'Tu jaisa hai waisa hi rahiyo': Rajasthan Royals family congratulates 'Chintu bro' for India comeback | Cricket News

‘Tu jaisa hai waisa hi rahiyo’: Rajasthan Royals family congratulates ‘Chintu bro’ for India comeback | Cricket News

If you have to pick one player who has never stopped knocking on the doors of BCCI selectors, it has to be Sanju Samson; and the 29-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman has deservingly been rewarded with a place in India’s T20 World Cup squad.IPL 2024 STANDINGS: Points table | Orange Cap | Purple Cap The Rajasthan Royals captain, who has been leading the team by example in this IPL, has been picked in India’s squad as the second wicketkeeper-batsman besides Rishabh Pant, but both Samson and Pant have the batting credentials to be in the playing eleven as pure batsmen as well. Talking about Samson, under whom RR top the points table currently with a staggering 8 wins in 9 matches, the Kerala man sits at No. 7 on the list of top run-getters of IPL 2024 with 385 runs in 9 matches, including four half-centuries, at a strike rate of 161.08 and average of 77.0. Hailing his recall to India colours, RR posted a video on social media where Samson’s teammates are congratulating him for his T20 World Cup selection. “Congratulations my Chintu bro,” said RR leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who incidentally will also make his India comeback at the T20 World Cup. “Tu jaisa hai waisa hi rahiyo (stay the way you are). Enjoy this success. I want you to play for India for another 10 years, as well as for RR. Whatever you are doing, we are so proud of you.”Here’s what Samson’s other RR teammates had to say: The T20 World Cup is scheduled for June 2 to 29 and will be co-hosted by the West Indies and USA. India play their opening match against Ireland on June 5 in New York. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in their next match in IPL 2024 on Thursday in Hyderabad.

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Rishabh Pant: Playing for India is not a destination, it's a journey: Rishabh Pant | Cricket News

Rishabh Pant: Playing for India is not a destination, it’s a journey: Rishabh Pant | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant delved into the profound intricacies of ambition, dreams, and the perpetual journey of cricket, offering a glimpse into his remarkable resilience and unwavering determination.In a candid interview on Star Sports, Pant’s reflections on the evolution of dreams resonated deeply as he articulated, “You have some dreams which you have been seeing since childhood…Then there are some dreams which, as your life goes on, you have to give dreams to yourself.” This introspective perspective shed light on the transformative nature of aspirations, evolving from childhood fantasies to self-motivated milestones.Drawing from personal experience, Pant emphasized the necessity of setting new goals to sustain motivation and growth, stating, “As a kid I always thought I have to play for India… So I played for India, now what? You have to give yourself different dreams.” His words echoed the sentiment of continuous self-challenge and reinvention, crucial for navigating the complexities of life and sport.While acknowledging the significance of focusing on the process, Pant underscored the importance of establishing small, attainable targets in life to fuel motivation. “It is important to give yourself these small goals in life… So that we remain motivated. And this is a constant journey,” he remarked, highlighting the perpetual quest for personal and professional excellence.In a poignant analogy, Pant likened the cricketing journey to a dynamic progression rather than a static destination, asserting, “I feel cricket is not a destination. Playing for India is not a destination. It’s a journey.” His profound insight underscored the enduring commitment and continuous evolution inherent in the pursuit of sporting excellence. Pant’s introspective musings come against the backdrop of his remarkable resurgence in the cricketing arena, marked by his triumphant return to the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. This milestone follows a tumultuous period during which Pant faced a near-fatal car crash, resulting in a severe knee injury that threatened his career.Undeterred by adversity, Pant’s resilience and determination shone through as he staged a remarkable comeback to competitive cricket, dazzling fans with his explosive batting displays in the ongoing Indian Premier League. With 398 runs in 11 innings at a blistering strike rate of 158.56, Pant’s performances underscored his indomitable spirit and unwavering commitment to excellence.

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MS Dhoni: 'You can go out and express...': Gautam Gambhir praises CSK's strategy empowering MS Dhoni's impact in IPL 2024 | Cricket News

MS Dhoni: ‘You can go out and express…’: Gautam Gambhir praises CSK’s strategy empowering MS Dhoni’s impact in IPL 2024 | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer and current Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Gautam Gambhir lauded the strategic brilliance of Chennai Super Kings in harnessing the unparalleled prowess of MS Dhoni in the Indian Premier League 2024. Gambhir emphasized that CSK’s tactical approach, particularly in assigning Dhoni the finisher’s role with just 8-10 balls, has unleashed the legendary cricketer’s potential to make an immediate impact on the game.“It is a strategy of CSK (Dhoni facing just 8-10 balls) and that has given Dhoni the freedom. Different teams have different strategies and CSK has done this for the past 2-3 years. The freedom has allowed Dhoni to have an impact. When you play 20-25 balls you have that responsibility to consolidate, but when it’s just 8-10 balls you can go out there and express yourself with freedom,” expressed Gambhir in an interaction with Sportskeeda.Highlighting Dhoni’s phenomenal performance in the ongoing IPL season, Gambhir underscored the leadership similarities between Dhoni and himself during their IPL rivalry. “I feel insecurity is the biggest reason for a player’s failure. It’s not about ability. If you don’t have the ability you won’t reach the first-class, IPL, or international level in the first place. So it is important to have a secure dressing room. A secure dressing room is a happy dressing room and it eventually becomes a winning dressing room,” Gambhir remarked, reflecting on the conducive environment for players’ success. Dhoni’s batting prowess in the IPL 2024 has been nothing short of remarkable, with the veteran cricketer showcasing his unmatched skills as a finisher. Dhoni stands on the cusp of reaching a significant milestone of 250 sixes in the IPL. With a staggering strike rate of 229.16 in ten games, Dhoni’s impact on CSK’s fortunes has been undeniable.Despite a minor setback against Punjab Kings, where Dhoni (14 off 11) was run out off the final ball of the innings – his first dismissal in the season, his significance in guiding CSK through tense situations remains undiminished.

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'See the ball and hit the ball': Rilee Rossouw reveals success mantra vs Chennai Super Kings | Cricket News

‘See the ball and hit the ball’: Rilee Rossouw reveals success mantra vs Chennai Super Kings | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Key innings from Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Rossouw secured a comfortable seven-wicket victory for Punjab Kings against defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the IPL on Wednesday.Chasing a target of 163, Punjab Kings rode on Bairstow’s 46 and Rossouw’s 43 to reach the target with 13 balls to spare at Chennai’s M Chidambaram Stadium.England’s Bairstow continued his strong form from the previous match, where he scored an unbeaten 108 as Punjab chased down a record IPL target of 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.Bairstow and Rossouw, a left-handed South African batsman, stitched a 64-run stand for the second wicket to set up the successful chase.After the Punjab Kings’ win, Rossouw revealed plans he set with Bairstow against the Yellow Brigade.“Got to give credit to the bowlers, 160 on this wicket was chaseable. The way Jonny played today, hopefully, he takes this form forward and gives us the foundation to chase it down,” Rossouw said after the match.“[On plans when he was out there with Bairstow] See the ball and hit the ball, nothing really spoken about as to how many we need, just keeping it simple. [on his dismissal] Unfortunate. It was one of those things, so focussed on hitting the ball and one of those things, I missed out. It’s never over, till it’s over, we have still got the belief in the changeroom, we will focus on our game and not on the others. Hopefully things work out,” Rossouw added.Five-time winners CSK, who have won five and lost five matches in the tournament so far, are fourth in the 10-team table, led by Rajasthan Royals.Punjab Kings are now in seventh place in the points table. With 4 wins in 10 matches, Punjab Kings have 8 points to their name.

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Hardik Pandya blames top-order collapse for defeat against Lucknow Super Giants | Cricket News

Hardik Pandya blames top-order collapse for defeat against Lucknow Super Giants | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: As Mumbai Indians succumbed to their seventh defeat of the season, this time against Lucknow Super Giants, skipper Hardik Pandya said loss of early wickets led to their down fall at the Ekana. After being put in to bat by KL Rahul, MI found themselves tottering at 28 for four after powerplay with pacers Mohsin Khan, Marcus Stoinis and Naveen-ul-Haq doing the early damage. Rohit Sharma (4), Suryakumar Yadav (10), Tilak Varma (7) and Hardik (0) all fell cheaply as Ishan Kishan (32) and Nehal Wadhera (46) and Tim David (35) somehow took them to a par total.Hardik said loss of wickets in a cluster in powerplay hurt them badly and they were never able to fully recover from that. “Definitely, losing early wickets in the powerplay is tough to recover from. Where we needed the most, we could not do well,” Hardik said in the post-match presentation. On being asked if high scores this season have put more pressure on the batters early, Hardik said, “Not really, you still have to see the ball and hit. The wicket was good. The ball was there to be hit and we just missed, that sort of season for us so far. I have always believed that whenever you take to the field, sometimes you will be down, sometimes you will be up, and you have to fight. It looks difficult but there are a lot of things you can learn from this game.”Amid MI’s freefall against LSG, Wadhera stood out, notching up a solid 41-ball 46 and Hardik was quick in praising the responsible effort from the youngster. “He has been fantastic, the way he batted against Rajasthan and tonight. He did fantastic last year as well. It was because of the team combination that he could not play early. Looking at his talent, he will play for a lot of years for Mumbai and for India eventually,” Hardik added. With 7 losses in 10 matches, MI are at the ninth spot. A victory on the other hand, lifted Lucknow to third spot.

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Pat Cummins' favourite memory of Virat Kohli won't make Indian fans happy | Cricket News

Pat Cummins’ favourite memory of Virat Kohli won’t make Indian fans happy | Cricket News

Virat Kohli and Pat Cummins will face off once again in IPL 2024 on Thursday when Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) host Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, and while the camaraderie between two champion cricketers was evident during a joint training session, Cummins didn’t miss a chance to be a little cheeky when he was asked about his favourite memory of Kohli. IPL 2024: Results | Points Table In the ‘Captains Speak’ segment of a Star Sports show, Cummins, who also led Australia to the 2023 ODI World Cup triumph, was asked a few questions about Kohli as the two gear up for another match-up. “Someone who has played so much cricket, I admire him for how much he gets up for every game and gets into the contest, whether he is batting or in the field. He plays 100 days a year and he’s up for every single of those games,” Cummins said. Interestingly, Kohli was bowled by Cummins for 54 in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, which proved to be one of the game-changing moments of the title clash that Australia went on to win by six wickets. It was Australia’s record-extending sixth ODI World Cup triumph. WATCH VIDEO Possibly with that dismissal at the back of his mind, Cummins chose to be cheeky in his reply to another question.“My favourite memory of Virat? Can I say when I get him out?,” he said, and followed it up with a smile.ALSO READ: How to watch IPL in Canada In RCB’s earlier match against the Sunrisers in this IPL season, Kohli scored 42. The game saw SRH scoring IPL’s highest ever total as they put up a gigantic 287 for 3 on the board. RCB made a match of it in run-chase but ended up short (262 for 7) and lost by 25 runs. Kohli currently leads the Orange Cap standings with his tally of 379 runs in 8 matches, including one hundred and two fifties. He averages 63.16 and has scored his runs at a strike rate of 150.39. Cummins added that while both he and Kohli are competitive on the field, they are fairly relaxed off it.“We are both super competitive. I think off the field Virat is pretty relaxed and I am (also) pretty relaxed off the field,” said the SRH skipper.

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'Don't think he needs advice from anyone', skipper Sanju Samson hails centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal | Cricket News

‘Don’t think he needs advice from anyone’, skipper Sanju Samson hails centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal struck form with a dazzling, unbeaten 104 as Rajasthan Royals blew away five-time champions Mumbai Indians by nine wickets on Monday to consolidated their position at the top of the IPL table.Jaiswal, whose previous best this season was 39, ended a barren run by his lofty standards with his second IPL ton as Royals’ juggernaut this season continued.Skipper Sanju Samson, who himself has been pretty fluent this season also scored a handy unbeaten 28-ball 38 in Royals’ mauling of Mumbai. Samson shared an unbeaten 109-run stand with Jaiswal as the duo took the hosts across the finish line with 8 balls to spare. After the win, Samson said he was pleased with Jaiswal returning to form and pointed out the team knew it was only a matter of one game before Jaiswal found his mojo back. “I don’t think he (Jaiswal) needs (any advice from) anyone. He’s very confident. (It) was about one game,” Samson said in the post-match presentation.Samson credited Sandeep Sharma (5/18) and Avesh Khan for Rajasthan’s comeback in the game, as a 99-run fifth-wicket stand between Tilak Varma (65) and Nehal Wadhera (49) had lifted Mumbai Indians from a difficult position.“We started well in the powerplay and then the left-handers played (Yuzvendra) Chahal and (Ravichandran) Ashwin well. But the way Sandeep and Avesh came back, that’s why we won the game,” he said.“The wicket was dry but when the lights came on, the wicket gets better to bat. The way Jos (Buttler) and Yashasvi batted, we knew we had to reset and go again. People are professionals, we backed them to do well,” Samson added.Rajasthan, who won the inaugural IPL in 2008 under late Australian hero Shane Warne, registered their seventh win in eight matches.

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'MS Dhoni still leading the side, not Ruturaj Gaikwad': Navjot Singh Sidhu makes a big statement on CSK captaincy | Cricket News

‘MS Dhoni still leading the side, not Ruturaj Gaikwad’: Navjot Singh Sidhu makes a big statement on CSK captaincy | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Former Indian opener Navjot Singh Sidhu firmly expressed his opinion regarding the leadership dynamics within the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team, stating that despite Ruturaj Gaikwad‘s presence as the official captain, it is still the legendary MS Dhoni who is effectively leading the team.Sidhu’s observation emphasises the enduring influence and leadership prowess of Dhoni, who is widely regarded as one of the most successful captains in the history of Indian cricket.Sidhu, known for his outright comments, shared his viewpoint when asked who has impressed him the most, as per strategic point of view, among the current crop of young and new captains in the IPL so far.“If you talk about Ruturaj, he is still under the shadow of Dhoni. You can say as many times that Dhoni is not captaining, but ultimately he is leading the side. ‘Bargad ke neeche kya uga hai, uga kar dikhao. When Dhoni leaves, there might be no shadow of him,” said Sidhu, who is doing commentary in the ongoing IPL, on the #AskStar show on Star Sports. Sidhu also stated that one can only evaluate a captain after he has guided the team through nearly 50 matches.Sidhu praised Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson for his maturity and skillful resource management. And when it comes to the best leadership, the cricketer-turned commentator named Australian skipper Pat Cummins, currently leading Sunrisers Hyderabad, as the best captain.Dhoni’s tenure as captain of CSK has been marked by remarkable achievements, including five Indian Premier League (IPL) titles, which have solidified his reputation as a shrewd tactician and an astute leader. Despite stepping down from the captaincy role before the start of IPL 2024, Dhoni continues to exert a significant influence on the team’s strategy and decision-making, both on and off the field.Ruturaj, while assuming the formal captaincy position, may still be in the process of growing into his leadership role within the team. Dhoni’s experience, tactical acumen, and ability to mentor younger players likely play a crucial role in guiding Gaikwad and the rest of the team during matches and training sessions.Sidhu’s remarks highlight the intricate dynamics of leadership within cricket teams, where the presence of a seasoned veteran like Dhoni can continue to shape the team’s performance and direction, even as newer leaders emerge. Dhoni’s leadership legacy at CSK remains a cornerstone of the team’s identity, with his influence extending far beyond his official title.

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Watch: After getting a ball as gift from MS Dhoni, little Meher warms hearts with her promise | Cricket News

Watch: After getting a ball as gift from MS Dhoni, little Meher warms hearts with her promise | Cricket News

The little girl, Meher, who received a cricket ball as a surprise gift from MS Dhoni, has made a promise that warmed hearts as the video was shared by Star Sports on social media on Friday. IPL 2024: POINTS TABLE | RESULTSWhile walking up to the dressing room after playing a cameo during the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Dhoni paused at the stairs after seeing the little Meher with her father and gifted the ball to her after picking it up from the stairs. Talking about the cherished gift from the Indian legend, Meher said she aspires to play for India one day; and after fulfilling her wish, she will gift that ball to someone else.WATCH VIDEO After his cameo of 4-ball 20 against Mumbai, Dhoni’s bat continued to breathe fire when CSK visited the Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday. The former CSK and India captain smashed 28 not out off just nine balls, including 2 sixes and 3 fours. ALSO READ: How to watch IPL in USADhoni’s brisk knock and Ravindra Jadeja’s 57* off 40 balls propelled CSK to 176 for 6 runs in their allotted overs. However half-centuries by LSG openers KL Rahul (82 off 53 balls) and Quinton de Kock (54 off 43 balls) ensured a comfortable eight-wicket win for the home team.

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Ravindra Jadeja turns Superman to pull off a one-handed blinder, leaves skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad in total disbelief. Watch | Cricket News

Ravindra Jadeja turns Superman to pull off a one-handed blinder, leaves skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad in total disbelief. Watch | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja pulled off a miraculous one-handed stunner to send Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul packing for 82 in Lucknow in Indian Premier League match on Friday.Often regarded as a live wire on the field and one of the greatest fielders of his time, Jadeja showcased sensational hand-eye co-ordination to pluck a blinder out of thin air.The incident took place on the first ball of the 18th over when Matheesha Pathirana threw a back of length delivery wide outside off. As Rahul saw room, he threw his bat at it middled. The ball flew straight to backward-point, close to where Jadeja was positioned. As the ball travelled to him in a blink of an eye, Jadeja leaped to his left, putting out his hand and the ball just stuck. Seeing the superhuman effort, a stunned CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad could only manage to put his hand on the mouth. “Ohh! What a catch. Is that the catch of the IPL? Wow! That (ball) was flying like a tracer bullet and he has just plucked it out of thin air as if its nothing,” said a highly excited Ravi Shastri on-air. Despite Jadeja blinder that ended Rahul’s knock, his 53-ball 82 powered Lucknow to a solid eight-wicket win over CSK.Chasing a tricky 177, Rahul and Quinton de Kock (54) smashed superb fifties as LSG crossed the finish line with 6 balls to spare. With the comfortable victory, Lucknow returned to winning ways after suffering two back-to-back defeats.

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