cricket

We are focused on following template set by Gambhir: KKR’s Harshit Rana

Danijones6 months ago07 mins

Young pacer Harshit Rana feels Kolkata Knight Riders are reaping the rewards by following the winning template set by two-time IPL winner. File picture | Photo Credit: Deepak K R Young pacer Harshit Rana feels Kolkata Knight Riders are reaping the rewards by following the winning template set by two-time IPL winner and current mentor Gautam Gambhir as they continued their sensational run to grab the top position in the IPL points table. Gambhir had led KKR to the IPL crown twice with the team also qualifying for the playoffs five times during his stint from 2011 to 2017. He had also guided KKR to the finals of the now-defunct Champions League T20 in 2014. However, in the last seven years, KKR could reach the playoffs only twice. Gambhir’s return to the KKR camp as a mentor this year turned things around as the Kolkata-based franchise moved to the top of the table with 16 points following a dominating 98-run over Lucknow Super Giants – 8th win in 11 games – on May 6 “Not only this match, this entire season we have been focussing a lot on the style of cricket that Gautam Gambhir wants us to play. He has a lot of knowledge on how to turn games in our favour and it helps us a lot in the middle,” Rana said during the press conference. “Like today he gave the bowlers a free hand, to find the length to bowl depending on the wicket, and not to try too many things,” he added. Rana (3/24 in 3.1 overs) played a crucial role in the win by taking three wickets while defending a target of 235. “KKR read the wicket very well. The areas we had to bowl, we targeted the right places,” Rana said. IPL’s biggest buy Mitchell Starc has proved expensive this season but Rana said the team management is not at all bothered about his economy rate and has faith on the Australian speedstar. “We have not cared even for a bit on how expensive Mitchell Starc has been in IPL 2024. He have full faith in him and he won us the last game and we have no doubts on him whatsoever. “He has such a great influence on the younger players, he has such a huge wealth of knowledge,” Rana said. Rana said his dream is to play for India and is focussing on his performance. “My aim is to play for India but whatever franchise I play for I try to give my best on the day of the match. I will be selected based on my performance and performance alone,” Rana said. We’d our plans but everything went Narine’s way: Naveen It was yet another sparkling fifty by Sunil Narine (81 off 39) which helped KKR post a massive 235 for six and LSG fast bowler Naveen Ul Haq conceded that all their plans failed against the star West Indian allrounder. “I think he played quite well. We had a plan of bowling bouncers and yorkers and mixing it up and not being predictable against him. We did that but he played quite a brilliant innings to be honest,” he said. “It wasn’t like he was slogging and everything was going top edge or anything like slicing the ball. He was properly middling it and that’s the case like from the beginning of the season. “He’s been middling it. Everything going his way. So yeah, it was a great knock by him.” The Afghan seamer said LSG could have produced a better show with the bat but they can’t dwell on defeat too much as they need to focus on the next game. “The amount of games that we have played in Lucknow, I think this was the best wicket to bat on. We did not do the things in the chase that we did – say in the game at Chepauk, where the target was very high. It was not like bad or anything, there was nothing for the bowlers,” Naveen said. “Pressure is always there on whatever score you are chasing. Every team has a bad day, and we cannot keep focusing on that, we have to move on.”

Team India’s ‘leaked’ T20 World Cup jersey sparks massive social media furore

Danijones6 months ago04 mins

With the T20 World Cup scheduled for next month, and fans will be gearing up for a proper cricket extravaganza. The tournament is being co-hosted by the West Indies and US. The BCCI have already announced Team India’s 15-member squad, and there were some surprises. The Team India jersey has been leaked allegedly. Meanwhile, cricket fans are also waiting for the unveiling of India’s official T20 World Cup jersey. Adidas is BCCI’s official kit sponsor, and they have been making different kits for ODIs and T20Is. The ODI jersey is collared, and shows the tiger’s stripes. Meanwhile, the T20I jersey symbolises the Ashoka Chakra, which is in the Indian flat. Both jerseys have stripes on the shoulder. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! Recently, a photo went viral on social media, which allegedly showed India’s jersey for the upcoming ICC showpiece event. The alleged leak shows the jersey with tri-colour stripes on a v-shaped neck, and the traditional Adidas stripes on saffron sleeves. Here is the alleged leaked jersey photo: If this is actually the jersey, this will be then considered a huge mishap on BCCI and Adidas’ side, as jersey unveilings are usually filled with suspense. It left social media in a state of meltdown. Reacting to the photo, one fan said, “Not goodd.” Meanwhile, another fan calle it a ‘training kit’. Another fan called it “worst”. Rohit Sharma will be leading the Indian squad in the ICC tournament, and we will also see Rishabh Pant make his international return. The DC skipper has been included in the 15-member squad, having missed more than a year of cricket due to a freak car accident. Sanju Samson is the other wicketkeeper-batter in the squad, with KL Rhaul getting snubbed. Meanwhile, Shivam Dube’s IPL form has made it impossible to ignore him and he is expected to play a key role. The spin department consists of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, who will be assisted by the pace battery consisting of Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj and Hardik Pandya. Also, the reserves list consists of Shubman Gill, Rinky Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan. The Indian batting line-up is also well-equipped, consisting of the likes of Rohit, Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav.

LSG vs KKR, IPL 2024: Sunil Narine Shines In Kolkata Knight Riders’ 98-Run Drubbing Of Lucknow Super Giants

Danijones6 months ago05 mins

Sunil Narine’s sparkling fifty and a collective effort by the bowlers fashioned Kolkata Knight Riders’ 98-run win over Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL at Ekana Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Deciding to bowl first didn’t go as per plan for LSG as KKR became the first team to cross the 200-run mark at the Ekana stadium. Proving his worth with the willow once again, Narine (81 off 38 balls) went on a six-hitting spree, blasting seven maximums and six fours to take the visitors to 235/6. Chasing an imposing total, LSG batters had to go from the word go but the hosts found it hard to get the big shots and were eventually bundled out for 137 in 16.1 overs. Within the first 10 overs, LSG had lost half the side including skipper KL Rahul (25), Arshin Kulkarni (9), Deepak Hooda (5) and big hitters Marcus Stoinis (36) and Nicholas Pooran (10). Ashton Turner hit some lusty blows and looked in mood to showcase his batting prowess but the Australian was supremely unlucky as an inside edge deflected off his boot with Varun Chakravarthy completing a caught and bowled. With the win KKR moved to the top of the table. They have 16 points, the same as Rajasthan Royals but have played one game more. LSG, on the other hand, dropped out of the top four to the fifth spot with 12 points from 11 games. Their Net Run Rate also took a massive hit going down from 0.094 to -0.371. Earlier, the in-form Narine, who was dropped twice in the space of two balls, smoked five boundaries in five balls, setting the tone for the KKR innings. First, he hammered back-to-back fours off Naveen-ul-Haq in the last two balls of the third over. He then attacked the offside, hitting three boundaries on the trot off Mohsin Khan in the fourth over. Narine and Phil Salt (32) gave the two-time champions the explosive start they have come to expect from the duo. Together they put up a quick 61-run stand before Naveen-ul Haq took the pace off the ball to send the Englishman packing. Medium pacer Yash Thakur then stemmed the flow of runs in the final over of the powerplay, giving away only two runs as KKR reached 70/1. However, the unperturbed Narine continued his onslaught and brought up his fifty off 27 deliveries with a cheeky late dab that sent the ball rolling past short third. He took a particular liking to Marcus Stoinis, sending the ball over the fence three times in the 11th over. But Ravi Bishnoi, on whose bowling Narine was dropped twice before, was third time lucky as he put an end to the all-rounder’s spectacular innings. The LSG bowlers were able to rein in the KKR batters as they kept taking wickets. Naveen-ul Haq got rid of Andre Russell (12) before Yudhvir Singh, who came as a concussion sub for Mohsin Khan, picked up young Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s (32) wicket in the next over. The Afghan pacer swung back into action to account for the big-hitting Rinku Singh (16) while Thakur removed Shreyas Iyer (23). But Ramandeep Singh’s unbeaten 25 off 6 balls took KKR past the 230-run mark. (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

Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2024: Match Preview, Fantasy Picks, Pitch And Weather Reports

Danijones6 months ago09 mins

Match 54 of the Indian Premier League, 2024, will be played between Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders (LSG vs KKR) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, on Sunday. Lucknow Super Giants have played 10 matches and are ranked third on the points table with 12 points. Kolkata Knight Riders have also played 10 matches and are ranked second on the points table with 14 points. Pitch Report and Weather Conditions The pitch at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, will allow for good stroke play and the batters will find it easy to bat on the surface. The surface 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 139 runs. The pitch is a sporting one with decent assistance for both batters and bowlers on offer. Depending on the ground conditions, the team winning the toss may decide to bat or bowl. Pace or Spin? The venue is suited for both pacers and spinners alike. Weather Report The temperature will hover around 37 degree C and humidity is expected to be around 10%. Winds at a speed of 4.68 m/s are expected. Head-to-Head In the four matches played between these two teams, Kolkata Knight Riders do not have a good record against Lucknow Super Giants. Based on our analysis and trends, we predict that Lucknow Super Giants will win this match. Kolkata Knight Riders’ batters have earned the most fantasy points for their team, while the wicket-keepers have earned the most fantasy points for Lucknow Super Giants. In their previous encounter in this series, Phil Salt was the Man of the Match while Nicholas Pooran scored the highest fantasy points for Lucknow Super Giants with 65 fantasy points. Phil Salt topped the fantasy points leaderboard for Kolkata Knight Riders with 143 fantasy points. Fantasy Top Captain and Vice-Captain Picks Sunil Narine Sunil Narine is an all-rounder with an average of 101 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 9.6 and is a differential player for your Fantasy Team. He is a top-order, left-handed batter. In the last 10 matches, he has scored 380 runs at an average of 38 per match. Narine is also a handy bowler, bowling off-break and in recent matches, he has taken 13 wickets, averaging 20.7 per match. KL Rahul KL Rahul is a wicket-keeper with an average of 68 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 9.5 and is a good-to-have player for your Fantasy Team. He is a top-order, right-handed batter and also keeps wickets. In the recent 10 matches, he has scored 406 runs at an average of 40.1 per match. Philip Salt Phil Salt is a wicket-keeper with an average of 68 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.9 and can be a good pick for your Dream11 Team. Salt is a top-order, right-handed batter and also keeps wickets. In the last 10 matches, he has scored 397 runs averaging 44.1 per match. Andre Russell Andre Russell can be a good safe pick for your Dream11 Team. He has an average of 58 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 8.7. He is a right-handed batter. In the recent 10 matches, he has scored 186 runs at an average of 37.2 per match. Russell can also give you some bowling fantasy points, bowling right-arm fast and in recent matches, he has taken 11 wickets at an average of 19.1 per match. Marcus Stoinis Marcus Stoinis is an all-rounder with an average of 58 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 9.6 and is a good-to-have player for your Fantasy Team. Stoinis is a top-order, right-handed batter. In the last 10 matches, he has scored 316 runs at an average of 39.5 per match. He is also a handy bowler, bowling right-arm medium and in recent matches, he has taken four wickets, averaging 24.3 per match. Mohsin Khan Mohsin Khan is a bowler with an average of 46 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 7.6 and can be a good pick for your Dream11 Team. He is a left-arm medium-fast bowler and in the recently played seven matches, he has taken nine wickets at an average of 31.4. Shreyas Iyer Shreyas Iyer is a batter with an average of 45 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.6 and is a very consistent player in terms of fantasy points. He is a top-order, right-handed batter. In the last 10 matches, Iyer has scored 257 runs averaging 36.7 per match. Mayank Yadav Mayank Yadav is a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. He has an average of 43 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 8. He is a right-arm, medium-fast bowler and in the recently played four matches, Yadav has taken seven wickets at an average of 12.1. Mitchell Starc Mitchell Starc can be a punt pick for your Dream11 Team. He has an average of 37 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 7.7. He bowls left-arm fast and has taken 11 wickets at an average of 33 in the last nine matches. Fantasy Team Wicket-Keepers: KL Rahul and Phil Salt Batters: Shreyas Iyer, Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran and Rinku Singh All-Rounders: Marcus Stoinis, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine Bowlers: Varun Chakravarthy, Yash Thakur and Mohsin Khan Captain: Sunil Narine Vice-Captain: Marcus Stoinis Topics mentioned in this article

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: India face Pakistan on… | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago04 mins

NEW DELHI: ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 is all set to take place in Bangladesh, with the cricketing action starting in October and India taking on Pakistan in a high-stakes clash on October 6 in Sylhet. The tournament will feature the world’s best teams, including six-time champions Australia, who will begin their title defence against a yet-to-be-determined qualifier. The groups and fixtures for the prestigious event were announced on Sunday, 5 May. Australia, who clinched their sixth title in Cape Town last year, is placed in Group A. They will face strong contenders including India, the 2020 runners-up, New Zealand, Pakistan, and a qualifying team. Group B comprises South Africa, England, the 2016 champions West Indies, host nation Bangladesh, and a second qualifier. The tournament will be a showcase of intense cricket, with 23 matches spread over 19 days in the cities of Dhaka and Sylhet. Group A: Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Qualifier 1Group B: South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Qualifier 2Teams are geared up to play four group matches each, with the top two from each group moving on to the semi-finals scheduled for 17 and 18 October. The final will be held in Dhaka on 20 October, with reserve days planned for the semi-finals and final if necessary.Apart from India vs Pakistan, key fixtures include the opening match between England and South Africa on October 3 in Dhaka. Fans can also look forward to the Trans-Tasman rivalry as Australia takes on New Zealand on October 11 in Sylhet.Full list of fixtures:October 3: England v South Africa, DhakaOctober 3: Bangladesh v Qualifier 2, DhakaOctober 4: Australia v Qualifier 1, SylhetOctober 4: India v New Zealand, SylhetOctober 5: South Africa v West Indies, DhakaOctober 5: Bangladesh v England, DhakaOctober 6: New Zealand v Qualifier 1, SylhetOctober 6: India v Pakistan, SylhetOctober 7: West Indies v Qualifier 2, DhakaOctober 8: Australia v Pakistan, SylhetOctober 9: Bangladesh v West Indies, DhakaOctober 9: India v Qualifier 1, SylhetOctober 10: South Africa v Qualifier 2, DhakaOctober 11: Australia v New Zealand, SylhetOctober 11: Pakistan v Qualifier 1, SylhetOctober 12: England v West Indies, DhakaOctober 12: Bangladesh v South Africa, DhakaOctober 13: Pakistan v New Zealand, SylhetOctober 13: India v Australia, SylhetOctober 14: England v Qualifier 2, Dhaka October 17: First semi-final, SylhetOctober 18: Second semi-final, DhakaOctober 20: Final, Dhaka(Inputs from agencies)

Heinrich Klaasen left fuming after being mobbed by SRH fans as chaotic scenes from Hyderabad mall go viral

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

Heinrich Klaasen has been in sensational form in IPL 2024. The wicketkeeper-batter, considered by many to be the best active T20 batter, has showcased his power-hitting abilities this season, and has destroyed bowlers with ease. He is SRH’s second-highest run-scorer this season with 337 runs in 10 matches, at a strike rate of 189.32, and has also bagged three fifties. Heinrich Klaasen gets mobbed by fans. Klaasen has won over fans in India with his boundary-hitting capabilities and it was perfectly summed up in a recent incident. Klaasen was in a shopping mall in Hyderabad with his teammates, and the crowd went berserk when they saw the cricketers. Klaasen, who was Jaydev Unadkat, was surrounded by fans, who were also chanting his name. The South African was visibly taken aback, as he is not used to such interactions with fans. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media and Klaasen looked visibly frustrated. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! Here is the video: In the video, Klaasen can also be seen requesting the crowd to calm down. SRH are currently fourth in the IPL 2024 points table with 12 points in 10 matches. They face Mumbai Indians in their upcoming fixture on Monday, and will be aiming for a win. SRH sealed a narrow one-run win against table-toppers Rajasthan Royals in their previous fixture, which further showcased their ambitions for this season. Speaking after the match, SRH captain Pat Cummins said, “I am good, was an amazing game. That’s T20 cricket. Anything can happen, Bhuvi executed that last ball. You try to take some wickets in the middle. Natarajan is a good yorker bowler, fortunately we got some wickets. Played some games here, thought 200 could have been chased down. He (Nitish Reddy) sums up the conditions pretty well, he’s amazing, great in the field, gives some overs with the ball as well.” News / Cricket News / Heinrich Klaasen left fuming after being mobbed by SRH fans as chaotic scenes from Hyderabad mall go viral

‘Cricket bhi online hi khel lo’: Pakistan fans react to new coach Gary Kirsten’s virtual meeting with team | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago02 mins

After Gary Kirsten‘s appointment as the head coach of Pakistan‘s white-ball team, the South African addressed the team in an online meeting as he is currently involved in the Indian Premier League as the batting coach of Gujarat Titans. “Pakistan white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten connects with players in virtual meet-up. Let the journey begin,” read the caption, as the Pakistan Cricket Board shared a video from the online meeting on social media. Kirsten, who was India’s coach during the victorious 2011 World Cup campaign, could be seen talking to players and coaches while addressing them online from India. WATCH VIDEO However, it hasn’t gone down well with fans in Pakistan, who reacted strongly on social media to the idea of online meeting. Here are some of those reactions: According to a PTI report, assistant coach Azahar Mehmood will lead the team on the tour of Ireland and England. However, if Gujarat Titans dont’ reach the IPL playoffs, which is highly likely, then Kirsten may join the squad for the T20 series against England.(With PTI inputs)

Faf Du Plessis Fifty, Bowlers Carry Royal Challengers Bengaluru To Four-Wicket Win Over Gujarat Titans

Danijones6 months ago08 mins

Royal Challengers Bengaluru pressed the self-destruction button halfway but a blazing fifty by captain Faf du Plessis had enough torque in it to carry them to a four-wicket over Gujarat Titans in their IPL match in Bengaluru on Saturday. Du Plesiss (64, 23b, 10×4, 3×6) and Kohli (42, 27b, 2×4, 4×6), who added 92 runs in just 35 balls for the opening wicket, were in prime touch as Royal Challengers moved past a frail target of 148, braving some nervy moments, most of it their own creation. The win also lifted RCB to seventh place on the table with eight points from 11 matches, and kept their mathematical chances of making it to the play-offs alive. Du Plessis and Kohli dealt in boundaries as the home side racked in 92 runs in Power Play, that contained 10 fours and seven maximums. Both Du Plessis and Kohli were severe on all GT bowlers, as the latter began the butchering with two sixes off pacer Mohit Sharma in the first over. Du Plessis was in no mood to play the role of a sidekick as he waded into left-arm pacer Josh Little with a sequence of 4, 6, 4, 4 in the second over that produced a total of 20 runs. The Titans introduced IPL debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar in the hope of containing Kohli at least, but the ploy was foiled spectacularly. The RCB talisman showed his increasing comfort against spin, clobbering Suthar for two successive sixes. Du Plessis reserved his punitive blade for Mohit, whom he carted around for four fours in the fifth over, as the South African reached fifty in just 18 balls before falling to Little. RCB entered a phase of struggle from there as they lost last match centurion Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green between the sixth and 10th overs for just 20 runs. Little (4/45) and spinner Noor Ahmad (2/23) were the chief perpetrators as RCB slipped from 92 for 1 to 112 for five. Ahmad soon ousted Kohli as RCB were 117 for six but Dinesh Karthik (21 not out, 12b) was cool under pressure as RCB notched their overall fourth and third win in a row of this season. Before RCB batsmen joined the party, their bowlers came up with an immaculate effort on a supportive pitch to bowl GT to a modest 147. There were a couple of good partnerships – 61 between David Miller and Shahrukh Khan and 44 by Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan – but the Titans lacked that one big innings or a stand that could have given them a firmer grip on the match. In fact, they seemed distinctly incapable of accelerating even in the Power Play as their top-order batters struggled against RCB pacers, Mohammed Siraj (2/29) and Yash Dayal (2/21) who stuck to a wonderful length. That GT managed to strike just two fours in Power Play offered ample evidence to their struggle and RCB bowlers’ accuracy. The Gujarat side’s Power Play score of 23 for three was the lowest in the segment this season, and it was mainly due to Siraj’s domination upfront. He consumed an out-of-form Wriddhiman Saha with a fine outswinger which the GT opener wafted to Dinesh Karthik behind the stumps. Shubman Gill followed soon as his attempted swat to the on-side off Siraj took a leading edge and ended in the hands of Vysakh Vijayakumar at deep point. Green fetched the third wicket for RCB in the Power Play when he jettisoned in-form B Sai Sudharsan, whose feeble pull close to the body was snaffled by Kohli at mid-off. Miller (30, 20b) and Shahrukh (37, 24b) tried their best to drag GT out of the woods with a well-paced 61-run alliance off 37 balls for the fourth wicket. Miller, who was fortunate to get dropped on 23 off Green by Karn Sharma, played archetypal power shots. He punished leg-spinner Karn for a couple of sixes – a pull and a loft over extra cover – but fell to the same bowler when a miscued heave was grabbed by Maxwell at deep. But a bigger misfortune was in store for the visitors as Shahrukh, who backed up a tad too far to Rahul Tewatia’s soft drop, could not beat a throw from Kohli to the non-striker’s end. For the sixth-wicket, Tewatia (35, 21b) and Rashid (18, 14b) added 44 off 29 balls, but the latter’s desire to be innovative against Yash Dayal saw the ball crashing onto the stumps. Tewatia, who punished Karn for 18 runs (4, 6, 4, 4) in the 16th over, departed soon. (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

IPL 2024 Points Table, Orange Cap, Purple Cap: How RCB’s Win vs GT Impacts Its Playoff Chances, Hurts Others

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

RCB beat GT by 4 wickets in IPL 2024 match in Bengaluru on Saturday.© BCCI Skipper Faf du Plessis smashed a 23-ball 64 to guide Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a convincing four-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in an Indian Premier League match in Bengaluru on Saturday. Chasing a below-par 148, Du Plessis and Virat Kohli (42 off 27) shared 92 runs in just 35 balls to set the platform for the big win. which came in 13.4 overs. Josh Little (4/45) picked up four wickets for GT but the effort was not enough. Earlier, RCB dished out a disciplined bowling effort to bowl out Gujarat Titans for a modest 147. Opting to bowl, RCB bowlers picked up wickets at regular intervals before M Shahrukh Khan (37) and David Miller (30) shared 61 runs for the fourth wicket to stabilize GT’s innings. But once the duo departed, GT innings never really got the required impetus. Towards the end, Rahul Tewatia (35 off 21) tried his best to up the ante but lacked support from the other end. For RCB, Yash Dayal (2/21), Vijaykumar Vyshak (2/23) and Mohammed Siraj (2/29) picked up two wickets apiece. The win meant that RCB left the bottom spot in the points table by jumping three places. RCB are now positioned at 7th spot after rising from the 10th place. The change meant that Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians slipped a spot each to move to the 8th, 9th and 10th spots, respectively. Rest of the points table remained unchanged. Here is the updated IPL 2024 points table – RCB’s Virat Kohli reclaim the Orange Cap with 542 runs to his name from 11 matches at an average of 67.75 and a strike rate of 148.08. Meanwhile, MI’s Jasprit Bumrah continues to hold the Purple Cap with 17 wickets to his name across 11 matches. His economy is 6.25. Topics mentioned in this article

“Big Mistake, Lost 9 Years”: Pakistan Star, Targetting T20 World Cup Return, On Spot-Fixing Saga

Danijones6 months ago05 mins

Having served five years of suspension and another four years of international hiatus, Mohammed Amir is sick and tired of former Pakistani stars time and again bringing up his involvement in the infamous spot-fixing scandal that rocked the cricket world in 2010. “I have done penance for that big mistake and if you look at my career I was banned from 2010 to 2015 and took retirement from 2020 to 2024 so I have lost nine years but I accept it all as God’s will and I have moved on,” Amir told mediapersons. Amir, who was only 19 back in 2010, had deliberately over-stepped along with fellow pacer Mohammed Asif at the behest of former skipper Salman Butt and they were all caught in a ‘News of the World’ expose. All three were briefly jailed in UK, where fixing is a crime but were later released. The ICC banned them for five years between 2010 to 2015. Only Amir made a successful return to international cricket and was hero of Pakistan’s Champions Trophy triumph over India in 2017 in the UK. However in 2020, he retired from all forms of international cricket after his differences with erstwhile PCB chief Ramiz Raja came out in the open. Ramiz and some of the other Pakistani players have been vocal about Pakistan cricket establishment giving him a second chance after his direct involvement in corruption. He has also faced lot of criticism for being brought out of retirement and directly given entry into Pakistan team without playing domestic cricket. “There has been a lot of criticism by some people on me and Imad being selected without playing domestic cricket,” he added. Amir countered the critics by making it clear that PSL is a domestic tournment where he and another comeback man Imad Wasim have regularly played. “I ask them what is Pakistan’s premier domestic T20 event? The PSL. And both of us (Imad) have played and performed in the PSL besides appearing regularly in other leagues. So what is wrong with selecting us for the T20 format.? Amir said if the selectors had picked them for Tests or ODIs it would have been very wrong. “I myself have always said players must get experience in domestic first class and other events to be considered for the national team. But in our case we are only playing T20 cricket and our form and fitness is there for all to see.” He also confirmed that former Test captain, Muhammad Hafeez had called up him last year and inquired whether he would consider coming out of his retirement. “It was nice of him (he was director of Pakistan team) and he said I could still play for Pakistan but I told him that given the uncertainty in the cricket board and team I would prefer to remain out of international cricket.” (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