IPL

New Delhi, May 30 (Cricket News) Where talent meets opportunity: the IPL lived up to its motto yet again with the 2022 season unearthing a battery of pacers -- some raw and some already polished -- and a potential India captain in Hardik Pandya.

In his first full season for Hyderabad, Umran Malik attracted the world's attention with his ability to clock 150kmph plus with ease, also forcing the Indian selectors to take notice while young left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan impressed with a lethal combination of pace and accuracy for the new Lucknow franchise.

The competition reinforced India's rise as a fast-bowling powerhouse with the likes of Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh (both Chennai Super Kings), Yash Dayal (Gujarat Titans) and Kuldeep Sen (Rajasthan Royals) also making their presence felt in the world's biggest T20 league.

There were young batters too who instantly showed they belonged to the higher level. They included Mumbai Indians' Tilak Varma who was praised by none other than his captain Rohit Sharma, who called the southpaw an India material.

Then there was Jitesh Sharma who drew praise from India great Virender Sehwag with his exploits as a wicketkeeper batter for Punjab Kings. His team failed to make the play-offs again but he made the most of the opportunity.

The other uncapped batters who may not be new to the IPL but had a memorable season included Hyderabad's Rahul Tripathi, who was unfortunate to miss out on an India call-up and Abhishek Sharma, who excelled as an opener.

Hardik makes his case for future India captaincy ---------------------------------------------------- Before the start of the IPL, there were serious questions marks over the star all-rounder's fitness but by the end of it, he not only ticked most of the boxes with bat and ball, but also emerged as an astute leader who could captain India in the future.

Having not played since India's early exit at the T20 World Cup last year, Hardik silenced all his critics after facing a lot of flak for his fitness and for not being able to bowl regularly.

He relished batting at number four, and when there was need for him to roll his arm over, he came up with vital contributions, including a match winning spell in the IPL final.

The oldies still got it ---------------------- It was also a season to remember for the experienced Umesh Yadav, Wriddhiman Saha and Dinesh Karthik, who made yet another India comeback after excelling in the finisher's role for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

His team Kolkata Knight Riders may have made a premature exit, but Umesh made the ball talk in the early part of the tournament, providing regular breakthroughs for his team in the powerplay.

He was never rated highly for the T20 game but this season he showed he can very much thrive in the shortest format.

Playing for the victorious Gujarat team, Saha rediscovered himself with bat as he opened alongside Shubman Gill.

Left out of the Indian Test team, Saha had a point to prove and with his ability to play strokes all around the ground, he helped Gujarat get off to a flier on a number of occasions. COVID struck IPL again but BCCI ensured smooth conduct --------------------------------------------------------------- After the pandemic, it was the first IPL that was held in India in its entirety with the BCCI pulling off a challenging task to stage 74 games in over two months, 14 more than the last edition following the addition of two new teams.

It did face a few hiccups with Delhi Capitals reporting multiple cases in their camp, forcing the board to reschedule a few games.

However, with the COVID situation in control in the country, there was never any threat to the tournament even after an outbreak in the Delhi franchise. 

Also Read : Hope to have more Bengal players in KKR: CAB president

News Source : PTI

Ahmedabad, May 30 (Cricket News) Minutes after the final was over, Hardik Pandya was quietly caressing the IPL trophy flap as one of the BCCI employees was inscribing the name of new champions 'Gujarat Titans'.

It seemed as if an indulgent father was tousling his son's hair with love. That trophy was indeed Pandya's labour of love. For all the hardwork put in after some years of circumspection and uncertainties. We all saw it but he dealt with it.

His wife Natasha hugged him. It was an act of assurance -- that his support system is firmly behind him, earlier in 'thin' and now in 'thick'.

"I live and feed on love, which I keep getting from my family," said the man, who won it for the Titans in first half itself with the wickets of Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer.

The 34 runs in a low-scoring chase was just the cherry on top.

On May 29, 2022, India just got another genuine white-ball captaincy option in Pandya.

His MS Dhoni style of calm leadership, has blind-sided even the best of cricket analysts in the country, who wouldn't have remotely considered him of being a left-field choice in their wildest of dreams even three months back.

But dream has turned into a reality and Pandya has walked the talk as a leader with 487 runs and 8 wickets. "I have always enjoyed responsibility and been someone, who wants to lead from the front, so that I can set an example," Pandya told reporters during virtual conference.

"If I want my team to function in a certain way, I need to be the first flag-bearer to show them the way. So that, it makes more sense if I do it first," Pandya spoke with conviction and all who listened believed him.

"....But World Cup Trophy remains an ultimate goal" =============================== Hardik in his six-year start-stop international career has played one ICC final (Champions Trophy in 2017) and two semi-finals (T20 World Cup in 2016 and ODI World Cup in 2019).

On June 9, it will be one of the sweetest of comebacks for Pandya in India Blue and the eyes are trained on a World Cup triumph. There are two in next 16 months -- one in shortest version (T20) and other in shorter version (ODI).

"It's about winning the World Cup for India, no matter what happens. I have always been that guy to put the team first, so the goal will be to see my team gets it (global trophy) most," he said.

"Playing for India has always been a dream come true. No matter how many games I have played, I have always got support and love. In the short and long term, one goal is there. I want to win the World Cup no matter what happens," he makes his priorities crystal clear.

This IPL Trophy is more special than other four ============================= Lifting the IPL trophy isn't a new experience for Pandya but guiding a new team in its first year is certainly super special and he makes no bones while admitting it.

"This is a bit more special as I got it as a captain. But those earlier four (2015, 17, 19, 20 with MI) were equally special. I am insanely lucky to win five out of five IPLs, but this IPL trophy will create a legacy," Pandya declared in his booming baritone.

"Today was a day, we got such support with 110,000, we got all rewards for the hard work," he added.

Batters can win matches but bowlers win Championships =================================== When Hardik was picked by Gujarat from the draft, his first endeavour along with head coach Ashish Nehra was to pick a potent bowling side and accordingly, they assembled a cracking unit -- Mohammed Shami (20 wickets), Rashid Khan (19 wickets), Lockie Ferguson (12 wickets) and rookie Yash Dayal (11 wickets).

"People say T20 cricket is a batter's game but it is the bowlers, who win you matches," he said.

But the skipper explained his rationale behind concentrating on bowling line-up.

"Because if the batters are not putting up a par-score, then you need a gun bowling line-up, so we have always ended up giving 10 runs less. On tracks, where other teams have gone for 190, we have perhaps restricted sides to 180," Pandya elaborated.

"Obviously 10 runs make a big difference in larger context as it can decide on winning and losing." "For me and Ashu paa (Nehra), at the start, our endeavour was to create a strong and experienced bowling unit, so that if batting doesn't click occasionally, we can pull things back, so that was very important." Strong family, emotional bonds =================== From the garish jackets and the blingy diamonds and flashy in-your-face lifestyle during initial years, Pandya's transformation from a brash youth to a responsible man has been an incredible one.

Wife Natasha, son Agastya, brothers Krunal and Vaibhav, sister-in-law Pankhuri form his core circle, people who are like his protective human shields from the vulnerabilities.

"Natasha is someone very emotional and gets very happy when she sees me doing well. She has seen me going through a lot of things and putting in hard yards, no matter what has happened, I have worked hard, that is something I don't speak about but she knows how much hard work goes behind the scenes," the husband in Hardik was full of gratitude.

"My family has been my strong pillar. My brother Krunal, my sister-in-law Pankhuri, my other brother Vaibhav. Lot of people, who have been fantastic in ensuring that I stay in best mind space whenever crunch situations come.

"My brother (Krunal) as well cried, when I called him, my sister-in-law cried. Those were tears of happiness. I know that I can perform out there on the field as these people are all behind me," he concluded. 

Also Read : Gujarat Titans exceed all expectations and win their first IPL title

News Source : PTI

Ahmedabad, May 29 (Cricket News) Five-time IPL winner Hardik Pandya on Sunday said his latest triumph, while leading first-timers Gujarat Titans, is something the coming generations will talk about.

Hardik's team capped off a dream campaign in its maiden season by lifting the Indian Premier League title with a seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in the final here.

"This title is going to be a special one because we talked about creating a legacy. The coming generations will talk about it," Hardik said.

"Everyone will remember this was the team who started this journey and to win the championship first year is very special." The Gujarat Titans' triumphant skipper said he knew he was going to bat at number four for the first-timers after they got done with the mega auction ahead of IPL-15.

"When the auction finished, I knew I would have to bat at No. 4," Hardik said at the presentation ceremony.

Hardik has won four IPL titles with Mumbai Indians.

Gujarat's highly-rated bowling attack, led by skipper Hardik (3/17) himself, limited a formidable Rajasthan Royals batting unit to 130 for nine after losing the toss.

Asked about his bowling, he said, "Wanted to show at the right time what I've worked hard for. Today was the day from the bowling point of view I saved the best for the best.

"Second ball of my spell when I got Sanju (Samson) out, saw that if you hit the wicket hard and hit the seam something is gonna (going to) happen.

"It's all about sticking to the right lengths, asking the batters to play the right shots." Hardik, known for his big-hitting abilities, curbed his attacking instinct to some extend during the tournament, focussing more on guiding his team with his calm and composed leadership.

"For me my team is the most important. I've always been that kind of individual. If I were to have a worse season and my team wins, I'll take that. I will take the trophy any day over striking at 160. My team comes first for me." Speaking about his batting, he said, "Batting comes first to me, always going to be close to my heart." Hardik has enjoyed a splendid run in his fresh IPL season with his home franchise. In 14 innings, he has scored nearly 500 runs at an average of 45.30 while also picking up plenty of wickets, which has earned him praise from many quarters.

Player of the Tournament, Jos Buttler, for amassing 863 runs, said he has "exceeded all my expectations apart from today".

"... The trophy we really wanted. Disappointed with that. Big congratulations to Hardik and team. Deserving champions. My goals are to play my role for the team and try and react on the day regarding what the game is asking me to do," Buttler said.

"In good teams you have a lot of trust in everyone. We have huge trust in everyone in our team. Very grateful for the opportunity to play today. Disappointed - that's completely natural." Notwithstanding the loss in the final, RR captain Sanju Samson was proud of the way his team played through the season.

"This season is a really special for us. We have been able to play good cricket and give fans some happy moments. All the youngsters, seniors played well as a team, I am proud of my team," Samson said.

"We believe quality bowlers win you the tournament. So we invested in them. With Jos playing throughout 20 overs, my role was a bit different. It was a decent season for me, nice 30s and 40s and 20s. But there is a lot to learnt. And huge congratulations to Gujarat Titans," he added. 

Also Read : Hardik showed eagerness to learn as captain, engaged with all of his teammates: Kirsten

News Source : PTI

Ahmedabad, May 29 (Cricket News) Gujarat Titans won the Indian Premier League title in their maiden season as they beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in the final here on Sunday.

Opting to bat after winning the toss, Rajasthan Royals were restricted to 130 for nine by the Gujarat bowlers at a packed Narendra Modi Stadium.

The tournament's top scorer, Jos Buttler, got out to GT skipper Hardik Pandya after making 39 off 35 balls.

Hardik bowled brilliantly to finish with figures of 3/17 in his four overs, while Rashid Khan too had an excellent outing, taking 1/18 in his full quota of overs.

In reply, GT lost two early wickets but eventually chased down the target of 131 with 11 balls to spare.

Brief scores: Rajasthan Royals: 130/9 in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 39; Rashid Khan 1/18, Hardik Pandya 3/17).

Gujarat Titans: 133/3 in 18.1 overs (Hardik Pandya 34, Shubman Gill 45 not out). 

Also Read : Umran Malik 'breath of fresh' air for pace bowling: Whatmore

News Source : PTI

Ahmedabad, May 28 (Cricket News) Two leaders, who are minefields of talent in their own right, one team that has made a mockery of all betting odds and the other trying to complete a cycle that started 15 summers back, IPL final between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals is about this and much more.

When IPL started over two months back, nobody would have believed that two captains walking out for toss in the title clash will be Hardik Pandya and Sanju Samson.

'Remember the Titans', a 2000 Hollywood film headlined by Denzel Washington is considered one of the best sports films on the proverbial underdog story, which always has a capital.

It is not known if Titans skipper Hardik has watched it but for him and head coach Ashish Nehra, this journey of two months has been nothing short of spectacular. They have made a lot of people eat a humble pie because many, including experts, termed them a team of no-hopers post auction. A team that looked like a rag-tag outfit with only a few good players like David Miller, considered past their sell by date, or one-match wonders like Rahul Tewatia, it didn't really look good on paper.

But then you wouldn't call cricket a "game of glorious uncertainties" if everything would be decided on paper.

A fit-again Hardik took to leadership like fish takes to water and showed the way with his performances and the reason why he will always be an asset for Indian cricket.

Miller, who played his best cricket at least five years back, showed his 2.0 version that stunned one and all. Tewatia showed that those five sixes in Sharjah wasn't a mere flash in the pan.

Rashid Khan knew that he would be read well, so he became all the more parsimonious. Wriddhiman Saha after Rahul Dravid's hard-talk had reached a dead-end in his career but got a new lease of life and at least one more season to look forward to.

Gujarat as a state has not been known for its sporting exploits.

It produced players like Parthiv Patel or one of India's greatest ever pacers in Jasprit Bumrah but just like Tamil Nadu never had an emotional connect with a team before CSK appeared in the horizon, same is the case with Gujarat.

Come Sunday, expect a partisan and vociferous crowd to chant "Aava De" and that's the impact that Titans have had on their fans.

History will always throw examples that sporting teams bind a community and perhaps Titans can strike that chord with the Gujaratis.

For Titans, if this is about carving a niche in-front of home crowd, Rajasthan would like to do it for someone, who would be watching up from the stars.

Shane Warne -- Rajasthan's forever first Royal had used the IPL stage in its inception year to show Australian cricket establishment what Ian Chappell had always maintained : "Shane Warne was the best captain Australia never had".

With the Ravindra Jadejas, Dinesh Salunkhes, Swapnil Asnodkars and Niraj Patels, Warne had guided tournament's then cheapest team to victory.

Thirteen summers have gone but there is no Warne in flesh and blood to watch his beloved team complete a cycle of life and sport.

Sanju is perhaps one of those rare Indian cricketers, who has a massive fan following despite not having played even 20 international matches for the country.

In terms of talent quotient, there is little to choose between Sanju and Hardik.

Sanju's batting like a pendulum swinging between heroism and insanity.

One ball, he can audaciously flick Kagiso Rabada or a Josh hazlewood for a six and the next delivery could be an atrocious shot that would make his biggest supporter tear his hair in frustration.

But captaincy has made him explore a different aspect -- the skills of a manager.

It is not easy to lead a pack that has bonafide stars like Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jos Buttler, Trent Boult along with young guns Yashasvi Jaiswal or Prasidh Krishna but Sanju has handled it well.

It will be one hell of a battle where Buttler with 800-plus runs will not only fight a Lockie Ferguson or a Yash Dayal but also withstand crowd pressure: about 1,11,000 fans would be cheering for the hosts.

Similarly, Shubman Gill would like to own the big stage and show what he can do when the canvas is as large as the IPL final.

Prasidh Krishna is a handful when his team bowls first but how will he react against a rampaging Miller if he has to defend in a tense situation? What will be Hardik's tactic against a wily Chahal and an experimental Ashwin during the middle overs? Or will Buttler take risks against a Rashid Khan? We will get all those answers in the next 24 hours.

There will be heroes, there will be heartbreaks but above everything, perhaps a contest that everyone will remember for ages.

Squads: Gujarat Titans: Hardik Pandya (c), Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Gurkeerat Singh, B Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Rahul Tewatia, Vijay Shankar, Matthew Wade, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Wriddhiman Saha, Alzarri Joseph, Darshan Nalkande, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami, Noor Ahmad, Pradeep Sangwan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Varun Aaron, Yash Dayal.

Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (c), Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent NSE 1.86 % Boult, Shimron Hetmyer, Devdutt Padikkal, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, Riyan Parag, KC Cariappa, Navdeep Saini, Obed McCoy, Anunay Singh, Kuldeep Sen, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel, Tejas Baroka, Kuldip Yadav, Shubham Garhwal, James Neesham, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Rassie van der Dussen, Daryl Mitchell, Corbin Bosch.

Match starts at 8:00 pm. 

Also Read : I am trying to hold one end up and let bowler from other end attack: Rashid Khan

News Source : PTI

Ahmedabad, May 28 (Cricket News) The risk-free tactic used by opposition batters has helped Rashid Khan deploy a defensive game-plan of trying to hold one end up while allowing the bowler at the other end go for the kill.

In his fifth IPL season, Rashid is no longer an unknown quantity and the batters across franchises are trying to see off his overs while trying to go after other bowlers in Gujarat Titans line-up.

While an economy rate of 6.73 in 15 games is very impressive, Rashid is currently ninth in the overall list with 18 wickets.

"My mindset wasn't any different in play-offs. The energy and the thought process is the same throughout. But teams are playing it safe against me. So, I am trying to keep it tight and that increases the chance of picking up wickets by the bowler at the other end," the Afghan spinner said ahead of Sunday's final.

For him, hitting one particular area is key.

"Irrespective of whether it is a league game or knockouts, my mindset is to bowl in a certain area and I don't try anything differently. My objective is to build pressure," Rashid said at the pre-final press conference.

Evolving as a batter ----------------------- Rashid has shown that he is no mug with the bat with nine sixes and a strike-rate of 206 plus in this season. Having developed a second skill obviously boosted his confidence and especially after contributing in finishing a couple of close games this season.

"I batted a bit higher than where I was batting before. The other thing is the confidence. It is given by the coaching staff, captain and all the players. They believed I will be able to perform. That is the kind of energy you need as a player and that has been given to me," he said.

He in fact practises a lot at the nets.

"There are more batting practice sessions for me, batting more than before and the belief that everyone has on me, that this guy can deliver and score some runs for the team, crucial runs.

"I always had that belief that I can score those 20-25 runs for the team at the end, if the team needs," he added.

All praise for 'Killer Miller' ---------------------------- Rashid also praised his team-mate David Miller, stating that he makes the job of the top-order easy.

"Having David, someone who’s in form in the middle, making scores, makes the job of top order easy. Numbers 4, 5 and 6 are important in T20 and once you have them in form, it does help to win games and doesn't matter whatever the target is.

"They have scored without any fear, especially when you look at the game against CSK (Chennai Super Kings), the kind of innings David played, he showed his class," Rashid signed off. 

Also Read : Change in mindset against spinners key to IPL 2022 success: Miller

News Source : PTI

Ahmedabad, May 28 (Cricket News) A change in mindset while facing spinners has played a big part in his success in the ongoing Indian Premier League, believes Gujarat Titans batter David Miller.

Miller has been the second highest run-scorer for GT with 449 runs from 15 matches, with an unbeaten 94 being his highest score. Skipper Hardik Pandya leads the chart with 453 runs from 14 games.

And the South African said the hardwork he had put in at the nets paid rich dividends.

"It has been a good season for me against spin. It has been something that I have worked hard on. I have never really felt that I struggled against spin, but it is an area I had to improve," Miller said during the pre-match press conference ahead of their IPL final against Rajasthan Royals here on Sunday.

"...I have changed my mindset against spin. I have changed one or two things. I feel like it is just about making sure, especially in T20 cricket, that I am looking to score every ball.

"If there is a bad ball at least I am in a good position to put it away. It creates a bit of pressure on the bowler. So that is one of the things mentally I have tried to improve," he added.

Miller said playing all the matches for GT has been a confidence booster for him.

"This season (I am) batting a bit higher. I am batting at five. I have managed to bat from the start of the season and play all the games, so it has been enjoyable that I am not in and out (of the team).

"I have managed to build something the whole season and keep my confidence growing," he said.

"I have been backed all the way. Playing all the games allows a player to settle down and really not worry about selection. I am loving being part of this successful team," added Miller, who has been playing in the IPL for 12 years.

He attributed GT's success in its debut season to collective effort.

"It has obviously been a really good season. But for me the standout has been Rahul Tewatia. Someone like (Mohammed) Shami has bowled incredibly well this season. He has put us in good positions in the powerplay. "It is tough to single out players. A lot of guys have put their hands up throughout the competition and that has contributed to a lot of wins," he said.

Miller was also effusive in his praise for opener Wriddhiman Saha. "He (Saha) is almost like a pillar of strength. I played with him for many years at Kings XI (Punjab Kings) and he is the one who doesn't complain, doesn't speak much but gets on with the job.

"The contributions that he has made has been extremely good upfront. He has set the tone, scoring a lot of boundaries in the powerplay, really getting us to good starts. He has had an incredible season and hopefully he tops with one more extremely good game," Miller signed off. 

Also Read : This is different Virat, one who has made more mistakes in one season than his entire career: Sehwag

News Source : PTI

Ahmedabad, May 28 (Cricket News) Rajasthan Royals director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara finds Sanju Samson "exceptional" as the Kerala man has been able to perform triple roles of wicket-keeping, captaincy and batting with aplomb in a tournament of IPL's magnitude.

RR easily beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by seven wickets on Friday to reach their first IPL final since 2008 and have a shot at a second title.

"Sanju has been exceptional. He started off with quite a tough test last season with a young side and lot of upheaval because of COVID bubbles, tournament of two halves but he has really grown into his role," Sangakkara said at the post-match press conference.

"He is very soft-spoken, very reserved individual. He is exceptionally skilled with the bat. He has shown a lot of passion and hunger to taking on this testing role of captaincy. Wicket-keeping, captaining and being the best batter in your side along with Jos Buttler is not an easy kind of role to fill but he has done it really well this season," he added.

The legendary Sri Lankan feels that Samson has become more aware about his role in the side.

"He has become more and more aware of what his role is. His tactical awareness has improved right throughout. He has really trusted his team. The team really looks up to him as a leader," the former Lankan skipper added.

Englishman Jos Buttler has been phenomenal with the bat for RR and is the leading scorer in the tournament with 824 runs from 16 games with four centuries and as many fifties.

And Sangakkara said he has never seen anyone bat with such authority in the history of the IPL as Buttler did in the ongoing season.

"It's hard to describe what he (Buttler) has done for us this season in terms of T20 batting. He started off well, he had a little bit of a flutter at one point in the tournament but then he just calmed himself down, had a lot of good conversations rather than just training," he said.

"He accepted that he is mortal, he is a human and can't be at that high level of excellence every single day. He can accelerate at any point, he has got all the strokes. He understands the game really well. I can't remember anyone batting this well in the history of the IPL." Sangakkara said having a core group of nine players made his job easy.

"That's an advantage of having an experienced side. We have a core group of nine players with exceptional experience and skill and around them, we have young guys and some very senior players in the bench. What I have to do as a coach is very little. It is just about being responsible of what has happened, owning it as a unit.

RCB's director of cricket, Mike Hesson said not being able to accelerate in the last five overs cost them dearly.

"123 for 3 with 5 overs to go, we were very much in a position to get 175-180 with (Glenn) Maxwell set along with (Rajat) Patidar. We obviously lost those two wickets and then in the last 3 overs Obed McCoy and (Prasidh) Krishna bowled nicely, we struggled to get any momentum. We were probably 20 short," he said.

"Our death run score throughout the season has been exceptional, it's probably the top end where we didn't get the momentum. Other than today we pretty much nailed the last 5 overs in most innings." By his own standard Virat Kohli has endured a forgettable IPL, scoring just 341 runs in 16 innings averaging 22.73 but Hesson said the former RCB skipper got better as the tournament progressed.

Hesson also backed Mohammed Siraj, who took just nine wickets in 15 games, to comeback strongly.

"Siraj is a fine bowler. He didn't have the best tournament but he will comeback strong. Maxwell had a good all-round season with bat and ball. Virat got better and better as the season went on. He looked in good touch in the last 4-5 innings," he said. 

Also Read : Prasidh, Buttler send Rajasthan Royals to their first IPL final since 2008

News Source : PTI

Ahmedabad, May 27 (Cricket News) Jos Buttler extended his dream run this season with a record-equalling fourth hundred as Rajasthan Royals produced a ruthless performance to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by seven wickets here on Friday and reach their first IPL final since the inaugural edition in 2008. Pacer Prasidh Krishna (3/22) came back strongly from the hammering he received in the last game to help Rajasthan restrict RCB to 157 for eight in Qualifier 2 despite a stellar 42-ball 58 from Rajat Patidar.

Buttler (106 not out off 60 balls), the leading run getter of the tournament by a fair distance, then toyed with the RCB attack to ensure the Royals romped to victory in 18.1 overs. It was only fitting that Buttler hit the winning runs as he clobbered Harshal Patel for his sixth maximum.

With his special innings, Buttler matched Virat Kohli for most hundreds in a single season. Kohli had achieved that feat in 2016.

Royals take on IPL debutants Gujarat Titans in the final here on Sunday and would be looking to emulate the special feat of the 2008 batch which lifted the title under the inspirational leadership of the late Shane Warne 14 seasons ago.

The pitch offered extra bounce but after Buttler provided a flying start in the company of Yashasvi Jaiswal (21 off 13 balls), the Royals had the game in the bag.

RCB, who had raised hopes for a long awaited title with a resurgent run, committed too many errors after Royals put them in to bat.

After a below-par batting effort, their bowlers ran out of ideas against a marauding Buttler. Mohammad Siraj ended a forgettable IPL campaign on a dismal note. He leaked 31 runs in his first two overs, allowing the Royals to run away with game.

Buttler crossed the 800-run mark this season and dispatched bowlers to all corners in his match-winning effort comprising sixes and fours. Jaiswal, who smashed Siraj for two sixes and a four in the opening over, too played his part as the Royals raced to 67 for one in the powerplay.

Earlier, Patidar extended his stellar run in the IPL but his effort was the lone bright spot of the RCB innings as the other batters struggled on a tricky pitch.

Royals gained the upper hand by taking five wickets in the last five overs that went for only 34 runs.

After smashing a sensational hundred in the Eliminator, Patidar played with supreme confidence after high-profile openers Virat Kohli (7) and Faf fu Plessis (25) failed to come up with impactful knocks.

Rajasthan Royals pace duo of Trent Boult (1/28) and Krishna were impressive throughout the innings.

While Boult got his inswingers going in the powerplay, Krishna, who had a horror night against Gujarat Titans in the Qualifier 1, got the ball to rise sharply from good length.

Kohli started with a spectacular six off Boult, a whip over deep square leg, before falling to a loose shot off Krishna. It was a wide ball that rose sharply and Kohli played away from his body to edge it to the wicketkeeper. The extra bounce contributed to his dismissal.

Patidar joined du Plessis in the middle and again played as if he was batting on a different surface. He was dropped by Riyan Parag at backward point early in the innings after he collected two fours off Krishna in the same over. Both were delightful strokes, the first being a cracking cut shot before a stunning back-foot punch between the cover and backward point.

He also went after the star spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal in the middle overs and brought up his fifty with a clean strike over long-off.

Glenn Maxwell hit a six each against Ashwin and Chahal before Boult outsmarted him. Boult invited him to pull over deep fine leg and the Australian failed to clear the boundary with Obed McCoy taking a brilliant catch.

Royals bowlers were able to stifle RCB in the death overs.

Krishna, hammered for three straight sixes in the final over against Gujarat, lifted his game in the slog overs as well to dismiss the in-form Dinesh Karthik and Wanindu Hasaranga off successive balls. 

Also Read : If Pant plays 100 Tests, his name would be etched in record books forever: Sehwag

News Source : PTI

Kolkata, May 26 (Cricket News) Batting stalwart Virat Kohli says Rajat Patidar's match-winning century in the IPL Eliminator was one of the best innings produced under pressure.

Little-known Patidar from Indore slammed a 54-ball 112 not out to single-handedly win the IPL Eliminator for Royal Challengers Bangalore on Wednesday night here.

"That was one of the best innings I've ever seen under pressure by Rajat Patidar, and I've seen many," Kohli, who had added 66 with Patidar, said on RCB's Game Day segment.

"That level of striking in this game is some level of batting. Watch out for him!," he said. With Patidar going hammer and tongs, RCB posted an imposing 207 for 4, a total which proved enough as LSG managed 193 for 6 to bow out of the tournament.

Wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Kartik, who shared a 92 off 41 balls with Patidar to take RCB across the 200-mark, also was effusive in his praise for the 28-year-old.

"It was probably the best innings by an uncapped player that I've seen. Outstanding batting. He is very cool, calm, and has a shy personality. It shows in his batting, you get the feeling that he is lazy but that is just his personality.

"Lovely guy, hardworking with a shy personality. Rajat Patidar played some great shots and made my job easier, that’s a key factor in a good team." RCB will face Rajasthan Royals in the second qualifier on Friday. 

Also Read : Ireland Women draw for the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-2025

News Source : PTI

Ahmedabad, May 26 (Cricket News) Rajasthan Royals will need to shake off an ordinary bowling performance in their last outing when they clash with Royal Challengers Bangalore, a team which seems to be peaking at the right time, in the high-stakes IPL Qualifier-2 here on Friday.

Having sneaked into the play-offs, RCB seem are on a roll and a tight win over Lucknow in the Eliminator has fuelled expectations for a long-awaited trophy.

They take on Rajasthan, a team which has all bases covered but still came up short against Gujarat in Qualifier 1.

The IPL caravan moves to Ahmedabad after a couple of high-scoring games in Kolkata.

It has been a quick turnaround for RCB but they won't mind that as they look to ride the momentum.

"The best thing is that we have one day and we play again. Cannot wait to be in Ahmedabad and take the field again. We are so excited and happy with how things have gone. Hopefully, two more games and we all can celebrate," star RCB batter Virat Kohli told the IPL website after the win over LSG. Rajat Patidar, who played the innings of his life on Wednesday, will be a man with supreme confidence in another high-pressure knockout fixture.

For someone who went unsold in the IPL auction and came into the RCB squad as a replacement player, it has been a career-changing season for him.

Both the high-profile openers, Kohli and Faf du Plessis, are big match players and will be itching to make an impact after low returns in the previous game. Dinesh Karthik has managed to maintain consistency in a tough role and the team management would be also hoping for more runs in the back end of the innings from Glenn Maxwell.

The team is likely to stick to the winning combination. While Wanindu Hasaranga has shown the courage even when he has been taken to the cleaners, Harshal Patel has been the go-to pacer in slog overs.

Mohammad Siraj returned for the LSG game and bowled well with the new ball. Josh Hazlewood enhanced his reputation as a death bowler with a match-deciding penultimate over and with the addition of a yorker in his armoury, has only become tougher to score of.

RCB bowlers will have to be on the top of their game against a formidable Rajasthan batting line up which rely heavily on Jos Buttler and skipper Sanju Samson. Both scored against Gujarat but it did not prove to be enough.

Samson will be eager to convert his 30s and 40s into a substantial knock and lead from the front.

It remains to be seen how the bowlers comeback after a forgettable outing. R Ashwin had a rare off day against Gujarat while Prasidh Krishna paid the price for bowling length balls to David Miller in the final over.

Squads: Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (captain), Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Shimron Hetmyer, Devdutt Padikkal, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, Riyan Parag, KC Cariappa, Navdeep Saini, Obed McCoy, Anunay Singh, Kuldeep Sen, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel, Tejas Baroka, Kuldip Yadav, Shubham Garhwal, James Neesham, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Rassie van der Dussen, Daryl Mitchell, Corbin Bosch.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis (captain), Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dinesh Karthik, Josh Hazlewood, Shahbaz Ahmed, Anuj Rawat, Akash Deep, Mahipal Lomror, Finn Allen, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Behrendorff, Suyash Prabhudesai, Chama Milind, Aneeshwar Gautam, Karn Sharma, David Willey, Rajat Patidar and Siddharth Kaul Match starts at 7:30 pm. 

Also Read : I don't shy away from bowling in slog overs: Harshal Patel

News Source : PTI

Kolkata, May 26 (Cricket News) Royal Challengers Bangalore seamer Harshal Patel does feel the nerves while bowling in the death overs but says he wants to be in those extreme pressure situations game after game.

The 31-year-old, who represents Haryana at the domestic circuit, has been the most improved bowler in the recent past and has cleverly used his variations to get the better of batters in the death overs.

Harshal also enhanced his reputation as a 'death overs specialist' in the IPL Eliminator against LSG.

"Whether I would be able to deliver or not, I don't really know, I can't say. But I want to be in those situations, there is no doubt about that," Harshal said after inspiring the team to a 14-run win over Lucknow Super Giants on Wednesday.

The win took them one step closer to the Sunday's summit clash at Ahmedabad as the RCB will next face Rajasthan Royals in the second Qualifier on Friday.

"I have been wanting to do that for the past two-three years, I have been doing that for Haryana, and I wanted to do it at the bigger stage and I will continue to put myself in those situations, sometimes it is going to come off, sometimes it is not going to come off.

"There will be games where I will end up losing for the team and I am okay with that as long as I don't shy away from challenges," said Harshal, who will lead the bowling challenge alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the upcoming T20I series against South Africa next month.

On Wednesday, while defending 208 against Lucknow Super Giants, Harshal bowled a tidy spell of 2-0-8-0 in the middle overs.

But with KL Rahul and hard-hitting Marcus Stoinis looking to break free at the death, the seamer was summoned to bowl the 18th over with 41 runs to defend.

"First of all, yes, I was nervous, there is no doubt about that. If you are defending 35 off 18 balls, then you're going to be nervous around it.

"I knew when I gave away six runs without bowling a ball -- gave away those wides, I knew that the wide yorker won't work.

"So I thought what worked for me in the first two overs, I want to go back to that and give myself the best opportunity to get KL (Rahul) and Stoinis out. Fortunately, I got Stoinis out at the boundary," he said.

Harshal, who had bagged 21 wickets for RCB last season, once again has been their bowling backbone and has 19 wickets from 15 matches in this IPL.

"I knew that the majority of my deliveries would be slower balls on this sort of a wicket, because as soon as you gave pace, the wicket made it easy to hit," Harshal said.

He said he got that indication when LSG bowled at them in the first innings.

"Whenever in their bowling when they bowled short or slower balls, it wasn't coming nicely on to the bat, so that was a clue that I want to bowl short and into the pitch -- slow as I can and then mix it up with a good yorker, good hard length ball." 

Also Read : We were trying to hit fours and sixes but they bowled really well: KL Rahul

News Source : PTI

Kolkata, May 26 (Cricket News) When Mark Zuckerberg famously said: "The biggest risk is not taking any risk", KL Rahul ought to have paid attention.

The India player is too good a batter to not take on the bowlers at any stage of a game, but his conservative middle-overs approach did not help Lucknow Super Giants' cause in the eliminator against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

At the end of the game, the LSG skipper acknowledged that "two big hits" would have probably done the job for his team in a chase of 208.

"Yes, I think now, looking back, yes, it was just about two big hits in the middle overs and that could have gotten us over the line," Rahul said in the post-match press conference here.

There was a seven-over period after the powerplay during which Rahul managed to hit just one boundary.

Rahul was in red-hot form this season with two centuries and four fifties, but his approach while chasing is something he needed to work on. The IPL debutants lost five of their seven matches while chasing.

"We won a few games but generally overall we did not do well chasing. It's something that we need to learn," Rahul said.

"For me, I think this season has been like every other season, has been a good learning experience.

"We, as a team as well, it's been a very challenging season. We've learned a lot." Rahul, who is only the second batter this IPL to go past 600 runs, scored 79 off 58 balls on Wednesday, which was not enough in their stiff chase.

"I've really done well in other seasons, and I enjoy chasing. Yeah, you become successful and at times you fail," Rahul said after the 14-run loss.

"But it's a team game and the team has really stepped up even when we're chasing," he added.

Rahul, who will lead India in the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa next month in the absence or Rohit Sharma, has been in imperious form this season, with 616 runs from 15 matches at an average of 51.33.

But his stats while chasing give an altogether different picture.

He has scored just 191 runs from seven innings while batting second, with an average of 27.28 at a strike-rate of 113.01.

His 79 in the eliminator was his highest and only fifty while chasing.

"I paid a bit of attention to the stats this season as well. Yes in this season, I've not scored much while batting second," he agreed.

"But it was a big game and when you come to a big game, you forget about your form, your runs in the last 14 matches.

"You try to play this as a fresh game, and give it your best. I tried to do that also today, but it was a good learning, have not scored much this season," he said.

On a day when his opening partner Quinton de Kock (6) departed early, Rahul needed to score quickly, but he looked too cautious in the powerplay.

RCB's Harshal Patel was brilliant once again and conceded just eight runs in his first two overs before turning it around at the death overs.

"It's not that we didn't try to hit those fours or sixes, we were trying but I think in the middle they bowled really well. I think Harshal's two overs in the middle was what pushed us back a little bit," Rahul said.

"He went two overs for eight runs. He didn't give away much, changed his pace well, he bowled to the field and yeah, that's where we were pushed back a little bit." Dropped catches cost us extra 30-40 runs ========================= Rahul also pointed out that it was their fielding that let them down heavily.

Rajat Patidar made use of his three reprieves -- on 59, 72 and 93 -- to smash his maiden T20 century -- 112 not out from 54 balls.

Dinesh Karthik, too, was dropped once and he went on to smash a 23-ball 37 not out.

"Skillwise look, you can have a bad day, you can go wrong with your execution with bat and ball but something that has let us down really badly in this game was our fielding," Rahul said.

"We dropped some easy catches. I dropped DK when he was batting on single-digit. Patidar got dropped in the 60-70s. So I think dropping them cost us that extra 30-40 runs.

"But we fought really hard. We tried to chase down this target to the best of our ability and like I said it was just two hits away. If we could have gotten that in the middle overs probably we would have won this game," Rahul said. 

Also Read : Rajat Patidar's 112 not out guides RCB to 14-run win over LSG

News Source : PTI

Kolkata, May 25 (Cricket News) Rajat Patidar owned the big stage with a magnificent hundred as Royal Challengers Bangalore beat debutants Lucknow Super Giants by 14 runs in the IPL Eliminator here on Wednesday.

RCB will now take on Rajasthan Royals, losers of first qualifiers, in qualifier 2, while Lucknow's journey ended following the defeat here.

Invited to bat, Patidar, the 28-year-old from Madhya Pradesh, produced an innings for the ages as he towered over his more illustrious colleagues with an unbeaten 54-ball 112-run knock that had as many as 12 fours and 7 maximums to power RCB to a huge 207 for 4.

In reply, skipper KL Rahul slammed a 58-ball 79 to keep Lucknow in the hunt but Josh Hazlewood (3/43) dealt a twin blow in the penultimate over as LSG finished at 193 for 6.

Brief Scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore: 207 for 4 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 111 not out; Mohsin Khan 1/25).

Lucknow Super Giants: 193 for 6 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 79; Josh Hazlewood 3/43) 

Also Read : Stunning Patidar takes Royal Challengers Bangalore to 207 for 4

News Source : PTI

Kolkata, May 25 (Cricket News) Little-known domestic bulwark Rajat Patidar found his hour of fame as his magnificent 49-ball hundred propelled Royal Challengers Bangalore to an imposing 207 for 4 against Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL Eliminator on Wednesday.

Courtesy Patidar's 54-ball-112 not out which had 12 fours and seven huge sixes, RCB literally knocked the stuffing out of LSG attack with Mohsin Khan's superb 1 for 25 proving to be only saving grace.

On a day their famed batting duo trio of Faf du Plessis (0), Glenn Maxwell (9) and Virat Kohli (25) failed to enthrall a capacity Eden crowd, RCB's No, 3 played out of his skin as 90 runs came in fours and sixes off just 19 balls.

While most of the star-studded RCB batters struggled for timing, the 28-year-old looked effortless with his slices, punches, counter-punches and drives to tower over the rest.

And to make Patidar's story more interesting, he wasn't picked from auction this season and joined the team after start when a player called Luvnith Sisodia was injured.

Had Sisodia been alright, RCB wouldn't have required services of Patidar, who made 65,000 at Eden Gardens stand on their feet.

He along with Dinesh Karthik (37 not out from 23 balls) put on a match-turning unbroken partnership of 92 runs from 41 balls as RCB scored 84 runs in the last five overs to prop up the total.

First, he showed the glimpses of his stroke-making skills to slam Krunal Pandya for three boundaries and one six inside the power-play to overshadow Kohli in a 66-run partnership from 46 balls.

Having cruised to his half-century in 28 balls, he took another 21 balls to reach his maiden hundred in T20s.

He got to the landmark pulling Mohsin Khan over square leg with a sweet-timing of the bat that summed up his effortless stay at the crease.

RCB lost three key wickets of a well-set Kohli, Maxwell and Mahipal Lomror in the middle overs to see their run-rate drop.

In-form Dinesh Karthik, who has played the role of a finisher to perfection for RCB this season, also survived some anxious moments against Ravi Bishnoi to start with.

But Patidar turned it around in the last over Bishnoi when he smacked the 'googly-man' for three sixes and two fours in succession in an over that read 1 6 4 6 4 6.

A sloppy LSG also helped his cause as Patidar, who got reprieves on 59, 72 and 93. After a 40-minute delayed start due to bad weather, Lucknow got off to a superb start when Mohsin got RCB skipper Faf du Plessis for a golden duck in the first over.

Having lost their skipper early, it was about biding time as Kohil and Patidar opted for a wait-and-watch policy before the latter broke loose against Krunal Pandya in the last over of the power-play.

Patidar slammed Krunal for three boundaries and one six in an over that yielded 20 runs to make it up for their slow start and cruise to 52/1 in six overs. 

Also Read : Kohli, Rohit, Ashwin maintain their top-10 positions in ICC Test rankings

News Source : PTI