IPL-17

From setbacks to success: Shreyas Iyer’s journey to IPL victory

Danijones5 months ago09 mins

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Shreyas Iyer celebrates after winning the Indian Premier League 2024 final match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai on May 26, 2024. | Photo Credit: K.R. Deepak When Shreyas Iyer recreated Lionel Messi’s famous World Cup celebration after lifting the IPL Trophy as Kolkata Knight Riders captain in Chennai, it was nothing short of an Argentina moment for the embattled Indian cricketer at an individual level. His central contract torn up a few weeks before the IPL besides a recurring back injury threatening to derail him, Iyer faced numerous challenges at the start of the year. He finally found a deep sense of triumph and vindication in this victory, much like Messi did after exorcising the ghosts of losing the 2014 final and winning the trophy for his country after a 36-year-wait. For the two-time IPL champions, the wait lasted 10 years as Iyer sang a redemption song following a topsy-turvy start to the year. Little wonder then that he chose to imitate the man who knows all about rising from setbacks. So, Iyer, with the trophy in his hands, took a playful walk towards his teammates, quite similar to what Messi did after the final against France in Doha, and handed the big prize to them. “I am hearing a lot about Gautam Gambhir, who has created a magnificent culture in the KKR team. But this guy (Iyer), I don’t think he is getting enough credit. Shreyas Iyer needs some credit,” said the legendary Ian Bishop on Sunday as KKR defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in a completely one-sided final to win their third IPL title. KKR may have got most of their runs from openers Sunil Narine and Phil Salt, but they played as a team and managed to come out winners in a dominant season, topping the table with two rounds to spare, and enduring just three losses in between. “It is hard to express how we are feeling right now. The wait was so long. We played like invincibles throughout the season. There is so much to cherish right now,” said Iyer. It was a special feeling for his childhood and Mumbai coach Pravin Amre, who first tested his character by promoting Iyer to No.3 from No.7 in his maiden Ranji season in 2014-15. Iyer returned with 153, his maiden first-class hundred in their match against Bengal at Eden Gardens in December 2014. “I challenged him in his entire career (in Mumbai)…I knew how strong-willed he’s and it was my job as a coach to challenge him. He always liked to take the challenge in a good stride. he is a good team man. In the last world cup, he scored 530 runs,” Amre said. “I always told him you just do whatever is in your hands, let the other people do their job, you just remain focus on what’s in your hands,” added Amre who first took him under his wings at the Shivaji Park Gymkhana. By leading KKR into final, Iyer achieved the rare of feat of playing the summit clash as captain of two different franchises in the IPL. The KKR skipper missed the last season because of a back injury that required a surgery in London last year. He made a comeback in the Asia Cup and went on to become India’s third leading run-getter after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the last year’s ODI World Cup. The year didn’t start well for him though as he had a difficult outing in the home Test series against England and looked patchy scoring 140 runs in the first two matches before being left out for the final three Tests. It was learnt that he developed the recurring back problem, even though he was cleared by the Board medical staff. Iyer then became the centre of a controversy when he missed the Ranji Trophy for his home state Mumbai and went on to attend KKR’s pre-season camp. Iyer, however, returned to play for Mumbai in the semifinal and final against Vidarbha where he scored a resolute 95 in the second innings of their 42nd Ranji triumph. The Board omitted him from the Grade B contract and BCCI secretary Jay Shah issued a stern warning asking players not to prioritise IPL over domestic cricket. Under intense scrutiny, Iyer looked rusty at the start of the IPL and got out for a two-ball duck in their opener against SRH. He had some significant contributions later on but his efforts were all overshadowed by Narine and Salt’s explosive batting. Captain cool However, Iyer personified “Captain Cool” and held the team’s cause ahead of his individual milestones. He went on to become the fourth leading run-getter for KKR this season with 351 runs and two fifties. His best came against the crucial first qualifier against SRH when he anchored their tricky chase of 160 with an unbeaten 58. “The way he handled the team as a player is commendable. More than that, he is improving as a leader and the experts in the game are also appreciating his leadership qualities,” Amre said. “I personally believe success is not an accident he has worked hard for this, handling the team. Yes, he had a good team under him but bringing the best out of everyone is important,” he added.

Justin Langer drops India coach plan after Rahul’s caution

Danijones5 months ago03 mins

Lucknow Super Giants coach Justin Langer with captain K.L. Rahul | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena Former Australian cricketer Justin Langer was enticed by the prospect of becoming India’s head coach but K.L. Rahul’s word of caution regarding the “pressure and politics” that come with the job dissuaded him from pursuing the “amazing” opportunity. Langer, who served as Lucknow Super Giants’ head coach this IPL season, recalled a chat with franchise skipper and a senior member of the Indian team Rahul. Never say never, but… “You never say never. And the pressure of doing it in India… I was talking to KL (Rahul) and he said, ‘You know, if you think there’s pressure and politics in an IPL team, multiply that by a thousand… (that’s) coaching India,” said Langer. “That was a good bit of advice, I guess. It would be an amazing job, (but) I have (put myself out of contention),” he added. Before taking up the assignment with Super Giants this year, Langer had coached Australia from May 2018 to February 2022, helping the team navigate a difficult period in the aftermath of the infamous ball-tampering scandal. Under Langer’s guidance, Australia lifted its first-ever T20 World Cup title and also went on to win the Ashes. “I also know that it’s an all-encompassing role, and having done it for four years with the Australian team, honestly, it’s exhausting. And that’s the Australian job!,” the 53-year-old said. The BCCI has invited fresh applications for the head coach position, with a deadline set for May 27 as Rahul Dravid is set to exit after the T20 World Cup.

IPL-17: SRH vs PBKS | Punjab Kings elect to bat against Sunrisers Hyderabad

Danijones6 months ago02 mins

Punjab Kings captain Jitesh Sharma with Sunrisers Hyderabad counterpart Pa Cummins during the Indian Premier League 2024 match in Hyderabad on May 19, 2024. | Photo Credit: K.R. Deepak Punjab Kings’ stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma won the toss and elected to bat against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their penultimate Indian Premier League contest, in Hyderabad on May 19. While Punjab Kings are out of contention for making the IPL playoffs for the 10th year in a row, Sunrisers Hyderabad are eyeing two points from this game to bolster their chances of finishing second. SRH are currently third in the points table with 15 points, behind table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, who play later in the day. The outcomes of both the games on Sunday will finalise the team standings as well as playoffs fixtures in Ahmedabad and Chennai. KKR, RR, SRH and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the four teams to have made the playoffs this year. Teams Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy, Rahul Tripathi, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Sanvir Singh, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, T Natarajan. Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh, Atharva Taide, Rilee Rossouw, Shashank Singh, Jitesh Sharma (c&wk), Ashutosh Sharma, Shivam Singh, Harpreet Brar, Rishi Dhawan, Harshal Patel, Rahul Chahar.

IPL-17, GT vs KKR: Gujarat Titans hosts Kolkata Knight Riders in a high-stakes encounter

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

Big-match player: GT would rely on its trump card Rashid to deliver against an inform KKR. | Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji Contrary to the excitement of the last week of the Indian Premier League’s first stage where the qualification scenario keeps altering with each outcome, many would feel Monday night will hardly matter in the eventual outcome. However, both Gujarat Titans and Kolkata Knight Riders will know that there is a lot riding on the result at the Narendra Modi Stadium for their team in the final standings. Must-win situation Titans will again find themselves in a must-win situation to keep its hopes of a miraculous entry into the playoffs for the third time in as many seasons. Knight Riders, meanwhile, need a win in its remaining two games to ensure a top-two finish and enjoy the advantage of an additional opportunity to enter the final. Shreyas Iyer’s in-form outfit will be hoping to seal it with a game to spare, that too against a team that has struggled to find the combination right through the season. Having used 23 players — the most by a team this season — Titans have struggled to get going. But their captain Shubman Gill, a former Knight Riders himself, will be hoping to continue from his hundred in the last outing with another strong performance while leading against his former team. If Gill and B. Sai Sudharsan continue their heroics at the top, Titans will be hoping for Rashid Khan to deliver the knockout punch against the table-toppers. Knight Riders will be tempted to pair Rahmanullah Gurbaz, a former Titans player, at the top with Sunil Narine in place of England’s Phil Salt, who is set to join his national squad after the league stage.

IPL-17: GT vs CSK | Gill, Sudharshan centuries take Gujarat Titans to huge total against Chennai Super Kings

Danijones6 months ago05 mins

Gujarat Titans openers Shubhman Gill and Sai Sudarshan scored brilliant centuries during the Indian Premier League 2024 match against Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad on May 10, 2024. | Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji Put into bat, Gujarat Titans openers Shubhman Gill (104) and Sai Sudarshan (103) take their team to a gigantic total of 231 for 3 against Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad on May 10. THe openers added 210 runs in 17.2 overs. It is the first time that a team has scored more than 200 runs as the opening partnership against Chennai Super Kings. None of the CSK bowlers made an impact against the rampaging Gill and Sudarshan. Dropping of catches and misfields from Chennai Super Kings fielders added salt to the injury. During his course of century knock, Sai Sudarshan completed fastest 1000 IPL runs Interestingly, Gill and Sudarshan scored 100th and 101st centuries in the Indian Premier League. Sudarshan and Gill were dismissed with the score at 213 runs on the board. Of the CSK bowlers, only Shardul Thakur (0 for 25) was the pick of the bowlers. Tushar Deshpande (2 for 33) was the wicket-taker. All the other bowlers went for runs. Earlier, Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and decided to bowl against Gujarat Titans in the 59th match. Currently, CSK are at the fourth place in the table with 12 points. GT has lost seven matches after playing 11 matches. They are at the 10th place in the table. Speaking at the toss, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad confirmed that Rachin Ravindra has replaced Richard Gleeson in the playing eleven. “We will bowl first. Looks a good wicket, to be honest. It’s been a chasing ground, so we will look to chase. Pretty much similar to Chennai. We didn’t like a red solid wicket much. Pretty relaxed. You tend to lose many games in IPL, you have to back everyone and make sure everyone is in a good head space. We had injuries in between, but happy. Rachin comes in for Gleeson,” Gaikwad said. GT captain Shubman Gill said Kartik Tyagi came in the first eleven in place of Joshua Little. “Would have bowled first as well, looks a good wicket. There’s a 1% chance of qualifying, so we are going to try hard for that. The mood is like any other match, we as a team believe in doing the best we can. Will be a good surface to bat on. Will score runs and try to restrict them. Wade comes in for Saha who has a niggle. In order to balance the team combination Kartik Tyagi comes in for Jos Little,” Gill said. Teams Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (Wk), Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Tushar Deshpande, Simarjeet Singh. Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Shubman Gill (C), Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, David Miller, Matthew Wade (Wk), Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Kartik Tyagi. (With inputs from ANI)

IPL-17: MI vs SRH | Mumbai Indians opt to bowl against Sunrisers Hyderabad; MI hands Kamboj debut cap

Danijones6 months ago02 mins

Mumbai Indians Rohit Sharma have a chat with Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Mayank Agarwal during a practice session. | Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to field against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their do-or-die IPL match in Mumbai on May 6. The five-time champions also handed a debut to 23-year-old all-rounder Anshul Kamboj, replacing pacer Gerald Coetzee. As for the visitors, the 2016 champion brought back Mayank Agarwal, with skipper Pat Cummins stating that he will be their number three batter. A loss in this encounter for the hosts will make them the first team to be eliminated from the playoffs race. Playing XI Mumbai Indians: Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma, Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Tim David, Anshul Kamboj, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah and Nuwan Thushara. Sunrisers Hyderabad; Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Mayank Agarwal, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Marco Jansen, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan.

IPL-17 | Ravindra Jadeja’s versatility makes him class act, says Aaron Finch

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja celebrates a wicket during the Indian Premier League 2024 match against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala on May 5, 2024. | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy Former Australia skipper Aaron Finch has termed India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja a “class player” because of his versatility which brings in a lot of balance in all the teams that he represents. Jadeja scored 40-odd runs and took three wickets in Chennai Super Kings’ victory over Punjab Kings on May 5. “Ravindra Jadeja is such a versatile player, which makes him so effective. With the ball, he would have loved more wickets,” Finch told Star Sports. “He’s been economical, going at under eight per over throughout the tournament. Leading with three wickets today (Sunday), he showed he is an absolute class player.” Finch was impressed that Jadeja returned with fine figures of 3/20 in his full quota of four overs while defending a not-so-big total of 169. “Three wickets for just 20 runs when the Punjab Kings were chasing a total of 170 odd runs is just superb. It just shows why he’s one of the best players in the world,” the Australian said. Finch also spoke highly about Kolkata Knight Riders’ Sunil Narine. The 2021 World T20-winning Australian skipper feels that it is extremely difficult to contain Narine for a long period of time. “It’s truly remarkable, isn’t it? I mean, seeing Sunil Narine stride out to open the batting. “Before this season, you’re thinking, if we can just keep him quiet for a couple of balls, he’ll try and do something and play a big shot. But this season, he’s not only getting off to explosive starts but also batting smartly and seizing control of the innings,” Finch said. The 35-year-old Narine smashed 81 off just 39 balls to power KKR to a comfortable 98-run win over Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday night. In the process, Narine also became the fourth player to score more than 450 runs and take 10 plus wickets in a single IPL edition.

IPL-17: DC vs RR | Delhi Capitals host formidable Rajasthan Royals in a crucial encounter

Danijones6 months ago04 mins

Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant with his teammates during an IPL 2024 match. | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy Delhi Capitals’ (DC) stop-start IPL 2024 campaign enters its final lap as it takes on formidable Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on May 7. DC began the season on the wrong foot, losing four of its first five games. But the Rishabh Pant-led side soon clicked into gear, winning four of its next five matches to put itself in contention for a playoff spot. But a heavy defeat against Kolkata Knights Riders in its last match means DC’s top-four chances hinge on other results going its way. For the Royals, the plot has been far more buoyant. Sanju Samson’s men have been on a roll, winning eight of their ten matches. Batting fire-power Royals’ success this season has been built around their well-rounded batting unit. They currently boast four players — Riyan Parag, Samson, Yashavi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler — with a 300+ run tally this season, more than any other team this season. Royals’ batting brawn will fit well with the conditions here, which has seen runs flow faster than any other venue in this IPL (11.85 runs per over). DC too has some firepower in its rank, with the prominent ammunition being its young Aussie opener Jake Fraser-McGurk, who has scored 259 runs at a scarcely believable strike rate of 233.33 in his debut IPL season. When these two sides met earlier in the season, in Jaipur, Rajasthan Royals squeezed out a 12-run win. A similar result on Tuesday could all but ring the death knell for DC’s IPL campaign. Teams: Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (c), David Warner, Abishek Porel, Ricky Bhui, Yash Dhull, Shai Hope, Prithvi Shaw, Tristan Stubbs, Kumar Kushagra, Swastik Chikara, Ishant Sharma, Jhye Richardson, Rasikh Dar Salam, Vicky Ostwal, Anrich Nortje, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Praveen Dubey, Khaleel Ahmed, Sumit Kumar, Axar Patel, Mitchell Marsh, Lalit Yadav, Jake Fraser-McGurk. Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (c), Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Donovan Ferreira, Kunal Rathore, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Sen, Navdeep Saini, Keshav Maharaj, Sandeep Sharma, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan, Rovman Powell, Shubham Dubey, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Abid Mushtaq, Nandre Burger. Match starts at 7.30 PM.

IPL-17: LSG vs KKR | Narine’s blitzkrieg powers Knight Riders to 235 against Super Giants

Danijones6 months ago05 mins

Kolkata Knight Riders opener Sunil Narine plays a shot during the Indian Premier League 2024 match against Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow on May 5, 2024. | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena Sunil Narine continued his Midas touch with the bat in IPL 2024 as his blistering 39-ball 81 powered Kolkata Knight Riders to 235 for six against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on May 5. It all started with Narine putting on a quickfire 61-run opening stand with Phil Salt after K.L. Rahul elected to field. Narine started sedately as Salt peppered LSG’s new-ball bowlers with a flurry of boundaries from the other end. But soon enough, the West Indian batter opened up as he thumped Mohsin Khan for three fours and a six in the fourth over of the game. The KKR opening duo raced to its sixth fifty-plus partnership before Salt was caught behind off a slower one from Naveen-ul-Haq, much to the relief of a packed crowd. Angkrish Raghuvanshi too joined in on the fun, with the KKR No. 3 crunching some crisp drives on the off side. Only Yash Thakur managed to get in a boundary-less over in PowerPlay as the visitor piled on 70 runs in the opening phase. The end of fielding restrictions did nothing to deter Narine as he took on the LSG spinners. When Krunal Pandya pitched it up, the ball was whacked over mid-wicket for an 86-metre six. The left-handed batter got to his fifty with a delicate late-cut four against leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi. The 35-year-old was brutal when LSG pacers pitched it up as he launched them over the fence with a cleared front foot. Marcus Stoinis was at the receiving end of three such maximums as the West Indian pressed on. Narine’s whirlwind knock ended on 81 after he mistimed a quicker one from Bishnoi to a relieved Devdutt Padikkal – who had touched the boundary line, a few deliveries earlier, with the ball in his hand after a similar mishit. Narine’s dismissal revitalised LSG as the home bowlers, aided by some good fielding, reigned in KKR’s run-rate. But a six-ball 25 from Ramandeep Singh in the death ensured that KKR finished on a high as it breached the 220-run mark for the fifth time this season. Scoreboard Kolkata Knight Riders: Phil Salt c Rahul b Naveen-ul-Haq 32 Sunil Narine c sub b Ravi Bishnoi 81 Angkrish Raghuvanshi c Rahul b Yudhvir Singh 32 Andre Russell c sub b Naveen-ul-Haq 12 Rinku Singh c Stoinis b Naveen-ul-Haq 16 Shreyas Iyer c Rahul b Yash Thakur 23 Ramandeep Singh not out 25 Venkatesh Iyer not out 1 Extras: (W-13) 13 Total: (For 6 wickets in 20 overs) 235 Fall of wickets: 1/61 2/140 3/167 4/171 5/200 6/224 Lucknow Super Giants bowling: Marcus Stoinis 2-0-29-0, Mohsin Khan 2-0-28-0, Naveen-ul-Haq 4-0-49-3, Yash Thakur 4-0-46-1, Krunal Pandya 2-0-26-0, Ravi Bishnoi 4-0-33-1, Yudhvir Singh 2-0-24-1.

IPL-17: PBKS vs CSK | We were 15-20 runs short but did not bowl any loose balls, says Ravindra Jadeja

Danijones6 months ago05 mins

Chennai Super Kings Ravindra Jadeja plays a shot during the Indian Premier League 2024 against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala on May 5, 2024. | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy Chennai Super Kings’ all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja admitted that they fell short by 15-20 runs but lauded their disciplined bowling show in securing a convincing 28-run over Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League in Dharamsala on May 5. Defending 167 for nine, the five-time champions restricted Punjab Kings to 139/9 with Jadeja claiming a match-winning 3/20, while Tushar Deshpande (2/35) and impact sub Simarjeet Singh (2/16) also featured among wickets. Mitchell Santner, who was playing his first match of the season, was also brilliant during his tidy 1/10 from three overs. “We thought we were 15-20 runs short but we did not bowl loose balls in the power play and in the middle overs,” Jadeja said at the post-match presentation. “The fast bowlers bowled well in the power play. Tushar got two important wickets and then Mitch and me did the job in the middle overs.” Jadeja struck a crucial 26-ball 43 and the knock came at a time when PBKS were chipping away with regular wickets. Jadeja said it was tricky batting in the middle overs. “It was a day game, so the wicket was slow. As usual, it was expected because it was so hot. “It (the pitch) always seems flat in the power play. But when the ball gets old, it does not always come on. When playing at a new venue, you don’t know how much it will turn or stop. “My role as a batter is to build partnerships and then play the big shots towards the end. Sometimes, when we lose wickets in the power play, we do not get momentum. In the matches we win, we play all phases well,” said Jadeja. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad made a 21-ball 32, while Daryl Mitchell looked in full flow in a 19-ball 30, taking the team to 60/1 in the power play. Everyone believed that the wicket was slow and the ball was coming off slow. There was low bounce too. With the start we got, we could have pushed to 180-200. We lost wickets in consecutive balls and then felt 160-170 was probably ten odd runs short,” said Gaikwad. It’s not too late for Simarjeet: Gaikwad Simarjeet impressed with his pace after he came in as an Impact Player replacing Ajinkya Rahane. “I don’t know what he is doing but in the pre-season we had, he was bowling at around 150s. “We had Deepak (Chahar), Shardul (Thakur), Tushar (Deshpande) plus (Matheesha) Pathirana and Fizz (Mustafizur Rahman), so he did not get too many chances. Nothing is late, he got a game today. “We were thinking of sending an impact batter but we thought the impact batter would score 10-15 runs but the bowler might get us two-three wickets,” Gaikwad said.