(Cricket news) The TATA IPL 2022 champions continued their strong play into this season and appeared to be the side to defeat once again. Sanju Samson’s RR and Hardik Pandya’s GT appear to be the front-runners in the playoff race. It will be the last game before rivalry week in the TATA IPL 2023.
Due to the team’s balance and how well it is playing as a whole, former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri has backed Gujarat Titans as the TATA IPL 2023’s title favourites.
Speaking on Star Sports’ Cricket Live, Shastri said, “Looking at the current form and team standings, I believe that Gujarat will win the trophy. There is consistency and flexibility in this team and there are seven-eight players who are performing consistently. The players in this Gujarat side complement each other.”
The former head coach of India, Shastri, has also lauded Sanju Samson’s management of RR and has expressed great admiration for how the wicketkeeper-batter is managing his spin trio of R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Adam Zampa in the TATA IPL 2023.
Speaking on Star Sports’ Cricket Live, Shastri said, “Sanju Samson has matured as a captain. He uses his spinners very well. Only a good captain can play with three spinners and use them smartly.”
Earlier on Thursday, in yet another TATA IPL nail-biting last-over drama, Kolkata Knight Riders upset Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Varun Chakaravarthy’s stunning bowling performance prevented Sunrisers Hyderabad’s lower-order hitters from surpassing the 9 runs needed from the final over. In order to revenge their home loss to SRH, KKR prevailed by a margin of 5 runs thanks to the mystery spinner’s meagre 3-run total from the final over.
Harbhajan Singh, a former cricketer for India, praised Chakaravarthy for maintaining composure under pressure and adhering to his game plan.
Speaking on Star Sports’ Cricket Live, Harbhajan said, “Varun Chakravarthy bowled tight lines all along the death overs against SRH. He changed his angle and showed confidence in the final over to defend 8 runs. It was good captaincy from Nitish Rana as well for giving the ball to Varun.”
The leading run-scorer for KKR in the current TATA IPL 2023 season, Rinku Singh, once again contributed a crucial hit for his squad. As the top-order fell short of expectations, Rinku’s patient knock of 46 off 35 deliveries helped KKR reach a respectable total. The UP batsman garnered praise from Mohammed Kaif, another legendary member of the UP cricket team.
Speaking on Star Sports’ Cricket Live, Kaif said, “Rinku Singh has been showing a lot of maturity with his performances. His footwork is very good, he looks confident every time he walks in the middle. He knows how to convert his form into good knocks and also knows when to shift gears. He keeps rotating the strike early on and later plays his shots. Rinku is capable of hitting big shots as well and this quality makes him a special player.”
Also read: KKR beat Sunrisers by five runs
