indian premier league 2024

Farewell MS Dhoni? What Mumbai Indians vs CSK Clash Could Mean For ‘Thala’

Danijones7 months ago07 mins

The legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be in the spotlight in what could be his final game at the iconic Wankhede Stadium when defending champions Chennai Super Kings take on Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League here on Sunday. Dhoni returns to the hallowed turf of Wankhede for the first time ever as a non-captain of the CSK, potentially in his last IPL season. It will also be his first appearance as just a player for any team since November 2005. (IPL 2024 Points Table) Even at 42, Dhoni’s glove-work remains impeccable and so does his assessment of the game like always. But CSK will hope that his tactical acumen also helps them improve a dismal away record this season, having suffered two defeats on the road. CSK would also hope their recent record against MI — four wins in last five matches including their seven-wicket win here last season — holds them in good stead. Two of IPL’s most successful teams with five titles each, both sides are witnessing a tectonic shift of leadership change with Hardik Pandya taking over the mantle from Rohit Sharma at MI and Ruturaj Gaikwad succeeding Dhoni at CSK, but there is nothing that suggests their intense rivalry would expect any such shift. If anything, CSK’s bowlers could be put to sword by the rampaging MI batters who have gone hammer and tongs at the flat pitches here, scoring in excess of 230 against Delhi Capitals and chasing down nearly 200 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru with more than four overs to spare. Pandya’s MI have found their footing after a jittery start. Their batters have done well in the last two outings and Suryakumar Yadav’s 17-ball fifty against RCB provides an ominous sign to CSK bowlers, who have shown mastery on slow, turning pitches at the Chepauk but remain untested on flat, batting-friendly surfaces. Ishan Kishan (161 runs) and Rohit’s opening stand would thus be crucial in the scheme of things but CSK would also have a lot of assurance with their own batting. Skipper Gaikwad may not be a marauder with the bat but he can be the silent enforcer in the CSK line-up, which has the exuberance of Rachin Ravindra at the top, sturdiness of Daryl Mitchell in the middle and explosiveness of Shivam Dube (176 runs), Ravindra Jadeja and Dhoni in the death overs. CSK would also be aware that seeing off the dexterous Jasprit Bumrah (10 wickets) and going after the rest of the MI bowling would be the key, since the others have given away runs at alarming rate while struggling with their line and lengths on placid surfaces. Despite Bumrah’s five-wicket haul, MI leaked runs at a high rate to allow RCB get closer to the 200-run mark here a few nights ago. A lot will be riding on Shardul Thakur and Tushar Deshpande for CSK, who both return to their home ground, but Mustafizur Rahman (9 wickets) and the wily Jadeja would be the ones to watch out for given their recent exploits. On their part, teams say “we want to get as many runs as possible” but by the look of it, scores around 220-230 while batting first could be the best way possible to ensure an upperhand at this venue. Teams (from): Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David, Shreyas Gopal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Mohammad Nabi, Shams Mulani, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Thushara, Tilak Varma, Vishnu Vinod, Nehal Wadhera, Luke Wood. Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (wk), Aravelly Avanish (wk), Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, RS Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Nishant Sindhu, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Mukesh Choudhary, Mustafizur Rahman, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Shardul Thakur, Maheesh Theekshana, Sameer Rizvi. Match starts 7:30PM IST. (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

Is ‘Vice-Captain’ Pandya Really A Certainty For T20 World Cup 2024?

Danijones7 months ago08 mins

Hardik Pandya’s possible inclusion in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad has sparked debate among cricket experts and fans of late. The 30-year-old has been a major talking point during the first three weeks of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Ever since Pandya was announced as Mumbai Indians’ new captain in place of India’s all-format skipper Rohit Sharma ahead of IPL 2024, the controversial decision has received widespread disappointment from fans. MI’s newly-appointed captain has been booed heavily at various stadiums, including at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad as well at Mumbai’s home ground – the Wankhede Stadium. Furthermore, MI started their IPL 2024 campaign with three consecutive losses under Hardik’s leadership although the five-time IPL winners have bounced back with back-to-back wins in their next two games. Fitness and finishing ability concerns Apart from Hardik’s captaincy, his all-round form and finishing ability have been under scanner in the ongoing IPL. Indian cricket team’s limited-overs vice-captain, Hardik has scored 129 runs in five matches for MI this season. The hard-hitting batter showed glimpses of regaining form after he slammed an unbeaten 21 runs off just six balls against Royals Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to help MI chase down 197 in just 15.3 overs at the Wankhede on Thursday. Additionally, there have been questions about Hardik’s fitness for ICC’s marquee T20 tournament. The Indian all-rounder has endured his fair share of fitness concerns over the years and has cut down on his workload with the ball to get the best out of him from an all-round perspective. The Gujarat-born cricketer has bowled just eight overs in five matches in IPL 2024, picking just a solitary wicket at an economy of 11.13. Hardik recently made a comeback in IPL 2024 after he was ruled out of ICC ODI World Cup 2023 having sustained an ankle injury against Bangladesh in October. The Rohit Sharma-led India, of course, will need a fully-fit Hardik at the T20 World Cup 2024 to be held in the West Indies and the United States. In-form Shivam Dube could pip Hardik Pandya While Hardik’s all-round capabilities provide Team India great balance in the T20 format, if he’s not fully fit then the likes of Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh could be better picks as finishers in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad. Former India fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad has voiced support for Shivam Dube’s inclusion in the upcoming T20 World Cup squad. “Shivam Dube for his striking ability against spinners, Surya for being the best T20 international batter and Rinku Singh for his exceptional finishing ability. It will be great if India finds a way to have these 3 in the 11 in the T20 WC. With Virat and Rohit, this will leave a spot for just a keeper batsman. Interesting to see how it pans out,” Prasad posted on X (formerly Twitter). Chennai Super Kings’ Shivam Dube has been in impressive form in IPL 2024. Batting in the middle-order, Dube has amassed 176 runs in five matches at an average of 44 and a strike rate of 160. He has hit 10 fours and 13 sixes so far. Apart from Prasad, former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has stated that Dube must be included in India’s T20 World Cup squad. “Good to watch@IamShivamDube clearing the field with ease!! I feel he has to be in the World Cup squad. Has got the skill to be the #gamechanger,” Yuvraj wrote on X. Earlier, India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin urged India to pick Dube in the T20 World Cup squad after his brilliant performances against Afghanistan in a three-match series in January. “Hardik Pandya is an indispensable member of the Indian team. However, with Shivam Dube’s emergence, especially in conditions similar to CSK in the West Indies, he becomes a spin-hitting monster,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. “I can proudly call him a ‘Yuvraj Singh lite’ package. There are so many facets of Yuvraj Singh that I see in his game – the downswing, the height, and the reach. I’m not saying he’s exactly like Yuvraj Singh, but he reminds me a lot of him. The beauty here is that he hits spin straight down the ground,” Ashwin added. With Hardik facing strong competition from Shivam Dube, he will need to prove his fitness as well as impress the selectors with his all-round game in the remaining games for MI before the squad is finalised. The Indian cricket team’s 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup is likely to be announced in the last week of April and vice-captain Hardik’s spot still remains uncertain as of now. While a return to form and maintaining his fitness will most likely see Hardik make the cut for the T20 World Cup, judging by the all-rounder’s recent form when batting in death overs as well as his fitness issues, it’s safe to say that the 30-year-old’s inclusion in the squad is certainly not a given. Topics mentioned in this article

“CSK Will Be Responsible If Dube Is Not Selected For T20 WC”: Ex-India Star’s Brutal Warning

Danijones7 months ago04 mins

Former India batter Manoj Tiwary has backed Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Shivam Dube for a place in the T20 World Cup squad, ahead of Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya. Tiwary questioned Hardik’s role as a bowler so far this season in IPL, with the MI captain bowling only one over in the last three matches. The former Bengal captain feels if Hardik wants to seal his place in the squad for the T20 World Cup, then he’ll have to prove his bowling credentials. Read here: IPL 2024 Points Table Tiwary also highlighted that Hardik has been a tad bit expensive for MI with the bowl, conceding over 11 runs per over. “If he wants to play in the Indian T20 World Cup team as an all-rounder, he has to bowl. Look at his economy rate. It’s almost 11. He is not performing this season,” Tiwary said during a discussion on Cricbuzz. Tiwary also asserted that if Dube fails to make the T20 World Cup squad, his IPL franchise will be responsible for his exclusion as CSK have been using him as an impact sub so far this season. “With this form, Hardik won’t be picked in the T20 World Cup. See, Agarkar is a strong character and hence can take those bold decisions. And if Dube is not picked in the T20 World Cup, CSK will be responsible for it, because they are not allowing him to bowl. I have been saying this for a long time, if you want a replacement for Hardik, get Dube ready,” he added. Tiwary labelled Dube as a “clever” bowler, pointing out his exploits in the T20I series against Afghanistan earlier this year. “At one time we also had Venkatesh Iyer. Suddenly, both of them stopped bowling. We should be looking at the bigger goal. We are talking about the World Cup here and India haven’t been able to lift that trophy for a long time. So we have to plan for that ahead of time. Now Hardik is not in form and if you pick Dube in the squad, how much he can perform as a bowler is not known. But as far as I know, Dube is a clever bowler. Remember that T20I series at home against Afghanistan,” he further explained. Topics mentioned in this article

KL Rahul Manages To Stump Rishabh Pant Despite Getting Hit By DC Skipper’s Bat. Watch

Danijones7 months ago04 mins

Friday turned out to be a memorable day for Delhi Capitals as Rishabh Pant and Co. defeated Lucknow Super Giants and registered their second win of IPL 2024. Opting to bat first, LSG posted 167/7 in 20 overs with Ayush Badoni playing an unbeaten knock of 55 runs. Later, DC chased down the target in 18.1 overs with six wickets in hand. Spinner Kuldeep Yadav was adjudged as the Player of the Match for his figures of 3/20 in four overs. Apart from Kuldeep Yadav, the strong partnership between skipper Pant (41) and debutant Jake Frazer-McGurk (55) also turned out to be really fruitful for DC. However, the bizarre dismissal of Pant caught everyone’s attention. The incident took place in the third delivery of the 16th over, which was bowled by spinner Ravi Bishnoi. Pant tried to play a big hit and in the process, he stepped out of the crease. The ball missed the bat and went straight to wicketkeeper KL Rahul. pic.twitter.com/y5edZyXvIq — Cricket Videos (@cricketvid123) April 12, 2024 As Pant missed the shot, the bat also slipped off his hands and hit Rahul behind the stumps. However, the LSG skipper did not lose his focus and timely stumped Pant. Despite the losing the wicket of Pant, DC comfortably chased down the target as the duo of Tristan Stubbs (15*) and Shai Hope (11*) took DC across the line. “Little relief, we wanted a win badly. I was talking to the boys saying we need to think like champions, we need to keep fighting hard. (On bowling) We have phases where we are not up to the mark, some individuals have to take responsibility for that. However, we stick together as a group. Some things you can control, some things we can’t,” said Pant after the victory. “I think we are getting closer to the right XI, but we’ve had so many injuries in this group. However, you can’t keep complaining about that. (On Fraser-McGurk) Hopefully, we’ve found our new number 3, haven’t thought too much about it. Hope he can continue,” he added. DC will now be squaring off against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on April 17. On the other hand, LSG will be taking on Kolkata Knight Riders in Kolkata on Sunday. Topics mentioned in this article

Mumbai Fans Super Excited For MS Dhoni’s Wankhede Stadium Re-Entry. Watch

Danijones7 months ago03 mins

Glimpse of the video© X (Twitter) Mumbai Indians stunned everyone with their big seven-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their previous IPL 2024 match. Beginning their new era under captaincy of Hardik Pandya, the five-time champions had a shaky start to their IPL 2024 campaign as they lost three consecutive matches. However, they got back on track with two back-to-back wins against Delhi Capitals and RCB. MI will now be squaring off against their old rivals Chennai Super Kings in their next match on Sunday in Mumbai. Ahead of the mouth-watering clash, a heartfelt moment was witnessed outside the Wankhede stadium. Hundreds of fans gathered and surrounded CSK’s team bus, in hope of getting a glimpse of the star players, who were entering the stadium for their practice session. The WankheDEN Vibes! Overwhelmed!#WhistlePodu #Yellove pic.twitter.com/lPmkFl8vn3 — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 12, 2024 The fans were seen running and excitedly jumping while welcoming the visitors to their ground. This brilliant gesture by the Mumbai crowd totally showed the crazy fandom of MS Dhoni and CSK, even in an away match. Talking about MI’s match against RCB, Suryakumar Yadav (52) and Ishan Kishan (69) provided the fireworks with the bat after Jasprit Bumrah’s magical five-wicket haul as Mumbai Indians pummelled Royal Challengers Bengaluru by seven wickets. “I have never seen someone dominating like the way Suryakumar does. Unbelievable. Where do you bowl to him? I am so glad I am not playing cricket now. At this age, where do you bowl to this guy? “He has got an answer for every ball you bowl to him, whether it’s wide yorker, bouncer. He can play sweep, pull, upper cut and I don’t what else he can play. He is a different kind of a player,” Former India spinner Harbhajan said on Star Sports. On the other hand, CSK also defeated Kolkata Knight Riders in their previous match by seven wickets. Topics mentioned in this article

PBKS vs RR, IPL 2024: Rajasthan Royals Brave Accurate Punjab Kings Bowlers, Slow Pitch To Register Three-Wicket Win

Danijones7 months ago07 mins

Rajasthan Royals struggled against Punjab Kings bowlers who took the pace off the ball cleverly on a sticky pitch but found enough steam to eke out a hardworking three-wicket win in their IPL 2024 match at Mullanpur on Saturday. The target was a rather easy-looking 148 but a set of spot-on Punjab bowlers and a tacky surface made the task of Royals tough before they made 152 for seven. The Rajasthan outfit required 49 runs off the last five overs, but they had to wait till the penultimate ball of the match to get over the line despite having power-hitters like Rovman Powell (11, 5b) and Shimron Hetmyer (27 not out, 10b, 1×4, 3×6) in their ranks. That equation came down to 10 off the final six balls after Hetmyer moussed Harshal Patel for a six and four, which the West Indian left-hander realised through a couple of sixes off pacer Arshdeep Singh in the last over. The Royals began their chase sedately through Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tanush Kotian without any real scoreboard pressure behind them. However, Kotian, who was batting so up in the order in T20s for the first time, did not find his flow but still assisted Jaiswal to add 56 in 8.2 overs. But his effort to hammer Liam Livingstone out of the ground ended up in him losing his leg-stump. Jaiswal, who played a delectable flick off Kagiso Rabada, looked on course to end a string of low scores in this IPL. But a rather needless uppercut off Rabada was grabbed by Harshal Patel near third man as Rajasthan looked a tad wobbly. Their woes deepened when skipper Sanju Samson, who had earlier broken the manacles with a six and four off Livingstone, was trapped leg-before by Rabada in his last over. Samson could not connect with a slightly low, incoming delivery from Rabada, and the ball pinged his backfoot and even the DRS could not save him. Earlier, Rajasthan bowlers under Avesh (2/34) and Maharaj (2/23) exploited a sticky pitch to the hilt to restrict Punjab Kings to an underwhelming total. Ashutosh Sharma (31, 16b), Jitesh Sharma (29, 24b) and Livingstone (21, 14b) tried to force the pace but Punjab needed more than those pretty little cameos. But the Kings had a rather quick start to their innings with 26 runs coming in the first three overs as Atharva Taide, who came in for injured skipper Shikhar Dhawan, hammered a couple of fours off pacer Kuldeep Sen. But the brakes were soon applied as Taide’s mistimed pull off Avesh ended in the hands of Sen inside the circle. Thereafter the Punjab batters struggled to muster any sort of momentum on a pitch that gripped a bit, especially for left-arm spinner Maharaj and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. However, a slice of credit should also go to veteran pacer Trent Boult who conceded just 15 runs in his three power play overs. The last three power play overs fetched only 10 runs for Kings as they ended that passage on a modest 38 for one. In the next five overs, the hosts struggled to hit even one boundary as they laboured to 53 for four in 10 overs, losing Jonny Bairstow, stand-in-skipper Sam Curran and Prabhsimran Singh, all consumed by the combination of a slow deck and accurate spinners. Their biggest hope could have been the range-hitting ability of in-form Shahshank Singh but a feeble pull off Sen could not progress beyond Jurel at mid-wicket. With the cream of top-order failing to contribute anything significant, PBKS required some hefty hand from Livingstone and Jitesh to get to even a par score. Sharma showed some intent too, clobbering Chahal for a gorgeously timed six over extra over, and later sent Sen for a six to the straight fence before getting out to Avesh. Livingstone, who creamed Sen for a six and four off successive balls through mid-wicket, and Ashutosh, who smoked Avesh for two sixes in the 19th over, helped PBKS add 61 runs in the last five overs, but their effort came a wee bit late. (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 Updated Points Table, Orange Cap, Purple Cap: How Narrow Win vs PBKS Impacts RR

Danijones7 months ago03 mins

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 was witness to another close match on Saturday as Rajasthan Royals trumped Punjab Kings in the last over of a low-scoring thriller. After Punjsb Kings scored jus 147/8 in 20 overs, it seemed that the task would be easy. However, the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh bowled their hearts out as the match went till the last over. RR won with 1 ball left. With the favourable result vs Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals consolidated their position on top of the points table. Read here: IPL 2024 Points Table They have five wins in six games. They are followed by Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants. Punjab Kings are currently placed eighth in the 10-team table with two wins in six matches. Currently, Royal Challengers Bengaluru is the Orange Cap holder with 319 runs in six games. Rajasthan Royals’ Yuzvendra Chahal in the Purple Cap holder with 11 wickets in six games. Rajasthan Royals defeated Punjab Kings by three wickets in their IPL match on Saturday. Asked to bat first, Punjab Kings, who played without their injured skipper Shikhar Dhawan, didn’t get any momentum in their innings with lower-order batter Ashutosh Sharma (31), Jitesh Sharma (29) and Liam Livingstone (21) managing to take the team close to the 150-mark. In reply, RR huffed and puffed their way to the victory target of 148 with a ball to spare, thanks to Shimron Hetmyer’s 10-ball 27 after Yashasvi Jaiswal (39), Tanush Kotian (24), Riyan Parag (23) frittered away starts. Kagiso Rabada (2/18) was the best bowler for Punjab with his two wickets. For RR, Keshav Maharaj (2/23) and Avesh Khan (2/34) picked up two wickets each, while Trent Boult (1/22), Kuldeep Sen (1/35) and Yuzvendra Chahal (1/31) bagged one each. Brief Scores: PBKS: 147 for 8 in 20 overs (Ashutosh Sharma 31; Keshav Maharaj 2/23). RR: 152 for 7 in 19.5 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 39; Shimron Hetmyer 27; Kagiso Rabada 2/18). With PTI inputs Topics mentioned in this article

IPL-17: PBKS vs RR | Avesh, Maharaj lead way as Rajasthan Royals restrict Punjab Kings

Danijones7 months ago05 mins

Rajasthan Royals players celebrate a wicket during the Indian Premier League 2024 match against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on April 13, 2024. | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar Rajasthan Royals bowlers under Avesh Khan and Keshav Maharaj exploited a sticky pitch to the hilt to restrict Punjab Kings to an underwhelming 147 for eight in their IPL match in Mullanpur on April 13. Pacer Avesh (2/34) and left-arm spinner Maharaj (2/23) did not allow any breathing space to Kings’ batters after Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson opted to field first. Ashutosh Sharma (31, 16b), Jitesh Sharma (29, 24b) and Liam Livingstone (21, 14b) tried to force the pace but Punjab needed more than those pretty little cameos. But the Kings had a rather quick start to their innings with 26 runs coming in the first three overs as Atharva Taide, who came in for injured skipper Shikhar Dhawan, hammered a couple of fours off pacer Kuldeep Sen. However, the brakes were soon applied as Taide’s mistimed pull off pacer Avesh Khan ended in the hands of Sen inside the circle. Thereafter the Punjab batters struggled to muster any sort of momentum on a pitch that gripped a bit, especially for left-arm spinner Maharaj and leg-spinner Chahal. However, a slice of credit should also go to veteran pacer Trent Boult who conceded just 15 runs in his three power play overs, a stage when the pitch was still fine for batting. The last three power play overs could only fetch 10 runs for Kings as they ended that passage with a modest 38 for one. In the next five overs, the hosts struggled to hit even one boundary as they laboured to 53 for four in 10 overs, losing Jonny Bairstow, stand-in-skipper Sam Curran and Prabhsimran Singh, all consumed by the combination of a slow deck and accurate spinners. Curran’s dismissal was the most telltale example of that. The left-hander failed to impart power or timing to his pull off Maharaj as the ball got even slower after pitching. Dhruv Jurel latched on to a tumbling catch while running in from deep mid-wicket. Their biggest hope on the day could have been the range-hitting ability of in-form Shahshank Singh but a feeble pull off Sen could not progress beyond Jurel at mid-wicket. With the cream of top-order back in the hut without any significant contribution, the PBKS required some hefty hand from Livingstone and Jitesh to get to even a par score. Sharma showed some intent too, clobbering Chahal for a gorgeously timed six over extra over, and later sent Sen for a six to the straight fence before getting out to Avesh. Livingstone, who creamed Sen for a six and four off successive balls through mid-wicket, and Ashutosh, who smoked Avesh for two sixes in the 19th over, helped PBKS add 61 runs in the last five overs, but their effort came a wee bit late.

Avesh Khan Livid As Sanju Samson Makes Fielding ‘Disaster’ To Drop Catch In PBKS vs RR IPL 2024 Match

Danijones7 months ago07 mins

The Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals IPL 2024 game presented some brilliant bowling moments as the Sanju Samson-led side choked the hosts for runs in Mohali. RR have been one of the most consistent sides in the IPL 2024 and they brought their form against PBKS too. The hosts were without their regular skipper Shikhar Dhawan and could not get going with the bat. Rajasthan Royals kept dismissing rival batters as PBKS could not even touch 150-mark in 20 overs. While there were moments of brilliance from Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson, including the run out of Liam Livingstone, there were moments where he committed massive mess. Right at the start of the RR innings, he and Kuldip Sen almost dropped a catch. Then, in the 19th over, he did not pay heed to Avesh Khan’s call as he charged to take a catch of Ashutosh Sharma. Though Avesh was closer, Samson went ahead and dropped the catch. Avesh Khan was clearly frustrated with the call. Catch ke liye lagiFollow @real__memes24 #ipl #IPL2024 #sanjusamson #PBKSvRR #catch #drop #IsItAbhinandan #AshutoshSharma #real__memes24 pic.twitter.com/yIRlQNvcfM — Itsrishirich (@ItsrishiR) April 13, 2024 Disaster from Sanju Samson! He has costed Rajasthan Royals 10-15 runs here. This is the 4th time in IPL when Samson has not made a call for the catch and went running in to the fielder. Brain-fades!#PBKSvRR #SanjuSamson #LiamLivingston #RajasthanRoyals pic.twitter.com/XKTFM7zrJI — (@cric_insiderr) April 13, 2024 Rajasthan Royals bowlers under Avesh Khan and Keshav Maharaj exploited a sticky pitch to the hilt to restrict Punjab Kings to an underwhelming 147 for eight in their IPL match in Mohali on Saturday. Pacer Avesh (2/34) and left-arm spinner Maharaj (2/23) did not allow any breathing space to Kings’ batters after Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson opted to field first. Ashutosh Sharma (31, 16b), Jitesh Sharma (29, 24b) and Liam Livingstone (21, 14b) tried to force the pace but Punjab needed more than those pretty little cameos. But the Kings had a rather quick start to their innings with 26 runs coming in the first three overs as Atharva Taide, who came in for injured skipper Shikhar Dhawan, hammered a couple of fours off pacer Kuldeep Sen. However, the brakes were soon applied as Taide’s mistimed pull off pacer Avesh Khan ended in the hands of Sen inside the circle. Thereafter the Punjab batters struggled to muster any sort of momentum on a pitch that gripped a bit, especially for left-arm spinner Maharaj and leg-spinner Chahal. However, a slice of credit should also go to veteran pacer Trent Boult who conceded just 15 runs in his three power play overs, a stage when the pitch was still fine for batting. The last three power play overs could only fetch 10 runs for Kings as they ended that passage with a modest 38 for one. In the next five overs, the hosts struggled to hit even one boundary as they laboured to 53 for four in 10 overs, losing Jonny Bairstow, stand-in-skipper Sam Curran and Prabhsimran Singh, all consumed by the combination of a slow deck and accurate spinners. Curran’s dismissal was the most telltale example of that. The left-hander failed to impart power or timing to his pull off Maharaj as the ball got even slower after pitching. Dhruv Jurel latched on to a tumbling catch while running in from deep mid-wicket. Their biggest hope on the day could have been the range-hitting ability of in-form Shahshank Singh but a feeble pull off Sen could not progress beyond Jurel at mid-wicket. With the cream of top-order back in the hut without any significant contribution, the PBKS required some hefty hand from Livingstone and Jitesh to get to even a par score. Sharma showed some intent too, clobbering Chahal for a gorgeously timed six over extra over, and later sent Sen for a six to the straight fence before getting out to Avesh. Livingstone, who creamed Sen for a six and four off successive balls through mid-wicket, and Ashutosh, who smoked Avesh for two sixes in the 19th over, helped PBKS add 61 runs in the last five overs, but their effort came a wee bit late. With PTI inputs Topics mentioned in this article

“Last Captain Was Cool But This Guy…”: CSK Coach Compares MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad

Danijones7 months ago07 mins

Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is cut from the same cloth as MS Dhoni and it is unfair to term the former “slow” while batting, said head coach Stephen Fleming here on Saturday. Gaikwad, who replaced Dhoni as the CSK captain at the beginning of this IPL, has had a mixed start to his leadership stint losing two away games and winning three at home. But at the same time, the 27-year-old Gaikwad has been criticised for “slow” batting. Read here: IPL 2024 points table The right-handed opening batter has so far garnered 155 runs in five matches with a strike rate of 117.42. “There’s no difference. He’s as cool as it gets. I know the last captain was pretty cool. But this guy is cut from the same cloth, so that’s rubbed through,” Fleming said when asked if he had any discussion with Gaikwad in terms of differentiating between his leadership and his batting. “He is such an impressive young man around his game and what he needs to do. He’s been, I think, unfairly put into a bracket where he’s been called slow. But you have to have context to some of these stats,” Fleming told the media during CSK’s training session at the Wankhede Stadium. “We know that it’s a bit of a Bollywood movie, sometimes getting these things up onto the screen. But he’s fine. He’s playing conditions well. The last game (CSK vs KKR) was a great example of how a leader plays, and there’s class as well. I have absolutely no doubt about Ruturaj,” Fleming added. Fleming clarified that appointing Ruturaj as skipper is a long-term call and not a makeshift decision by the five-time winners. “I hope so. That’s the plan, and so far it’s worked well. The transition has been really smooth. He’s judged by wins but we judge it differently. His leadership around the team is top-class. I would imagine it would be hopefully for many years like the last captain,” Fleming added. The former New Zealand captain said CSK are the benefactors of the love Dhoni has got from fans which, at times, has been overwhelming. “It’s magnificent, to be honest. It is truly astounding, the love that… Let’s be honest, the love that India has for MS Dhoni, and we are benefactors of that,” Fleming said. “The team, without (a) doubt, feels pride when they walk out to an away game and there’s a large amount of yellow. If not all yellow, it’s in some cases, overwhelming.” “But we are under no illusions that what has created it and who has created it. We’re very proud of him and his involvement with the side. We look at it as a real honour that people will come out and support him, and if it’s secondary, then the team. We’re both very closely linked,” Fleming added. Fleming said a two-month dose of IPL every year has become contagious but the league must keep finding ways to evolve. “In terms of fan following, naturally it has grown. The skills of the players is evolving. Batting in particular has evolved at a huge rate, in particular the last five years,” he said. “The challenge of the IPL, from a skill point of view, is how the bowlers can even the game up a little bit. The two bouncers (per over rule) is one. Maybe we need to keep looking at other ways to do that.” “The fact that it becomes intoxicating two months of cricket and fandom and support, it’s a wonderful injection for cricket. So how can you not love it? How can it not be contagious?,” he added. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians’ Mohammad Nabi said getting the team combination right was one of the key factors for the five-time winners to get back to winning ways. “The plans from the bowling and batting groups are going really well which is why we won the last two games. The team combination was good for the last two matches,” he said. Nabi said the nature of the pitch at the Wankhede Stadium makes an off-spinner’s job tougher. “The conditions at Wankhede as a spinner are really tough to bowl as an off-spinner. Leg-spinners have a lot of varieties but as an off-spinner is tougher to bowl here,” he said. Topics mentioned in this article