rohit gurunath sharma

Irfan Pathan’s Epic Rant Goes Viral. Conclusion: “MI’s Story Ends Here”

Danijones8 months ago04 mins

Following Mumbai Indians’ (MI) loss to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan suggested that there is a lack of respect in the dressing room for captain Hardik Pandya. With eight defeats in 11 matches, Hardik has endured a disastrous first season in IPL as MI captain. Irfan, who has been critical of Hardik since the start of the season, once again questioned the tactics of the MI captain. He pointed out how Hardik gave the ball to Naman Dhir when KKR were tottering at 57/5. Irfan said that Hardik’s decision allowed KKR to rebuild their innings with the help of Venkatesh Iyer and Manish Pandey, who was playing his first game of the season. “Mumbai Indians’ story ends here. This team was so good on paper, but it wasn’t managed. The questions that were raised on Hardik Pandya’s captaincy were absolutely right. When you’ve restricted KKR to 57/5, you didn’t have to give Naman Dhir three successive overs. You had to bring your main bowlers, and you gave your sixth bowler three overs. Manish Pandey and Venkatesh Iyer posted a strong partnership. You could’ve bowled them out on 150 instead you let them score 170,” Irfan said in a viral video. Irfan Pathan exposes Hardik Pandya Captaincy – “Mumbai Indians solid team on paper not managed well by their captain again. This Complete team failure on this loss.” pic.twitter.com/oIdW97Chao — (@rushiii_12) May 3, 2024 Irfan further suggested that the MI players don’t respect Hardik as captain, which has further hampered the team this season. “Captaincy has a big impact in the game. Mumbai Indians don’t look like a united team, and management needs to consider this. Players need to respect and accept the captain, and we didn’t see that on-field. They have to improve in that aspect,” he added. The win helped KKR retain their second position in the table but now with 14 points to their credit from 10 games. Meanwhile, MI remained at the 9th spot with 6 points after playing 11 games. However, mathematically Mumbai Indians are still alive in the race to playoffs. They need to win their remaining three matches and hope for favourable results from other games to end at top 4. MI remaining games are against SRH, KKR and LSG on May 6, 11 and 17, respectively. Topics mentioned in this article

“Virat Kohli Should Open, Rohit Sharma Goes Back”: Ex-India Star On T20 World Cup Combination

Danijones8 months ago03 mins

Ajay Jadeja believes Rohit Sharma should bat at no. 3 and promote Virat Kohli.© BCCI Former all-rounder Ajay Jadeja believes that India skipper Rohit Sharma should push himself to the number three spot and promote Virat Kohli to the opening position during next month’s T20 World Cup in the Americas. India announced their 15 for the marquee tournament earlier this week and will open their campaign against Ireland on June 5. “For me, Virat Kohli opens. Who goes back? Rohit Sharma bats at three. He gets a little cushion and gets to understand the game, he has so much going on, in his mind as a captain,” Jadeja told Jio Cinema. “If you have Virat in your side, you know consistency is the one thing you will get, so, might as well use him. He’s best at the top and the powerplay allows him to settle in,” he added. Jadeja backed the selection of a currently off-colour Hardik Pandya in the squad, describing him as special. “The spotlight is on him for obvious reasons. He’s a special player, a rare commodity you find in our country where somebody bowls seam-up and can make it to the side with his batting,” he said referring to the furore caused by his elevation to Mumbai Indians captaincy replacing Rohit. Pandya, who is enduring a poor run in the IPL, will be Rohit’s deputy during the T20 World Cup. “The selection has not been on form, there’s no doubt about it. It depends on how you want to play. It’s one of the things I look at this team and think they don’t have many options. “You have established players in the side, everybody is so solid with the numbers that they play at, and what stage they play. It will all depend on what Rohit thinks,” Jadeja said. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

Hardik Pandya Has “Lot Of Questions” With MI All But Out Of IPL, Puts Blame On…

Danijones8 months ago04 mins

All but out of play-off contention after eighth defeat in 11 games, Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya seemed as if he was groping in the dark for replies to all the unanswered questions hounding the five-time champions in yet another disastrous IPL season. Pandya was handed over the captaincy after the franchise removed national captain Rohit Sharma, something that the fans didn’t really embrace with the colourful Baroda all-rounder being booed every time he entered the pitch. “There are a lot of questions that will take time to answer. But for now, not much to say. Obviously, we couldn’t form partnerships and kept losing wickets. Bowlers did a fantastic job on this track,” Pandya said after his team failed to score 170, losing to KKR at home for the first time in 12 years. Pandya felt that it was better to bat late evening once dew set in but MI failed to capitalise. “The wicket got better if I’m not wrong. Dew came in the second innings. Will go through the game and see what we can do better,” he said. Pandya tried to put up a brave front as he spoke about fighting till the last match. “You keep fighting, that’s what I keep telling myself. It’s challenging, but you take the challenges.” His opposite number Shreyas Iyer was delighted that his team is on the cusp of a play-off berth. “We are (knocking at the door) at the moment. Lot of thinking would have gone behind that (had we lost today). Just got to know about the stat (of KKR not winning at Wankhede for 12 years)… ” The “Impact Player” rule did help KKR as Manish Pandey, who came in at the fall of the fifth wicket, contributed 42 priceless runs. “This Impact Player rule specifically helped us in this game. Manish has being eyeing an opportunity from the first game. We got to a commendable total. I told the boys that if we have got here, we can defend it,” Iyer said. He was all praise for the performances from spin twins Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, both of whom returning with identical figures of 2 for 22. “Spinners were unreal, absolutely spot on in executing their lines and lengths as discussed in team meetings. Kudos to them,” Iyer said. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

Gautam Gambhir Names Only Batsman He Has “Feared”. It’s Not Gayle, De Villiers, Dhoni Or Kohli

Danijones8 months ago04 mins

As Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) look to take on Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, the mentor of the 2-time champions, Gautam Gambhir, opened up on his respect for Rohit Sharma. While Gambhir has come up against some of the finest batters in the game during his active days as a cricketer, especially as the KKR skipper, there is no batter he has “feared” the most than Rohit Sharma. In a candid chat with the IPL broadcaster, Gambhir revealed that he often had to come up with multiple plans to stop Rohit from scoring runs. Gambhir, during his cricketing career, had to plan for marquee batters like AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, etc. But, it’s Rohit against whom he had the most difficult times. “The only batsman that I’ve feared is Rohit Sharma. The only batter who has given me sleepless nights… No Chris Gayle, no AB de Villiers, only Rohit. I always knew I had to have a Plan A, a Plan B and probably a Plan C as well, because if Rohit is in, I don’t think anything can control him,” Gambhir told Star Sports. Game recognises game “The only batsman I feared in IPL was @ImRo45“, @GautamGambhir praises the Indian captain’s batting prowess! Will he lead #TeamIndia to glory in the #T20WorldCup2024? | #MIvKKR | TODAY, 6:30 PM | #IPLOnStar pic.twitter.com/eEav5GbKG5 — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 3, 2024 “I’ve never planned for any other batter in the IPL except Rohit Sharma. There has been times where I had seen visuals and I said, ‘Fair enough. Plan A is fine’. But for Rohit, one night before I used to think, if this doesn’t work I have to get the other plan,” he further added. In IPL 2024, Sunil Narine has emerged as a consistent performer for KKR, both with the bat and the ball. While admitting that Narine vs Rohit is a battle that he has his eyes on, Gambhir also asserted that he needs more than just the 4 overs from the West Indian to keep Rohit in check. “If Sunil bowls his four over, then who is going to bowl the next 16? And if I finish off Sunil early and Rohit is there, he can hit 30 off one over. Probably, he was the only batter I feared as a captain,” he added. Topics mentioned in this article

India’s T20 World Cup 2024 Squad Press Conference Live Streaming: When And Where To Watch?

Danijones8 months ago03 mins

File photo of Rohit Sharma (left) and Ajit Agarkar.© AFP Rohit Sharma, captain of the Indian cricket team, and Ajit Agarkar, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee chief, will address the media on Thursday in a press conference. The captain and chief selector are expected to shed light on the squad selection that the BCCI announced on Tuesday. The apex cricket board of India picked the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2024, starting June 1. Along with the 15-player list, the BCCI also named a reserve list consisting of 4 players. Hardik Pandya’s selection and appointment as vice-captain is one major topic Rohit and Agarkar will have to reflect on. Press Conference Live Updates Here are the details of the press conference – Watch live here: When will India’s T20 World Cup press conference take place? India’s T20 World Cup press conference will take place on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Where will India’s T20 World Cup press conference be held? India’s T20 World Cup press conference will be held at the BCCI headquarter in Mumbai. What time will India’s T20 World Cup press conference start? India’s T20 World Cup press conference will start at 4:30 PM IST. Which TV channels will telecast India’s T20 World Cup press conference? India’s T20 World Cup press conference will be telecast live on Star Sports. Where to follow the live streaming of India’s T20 World Cup press conference? India’s T20 World Cup press conference will be streamed live on Star Sports’ YouTube page. (All the details are as per the information provided by the broadcaster) Topics mentioned in this article

India’s T20 World Cup Squad Press Conference Live Updates: Ajit Agarkar To Face Tough Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh Questions

Danijones8 months ago01 mins

India T20 World Cup squad selection: Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar in press conference© X (Twitter) India T20 World Cup squad press conference Live Updates: Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar will address the media at 4:00 PM IST on Thursday in a press conference. The captain and chief selector are expected to shed light on the squad selection that the BCCI announced on Tuesday, picking the 15-member roster for the T20 World Cup 2024. Along with the 15-player list, the BCCI also named a reserve list consisting of 4 players. India T20 World Squad Selection Press Conference: Topics mentioned in this article

Former India Stars Back Yashasvi Jaiswal To Be Rohit Sharma’s Opening Partner In T20 World Cup 2024

Danijones8 months ago08 mins

Former India cricketers Irfan Pathan and Mohammad Kaif have backed young Yashasvi Jaiswal to be captain Rohit Sharma’s opening partner for India in the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup, to be held in West Indies and USA from June 1. Kohli has been leading run-charts in the IPL 2024 as an opener for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but him opening with Rohit for India in the T20 World Cup could result in teams having left-arm fast-bowler and left-arm spinner match-up. However, Pathan thinks Jaiswal opening with Rohit will help India tackle this match-up in the T20 World Cup. “It’s a question which has been floating around a lot. It should be Yashasvi Jaiswal – as he being a left-hander, what happens is, a team from a bowling point of view, will start with a left-arm spinner and when that happens, you can actually play these two batters. If Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli open, as there’s been a lot of talk about it, you can keep them quiet for a certain period of time. “If you do that, the game goes away, especially at the start and this is where a left-handed batter in Yashasvi Jaiswal comes into the picture. He’s aggressive and will take on the threat of left-arm spinner as well. So, I think Yashasvi should open with Rohit Sharma,” said Pathan while replying to an IANS query in the latest episode of ‘Star Sports Press Room’ show. The Rohit-Jaiswal combination though, will also result in Kohli batting at number three, which would mean his struggles against spin in the post power-play phase could resurface. But Kaif believes Kohli’s previous stupendous success for India in ICC tournaments at number three is still a very big factor. “I would see Jaiswal and Rohit opening, as Kohli has to be there at number three. Though he opens in the IPL, Kohli has done well in ICC events at number three. You need someone who has experience at number three and can bat through. With Yashasvi opening and Kohli in the dugout, there will be pressure on the opposition team that Virat is still to come out to bat.” “If he opens and the opposition gets him out, then it will be a big confidence booster for them. Jaiswal will attack from the first ball and Rohit Sharma also attacks in power-play, then it should be this way: Jaiswal, Rohit and Virat Kohli at number three,” he added. Pathan, the Player of the Match in India’s 2007 T20 World Cup final win over Pakistan in Johannesburg, was left disappointed over the non-inclusion of Rinku Singh and Ravi Bishnoi in the 15-member squad. Rinku, an in-form finisher for India in 15 T20I since his debut last year, is placed in the traveling reserves. “I am very disappointed that Rinku Singh is not there. It’s because Rinku Singh was playing a crucial role in finishing the game – he did it for his franchise (Kolkata Knight Riders) last year and when he played for India, he did that role as well.” “Once you have a strike-rate of 170 and have an average close to 60-70, and then not be picked, then you will be very disappointed. Bishnoi, I thought, despite that number six ranking, misses out to a master spinner like Chahal, though he’s got that fielding skill too. So, these were the two things I had in my mind on seeing this team.” At the same time, Pathan reckons India has to play their cricket in feisty fashion if they are to end a more than a decade drought of World Cup victory. “The guys, who have been selected, have to perform when the pressure time comes in. I am not worried about the first half; it’s about when the knockout matches will happen – this is where I want the Indian team to play fearless cricket which in the last two World Cups – 50-over and 20-over in Australia – we missed out on that.” Kaif agreed with Pathan’s views and felt India’s real examination will be to win knockout matches, something which they haven’t been able to do yet. “It’s a very balanced side, but this is not the IPL, where you play 14 league matches and come back to win the trophy even after losing games.” “In the World Cup, you will meet weaker teams in the initial phase of the tournament till you meet teams like Pakistan and England in the semi-finals. You need to win two big matches to win the trophy and are you ready for that big moment? India haven’t done that in the past and that’s the real challenge for Rohit Sharma.” India will begin their Men’s T20 World Cup campaign on June 5 against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. India, the 2007 Men’s T20 World Cup winners, are in Group A alongside Pakistan, Canada and tournament co-hosts USA. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

“Not The Right Time To…”: Hardik Pandya’s Intriguing Captaincy Take On MI Loss

Danijones8 months ago04 mins

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya was once again at the losing end as Rajasthan Royals all but secured their progression into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs with a thumping 9-wicket win. Hardik, who has been in the spotlight ever since he took over the franchise’s reins from Rohit Sharma, admitted that the team hasn’t been good enough in any of the three departments of the game. As mistakes as a batting unit, bowling unit, and in the field continue to cost Mumbai Indians important games, Hardik admitted it’s time to accept flaws and work on them. (IPL 2024 Points Table) “We put ourselves in trouble early on. The way Tilak and Nehal batted – that was fantastic. I don’t think that when we lost a couple of wickets early we thought we would even reach 180. We didn’t finish well and that’s why we were 10-15 runs short. We had to keep it within the stumps (while bowling). Early on in the powerplay, we gave a lot of width and I don’t think it was our best day in the field as well. Overall, we did not put the right foot in the park and eventually, they outplayed us,” Hardik said in the post-match presentation ceremony. There remain certain individuals in the game who are yet to fire this season. But, Hardik doesn’t believe in singling out players and talking to them individually. The MI skipper continues to believe in the professionalism that the players have and is hoping to see them rectify their mistakes themselves. “After the game, it’s not the right time to go to the players, everyone is professional, they know their roles. What we can do is learn from this game and the mistakes which we have made, rectify it and make sure that we don’t make it. Progression is very important. Within the team, individually, we will have to accept our flaws and maybe work on those,” he explained. Though Mumbai have lost their 5th game in 8 matches, Hardik continues to believe in the team that has been picked. He all but ruled out making big changes in the playing XI as the franchise enters a do-or-die stage in the campaign. “I don’t believe much in chip and chop, I like to back players and the focus would always be to play good cricket, sticking to our plans and making sure that we don’t make the basic errors. Cricket is simple, as long as we keep it simple, it’s nice,” he concluded. Topics mentioned in this article

Virat Kohli’s Request In Vain As Mumbai Crowd Boos Hardik Pandya Once Again

Danijones8 months ago03 mins

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya was once again booed by the crowd at the Wankhede Stadium during the IPL 2024 match against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. Hardik has been on the receiving end of some negative reactions from the MI fanbase since replacing Rohit Sharma as the skipper. Things got worse as MI slumped to three back-to-back defeats in the competition but the past few games have witnessed a mini-resurgence for the side with two wins. During the last game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Virat Kohli was not pleased with the crowd booing Hardik and he requested them to cheer him and remember that he plays for the Indian cricket team. However, it looks like Kohli’s requests were in vain as Hardik was once again targeted with boos by the fans while loud chants of “Rohit Rohit” was also heard ahead of the start of the match. Hardik Pandya getting Huge boos at the toss This is Unreal by Rohit Sharma fans!!!pic.twitter.com/NJfUt2iuuH — ᴘʀᴀᴛʜᴍᴇsʜ⁴⁵ (@45Fan_Prathmesh) April 14, 2024 Meanwhile, Hardik won the toss and opted to field against Chennai Super Kings. “We would like to bowl first, dew will come into play. It (pitch) looks better than the last game, expecting a lot of runs. Need to stick to the basics. Winning is very important to get the momentum. We were able to win two games convincingly. That’s the beauty about IPL, everyone has to contribute. Your team will be able to achieve goals eventually. The dew started coming post 10 overs (in the last game.) It gets heavier in the evening. Same team.” Hardik said at the toss. Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings Playing XIs – Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Time David, Mohd Nabi, Romario Shepherd, Shreyas Gopal, Akash Madhwal Jasprit Bumrah, Gerald Coetzee Subs: Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Naman Dhir, Nehal Wadhera, Harvik Chennai Super Kings:Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rachin Ravindran, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, M.S. Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Tushar Deshpande, Mustafizur Rahman Subs:Matheesha Pathirana, Sindhi, Mitchell Santner, Moeen Ali, Adil Rasheed Topics mentioned in this article

“India Need Hardik Pandya For T20 World Cup”: England Great Slams Booing Fans

Danijones8 months ago04 mins

Hardik Pandya’s debut season as captain of Mumbai Indians (MI) has been nothing less than a soap opera. The all-rounder replaced the long-serving Rohit Sharma as the captain of the franchise ahead of the IPL 2024 players auction. However, fans have not been happy over the change in leadership at MI. The crowd has made it presence felt by booing Hardik during matches so far this season. Former England captain Michael Vaughan shared his views on Hardik being booed by fans. Since Hardik played two seasons at Gujarat Titans, Vaughan admitted that he understood the hostility from the Ahmedabad crowd in MI’s first game this season at the Narendra Modi Stadium. However, Vaughan expressed his shock at the treatment Hardik received in Hyderabad, as well as the Wankhede “I don’t understand booing. I kind of get it in the first game in Gujarat, because he played for them for two years and did not well as a captain. But then when he went to Hyderabad, I was like, ‘What’s going on.’ Then when he came back to Wankhede, his own home support was booing him. I did not understand that,” Vaughan said on BeerBiceps podcas. Vaughan urged fans to back Hardik as India would need him to be fit and firing for the T20 World Cup. “What Indian cricket fans need to understand is that Mumbai Indians are Indian fans and for India to win the T20 World Cup, they need Hardik Pandya. They need him to play well. So somehow, over the next few weeks, they need him to get that confidence level right upto the top level, because with India having Hardik flying, they got a great chance in lifting that trophy,” he added. Speaking further on the MI captaincy drama, Vaughan suggested that Rohit should have been the captain of the franchise. “I personally would’ve captained Rohit. Hardik coming back to MI is big enough pressure in itself, and Rohit is obviously going to be the Indian T20 captain. The sensible move would’ve been for Rohit to carry as MI captain with Hardik in mind for next year or 2,” Vaughan explained. Topics mentioned in this article