December 23, 2024
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"Don't Say A Word To Virat Kohli": AB de Villiers' Retort Amid Sunil Gavaskar's Criticism

“Don’t Say A Word To Virat Kohli”: AB de Villiers’ Retort Amid Sunil Gavaskar’s Criticism

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stalwart Virat Kohli was at the center of heavy criticism over his performances in the first half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 campaign. As RCB lost 7 of their first 8 games of the tournament, Kohli was one of the players blamed for the team’s poor run, with his strike-rate becoming a constant talking point. Even the great Sunil Gavaskar lashed out at Virat for his lack of intent, prompting a reply from the RCB star too. Now, AB de Villiers has also joined the debate, saying it wasn’t pleasing for him to see Virat in the line of fire. De Villiers, in a chat on Jio Cinema, even recalled his own experience of playing against Kohli, saying his message to teammates would be “do not say anything to Virat” as criticism seems to get the best out of him. “I thought it was… really bad for someone like that for a hero and a role model of the country to get so much criticism around that. But the way I know him, I just knew and that’s exactly what I mentioned on my show. I said, guys, you have no idea what happens to this guy when he catches criticism. The many years I’ve played against him, I used to tell the players in the team room, you do not say one word to Virat on the pitch because he will come out and he will score a big 100 if you try and chirp him,” De Villiers was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. “Maybe it was a blessing in disguise, getting a bit of criticism, because stuff like that motivates him so much,” he added. Speaking of Virat’s role at the T20 World Cup, De Villiers even went against the popular suggestion, saying the marquee batter shouldn’t open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma, and continue occupying the No. 3 spot. “I feel he’s a number three batsman and that’s where he’s most impactful. He’s almost like the captain of the batting team everywhere he goes. He keeps the calmness and the composure within the batting unit,” the former South Africa captain said. “I know Virat himself really enjoys opening, which is great. You’ve got to respect that from a man who’s played the game for many years. He understands his game really well and he understands what he wants out of the game as well. “But if I was playing a TV game, Xbox, he would come in at number three in my team. I feel there’s too much risk in those first couple of overs to go and ask Virat to take the game on, to hit the ball in the air. All I want him to do is to bat between overs 4 and 16-17, somewhere there. “I feel that’s where he’s best in the world by a country mile and that’s where he’s most impactful,” he asserted. Topics mentioned in this article

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Day After Virat Rant On Kohli's Comments, Sunil Gavaskar's Statement On MS Dhoni Resurfaces

Day After Virat Rant On Kohli’s Comments, Sunil Gavaskar’s Statement On MS Dhoni Resurfaces

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File photo of Sunil Gavaskar.© X (Twitter) Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar didn’t mince his words while reacting to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) icon Virat Kohli’s rant at ‘pundits’ over criticsim of his strike-rate and struggles against spin. Kohli didn’t hold his emotions back as he took a swipe at critics after the match against Gujarat Titans (GT) last weekend. Reacting to Kohli’s rant, Gavaskar launched a scathing attack on the RCB icon, asking why those who continue to stay away from what’s said and written on social media are reacting to ‘outside noise’. However, Gavaskar didn’t stop there as he also slammed the broadcasters for showing that rant from Kohli ‘a dozen times’ on television. “That particular post-game interview has been shown on this channel earlier as well, right now, on this particular program it has probably been shown half a dozen times. I hope that Star Sports recognises that when that is being shown, asking where are the critics, the critics are the commentators. Your Star Sports commentators are the ones from whom the questions are being asked,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports. Amid his meltdown over Kohli’s rant, an old video of Gavaskar praising two-time World Cup winning captain MS Dhoni has resurfaced on social media. In the video, an emotional Gavaskar recalled the moment when he got his shirt signed by Dhoni during IPL 2023. Respect is earned, not given. Meanwhile Gavaskar with MS Dhonipic.twitter.com/dFHUE4HAeZ — (@rahulmsd_91) May 5, 2024 Gavaskar had said: “It was a very emotional moment for me (getting the shirt signed by MS Dhoni). MS Dhoni has done a lot for Indian cricket. If I have 2 minutes to live, I would like to witness Kapil Dev lift the 1983 World Cup trophy and MS Dhoni hit the World Cup winning six and the way he rolled over his bat after hitting the six.” For the unversed, Gavaskar got his shirt signed from Dhoni after CSK’s last home game of the season last year, assuming that the veteran might retire from the IPL after the tournament. Topics mentioned in this article

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Virat Kohli: 'Strike rate is trending in the right direction': Matthew Hayden on Virat Kohli's role for T20 World Cup | Cricket News

Virat Kohli: ‘Strike rate is trending in the right direction’: Matthew Hayden on Virat Kohli’s role for T20 World Cup | Cricket News

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NEW DELHI: Australian cricket legend Matthew Hayden has reignited the debate over Virat Kohli‘s batting position, particularly in the context of the upcoming T20 World Cup.Hayden’s comments came in the wake of former India captain Sunil Gavaskar‘s criticism of Kohli’s explosive response to critics questioning his scoring rate in IPL 2024.Kohli played a scintillating performance against Gujarat Titans, where he scored an unbeaten 70 off 44 balls, including a blistering display against spinners.Kohli’s response to criticism regarding his scoring intent in the middle overs has sparked intense debate within the cricketing fraternity.In evaluating Kohli’s potential role as an opener for India in the T20 World Cup, Hayden emphasized the significant improvement in Kohli’s strike rate over the past four IPL seasons. “That strike rate is trending in the right direction, it’s trending up,” Hayden commented on Star Sports. “So 150 for me is kind of that sweet spot that starts in and everyone having conversation well where you bat? Is it three, is it open? You know those first six overs, it doesn’t matter if Kohli is in those first six overs. You know that there’s going to be fireworks.” Hayden highlighted Kohli’s adaptability and aggressive approach regardless of his batting position, particularly in the context of the explosive nature of the first six overs in T20 cricket. He expressed confidence in Kohli’s ability to deliver fireworks irrespective of where he bats in the lineup.Reflecting on the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies, Hayden emphasized the favorable batting conditions and Kohli’s proficiency in capitalizing on such surfaces. He cited Kohli’s outstanding record as an opener in T20Is, including his sensational century in the Asia Cup last year, as evidence of his capability to excel in the role.However, Hayden also acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the conditions in New York, one of the venues for the T20 World Cup, while expressing confidence in Kohli’s adaptability and the firepower of India’s batting lineup.“They’re not so sure about those conditions in New York. I’ve seen that overlaid venue and it looks magnificent. But certainly through the West Indies, they’re going to be benign conditions and Kohli is going to come in and look to strike away knowing that he has a superb batting side that also has a great strike rate,” Hayden added.

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KL Rahul's striking U-turn on his 'overrated' strike rate remark amid Sunil Gavaskar-Virat Kohli row

KL Rahul’s striking U-turn on his ‘overrated’ strike rate remark amid Sunil Gavaskar-Virat Kohli row

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‘Strike rate’ has become the new hot topic in Indian cricket after former India captain Sunil Gavaskar ripped apart Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Virat Kohli on Saturday for hitting back at critics in an explosive interview last week during IPL 2024 over criticism on his sluggish scoring rate in T20. Amid the row, Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul took a major U-turn on his old comment on strike rate when asked about his new approach in the ongoing season. Lucknow Super Giants’ skipper KL Rahul plays a shot during the match against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League 2024, at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow (ANI ) Rahul’s tempered-down approach in T20 cricket has often been subject to criticism, but the India batter has always reckoned that the metric of strike rate in the shortest format is an “overrated” topic. “Look, I think strike rate is very, very overrated. For me, it’s only about how I can win games for my team,” Rahul, who was then the skipper of Kings XI Punjab, said in 2020. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! Three years later, he reiterated the same ahead of the start of the 2023 IPL season for Lucknow Super Giants, where he added that: “Strike rate depends upon the demand, like if you chase 140 – you don’t need to go with 200 strike rate – it depends upon the current situation.” However, on Sunday, on being asked about his new approach this season for LSG as an opener, Rahul accepted that amid the changing dynamics of the game, where 220 is becoming almost a norm, strike rate has emerged to become an important factor. “There’s been a lot of talk about strike-rates and the format is changing. Even 220 is now safe. It is evolving,” said Rahul after LSG won the toss and opted to bowl first. In the IPL 2024 season, Rahul has scored 406 runs so far for Lucknow in 10 matches at a strike-rate of 142.96. What is Sunil Gavaskar vs Virat Kohli strike-rate row? Earlier on Saturday, Gavaskar was left fuming at Kohli, who had blasted his critics over his strike rate against spinners after scoring 70 not out of 44 balls against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad last week. The former India opener, speaking live on-air, said that the commentators only criticised him when he would get out before the slog overs after registering a strike rate of below 120. “Commentators questioned only when the strike rate was 118. I’m not too sure. I don’t watch too many matches, so I don’t know what the other commentators have said otherwise. But if you have a strike of 118 and then you get out in the 14th or the 15th with a strike-rate of 118, I mean, if you want applause for that, that’s a little bit different. That’s different,” he told Star Sports. Gavaskar also lashed out at Kohli for responding to “outside noise” amid cricketers constantly mentioning that they care less about what critics say about their game. “All these guys talk about, oh we don’t care about outside noise. Then why are you replying to any outside noise or whatever it is. We all played a bit of cricket, not a lot of cricket. We don’t have agendas. We speak about what we see. We don’t necessarily have any likes and dislikes. Even if we have likes and dislikes, we actually speak on what is happening,” added Gavaskar.

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IPL-17 | Self-belief and never-say-die attitude are Mohammed Siraj’s real strengths, says Sunil Gavaskar

IPL-17 | Self-belief and never-say-die attitude are Mohammed Siraj’s real strengths, says Sunil Gavaskar

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru Mohammed Siraj. File | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar Mohammed Siraj’s self-belief and never-say-die attitude are his real strengths, said batting legend Sunil Gavaskar after the pacer set up Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s four-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League in Bengaluru. Siraj’s two-wicket burst in the powerplay to remove Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha played a crucial role as GT could manage just 147 all-out in 19.3 overs on May 4. “Every time you see Mohammed Siraj, you know that he’s going to give his heart out. Remember the time when his father passed away when he was in Australia. He carried on,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports Cricket Live. “A lot of people would want to go back because your parents are so dear to you. But I think he realised that playing for India was important. Also, he was not established at that stage. An established player would 100 per cent have gone back. “And remember how spectacularly he bowled in that Gabba Test match. Getting somebody like Steve Smith out when he was on 55… so this is the real strength of Mohammed Siraj, the self-belief and the never-say-die attitude on the field.” Chasing a modest 148, Faf du Plessis (64) and Virat Kohli (42) put on 92 runs inside the powerplay to give RCB a blistering start. RCB, however, slipped from 92/0 to 117/6 before romping home in 13.4 overs. “Extraordinary stuff during the power play when RCB was batting. It was just game on, and then all of a sudden things changed. Were they trying to counter the net run rate solution? And if that is the case, then well played to them because they needed to go hard,” former Australian batter Matthew Hayden said. “So they lost those three wickets to Joshua Little straight away in that middle stage of the match. And then they were able to consolidate because, simply as you heard Faf at the presentation say, anything short of 180, even 190 on this high-scoring venue, was never going to be enough runs.” Former England cricketer and coach Paul Collingwood also lauded the “aggressive approach” of the RCB batters. “The intensity displayed by RCB with the ball was commendable. Even while chasing a modest total, seeing Virat Kohli stepping out of his crease and effortlessly flicking a delivery for six on just the second ball indicated their aggressive intent. This signals danger for their opponents. “Despite their position near the bottom of the table, RCB didn’t hold back. They showed clarity, bravery, and aggression, particularly in the middle order. Although they lost wickets, I commend their aggressive approach,” he said.

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Virat Kohli Rant "Shown Half A Dozen Times": Sunil Gavaskar Doesn't Spare Broadcaster In Meltdown

Virat Kohli Rant “Shown Half A Dozen Times”: Sunil Gavaskar Doesn’t Spare Broadcaster In Meltdown

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After Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stalwart Virat Kohli went after ‘pundits’ over criticsim of his strike-rate and struggles against spin, India legend Sunil Gavaskar wasn’t willing to keep mum. The iconic batter, on live TV, went on an angry rant ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match between RCB and Gujarat Titans on Saturday. Gavaskar, launching a scathing attack at Kohli, asked why those who continue to stay away from what’s said and written on social media are reacting to ‘outside noise’. Kohli didn’t mince his words as he questioned those ‘sitting inside the box’ about how many games they’ve won for their country. But, Gavaskar wasn’t happy seeing the RCB star turning the tables and putting the commentators in the line of fire. Gavaskar, however, didn’t just criticise Virat but also took a swipe at the broadcaster Star Sports for playing that rant from the opening batter ‘a dozen times’ on television. “That particular post-game interview has been shown on this channel earlier as well, right now, on this particular program it has probably been shown half a dozen times,” he said. “I hope that Star Sports recognises that when that is being shown, asking where are the critics, the critics are the commentators. Your Star Sports commentators are the ones from whom the questions are being asked.” “If you have a strike rate of 118, you come and face the first ball, and then you get out in the 14th or 15th over and your strike rate is 118 – if you want applause for that, then that’s a little bit different,” he said. “But for Star Sports to show the person belittling their own commentators, I’m not sure that’s a great thing. So I think Star Sports needs to understand that they have shown it enough times, everyone’s got the message. So according to Gavaskar saab, no matter how much people cry on kohli everyday Kohli shouldn’t reply his critics pic.twitter.com/9yiAYtXrg8 — POTT (@KlolZone) May 4, 2024 “We’ve all played a bit of cricket, not a lot of cricket, but we speak about what we see. We don’t necessarily have any likes and dislikes. Even if we have likes or dislikes, we actually speak on what’s happening. So, I would be very disappointed if Star Sports show this once more because that will be questioning all us commentators.” What Sunil Gavaskar Said On Virat Kohli’s Rant: Gavaskar was one of those pundits who had questioned Virat Kohli’s intent, going about a strike-rate of around 120 as his team suffered consecutive defeats. The legendary cricketer doubled down on the RCB star, asking if he needed appreciation for a strike-rate of 118. “Commentators questioned only when his strike-rate was 118,” Gavaskar said, responding to Kohli’s rant. “I’m not too sure. I don’t watch too many matches, so I don’t know what the other commentators have said otherwise. But if you come and open and then have a strike of 118 when you get out in the 14th or the 15th over, I mean, if you want applause for that, that’s a little bit different. That’s different.” “All these guys talk about, ‘oh we don’t care about outside noise’. Accha? Then why are you replying to any outside noise or whatever it is. We all played a bit of cricket, not a lot of cricket. We don’t have agendas. We speak about what we see. We don’t necessarily have any likes and dislikes. Even if we have likes and dislikes, we actually speak on what is happening,” he added. What Had Virat Kohli Said? Virat Kohli didn’t mince his words as he slammed those criticising his strike-rate after scoring 44-ball 70 in the match against the Gujarat Titans for the first time this season. “Not really, I think all the people who talk about strike rates and me not playing spin well are the ones who love talking about this stuff. But, for me, it’s about winning the game for the team. And there is a reason you have done this for 15 years,” Kohli said after his match-winning knock against Gujarat in the presentation ceremony. “You have done this, day in and day out. You have won games for your team. And I am not quite sure if you have not been in that situation yourself, to sit and speak about the game from a box. “I don’t think it’s the same thing. For me, it’s about doing the job for the team. People can sit and talk about their own ideas and assumptions of the game. But those who have done it, day in and day out, they know what they are doing. It’s kind of muscle memory for me,” he added. Topics mentioned in this article

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'Brutal!' Fans react to Sunil Gavaskar's scathing response to Virat Kohli on strike-rate talks | Cricket News

‘Brutal!’ Fans react to Sunil Gavaskar’s scathing response to Virat Kohli on strike-rate talks | Cricket News

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After Sunil Gavaskar‘s scathing response to fellow batting legend Virat Kohli for his comment on cricket experts debating his strike rate in T20s, fans came out in huge numbers on social media to voice their opinion on the controversy. Prior to the announcement of India’s squad for the T20 World Cup, there were talks about Kohli not scoring quickly enough to match the standards of T20 strike rate these days despite the Royal Challengers Bengaluru icon topping the list of run-getters in the ongoing Indian Premier League Season. But Kohli remained in almost ever expert’s list of India’s 15-member T20 World Cup squad and also made it to the official squad announced by the BCCI earlier in the week. Kohli, who has scored 542 runs in 11 matches so far in IPL 2024, reacted to the comments.WHAT KOHLI SAID“Not really, all the people who talk about strike-rates and me not playing spin well are the ones talking about this stuff. For me, it’s about winning the games for the team and there’s a reason why you’ve done it for 15 years, you’ve done this day in and day out, you’ve won games for your teams, I’m not quite sure that if you haven’t been in that situation yourself, to sit and talk about the game in the box.”“For me, people can talk about their assumptions day in and day out, but those who have done it day in and day out, they know what’s happening and it’s a kind of muscle memory for me now.”GAVASKAR’S RESPONSE“Commentators questioned only when his strike rate was 118. I’m not too sure. I don’t watch too many matches, so I don’t know what the other commentators have said otherwise. But if you come and open and then have a strike of 118 when you get out in the 14th or the 15th over, I mean, if you want applause for that, that’s a little bit different.”“All these guys talk about, ‘oh we don’t care about outside noise’. Accha! Then why are you replying to any outside noise or whatever it is? We all played a bit of cricket, not a lot of cricket. We don’t have agendas. We speak about what we see. We don’t necessarily have any likes and dislikes. Even if we have likes and dislikes, we actually speak on what is happening.” “I hope Star Sports realises that when that clip is shown, questioning the critics, the critics are your own commentators. For you to show the person belittling your own commentators, I’m not sure that’s a great thing. You need to realise you have shown it enough times, everybody’s got the message. I would be very disappointed if you show it once more.”HOW THE FANS HAVE REACTED

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angry sunil gavaskar launches never seen attack on virat kohli, says 'why are you replying to any outside noise' | Cricket News

angry sunil gavaskar launches never seen attack on virat kohli, says ‘why are you replying to any outside noise’ | Cricket News

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The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.Read More

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Angry Sunil Gavaskar Blasts Virat Kohli's Rant. Says, "Don't Have Agenda, Why Are You Replying To Outside Noise"

Angry Sunil Gavaskar Blasts Virat Kohli’s Rant. Says, “Don’t Have Agenda, Why Are You Replying To Outside Noise”

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Sunil Gavaskar, former Indian cricket team captain, on Saturday launched a never-heard-before attack on Virat Kohli for his recent comments about critics. “Not really, all the people who talk about strike-rates and me not playing spin well are the ones talking about this stuff. For me, it’s about winning the games for the team and there’s a reason why you’ve done it for 15 years, you’ve done this day in and day out, you’ve won games for your teams, I’m not quite sure that if you haven’t been in that situation yourself, to sit and talk about the game in the box. For me, people can talk about their assumptions day in and day out, but those who have done day in and day out, they know what’s happening and it’s a kind of muscle memory for me now,” Kohli said after an IPL match. Sunil Gavaskar referred to the interview ahead of the RCB vs GT match on Saturday and launched a scathing attack. The batting legend felt that such comments was a direct insult to the knowledge of the former cricketers who are working as experts. Throughout the rant by Sunil Gavaskar, Virat Kohli’s visuals were being shown in split screen. “Commentators questioned only when his strike rate was 118. I’m not too sure. I don’t watch too many matches, so I don’t know what the other commentators have said otherwise. But if you come and open and then have a strike of 118 when you get out in the 14th or the 15th over, I mean, if you want applause for that, that’s a little bit different. That’s different,,” said Gavaskar on Star Sports. Gavaskar owning kohli pic.twitter.com/g5j2WiVtJW — ‘ (@Dhoniverse_) May 4, 2024 He added that stars like Kohli should not bother to respond on ‘outside noise’ if they don’t care about it. “All these guys talk about, ‘oh we don’t care about outside noise’. Accha! Then why are you replying to any outside noise or whatever it is. We all played a bit of cricket, not a lot of cricket. We don’t have agendas. We speak about what we see. We don’t necessarily have any likes and dislikes. Even if we have likes and dislikes, we actually speak on what is happening,” Gavaskar said. So according to Gavaskar saab, no matter how much people cry on kohli everyday Kohli shouldn’t reply his critics pic.twitter.com/9yiAYtXrg8 — POTT (@KlolZone) May 4, 2024 The former Indian cricket team skipper even criticised IPL’s official broadcasters for showing Kohli’s interview time and again. “I hope Star Sports realises that when that clip is shown, questioning the critics, the critics are your own commentators. For you to show the person belittling your own commentators, I’m not sure that’s a great thing. You need to realise you have shown it enough times, everybody’s got the message. I would be very disappointed if you show it once more.” Topics mentioned in this article

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"Worst Kind Of Bowling": Sunil Gavaskar Blasts Hardik Pandya After MS Dhoni's Fiery Knock

“Worst Kind Of Bowling”: Sunil Gavaskar Blasts Hardik Pandya After MS Dhoni’s Fiery Knock

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Hardik Pandya (L) and MS Dhoni© AFP Legendary Indian cricket team batter Sunil Gavaskar was furious with Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya after he was hit for three consecutive sixes by MS Dhoni during the IPL 2024 match against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. Hardik was the pick of the MI bowlers with two wickets but he was slammed for 20 runs by Dhoni in the final four balls of the CSK innings. Gavaskar slammed Hardik for his ‘ordinary bowling and ordinary captaincy’ and criticised the kind of deliveries that he produced. “Probably the worst kind of bowling that I’ve seen for a long, long time. It almost looks like I’ve had this embrace with my hero. I’ve got a bowling kind of deliveries that he’s gonna hit for sixes. One 6 is fine. The next one again a length ball when you know that this batter is looking for a length ball to hit. The third ball again, a full toss on the leg side and he’s looking for it and hits it for a 6. Absolutely ordinary bowling, ordinary captaincy,” Gavaskar said during his analysis in the mid-innings break. Gavaskar also referred to the interaction that Hardik and Dhoni had just ahead of the match. Hardik ran to Dhoni and hugged the former India skipper in a moment that has gone viral on social media. Coming to the match, Rohit Sharma’s century went in vain as Mumbai Indians lost to Chennai Super Kings by 20 runs. Rohit played a brilliant knock but the hosts kept losing wickets at regular intervals and an impressive four-wicket haul from Matheesha Pathirana ensured the victory for CSK. Earlier, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube slammed half-centuries while Dhoni provided a late flourish against Hardik’s bowling to take CSK’s total to 206. Thanks to the victory, CSK remain in the third position while Mumbai Indians are eighth in the competition with just four points from six matches. Topics mentioned in this article

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