"Don't Know Which Mathematical...": Hardik Pandya's Blunt Playoffs Reply To Sanjay Manjrekar

“Don’t Know Which Mathematical…”: Hardik Pandya’s Blunt Playoffs Reply To Sanjay Manjrekar

The Mumbai Indians remain the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs hunt, though only mathematically, as they secured a 7-wickt victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday. Hardik Pandya, the Mumbai Indians skipper who hasn’t tasted much success this season, refused to get into the IPL playoffs numbers when informed about the same by former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar at the post-match presentation ceremony. For Hardik, the only focus remains is putting as many wins under the belt in the remaining two matches, as possible and see where the fate takes him and his team. (IPL 2024 Points Table) Mumbai Indians produced a much-better all-round display against the Sunrisers, with Suryakumar Yadav stepping up with a match-wining knock of 102 off just 51 balls. Hardik also looked astute with his bowling as well as captaincy decisions as MI handed SRH their 3rd defeat in last 4 matches. But, despite the win, Hardik isn’t getting carried away as far as MI’s playoffs chances are concerned. “I don’t know which mathematical situation we’re talking about, but at the same time, you want to focus on playing good cricket,” Hardik said in the post-match presentation, replying to Manjrekar’s suggestion. “The way our batters batted, that was excellent. My bowling, I like to bowl in the right areas, I bowl according to the situation. Bowled in the right areas today and it worked. I was like Chawla had to bowl from the shorter side. He (Chawla) had to be accurate, the margin of errors have become smaller these days for the bowlers. “It’s unbelievable, the best past of SKY is that he puts the bowlers under pressure. It’s sheer confidence, his game has changed, is one of the best batters. He can change a game in a different way, lucky to have him (SKY) in our side,” Hardik further said in the presentation ceremony. For MI to finish among the top 4 sides in the IPL this season, they don’t just need to win their remaining 2 matches in the league campaign but also hope for a few other results to fall in their favour. Even margins of MI’s wins in the last two matches have to be huge in order for them to remain in realistic contention.

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Suryakumar Injured Ahead Of T20 World Cup? Batter Gives Update On Limping Visuals

Suryakumar Injured Ahead Of T20 World Cup? Batter Gives Update On Limping Visuals

Suryakumar Yadav in presentation ceremony after MI’s win against SRH© BCCI/Sportzpics After playing a match-winning knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 on Monday, Mumbai Indians’ (MI) batter Suryakumar Yadav said he has done this after a long time. Suryakumar played an unbeaten 102-run knock from 51 balls at a strike rate of 200. He hammered 12 fours and 6 sixes. His stupendous knock helped MI clinch a seven-wicket win over the Hyderbad-based franchise at the Wankhede Stadium. While speaking after the match, Suryakumar pointed out that he has fielded for 20 overs and batted for 18 overs so there’s no need to worry about his injury. “I have done this after a long time. I fielded for 20 overs and batted for 18 overs, only tired (nothing else to worry about.) I feel it was the need of the hour for me. I went out to bat, needed someone to bat till the end. When the ball stopped seaming, I played all my shots that I practice in the nets. I feel the intent would have been the same, I would have definitely played in the same pattern,” Suryakumar said. Recapping the match, MI won the toss and elected to field first. SRH lost wickets at regular intervals from the beginning and it was knocks from Travis Head (48 in 30 balls, with seven fours and a six) and skipper Pat Cummins (35* in 17 balls, with two fours and two sixes) that took SRH to 173/8 in their 20 overs. In the run chase, MI lost their top order early and was reeling at 31/3. It was then that Suryakumar (102* in 51 balls with 12 fours and six sixes) and Tilak Varma (37* in 32 balls, with six fours) launched a counter attack which guided MI to a win with 16 balls left. Suryakumar took home the ‘Player of the Match’ honour. MI is at the ninth spot with four wins and eight losses, giving them eight points. SRH is at fourth with six wins, five losses and 12 points.

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"Praise Gautam Gambhir For KKR Win, Blame Shreyas Iyer": West Indies Legend Slams Double Standards

“Praise Gautam Gambhir For KKR Win, Blame Shreyas Iyer”: West Indies Legend Slams Double Standards

Former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop slammed trolls for targetting Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Shreyas Iyer. Despite KKR sitting top of the table, Iyer has been on the receiving end of some harsh criticism on social media from fans, who have instead credited mentor and former captain Gautam Gambhir for the franchise’s stunning form this season. Taking to X, Bishop shut down multiple trolls and questioned fans for showing double standards by attributing KKR’s wins to Gambhir and defeats to Iyer. While Gambhir has certainly brought the winning mentality back at KKR, Bishop highlighted Iyer’s respectable record as captain during the previous seasons. “Shreyas became DC captain in 2018 when GG stepped down after DC lost 5 of first 6 gms. DC then finished the season winning 4 of next 8 games. 2019 DC 3rd, 2020 DC 2nd. 2021 injury & only 8gms so Pant captained. To KKR 2022, new franchise, 7th. Missed 2023. 2024,” Bishop responded to fan on his post. Questioned the double standards, Bishop argued saying: “So GG gets the praise when they win. Shreyas gets the blame if they lose? Or will you say its GG’s fault to if they lose?” So GG gets the praise when they win. Shreyas gets the blame if they lose? Or will you say its GG’s fault to if they lose? — Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) May 6, 2024 Since returning to the franchise as a mentor, Gambhir has been pretty active in the dugout, passing on tactical aide to Iyer during timeouts and breaks. Speaking at the press conference on Sunday, KKR pacer Harshit Rana also credit Gambhir for his tactical brilliance. On Sunday, red-hot Sunil Narine smashed 81 off 39 balls to help KKR thrash Lucknow Super Giants by 98 runs and take top spot in IPL table. Narine’s blitz, laced with six fours and seven sixes, guided Kolkata to 235-6 after they were invited to bat first in Lucknow’s final home game. Two-time champions Kolkata bowled out Lucknow for 137 in 16.1 overs for their eighth win in 11 matches and almost guaranteed a play-off berth. Second-placed Rajasthan Royals have played one match fewer. The top four teams will make the play-offs with the final on May 26 in Chennai. Topics mentioned in this article

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Criticised As Captain, Hardik Pandya Goes On Record To Pinpoint His Brilliant Decisions vs SRH

Criticised As Captain, Hardik Pandya Goes On Record To Pinpoint His Brilliant Decisions vs SRH

Following his side’s seven wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya lauded batter Suryakumar Yadav for putting bowlers under pressure with his counter-attacking ton after a quick loss of wickets at the start. From three wickets down in a chase of 174 runs, a long overdue Suryakumar special came to MI’s rescue as the centurion’s 143-run partnership for the fourth wicket guided MI to their fourth win of the season against SRH at Wankhede Stadium. Speaking at the post match presentation, Hardik said, “It is unbelievable, the best part of Suryakumar is that he puts the bowlers under pressure. It is sheer confidence, his game has changed, is one of the best batters. He can change a game in a different way, lucky to have him (SKY) in our side.” “We want to focus on playing good cricket, still think we gave 10-15 runs extra. The way our batters batted, that was excellent. My bowling, I like to bowl in the right areas, I bowl according to the situation. Bowled in the right areas today and it worked.” On Piyush Chawla’s three-fer, Pandya said, “I was like Piyush Chawla had to bowl from the shorter side. He (Chawla) had to be accurate, the margin of errors have become smaller these days for the bowlers.” Coming to the match, MI won the toss and elected to field first. SRH lost wickets at regular intervals from the beginning and it was knocks from Travis Head (48 in 30 balls, with seven fours and a six) and skipper Pat Cummins (35* in 17 balls, with two fours and two sixes) that took SRH to 173/8 in their 20 overs. In the run chase, MI lost their top order early and was reeling at 31/3. It was then that Suryakumar (102* in 51 balls with 12 fours and six sixes) and Tilak Varma (37* in 32 balls, with six fours) launched a counter attack which guided MI to a win with 16 balls left. Suryakumar took home the ‘Player of the Match’ honour. MI is at the ninth spot with four wins and eight losses, giving them eight points. SRH is at fourth with six wins, five losses and 12 points.

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KKR Players Caught In Weather Chaos, Charter Flight Diverted Twice

KKR Players Caught In Weather Chaos, Charter Flight Diverted Twice

KKR flight diverted due to bad weather in Kolkata© X(Twitter) Kolkata Knight Riders’ charter flight from Lucknow to Kolkata on Monday night was diverted twice — first to Guwahati and then to Varanasi — due to inclement weather. Kolkata are due to play a match at home, at the Eden Gardens, against Mumbai Indians on May 11. “Due to inclement weather over Kolkata, the KKR charter flight has been diverted to Guwahati. We’ve just landed here,” the franchise said in an official statement on Monday. However, shortly later, they got “clearance to fly back to Kolkata.” Update: Ground clearance received for take off from Guwahati. See you soon, Kolkata https://t.co/KKAQ8NLrmn — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 6, 2024 Update at 3:00 AM: KKR team would be checking into Varanasi hotel for overnight stay. Return flight to Kolkata TBD on Tuesday (7 May) afternoon. Stay safe, Kolkata — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 6, 2024 Travel update: KKR’s charter flight from Lucknow to Kolkata diverted to Guwahati due to bad weather Flight currently standing at the Guwahati Airport tarmac. More updates soon pic.twitter.com/XFPTHgM2FJ — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 6, 2024 But again KKR posted another Tweet: “Update at 1:20 AM: Flight diverted to Varanasi after another failed attempt at landing in Kolkata due to bad weather. Current status: At the Lal Bahadur Shastri International airport tarmac.” And finally, “Update at 3:00 AM: KKR team would be checking into Varanasi hotel for overnight stay. Return flight to Kolkata TBD on Tuesday (7 May) afternoon. Stay safe, Kolkata.” KKR’s previous IPL 2024 match was in Lucknow, where they beat LSG at the Ekana Stadium on Sunday by an emphatic margin of 98 runs to climb to the top of the table.

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Delhi Capitals

Gautam Gambhir’s Act From KKR Bench Triggers Plethora Of Questions. Watch

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) put one foot into the IPL 2024 playoffs after beating Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to go top of the points table on Sunday. KKR now have 16 points from 11 games and only need a win from their remaining league matches to qualify for the playoffs. The two-time champions, who finished in the bottom half of the points table last season, have looked like a different team this season under captain Shreyas Iyer. However, a lot of that credit should go to former captain and mentor Gautam Gambhir, who returned to the franchise after spending two seasons in the dugout at LSG. Gambhir has provided tactical assistance to both head coach Chandrakant Pandit and under-pressure captain Iyer, who recently lost his BCCI central contract. His act made many wonder if it’s Gambhir who is running the show behind the scenes at KKR, prompting a plethora of questions among fans. Gambhir, who led KKR to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014, has also been the driving force behind star all-rounder Sunil Narine’s revival as a top-order batter. On Sunday, as LSG took on KKR, Gambhir was in the thick of things as he burst out of joy, following Nicholas Pooran’s dismissal. Soon after, he was seen sending tactical aid to KKR captain Iyer. A video of the same incident has gone viral on social media, and Gambhir’s gesture had fans reading between the lines. Gambhir Reaction On Pooran Wicket And Straight Away Sending Tips To Captain pic.twitter.com/I53aEOH0ZR — Aayush Sharma (@Ayushaaa1818) May 5, 2024 With Gambhir in the dugout, KKR have managed to thrive in IPL 2024, with openers Narine and Phil Salt laying strong foundations in their playoffs bid. Narine and Salt have done most of the damage in the Powerplays this season, scoring 461 and 429 runs, respectively, in 11 matches. Only Virat Kohli (542) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (541) have scored more runs than Narine this season, with the long-serving KKR star also scalping 14 wickets in addition to his prowess with the bat. While taking wickets has never been a problem for him, it’s the first time since 2018 that Narine has scored 350 or more runs in an IPL season. He had scored 357 runs during IPL 2018, but he failed to even cross the 150-run mark in each of the next five seasons. Meanwhile, Salt, who went unsold during the auctions, was only roped in by KKR as a replacement for Jason Roy.

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India Defeat Bangladesh By 56 Runs Via D/L Method, Lead Series 4-0

India Defeat Bangladesh By 56 Runs Via D/L Method, Lead Series 4-0

Indian women’s cricket team beat Bangladesh in 4th T20I© X (formerly Twitter) India continued their dominant run against Bangladesh with a 56-run win via Duckworth-Lewis method in the rain curtailed fourth women’s T20 on Monday. A late start and then over an hour-long delay due to persistent rain and hail meant that the contest had to be shortened. Harmanpreet Kaur (38) and Richa Ghosh (24) shared a 44-run stand to help India post 122 for 6 against Bangladesh after persistent rain reduced the contest to 14 overs a side. The hosts had to chase 125 in 14 overs under the DLS method to secure their first win of the series. But the batters, barring opener Dilara Akter (21), Rubya Haider (13) and Shorifa Khatun (11 not out), failed to reach double digits as they kept losing wicket in clusters. India handed a maiden debut to 33-year-old leg spinner Asha Shobhana, who returned with figures of 2/18 in three overs. Senior all-rounder Deepti Sharma (2/13) picked two wickets while Radha Yadav (1/12) and pacer Pooja Vastrakar (1/15) accounted for one batter each as India restricted Bangladesh to 68/7. India lead the five match series 4-0. Earlier, playing her 300th international game, Kaur stitched a crucial partnership with the big-hitting Ghosh (24) to inflate India’s total. The duo came out after the rain break with positive intent and shared as many as eight boundaries and a six in a span of 28 deliveries. India lost opener Shafali Verma (2) early on. Shorifa Khatun bowled a fuller length ball and the opener tried to clear the in-field but couldn’t middle it as the ball went flying in the hands of Ritu Moni at extra cover. Dayalan Hemlatha (22) smashed a couple of fours and sixes before her rampage was stopped by Marufa Akter, who trapped the Indian leg before wicket. Play was stopped with India at 48/2 in 5.5 overs. Smriti Mandhana (22) restarted the game by hitting a classy boundary. But the opener, who looked scratchy throughout her innings, couldn’t stay in the middle for long, falling victim to Rabeya Khan. That is when Ghosh (24) and Kaur joined forces to inflate India’s total before Ghosh was caught at long off. Kaur to was run out in the last over.

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"Rohit Sharma Spoke To Me...": Kuldeep Yadav On Captain's Role In Improving His Batting

“Rohit Sharma Spoke To Me…”: Kuldeep Yadav On Captain’s Role In Improving His Batting

New Delhi : Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav said that skipper Rohit Sharma helped him improve his batting skills during the five-match Test series against England at home from January to March this year. Kuldeep was speaking at a press event in Delhi ahead of his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise’s Delhi Capitals (DC) game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. In India’s 4-1 triumph over England at home, Kuldeep had a very valuable role to play, not only with the ball as expected, but surprisingly with the bat as well. Not only he took 19 wickets in four games, including a five-wicket haul, but he also scored 97 runs in six innings at an average of 19.40, with the best score of 30. He would often find himself in situations that could make or break the match for India. With a solid defence, he would hold his end steady and allow the other batter to attack in pursuit of match-saving total or a match-winning target. Also, during his side’s IPL game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens on May 29, Kuldeep scored a valuable 35* in 26 balls with five fours and a six, taking his team to a respectable total of 153/9. Though DC lost the game, Kuldeep top-scored for his side and added another feather to his growing reputation as a capable batter. Speaking at the event, Kuldeep said Rohit does not talk much to him regarding his bowling because he is delivering at his role. However, Rohit was concerned about his batting and helped him get better at it by speaking about the nuances of the discipline during nets. “Rohit bhai does not talk to me much about bowling because I am doing what he wants from me with the ball,” Kuldeep said. “He was concerned about my batting. He told me to improve my batting. I worked on it during the Test series against England [at home earlier this year] and he was impressed by my hard work. He used to be with me in the nets and speak to me about the nuances of batting. This helped me a lot and now I am enjoying my batting as much as my bowling,” said Kuldeep. Coming to the IPL, DC will be taking on RR at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday. Delhi (10 points) is in the sixth position in the season with five wins, and six losses. RR is at the second spot, with eight wins and two losses, giving them 16 points. DC lost their previous match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by seven wickets, while RR lost theirs to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Delhi Capitals Squad:Prithvi Shaw, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, Shai Hope, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Rasikh Dar Salam, Lizaad Williams, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Sumit Kumar, Praveen Dubey, Kumar Kushagra, Ricky Bhui, Ishant Sharma, David Warner, Gulbadin Naib, Jhye Richardson, Anrich Nortje, Lalit Yadav, Yash Dhull, Vicky Ostwal, Swastik Chikara Rajasthan Royals Squad:Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson(w/c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sandeep Sharma, Jos Buttler, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Shubham Dubey, Navdeep Saini, Tanush Kotian, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Kuldeep Sen, Donovan Ferreira, Abid Mushtaq, Kunal Singh Rathore. Topics mentioned in this article

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Ton-up Suryakumar Yadav Powers Mumbai Indians To 7-Wicket Win Over SRH

Ton-up Suryakumar Yadav Powers Mumbai Indians To 7-Wicket Win Over SRH

Suryakumar Yadav’s special hundred after a disciplined bowling effort set up Mumbai Indians’ seven-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2024 on Monday. Suryakumar smashed 102 not out off 51 balls for his second IPL hundred, taking his team to an emphatic win in 17.2 overs. SRH had recovered to post 173 for eight. The win lifted Mumbai Indians from the bottom of the points table to the ninth spot while SRH, despite the loss, remained fourth with 12 points in 11 games. Joining forces inside the powerplay with MI left reeling at 31 for three, the pair of Suryakumar and Tilak Varma (37 not out off 32) did a superb recovery job with 143-run unbeaten stand to script a comprehensive victory. Suryakumar’s sensational knock included 12 fours and half a dozen sixes. For that matter, MI could have been reduced to 31/4 had a Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivery in the fifth over not pitched outside the leg stump with the veteran seamer pinning Varma in front of the wickets. Ishan Kishan (9) perished early once again while Naman Dhir (0) endured a nine-ball duck. With their backs against the wall, Suryakumar picked Marco Jansen to attack as he collected 22 runs off the seventh over with two sixes and two fours to begin his job. But shortly after he completed his fifty off 30 balls, Suryakumar was seen stretching and wincing in pain while looking to manage a strain, presumably to his groin — one of the reasons why he missed cricket for nearly four months from late last year. However, to his credit, the world No 1 T20 batter hung around till the end to take MI over the line as he finished the game with a flurry of boundaries — two sixes and as many fours off his last four balls. Apart from Suryakumar’s struggles while batting, the decline in Rohit Sharma’s form also came to the fore with the India captain mistiming one to be dismissed for a mere four — his fourth score in single digits this IPL in last five outings. Earlier in the first half, Pandya struck form before the T20 World Cup while veteran Chawla also bagged three wickets as Mumbai Indians restricted Sunrisers Hyderabad for a below-par total. Pandya found rhythm and momentum to return 4-0-31-3 while Chawla (4-0-33-3) produced an impactful performance to trouble the SRH batters. However, to his credit, SRH skipper Pat Cummins chipped in with a 17-ball 35 (2x4s, 2x6s) late in the innings to take them past the 150-run mark. In complete contrast to last time these teams met earlier in this IPL when SRH hammered 277/3, their usually free-flowing batters struggled for momentum and lack of initiative meant they could never really trouble the Mumbai bowlers. Travis Head top scored with 48 while skipper Pat Cummins made a quick 17-ball 35 not out.

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IPL 2024 Points Table: Mumbai Indians Out Of Playoff Race? Win vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Takes Them To...

IPL 2024 Points Table: Mumbai Indians Out Of Playoff Race? Win vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Takes Them To…

Mumbai Indians defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024 match© AFP Mumbai Indians kept their IPL 2024 playoff dreams alive with a crucial victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday. The win took Mumbai Indians to the ninth spot with 8 points from 12 matches with a Net Run Rate (NRR) of -0.212. Although the chances of MI reaching the playoffs remain slim, the win means that victories in the remaining two matches will give them a chance to end up in the Top 4. Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, remain fourth with 12 points from 11 matches. Coming to the match, Suryakumar Yadav scored a sensational century after brilliant bowling performances from Hardik Pandya and Piyush Chawla as MI defeated SRH by 7 wickets. Here’s a look at the three conditions that can lead to MI reaching the IPL Playoffs – Condition 1:First and foremost, the Hardik Pandya-led side has to win all of its remaining two matches in the IPL 2024 league campaign. MI are scheduled to take on Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants next. 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 will have to lose their remaining matches in the league campaign. With KKR and RR already sitting at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots respectively with 16 points each, it is impossible for Mumbai Indians 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 -0.212 at present. Even if MI win all of their remaining matches, they will 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.

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