KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS

“Praise Gautam Gambhir For KKR Win, Blame Shreyas Iyer”: West Indies Legend Slams Double Standards

Danijones11 months ago11 months ago04 mins

Former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop slammed trolls for targetting Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Shreyas Iyer. Despite KKR sitting top of the table, Iyer has been on the receiving end of some harsh criticism on social media from fans, who have instead credited mentor and former captain Gautam Gambhir for the franchise’s stunning form this season. Taking to X, Bishop shut down multiple trolls and questioned fans for showing double standards by attributing KKR’s wins to Gambhir and defeats to Iyer. While Gambhir has certainly brought the winning mentality back at KKR, Bishop highlighted Iyer’s respectable record as captain during the previous seasons. “Shreyas became DC captain in 2018 when GG stepped down after DC lost 5 of first 6 gms. DC then finished the season winning 4 of next 8 games. 2019 DC 3rd, 2020 DC 2nd. 2021 injury & only 8gms so Pant captained. To KKR 2022, new franchise, 7th. Missed 2023. 2024,” Bishop responded to fan on his post. Questioned the double standards, Bishop argued saying: “So GG gets the praise when they win. Shreyas gets the blame if they lose? Or will you say its GG’s fault to if they lose?” So GG gets the praise when they win. Shreyas gets the blame if they lose? Or will you say its GG’s fault to if they lose? — Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) May 6, 2024 Since returning to the franchise as a mentor, Gambhir has been pretty active in the dugout, passing on tactical aide to Iyer during timeouts and breaks. Speaking at the press conference on Sunday, KKR pacer Harshit Rana also credit Gambhir for his tactical brilliance. On Sunday, red-hot Sunil Narine smashed 81 off 39 balls to help KKR thrash Lucknow Super Giants by 98 runs and take top spot in IPL table. Narine’s blitz, laced with six fours and seven sixes, guided Kolkata to 235-6 after they were invited to bat first in Lucknow’s final home game. Two-time champions Kolkata bowled out Lucknow for 137 in 16.1 overs for their eighth win in 11 matches and almost guaranteed a play-off berth. Second-placed Rajasthan Royals have played one match fewer. The top four teams will make the play-offs with the final on May 26 in Chennai. Topics mentioned in this article

KKR Players Caught In Weather Chaos, Charter Flight Diverted Twice

Danijones11 months ago11 months ago03 mins

KKR flight diverted due to bad weather in Kolkata© X(Twitter) Kolkata Knight Riders’ charter flight from Lucknow to Kolkata on Monday night was diverted twice — first to Guwahati and then to Varanasi — due to inclement weather. Kolkata are due to play a match at home, at the Eden Gardens, against Mumbai Indians on May 11. “Due to inclement weather over Kolkata, the KKR charter flight has been diverted to Guwahati. We’ve just landed here,” the franchise said in an official statement on Monday. However, shortly later, they got “clearance to fly back to Kolkata.” Update: Ground clearance received for take off from Guwahati. See you soon, Kolkata https://t.co/KKAQ8NLrmn — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 6, 2024 Update at 3:00 AM: KKR team would be checking into Varanasi hotel for overnight stay. Return flight to Kolkata TBD on Tuesday (7 May) afternoon. Stay safe, Kolkata — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 6, 2024 Travel update: KKR’s charter flight from Lucknow to Kolkata diverted to Guwahati due to bad weather Flight currently standing at the Guwahati Airport tarmac. More updates soon pic.twitter.com/XFPTHgM2FJ — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 6, 2024 But again KKR posted another Tweet: “Update at 1:20 AM: Flight diverted to Varanasi after another failed attempt at landing in Kolkata due to bad weather. Current status: At the Lal Bahadur Shastri International airport tarmac.” And finally, “Update at 3:00 AM: KKR team would be checking into Varanasi hotel for overnight stay. Return flight to Kolkata TBD on Tuesday (7 May) afternoon. Stay safe, Kolkata.” KKR’s previous IPL 2024 match was in Lucknow, where they beat LSG at the Ekana Stadium on Sunday by an emphatic margin of 98 runs to climb to the top of the table.

Gautam Gambhir’s Act From KKR Bench Triggers Plethora Of Questions. Watch

Danijones11 months ago11 months ago04 mins

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) put one foot into the IPL 2024 playoffs after beating Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to go top of the points table on Sunday. KKR now have 16 points from 11 games and only need a win from their remaining league matches to qualify for the playoffs. The two-time champions, who finished in the bottom half of the points table last season, have looked like a different team this season under captain Shreyas Iyer. However, a lot of that credit should go to former captain and mentor Gautam Gambhir, who returned to the franchise after spending two seasons in the dugout at LSG. Gambhir has provided tactical assistance to both head coach Chandrakant Pandit and under-pressure captain Iyer, who recently lost his BCCI central contract. His act made many wonder if it’s Gambhir who is running the show behind the scenes at KKR, prompting a plethora of questions among fans. Gambhir, who led KKR to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014, has also been the driving force behind star all-rounder Sunil Narine’s revival as a top-order batter. On Sunday, as LSG took on KKR, Gambhir was in the thick of things as he burst out of joy, following Nicholas Pooran’s dismissal. Soon after, he was seen sending tactical aid to KKR captain Iyer. A video of the same incident has gone viral on social media, and Gambhir’s gesture had fans reading between the lines. Gambhir Reaction On Pooran Wicket And Straight Away Sending Tips To Captain pic.twitter.com/I53aEOH0ZR — Aayush Sharma (@Ayushaaa1818) May 5, 2024 With Gambhir in the dugout, KKR have managed to thrive in IPL 2024, with openers Narine and Phil Salt laying strong foundations in their playoffs bid. Narine and Salt have done most of the damage in the Powerplays this season, scoring 461 and 429 runs, respectively, in 11 matches. Only Virat Kohli (542) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (541) have scored more runs than Narine this season, with the long-serving KKR star also scalping 14 wickets in addition to his prowess with the bat. While taking wickets has never been a problem for him, it’s the first time since 2018 that Narine has scored 350 or more runs in an IPL season. He had scored 357 runs during IPL 2018, but he failed to even cross the 150-run mark in each of the next five seasons. Meanwhile, Salt, who went unsold during the auctions, was only roped in by KKR as a replacement for Jason Roy.

Flight Scare for Kolkata Knight Riders! Charter plane diverted after ‘failed attempt at landing’ | Cricket News

Danijones11 months ago02 mins

The charter flight of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had to be redirected twice, first to Guwahati and then to Varanasi, after adverse weather conditions in Kolkata didn’t allow their plane to land.The Shreyas Iyer-led squad was returning to Kolkata following their big win over Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday. KKR hammered the Lucknow team by 98 runs. The updates about the KKR’s flight were shared by the franchise on microblogging website ‘X’. “Travel update: KKR’s charter flight from Lucknow to Kolkata diverted to Guwahati due to bad weather Flight currently standing at the Guwahati Airport tarmac. More updates soon,” read the first post on ‘X’ from KKR. After taking off from Guwahati around midnight, the flight still couldn’t land in Kolkata due to bad weather and was diverted to Varanasi. “Flight diverted to Varanasi after another failed attempt at landing in Kolkata due to bad weather. Current status: At the Lal Bahadur Shastri International airport tarmac,” read the next update.The team is now expected to fly from Varanasi on Tuesday afternoon.Table-toppers Kolkata will take on Mumbai Indians in their next IPL match at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.

IPL 2024 Points Table: Mumbai Indians Out Of Playoff Race? Win vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Takes Them To…

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Mumbai Indians defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024 match© AFP Mumbai Indians kept their IPL 2024 playoff dreams alive with a crucial victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday. The win took Mumbai Indians to the ninth spot with 8 points from 12 matches with a Net Run Rate (NRR) of -0.212. Although the chances of MI reaching the playoffs remain slim, the win means that victories in the remaining two matches will give them a chance to end up in the Top 4. Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, remain fourth with 12 points from 11 matches. Coming to the match, Suryakumar Yadav scored a sensational century after brilliant bowling performances from Hardik Pandya and Piyush Chawla as MI defeated SRH by 7 wickets. Here’s a look at the three conditions that can lead to MI reaching the IPL Playoffs – Condition 1:First and foremost, the Hardik Pandya-led side has to win all of its remaining two matches in the IPL 2024 league campaign. MI are scheduled to take on Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants next. Condition 2:Hope that no other team crosses the 12-point mark in IPL 2024 standings. At present, SRH, LSG and CSK already have 12 points to their name. Hence, at least two of these franchises will have to lose their remaining matches in the league campaign. With KKR and RR already sitting at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots respectively with 16 points each, it is impossible for Mumbai Indians to topple them. In fact, big wins against other teams for KKR and RR would only benefit MI. Condition 3:Mumbai Indians have a Net Run Rate of -0.212 at present. Even if MI win all of their remaining matches, they will need to do that by big margins in order to get into a positive NRR. But, that might not be enough if the NRR of other teams at 12 points is better than MI. Though you never say never in a sport like cricket, it’s fair to assert that Mumbai Indians’ chances of IPL 2024 playoffs qualification don’t instill much hope in the hearts of their fans.

Best Catch Of IPL 2024? Kolkata Knight Riders Star’s Stunning Effort Leaves Fans Awestruck – Watch

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Ramandeep Singh completes a stunning catch during IPL 2024© BCCI Ramandeep Singh pulled of a sensational catch that many fans and experts hailed as the “best catch of IPL 2024” during the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday. During the second over of the LSG innings, young opener Arshin Kulkarni top-edged a swinging delivery from Mitchell Starc and the ball went high up in the night sky. Ramandeep was nowhere close to the ball but he sprinted a huge distance before pulling a full body dive to complete the catch. The effort left even the commentators awestruck as former Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri screamed – “That’s up in the air, difficult chance…ohhhhh! What a catch! Is that the best catch of the IPL?”. Former India star Deep Dasgupta agreed with him and responded with an “Oh my God”. Catch of the season so far, #KnightsArmy?pic.twitter.com/o76mu0UpAg — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 5, 2024 Coming to the match, Sunil Narine top-scored for KKR once again with 81 while Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy took three wickets each to guide the visitors to a huge win over LSG. “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 this pressure. That’s how the IPL is. You will come against good players and that when you will be tested.” “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. We prepare in advance, we talk about the opposition batters, trying to see what kind of plans we need to come up with.” “We need to execute it when we come here, but we didn’t we make a couple of mistakes against Sunil and anyone who strikes well. 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,” LSG captain KL Rahul said after the match.

Gautam Gambhir regrets infamous ‘aggressive’ acts in his IPL career: ‘I’ve done some things I shouldn’t have done’

Danijones11 months ago11 months ago05 mins

Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir made some honest admissions while recalling his time as captain in the Indian Premier League. Gambhir led Delhi Capitals (then Delhi Daredevils) and Kolkata Knight Riders in the cash-rich league and won the two titles leading the Purple and Golden outfit. The former Indian star was known for his aggressive leadership and leading his team from the front. Gautam Gambhir led KKR to two IPL titles as captain.(PTI) Gambhir never shied away from arguing with opposition players and was involved in a few heated altercations, including one with Virat Kohli, which grabbed the limelight. The 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI WC finals hero reminisced his time as captain and admitted that he did some things during his career which some things he shouldn’t have done. “Sometimes you need to have an aggressive approach as a leader if you want your team to be aggressive. Sometimes you need to do things you didn’t want to. When I look back at my career, I have done some things I shouldn’t have done. But I believed if I didn’t get aggressive and didn’t lead by example, my team won’t play aggressively,” Gambhir told Sportskeeda. The two-time IPL-winning skipper further asserted that a player should be judged only for his on-the-field activities or behaviour, but everyone should keep in mind the player’s off-the-field things too. “I feel every player and every leader has the right to express themselves on the field. A player should not be judged just by how he is on the field, but how he is off it should also be looked at,” he added. Gambhir player for KKR in IPL from 2011 to 2017, which is considered the golden period of the franchise. During this period, the team won the IPL twice, qualified for the playoffs five times, and reached the finals of the Champions League T20 in 2014. He rejoined the franchise ahead of the 2024 edition as the team mentor, and his inclusion in the team management changed their fortunes once again, as KKR are currently sitting at the top of the points table with one foot in the playoffs. In a conversation on Star Sports, KKR co-owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan expressed his sheer joy at having Gambhir back in the KKR family, and how pivotal he is to the team’s success. “He’s trying to free him up a bit. He’s (Gambhir) been with us for 8 years, and God willing, for the next 20 years. The great thing about Gautam Gambhir being back with us is that I never felt like he left us. You know, there are some friendships that remain intact no matter what. Whether he’s in our team or mentoring someone else, there’s never any animosity or competition with him,” Shah Rukh said.

India Star Reveals ‘Lie’ To Rahul Dravid That Led To IPL Selection – Old Video Viral

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Sanju Samson has been a top performer for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024 till now as the wicket-keeper batter has led by example. The RR skipper has been phenomenal with the bat and his sensational form led to his selection for India’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. Samson’s journey in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been an interesting one as he did not get a single game while being part of the Kolkata Knight Riders setup but things changed when he moved to RR in 2013. In a video that has once again gone viral on social media. a young Sanju Samson revealed how a ‘lie’ from S Sreesanth to Rahul Dravid ultimately led to his selection for RR. “Being with KKR, I wasn’t getting a look-in. But during a match against RR, when [Rahul] Dravid was leading them, Sreesanth spotted him in the hotel lobby and vouched for me. He told him, ‘There’s this kid from Kerala who smashed six sixes in an over in a local tournament. We should definitely give him a trial,’” Samson revealed in an old video that has resurfaced on social media. Was in KKR but couldn’t get games, Sreeshanth was in RR & when we had a game with RR where Dravid was their skipper, Sreeshanth stopped Dravid in the hotel & told him, this kid is from kerala, he has hit 6 sixes in an over in a local tourney, we should give him a trial & sanju is… pic.twitter.com/PaxWLb1C90 — arfan (@Im__Arfan) May 5, 2024 Former India fast bowler S Sreesanth earlier confirmed this story in an interview with Sportskeeda where he said that he initially lied to Dravid but the current India coach was impressed with Samson’s batting. “Rahul bhai listened to me when I introduced Sanju to him. I lied to him, I said, ‘This kid hit me for six sixes in a local tournament’. Rahul bhai said, ‘Shree, kuch bhi bol, ye kyu bol raha hai?’ (Say anything, but why are you lying like this),” Sreesanth had said. “He didn’t do too well in a few practice games. But when Rahul bhai saw him bat, he was convinced; he came to me and said, ‘Sree, don’t let this Sanju guy go to any other selection; we are signing him. Whether or not he’d get matches, I don’t know, but we would like to sign him,” he added.

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

Danijones11 months ago07 mins

Young pacer Harshit Rana feels Kolkata Knight Riders are reaping the rewards by following the winning template set by two-time IPL winner. File picture | Photo Credit: Deepak K R Young pacer Harshit Rana feels Kolkata Knight Riders are reaping the rewards by following the winning template set by two-time IPL winner and current mentor Gautam Gambhir as they continued their sensational run to grab the top position in the IPL points table. Gambhir had led KKR to the IPL crown twice with the team also qualifying for the playoffs five times during his stint from 2011 to 2017. He had also guided KKR to the finals of the now-defunct Champions League T20 in 2014. However, in the last seven years, KKR could reach the playoffs only twice. Gambhir’s return to the KKR camp as a mentor this year turned things around as the Kolkata-based franchise moved to the top of the table with 16 points following a dominating 98-run over Lucknow Super Giants – 8th win in 11 games – on May 6 “Not only this match, this entire season we have been focussing a lot on the style of cricket that Gautam Gambhir wants us to play. He has a lot of knowledge on how to turn games in our favour and it helps us a lot in the middle,” Rana said during the press conference. “Like today he gave the bowlers a free hand, to find the length to bowl depending on the wicket, and not to try too many things,” he added. Rana (3/24 in 3.1 overs) played a crucial role in the win by taking three wickets while defending a target of 235. “KKR read the wicket very well. The areas we had to bowl, we targeted the right places,” Rana said. IPL’s biggest buy Mitchell Starc has proved expensive this season but Rana said the team management is not at all bothered about his economy rate and has faith on the Australian speedstar. “We have not cared even for a bit on how expensive Mitchell Starc has been in IPL 2024. He have full faith in him and he won us the last game and we have no doubts on him whatsoever. “He has such a great influence on the younger players, he has such a huge wealth of knowledge,” Rana said. Rana said his dream is to play for India and is focussing on his performance. “My aim is to play for India but whatever franchise I play for I try to give my best on the day of the match. I will be selected based on my performance and performance alone,” Rana said. We’d our plans but everything went Narine’s way: Naveen It was yet another sparkling fifty by Sunil Narine (81 off 39) which helped KKR post a massive 235 for six and LSG fast bowler Naveen Ul Haq conceded that all their plans failed against the star West Indian allrounder. “I think he played quite well. We had a plan of bowling bouncers and yorkers and mixing it up and not being predictable against him. We did that but he played quite a brilliant innings to be honest,” he said. “It wasn’t like he was slogging and everything was going top edge or anything like slicing the ball. He was properly middling it and that’s the case like from the beginning of the season. “He’s been middling it. Everything going his way. So yeah, it was a great knock by him.” The Afghan seamer said LSG could have produced a better show with the bat but they can’t dwell on defeat too much as they need to focus on the next game. “The amount of games that we have played in Lucknow, I think this was the best wicket to bat on. We did not do the things in the chase that we did – say in the game at Chepauk, where the target was very high. It was not like bad or anything, there was nothing for the bowlers,” Naveen said. “Pressure is always there on whatever score you are chasing. Every team has a bad day, and we cannot keep focusing on that, we have to move on.”

On top of IPL standings: Kolkata Knight Riders credit Gautam Gambhir’s winning formula | Cricket News

Danijones11 months ago04 mins

NEW DELHI: Young pacer Harshit Rana attributed Kolkata Knight Riders’ surge to the top of the IPL points table to the winning blueprint laid down by former captain Gautam Gambhir, now serving as the team’s mentor. Gambhir’s strategic insights, derived from his successful tenure as KKR skipper, have revitalized the franchise’s performance, leading them to reclaim their dominant form in the tournament.Under Gambhir’s leadership, KKR clinched the IPL title twice and secured playoff berths on five occasions between 2011 and 2017.Rana acknowledged Gambhir’s profound understanding of the game, stating, “He has a lot of knowledge on how to turn games in our favor, and it helps us a lot in the middle.”Rana emphasized the team’s adherence to Gambhir’s preferred style of cricket, which focuses on strategic discipline and adaptability. “Not only this match, this entire season we have been focusing a lot on the style of cricket that Gautam Gambhir wants us to play,” Rana remarked during a press conference following KKR’s commanding victory over Lucknow Super Giants.In the latest triumph, KKR showcased their astute reading of the conditions, with Rana playing a pivotal role in restricting the opposition with figures of 3/24. Despite concerns over Mitchell Starc’s economy rate, Rana expressed unwavering faith in the Australian speedster, highlighting his influential presence within the team. Reflecting on his aspirations, Rana expressed his ambition to represent India while maintaining a steadfast focus on delivering consistent performances for his franchise. “My aim is to play for India, but whatever franchise I play for, I try to give my best on the day of the match,” he affirmed.Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants’ Naveen Ul Haq conceded defeat against the brilliance of Sunil Narine‘s explosive innings, which propelled KKR to a daunting total. Naveen acknowledged Narine’s exceptional batting display, lamenting the failure of their bowling plans to contain the West Indian all-rounder.Despite the setback, Naveen remained pragmatic, acknowledging the need to regroup and refocus for their upcoming fixtures. “Every team has a bad day, and we cannot keep focusing on that, we have to move on,” he concluded, echoing the sentiment of resilience required in the demanding landscape of the IPL.(With inputs from PTI)