IPL 2024

IPL: Rohit Sharma’s form a concern for India and Mumbai Indians ahead of Sunrisers Hyderabad clash | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago05 mins

MUMBAI: In an IPL where arguments and counterarguments about Virat Kohli’s strike rate have hogged the limelight, the patchy form of Team India captain Rohit Sharma has flown under the radar.Going into the T20 World Cup next month, Rohit is aware that he could do with some runs and time in the middle under his belt, starting with Monday night’s tie for the Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium.When he was removed from MI captaincy before this season, head coach Mark Boucher had hoped that the decision would allow Rohit, who was in fine touch going into IPL, to “play more freely and take his team to the playoffs.”However, things haven’t exactly panned out the same way for the man who led MI to five IPL titles, but whose IPL form has been a concern for a few years now owing to his tendency to be over-aggressive from ball one. Since he slammed a century (105 not out off 63 balls) — his first in the IPL in more than a decade — against the Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on April 14 in a 20-run defeat — Rohit’s scores have been 36, 6, 8, 4 and 11. Before that, his sequence of scores in the tournament read 43, 26, 0, 49 & 38. Overall, the 37-year-old has managed 326 runs in 11 [email protected] so far in IPL-2024.In his last match against Kolkata Knight Riders, Rohit didn’t even field due to a mild back issue and only came to bat as an ‘Impact Player.’There is a fair chance that given that the T20 World Cup is around the corner, the veteran opener would again turn out for MI as an ‘Impact Player’- ironic since he himself has been critical of the rule!At the selection presser, India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar had made it clear that his committee pitched in for “experience” while picking the World Cup-bound squad, but Rohit’s poor IPL form does present a concern. If Rohit finds his form, it will help MI, down and knocked out of the competition, salvage some of their battered pride. Although they lost their first eight matches on the trot in 2022, this somehow feels the worst season for MI in their history. Having suffered as many as eight defeats — four on the trot going into this game — in 11 matches, they languish at the last spot in the 10-team tournament.While rumours and talk of their dressing room not being a happy place refuse to die, their big guns, barring pace ace Jasprit Bumrah (17 wickets in 11 [email protected]) have failed to fire right through.Placed far better at No 4 with 12 points in 10 matches (six wins and four defeats), the Sunrisers will eye another win which strengthens their playoff hopes.For perhaps the first time since they reached the final in 2018, SRH, the 2016 IPL winners, are looking impressive.Led astutely by Pat Cummins, they possess the tournament’s most dangerous batting line-up in openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, followed by Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy (smashed 76 not out off just 42 balls in the last match). Head’s contest with Bumrah has the potential to light up this game. Between them, Klaasen (31) and Abhishek (28) have smashed as many as 59 sixes in IPL-2024 so far-the maximum by anyone in the competition so far.

IPL 2024 match today, MI vs SRH: Check likely XIs, head-to-head record, pitch report, and fantasy XI

Danijones6 months ago07 mins

It has been contrasting returns in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Mumbai Indians and the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The two teams came into the season with opposing moods around them. While SRH fans were feeling good about their side going all out to get World Cup-winning Australian captain Pat Cummins and then making him skipper, MI fans were dumbfounded by five-time title-winner Rohit Sharma being suddenly replaced by the returning Hardik Pandya in the position The way MI handled the situation with regards to stopping certain questions from being asked angered fans even more and this led to boos ringing out around the stadium almost every time the focus fell on Pandya. Hardik Pandya cut a rather beleaguered and frustrated figure at the end of MI’s loss to KKR in their previous match. (AFP) A number of key players, including Pandya himself, have been woefully out of form for MI. In fact, it could be argued that only pace maestro Jasprit Bumrah has delivered for the five-time champions consistently in every match. And yet, MI seem determined to give Bumrah just one over in the first 10 overs, thus often allowing opposition teams to recover from any damage that he did in the middle overs and often running away with the game. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! ALSO READ: KL Rahul laments LSG’s ‘poor performance overall’ after Lucknow Super Giants script embarrassing record vs KKR in IPL Pandya cut a rather beleaguered and frustrated figure at the end of MI’s stunning defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their last game. It marked the first time since 2012, and just the second time in the history of the IPL, that MI had lost to KKR at the Wankhede Stadium. KKR have been one of the teams to beat this season and now, MI face yet another well-oiled machine in the form of SRH. The Sunrisers come into this match on the back of a thrilling one-run win over the Rajasthan Royals, thus condemning the latter to just their second loss of the season. LSG’s loss to KKR on Sunday meant that SRH have climbed up to fourth on the league table going into this match. Meanwhile, MI are languishing at the bottom of the table. MI likely XI (if batting first) Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Nehal Wadhera, Tim David, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah MI likely XI (if bowling first) Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Tim David, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah, Nuwan Thushara Impact players: Nehal Wadhera, Nuwan Thushara SRH likely XI (if batting first) Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Anmolpreet Singh, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Marco Jansen, Pat Cummins (capt), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan SRH Likely XI (if bowling first) Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Marco Jansen, Pat Cummins (capt), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Markande, T Natarajan Impact Players: Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande, Anmolpreet Singh Head-to-head There is very little to separate the two sides with MI leading the head-to-head 12-10. MI also hold a 5-2 edge at the Wankhede Stadium. All of it may not matter though considering how this season has gone for both sides. Pitch Report The Wankhede Stadium is famous for high-scoring matches in limited-overs cricket. However, we saw a different side to it in the last match that happened here, with both MI and KKR’s spinners coming to the fore. Piyush Chawla picked up 1 for 15 in three overs, while Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy returned identical figures of 2/22 in four overs for KKR. Fantasy XI Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Nitish Reddy, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Gerald Coetzee, Pat Cummins, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah.

‘I think you have to pick your…’: Sunil Narine on his blistering knock | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: In a scintillating display, Sunil Narine‘s explosive knock of 81 runs off just 39 balls powered Kolkata Knight Riders to a dominant victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 98 runs, catapulting them to the top of the IPL table on Sunday.Narine’s blistering innings, adorned with six fours and seven sixes, steered Kolkata to a formidable total of 235-6 after they were put in to bat first in Lucknow’s final home game of the season.The Kolkata bowlers then rose to the occasion, skittling out Lucknow for just 137 runs in 16.1 overs, securing their eighth win in 11 matches and all but sealing a playoff berth. With second-placed Rajasthan Royals having played one match fewer, Kolkata’s victory firmly establishes their position at the summit of the IPL standings.Narine, who has impressed after being promoted to open by Kolkata this season, led their batting charge in a 61-run first-wicket stand with Phil Salt.“The most important thing is starting well and it’s good to have the backing of the support staff. I think you have to pick your strengths and pick your spots, sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t,” Narine, who was named Player of the match, said at the post-match presentation.Narine also showered praise on spinner Varun Chakaravarthy for taking wickets and making his job easier.“It’s going very well, Varun is picking up wickets, it’s making my job easier to keep things tight. He is a hard worker and it’s good to see him do well. The boys are anxious and eager to play, so no matter what the situation is, they are up for the challenge and they are contributing for us,” Narine added.

IPL: Kolkata Knight Riders tie with Mumbai Indians to register stunning batting record | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago02 mins

NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) continued their stellar batting display in the IPL, matching Mumbai Indians (MI) by notching up a total of six scores of 200 or more runs in a single season, a remarkable achievement in the history of the tournament.KKR achieved this milestone during their clash against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.In the match, KKR put up a formidable total of 235/6 in their allotted 20 overs, fueled by impactful contributions from Sunil Narine, Phil Salt, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, and Ramandeep Singh.Prior to this match, KKR had amassed 200-plus run totals against various opponents throughout the season, including Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Punjab Kings.This accomplishment puts KKR on par with Mumbai Indians, who achieved a similar feat during the 2023 season.Notably, KKR’s total of 235/6 against LSG is the highest score ever recorded against the franchise and at the Ekana Stadium, their home ground. This surpasses the previous record set by Gujarat Titans last season.KKR’s exceptional batting performance not only sets a new benchmark against LSG but also establishes them as a force to be reckoned with in the IPL, showcasing their prowess with the bat in hand.(With ANI inputs)

‘We are losing tosses, but…’: Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Shreyas Iyer | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago04 mins

NEW DELHI: Despite losing the toss in the majority of their IPL matches, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have continued to excel when it matters most, stated skipper Shreyas Iyer after their victory on Sunday propelled them to the top of the points table.In the match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Iyer lost his eighth toss in 11 games, yet this did not deter KKR’s performance. After being put into bat by LSG, KKR posted an imposing total of 235 for six.Their batting prowess was complemented by a strong bowling display, as they restricted the hosts to a mere 137 runs, securing another crucial win on their journey towards the playoffs.“The last 6 matches in the dressing room there has been havoc, teammates are coming in and asking skip what’s happening, we are losing tosses, but we are winning games that’s what matters,” said Iyer at the post-match presentation in Lucknow.“We had a great start in the powerplay. A lefty-righty combination makes things difficult for the opposition. It’s all about the freedom, to go out and express themselves.“We want to go out and be positive whatever the situation is, sometimes it doesn’t work out but sometimes it does.”Opener Sunil Narine smashed an unbeaten 81 off 39 balls before the bowlers did their job to script a big win.LSG need to win their remaining three games to push for a play-off spot and the do or die situation will help his team, insisted skipper KL Rahul.“We’ve made a couple of mistakes when we’ve come up against batters like Sunil and anyone that’s powerful. That type of intimidation puts pressure on our bowlers. That’ll be the chat once we get back to the dressing room – move on from this game, see where we went wrong and try and get better.“This is our last home game for us, so we are on the road for the next three games. It’s pretty clear for us, if you want to get to the top four, you got to win all the games. That will give us a little bit of freedom to go out there and be a little bit more fearless, little bit brave to take on the game,” said Rahul.(With PTI inputs)

IPL 2024, KKR vs LSG: Shreyas Iyer reveals funny ‘dressing room havoc’ after Kolkata crush Lucknow

Danijones6 months ago04 mins

Luck hasn’t been favouring Shreyas Iyer as he has lost 6 tosses in a row in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. However, Shreyas would not be complaining as KKR have moved to the top of the table after beating KL Rahul’s LSG by 98 runs on Sunday, May 5 at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. With 16 points and a net run rate of +1.453, the Knights already have a foot in the door as far as qualifying for the playoffs is concerned. After the match, Shreyas made a funny revelation around the dressing room regarding him losing tosses. LSG vs KKR, IPL 2024 Highlights “The last 6 matches in the dressing room there has been havoc, teammates are coming in and asking skip what’s happening, we are losing tosses, but we are winning games that’s what matters,” Shreyas said in the post-match presentation ceremony. IPL 2024 Full Coverage | IPL 2024 Points Table and Standings | 2024 IPL Full Schedule ‘It’s all about the freedom’ Shreyas also had words of praise for the opening duo of Sunil Narine and Phil Salt. The pair put on a handy partnership of 61 off 4.2 overs against LSG. While Salt scored 32 off 14, the left-handed Narine went on to smash 81 runs off 39 balls with 6 fours and 7 sixes. On the back of their knocks, KKR put up a huge score of 235 for 6. Shreyas said that the Knights have given Salt and Narine freedom to play their shots with freedom. “We had a great start in the powerplay. A lefty-righty combination makes thing difficult for the opposition. It’s all about the freedom, to go out and express themselves. We want to go out and be positive whatever the situation is, sometimes it doesn’t work out but sometimes it does,” Shreyas said. “They have been splendid for us, the way they are playing their shots is pure bliss. They are setting us up and giving is momentum and no matter what the situation is, we are playing with a positive mindset,” Shreyas added. KKR will next be up against Rohit Sharma’s MI on Saturday, May 11 at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Published By: sabyasachi chowdhury Published On: May 6, 2024 Tune In

IPL 2024: Simarjeet, Tushar stepping up for injury-hit CSK delights Eric Simons

Danijones6 months ago01 mins

PBKS vs CSK, IPL 2024: Speaking after the Super Kings’ 28-run win, CSK bowling consultant Eric Simons heaped praise on Tushar Deshpande and Simarjeet Singh for stepping up with the ball in the absence of Matheesha Pathirana. CSK defended a 167-run total.

Sunil Narine rules with the bat as KKR top the IPL table

Danijones6 months ago07 mins

If 200 plus runs are the new normal of this Indian Premier League, West Indies’ Sunil Narine should also take a fair amount of credit for that. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opener’s power-hitting can dictate terms to any bowling attack and on any surface, even one that was a bit slow on Sunday at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. Continuing his good run with bat and ball, Narine showed his batting might first, striking a 39-ball 81 (6×4, 7×6) – this is his third fifty while he also has a century – to propel KKR to 235/6 before taking 1/22 to help crush Lucknow Super Giants’ hopes of any meaningful response (PTI) Continuing his good run with bat and ball, Narine showed his batting might first, striking a 39-ball 81 (6×4, 7×6) – this is his third fifty while he also has a century – to propel KKR to 235/6 before taking 1/22 to help crush Lucknow Super Giants’ hopes of any meaningful response as the hosts were dismissed for 137 in 16.1 overs. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! The 98-run victory also lifted twice former champions KKR past Rajasthan Royals to the top of the points table. Narine has spoken about Gautam Gambhir, back as KKR mentor this season, giving him a free hand as a top-order enforcer. He was on song, hammering the LSG bowlers all around the ground. Like they have done several times this season, Narine and fellow opener Phil Salt put on a 61-run partnership off just 26 balls. It was their sixth fifty partnership this IPL. Though Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq ended Salt’s (32 – 14b, 5×4, 1×6) stay within the powerplay, chasing a wide delivery with KL Rahul taking an eye-catching diving catch, Narine powered on, hitting three sixes off Marcus Stoinis. Narine, whose century came against Rajasthan Royals before he scored 71 against Punjab Kings, completed his seventh IPL half-century off just 27 balls. After Salt’s dismissal, he joined young Angkrish Raghuvanshi (32, 26b) and the two added 79 runs together as KKR raced to 110/1 at the halfway mark. As the match progressed, Narine became more aggressive, especially in the last couple of overs. He could have been caught at long on, but the fielder overbalanced and stumbled over the rope to concede a six. He could have been caught again, this time at short third, but Stoinis couldn’t quite hold on as he dived and then tried to reach overhead, still letting the ball go for a boundary. Narine’s clean-hitting show ended on the last ball of the 12th over when he was caught on the long-off boundary. The KKR batters who followed him maintained the scoring momentum. Andre Russell’s 8-ball 12 (1×4, 1×6) and Rinku Singh’s 16 (11b, 2×4) kept the scoreboard racing before skipper Shreyas Iyer (23 – 15b, 3×4) and Ramandeep Singh’s unbeaten 23 in just six balls with the help of one four and three towering sixes helped the side cross the 200 mark. In fact, Singh’s innings was a treat to watch as he came at No.7 and belted in the death overs and guided KKR to the highest batting first total at the venue. LSG never looked in control though skipper Rahul and all-rounder Stoinis tried their best to accelerate, adding 50 for the second wicket, after losing young opener Arshin Kulkarni in the second over. Rahul fell for 25 (21 b, 3×4) while Stoinis stroked a 21-ball 36, containing four boundaries and two sixes. The two couldn’t make much of a difference as the side could only make 55/1 in the powerplay in contrast to KKR’s 70/1 in the first six overs. As the two fell before the half-way mark, the remaining LSG batters found the going tough against a disciplined bowling attack, especially Russell, who made perfect use of his bouncers to remove Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran (10). Harshit Rana (3/24) and Varun Chakravarthy (3/30) too bowled on a tight line and kept striking to leave LSG fifth on the table. “The most important thing is starting well,” Narine said at the presentation. “Support staff have been backing me. It’s been working for me, and I hope it does for the rest of the tournament. It’s about picking what you are going to do on that particular day with your strengths. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”

KL Rahul says ‘poor performance overall’ after succumbing to heavy defeat against KKR | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: Lucknow Super Giants bowlers first leaked 235 in a historic first at the Ekana Stadium and batters then had a disappointing run, collapsing under the scoreboard pressure as KL Rahul and Co. succumbed to a heavy 98-run defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday.Smashing the LSG bowlers left, right and centre, Sunil Narine hit a sparkling 81 which was followed by a collective effort by the bowlers as KKR restricted the hosts to 137 all out and moved to the top of the table.Skipper Rahul after the embarrassing defeat blamed an overall poor performance for the horror show in their final home game of the season.“Lot of runs. Poor performance overall. It was a big total. Like I said, It’s a poor performance with both bat and ball. Narine in powerplay puts a lot of pressure. Our bowlers couldn’t handle the pressure,” Rahul said at the post-match presentation.While the Ekana surface produced its first ever 200-plus T20 score, Rahul did not blame the pitch and conditions and said it stayed true throughout the game.“Wicket is very good. There is a bit of bounce if you bowl hard length. It wasn’t a bad pitch. 235 was 20-30 runs were above par. Our batting was poor,” Rahul added.With their fifth defeat of the season in 11 games, Lucknow were pushed to the fifth spot on the points table but Rahul said that team will look to bounce back quickly and will look to make it three out of three going ahead and finish inside top four.“Once we go back to dressing room, we move on from this game and see where we went wrong. Last home game, we are on the road for the next few games, we need to be little bit more fearless,” Rahul said.The win, on the other hand, brought KKR closer to the playoffs.Shreyas Iyer and Co. now have 8 wins in 11 matches.

LSG vs KKR, IPL 2024 Highlights: Sunil Narine shines as Kolkata Knight Riders crush Lucknow Super Giants by 98 runs, go to top of table | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago05 mins

NEW DELHI: Sunil Narine‘s dazzling half-century, combined with a strong performance from the bowlers, led Kolkata Knight Riders to a commanding 98-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL on Sunday.LSG’s decision to bowl first backfired, as KKR became the first team to score over 200 runs at the Ekana Stadium.Narine showcased his batting prowess once again, smashing 81 off 38 balls, including seven sixes and six fours, to propel KKR to an imposing total of 235/6.LSG faced a daunting chase and needed to start aggressively, but they struggled to find the big shots and were eventually bowled 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.(With inputs from PTI)