Rohit Sharma gets eye-catching mention from Preity Zinta days after quashing fake news about wanting him as PBKS captain

Rohit Sharma gets eye-catching mention from Preity Zinta days after quashing fake news about wanting him as PBKS captain

A little over two weeks after Preity Zinta dismissed reports of wanting Rohit Sharma as captain of the Punjab Kings, the PBKS owner took to social media platform X to describe the former Mumbai Indians skipper. Taking questions from her fans, Zinta called Rohit ‘a powerhouse of talent’, indicating that if she ever were to seek him as leader of PBKS, it wouldn’t be a bad call after all. Preity Zinta had nothing but praise for Rohit Sharma (Agencies) Rohit, captain of the Indian team, is a bonafide legend of Indian cricket. The only batter in history to score three ODI double-centuries and a winner of six Indian Premier League titles, Rohit has taken Indian cricket to great heights and then some since taking over as captain. In the IPL, despite being tied with MS Dhoni for the most trophies – five – Rohit is the most successful captain for winning them in a span of 10 years. A proven behemoth of modern-day cricket, one can’t help but wonder if there can even be a more perfect term to sum up Rohit than how Zinta described him. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! Speculations are rife about Rohit’s future at MI. In December, the franchise removed him as captain and replaced him with the returning Hardik Pandya. And as it turned out, the move has backfired immensely. MI are languishing at the bottom of the IPL 2024 points table and on the verge of being the first team officially get eliminated from the race to the Playoffs. Rohit’s own form has been a bit of a letdown as well. With 326 runs from 11 matches, including a century, Rohit has an average of 32.6 and a strike rate of 154.5. While he may be set to better his previous season, Rohit is still not on par with the standard he has set for himself and cricket fans all over the world. When asked if she would entertain having MS Dhoni aboard Punjab Kings, Zinta also spoke about her love and admiration towards the CSK captain. Reflecting on Sunday’s game, the actor revealed she underwent a bittersweet emotion as PBKS emerged second best in the return match-up. “Everyone wants him, and everyone is his fan, including me. Yesterday was bittersweet. I wanted us to win and him to hit some big sixes, but we lost, and he got out. The only bright spot was that our bowlers did so well in restricting them, but eventually, it was not enough,” she added. Zinta’s PBKS is one of the original eight franchises to have never won an IPL title – Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru being the other two. In 16 years, PBKS have qualified for the Playoffs just twice, with their best show coming in 2015, where they finished runner-up to Kolkata Knight Riders. The wait to land an elusive IPL title can be painstakingly long, but Zinta manages to keep her spirits high. “Trust me, no one wants to know that more than I do, but I believe we will win it one day… Hopefully sooner than later,” she wrote.

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'The one who completes me': Jasprit Bumrah's heartfelt birthday note to wife Sanjana Ganesan | Cricket News

‘The one who completes me’: Jasprit Bumrah’s heartfelt birthday note to wife Sanjana Ganesan | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah took a break from the rigors of the IPL to celebrate a special occasion, penning a heartfelt note for his wife, Sanjana Ganesan, on her birthday.In a touching gesture shared on social media, Bumrah expressed his love and appreciation for his wife, emphasizing her role in completing him and making the world a wonderful place. “Happy Birthday to my person, the one who completes me and with her by my side the world is a wonderful place. Angad and I wish you have the best birthday, with lots of love and cuddles from us,” Bumrah wrote, accompanied by a beautiful photo. Amidst Bumrah’s personal celebration, the Mumbai Indians find themselves in a precarious position in the ongoing IPL 2024, battling to salvage their pride after a disappointing season. With eight defeats in eleven matches, including four consecutive losses, Mumbai Indians languish at the bottom of the tournament table, struggling to replicate their past successes.Despite the team’s struggles, Bumrah has been a standout performer, leading the Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack with distinction, claiming 17 wickets in 11 matches at an impressive average of 16.11. However, Mumbai Indians’ reliance on Bumrah underscores the collective underperformance of their star players, contributing to their dismal season.In contrast, Sunrisers Hyderabad, currently positioned at No. 4 with 12 points in 10 matches, are poised for a playoff berth, rejuvenating their campaign with promising performances. As they face off against Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad aim to further solidify their playoff aspirations, presenting a formidable challenge to their opponents.

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MS Dhoni and Jitesh Sharma repeat 12-year-old unwanted feat in PBKS vs CSK clash – India TV

MS Dhoni and Jitesh Sharma repeat 12-year-old unwanted feat in PBKS vs CSK clash – India TV

Image Source : BCCI/IPL MS Dhoni and Jitesh Sharma Chennai Super Kings (CSK) might have won the match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 28 runs but the fans were disappointed to see their talisman MS Dhoni bag a golden duck. As expected, there was a huge roar when the former CSK skipper came out to bat at number nine in the 19th over but the joy was short-lived for the fans with Harshal Patel becoming the first bowler to dismiss Dhoni in IPL 2024. This was also only the fourth golden duck for Dhoni in his much-celebrated IPL career. It was a brilliant delivery from Harshal that uprooted the batter’s stumps with even the 42-year-old appreciating the delivery while walking back to the dugout. Interestingly enough, Punjab Kings wicket-keeper Jitesh Sharma also bagged a golden duck with pacer Simarjeet Singh getting rid of him in the 10th over of the innings. Overall, this was only the second time that both wicketkeeper-batters bagged a golden duck in the an IPL match. Dhoni and Jitesh registered this unwanted record after 12 years with the first such instance happening way back in IPL 2012. Dinesh Karthik and Sreevats Goswami were the ones to do it for the first time in the MI vs RR clash 12 years ago. Instances when both wicketkeeper-batters bagged a golden duck in IPL Players Match IPL Season MS Dhoni, Jitesh Sharma PBKS vs CSK IPL 2024 Dinesh Karthik, Sreevats Goswami MI vs RR IPL 2012 As far as the overall record is concerned, this is only the fifth time that wicketkeepers of both teams bagged a duck with the bat in an IPL match. It last happened in the clash between Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad last year. Both wicketkeepers dismissed for a duck in an IPL game RR vs MI, Jaipur, 2010 MI vs RR, Mumbai WS, 2012 MI vs SRH, Mumbai WS, 2018 GT vs DC, Ahmedabad, 2023 PBKS vs CSK, Dharamsala, 2024

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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Jake Fraser-McGurk's time will come: Josh Hazlewood on DC opener's T20 World Cup snub

Jake Fraser-McGurk’s time will come: Josh Hazlewood on DC opener’s T20 World Cup snub

Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood opened up on Jake Fraser-McGurk’s snub from the T20 World Cup 2024, saying that the DC opener’s time in Australian colours will come. However, Hazlewood lamented that neither he nor Steven Smith could be included in Australia’s 15-man T20 World Cup squad, admitting that Smith’s leadership and experience will be sorely missed in the Caribbean. Australia’s selectors sparked a debate last week by leaving Fraser-McGurk and Smith out of the 15-man squad. The Australian fans were furious that the 22-year-old T20 sensation had been overlooked despite his outstanding IPL performance. Notably, Fraser-McGurk has scored 259 runs in the first six innings of the IPL 2024, at an average of 43.16 and a strike rate of 158.56, with three half-centuries to his name. On his IPL debut, the 22-year-old hit a phenomenal 55 off 35 balls against LSG before going on to score an incredible 84 (27) against MI. “The way he goes about it is quite special, just the ball striking,” Hazlewood said. “Where do you fit him in? It’s so tough to fit into that top order with what we’ve got there with experience with Travis [Head], Mitch [Marsh] and Davey [Warner] in the top three, and then the middle order’s pretty good as well. “He’ll definitely get his time. He’s only young. He’ll be in the team sooner rather than later, I think.” IPL 2024 Full Coverage | IPL 2024 Points Table and Standings | 2024 IPL Full Schedule Hazlewood thought Smith was unlucky to miss out, given his batting ability in spinning circumstances and leadership experience. “Probably someone like Marshy will miss him being captain and just having another player on the field like Smudge [Smith] who you can just turn to at any time and get his advice,” Hazlewood said. “Obviously his batting and fielding as well. The conditions potentially could have suited his game and it’s always like picking up the pieces from a bad start is his job, but I think the way we’ve seen him bat for the Sixers [in the BBL], there’s a spot at the top as well, but again, you just can’t squeeze everyone in.” Hazlewood has been absent from the IPL this year, despite being a highly sought-after bowler in previous years. He was not selected at the auction because his availability was limited, and he wanted to be home for the birth of his son during the early stages of the tournament. He continued to bowl while at home in the hopes of being called up as an injury replacement in the IPL, but no such opportunity arose. Published By: Saurabh Kumar Published On: May 6, 2024

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'Maaro bhai, dono maarenge...': Rishabh Pant recalls special IPL moment with Sanju Samson | Cricket News

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

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.

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MS Dhoni: 'Come on mate, bat for four overs': Irfan Pathan questions MS Dhoni's batting position in IPL 2024 | Cricket News

MS Dhoni: ‘Come on mate, bat for four overs’: Irfan Pathan questions MS Dhoni’s batting position in IPL 2024 | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan expressed bewilderment at Chennai Super Kings’ decision to persistently utilize veteran batter MS Dhoni in a lower batting order position, despite his solid form and the team’s fluctuating match situations.During CSK’s encounter against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala, Pathan observed Dhoni entering the fray as low as No. 9, with just eight balls remaining in their innings, a move that left him perplexed.“I know that he is 42, but he is in solid form. He should be taking the responsibility of batting up the order. He should bat for at least four to five overs,” Pathan remarked on Star Sports.Pathan emphasized the need for Dhoni to assume a more prominent batting role, particularly earlier in the innings, rather than being confined to a brief cameo in the final overs. “He is batting for the last over or last 2 overs and that doesn’t serve the purpose for CSK for a long term,” Pathan added.Dhoni’s dismissal for a golden duck further underscored the questionable decision-making regarding his batting position. Pathan highlighted the significance of Dhoni’s contributions, especially in critical match scenarios, urging CSK to reassess their strategy and optimize Dhoni’s batting potential.Acknowledging Dhoni’s impact in previous matches, Pathan stressed the necessity for a proactive approach in utilizing his expertise, especially considering CSK’s playoff aspirations. “When the team needed him, you can’t send Shardul Thakur ahead of yourself. They need to work out something; someone has to tell Dhoni, ‘Come on mate, bat for four overs’,” Pathan added.

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Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals Today Match Prediction & Live Odds - IPL 2024

Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals Today Match Prediction & Live Odds – IPL 2024

Get to Know Who will win Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2024 Match and toss Prediction with Head to Head stats, Playing 11, CBTFJSK Tips, Live score, Win Probability & winning percentage. 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 : Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 : May 07, 2024𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 : 19:30 IST / 14:00 GMT𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 : Arun Jaitley Stadium – New Delhi, India𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 : IPL 2024 Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals Betting Tips Jake Frazer McGurk has been mighty impressive. He scored 84 in 27 balls when he last played in Delhi. He can be backed as DC top batter. Kuldeep Yadav is Capitals’ best spinner, with 12 wickets. He is our preferred pick for the top bowler.Riyan Parag has been very consistent for RR, scoring over 400 runs. He played a brilliant knock of 77 in the last game against SRH. Back him as RR top batter. Sandeep Sharma has a habit of getting early wickets and given that DC like to score quick runs in powerplay, he has a great chance of picking a few wickets with the new ball. Back him as RR top bowler.The ground has seen some massive runs being scored. It is one venue where scoring a hundred is not that difficult in T20 games. We feel a hundred will be scored in the game between two batting heavy teams. Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals TV channels: The fans can watch the match live on Hotstar Live Streaming: Live streaming of the match will be available on the FAFA191 Cricket Exchange India and website. Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals T20 Match Prediction & Betting Tips, IPL 2024 Delhi Capitals will play Rajasthan Royals in the 56th match of the IPL 2024. The game will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi and will start at 7:30 PM IST on May 7th. Deli Capitals have managed to hold on to their dream of playing IPL 2024 playoffs after picking some form late in the tournament. The team has five wins in 11 games but four out of those wins have come in last six matches. If Delhi Capitals can win the remaining three games, they will qualify for the playoffs and that will be a massive achievement. Meanwhile, RR have been unstoppable. With 8 wins in 10 games, they have already qualified for the IPL 2024 playoffs.  RR have lost two games but they were the favourites to win both those games as well. They lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by just 1 run in a chase of 202. The batting, bowling has been top notch and at the moment, RR look red hot favourite to win the tournament. Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals Match Toss PredictionToss could be crucial as teams have preferred to chase in Delhi. It is a small ground and even a score of 230-240 is not a safe total here. Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals Pitch ReportThe wicket at the Arun Jaitley Stadium has been a graveyard for bowlers. DC scored 257-4 in the last game here and MI almost chased the target, losing by just 10 runs. Anything under 230 should be a very easy chase here. Delhi Weather ReportThe temperatures have gone up in north and it will hover around the 30 degree mark in evening. The humidity will be 18 per cent while wind speed will be 11 km/h Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds, and match prediction for Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals, Indian Premier League 2024

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

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

 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.”

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