is against this backdrop that all nations, like our region, when hosting large or vulnerable gatherings, make an extra effort in national security preparations and response readiness to take seriously, all threats, expressed or implied. “Given the fact that bad actors can choose to misbehave in any way possible it makes it virtually impossible to completely seal off all opportunities. However, in order to ameliorate these dangers, we at the local and regional levels have remained alert to many threats and singularly or together have our intelligence and other security agencies working to protect the population in countries and at venues throughout the tournament,” said Rowley. In the Caribbean, Kensington Oval in Barbados, Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad, Providence Stadium in Guyana, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia and Arnos Vale Stadium, St Vincent will be the hosts for matches of T20 World Cup. In the USA, Eisenhower Park in New York; Broward County in Lauderhill, Florida and Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas, will be the venues. 20 teams will be divided into four groups of five each for the first round. Top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super eight stage. In Super Eight, teams will be split into two groups of four each. Teams seeded first and second in their groups in the first round will retain that seeding in the Super Eight, provided they qualify. A1, B2, C1 and D2 finishers will be in one group, while A2, B1, C2 and D1 will be slotted in the other group. Top two sides from two groups of the Super eight will advance for the semi-finals. The semi-finals will be held in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago on June 26 and 27 respectively. The final will be held in Barbados on June 29. Reserve days are in place for both semi-finals and the final. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

IPL 2024 Playoffs: Exact Results Mumbai Indians Need For Top 4 Finish

Danijones8 months ago04 mins

Hardik Pandya’s MI have 3 wins in 11 matches to their name© BCCI/Sportzpics The Mumbai Indians stare at an early elimination from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, with a solitary defeat keeping them from becoming the first team to exit the playoffs race this campaign. Under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy, the Mumbai Indians have barely clicked as a unit, with below-par performances from established stars, as well as poor leadership costing the team crucial moments in the season so far. With just three more games to go in the league stage of the campaign for MI, all hope is not entirely lost. Mumbai Indians are still within the shout to qualify for the playoffs, though the chances of them finishing as one of the top 4 teams are minuscule. How Can Mumbai Indians Qualify For IPL 2024 Playoffs? Condition 1:First and foremost, the Hardik Pandy-led side has to win all of its remaining three matches in the IPL 2024 league campaign. MI are scheduled to take on the mighty Sunrisers Hyderabad next, with matches against Kolkata Knight Rider and Lucknow Super Giants to follow. All eyes on @KKRiders and the Points Table At the end of Match of #TATAIPL 2024, this is how all teams stand! Predict the final standings after matches of your team pic.twitter.com/LfIvptd6u3 — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 5, 2024 Condition 2: Hope that no other team crosses the 12-point mark in IPL 2024 standings. At present, SRH, LSG and CSK already have 12 points to their name. Hence, at least two of these franchises would need to lose their remaining matches in the league campaign. With KKR and RR already sitting at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots with 16 points each, it is impossible for Mumbai to topple them. In fact, big wins against other teams for KKR and RR would only benefit MI. Condition 3: Mumbai Indians have a Net Run Rate of -0.356 at present. Even if MI win all of their remaining matches, they would need to do that by big margins in order to get into a positive NRR. But, that might not be enough if the NRR of other teams at 12 points is better than MI. Though you never say never in a sport like cricket, it’s fair to assert that Mumbai Indians’ chances of IPL 2024 playoffs qualification don’t instill much hope in the hearts of their fans. Topics mentioned in this article

“Better To Include A Fast Bowler Than Playing MS Dhoni”: Harbhajan Singh

Danijones8 months ago04 mins

Harbhajan Singh slammed MS Dhoni’s decision to bat at No. 9 spot© BCCI/Sportzpics MS Dhoni batted at No. 9 for the first time in his T20 career but his decision ultimately backfired as he was dismissed for a golden duck during the IPL 2024 match against Punjab Kings on Sunday. Dhoni has assumed the role as a finisher for CSK this season and he mostly comes to bat with 1-2 overs to go in the matches. Against PBKS, he allowed both Mitchell Santner and Shardul Thakur to bat ahead of him before coming out in the 19th over. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh was not impressed by the decision and he said that if Dhoni is going to bat at No. 9, CSK should add another pacer in their ranks instead. “MS Dhoni shouldn’t play if he wants to bat at the number 9 slot. It is better to include a fast bowler than him in the playing XI. He is the decision-maker and has let down his team by not coming out to bat.” “Shardul Thakur came ahead of him. Thakur can never hit shots like Dhoni and I don’t understand why Dhoni made this mistake. Nothing happens without his permission and I am not ready to accept that this decision to demote him was taken by someone else.” “CSK were in a need of quick runs and Dhoni has done that in the previous games. It was shocking that he stayed back in the important contest against Punjab Kings. Even if CSK win today, I will still call out Dhoni. Let people say anything. I will say what is right,” Harbhajan Singh said on Star Sports. Coming to the match, Chennai Super Kings rode an all-round show from Ravindra Jadeja to register a crucial victory over Punjab Kings. They are third in the IPL 2024 points table thanks to this win. “Everyone believed the wicket was slow. Even low bounce. Just that the start we got, we were thinking of pushing till 180-200. After losing wickets, thought 160-170 was a good score. Don’t know what he’s doing, but even in preseason he was clicking 150kph (on Simarjeet). He didn’t get too much chances, but it’s never too late. Were thinking of going with impact batter, but then we thought the batter will give 10-15 runs, but he could give 2-3 wickets. Some of the guys were struggling with flu. Weren’t even sure till the morning who’s playing or not. To get the win, really happy with that,” Ruturaj said after the match. Topics mentioned in this article

“Couldn’t Handle Pressure”: After Defeat Against KKR, LSG Captain KL Rahul’s Direct Blame

Danijones8 months ago05 mins

Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul didn’t hold back while talking about their shortcomings following their biggest defeat by runs in the Indian Premier League against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday. LSG were outplayed by the Knights in all facets of the game which led to a 98-run defeat and possibly putting their hopes of a spot in playoffs in jeopardy. Rahul’s decision to bowl after winning the toss backfired quickly as Sunil Narine went all guns blazing against the LSG bowling unit. The inexperienced ones succumbed to the pressure, leaked runs at a staggering rate and allowed KKR to set the platform for a mammoth total of 235/6. Mohsin Khan, Yash Thakur and Yudhvir Singh combined for 98 runs in just eight overs. “It was a lot of runs to be scored in the second innings. When you are chasing a big total, you are trying to go too hard and you end up losing wickets. Just a poor performance overall. We didn’t (hit our lengths consistently), just had a poor performance overall with bat, ball and in the field. Sunil Narine and Phil Salt, in the powerplay, we’ve seen how they bat and they do put a lot of pressure on the opposition. Our young bowlers couldn’t handle that kind of pressure and he hit some really good shots,” Rahul said after the game. While LSG looked clueless against hard-hitting Narine, Rahul stated that they had plans to deal with KKR batters but got the execution part wrong. “We prepare well in advance and talk about the opposition batters, we know our conditions here and we do spend a little bit of time talking to the bowlers and talking to the batters trying to see what kind of plans we need to come up with. Once we come here, it’s about execution and we went wrong in that part. Bowlers tried their best but the young group really … the sooner you learn, the better it for the team,” Rahul added. Coming to the game, LSG opted to field first after winning the toss. Narine’s 81, combined with solid knocks from Phil Salt (32 in 14 balls, with five fours and a six), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (32 in 26 balls, with three fours and a six) and Ramandeep Singh (25* in six balls, with a four and three sixes) took KKR to 235/6 in their 20 overs. Naveen-ul-Haq (3/49) was the pick of the bowlers for LSG. Yash Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi and Yudhvir Singh got a wicket each. In a run chase of 236, Lucknow lost wickets at regular intervals. Marcus Stoinis (36 in 21 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and skipper KL Rahul (25 in 21 balls, with three fours) were the top scorers as LSG bundled out for 137 in 16.1 overs. Harshit Rana (3/24) and Varun Chakravarthy (3/30) were the top wicket-takers for KKR. Sunil Narine took home the ‘Player of the Match’ for his one wicket and 81-run knock. After the defeat, LSG dropped out from the Top-4 spot with a negative net run rate of 0.371. While KKR dethroned Rajasthan Royals to take the top spot with 16 points. (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