cricket

‘A mixed feeling of relief, emotion…’: Dinesh Karthik reveals why he decided to retire from IPL | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago05 mins

NEW DELHI: Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has stated that while he is in peak physical condition to continue playing professional cricket for another three years, the mental demands of the game have led him to step away. The 38-year-old, who recently announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL), shared his thoughts.Speaking to Cricbuzz, Karthik, who played his final IPL match against Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator at the Narendra Modi Stadium this year, emphasized that physical fitness has never been a concern for him. “I think I am physically very much prepared to play for another three years. Especially with the Impact Player rule, it becomes that much easier. Touch wood, I have never missed a game because of an injury through my three decades. I’ve been blessed that way. I was never worried about my body or my fitness,” he said.However, Karthik admitted that the mental aspect of the game has been more challenging. “It was all about the mental side of things, whether I’ll be able to push as much in the lead-up to the tournament, whether if I don’t play as many matches, will I be okay with it,” he added.Reflecting on what kept him motivated after a challenging IPL season last year, Karthik revealed his intrinsic drive. “I am internally very, very motivated. Intrinsically, extremely motivated and I’ve lived by the mantra that if you are the best, no one can stop you. I just believed if I get one chance, I should make the most of it. I never cribbed. I was always thinking like I got a chance but I missed it. I got a tournament here, but I probably could have done better in this match. And that kept me going,” he said.Karthik has been a constant presence in the IPL since its inception in 2008, playing 257 matches, making him the joint second-most capped player in IPL history alongside Rohit Sharma, and just behind MS Dhoni (264).As he navigates retirement, Karthik mentioned that family functions have kept him occupied and discussed the emotions he felt leading up to his final match. “I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. There’s lots happening in the house, there’s a couple of weddings and all so I’ve been pretty busy with that. It’s a tad bit emotional, a tad bit relief. In a way, I was mentally prepared for whenever it had to happen. But I was so much more prepared for 18th May.”“Once that part of the tournament was crossed, I was extremely elated and very, very happy and grateful. The 22nd came around pretty fast, but overall it was a mixed feeling of relief, emotion and the fact that it has all come to an end,” he added.

India A and Australia A set to play two first-class matches ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: India A and Australia A teams are set to face off in two first-class matches in preparation for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The first game will commence on October 31 in Mackay, followed by the second match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from November 7-10. Both contests will be four-day events.To further prepare for the series, the Indian senior team will play an intra-squad match against India A in Perth from November 15-17.This match will provide the Indian players with valuable match practice as they aim to secure their third consecutive series victory on Australian soil.The MCG last hosted an Australia A match in 2020, where they suffered a defeat against the England Lions in a day-night encounter.The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will begin with the first Test in Perth on November 22 and conclude with the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3-7. This series marks the first time in over three decades that the trophy will be contested over five Test matches. Australia have not emerged victorious in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since 2017, having lost the past four series by a margin of 2-1, including two defeats on home soil in 2018-19 and 2020-21.“Hosting those A matches at the upgraded Great Barrier Reef Arena and the MCG give these ‘A’ matches significant status and will provide great opportunities to players from both sides to put up their hand for selection,” said Peter Roach, Cricket Australia, Head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling.Australia A v India A seriesFirst first-class match: October 31-November 3: Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay (10 am AEST)Second first-class match: November 7-10: MCG, Melbourne (10.30 am AEDT)India v India A intra-squad matchNovember 15-17: WACA Ground, PerthIndia’s tour of AustraliaFirst Test: November 22-26: Perth Stadium, Perth (Day match)Second Test: December 6-10: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (Day and Night match)Third Test: December 14-18: The Gabba, Brisbane (Day match)Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne (Day match)Fifth Test: January 3-7: SCG, Sydney (Day match).(Inputs from ANI)

ENG vs PAK 2nd T20I: Jos Buttler Helps England Take 1-0 Lead With Easy Win Over Pakistan

Danijones5 months ago04 mins

Jofra Archer claimed two wickets on his long-awaited return to international cricket as England beat Pakistan by 23 runs at Edgbaston to move 1-0 up in the four-match T20 series. England captain Jos Buttler won man-of-the-match after he smashed 84 off 51 balls to set the hosts a target of 184. But it was Archer’s return that caught the eye as he made a case for selection in next month’s T20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies no harm. The fast bowler has been beset by elbow injuries since his starring role in helping England win the 50-over World Cup in 2019. On his first international appearance for 14 months, and first on home soil since 2020, Archer bounced back from an expensive first over, which went for 15 runs, to finish with two for 28. “I thought Jofra Archer was brilliant,” said Buttler. “You could see his emotion taking wickets for England again but we need to temper those expectations because he’s not going to be the same straight away. “I’m really pleased with the whole bowling group.” Muhammad Rizwan was removed in the first over by Moeen Ali and Reece Topley took three wickets for 41. Buttler was the star of the England batting with three sixes and eight fours. He was ably supported by 37 from Will Jacks and Jonny Bairstow’s 21 but England failed to build on the platform given to them by their skipper. Five wickets fell for just 25 runs as Pakistan battled back with Shaheen Shah Afridi the pick of the bowlers, taking 3-36. “We got them to a par score, our bowlers bowled very well and we had our moments when we were batting,” said Pakistan captain Babar Azam. Fakhar Zaman’s 45 from 21 balls gave the Pakistan chase some impetus,but after he departed the pace of Archer, Topley and Chris Jordan ripped through the tourists’ tail with four balls to spare. “We didn’t finish well. We had a small partnership, myself and Fakhar but we didn’t get any other 40 or 50 partnerships that England did,” added Azam. England lead the four-match series 1-0 after the first match was washed out on Wednesday. (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

Truth Behind MS Dhoni's No. 9 Decision Out, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan Made To Eat Words

“He Likes To Build Drama A Bit’: CSK Batting Coach Michael Hussey On MS Dhoni’s Retirement Plans

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

File photo of MS Dhoni.© BCCI As IPL 2024 is nearing its conclusion, the talk about MS Dhoni’s retirement plans is also picking pace once again. Speculations were rife last year that Dhoni would call time on his IPL career but the then Chennai Super Kings captain, instead, expressed desire to continue playing for the side. While reacting to a question regarding the retirement plans of Dhoni, former CSK batter and its current batting coach Michael Hussey said that he himself has no idea about it. Hussey gave the statement while speaking to Around The Wicket podcast. He added that Dhoni likes to “build the drama a little bit as well”. When asked if Dhoni would be back next year, Hussey said, “Your guess is as good as mine at this stage. “He keeps his cards very, very close to his chest. We are hoping he does keep going. “He is still batting so well. He does prepare well – he gets into the camp very early and hits a lot of balls. He has been in good touch all season really.” Dhoni has been coming lower down the order to bat this season as he is suffering from a knee issue. “I guess we just got to try to manage him from the body side of things. He had a knee surgery after the last season. So he has been managing that from the initial stage of the tournament,” said Hussey. “From a personal point of view, I hope he keeps going for another couple of years. But we will just have to wait and see. He is the only one who will make that call. And he likes to sort of build the drama a little bit as well. So I wouldn’t expect a decision anytime soon,” he added. CSK are still alive in the race to IPL 2024 playoffs. Their last league match is against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 18. Topics mentioned in this article

Jay Shah explains Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer’s BCCI contracts exit: I am just a convener

Danijones6 months ago05 mins

The BCCI secretary Jay Shah said the omission of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the list of centrally-contracted players was completely decided by chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar. Kishan and Iyer were left out after failing to attend domestic engagements despite a BCCI mandate. While Kishan took a long sabbatical after the ODI World Cup last year and was unavailable until the IPL, Iyer did play a few Ranji Trophy matches for Mumbai, including the semifinals and final. However, Iyer found himself on the receiving end after it was revealed that he had attended a KKR camp in Mumbai while his home team was playing a Ranji Trophy match. “You can check the constitution. I am just a convener (of the selection meeting),” he said during a media interaction at the BCCI head office on Thursday. “That decision lies with Ajit Agarkar, even when these two players (Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer) who did not play domestic (cricket), the decision to drop them (from the central contracts list) was only his. My role is just to implement. And we have got new players (in place), like Sanju (Samson). Nobody is indispensable,” he added. In the days leading up to the contract snub, Jay Shah stated before the third Test between India and England in February this year that he would fully support the chief selector’s decision to take action against players who do not meet the Indian captain and team management’s requirements for participation in domestic cricket. Shah claimed he communicated with the players following their removal. “Yes, I had spoken with them. Media had even carried the reports,” he said. “Even Hardik (Pandya) said if BCCI is considering me for white-ball, then I am ready to play Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Any player will have to play, even if they do not want to, they will have to,” Jay Shah continued. When asked about high scores in this year’s IPL, Shah stated that it all boils down to who is playing well and who can sustain performance. ” Whoever plays well in the IPL… like say Ishan Kishan, he finds it difficult to take part with the Indian team but he can play in Mumbai Indians as a player. There he can play in a relaxed manner. In Team India, you have to prove yourself, give back to back performances. The one who can handle that can be described as a right player,” he added. Shah also revealed details of his conversation with Kishan, which took place after Mumbai Indians’ match against Gujarat. “No, I did not advise him anything. It was just a friendly talk that he should do well and I speak with all players like that,” he said. Published By: Saurabh Kumar Published On: May 10, 2024

IPL 2024 Points Table, Orange Cap, Purple Cap: SRH’s Massive Win Makes Playoff Race Tough For CSK. Here’s How

Danijones6 months ago6 months ago04 mins

Openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma smoked half-centuries as Sunrisers Hyderabad crushed Lucknow Super Giants by 10 wickets on Wednesday to boost their play-off hopes in the IPL. Chasing a modest 166 for victory, Head, who smashed 89, and fellow left-hander Abhishek, who hit 75, tore into the opposition attack to romp home with 10.2 overs to spare at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. SRH’s win knocked former champions Mumbai Indians out of the tournament. The win also imapacted Chennai Super Kings as the side slipped a position in the points table with SRH replacing them at the third spot. SRH moved to the third spot with 14 points from 12 matches, while CSK, who are now at the fourth spot have 12 points from 11 matches. Rest of the points table remained unchanged. Here is the updated IPL 2024 Points Table – Virat Kohli continues to hold the Orange Cap with 542 runs from 11 matches while Jasprit Bumrah has the Purple Cap with 18 wickets from 12 matches. Talking about the SRH vs LSG match on Wednesday, Australia’s Head attacked with a flurry of fours and sixes as he reached his fifty in 16 balls and went past 500 runs this season. Head is now third in the batting chart behind Virat Kohli (542) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (541) with his fourth half-century — he also has a ton — in this edition. Abhishek joined the charge as he got to his fifty in 19 balls after the pair took Hyderabad to 107 in the first six overs of powerplay, when only two fielders are allowed outside the inner circle. Hyderabad, who won the IPL in 2016 under David Warner, registered their seventh win in 12 matches to hand a perfect gift to birthday boy and captain Pat Cummins, who turned 31 on Wednesday. Abhishek hit the winning six as Hyderabad moved to third in the 10-team table with 14 points. Lucknow stay sixth after the bruising loss. Top four teams will make the play-offs with the final on May 26 in Chennai. Seam bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar set up victory with impressive bowling figures of 2-12 in his four overs to restrict Lucknow to 165-4 after they elected to bat first. Lucknow lost regular wickets until Nicholas Pooran, who hit 48, and Ayush Badoni, who smashed 55, put on an unbeaten stand of 99 in 52 balls to boost the team total. But the score proved too little against a team which posted record totals of 277 and 287 in this high-scoring edition of the T20 tournament.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald backs captain Mitchell Marsh to be fit ahead of T20 World Cup

Danijones6 months ago04 mins

Australia coach Andrew McDonald has backed captain Mitchell Marsh to be back to full fitness before the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Marsh was pulled out of the IPL early last month due to a hamstring rupture, and his recovery has been far slower than planned since returning from India. Marsh joined a cohort of Australia’s squad members, not engaged in the IPL, for the initial three-day pre-tournament training camp in Brisbane. Another such camp is scheduled over the next two weeks before the squad leaves for the Caribbean on May 25th. Initially, Marsh wasn’t slated to attend the first camp due to his hamstring injury. However, his recovery allowed him to participate and bat in the nets over the last couple of days. Nonetheless, McDonald reiterated that Marsh’s bowling fitness would only be nearing completion closer to the tournament. “You probably won’t see him bowl in the next couple of weeks here,” McDonald told reporters at Allan Border Field on Tuesday. “It’ll probably happen the week before we leave. And then he’ll be able to ramp that up when we’re over there. We’ll be able to cherry-pick the moments during the tournament where he’ll be useful with the ball. We’ve got some all-round depth in the squad, which gives us good coverage anyway. “[His recovery was] probably a little slower than expected on the back of the hamstring. But we’ve got plenty of time now that he has been ruled out the IPL. The first game is just short of a month away now. So ample time for him to get ready. But really positive to see the skipper on the park.” McDonald said there was no concern about Marsh’s lack of match practice over the last two months, given that Australia will play some practice games before their debut match against Oman. “No real concern about match fitness,” McDonald said. “We’ve got a couple of practice games when we get to Trinidad in the support period. So he’ll likely get plenty of match opportunities. And if not, we’ll be able to simulate those through practice, which our coaching staff are pretty good at.” Published By: Saurabh Kumar Published On: May 7, 2024

India’s first-ever ‘hybrid pitch’ unveiled in Dharamsala

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal and former England Cricketer Paul Taylor during a press conference SISGrass Hybrid Pitches at HPCA Ground in Dharamshala on May 06, 2024. | Photo Credit: Moorthy RV India’s first-ever ‘hybrid pitch’ was unveiled at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium in a grand ceremony here on May 6. 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.

‘Maaro bhai, dono maarenge…’: Rishabh Pant recalls special IPL moment with Sanju Samson | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant recalled an IPL 2017 moment with his former teammate Sanju Samson, who now leads the Rajasthan Royals. During an interaction on Jio Cinema, Pant shared a light-hearted moment from the past where Samson inquired about their game strategy while playing for the Delhi franchise together, against the Gujarat Lions, led by Suresh Raina at the time. Pant revealed their on-field chemistry by quoting what he told Samson, “We had a great chemistry together. Sanju came asked what would be the gameplan. I said, ‘Maaro bhai, dono maarenge (Let’s hit, brother; we’ll both strike).’” The two cricketers, Pant and Samson, have been in the limelight for their consistent performances in the ongoing IPL and have been selected for the upcoming T20 World Cup. There is a possibility of seeing them bat together for the national team, which would be an exciting prospect for cricket fans.ALSO SEE: IPL 2024 SCHEDULELooking ahead, the Delhi Capitals, under Pant’s leadership, are set to clash with Samson’s Rajasthan Royals in the 54th match of the ongoing IPL 2024 season in Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday. This encounter is crucial for both teams as they aim to secure their positions in the league standings. As of now, Rajasthan Royals have slipped to the second spot on the points table after a recent victory by Kolkata Knight Riders over Lucknow Super Giants. Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals are placed sixth, having accumulated 10 points from 11 matches. Both teams are eager to improve their standings, and the upcoming match is expected to be a high-stakes battle.

‘If Babar Azam hits three straight sixes, I will…’: Ex-Pakistan cricketer challenges current T20 captain | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago02 mins

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has thrown down the gauntlet to current captain Babar Azam. Ali challenges Azam to hit three consecutive sixes straight down the ground against top-tier teams. If Azam succeeds, Ali has vowed to delete his YouTube channel.“If Babar Azam hits three straight sixes against top teams, not against the likes of the USA or Ireland, but against top teams, I will shut down my YouTube channel.If he accepts this challenge, he should say that he accepts it. And if he can’t hit those sixes in the World Cup, then he shouldn’t open the batting,” said Ali.The 29-year-old batsman has recently been reappointed as the white-ball captain of the Pakistan men’s cricket team for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. This decision to reinstate Azam as the captain of the T20 side came after Azam had initially stepped down from the role in November, leading to Shaheen Shah Afridi‘s appointment. SEE ALSO: T20 World Cup 2024 ScheduleThe PCB’s selection committee unanimously recommended Azam’s reinstatement, which was approved by PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.In the lead-up to the World Cup, Pakistan, having drawn a T20I series 2-2 against an inexperienced New Zealand, are set to face Ireland and England in the shortest format of the game over the coming weeks.