IPL 2024 | Rahul, Langer's backing motivated me: LSG batter Badoni

IPL 2024 | Rahul, Langer’s backing motivated me: LSG batter Badoni

Ayush Badoni of Lucknow Super Giants drives Mukesh Kumar of Delhi Capitals in the IPL match at Ekana stadium in Lucknow on April 12, 2024. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Young Lucknow Super Giants batter Ayush Badoni credited skipper KL Rahul and coach Justin Langer for keeping faith in him despite his disappointing run early in the ongoing IPL season, saying their support helped him perform against the Delhi Capitals, albeit in a losing cause. The 24-year-old Badoni struck an unbeaten 55 off 35 balls to help resurrect LSG’s innings and post a competitive 167 for 7, a target which the Delhi Capitals achieved in 18.1 overs here on Friday. “The start of the season was not good but I was doing well at the nets. So I am thankful to KL Rahul and Justin Langer for backing me and giving me chance,” Badoni said at the post-match press conference. “While I was batting I was just thinking of taking the game deep and then attack because if we bat till 20 overs we can score 150 plus. I think we were 20 runs short. “I was quite motivated because I was batting well at the nets so I was just backing myself, I was just waiting for the knock which came today.” Badoni said he shares a good bonding with both the skipper and coach and that has helped him in improving his game. “I spoke a lot to KL Rahul and he backs me everytime. He tells me you are best player and you can finish well. I also share a good bonding with Justin. I went to Australia last year and there also he made learn a few things and improved my game,” he said. “I went to Australia in September last which was facilitated by LSG where we had a training camp with Justin for 10 days and that helped me a lot.” Badoni said DC spinner Kuldeep Yadav (3/20) turned out to be match-winner. “Kuldeep was bowling well. He broke our momentum,” he said. DC assistant coach Pravin Amre believes Jake Fraser-McGurk’s whirlwind knock in his debut IPL appearance helped the team to chase down the target easily as he grabbed his opportunity with both hands. The 22-year-old Australian struck a belligerent 55 off 35 deliveries which included five massive sixes. “It was tremendous innings by Jack because he was batting very well at the nets. We have got that he has that X-factor, the ability to strike the sixes and he also got five sixes. That’s was this format is all about and we were doing well in the last 2 games but we were not crossing the line. “So we wanted some impact on the game. We have talent but it’s important to deliver and I think Jack has got that talent and he can be dangerous in this format,” he said. “Jack got the opportunity today and he grabbed it with both hands. It is important for a good talent to perform on the ground because there is vast difference is performing at the nets and in a match.” Amre also credited Prithvi Shaw (32 off 22) for giving them a good start. “As an opener he (Shaw) has got a role to play, winning the powerplay is also critical. As a a coaching staff we want him to play at least 30 balls because if he plays 30 balls we have more chance to win. “In 22 balls he got 32 and that was also important because we were chasing and his experienced partner (David) Warner got out and that also allowed Jack to settle down. But he being more consistent is good for him as well for the team also.” Amre also lauded spinners Kuldeep and Axar Patel, who dominated in the crucial middle overs. “We are forgetting Kuldeep’s contribution. He bowled a dream ball to dismiss Nicholas Pooran. Axar also bowled well in the middle overs giving away just 25 runs off his 4 overs. We took the control of the game after powerplay and all credit goes to our spin department.”

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'Didn't start well, didn't finish...': Punjab Kings' Sam Curran after another 'close loss' | Cricket News

‘Didn’t start well, didn’t finish…’: Punjab Kings’ Sam Curran after another ‘close loss’ | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Punjab Kings’ all-rounder Sam Curran, who led the team in the absence of injured skipper Shikhar Dhawan, blamed the team’s batters for another ‘close loss’ in the IPL, expressing disappointment with their inability to finish games. Shimron Hetmyer kept his clam and scored an unbeaten 27 off 10 balls as Rajasthan Royals beat Punjab Kings by three wickets in a low-scoring thriller to maintain their pole position in the points table.After restricting Punjab to 147/8 in 20 overs, Royals were in trouble when Hetmyer came in after Riyan Parag’s fall and saw Dhruv Jurel being dismissed as well. Under mounting pressure, Hetmyer, who barely got batting time in the season, smashed a four and three sixes, including the winning shot, to get Royals over the line with a ball to spare. IPL: POINTS TABLE | ORANGE CAP | PURPLE CAPDespite competitive performances, Punjab have struggled to convert opportunities into wins, highlighting the need for improved execution in crucial moments.“The wicket was slightly slow, but we didn’t start well with the bat and didn’t finish well in the end. It was a good effort from the lower order, getting (close) to 150 was excellent, the bowling was good, we kept them down, unfortunately another close loss,” Curran said at the post-match interaction.“We stuck to our plans, bowled and fielded well, but I’m confident we’ll bounce back in the next game. Three games is a hard way to fully work out the conditions (at the new venue), but we’ve adapted well, we won the first match and lost two matches by close margins (by 2 runs and 3 wickets), hard to take, but the boys will be lifted by how well we’ve played in the last couple of games,” Curran added.

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'Blessing and curse': Shimron Hetmyer explains the role of a finisher | Cricket News

‘Blessing and curse’: Shimron Hetmyer explains the role of a finisher | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Shimron Hetmyer‘s explosive batting propelled the Rajasthan Royals to a thrilling three-wicket victory over the Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh on Saturday.With this win, Rajasthan Royals have maintained their position at the top of the points table. They have 10 points in 6 matches – 5 wins and 1 loss.With Punjab Kings restricted to 147/8 in their 20 overs, Rajasthan Royals faced a challenging chase, especially after the dismissals of Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel.IPL: POINTS TABLE | ORANGE CAP | PURPLE CAPHowever, entering the fray under pressure, Hetmyer showcased his prowess as a finisher, smashing an unbeaten 27 off just 10 balls.Despite limited opportunities with the bat throughout the season, Hetmyer’s onslaught included four boundaries and three sixes, culminating in the winning shot that secured victory for RR with a ball to spare.“(On finishing games) It’s just practice, I try as much as possible to bat properly in the nets first and then when everyone’s finished, I go back and try my best to hit sixes. It’s a blessing and a curse (on being the finisher). Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. I am happy that I could help the team pull off a victory today. They (pressure) creep in the first couple of balls that I face, afterwards I just try to keep it as clear as possible,” Hetmyer said after the match.“Even in the last over after I missed the first two balls, he (Boult) came down to me and he was like “Don’t worry, we’ve got this,” and I was able to feed off his energy and it really worked. I would have taken it (single with 2 runs needed off 2 balls). I spoke to Boulty and he said, “I got this.” After he said that, I was like even if I don’t get the other one, I’ll try my best to get a single. Even if we don’t win it, at least tie it. I was really looking to get a single or double and then the full toss came and I tried to hit it over the guys that were inside. Being away from family, the only way you could keep yourself up is by just enjoying every moment that you’re here,” Hetmyer added.Rajasthan Royals will now face Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

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'It's easier to catch...': Sanju Samson's stern message to Rajasthan Royals pacers | Cricket News

‘It’s easier to catch…’: Sanju Samson’s stern message to Rajasthan Royals pacers | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: In a hard-fought IPL encounter, Rajasthan Royals faced a formidable challenge from Punjab Kings’ bowlers, who utilised clever variations in pace on a challenging Mullanpur pitch in Chandigarh on Saturday.Despite the seemingly modest target of 148, Royals encountered significant hurdles as they navigated through a set of disciplined Punjab bowlers and a tricky playing surface.However, despite the challenges posed by the Punjab bowlers and the tacky pitch, Royals exhibited resilience and determination to overcome the obstacles. Through determined efforts and effective partnerships, they managed to reach the target, ultimately posting a total of 152 for seven.IPL: POINTS TABLE | ORANGE CAP | PURPLE CAPRoyals, who won 5 out of 6 games to sit atop, returned to winning ways after losing to Gujarat Titans in their last encounter.Royals skipper Sanju Samson, however, was not very happy with the way they fielded, especially on one occasion when he almost collided with pacer Avesh Khan in pursuit of a skier, ultimately both making a mess of it.“(High-catches) We had a few funny instances from last year and this year. But I am really happy that everyone is eager to go and catch it. I would be very sad if people are just staying away and not catching it. It gets a bit tough actually – the stadium is full of noise and when people call, we are looking at the ball, we can’t look who is coming. I need to tell my fast bowlers that it’s a bit easier to catch with the gloves instead of hands,” said Samson at the post-match interaction.“We all were (tensed during the run-chase). Games against Punjab in the last 3-4 years, each and every game is very close, very funny feeling. They were bowling really well, it was a funny game. (On Hetmyer) He has been doing it for years and years. Lots of experience, some composure and some confidence about his skills. He has won games many times. Rovman and Hetty – having them was good.Tanush is an interesting youngster. He came in as an allrounder, he had a fabulous Ranji Trophy season with Mumbai and he’s been performing well. He’s been impressing all the coaching staff and everyone in the nets. We had a proper, settled batting order after the openers, we didn’t want to unsettle it and then bring someone up for just one game,” Samson added.“Jos is almost ready for the next game, so we just wanted to try him up the order. Very happy to see him (Jaiswal) spend some time in the middle, get those 30s and 40s. That’s what this tournament has taught me for the last 10 years – never take it for granted. Last game, we did some really great things and we ended up on the losing side. Today, we made a bit more mistakes and we ended up winning the game. It’s a very funny game, so we’d like to keep our heads down and just do the process,” Samson concluded.

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PBKS vs RR, IPL 2024 Highlights: Shimron Hetmyer stars as Rajasthan Royals beat Punjab Kings in a low-scoring thriller | Cricket News

PBKS vs RR, IPL 2024 Highlights: Shimron Hetmyer stars as Rajasthan Royals beat Punjab Kings in a low-scoring thriller | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals encountered a challenge against the Punjab Kings bowlers, who cleverly varied the pace on a sticky pitch. Despite the difficult conditions, the Royals managed to secure a hard-fought three-wicket victory in their IPL encounter on Saturday.Although the target of 148 seemed relatively straightforward, the precise bowling from Punjab and the challenging pitch made it a tough task for the Royals.However, they eventually reached 152 for seven.With 49 runs needed off the last five overs, the Rajasthan team faced a tense situation. Despite having power-hitters like Rovman Powell (11 off 5 balls) and Shimron Hetmyer (27 not out off 10 balls, including 1 four and 3 sixes), they had to wait until the penultimate ball of the match to cross the finish line. That equation came down to 10 off the final six balls after Hetmyer moussed Harshal Patel for a six and four, which the West Indian left-hander realised through a couple of sixes off pacer Arshdeep Singh in the last over.The Royals began their chase sedately through Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tanush Kotian without any real scoreboard pressure behind them.However, Kotian, who was batting so up in the order in T20s for the first time, did not find his flow but still assisted Jaiswal to add 56 in 8.2 overs.But his effort to hammer Liam Livingstone out of the ground ended up in him losing his leg-stump.Jaiswal, who played a delectable flick off Kagiso Rabada, looked on course to end a string of low scores in this IPL. But a rather needless uppercut off Rabada was grabbed by Harshal Patel near third man as Rajasthan looked a tad wobbly.Their woes deepened when skipper Sanju Samson, who had earlier broken the manacles with a six and four off Livingstone, was trapped leg-before by Rabada in his last over.Samson could not connect with a slightly low, incoming delivery from Rabada, and the ball pinged his backfoot and even the DRS could not save him.Earlier, Rajasthan bowlers under Avesh (2/34) and Maharaj (2/23) exploited a sticky pitch to the hilt to restrict Punjab Kings to an underwhelming total.Ashutosh Sharma (31, 16b), Jitesh Sharma (29, 24b) and Livingstone (21, 14b) tried to force the pace but Punjab needed more than those pretty little cameos. But the Kings had a rather quick start to their innings with 26 runs coming in the first three overs as Atharva Taide, who came in for injured skipper Shikhar Dhawan, hammered a couple of fours off pacer Kuldeep Sen.But the brakes were soon applied as Taide’s mistimed pull off Avesh ended in the hands of Sen inside the circle.Thereafter the Punjab batters struggled to muster any sort of momentum on a pitch that gripped a bit, especially for left-arm spinner Maharaj and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.However, a slice of credit should also go to veteran pacer Trent Boult who conceded just 15 runs in his three power play overs. The last three power play overs fetched only 10 runs for Kings as they ended that passage on a modest 38 for one.In the next five overs, the hosts struggled to hit even one boundary as they laboured to 53 for four in 10 overs, losing Jonny Bairstow, stand-in-skipper Sam Curran and Prabhsimran Singh, all consumed by the combination of a slow deck and accurate spinners.Their biggest hope could have been the range-hitting ability of in-form Shahshank Singh but a feeble pull off Sen could not progress beyond Jurel at mid-wicket.With the cream of top-order failing to contribute anything significant, PBKS required some hefty hand from Livingstone and Jitesh to get to even a par score.Sharma showed some intent too, clobbering Chahal for a gorgeously timed six over extra over, and later sent Sen for a six to the straight fence before getting out to Avesh.Livingstone, who creamed Sen for a six and four off successive balls through mid-wicket, and Ashutosh, who smoked Avesh for two sixes in the 19th over, helped PBKS add 61 runs in the last five overs, but their effort came a wee bit late. (With inputs from PTI)

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Watch: Lack of communication between Sanju Samson, Avesh Khan results in a near-collision, drop catch | Cricket News

Watch: Lack of communication between Sanju Samson, Avesh Khan results in a near-collision, drop catch | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals wicket-keeper Sanju Samson and pacer Avesh Khan almost ended up in a collision while attempting a catch amid no communication between the two during the clash against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on Saturday.Amid the confusion between the bowler and the ‘keeper, the catch was also dropped and resulted in a couple of runs for the opposition.The incident took place in the penultimate over of the Punjab innings when Avesh bowled a fullish delivery and Ashutosh Sharma miscued his heave to mid-wicket.As soon as the ball ballooned, Avesh went for the catch and so did the teammate and gloveman Samson. As there was no communication between the two, both leaped for the catch simultaneously and neither of them was able to hold on to the ball. Both Samson and Avesh laughed it off along with the teammates as the duo avoided an injury.Despite the drop catch, Royals managed to restrict Punjab to a par 147 for 8 in the 27th match of the league.While Keshav Maharaj and Avesh Khan picked up a couple of wickets each, Trent Boult, Kuldeep Sen and Yuzvendra Chahal bagged a wicket apiece for Rajasthan.For Punjab Ashutosh (31) and Jitesh Sharma (29) were the top scorers.

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Sanju Samson's brilliant effort to run out Liam Livingstone in PBKS vs RR clash – India TV

Sanju Samson’s brilliant effort to run out Liam Livingstone in PBKS vs RR clash – India TV

Image Source : AP Sanju Samson against Punjab Kings in the IPL game on April 13, 2024 Rajasthan Royals bowlers produced impressive performances to restrict Punjab Kings to just 147/8 while bowling first in the ongoing IPL 2024 game on Saturday. New signing Keshav Maharaj claimed his first IPL wickets while in-form Avesh Khan took two for 32 to raise Rajasthan’s hopes to extend their lead in the points table. The visiting side also produced some brilliant fielding efforts at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur to deny Punjab 150-plus total. Captain Sanju Samson stole the limelight again with his brilliant fielding effort to run out Liam Livingstone in the 18th over. Ashutosh Sharma, coming in as an impact player, played Yuzvendra Chahal’s delivery at deep mid-wicket and called for a single. Livingstone tried to find the second but Ashutosh was not interested and sent the English star back to stikers’ end.  Samson brilliantly collected a low throw from Tanush Kotian and flicked the ball on stumps while going down on the ground. The replay found Livingstone an inch short of the white line and was given run out by the third umpire. Punjab Kings playing XI: Atharva Taide, Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Sam Curran (c), Liam Livingstone, Shashank Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh. Rajasthan Royals playing XI: Sanju Samson (c & wk), Riyan Parag, Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Tanush Kotian, Trent Boult, Keshav Maharaj, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Sen, Yuzvendra Chahal. More to follow…

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'No difference between Ruturaj Gaikwad and MS Dhoni': CSK coach Stephen Fleming's big claim | Cricket News

‘No difference between Ruturaj Gaikwad and MS Dhoni’: CSK coach Stephen Fleming’s big claim | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Stephen Fleming, the head coach of Chennai Super Kings, came to the defence of captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, asserting that it’s unfair to label him as “slow” while batting and drawing comparisons to the legendary MS Dhoni.Gaikwad, who assumed the captaincy role for CSK at the start of this IPL season, has faced criticism for his batting pace despite a mixed start to his leadership stint.Fleming highlighted Gaikwad’s qualities and contributions to the team, emphasising that he shares similarities with Dhoni in terms of his approach and style of play. While Gaikwad’s strike rate may not be as high as some of his counterparts, Fleming believes that his value to the team extends beyond mere statistics.IPL: POINTS TABLE | ORANGE CAP | PURPLE CAPIn his five matches so far, the 27-year-old right-handed opener has accumulated 155 runs at a strike rate of 117.42. While these numbers may not dazzle on paper, Fleming and the CSK management recognise Gaikwad’s ability to anchor the innings and build partnerships, qualities reminiscent of Dhoni’s leadership on the field.“There’s no difference. He’s as cool as it gets. I know the last captain was pretty cool. But this guy is cut from the same cloth, so that’s rubbed through,” Fleming said when asked if he had any discussion with Gaikwad in terms of differentiating between his leadership and his batting.“He is such an impressive young man around his game and what he needs to do. He’s been, I think, unfairly put into a bracket where he’s been called slow. But you have to have context to some of these stats,” Fleming told the media during CSK’s training session at the Wankhede Stadium.“We know that it’s a bit of a Bollywood movie, sometimes getting these things up onto the screen. But he’s fine. He’s playing well. The last game (CSK vs KKR) was a great example of how a leader plays, and there’s class as well. I have absolutely no doubt about Ruturaj,” Fleming added.Fleming clarified that the decision to appoint Gaikwad as the skipper of CSK is a strategic and long-term one, rather than a temporary or makeshift arrangement by the five-time IPL champions.“I hope so. That’s the plan, and so far it’s worked well. The transition has been really smooth. He’s judged by wins but we judge it differently. His leadership around the team is top-class. I would imagine it would be hopefully for many years like the last captain,” Fleming added.The former New Zealand captain said CSK are the benefactors of the love Dhoni has got from fans which, at times, has been overwhelming.“It’s magnificent, to be honest. It is truly astounding, the love that… Let’s be honest, the love that India has for MS Dhoni, and we are benefactors of that,” Fleming said.“The team, without (a) doubt, feels pride when they walk out to an away game and there’s a large amount of yellow. If not all yellow, it’s in some cases, overwhelming.”“But we are under no illusions about what has created it and who has created it. We’re very proud of him and his involvement with the side. We look at it as a real honour that people will come out and support him, and if it’s secondary, then the team. We’re both very closely linked,” Fleming added.Fleming said a two-month dose of IPL every year has become contagious but the league must keep finding ways to evolve.“In terms of fan following, naturally it has grown. The skills of the players are evolving. Batting in particular has evolved at a huge rate, in particular the last five years,” he said.“The challenge of the IPL, from a skill point of view, is how the bowlers can even the game up a little bit. The two bouncers (per over rule) is one. Maybe we need to keep looking at other ways to do that.”“The fact that it becomes intoxicating after two months of cricket and fandom and support, it’s a wonderful injection for cricket. So how can you not love it? How can it not be contagious?,” he added.Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians’ Mohammad Nabi said getting the team combination right was one of the key factors for the five-time winners to get back to winning ways.“The plans from the bowling and batting groups are going really well which is why we won the last two games. The team combination was good for the last two matches,” he said.Nabi said the nature of the pitch at the Wankhede Stadium makes an off-spinner’s job tougher.“The conditions at Wankhede as a spinner are really tough to bowl as an off-spinner. Leg-spinners have a lot of varieties but as an off-spinner is tougher to bowl here,” he said.(With PTI inputs)

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'Clown Franchise': Punjab Kings face heat over bizarre move involving Sam Curran and 'vice-captain' Jitesh Sharma | Cricket News

‘Clown Franchise’: Punjab Kings face heat over bizarre move involving Sam Curran and ‘vice-captain’ Jitesh Sharma | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Indian Premier League franchise Punjab Kings on Saturday found themselves in the middle of a social media ridicule after they put England’s Sam Curran in-charge of the team against Rajasthan Royals in the absence of regular skipper Shikhar Dhawan, ignoring designated vice-captain Jitesh Sharma.Despite Jitesh featuring in the playing XI, Curran walked out for the toss against Royals in Mullanpur and it raised quite a few eyebrows among the fans and cricket enthusiasts.Before the start of the season, Punjab had named Jitesh as Dhawan’s deputy but Curran walking out to lead the franchise on Saturday had a few heads rolling.At the toss, Curran informed that regular skipper Dhawan sat out with a niggle.Punjab’s unanticipated move saw the fans hitting out at the franchise for ignoring Jitesh. Royals skipper Sanju Samson won the toss and elected to bowl against Punjab in Match 27. For PBKS, Atharva Taide replaced Dhawan, while Liam Livingstone was also returned to the XI.Jos Buttler and Ravichandran Ashwin missed out with Rovman Powell and Tanush Kotian coming in for the Royals.“Jos isn’t 100%, Ash bhai is having a niggle,” informed Samson at the toss.Royals are at the top of the IPL table this season while Punjab sit at the 8th spot. TeamsRajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (w/c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Tanush Kotian, Keshav Maharaj, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Sen, Yuzvendra Chahal.Punjab Kings: Jonny Bairstow, Atharva Taide, Prabhsimran Singh, Sam Curran (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (w), Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada.

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'It's all about...': KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir backs under-fire pacer Mitchell Starc | Cricket News

‘It’s all about…’: KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir backs under-fire pacer Mitchell Starc | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Gautam Gambhir, the mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), came to the defence of Mitchell Starc, emphasising that the Australian pacer’s recent struggles in the IPL do not define his abilities as a bowler. Despite Starc’s underwhelming performance, Gambhir highlighted the importance of team success over individual brilliance.Starc, who was acquired by KKR for a significant amount of Rs 24.75 crore, has faced criticism for his lackluster returns in the tournament.With just two wickets to his name at an average of 77 and an economy rate of 11 runs per over across four matches, Starc’s form has been far from ideal.However, Gambhir refrained from labeling Starc as a “bad bowler,” acknowledging that cricket is a team sport where individual performances often fluctuate.Instead, he emphasized the collective effort required for the team’s success, suggesting that Starc’s contribution, while not meeting expectations statistically, may still have positive implications within the team dynamic.IPL: POINTS TABLE | ORANGE CAP | PURPLE CAP“It (his poor stats) doesn’t matter, T20 cricket is all about bowlers getting smashed. We’ve got three wins out of four,” Gambhir said.Ahead of their match against LSG in Kolkata, Gambhir added, “In a team sport, it’s the wins that matter. We have got three wins out of four. Why should I not be happy with anyone’s performance? See, people have bad and good days, ultimately, it’s the team that needs to win.“And we’ve got decent results in the first four games of the competition. And we all know how big a threat Mitchell Starc is. Four games doesn’t make him a bad bowler.“And four good games doesn’t make him a brilliant bowler either. So I know what impact he can create and what impact he will create in the competition.”Gambhir further said the Aussie will create an “impact” going forward.“Tomorrow it might be a completely different day. Or probably going forward, it could be a completely different day. An individual can have a brilliant performance and the team doesn’t end up winning.“There’s no reason why you should talk about individual performance. I feel that Mitchell Starc has done reasonably okay. I think he’s bowled some tough overs. And he will create an impact, what he’s been picked for,” he said.A new startGambhir, who served as the mentor for LSG in the last two seasons, has made a return to his former team, KKR. Gambhir had previously led Kolkata to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 during his tenure with the franchise from 2011 to 2017.During Gambhir’s time as the mentor of LSG, KKR faced them three times without securing a victory. Despite this, Gambhir remains optimistic about the new season, emphasising that each day presents a fresh opportunity to begin anew.“It’s a new day, new start. What difference does it make that what has happened in the last two years? It really makes no difference. We start from scratch.“All of us are really looking forward to the game tomorrow. You know, it’s a quality side. But we are a quality side as well,” he said.Gambhir further reacted to criticism about their head coach Chandrakant Pandit‘s “militant style” of functioning.“I don’t read a lot about what has been said and stuff, but it’s been early days. My working relationship with him has been really, really good and hopefully it continues that way.“He’s been very successful in domestic cricket and that’s why he got this opportunity, so far it’s been really good working with him.”Former KKR all-rounder David Wiese had earlier described Pandit as a strict disciplinarian and a “militant-type” coach.(With PTI inputs)

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