IPL 2024

IPL 2024 | Shikhar Dhawan to remain unavailable for PBKS vs CSK clash, confirms Sunil Joshi

Danijones6 months ago04 mins

PBKS spin bowling coach Sunil Joshi has given a major update on their captain Shikhar Dhawan’s injury ahead of their next clash against CSK on Sunday, May 5 at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala. Speaking to the media in the pre-match press conference, Joshi revealed that the 38-year-old has made rapid progress in rehabilitation and is being closely monitored. However, the southpaw won’t be available in the upcoming fixture but Joshi hoped that the skipper is likely to be fit for the last two matches of the season. Notably, Dhawan last played this season during Punjab’s fifth fixture against SRH on April 9 at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Chandigarh. Since then, a shoulder injury has forced him out of action. “Shikhar, he’s under rehab, for this game he isn’t available and is being monitored closely. Hopefully, he should be back for the last two games,” said Joshi in the pre-match press conference. Sam Curran has done well as a leader: Joshi Further speaking ahead, Joshi rued Dhawan’s absence but lauded Sam Curran for doing a fantastic job by filling in the skipper’s shoes. “It happened last year as well. Shikhar was in form in the first five games and then again he got injured and then again Sam came in as a replacement. In fact, I should not be saying that it has been repeated the same way. We didn’t want it to happen. Nevertheless, I think he has done well as a leader and he has stepped up as a leader too with the team,” he added. Before getting injured, Dhawan scored 252 runs from five innings at an average of 30.40 and a strike rate of 125.61 with one fifty to his name. In his absence, Curran didn’t have a memorable beginning as a skipper, with Punjab losing three games on the trot. However, the team made a brilliant comeback by winning their last two fixtures, which included the highest successful run chase in the history of the tournament against KKR in Match 42. Meanwhile, Punjab are currently placed in the sixth spot on the points table with four wins from ten matches, having eight points to their name. They will be eager to win all of their remaining four fixtures to stay in contention for the playoffs. Published By: Saurabh Kumar Published On: May 4, 2024

Mitchell Starc defends his numbers after his best spell in IPL 2024 – India TV

Danijones6 months ago04 mins

Image Source : BCCI/IPL Mitchell Starc during the MI vs KKR IPL 2024 post-match press conference at Wankhede Stadium on May 3, 2024 Kolkata Knight Riders produced an impressive all-round performance to end Mumbai Indians’ hopes to secure playoff qualification in the IPL 2024 on Friday. Venkatesh Iyer and Mitchell Starc emerged as heroes to help Kolkata further strengthen their second position in the points table with a 24-run win at Wankhede Stadium. Venkatesh Iyer claimed the Player of the Match award for his 70 runs off 52 balls innings but Starc stole the limelight with his late match-winning spell. The Australian pacer gave KKR a breakthrough with Ishan Kishan’s early wicket and then picked three wickets in the penultimate over to bowl out Mumbai on just 145. Starc’s four wickets for 33 figures significantly boosted his concerning numbers in the IPL 2024. Arriving at Eden Gardens with a record price stage of INR 24.75 crore, Starc managed to pick only two wickets in his first four innings but has made a stunning comeback with nine wickets in his last five innings. While answering media questions in the post-match presser, the 34-year-old left-arm pacer admitted that he wanted to impress from the beginning of the tournament but pointed out that he is not the only bowler struggling in the IPL. “As T20 cricket doesn’t always go the way you want it to go, and of course, I wanted to go a bit better at the start,” Mitchell Starc said after Kolkata’s win over Mumbai on Friday. “But I am not the only bowler going for runs. It is what it is. The fact that we sit second [on the points table] and are building towards the more important games at the back end and are playing some good cricket, hopefully, I can be a part of it too.” Starc also shared his thoughts on the impact substitute rule and how it is not doing any favour to bowlers. Teams have already managed to post 250-plus totals on a record eight times this season and bowlers are getting criticized for their expensive spells. “The Impact Player rule changes things a fair bit. Everyone gets to bat a lot deeper having a batting and a bowling XI. There’s a lot made of that rule throughout the tournament and there’s been a lot of high scores, which is the nature of the wickets and the grounds we play on here. When you have batters and batting allrounders come in at Nos. 8 or 9, it’s a long batting line-up,” Starc added. Starc has now picked 11 wickets in nine innings at an economy rate of 11.40 in the tournament and will next seen in action against Lucknow Super Ginats at Ekana Cricket Stadium on May 5.

‘KKR had no right to win…’: Former Aussie all-rounder makes bold statement | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago04 mins

NEW DELHI: Following the Mumbai Indians’ clash with the Kolkata Knight Riders, Australian World Cup-winning all-rounder Shane Watson commented that the Kolkata-based franchise did not deserve to win the match due to their initial loss of five wickets in quick succession.KKR secured a 24-run victory against MI at the Wankhede Stadium, powered by an impressive 83-run partnership between Venkatesh Iyer and Manish Pandey, complemented by Mitchell Starc‘s outstanding bowling performance, claiming figures of 4-33.This win marked Kolkata Knight Riders’ first victory at the Wankhede Stadium in 12 years, bringing them closer to the playoff spots in the tournament.The former Australian cricketer emphasized that the Knight Riders had little justification for winning the match after losing their first five wickets so quickly in their encounter against the five-time champions MI.“KKR had no right to win that game tonight after the position they were in five wickets down. It just shows the fight that they have and also just some of the things that happened. Some of the decisions that were made whether that was bowling changes or batting lineup deployment, some of those decisions were very baffling just to really give KKR the upper hand in a game that was just on a knife’s edge at certain times,” Watson said on Jio Cinema.The 42-year-old further mentioned that this victory would significantly boost the confidence of the Shreyas Iyer-led side.“Look that will give KKR so much confidence to know that they don’t have to be at their very best and be in a position where the game was nearly done and they’ve got the fight and determination to find their way to actually get on the right side of the result,” the two-time IPL champion added.Coming to the match, put to bat first, a solid partnership stand of 83 runs between Venkatesh Iyer (70 off 52) and Manish Pandey (42 off 31) guided KKR to 169. For MI, Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers at 3 for 18 in 3.5 overs with two wickets in one over.In reply, MI were bundled out for 145. Starc made a terrific comeback in the tournament returning with a figure of 4-33 in just 3.5 spells, handing KKR a 24-run victory. Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine both finished with identical figures of 2/22, including some big wickets in the first half of the chase which put KKR on top in the match.Following the win, KKR stand in second place on IPL 2024 standings with 14 points. Meanwhile, MI hold ninth place with 6 points by their name.KKR will next take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday.(With ANI inputs)

IPL 2024: Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai Indians can still qualify for playoffs – Here is how | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago04 mins

NEW DELHI: Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI) are currently struggling in the IPL 2024 standings, occupying the ninth position with six points and a net run rate of -0.356 after winning only three out of their eleven matches. Although their chances of finishing in the top three have diminished, they still have an opportunity to qualify for the playoffs.In their recent encounter against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday, MI suffered a 24-run defeat.To secure a playoff berth, Pandya’s team must win their remaining three matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), KKR, and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), accumulating 12 points from 14 matches.However, their qualification also depends on the results of other teams. MI cannot surpass Rajasthan Royals (RR) and KKR in the standings, as they have already amassed 16 and 14 points respectively after playing 10 matches each. Similarly, they will remain below SRH and LSG, who have already secured 12 points. MI’s only chance of finishing fourth is if LSG loses all their remaining four matches against KKR, SRH, Delhi Capitals (DC), and MI.Furthermore, MI will closely monitor the performance of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), DC, Gujarat Titans (GT), Punjab Kings (PBKS), and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), hoping that they do not exceed the 12-point mark and maintain a lower net run rate in IPL 2024.In the match between MI and KKR, Mumbai opted to field first. A strong partnership of 83 runs between Venkatesh Iyer (70 off 52) and Manish Pandey (42 off 31) propelled KKR to a total of 169. Jasprit Bumrah’s impressive spell of 3 for 18 in 3.5 overs, including a double-wicket over, was a highlight for MI. In response, MI were bowled out for 145. Starc made a remarkable comeback, claiming 4 wickets for 33 runs in just 3.5 overs, leading KKR to a 24-run victory. Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine also contributed with identical figures of 2/22, taking crucial wickets in the first half of the chase, which put KKR in a commanding position.Following their victory, KKR now hold the second position in the IPL 2024 standings with 14 points, while MI remain in ninth place with 6 points. MI’s next match is against SRH on Monday at the Wankhede Stadium.(Inputs from ANI)

IPL-17: LSG vs KKR | Playoffs hopeful Lucknow Super Giants wary of dominant Kolkata Knight Riders’ all-round firepower

Danijones6 months ago07 mins

Lucknow Super Giants will have to bring their ‘A’ game forward to prevail against a dominant Kolkata Knight Riders when the two teams, marching towards IPL playoffs, clash in Lucknow on May 5. With an all-round win by 24 runs over Mumbai Indians propelling the second-placed KKR to 14 points — one more step closer to qualification — the pressure will be on KL Rahul’s LSG to find a way past the threat that Shreyas Iyer’s side poses. Lucknow Super Giants are placed just one rung below KKR at number three with 12 points from 10 matches with six wins and four defeats. With a rampant Sunrisers Hyderabad (12 points) hot on heir heels at fourth, followed by the dangerous Chennai Super Kings (10 points) and Delhi Capitals (10 points) on the points table, LSG will be under pressure to avoid getting into a mid-table battle as the race for the final-four has intensified. LSG were far from convincing in their previous assignment at Ekana Stadium here as they were made to work hard in a modest 145-run chase by Mumbai Indians, winning by just four wickets in the last over. Skipper Rahul and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis have been the key players for LSG and it remains to be seen if South Africa veteran Quinton de Kock is brought back in place of young Arshin Kulkarni, who opened the innings in the last game. Even though he has gone without a fifty since the first game, Nicholas Pooran has consistently notched up crucial scores but LSG’s overall finishing skills is under question following their struggles against Mumbai Indians. LSG seemed to have made heavy weather towards the end giving MI a real sniff by losing wickets in a flurry and completing their modest chase with some stutter. Ayush Badoni has had a subdued run in this IPL and the uncapped Indian player would be keen to shrug off the rustiness. LSG’s bowlers will also face a stern test with none of them making a real dent with individual brilliance in this IPL. LSG are also likely to be without express pacer Mayank Yadav. Having lost only three of their 11 matches so far, it has taken something out of the ordinary to stop KKR in their tracks. CSK used a spin-friendly surface to eke out a win in Chepauk, while RR’s all-round class helped them pip KKR in a high-scoring thriller. If anything, KKR’s bowling woes were exposed when Punjab Kings recorded IPL’s highest chase ever against them, but Iyer’s side has emerged strongly from that setback with two impressive wins. However, having trumped MI on a sluggish wicket which exposed their batting frailties, KKR will aim for a much improved performance with the bat. For the second time in this IPL, KKR batters struggled when the ball did not come on to the bat and they were forced to change gears in order to build a strong target. KKR slipped to 57 for five at one stage and ran the risk of being shot out for a paltry total, but Venkatesh Iyer (70) and Manish Pandey (42) came to the rescue with a fine 83-run stand. Iyer and Pandey were forced to soak pressure, curb their attacking game and look to farm the strike to build a recovery path for their side before the bowlers carried out a perfect job to secure a 24-run win. Teams (from): Lucknow Super Giants: Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul (c & wk), Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Shamar Joseph, Yash Thakur, Manimaran Siddharth, Prerak Mankad, Arshad Khan, Krishnappa Gowtham, Amit Mishra, Kyle Mayers, Ashton Turner, Matt Henry, Naveen-ul-Haq, Devdutt Padikkal, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Mayank Yadav, Arshin Kulkarni. Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (c), KS Bharat (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Chetan Sakariya, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, Sakib Hussain, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Gus Atkinson, Allah Ghazanfar, Phil Salt. Match starts 7:30pm IST.

IPL-17: PBKS vs CSK | Chennai Super Kings eye payback in second successive clash against Punjab Kings

Danijones6 months ago07 mins

Defending champions Chennai Super Kings will look to set their house in order and get back to winning ways when they face an upbeat yet unpredictable Punjab Kings for the second time in a row in the IPL in Dharamsala on May 5. Just three days back, PBKS outclassed CSK by seven wickets at Chepauk, considered their fortress. The two losses in the last three games at home have put Chennai in a spot. They are placed fifth on the table with 10 points and the five-time champions will hope the change of venue would bring a change in fortune as well with just four games to go to seal their place in the knockout stage. CSK’s failure to push the pace in the middle overs against the spin duo of Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar saw them post a below-par score of 162-7. Their batting has become too dependent on skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and six-hitting machine Shivam Dube and the moment one of them fails, it puts the pressure on others who have not been consistent in bailing out the team. While Gaikwad hit his fifth 50-plus score of the season to hold it together, veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane once again failed to capitalise on the starts, while Ravindra Jadeja and Sameer Rizvi struggled against spin. CSK also has been hampered by the health and fitness concerns of their pacers, including Deepak Chahar, who limped off holding his hamstring after bowling just two balls and is likely to miss the reverse clash against PBKS. The absence of their frontline bowlers, Matheesha Pathirana (niggle) and Tushar Deshpande (flu), also didn’t help matters the other day. Add to that the dew factor which took the spinners out of the equation and PBKS romped home comfortably. While Richard Gleeson made his IPL debut in the last match, CSK might bring back Mukesh Choudhary. Punjab Kings, on the other hand, have seen a resurgence as they registered back-to-back wins to re-ignite their playoffs hopes. En route to their win over CSK, Punjab became the second team after Mumbai Indians to beat the defending champions five times in a row and they will fancy their chances. Punjab remains an unpredictable side as although it notched up wins over Gujarat in Ahmedabad, Chennai at Chepauk and also chased down a T20 record score against KKR, it has struggled at home against RR, SRH and Gujarat. With back-to-back wins, PBKS climbed to seventh spot with 8 points and will need to carry the momentum to salvage their slim hopes. Jonny Bairstow, who made a hundred against KKR, will be their go-to man, while Rilee Rossouw, Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh too have to raise their hands. PBKS’ bowling department has experienced names such as Kagiso Rabada, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Sam Curran and they need to be consistent. Rabada was brilliant the other day but others have gone for runs. If PBKS has to repeat their performance against CSK then the spinners — Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar — will have to deliver once again. Interestingly, the first IPL match in Dharmasala stadium was a clash between Chennai and Punjab in 2010. The venue offers a lot of runs and dew remains a factor, making it an enticing contest. Teams Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Aravelly Avanish, 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 and Sameer Rizvi. Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Matthew Short, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sikandar Raza, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, Harshal Patel, Chris Woakes, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Shashank Singh, Tanay Thyagarajan, Prince Choudhary, Rilee Rossouw. Match starts: 3.30 PM.

Venkatesh Iyer asks Mitchell Starc where was he hiding Alyssa Healy after match-winning spell vs MI

Danijones6 months ago04 mins

KKR and star Australia seamer Mitchell Starc had a phenomenal outing during Match 51 of the Indian Premier League 2024 against MI as he picked 4/33 in 3.5 overs. Notably, the 34-year-old’s spouse and Australian women’s team skipper Alyssa Healy was also present at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai as Starc picked three wickets in his last over to set up a 24-run victory for KKR. Following the match-winning spell by the most expensive player in the history of the league, Starc’s KKR teammate Venkatesh Iyer hilariously asked him where he had been hiding his lady luck all this while. The speedster replied that Healy had been at home since she had been on the road for a long time due to international commitments. “Mitch very well bowled but I have to ask you where were you hiding Alyssa Healy till now,” asked Iyer in the post-match chat posted by IPL. “She’s been at home because she’s been on the road for a while so now she’s here but she stayed till the end so hopefully that’s a good sign,” Starc replied. IPL 2024 Full Coverage | IPL 2024 Points Table and Standings | 2024 IPL Full Schedule Further speaking ahead, the left-arm seamer spoke about his plans in the finishing over where he got the prized scalp of Tim David (24 off 20) which sealed the win for his side. “I was watching a little bit of video and talking a few people and trying to change a few things. I haven’t felt like it’s been going wrong. Nice to get a few in the right areas tonight with a bit of rhythm and close out the game which is nice. The last over, obviously Timmy (Tim David) got hold of that first ball and then just tried to stay step ahead trying to get those wide yorkers in there and missed on the fuller side. I think its equal, the spinners in the middle is a fantastic spell of overs there. They just really strangled the innings in the middle and really made it a lot easy for us at the back end,” he added. In the nine matches played in the season so far, Mitchell Starc has picked 11 wickets at an average of 33 and an economy of 11.40 with best figures of 4/33. Earlier, he also registered match-winning figures of 2/25 vs DC and 3/28 vs LSG. Published By: Saurabh Kumar Published On: May 4, 2024

‘In my cricket life, MS Dhoni is playing my father’s role’ | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

Ever since asking Joginder Sharma to bowl the final over of the 2007 T20 World Cup against Pakistan, former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and India captain MS Dhoni has been known to putting his trust into young players and turning them into champion performers, and Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana is experiencing something similar at CSK in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season.IPL 2024: Results | Points TableHaving a slingy action similar to Sri Lankan fast-bowling legend Lasith Malinga, Pathirana is currently fifth on the list of top wicket-takers in this IPL season, with 13 wickets in six matches.He finished among the top 10 bowlers in the 2023 season as well.He credits that success to the confidence shown in him by Dhoni, who handed over CSK captaincy duties to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of IPL 2024. WATCH VIDEO “After my father, in my cricket life, mostly he (Dhoni) is playing my father’s role because he is always taking care of me, giving me advice, what I have to do, similar to my father when I am at home,” said Pathirana on the latest episode of ‘Lions Upclose’.Pathirana further revealed that Dhoni doesn’t say much and always stresses on the need to enjoying the game and taking care of fitness. “He’s not telling a lot of things when I am on the field and off the field. He tells just small tings, but it makes a lot of difference. So those little things, I take a lot of confidence (from),” said the 21-year-old Sri Lankan pacer. “In my cricket life, Dhoni’s like my father”| Lions up close Ft. Matheesha Pathirana “Off the field, we don’t talk that much; but if I have to ask something from him, definitely I would go to him and ask. Everytime he is telling me ‘enjoy your game and take care of your body’.” The pacer from Trinity College in Kandy then slipped in quiet request that is on every CSK fan’s wish-list. “Mahi bhai, if you can play one more season, please play with us. If I’m here (laughs).”

Why did Rohit Sharma play as Impact Player against Kolkata Knight Riders? Piyush Chawla reveals reason – India TV

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

Image Source : PTI Rohit Sharma alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Ishan Kishan. Rohit Sharma’s absence from Mumbai Indians’ playing XI in the 51st game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 17 raised many eyebrows and opened up room for speculation. The absence of “The Hitman” left many fans bemused as Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to field first against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on their home turf (Wankhede Stadium) in Mumbai. However, the anxiety of fans came to a pleasant end as the former Mumbai Indians skipper made his way to the wicket alongside his opening partner Ishan Kishan to get the chase underway for the hosts. Though Rohit didn’t last long and got out to Sunil Narine while attempting a pull, his arrival at the crease brought assurance to the hearts of the apprehensive fans. Mumbai lost the clash by 24 runs but are still alive in the race to the playoffs, barely though. With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 fast approaching, Team India can’t afford to lose Rohit to injury and hence the apprehension of fans is understandable. However, Mumbai’s veteran leg-spinner Piyush Chawla revealed that there are no major concerns with Rohit’s fitness and his inclusion in the game as an Impact Sub was just a precautionary measure. “Rohit had a mild back stiffness. So, just as a precaution he was brought in as an Impact Player,” Chawla revealed during the post-match presentation Chawla’s statement has allayed the fears of the Indian cricket fans who want to see Rohit lead the team from the front at ICC’s marquee tournament. The winners of the inaugural edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup have been placed in Group A alongside the co-hosts USA, arch-rivals Pakistan, Canada and Ireland. India begin their campaign against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 5.

IPL 2024: Why Rohit Sharma played as an impact sub in Mumbai Indians-Kolkata Knight Riders clash | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago05 mins

NEW DELHI: Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla stated that India captain and Mumbai Indians opener Rohit Sharma was compelled to play as an impact substitute in the IPL match against Kolkata Knight Riders because of a “mild back stiffness”.IPL ORANGE CAP | IPL PURPLE CAP | IPL POINTS TABLETheir 24-run defeat against KKR, in which Rohit was an impact substitute, saw him score just 11 runs in 12 balls in the second innings. This loss almost saw the five-time winners eliminated from the IPL this year.“He just had a mild back stiffness so it was just a precautionary thing,” Chawla told the media after the match here at the Wankhede Stadium.Mumbai’s eighth loss in 11 games has put an end to the Hardik Pandya-led team, and Chawla also acknowledged that their only remaining motivation is “pride”. “For the pride and the reputation, because sometimes when you enter on the field, you don’t think whether you are going to qualify or you are not going to qualify,” he said.“You have to play for your name and that’s what we are playing for,” he added.MI’s lack of momentum throughout this IPL season, according to Chawla, is the cause of their subpar play.“You must have often heard about that T20 is all about momentum and just that we didn’t get that momentum going this season and it can happen to any team,” he said. “It’s not like it’s happening to us for the first time or any other team for the second time. It can happen to anyone and it’s just that that momentum was not our way.”On Friday, the 35-year-old Chawla overtook Dwayne Bravo to claim 184 wickets, becoming him the second-highest wicket-taker in the IPL.“It has been a beautiful journey because IPL started 17 years back and at that time nobody gave that much preference to the spinners, but now if you see that in top few wicket takers in India, especially all the spinners, Ashwin, Yuzhi, myself (are there), so it’s a good feeling,” he said. In addition, Chawla commended Manish Pandey for his performance in his first game of the season despite being under pressure. As KKR scored 169 all out in 19.5 overs, Pandey (42) and Venkatesh Iyer (70) shared 83 runs for the sixth wicket.“It was a good partnership and credit has to go to them because they batted beautifully. Well, T20 is something in which experience plays a big role, (which is) what we saw today.“When Manish walked in, maybe if somebody walks in who must have played few games, he would have panicked that runs are not coming.“But he read the situation and the way he handled the situation because if you see in starting, he was hardly going at run a ball. But later on, he knew that he has to stand there with Venky.” (With PTI inputs)