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2022-05-24 18:48

The day I lose my passion for experimentation, I will be done with game: Ashwin

Kolkata, May 24 (Cricket News) India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin says he has "found a purpose in life", which is pushing the experimental boundaries without worrying much about the criticism that comes your way when you choose an uncharted terrain.

Ashwin is relishing one his "happiest IPL seasons" even as his 11 wickets and 183 runs won't exactly describe the kind of impact he has made on Rajasthan Royals' campaign.

Ashwin, the T20 batter has been as much a revelation as Ashwin, the bowler, who bamboozled the dangerous Andre Russell with a gem that can easily be counted as one of the best deliveries this season.

"This is one very different year as far as I am concerned as a cricketer and a person. Truth be told, this has easily been one of the happiest years of my experience at the IPL," Ashwin told Rajasthan Royals social media team in an interview.

For Ashwin, this year has been about exploring less traversed areas, whether it was growing as a finisher with the bat or give the team a blazing start as pinch hitter. "Nothing to do with performance and qualifications. It is about how much I have enjoyed in terms of performance. The day I stop experimenting, the day I stop losing the passion for that, is the day I will be done with game," Ashwin, India's second highest wicket-taker in Tests, said.

"I have been able to my thought processes to a different level this year. How do I coin this, it's tricky? They call it freedom of expression," said current Indian team's only "cricket scientist".

The delivery he bowled from round the wicket to beat Russell neck and crop in a tense game against KKR was a signal that "some things are just meant to be." "I am one of those very lucky few people who have found the purpose of life. The happiest moment for me was dismissing Russell in the KKR game. I genuinely believed that turned the tide.

"Previous day at practice, I worked on running from different angles over the wicket. First time I executed that, the game was in balance and he got out, then Yuzi hattrick happened. From that moment I felt things are meant to be," he said.

But the experiment could have gone south but Ashwin was ready for that.

"Earlier, I have tried this and it didn't work and people questioned. I don't know how people would have reacted if it didn't work, but it worked." "It's been a journey, I have made lot of mistakes. Years ago we had this head coach Duncan Fletcher and I would go and ask him, how do I improve this, how do I improve that, how do I get get better? He said only way you get better is by making mistakes and failing in front of people." "That's I have done all my life. I have received a lot of criticism from people on how I have tried to expand beyond the realms sometimes people may feel, 'Why the hell is he doing such things? Is he over ambitious, is he trying to do too much? "But that's just me, if you try to take that out of me you won't get this person. So I come with a lot of problems. If I am utilised and given the form of expression I require, I think I can explore boundaries," he said.

Royals played the season with "no expectations" ---------------------------------------------------- For Ashwin, the "greatest strength of this team has been playing with freedom and no expectations." "We should continue that and put a lot of pressure on whoever is coming up against us in rest of games that's left for us." He feels that the team might be onto something special. "It's a good beginning. Last time we qualified was when Shane Warne was around. Looks like we are on to something special. It's been a great effort if I look back at season.

"We have had our low moments but we have been pretty standard in how we have managed our inner space. Honeymoon with RR has been very good and hope it continues," he said.

Also Read : Path is going to be challenging, continue to work hard: Sachin tells son Arjun

News Source : PTI

2022-05-18 14:36

KKR look to keep their playoffs hopes alive as they face LSG

(Cricket news) KKR’s slim hopes of qualifying for the playoffs this season rely on them to win against a strong LSG squad. On the other hand LSG will be on the back of two losses and will hope to bounce back and secure their position in the top 4. All KKR can make sure is that they get a big victory in order to get their NRR (0.160) ahead of Delhi Capitals (0.255). That would mean DC's game against Mumbai Indians will be a must-win game for them.

For LSG their batting has been the reason for the good run in the tournament but over the last two matches it has somewhat deteriorated. LSG since the auction have had the best opening combination as they have an average of 36.13 for the first wicket which is the second-best in IPL 2022. But their batting problems start after the pair of Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul are separated. From batting position 3 to 6, LSG batters have averaged only 21.88, which is the worst of any team in this year's IPL. They have tried different players at different batting positions but none have paid dividence as of now. They have tried as many as nine batters, including K Gowtham, Jason Holder and Karan Sharma, at number 3 and 4. One saving grace for this team are the fast bowlers as both the young bowlers in Avesh Khan and Mohsin Khan have seriously impressed with the correct line and length. KKR have lost 38 wickets to short or short-of-good-length balls from fast bowlers, expect Jason Holder and Chameera to bowl a lot of short balls

KKR and opening batting combination have been a niggling theme this season, they have already used five opening batting combinations this season, and finally managed to get a first 50-plus opening stand through Venkatesh Iyer and Ajinkya Rahane against MI. But with Rahane ruled out, they will be forced to change their opening pairing yet again. KKR over the last few matches have been heavily reliant on Nitish Rana to score the majority of the runs, he has scored 176 runs in his last five games at an average of 44 and has also hit 22 sixes, which is subsequently the most by an Indian batter this season, and has taken on the spinners especially in the middle overs. Shreyas Iyer also needs to lead from the front after a blistering start to the tournament he has been struggling to score runs recently. In the bowling Andre Russell has become their leading wicket taker with 17 wickets this season as Umesh Yadav (6.9) and Tim Southee (7.0) have been the most economical. All three fast bowlers will need to perform if KKR are to get a massive victory.

Pitch and weather report: The DY Patil pitch has been tiring out as winning the toss and batting first becomes important. The older the ball, the more difficult it becomes to bat on this pitch. Batters need to take advantage of the power play if they are to post a respectable total. The temperature is going to hover around 30 degrees as no rain is expected today.

Interesting facts:

LSG have a run-rate of 11.30 at the death is the best of any team in IPL 2022, while KKR are at the bottom of that list at 9.82.
KL Rahul has been dismissed for 10 or less for 12 times since the start of 2018 - six of have come in this season alone and subsequently four of those have come in the last five innings
Shreyas Iyer has only 115 runs in his last 6 innings, at an average of 19.17 and a SR of 104.55
Sunil Narine has an economy rate of only 5.48 this season
Andre Russell needs 28 runs to reach 2000 runs for KKR in the IPL.
Tim Southee needs five scalps to take 50 wickets in IPL

Also read: GT look to continue winning run, RCB need big victory to remain in play-off race

Probable XI for LSG:
1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 KL Rahul (capt), 3 Deepak Hooda, 4 Krunal Pandya, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Ayush Badoni, 7 Jason Holder, 8 Avesh Khan, 9 Mohsin Khan, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Dushmantha Chameera

Probable XI for KKR:
1 B Indrajith, 2 Venkatesh Iyer, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Sam Billings (wk), 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

2022-05-17 12:07

KKR eye big win to keep slim hope alive, LSG look to seal play-off berth

Navi Mumbai, May 17 (Cricket News) Kolkata Knight Riders need a big win in their final round-robin match to keep their slim IPL play-off hopes alive, while Lucknow Super Giants will look to seal their position in the top four when the two teams face off here on Wednesday.

With seven losses and six wins, KKR are placed at the sixth spot with 12 points and they will not only have to win but do it with a big margin and then hope that other results go their way to salvage any hope of sneaking into the knockout stage.

LSG already have one foot at the play-offs as they are placed at the third spot with 16 points but with a number of teams jostling it out for remaining three berths, they will look to add two more points to avoid any last-minute hiccup.

Two-time former champions, KKR, which had reached the final last year, have managed to keep their theoretical chances alive after coming good in the last two matches against Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Shreyas Iyer's men rode on Andre Russell's all-round brilliance and near perfect execution from the bowlers to notch up a comprehensive 54-run win over SRH in their last match.

While Russell and Sam Billings lifted KKR to 177/6 to set up the win, the top-order once again couldn't produce the goods after being reduced to 72 for 3.

Ajinkya Rahane's struggle at the top was evident as he found it difficult to rotate strikes, while Venkatesh Iyer too continued to disappoint in his second season.

Nitish Rana has blown hot and cold, while skipper Iyer's bat has been silent in the last three games. KKR also lost pace spearhead Pat Cummins, who was ruled out owing to a hip injury but it didn't matter much as the Kolkata outfit dished out a stellar bowling effort the other day.

Back in the team after recovering from a calf muscle injury, Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee kept things tight, while Russell snapped three crucial wickets.

Spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy too were in their elements and KKR will hope for another clinical show from their bowling unit. LSG, on the other hand, are coming into the match after suffering two successive defeats and will have to put up an improved show to end things on a high.

The main concern for LSG is their poor batting show in the last two matches with the batters struggling in the powerplay against quality bowling.

LSG's batting is a lot dependent on skipper KL Rahul, who has done bulk of the scoring with two hundreds but he has been off-colour in the last three games.

Other opener Quinton de Kock, who has scored three half centuries, too has been dismissed for 11 and 7 in the last two games, which added to the team's woes.

However, Deepak Hooda has been rock solid and it was his fifty that kept LSG in the hunt in the last game.

Young Ayush Badoni too will be eager to prove he is not a one-game wonder, while Krunal Pandya also has to step up in the rear end of the tournament.

LSG will also look to use Marcus Stoinis better as he is one of the most prolific all-rounders in world cricket.

Bowling has proved to be the weak link for LSG though the likes of Avesh Khan and Jason Holder have delivered with 17 and 14 wickets so far but Mohsin Khan was taken to the cleaners in the last game.

Spinner Ravi Bishnoi picked up two wickets against Rajasthan Royals and LSG would expect him to keep things tight in the middle overs on Wednesday.

Teams (from): Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (c), Manan Vohra, Evin Lewis, Manish Pandey, Quinton De Kock, Ravi Bishnoi, Dushmantha Chameera, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav, Ankit Rajpoot, Avesh Khan, Andrew Tye, Marcus Stoinis, Kyle Mayers, Karan Sharma, Krishnappa Gowtham, Ayush Badoni, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya. Jason Holder.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Aaron Finch, Abhijeet Tomar, Ajinkya Rahane, Baba Indrajith, Nitish Rana, Pratham Singh, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer (C), Ashok Sharma, Pat Cummins, Rasikh Dar, Shivam Mavi, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Aman Khan, Andre Russell, Anukul Roy, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohammed Nabi, Ramesh Kumar, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sam Billings, Sheldon Jackson.

Match starts at 7:30 PM.

Also Read : Mixing up deliveries paid off against Punjab, says Shardul

News Source : PTI

2022-05-16 14:58

Playoff hopefuls PBKS take on DC in a crucial encounter in match no 64

(Cricket news) The similarities between PBKS and DC’s campaign is pretty much identical with 12 points in as many games. Neither of them have won two games on the bounce in IPL 2022, pointing to familiar inconsistency that both these franchises have faced this year. On the contrary both the teams will be on the back of resounding victories as PBKS dented Bangalore and their playoffs hopes, while Delhi stalled Rajasthan Royals march into top-two with an eight-wicket statement win

PBKS batting department has come off good in the last two matches as Jonny Bairstow has struck form after being moved to the top of the order, hitting fifties in the last two games. His blazing knock against Royal Challengers allowed Liam Livingstone to play himself in before going on an all-out attack, Livingstone has the second-best strike rate of 180.75 in IPL 2022 and has hit the third-highest number of sixes (29), only behind Jos Buttler (37) and Andre Russell (32). Mayank Agarwal changed his batting position to number 4, but he hasn’t been able to score many runs for his franchise. In the bowling department, Rishi Dhawan has shown he can shoulder the responsibility of the fifth bowler, while the inclusion of Harpreet Brar has given them another spin option along with Rahul Chahar. Punjab's pace duo of Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada have the best economy of 9.9 in death overs this IPL even though the South African has done the bulk of wicket-taking in that phase.

DC last match rode on the brilliance of Mitchell Marsh and David Warner to win the match as Marsh hit 89 off 62 balls, apart from picking up 2 for 25 from his three overs against RR. With 1005 runs in 22 innings and with 12 half-century knocks, Warner is the leading run-scorer against Punjab in the IPL. For DC there is some positive news as Prithvi Shaw will be back in the playing XI. In the bowling department, Kuldeep Yadav's dwindling returns with just 5 wickets in the second half at an average of 37.2 as compared to the 13 in the first at 14.31, and his economy jumping to nearly 10 from 7.86 is a bit of worry for the DC management. Khaleel Ahmed missed the last match but he too has been in form and might replace Shardul Thakur who has had a very underwhelming season according to his high standards. Since the start of 2021, Liam Livingstones has the lowest average (17.66) against left-arm wrist spin, while the lowest strike rate (133.11) is against left-arm orthodox spin.

Pitch and weather report: The DY Patil stadium has thrown in some mixed results as both bowlers and batters have got some joy on this pitch. Chasing has been a trend at this venue with the toss-winning captain opting to bat first just twice so far this IPL. 10 out of 18 games have been won by chasing sides. The temperature is going to hover around 31 degrees as no rain is expected today.

Interesting facts:

PBKS have five 60+ Powerplay totals while DC has three such totals in IPL 2022
With 1133 runs in 29 innings at an average of 47.2, Mitch Marsh is the top run-getter at one down position in T20 cricket since 2021.
Rabada is on 97 wickets from just 61 IPL games, and could potentially overtake Lasith Malinga as the fastest to 100 tournament wickets who did it in 70 matches
Kagiso Rabada has got Warner out five times in 83 balls. But Warner has taken 124 off him, at a strike rate of 149.39.
Kuldeep has the edge over Shikhar Dhawan as he has been dismissed twice in 37 balls while giving away only 34 runs.
Mayank Agarwal has scored only 36 runs off 43 balls against Axar but has never been dismissed by him.

Also read: All-round RR humble LSG by 24 runs, inch closer to play-offs

Probable XI for PBKS:

1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Mayank Agarwal (capt), 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Rishi Dhawan, 8 Harpreet Brar, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Rahul Chahar, 11 Arshdeep Singh

Probable XI for DC:

1 David Warner, 2 Prithvi Shaw/KS Bharat, 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), 5 Rovman Powell, 6 Lalit Yadav, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Chetan Sakariya

2022-05-15 12:08

Why change something that's working: Moody happy to continue with Williamson as opener

Mumbai, May 15 (Cricket News) Defending the decision to persist with the out-of-form Kane Williamson at the top, Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody said "why change something that's working for something that's not working," adding that the other batters in the side are excelling in their roles.

Skipper Williamson is enduring a wretched run in this season of the IPL. The Kiwi has collected just 208 runs from 12 games at an average of 18.92.

"Rahul Tripathi has batted exceptionally well at No. 3 and (Aiden) Markram has been one of the leading batters in the tournament at No. 4," Moody defended the move to retain Markram and Tripathi at No. 3 and 4 respectively, at the post-match press conference.

"So, we felt why change something that's working for something that's not working." Williamson has struggled to get going in this edition. In the 54-run loss to Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday, the skipper hit 9 off 17 balls.

"We have trusted Kane with his quality, there's no question of his world-class quality. So, that's why we haven't made that move because as we have seen throughout the tournament where the batting has been functioning really well.

"That is Abhishek Sharma at the top of the order, Tripathi at 3, Markram 4 and (Nicholas) Pooran 5." The Sunrisers were on course to seal off a playoff berth after they were on a five-match winning streak, but things have gone awry for them since then as they have now lost five games on the trot, severely denting their hopes of qualifying for the next stage.

"We did get on a nice winning roll, started to play some good cricket and had everyone available for selection and then we missed a game that we should've won to make it six in a row," Moody said.

Moody said the team lost "a little bit of confidence" when the two of its frontline bowlers -- Washington Sundar and T Natarajan -- suffered injuries.

"Then we had injuries to Washington and Natarajan. Every team has their injuries, but they play pretty key roles for us in the side and that's where I think we lost a little bit of confidence and also as a bowling unit a bit of rhythm to our game and method to our defence of 120 balls." Russell can do special things: Southee ========================= Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Tim Southee heaped praise on allrounder Andre Russell, whose all-round brilliance kept the team's slim hopes of a play-off.

"He has been tremendous throughout the whole tournament, not only with the bat but also with the ball. There are few guys around the world, who can do special things and Russell is one of those guys," Southee said.

"He thrives on those moments and most times than not, he turns in with a performance that the team needs." Russell first smashed an unbeaten 49 off 28 balls to take KKR to 177 for six after they were down and out at 94 for 5 and then returned to snap three wickets for 22 runs to limit SRH to 123 for 8.

"The partnership was crucial. We lost a few wickets in the middle and we needed to have two overseas players coming together and grab the game and take us to a competitive total. We played here a couple of days back so we knew it was going to be tougher in the second innings." KKR now have 12 points from 13 games with a net run-rate of +0.160. With Rajasthan Royals (14 from 12) and RCB (14 from 13 games) having chance to move up, even a victory in their final match is unlikely to be enough for the franchise to make it to the play-offs.

"Every game is a must win game for us and with one game left, it helps. Last two games we had convincing wins and it just showed the nature of the tournament. It tends to happen majority of the years where you get into that stage where there are number of teams that still are able to make the final play off spots. It is not over till it is over."

Also Read : We had nothing to lose, mindset was outstanding: Shreyas Iyer

News Source : PTI

2022-05-14 13:25

Do or die game for KKR and SRH in match number 61

(Cricket news) For both the teams it will be a do or die fixture as they seem to have a very slim chance of qualifying for the playoffs, given their low tally of 10 points and their negative Net Run Rates. Delhi Capitals, with an NRR of +0.210 on the other hand, appear much better placed. But for both KKR and SRH, a victory isn't going to hurt whatever's left of their campaign.

For KKR their coach Brendon McCullum became the new England test match coach in the middle of KKR's campaign, meaning there's already a sense of flux in the camp and how the team responds to the news will be fascinating to watch. KKR will be without Pat Cummins for the entire campaign as he is flying back home after suffering a hip injury. In the batting department, KKR reverted back to their original opening partnership of Venkatesh Iyer and Ajinkiya Rahane. Venkatesh's 24-ball 43 was essential to Knight Riders posting their first fifty opening stand with a score, 64 for 1 in the powerplay, against Mumbai Indians last match. KKR’s lower middle order of Rinku Singh and Andre Russell have been consistent this season but they need the top order to produce runs. In the bowling department, their highest wicket taker this Umesh Yadav needs to fit as they are missing that experience in the pace bowling department.

After 4 wins on the trot for SRH, their campaign has somewhat gone downhill due to the injuries in the squad. Sunrisers have tried out different bowling options, but Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kartik Tyagi, J Suchith and Shreyas Gopal haven't quite provided the control and wicket taking ability that Natarajan and Washington brought. The good news for Sunrisers fans is that both Natarajan and Washington are likely to be fit for this match. In the batting department, Captain Kane Williamson's powerplay strike rate of 79.52 is the lowest among batters who have faced more than 50 balls this season. His opening partner Abhishek Sharma's form has also cooled off after a hot start but their middle order of Aidan Markarm and Nicholas Pooran have been consistent with their performances. In the bowling department, Shreyas Iyer struggles against Bhuvneshwar Kumar, having scored 44 runs in 49 balls and dismissing him 3 times at an average of 14.67 with a strike-rate: 89.79. Since his five wicket haul, Umran Malik has figures of 4-0-48-0, 4-0-52-0 and 2-0-25-0, which needs to improve if they are to make the playoffs.

Pitch and weather report: The toss in Pune matters a lot as nine of the 12 games in Pune have been won by teams batting first but teams are still reluctant to defend totals. Last match we saw the pitch being on the slower side as the spinners played a massive part in the game. The temperature is going to hover around 26 degrees with no chance of rain as dew will not be a factor in the second innings.

Interesting facts:

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has the edge over Rahane in the IPL, having got him six times in 15 innings while keeping him to 89 runs off 96 balls
Andre Russell has smashed Bhuvneshwar for 51 off 21 balls at a strike rate of nearly 243 while getting just once in the IPL.
This is going to be Shreyas Iyer's 100th IPL game.
Sunrisers Hyderabad have won only one out of their five IPL matches in Pune.
Kolkata Knight Riders have won seven out of eight IPL matches in Pune.

Also read: Punjab Kings demolish RCB by 54 runs riding on half-centuries from Bairstow, Livingstone

Probable XI for KKR:

1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Venkatesh Iyer, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Sam Billings (wk), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Umesh Yadav/Shivam Mavi, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Probable XI for SRH:

1 Kane Williamson (capt), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Washington Sundar/J Suchith, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Marco Jansen/Fazalhaq Farooqi/Romario Shepherd, 10 Umran Malik, 11 T Natarajan/Kartik Tyagi

2022-05-13 13:43

IPL 2022: SRH face KKR in battle of survival

Pune, May 13 (Cricket News) Struggling after four straight losses, Sunrisers Hyderabad will need to sort their bowling woes when they take on an inconsistent Kolkata Knight Riders as both the teams look to stay afloat in the IPL play-off race here on Saturday.

A series of losses after a five-match winning streak has dropped SRH to the sixth spot with 10 points and they would need to win all the remaining three games to salvage any hopes of making it to the play-offs.

With 10 points, KKR, however, are on the brink of elimination. Shreyas Iyer's men have just two more matches to go and wins in both will only take them to 14 points, which might not be enough with Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore already sitting pretty in the top four with 14 points from 12 games.

One of the main reasons behind SRH's awful run in the last few games is injuries to frontline bowlers -- Washington Sundar and T Natarajan -- and the sudden loss of form of speedster Umran Malik.

It culminated in SRH conceding more than 190 plus runs in each of the last four games.

While Sundar had injured his bowling hand again, death over specialist Natarajan had picked up a niggle. But coach Tom Moody was hopeful of the duo's return against KKR.

Malik, who looked fast and furious in the earlier games clocking 150kmph consistently, has gone wicketless and conceded too many runs in the last few games and his form will be key for SRH.

Fazalhaq Farooqi and Karthik Tyagi were taken to cleaners by RCB in their last game, further adding to SRH's problems.

In batting, SRH have the quality but skipper Kane Williamson will have to take more responsibility as he has just one fifty to show this season. Although Abhishek Sharma has given them solid starts, the youngster has not been able to anchor the innings.

Rahul Tripathi, Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram too have been among runs but SRH batters will need assistance from their bowlers, who will have to ensure that they limit their opposition to reasonable totals.

KKR, on the other hand, are paying the price for making constant changes to their playing XI and are now staring at elimination after losing seven of their 12 games.

KKR, however, are coming into the match after beating Mumbai Indians in their last game and they would look to end things on a high.

The 2021 finalist have struggled in the powerplay this season but with Venkatesh Iyer, who was dropped due to his lean run, back in the mix, KKR produced a good effort against MI.

The seasoned Tim Southee and Pat Cummins too were back in the XI and produced a solid effort, sharing four wickets against MI.

But according to reports, Cummins will miss KKR's remaining matches as he is heading home early to recover from a minor hip injury.

KKR's highest wicket-taker Umesh Yadav had missed the last game after pulling his calf muscle and the team would be hoping he recovers for the match.

Teams (from): Kolkata Knight Riders: Aaron Finch, Abhijeet Tomar, Ajinkya Rahane, Baba Indrajith, Nitish Rana, Pratham Singh, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer (C), Ashok Sharma, Pat Cummins, Rasikh Dar, Shivam Mavi, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Aman Khan, Andre Russell, Anukul Roy, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohammed Nabi, Ramesh Kumar, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sam Billings, Sheldon Jackson.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Kane Williamson (C), Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Priyam Garg, Vishnu Vinod, Glenn Phillips, R Samarth, Shashank Singh, Romario Shepherd, Marco Jansen, J Suchith, Shreyas Gopal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sean Abbott, Kartik Tyagi, Saurabh Tiwary, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Umran Malik, T Natarajan.

Match starts at 7.30PM IST.

Also Read : Absence of DRS was unlucky, set off chain of events that went against us: Fleming

News Source : PTI

2022-05-10 16:43

Pant should bat in the 'Russell mode'; just smack, no matter who the bowler is, says Shastri

New Delhi, May 10 (Cricket News) Former India coach Ravi Shastri says Rishabh Pant must bat in the "Andre Russell mode" in T20 format and not change the tempo once he gets going so that he can win more matches for his side, Delhi Capitals.

The Southpaw has collected 281 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 152.71 but has struggled to convert his starts into meaningful contributions.

The 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batter is having an underwhelming IPL season. He has shown glimpses of his destructive power but could not take the team over the line like he has done umpteen times in the past.

"I feel once he gets the tempo going he shouldn't change, he should be in the Russell mould in this format of the game," Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo's 'T20 Time Out'.

"You get your eye in, you're striking it well - don't think too much. No matter who the bowler is, if it's there to be smacked, smack it. Who knows, you might win more matches than people expect you to." Shastri feels what sets Rusell, one the most destructive batters in T20 cricket, apart from the other is the clarity of mindest, which will also serve Pant, who is capable of playing belligerent knocks, well.

"Russell is very, very clear in his mindset. It is bang-bang-bang once he's in the mood. There's no stopping him, there's not even a negative thought that will peep through his system - it is (all about) smacking.

"Rishabh is totally capable of playing in that fashion, and I hope he thinks in that way because you'll see some special innings from him in T20 cricket." "He's getting off to starts and then getting out in a manner which he wouldn't like, but I don't think he should change his tempo," added Shastri.

Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori feels Pant is his best when he is reckless and pummelling the opposition.

"Rishabh Pant is almost at his best when he's reckless, and we've seen him play some exceptional innings when he just continues to take teams down time and time again," Vettori said.

The Capitals have lacked a quality finisher and Pant has adopted a conservative approach out of a sense of responsibility.

"It's a team game, you don't expect an individual to go and win the game all the time. But in that short period of time, if he does the damage, there's enough damage to bring that required rate from say 12 an over to 10 an over. Then it's for the other guys to take it home," Vettori added.

The Capitals need to win all their three remaining matches to get to the play-offs and Shastri wants Pant to bat at number 3.

"I'd like to see him bat at three for Delhi Capitals, especially now when the heat is on, when they've got to win. Let him go and smack it."

Also Read : Jasprit Bumrah's timely return to form is a blessing for team India

News Source : PTI

2022-05-10 10:25

Kolkata Knight Riders remain in competition with big win over Mumbai Indians

Navi Mumbai, May 9 (Cricket News) Kolkata Knight Riders finally found the team balance they were looking for to outclass Mumbai Indians by 52 runs here on Monday and keep their slim IPL play-off hopes alive. Lead Mumbai Indians pacer Jasprit Bumrah picked up his maiden five-wicket haul in IPL history to restrict KKR to 165 for nine after fine knocks from Venkatesh Iyer (43 off 24) and Nitish Rana (43 off 24).

Barring a 43-ball 51 from Ishan Kishan, Mumbai batters struggled to get going in the chase as their innings ended at 113 all out in 17.3 overs.

KKR finally played Tim Southee (1/10) and Pat Cummins (3/22) together and the move worked with the seasoned pacers sharing four wickets. Andre Russell too chipped in with couple of wickets.

Another big positive was the return to form of Venkatesh Iyer, who had to be dropped earlier in the competition due to his lean run after a sensational debut season in 2021. While MI were already out of the play-off race, KKR, who have five wins from 12 games, can still sneak into the top four with two games remaining.

In the run chase, Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma (2) fell to a controversial DRS call in the first over after the on-field adjudged him not out for a caught behind appeal.

Going by TV replays, the UltraEdge spike came just before the ball went past the bat but the on field call was overturned, leaving Rohit shake his head in frustration.

Earlier, KKR openers Venkatesh and Ajinkya Rahane (25 off 24 balls) added 60 runs in just 5.4 overs after they were put into bat but the Shreyas Iyer-led side failed to capitalise on that promising start.

Rana blazed his way to a 26-ball 43, with three boundaries and four sixes, but it was Bumrah (5/10), who took five wickets in two overs, to put the brakes on KKR, who suffered a middle-order collapse.

In the 15th over, Bumrah removed Russell (9) and Rana and then clinched three wickets -- Sheldon Jackson (5), Cummins (0) and Sunil Narine (0), in the 18th over, a maiden, to bring MI back into the game.

Venkatesh smashed three boundaries and four sixes, but perished in the sixth over, giving a sitter to Daniel Sams at point, with spinner Kumar Kartikeya Singh (2/32) getting his first wicket.

Venkatesh was brutal on spinner Murugan Ashwin (1/35), hitting him for his first maximum, a pull shot and then hammered a boundary.

The southpaw then walloped his second six over deep mid-wicket off Daniel Sams (1/26), as KKR raced to 26/0 after three overs. He then targeted Riley Meredith (0/35), hammering him for boundary and a six, a scoop shot, in the fifth over where KKR amassed 17 runs.

Mumbai bowlers conceded only 23 runs from overs 7-10.

Kartikeya cleaned up Rahane, with a full delivery that turned in as the opener was beaten while attempting a reverse-sweep. After Rahane's dismissal, Rana upped the ante and launched into Kartikeya, hitting him for two successive sixes, one over long-on. He then tore into Kieron Pollard, hammering two sixes and a boundary in the 13th over, where the side got 17 runs.

But then it was Bumrah, who wreaked havoc with the ball and firmly brought MI back into the contest.

Also Read : Bumrah's first ever five wicket haul in IPL helps MI limit KKR to 165/9

News Source : PTI

2022-05-09 13:05

Struggling KKR take on already out of the playoffs MI in match no 56

(Cricket news) It's not the best of times for Kolkata Knight Riders to face MI, seeing that their head-to-head with Mumbai Indians is pretty ordinary, for some reason MI always had their measure against KKR. When KKR played MI this season, Daniel Sams ended the match with an over to forget, as Pat Cummins took 35 off that over to score the joint-fastest half-century in the IPL, but with the majority of the season done, both teams look like out of the playoffs race already.

KKR’s main concern has been selecting a consistent side over the league phase as they have used close to 20 players to play in the playing XI. There have been honest confessions from the head coach Brendon McCullum about being aware that the opposition is testing his batters with a barrage of bouncers, but they haven’t found any answers to counter it as yet. Much like how their woes in the batting powerplay despite trying out five different opening combinations have hampered them from giving them a get start at the top of the order. In the bowling department, Sunil Narine will hold the key as he has the best economy rate of 5.23 in the IPL this year. His record battle against Rohit Sharma will be one to watch out for, he has dismissed him nine times in 170 balls, conceding runs at a rate of 107.65, Tim Southee has also been fairly successful against the MI skipper.

MI will be confident after getting two wins on the board and will be proud of the effort in the last match, where they defended 9 runs of the last over to win against the table topper Gujarat Titans. In terms of batting all the Indian cricket fans would want to see Rohit Sharma score some runs this tournament as he has hardly got going in this year's edition, the MI young guns have been carrying the mantle of scoring the majority of the runs this season. One positive over the two wins was that Tim David played brilliant finishing knocks to take his team to victory as his hefty price tag is finally paying some dividence. In the bowling department, the five-time champions have managed the second-worst economy rate (9.04) of all teams in the middle overs but could exploit KKR’s powerplay struggles. Riley Meredith could be used to test the KKR batters with bouncers as Bumrah vs Russell will be a battle to look out for, he has dismissed the hard-hitting West Indian thrice in 49 balls, conceding runs at a rate of only 134.69.

Pitch and weather report: The DY Patil pitch has been a hard surface as batting becomes easier once the batsman is settled and can negate the early swing. Last match proved that chasing would have its advantages even as Delhi Capitals fell 91 runs short of Chennai Super Kings' score on Sunday evening. The temperature is going to hover around 31 degrees, the conditions are expected to be cloudy with high humidity levels as dew might play a part later on.

Interesting facts:

With 328 runs, Tilak Varma is Mumbai India's leading run-getter of the season so far and the highest run getter for uncapped players
Mumbai have won 22 of their 30 games against Knight Riders. Their win percentage of 73.33, the highest win percentage against another team in IPL history.
In all T20s since the start of 2021, no batter has hit more sixes in the death overs than Tim David (47).
Rohit's average of 19.80 in IPL 2022 is his worst in any season of the tournament.
Mumbai are set to play their 250th T20 match overall.
Shreyas Iyer needs to hit four more sixes to reach 100 sixes in the IPL.
Andre Russell (1972) needs 28 runs to complete 2000 runs in the IPL

Also read: Head coach Brendon McCullum rues KKR's power play struggles

Probable XI for KKR:

1 B Indrajith (wk), 2 Aaron Finch/Sam Billings, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Anukul Roy, 8 Shivam Mavi/Venkatesh Iyer, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Harshit Rana/Umesh Yadav

Probable XI for MI:

1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Tim David, 7 Daniel Sams, 8 M Ashwin/Hrithik Shokeen, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Kumar Kartikeya, 11 Riley Meredith

2022-05-07 23:38

De Kock's 50, bowlers take LSG closer to playoff berth with crushing victory over KKR

Pune, May 7 (Cricket News) Quinton de Kock laid the platform with a commanding fifty and his pacers then terrorised Kolkata Knight Riders to record a crushing 75-run victory for Licknow Super Giants which put them on top of the table with an IPL play-off berth being a formality now.

For last year's runners-up KKR, eight points from 11 games with a deflating negative run-rate now puts them closer to the exit door with lacklustre performance and unimaginative captaincy combining for what has turned out to be a disastrous season so far.

Invited to bat, De Kock slammed a 29-ball-50 but Lucknow almost frittered away a solid start before some lusty hitting in a 30-run penultimate over off Shivam Mavi took them to 176 for 7.

The LSG bowlers then raised to the occasion to bundle out KKR for 101 in 14.3 overs, despite the heroics of Andre Russell (45 off 19 balls) to gather two crucial points and take their overall total to 16 points in the IPL standing.

KKR remained at the 8th spot after suffering their 7th loss in 11 games.

Defending 177, LSG left KKR tottering at 25 for four with four bowlers picking up their first wickets. While Mohsin produced a wicket-maiden to get rid of to Baba Indrajith, Chameera sent back Shreyas Iyer after rattling him with a short and quick delivery.

It has now been an all too familiar script for KKR skipper whose discomfort while facing quick bouncers is well-documented and national coach Rahul Dravid would only be worried with this glaring technical deficiency.

Aaron Finch too perished as his miscued pull was poached by de Kock as KKR slipped to 23 for 3 in the first six overs.

Nitish Rana was then cleaned up by Avesh Khan with a yorker as KKR looked down the barrels.

Russell then used his brute force to hit Holder all across the park. One was whacked at midwicket for a maximum, the second one was slapped to deep, while a flat-batted pull earned him another six and the last one was a four over short third.

After amassing 25 off the Holder over, Russell produced another maximum off Ravi Bishnoi as KKR reached 64 for 4 in 10 overs.

He and Sunil Narine (22 off 12) produced a small partnership but once Russell was out to Avesh Khan in the 13th over, it became a downward slide for KKR as they folded in 14.3 overs.

Avesh and Holder returned with three wickets each.

Earlier, De Kock, who was involved in a terrible mix up with skipper KL Rahul, who got a 'Diamond Duck' (out for 0 without facing a ball), redeemed himself with an innings studded with four boundaries and three maximums.

He added 71 with Deepak Hooda (41 off 27 balls) to give LSG a good start after being invited to bat.

Hooda made up for the loss of Rahul's with his back to-back boundaries over extra cover off Shivam Mavi (1/50 in 4 overs), while De Kock too joined in with a special treatment to Tim Southee, clobbering him for two fours and a six in the 3rd over.

Left-arm spinner Anukul Roy and pacer Harshit Rana were next in line as De Kock smashed the former for a four before lunching into the latter for a four and two sixes to take LSG to their best score in the powerplays this season, a 66 for one.

De Kock, however, couldn't stay much longer as he was holed out in deep only two balls after completing his fifty.

Hooda, who hit four boundariers and two sixes in his entertaining 27-ball knock tat took LSG past 100-run mark before falling to a Andre Russell delivery with his miscued pull ending in safe hands of skipper Shreyas Iyer.

Krunal Pandya then tried to keep the run-rate high and slammed two fours before ending at the hands of Aaron Finch at deep point.

The decision to promote Ayush Badoni (15 not out off 18) didn't bear result as the young Delhi batter was under pressue after a quiet over and couldn't find his rhythm with runs drying up between 12th to 16th over.

However, Marcus Stoinis (28 off 14 balls) changed things when he clobbered Mavi for three successive sixes before holing out. However, new man Jason Holder (13 off 4 balls) slammed the next two balls for two more maximums as the 19th over yielded 30 runs for LSG.

In the bowling front, KKR missed the experience of Umesh Yadav, who missed out due to a muscle pull, with Hooda and de Kock going hammer and tongs early on.

However, Andrew Russell (2/22) was rewarded for bowling back of length , while Sunil Narine (20/1) and Tim Southee (1/28) also kept things tight but the rest of bowlers bled plenty in their stipulated overs.

Also Read : De Kock scores 50 as LSG put up 176 for 7 vs Kolkata Knight Riders

News Source : PTI

2022-05-03 15:00

Has Kolkata Knight Riders' retention policy failed already?

(Cricket news) The IPL went through a major change this season by becoming a 10 team tournament with two new teams. A mega auction was staged where old teams were allowed to retain a maximum of 4 players while new teams could pick 3 players outside of the Auction. Kolkata Knight Riders who finished runners up in last season's final decided to retain their star overseas players Andre Russell and Sunil Narine. Their two Indian retention's were Varun Chakravarthy and Venkatesh Iyer.

Russell and Narine are legends of KKR and this season the pair continue to consistently put in good performances. Their retention wasn't a big surprise as they have an incredible history at the club. Eoin Morgan and Lockie Ferguson were the two other options but the choice was always going to be Russell and Narine. The other two retentions were extremely bold. KKR did not retain Dinesh Karthik, Rahul Tripathi, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana or Prasidh Krishna instead opting for Varun Chakravarthy and Venkatesh Iyer.

Chakravarthy has had two incredible seasons with KKR but his time with the Indian team hasn't been good. His consistent injury issues have been an issue as well. KKR chose a player who has played well for only two seasons and that too for 8 Cr which was a little risky. This season Varun Chakravarthy has been a shadow of the player he previously was. The mystery spinner has not been effective at all this season having picked up only 4 wickets in 8 matches with an economy of 8.82. He was dropped after these below par performances which suggests that KKR management may have lost patience with him.

Venkatesh Iyer on the other hand burst onto the scene in the 2nd leg of the 2021 IPL where he scored 370 runs in 10 matches and also picked up 3 wickets. After that he had an amazing campaign in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Iyer made his debut for India in T20Is as well as ODIs and put in some good performances. This season he has been up and down the order as he started as an opener after which he was asked to bat lower. He was then asked to open again before being dropped in the last match against Rajasthan Royals.

KKR's retention policy hasn't been fruitful yet. KKR have used a total of 19 players this season, more than any other franchise. They have constantly chopped and changed players as well as team combination. Players are not getting an extended run in the team at all. As of now they are still in the race to qualify but the management need to find a combination and playing XI that works. There is still a chance that Iyer and Chakravarthy could return to the playing XI but their confidence must have taken a massive hit.

Also read: Battle of weak-links: CSK, RCB square off in important mid-table clash

2022-05-03 11:33

Trying to perform anchor's role after 7-8 years in IPL: Rana

Mumbai, May 3 (Cricket News) Kolkata Knight Riders batter Nitish Rana said having plied his trade in the IPL for considerable number of years, he is now trying to adapt to the role of an anchor, which was on full display against Rajasthan Royals here.

Rana, who hit an unbeaten 48, anchored the 153-run chase on a slow-paced Wankhede wicket to help KKR beat RR by seven wickets on Monday and snap their five-match losing streak.

"A lot of things depend on factors like opponent team and what total we are chasing and what number I am batting. I have been playing IPL for seven-eight years now and trying to perform the anchor or main player.

"I have been successful till date and hope that in the coming matches, I play such innings for the team," Rana said at the virtual post-match press conference.

"...the role which the team is giving me according to match situation, I am trying to bat like that. Today, I had to play the anchor's role.

"I knew that if I was there at one end, then things would become easy for us with players like Rinku, Andre Russell, and Anukul (Roy) waiting in the wings. So we had depth in batting but my role was to play from one end so that we could easily chase the target," he added. Rana also heaped praise on young Rinku Singh, who played an unbeaten 42-run cameo of 23 balls.

He said his efforts to calm down a "hyper" Rinku yielded rich dividend for KKR.

"I am very happy for the way he (Rinku) batted as I know him for 5-6 years and he has worked a lot, scored in every domestic season. The way he was batting, I knew he would do something big for our team once he gets the chance," said Rana.

"When he walked in to bat, I tried to calm him as I know he is a little-hyper and told him (if) we bat, we can finish the game in any over. I am very happy for him and hopefully he will continue batting the same way for KKR and himself," he added. Rana also took a dig at their critics, who have questioned KKR's team selection. "In our eyes we have got the best XI, probably the outsiders feel that we haven't. We comfortably won without any big player (making an impact). If we win like this, any eleven is best." RR's Kumar Sangakkara rues lack of runs ********************************** Rajasthan Royals Director of Cricket Kumara Sangakkara rued the batter's inability to put on big scores behind the team's defeat in the last two games.

"Two scratchy games and we didn't get enough runs on the board. In Mumbai (Indians games) we were 130 with four overs to go, should have been 170. Today we just got little-bit bogged down in the middle," he said.

"Sanju (Samson) batted well and Hetty (Shimron Hetymer) at the back end got us some respectability. The bowlers in both the games did their utmost to take into the last over, but a lot to improve on and a lot to think about as we go into that next game."

Also Read : Kolkata Knight Riders restrict RR to 152/5 despite Samson's fifty

News Source : PTI

2022-05-02 14:14

Struggling KKR take on the might RR in match no 47

(Cricket news) For Kolkata Knight Riders, one more loss would mean an early exit from the tournament and one more defeat and they'll equal their 2019 record of six successive losses. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals are also coming off a disappointing loss to MI. With KKR there have been too many changes in the playing XI and that has hampered the consistency of the squad.

For KKR they need to find a solution quickly if they are to make the playoffs after five consecutive defeats. Amidst all the chaos, Andre Russell has become undroppable despite blowing hot and cold. For them, three of their four retained picks have underperformed as captain Shreyas Iyer and the experienced Umesh Yadav have been their side's driving forces, with Knight Riders missing an outstanding contributor this season. In the bowling department Sunil Narine has been very economical but he hasn’t been able to pick up the majority of the wickets this season. Varun Chakravarthy has been very disappointing for the KKR franchise picking up just 4 wickets and being very expensive in the process. The matchup against Chahal with Andre Russell will be one to watch out as the batter has a strike rate of 216.22, averages 80 against Chahal and has made 80 runs in the 37 balls he's faced from Chahal.

For RR they will look to consolidate their position in the top four with a victory as they will be seeking some consistency from the likes of Shimron Hetmyer, Sanju Samson and some solid contributions at the top of the order from Devdutt Padikkal. Their batting has been carried all by Jos Buttler, who leads the scoring charts, while Yuzvendra Chahal sits atop the wicket-takers' list. For RR, they have had plenty of silent performers who have slowly gone in the tournament doing their business quietly as the likes of Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Sen and Ashwin have been key contributors to the amazing season they have been having. The onus will be on Boult, Krishna and Sen to ensure they bag early wickets and keep the KKR batting unit under pressure like the other teams have done in the previous matches.

Pitch and weather report: The Wankhede pitch is proving to be a strange dilemma for the captains. The pitches have sometimes proved to be amazing for batting and the next game we see the ball swing around early on. The last two matches there have been won by teams chasing at this venue. The temperature is going to hover around 30 as there is 10% of rain tonight.

Interesting facts:

After nine matches, Butler has 566 runs. During the same stage, in his sensational 2016 season, Virat Kohli had made 561.
Knight Riders' average opening stand this season has been 14.2 runs, the second-lowest behind Chennai Super Kings' 12.6
Sunil Narine has dismissed Sanju Samson thrice in IPL history
Andre Russell needs 73 runs to complete 2000 runs in IPL
Sunil Narine needs 19 more to complete 1000 runs in the league.
Jos Butler has already broken RR’s record for the most runs in a single season as the previous best was Rahane's 560 in 2012

Also read: Running out of time, Punjab face a team to beat Gujarat Titans, who have Play-offs spot in mind

Probable XI for KKR:

1 Aaron Finch, 2 Venkatesh Iyer, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Sunil Narine, 6 B Indrajith (wk), 7 Rinku Singh, 8 Andre Russell, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Harshit Rana

Probable XI for RR:

1 Jos Buttler, 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 3 Sanju Samson (capt, wk), 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 R Ashwin, 8 Trent Boult, 9 Prasidh Krishna, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Kuldeep Sen

2022-05-01 11:32

KKR hope to end top-order woes, losing streak against Royals

Mumbai, May 1 (Cricket News) Guilty of making too many changes at the top, Kolkata Knight Riders would like to find a winning combination against Rajasthan Royals and snap their five-match losing streak in the IPL here on Monday.

The form of Venkatesh Iyer, who is experiencing second season blues, has a lot to do with the changes KKR have been forced to make regularly at the top of the order.

Venkatesh's performances have been underwhelming to say the least after a season that helped him get into the Indian team. After his struggles at the top, the team tried him in the middle-order but that too did not work.

The southpaw was back opening alongside Aaron Finch in the last game but runs deserted him again.

Making the play-offs from here looks improbable for KKR who desperately need to find their best XI and stick with it for the remainder of the competition.

"A lot of chopping and changing is happening, it's been difficult to set up the right combination, with all injuries not helping as well. We need to stick together, play some fearless cricket, not be conservative with the bat.

"Five more matches remaining, we need to play well, show belief and give something back to the team and the management, forget about the past, start fresh and back your instinct," said skipper Shreyas Iyer after the last game.

Shreyas has had a decent run as a batter with 290 runs at 36.25 but he has not got enough support from his teammates. In his first season as KKR captain, Shreyas has shown promise but needs to inspire his troops to script a turnaround.

Alongside Venkatesh, the dismal run of another retained player Varun Chakaravarthy has hurt the team. However, the move to drop him in the previous game did not yield the desired results as KKR lost their fifth game in a row.

The trio of Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav and Sunil Narine has been impressive and will be aiming to keep the in-form Jos Buttler quiet.

Rajasthan rely a lot on Buttler and his 566 runs at 70.75 are a big reason why they find themselves in the top-four. As the Englishman can't be expected to fire in every game, skipper Sanju Samson needs to step up and be more consistent.

They are arguably the best bowling side in the competition but could not defend 159 in their previous game against Mumbai Indians due to heavy dew.

With 19 wickets at 13.68, Yuzvendra Chahal leads the bowling charts this season and alongside R Ashwin, Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna, the Rajasthan attack has the ability to defend even below-par totals.

However, Royals will be looking for a much-improved batting effort to minimise the dew factor.

Teams (from): Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Aaron Finch, Abhijeet Tomar, Ajinkya Rahane, Baba Indrajith, Nitish Rana, Pratham Singh, Rinku Singh, Ashok Sharma, Pat Cummins, Rasikh Dar, Shivam Mavi, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Aman Khan, Andre Russell, Anukul Roy, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohammed Nabi, Ramesh Kumar, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sam Billings, Sheldon Jackson.

Rajasthan Royals squad for 2022 IPL: Sanju Samson, 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.

Match starts 7.30 IST.

Also Read : If dew hadn't played a part, 158 would've been enough: Ashwin

News Source : PTI

2022-04-28 13:35

Struggling KKR take on a depleted DC squad in match no 41

(Cricket news) KKR come into this match in dismal form as they have lost four on the trot, their unsavoury run kick started against DC earlier in the month. Until then, KKR had been topping the table with three wins in four games. DC on the other hand have had a topsy turvy IPL season as they have been plagued with injuries and covid cases but will look to make a late playoff run in the second half of the season.

KKR have some worries going into the match as their top order and middle order are failing to perform, the KKR management need to find a solution. In terms of batting the KKR batters have been a hit and miss this tournament, Aaron Finch firing from the top of the order against Rajasthan Royals gave them hope but he had to sit out of the match against Gujarat Titans with a niggle as Shreyas Iyer also has been hot and cold this season. The only consistent player this season has been Andre Russell who not has been performing with the bat but also with the ball. Their bowling performance over the course of 4 matches has been awful as they have conceded almost 11.63 rpo in the death. The arrival of Tim Southee into the playing XI has brought some parity in the ball line up as he has a bowling average of 10 which is the best this season among the bowlers

DC have been heavily reliant on their opening batsmen to score the majority of the runs as the middle order has been performing that well. With Mitchell Marsh back after recovering from Covid might just slot straight into the playing XI as the number 3 position in the team has been very uncertain. They too would be hopeful of better results after Rovman Powell gave hints of delivering on his hitting promise, after a blistering knock against RR in the last match. Their death bowling too hinges solely on Mustafizur Rahman, which has proved to be cumbersome of late as batters usually take him on in the death. Andre Russell has been dismissed three times by Shardul Thakur and Mustafizur Rahman so far but he also maintains a healthy strike rate against them also, it will be interesting on how Rishabh Pant uses these two bowlers in the death overs.

Pitch and weather reports: The Wankhede pitch over the last five matches have been producing a lot of runs as the last five matches barring yesterday’s match was won by sides batting first as dew factors is not affecting the venue so much. We can expect a lot of runs especially with firepower that is on display today. The temperature is going to hover around 33 degrees with no chance of rain.

Interesting facts:

Sunil Narine needs one wicket to reach 150 wickets in the IPL
Prithvi Shaw has an average 56 and has a strike rate of 171 against KKR
DC have taken only eight wickets in the powerplay in IPL 2022 and it is the lowest amongst all teams in IPL 2022
Sunil Narine has dismissed Rovam Powell thrice in eight meetings, and Powell's average reads 7.3 against the mystery spinner
Umesh Yadav has dismissed David Warner four times in 55 balls
David Warner has the highest strike-rate of 171 in the powerplay this season

Also read: I had self belief in my batting, I've been working on it in last two years: Rashid

Probable XI for KKR:

1 Sam Billings (wk/Aaron Finch, 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Nitish Rana/Baba Indrajith, 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Venkatesh Iyer, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Shivam Mavi, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Probable XI for DC:

1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 David Warner, 3 Sarfaraz Khan/Mitchell Marsh, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Lalit Yadav, 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Khaleel Ahmed

2022-04-23 17:47

KKR restrict GT to 156 for 9 despite Captain Hardik Pandya's 67

Navi Mumbai, Apr 23 (Cricket News) Captain Hardik Pandya's third fifty of the season was the lone saving grace in Gujarat Titans' underwhelming batting show as they scored a below-par 156 for 9 against Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League match here on Saturday.

The Titans skipper missed the last game as a precautionary measure and looked a bit rusty even as he scored 67 off 49 balls with four boundaries and two sixes.

KKR bowled as many as 43 dot balls and were brilliant at the death as they conceded only 29 runs and took as many as seven wickets in the final five overs.

Andre Russell (4/5 in 1 over) got four wickets in the final over as Rinku Singh was a livewire in the field with four catches.

While Shubman Gill (5) was out early as Sam Billings collected a faint tickle down the leg-side off Southee's delivery, Wriddhiman Saha (25 off 25 balls), for the second match in succession, piled on the pressure, consuming too many dot balls.

However, an early breakthrough didn't stop Pandya from playing his natural, aggressive game as there was no marks for guessing as to who dominated their 75-run stand for second wicket stand.

David Miller (27 off 20 balls, 2x6), after a match-winning knock against CSK the other night, gave his skipper some support in a 50-run third wicket stand but there wasn't a lot of resistance from other batters.

Pandya started with a square cut off Southee and followed it up with a lofted drive over covers to set the tone.

When Shivam Mavi came into the attack, Pandya used his pace to play the ramp shot for a six and then came the classic cover drive as hardly a fielder moved from their respective positions.

However, one that was for the ages was the off-driven six 15 rows into the stands off a Varun Chakravarthy delivery that was pitched on length. It was a "hold your pose" kind of a shot.

The scratchy Saha did pull Umesh Yadav for a six and a four but wasted a lot of deliveries at the onset which needed to be compensated by Pandya.

At the start of the back-10, Saha got desperate and offered a dolly to Venkatesh Iyer at point off Umesh, who came for his second spell.

Pandya hit boundaries but also kept the scoreboard ticking with singles and doubles. He did hamstring in going for a quick single and was dismissed trying to hit his way out of trouble.

Also Read : Skipper Hardik Pandya returns as GT wins toss and opt to bat against KKR

News Source : PTI

2022-04-22 15:05

Struggling Kolkata Knight Riders face stern Gujarat Titans test

Navi Mumbai, Apr 22 (Cricket News) Former champions Kolkata Knight Riders will be desperate to bring their flagging campaign back on track when they face leaders Gujarat Titans in the IPL here on Saturday.

Having suffered three defeats in a row, the Shreyas Iyer-led outfit has slipped to seventh in the table and the task gets tougher against the Titans, who have been a revelation in their maiden season.

The Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans have been firing on all cylinders, with their batting prowess and bowling might.

Pandya pulled out of their last match against Chennai Super Kings owing to a groin injury but it was business as usual for the Titans as stand-in skipper Rashid Khan led the team to a three-wicket win over the four-time champions.

The biggest plus in their win against CSK was Rashid's sensational form with the bat as he smashed a 21-ball 40 to help his team chase down the target with a ball spare.

GT's opening combination may not have given them the desired start and most of the times the middle-order has rescued the Titans.

It was David Miller (94 not out from 51 balls) who anchored the show against Chennai after half the side were back in the pavilion with 87 runs inside 13 overs.

According to Rashid, Pandya's injury was "not serious and there's nothing to be worried about." Pandya has been in superlative form with 228 runs from five innings at an average of 76.00.

The onus would be on Kolkata's bowlers to seize the momentum and stop the Titans' three-match winning run.

KKR's pace attack led by Pat Cummins and Umesh Yadav and spinner Varun Chakravarthy (30 runs from two overs) were taken to cleaners by the Rajasthan Royals batters in their last match.

It remains to be seen if the team think-tank would bring back Tim Southee in the XI as the key lies in getting early breakthroughs and giving Sunil Narine a perfect stage to restrict the flow of runs.

Narine, a vital cog in KKR's wheel for long, has once again been their go-to man and boasts of the best economy rate of 5.03 after seven matches.

The batters have stopped taking risks against the Trinidadian and he would hope that their pace battery gives some early breakthroughs to make the task easier for the wrist spinner.

The game also throws an interesting match-up between former KKR batter Shubman Gill and Narine.

Gill had a fine start to the tournament and scored 84 (vs Delhi) and 96 (vs Punjab) but has gone quiet since then.

As for KKR batting, captain Iyer is fresh from a fine 85 against Rajasthan Royals, but he would hope their opening issue is resolved.

KKR's investment in India Test batter Ajinkya Rahane (80 runs from five matches; average 16.00, strike-rate 100.00) as an opener has been a big letdown, forcing the think-tank to try out different combinations in the last two matches.

In such a scenario, the Titans bowling attack in Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Rashid Khan and Pandya would look to capitalise.

Teams (from): Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (c), Aaron Finch, Abhijeet Tomar, Ajinkya Rahane, Baba Indrajith, Nitish Rana, Pratham Singh, Rinku Singh, Ashok Sharma, Pat Cummins, Rasikh Dar, Shivam Mavi, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Aman Khan, Andre Russell, Anukul Roy, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohammed Nabi, Ramesh Kumar, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sam Billings, Sheldon Jackson.

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

Match starts: 3.30 pm. IST.

Also Read : Rejuvenated DC take on a in-form RR in match no 34

News Source : PTI

2022-04-19 15:15

Rajasthan Royals edge Kolkata Knight Riders in all time IPL classic

(Cricket news) Rajasthan Royals defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 7 runs in what was one of the best T20 matches of all time with so many great individual performances. Shreyas Iyer elected to bowl first after winning the toss before announcing 1 change as Shivam Mavi replaced Aman Khan. RR on the other hand made 4 changes as they roped in Trent Boult, Obed McCoy and Karun Nair for Rassie van der Dussen, Jimmy Neesham and Kuldeep Sen.

RR posted a mammoth total of 217/5 which was the highest total of the season. Jos Buttler continued his incredible form with his second century of the season as he scored 103 off 61 balls. The Englishman hit 9 fours and 5 sixes in his blockbuster innings. Sanju Samson played a good knock of 38 as hit 3 boundaries and 2 maximums in his 19 balls. Shimron Hetmyer once again finished the match well with a 13 ball 26 including 2 fours and 2 sixes. Andre Russell, Pat Cummins and Shivam Mavi picked up a wicket each. In a high scoring game Sunil Narine worked his magic as he ended the innings with the figures of 2/21. Varun Chakravarthy's struggles continued as he got smashed for 30 runs off his 2 overs and didn't get a chance to bowl again.

KKR opened with Aaron Finch and Sunil Narine as Venkatesh Iyer was slotted into the middle order. The plan didn't get tested as Narine was run out without facing a single ball. Finch on the other hand scored 58 off 28 balls hitting 9 boundaries and 2 sixes. The Australian has finally shown signs of his excellence in the IPL and KKR will be hoping that it continues that way. Shreyas Iyer played a captain's knock as he hit 7 fours and 4 sixes in his 51 ball 85. Umesh Yadav hit 21 off just 9 balls to take the game deep but in the end KKR fell 7 runs short.

Despite being expensive in his first 3 overs, Yuzvendra Chahal ended with the figures of 5/40. His 4th over which was the 18th over of the match was nothing short of legendary as he picked up a total of 4 wickets including a hat-trick. The leggie has made sure that the Indian selectors can no longer have the guts to drop him from even one series. Ravichandran Ashwin bowled a magic ball to dismiss the dangerous Andre Russell for a golden duck while Prasidh Krishna took the important wicket of Aaron Finch. Obed McCoy on his IPL debut was given the responsibility of bowling the last over which he did incredibly well by picking up the last 2 wickets.

Also read: Karthik can play finisher's role for India in T20 World Cup: Gavaskar

2022-04-19 10:59

Ton-up Jos Buttler makes merry as Royals post 217 for 5 vs KKR

Mumbai, Apr 18 (Cricket News) Jos Buttler's dream season just got a bit better after he knocked the stuffing out of a quality Kolkata Knight Riders attack with a magnificent second IPL hundred to power Rajasthan Royals to an imposing 217 for five here on Monday.

Buttler's 61-ball-103 had nine fours and five sixes, some of which were out of the ordinary, including one off Umesh Yadav (0/44 in 4 overs) which landed into the adjacent tennis courts of Cricket Club of India.

When he finally got out trying to hook Pat Cummins (1/50 in 4 overs), Royals had crossed 180-run mark and by then the Australian Test captain was hammered for as many as seven fours and a six, bulk of them by the dashing England keeper-batter.

Buttler added 97 runs for the opening wicket stand with Devdutt Padikkal (24 off 18 balls), who only faced deliveries worth three overs in the first 10 overs.

He was then joined by skipper Sanju Samson (38 off 19 balls), who was equally destructive in their 67-run second wicket stand in just 5.4 overs.

None of the KKR bowlers save Sunil Narine (2/21 in 4 overs) looked like posing any threat to Buttler, who seems to be walking away with the Orange Cap with an aggregate of 375 runs in six games so far.

Varun Chakravarthy (0/30 in 2 overs) is getting from bad to worse during the season as neither there is bite nor any mystery in his deliveries and it was like cannon fodder on a Brabourne batting beauty.

The fifth bowling option turned out to be a nightmare as Andre Russell (0/29 in 2 overs) completed Chakravarthy's quota as they cumulatively gave away 59 runs in 4 overs.

Shivam Mavi (1/34 in 4 overs) and Umesh started off well during the first two overs primarily because Padikkal is out of sorts.

However, showing cricketing smarts, Padikkal gave Buttler bulk of the strike and that changed the course from the third over of the match.

Umesh, who had started the tournament on a bright note, got back to his old self of being erratic as Buttler lofted him for a four and a six off successive deliveries.

The floodgates opened after that as he literally toyed with Chakravarthy, whom he hit for a six by rocking back and having enough time to send him into the orbit.

If there was a wide yorker, he would steer past third-man, short deliveries were pulled and those on the legs were tucked behind square.

Also Read : My plan was to bat till end, couldn't continue with run-rate after Finch's dismissal: Shreyas Iyer

News Source : PTI

2022-04-19 10:48

My plan was to bat till end, couldn't continue with run-rate after Finch's dismissal: Shreyas Iyer

Mumbai, Apr 18 (Cricket News) Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Shreyas Iyer was dejected that he couldn't bat till the end despite taking his team close with a 51-ball-85 as Rajasthan Royals won by seven runs in a high-scoring IPL thriller on Monday.

KKR were all-out for 210 in reply to Royals' 217 for 5 but Iyer along with Australian white ball skipper Aaron Finch (58 off 28 balls) did make a match of it before things went downhill in the 17th over by Yuzvendra Chahal.

"We went in line with the run-rate from the start thanks to Finch. We could not continue which was bad but it is a part of the game. My plan was to bat till the end," Iyer said.

Asked if Nitish Rana's dismissal by Chahal actually became the turning point, Iyer felt that the leg-spinner's better record in match-ups with Delhi southpaw went his way.

"Yuzi had a favourable matchup against him. Jos started slow but he took off, he manoeuvred the ball well and continued really well." Iyer didn't find dew to be a factor on the day despite 400 plus runs being scored across two innings.

"Conditions-wise, there was not much dew and the wicket was amazing to bat on. The ground has not been good for us but we will look to come back positively." For Iyer, pressure of scoreboard gets the best out of him.

"I love pressure. I did not think of what the teammates thought of the score, I wanted to go all in. I thought if they can get it, so can I." Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson was all praise for Obed McCoy for bowling a brilliant last over for the Royals.

"The guy doesn't speak much but gives an impression that he is under control. It was very impressive considering he was making his debut," Samson said.

While he was effusive in his praise for Yuzvendra Chahal, Samson didn't forget to praise Ravichandran Ashwin for his doosra that cleaned up the dangerous Andre Russell.

Yuzvendra Chahal wanted to bowl full and wide ---------------------------------------------------- Yuzvendra Chahal's relaxed hattrick celebration pose was inspired from a meme that went viral during the 2019 World Cup in a game where he was seen relaxing in the sidelines.

"I had to take wickets in this match to change the result. I worked on my bowling. I spoke to the coaches and the skipper. I was planning to bowl full and wide," Chahal said on his match-turning 17th over that fetched him four wickets.

The googly to get Venkatesh Iyer stumped was certainly the most well-planned delivery out of the five.

"My googly was coming out well and sent it down to Venkatesh Iyer as he would have played my leg-break well." On the hattrick delivery, a classical leg break to Pat Cummins, he said that he didn't want to take chances.

"I was thinking of a googly but then I didn't want to take a chance. Would have been a happy with a dot ball as well on my hat-trick ball."

Also Read : KKR opt to field against Royals; Mavi comes in place of Aman, Boult, McCoy and Karun included in RR XI

News Source : PTI

2022-04-18 13:06

KKR are looking to bounce back against RR in match no 30

(Cricket news) After their blistering start to the campaign for KKR, their season has somewhat derailed with two successive heavy defeats as a victory against the high flying Rajasthan Royals is a must. On the other hand, RR have similar woes but will start as favourites for this clash, their talisman bowler Trent Boult might be back for this all important clash.

KKR started off the season with a bang but in the last two matches their weaknesses were exploited very badly by Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. KKR’s top order this season have scored the least amount of runs at a very poor strike rate. For KKR, they need Venkatesh Iyer to perform as he has only passed the 20 run mark once this season. The team management needs to make a call whether to continue with Aaron Finch at the top or promote someone like Billings who missed the last match due to illness. Against Chakravarthy, Buttler has only scored 12 runs in 8 balls, and has been dismissed twice. Samson, meanwhile, has fallen thrice to Umesh and Narine, striking at 79.67 and averaging 15.67 against the West Indian off spinner. KKR may also look to push Shreyas Iyer down the order to tackle the Chahal threat in the middle overs.

Rajasthan Royals have been heavily reliant on the top order to get the majority of the runs. Shimron Hetmyer has been RR’s trump card this season, he has strike rate of 262.00 which is the best strike rate of any batter who has faced at least 20 balls in this phase this season. In the bowling department all eyes will be on the two spinners Chahal and Aswhin, as both have the edge over Aaron Finch and Nitish Rana. Ashwin may be given a few overs in the powerplay, while they could hold Chahal back for when Rana comes to the middle, with the leg spinner getting the middle-order batter 4 times. Rana averages just 14 against Chahal, striking at 109.80. For them the absences of Trent Boult played a major role in the last defeat as the New Zealand pacer will be the key in the death overs to negate the threat of Andre Russell.

Pitch and weather condition: The Brabourne Stadium has been the highest scoring venue this season and even big targets are not safe considering the boundaries are very small. Dew plays a major role at this venue considering the high humidity that is there. The temperature is going to hover around 30 degrees with no chance of rain.

Interesting facts:

Sunil Narine will play his 150th match for KKR
Samson is 49 runs away from the 5000 mark in T20 cricket.
Trent Boult has returned 78 wickets in 58 games, averaging 21.71 with an economy rate of 7.69.
After scores of 55 & 30 to start the season, Samson has scored 32 runs in the next 3 innings.
Andre Russell has the highest strike rate for anyone with any one having 1500 IPL runs. His strike rate is at 178.61 with 1879 runs.

Also read: Miller magic seals three-wicket win for Gujarat Titans against CSK

Probable XI for KKR:

1 Venkatesh Iyer, 2 Aaron Finch/Sam Billings, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Sheldon Jackson (wk), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Sunil Narine, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Aman Khan, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Varun Chakravarthy.

Probable XI for RR:

1 Jos Buttler, 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 James Neesham/Trent Boult, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Prasidh Krishna, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Kuldeep Sen.

2022-04-16 11:32

Tripathi, Markram star in SRH's third straight win

Mumbai, Apr 15 (Cricket News) Rahul Tripathi and Aiden Markram’s effortless batting display along with the pacers magnificent show formed the cornerstone of Sunrisers Hyderbad's comfortable seven-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in their IPL match here on Friday.

The SRH pace unit comprising the likes of T Natarajan (3/37), Umran Malik (2/27), Marco Jansen (1/26) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/37) restricted KKR for 175 for 8.

Tripathi, who smashed 71 off 37, and Aiden Markram (68 not out of 36) then produced hostile knocks to take SRH to their third successive win with 13 balls to spare For KKR, Nitish Rana scored 54 while Andre Russell was unbeaten on 49.

SRH now have three wins from five games while it was KKR's third loss in six games.

With the green track not aiding the spinners, Sunrisers' Tripathi took the KKR's spin-heavy bowling unit to the cleaners.

Playing against his previous franchise, Tripathi smashed Varun Chakravarthy for a four followed by two back-to-back sixes in the eighth over, that yielded 18 runs. He brought his maiden fifty this season off just 21 balls.

Tripathy found an able ally in Markram, who smashed six fours and four sixes and when the former was out he took the onus upon himself to take his side over the line.

Earlier opting to field, South African Jansen used the bounce and swing on offer really well to draw first blood as he sent Aaron Finch (7), who is playing his first match of the season, back to the hut in the second over. Natarajan then bowled a sensational fifth over, snaring two wickets.

Natarajan first bowled a brilliant length ball, pitching just outside off to account for Venkatesh Iyer (6), who looked unsettled during his stay, with the flamboyant Sunil Narine (6) following his teammate a couple balls later as KKR slumped to 31 for 3.

Kane Williamson introduced spin but left-armer Jagadeesha Suchith (1/32) looked rusty and struggled with his line.

Young Malik then struck twin blows, snapping the wickets of Shreyas Iyer (28) in the 10th over and Sheldon Jackson (7).

Noticing Iyer, who looked uncomfortable facing Malik’s raw pace, shuffling across the pitch, the 22-year-old fired a scorching 148.8kmph yorker in the blockhole to cut short the Knight Riders captain's innings.

However, Rana kept the score board ticking, hitting singles and boundaries alike in his 36-ball knock.

Rana smashed six fours and two maximums. He was involved in 39-run stands with skipper Iyer and Russell each.

However, his stay in the middle was cut short by Natarajan in the 18th over as SRH broke the potentially dangerous partnership.

Russell, whose 25-ball innings was laced with four boundaries and as many six, including two in the final over. The West Indian helped KKR add 55 runs in the last five overs.

Also Read : Senior India batter Cheteshwar Pujara falls cheaply on Sussex debut

News Source : PTI

2022-04-15 13:50

Resurgent SRH take on the mighty KKR in match no 25

(Cricket news) SRH are riding high after two consecutive victories but take on the mighty KKR who will look to bounce back after their disappointing loss against the Delhi Capitals. For SRH they will be without their only spinner Washington Sundar as he suffered an injury last match. On the other hand KKR will welcome the Australian captain Aaron Finch to the squad and maybe can even go start into the playing XI.

For the Sunrisers the main positive over the last two matches has been the opening pair of Kane Willamson and Abhishek Sharma who hit 75 and 42, Kane Williamson scored 32 and 57. It looks like Rahul Tripathi and Nicholas Pooran have also hit form at the right time. Their bowling has been quietly effective lately, with T Natarajan leading the way with eight wickets, and Sundar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar being economical alongside their occasional strikes. Heading into the clash the main concern for Tom Moody and co will be the injury to Washington and who will ultimately replace him in the playing XI. For the SRH, Bhuvi will be the key man upfront as he has a good record against the KKR top order which has been topsy turvy this season, One thing they need to be aware of is KKR's lower middle order which can win matches single handedly.

KKR have mostly banked on individual brilliance for their three victories but as a collective unit they are yet to hit full flow. The most runs scored by KKR in five matches is Andre Russell with 130, 70 of which came in a single innings while Venkatesh Iyer has only one score above 20, Shreyas Iyer has crossed 30 only once, Sam Billings has got starts but has failed to fire on all cylinders, Ajinkya Rahane has scored only 80 runs at a strike rate of exactly 100 despite opening each time, and same applies to Nitish Rana. The KKR management might replace Rahane at the top with Aaron Finch or a relatively unknown quality in Abhijeet Tomar. Umesh Yadav has ten wickets in five matches and has an economy rate of 7, Sunil Narine boasts the best economy rate of 4.85.

Pitch and weather report: The Brabourne Stadium pitch has usually been a high scoring venue as the average first innings score is 180. Dew over the last few matches at this venue is not affecting the outcome as much as it should, the spinners will play a crucial role in restricting the opposition in a small ground. The temperature is going to hover around 30 degrees with no possibility of rain.

Interesting facts:

Since 2020, Sunrisers Hyderabad haven't beaten Kolkata Knight Riders
Rahul Tripathi has career strike rate of 221.42 and 160.61 against Umesh Yadav and Sunil Narine
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has picked 28 wickets against KKR - the most he has picked against any franchise
If Aaron Finch gets picked in the playing XI that will be his 9th franchise, which will be the most
With a strike rate of 99, Rahane and Venkatesh have been the slowest opening pair this IPL

Also read: Skipper Hardik Pandya shines as Titans beat Royals by 37 runs

Probable XI for SRH:

1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Kane Williamson (capt), 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Shreyas Gopal, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Marco Jansen, 10 Umran Malik, 11 T Natarajan

Probable XI for KKR:

1 Ajinkya Rahane/Aaron Finch, 2 Venkatesh Iyer, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Sam Billings/Sheldon Jackson (wk), 5 Nitish Rana, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Pat Cummins, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Rasikh Salam, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

2022-04-09 16:17

Big test awaits Rishabh Pant as Delhi Capitals take on Iyer's KKR

Mumbai, Apr 9 (Cricket News) Skipper Rishabh Pant will face a big test when Delhi Capitals lock horns with table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders, led by their former captain Shreyas Iyer, in a much-anticipated IPL clash here on Sunday.

Iyer, one of the architects of the Delhi franchise's resurgence in the IPL, having taken them to their maiden final in 2020, was replaced as skipper of the team last season after he missed the first half due to an injury. The franchise didn't retain the 27-year-old, who was picked up by KKR at the auction.

Under his captaincy, the Knight Riders are perched at the top of the league with six points from four outings, their only loss coming against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The Capitals on the other hand, after a winning start, have slumped to back-to-back defeats and are placed seventh.

Both Pant and Iyer are touted as future India captain and it will be interesting to see how the two fare. However, the wicketkeeper-batter might be feeling the pressure, having won just one game so far.

The Capitals have lost a close match to new entrants, Lucknow Super Giants, after falling to the other new team, Gujarat Titans.

While the return of pace spearhead Anrich Nortje, who had been nursing an injury, bolstered the bowling unit, the South African, who hasn't bowled since the T20 World Cup in November, looked understandably rusty.

Despite having plenty of options, the bowling department has not looked potent, leaking runs against Gujarat Titans and LSG. Mustafizur Rahman has been their top performer but others need to complement him better.

Their batting unit has also looked out of sorts, with skipper Pant again expected to do the bulk of the work with the willow.

The Capitals will be counting on Prithvi Shaw, who smashed 61 off 34 against LSG, and seasoned opener David Warner, to provide a solid start as their middle order is yet to inspire confidence.

KKR head into the match high on confidence, having defeated Mumbai Indians with Pat Cummins scoring a 15-ball 56.

The former champions have looked like a cohesive unit capable of tackling all situations.

Umesh Yadav has been in imperious form, rolling out impressive performances in the powerplay, and alongside Australian Cummins, make for a formidable pace attack that can trouble Delhi's inexperienced batters. Spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine can also turn on the heat.

Venkatesh Iyer shone in the previous game with the bat but the seasoned Ajinkya Rahane is finding it tough and one will have to wait and see how long the team management persists with him. Skipper Iyer would also be on the lookout for a big score.

The Brabourne pitch has worked for the batters. With the dew factor unlikely to affect the day game, the captains might be tempted to bat first. Teams (from): Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Aaron Finch, Abhijeet Tomar, Ajinkya Rahane, Baba Indrajith, Nitish Rana, Pratham Singh, Rinku Singh, Ashok Sharma, Pat Cummins, Rasikh Dar, Shivam Mavi, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Aman Khan, Andre Russell, Anukul Roy, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohammed Nabi, Ramesh Kumar, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sam Billings, Sheldon Jackson.

Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (Captain), Ashwin Hebbar, David Warner, Mandeep Singh, Prithvi Shaw, Rovman Powell, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, Mustafizur Rahman, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Lalit Yadav, Mitchell Marsh, Pravin Dubey, Ripal Patel, Sarfaraz Khan, Vicky Ostwal, Yash Dhull, KS Bharat and Tim Seifert.

Match starts at 3.30 PM.

Also Read : Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opt to field against Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

News Source : PTI

2022-04-07 08:23

Cummins equals record for fastest IPL fifty as KKR beat MI by 5 wickets

Pune, Apr 6 (Cricket News) Premier pacer Pat Cummins shone with the bat like never before, equalling the record for the fastest fifty in the IPL, including amassing 35 in an over, as Kolkata Knight Riders crushed Mumbai Indians by five wickets here on Wednesday.

Cummins blazed away to his fifty in just 14 balls, joining KL Rahul on the top of the leaderboard, while opener Venkatesh Iyer batted through the innings for his unbeaten 41-ball 50, as KKR completed a chase of 162 with as many as four overs to spare.

It was unbelievable stuff from Cummins as KKR, needing 35 from 30 balls, got them all in just six deliveries with the Australian Test captain hitting six sixes and four boundaries in his 15-ball 56.

Daniel Sams bore the brunt of Cummins' onslaught the most, conceding 35 runs in the 16th over, which sealed it for KKR.

Together with Iyer, Cummins, who came in at number six, shared 61 runs in just 2.1 overs to overhaul MI's total of 161 for four.

MI, thus, slumped to their third defeat in as many matches.

KKR made a sedate start reaching 16 off the first four overs. The wickets of Ajinkya Rahane and skipper Shreyas Iyer made life difficult for KKR as they slumped to 35 for two in the sixth over.

Sam Billings made 17 off 12 balls before he dismissed by Murugam Ashwin.

Iyer, on the other hand, went about his business in his own way and kept the scoreboard ticking.

While Iyer stood firm at one end, wickets kept tumbling from the other as Nitish Rana failed once again, caught at deep midwicket by Sams off Ashwin.

Andre Russell played a five-ball 11-run knock before he left Iyer stranded, top-edging a Tymal Mills short delivery to Dewald Brevis.

Cummins then took the attack to the opposition and struck Mills for a boundary and a six of consecutive balls.

Having conceded 23 runs in the final over when MI batted, Cummins clobbered the MI bowlers to all parts of the ground to take KKR home in a grand fashion.

Earlier, veteran Kieron Pollard complemented Suryakumar Yadav's brisk half-century by amassing 23 runs in the last over to propel MI after KKR kept things tight for a major part of their innings.

After an 83-run fourth-wicket stand between Suryakumar Yadav (52) and Tilak Varma (38 not out), Pollard (22 not out) smashed the world's premier fast bowler Pat Cummins for three sixes to end MI's innings on a high.

Opting to bowl first on a fresh pitch with plenty of grass, KKR's opening bowlers used the conditions to perfection as pacer Umesh Yadav (1/25) and debutant Rasikh Salam (0/18) relied on back of length deliveries to trouble MI's opening duo of skipper Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan.

Umesh and Cummins (2/49) picked up early wickets to reduce MI to 55 for three.

Umesh looked more threatening of the two as he consistently tested the high-profile MI opening batters with his probing length, producing a fantastic first over which yielded just one run.

Salam tried to match his senior pro.

Umesh struck first blood in the third over with a back-of-length delivery to get Rohit for the fifth time in IPL, with the MI skipper failing to control a pull.

Then came another debutant Dewald Brevis (29), known as 'Baby AB' for his 360 degree shot-making abilities, and he tried to attack the KKR bowlers.

He succeeded in his endeavour for a brief period, hitting two fours and as many sixes, but fell to Varun Chakravarthy (1/32).

All this while, MI's man-in-form Ishan Kishan (14 off 21) was a quiet spectator at the other end.

Unlike his last two innings, Kishan seemed to be struggling from the onset and a poor start didn't help his cause either.

Kishan's struggle came to an end in the 11th over when he miscued a pull off Cummins to KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer.

Varma got a reprieve in the 13th over when Ajinkya Rahane spooned him after a confusion with Billings.

Yadav struck a four and a huge six in the final two deliveries of the same over to give MI's innings some momentum.

Varma grabbed the missed chance with both hand and scooped Cummins over fine leg for a maximum and then followed it with a slash over mid-wicket for a boundary off Chakravarthy.

Yadav, on the other hand, looked in ominous form after returning from injury, dealing mostly in fours and sixes to notch up his fifty in 34 balls.

Also Read : Want to learn how to play one-handed shots from Rishabh: Warner

News Source : PTI

2022-04-06 13:02

MI are looking for their first win as they take on KKR in match no 14

(Cricket news) Mumbai Indians have always been slow starters to the league but this time they have played two matches and have been beaten quite convincingly. On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders are riding high after Andre Russell’s show against Punjab Kings and they look to stay at the top of the table.

Mumbai Indians have made it a bad habit by starting slowly before revving up as mid-season approaches and then pouncing on teams at the back end. They have continued the same trend this season having started poorly this time also, but the margin for error could be smaller in a 10-team pool. In both their losses so far, Mumbai have failed to capitalise on their batters giving them good starts, both the left-handers in Ishan Kishan and Tilak Verma have given this Mumbai side the much needed impetus at the top but it is the middle order which is not really performing. With Suryakumar Yadav fit, he will most likely replace Anmolpreet Singh in the playing XI. Another headache for Rohit Sharma would be whether to pick Basil Thampi or Jaydev Unadkat, but the only hitch is he's nearly like-for-like to Tymal Mills, in terms of his bowling but after last match and considering Dre Russ can take the bowlers out of the park, he just might get the nod ahead of Thampi.

Kolkata Knight Riders have destroyed their opposition with their pace attack and with Pat Cummins back, their pace attack looks even meaner. Brendon McCullum always emphasised on the fact of playing an aggressive brand of T20 cricket and they certainly showcased it against PBKS last match. One problem heading into the match would be KKR’s death-overs problem with Tim Southee, Russell, Venkatesh Iyer and Shivam Mavi leaking runs in the end but the introduction of Cummins will allow Shreyas Iyer to breathe a bit easier. KKR need to be wary of Bumrah’s threat, the West Indian all-rounder has been dismissed thrice in the last 61 deliveries by Bumrah and averages just 20.33. The KKR management would also expect a lot more from the likes of Venkatesh Iyer and Ajinkya Rahane as they are the key to utilising the power play to the fullest. The KKR management will have a good selection headache whether to drop Billings or Southee for Cummins, both these players have been really good with bat, ball and in the field.

Pitch and weather report: The Pune pitch has been very kind to the bowlers bowling in the second innings. In the previous two matches, bowlers have been able to defend their scores as in Pune dew doesn’t play a major part because of the less humidity but the trend of winning the toss and bowling first will continue. The temperature is going to hover around 29 degrees with no chance of rain.

Interesting facts:

Mumbai's win percentage of 75.8% is the highest win percentage for a team against an opponent in all of the IPL.
In 16 IPL games at the MCA, pacers have picked up 3.8 wickets per innings as compared to spinners 1.6 wickets
MI have won 22 matches against KKR in the IPL, which is the most by a team against an opposition in the league
Rohit Sharma needs 54 runs to reach 10,000 runs in T20 cricket.
Sunil Narine needs five more wickets to become the first player to take 150 wickets for KKR in the IPL.

Also read: Dinesh Karthik stars in RCB's come from behind win over Royals

Probable XI for MI:

1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav/Anmolpreet Singh, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Tim David, 7 Daniel Sams, 8 M Ashwin, 9 Tymal Mills, 10 Jaydev Unadkat/Basil Thampi, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Probable XI for KKR:

1 Venkatesh Iyer, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Sheldon Jackson, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Sunil Narine, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

2022-04-05 17:25

Kieron Pollard among star names heading to London Spirit

(Cricket news) Women’s World Cup winners Beth Mooney and Megan Schutt set to line up at Lord’s The Hundred announces more activities and food options inside grounds for the 2022 competition. London Spirit got The Hundred Draft off to a thrilling start with the choice of Kieron Pollard as the number 1 men’s pick. Pollard has played more than 100 T20 internationals for the West Indies and is one of the world’s most exciting all-rounders.

They followed that up by selecting England international spinner Liam Dawson, and Australia's one of the fastest bowlers in the world Riley Meredith. The women’s side can look forward to welcoming two World Cup Winners with Australia’s Beth Mooney and Megan Schutt joining up only two days after defeating England in the ICC Women’s World Cup final. They will be joined by New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr who was initially signed by Southern Brave before missing the first year of the competition due to the complications caused by the Covid pandemic.

The Lord’s-based side has also secured the signing of Western Storm captain Sophie Luff from Welsh Fire. London Spirit picked up some exciting young talent in the draft, with Jordan Thompson joining from Northern Superchargers and Daniel Bell-Drummond from Birmingham Phoenix. They also re-signed Chris Wood as a right-to-match option during the draft. They join a men’s squad already boasting Australian superstar Glenn Maxwell, England men’s World Cup winning captain Eoin Morgan and fellow England internationals Zak Crawley, Dan Lawrence and Mark Wood.

Liam Dawson said, “It’s an honour but I was surprised to be one of the first picks in the draft for The Hundred this year. Leaving Southern Brave was a tough decision but ultimately, I didn’t see me playing a role there. I can’t wait to get going at Lord’s this summer in front of a packed house.”

Sophie Luff said, “I’m really excited to be joining London Spirit and linking up with Heather and the team. The Hundred was a fantastic competition last year but it’ll be really special to be playing at the Home of Cricket this summer and I’m looking forward to a new challenge.”

Sanjay Patel, Managing Director of The Hundred said, “With a host of star players confirmed, The Hundred will have fans on the edge of their seats with world class sport, as well as bringing more family-friendly entertainment off the pitch. In the women’s competition we have the best players from across the world taking part including Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine and we are confident we will set a new benchmark for the women’s domestic game.

"On the men’s side, it’s great to see a mix of new overseas stars like Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell alongside returning stars such as Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine. It is also brilliant that some of the best domestic white ball players including Tom Banton and Joe Clarke have been recognised and picked up early. Get your tickets for The Hundred now so you don’t miss out.”

The Hundred proved a big hit with families and young people in particular relishing the mix of fast-paced cricket with music and family entertainment off the pitch which will only be bigger and better this year. Lord’s will come alive with activities around the ground offering even more fun for all the family and a diverse range of great music acts through the continuing partnership with BBC Music Introducing. Year two of The Hundred will also offer a new range of merchandise to get the family kitted out in full London Spirit colours.

London Spirit men’s side travel south of the river to take on local rivals Oval Invincibles at the Kia Oval in their opening game on Thursday 4 August. The opening men’s game at Lord’s on 8 August will see London Spirit host Manchester Originals. The women’s side start their Lord’s campaign on Wednesday 24 August with Welsh Fire the visitors in an exciting double header. Oval Invincibles visit for an all-London clash on Saturday 27 August before Birmingham Phoenix travel to Lord’s for the final group game on Tuesday 30 August. London Spirit’s women’s side now has three places left to fill, while both men’s and women’s sides will choose a fourth overseas player through a Draft in June.

Also read: KL Rahul, Deepak Hooda and Avesh Khan lead LSG to victory over SRH

2022-04-02 14:16

Chennai Super Kings eye improved show against Punjab Kings

Mumbai, Apr 2 (Cricket News) Chennai Super Kings have so far looked like anything but IPL's defending champions and to effect a turnaround, new skipper Ravindra Jadeja will seek improvements on multiple fronts against Punjab Kings here on Sunday.

CSK's title defense has begun on a disappointing note. After going down to Kolkata Knight Riders in the tournament opener, they lost to new entrants Lucknow Super Giants.

While the batting unit failed to fire in the opening game, heavy dew made life difficult for the bowlers as they failed to defend a target in excess of 200 runs.

The toss is already playing a significant role in the outcome of the games. With the second innings dew in mind, teams are opting to chase and CSK will hope to be better prepared to bowl with the wet ball.

“Dew will be the vital part in this edition. If you win the toss, you will look to bowl first. There was a lot of dew, the ball was not sticking to the hands, will have to practice with the wet ball,” Jadeja said after the loss to LSG.

The CSK bowling attack is also feeling the absence of pacers Deepak Chahar and Adam Milne and death-over specialist Chris Jordan.

They were forced to bowl all-rounder Shivam Dube in the penultimate over against Lucknow, which cost them 25 runs and took the match away from them.

The CSK bowlers need to tighten things up to keep the opposition batters in check. Tushar Desphande and rookie Mukesh Choudhary struggled against LSG and will have their task cut out against a strong Punjab line-up, especially at CCI, where bowling hasn't been easy.

Dwayne Bravo, now IPL's leading wicket-taker, has been the standout performer, but he needs support from others.

Skipper Jadeja has not been his usual self and needs to pull up his socks. After failing in the opening game, Chennai's batting clicked against Lucknow. A vintage Robin Uthappa, a clinical Mooen Ali and an equally hard-hitting Dube were seen and they would be more than keen to repeat their performances.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, last edition’s leading run scorer, needs to get runs under his belt. Mahendra Singh Dhoni can be expected to do the job in the middle-overs and can play the role of a finisher.

Punjab Kings, on the other hand, have quite a few big hitters in their ranks, but they faltered against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Smarting from a six-wicket defeat, they will be eager to return to winning ways and would expect the batters to step up.

With Mayank Agarwal, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa at the top, Punjab can dominate the opposition attack with ease.

Odean Smith and Shahrukh Khan are also known to tonk the ball and will need to play the finisher's role on a more consistent basis.

Punjab, who added Kagiso Rabada to their attack, came up short against Andre Russell. They would quickly need to regroup and forget the hammering and bowl in the right areas.

The role of the two spinners Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar becomes crucial and could be a factor in deciding the outcome of the game.

Teams (from): Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja (Captain), Moeen Ali, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Ambati Rayadu, Robin Uthappa, Mitchell Santner, Chris Jordan, Adam Milne, Devon Conway, Shivam Dube, Dwaine Pretorius, Maheesh Theekshana, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Tushar Deshpande, KM Asif, C Hari Nishaanth, N Jagadeesan, Subranshu Senapati, K Bhagath Verma, Prashant Solanki, Simarjeet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary.

Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Shahrukh Khan, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Ishan Porel, Liam Livingstone, Odean Smith, Sandeep Sharma, Raj Angad Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Prerak Mankad, Vaibhav Arora, Writtick Chatterjee, Baltej Dhanda, Ansh Patel, Nathan Ellis, Atharva Taide, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Benny Howell.

Match starts at 7.30 PM.

Also Read : MI look for their first victory over the resurgent RR in match no 9

News Source : PTI

2022-04-02 10:55

Awesome feeling as I knew what I could do in that position: Russell

Mumbai, Apr 1 (Cricket News) Andre Russell felt "awesome" while hitting those eight monster sixes against Punjab Kings as he always knew what he needed to do when he walked in with KKR's score reading 51 for four.

Russell scored an unbeaten 70 off 31 balls and what looked like a tricky chase at one point ended in an anti-climax as the big Jamaican muscled the maximums into the stands.

"Feeling awesome, this is the reason why we play the game. In that position, I know what I can do," Russell said after the match.

Russell had indicated to his partner Sam Billings that once he was nicely warmed up, he will go for the shots.

"It was good to have someone at the crease like Sam who can rotate and help us stick through the tough time. Once I started sweating, I just said that I am gonna go. I backed my ability and that's what I did tonight. I am happy to bring the team over the line." The strategy was to see off Rahul Chahar's spell as left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar didn't seem threatening.

"I knew we were the two guys who'll definitely look to get a partnership. I told Sam, 'listen, let's just bat a few overs and see what happens.' But we had to attack earlier because the left-arm orthodox wasn't spinning the ball and nothing was happening.

"So we decided to take charge from one end and look to get singles from the other end. Chahar was bowling extremely well, it was gripping as well. We didn't want to take much chance against him. We knew it'd get easier. I am going to say one (when asked how many he got off the middle)." Russell isn't bowling a lot and also suffered a shoulder niggle in the last game but is happy if skipper Shreyas Iyer wants him to do so.

"I am happy to do whatever the team requires. I am looking to bowl in the death. If the captain wants me to bowl one in the powerplay, I am more than happy to do that but we have a good amount of bowlers. We have a few guys that can actually chip in one or two as well.

"I know in some games I won't be bowling four but if at least I bowl two overs, I can feel a part of the game and feel like an all-rounder. These things do happen, some games it's gonna be easy and I may not bowl a ball." As you grow old, you need to work harder on fitness, says Umesh ======================================= Umesh Yadav, who has been a revelation in this edition after having played two games in last two seasons, said that it's his work ethic that has kept him going.

"I need to work hard. Getting older and when you know when you play just one format, I look to bowl as much as possible. When someone improves at practice, they do well during the match as well.

"Whatever is happening now, has been because of what I have practiced with my coaches. If you bowl at 140kph, you need to be accurate, you need to bowl at the stumps."

Also Read : Umesh Yadav, Andre Russell fire KKR to big win over PBKS

News Source : PTI

2022-04-02 07:46

Umesh Yadav, Andre Russell fire KKR to big win over PBKS

Mumbai, Apr 1 (Cricket News) Umesh Yadav continued his dream run with a four-wicket haul before Andre Russell returned to his brutal best to fire Kolkata Knight Riders to an easy six-wicket win over Punjab Kings here on Friday.

Umesh (4/23), coming into the season with just two games over two IPL seasons and going unsold initially at the auction, produced career-best T20 figures to help KKR dismiss Punjab for a below par 137 in 18.2 overs.

It was supposed to be a straight forward chase but Rahul Chahar raised Punjab's hopes with a double wicket maiden to reduced KKR to 51 for four.

However, Russell (70 not out off 31 balls) came out in the middle and changed the game with his barrage of sixes, eight in total, to make it a cakewalk in just 14.3 overs. He smashed three sixes off Odean Smith in an over that went for 30 runs.

No rope is long enough when Russell is going all guns blazing and he was in that kind of zone on Friday night. The Jamaican dasher fittingly ended the game with a couple of sixes off Liam Livingtsone's friendly leg-breaks. It was KKR's second win in three games while Punjab suffered their first loss of the season after the win over RCB.

Earlier, KKR bowlers stifled a power-laden Punjab Kings batting line-up.

With heavy dew setting in later half of the games, fielding first has become a no-brainer this IPL and KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer called it right at the toss.

Punjab, which had successfully chased 200 plus in their opening game, enjoyed a good powerplay that yielded 62 for 3 in six overs.

Veteran pacer Umesh, who has been proving his critics wrong this season., once again provided the breakthrough early in the game, removing opposition skipper Mayank Agarwal, who was found plumb in front after missing a rather straight and full delivery in the first over of the match.

Sri Lankan Bhanuka Rajapaksa (31 off 9) who had produced a match-winning knock in the first game, looked in sensational touch at the Wankhede Stadium.

In his brief stay in the middle, the top-order batter hammered three fours and as many sixes, mostly towards the mid-wicket region, leaving the spectators in awe. His breathtaking effort was perhaps the lone bright in an otherwise underwhelming innings.

Iyer impressed with his leadership. He brought back Umesh in the middle overs to ensure there was no fightback from Punjab. He also employed a slip in the 15th over and was rewarded for that with the wicket of Rahul Chahar.

His new ball partner Tim Southee and KKR's retained spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine were also too good for the Punjab batters.

Livingstone (19 off 16) could convert his start while India U-19 star Raj Angad Bawa found the going tough for the second game in a row.

Kagisa Rabada (25 off 16), playing his first game of the seasons, saved Punjab the blushes by getting much needed boundaries to take the total close to 140.

Also Read : Umesh stars with ball again as KKR dismiss Punjab for 137

News Source : PTI

2022-04-01 13:03

KKR look to get back to winning ways when they face PBKS in match

(Cricket news) KKR will look to bounce back after a disappointing loss to RCB but on the other hand Punjab Kings will be full of confidence after their swashbuckling batting display against RCB in the first match. PBKS management will welcome Kagiso Rabada in the playing XI as he could be the X-factor that their bowling line up was missing.

KKR in the last match adopted a very strange game plan as each and every batsman lost their wicket to sceptical shots considering the match situation. Although the result didn't go in their favour, they stayed true to their playbook, hitting more boundaries than RCB. The one positive Brendon McCullum can take from the last match, was his side never giving up attitude as they almost defended a low score courtesy of Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee. Knight Riders head coach Brendon McCullum said that “the allrounder's shoulder was sore after he dived near the boundary”. If Russell doesn't recover in time, then KKR could instead call up Mohammad Nabi or Chamika Karunaratne.

PBKS will be high on confidence after their great batting display against RCB in the first match. They will be further boosted by Kagiso Rabada who is out of quarantine and trained with the team after having participated in the ODI series at home against Bangladesh on the other hand, Jonny Bairstow, is unavailable as he is yet to complete quarantine upon arrival from the Caribbean. Most of the eyes will be on an interesting sub plot will be Andre Russell vs Odeon Smith, Russell is still the gold standard of T20 cricket while Smith is the latest big-hitting allrounder from the Caribbean. Smith idolises Russell and has modelled his game on him and he recently won the T10 league with his idol at Deccan Gladiators in Abu Dhabi. If you see their head to head, Smith has bowled 13 balls to Russell in T20 cricket, keeping him to a mere eight runs while getting him out twice in three innings.

Pitch and weather report: There will be plenty of assistance for the bowlers and it will not be easy for the batters to come and straight away smash fours and sixes. Keeping wickets in hand will be the key to success. Again the dew factor can come into play as the trend of winning the toss and bowling first will continue. The temperature is going to hover around 30 degrees with no chance of rain.

Interesting facts:

Russell has the edge over Rabada in T20s,he has scored 79 runs off 39 balls at a strike rate of over 200 while being dismissed just once.
Umesh Yadav has 49 wickets in the powerplay in the IPL at an economy rate of 7.60. Only three bowlers have picked up more wickets than Umesh in the first six overs.
Sunil Narine has a very strong record against Kings,he has picked up 31 wickets in 21 games at an average of 18.22 and economy rate of seven.
Harpreet Brar had an economy rate of 6.04 in IPL 2021 which was the best among bowlers who had bowled more than ten overs last season.
Mayank Agarwal is 51 runs away from completing 4000 runs in T20 cricket .
Ajinkya Rahane needs just 6 runs away from him to complete 4000 runs in IPL.

Probable XI for KKR:
1 Venkatesh Iyer, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Sam Billings, 6 Sheldon Jackson (wk), 7 Andre Russell/Chamika Karunaratne/Mohammad Nabi, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Probable XI for PBKS:
1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Mayank Agarwal (capt), 3 Bhanuka Rajapaksa (wk), 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Raj Bawa, 6 M Shahrukh Khan, 7 Odean Smith, 8 Harpreet Brar, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Rahul Chahar

Also read: CSK lose 2nd game in a row while LSG open IPL account

2022-03-30 16:15

Top overseas debutants to look out for in the Tata IPL 2022

(Cricket news) Every year plenty of overseas players make their debut in the IPL and then play for their respective nations based on the performances in the league. The IPL is one tournament where the biggest of names play, however, what makes the league exceptional is every year there is some debutant who manages to capture everyone's imagination by taking on the seasoned pros. Let us take a look at this years overseas debutants

1) Chamika Karunaratne (Kolkata Knight Riders)

The Sri Lankan all-rounder ever since he made his debut has impressed everyone whenever he has played and that was the biggest reason behind him being picked by KKR for a base price of Rs 50 lakh only, which could be a bargain buy in the future. Karunaratne is a proper fast bowling all rounder who can perform in all three departments of the game and mainly has the experience of finishing matches for Sri Lanka in the past. If Andre Russell gets injured, then Karunaratne will be a natural replacement. Karunaratne is a very underrated bowler as he can bamboozle the batters with his strong slower deliveries and in the IPL especially in the death when the batters are going for it, the slower ball is the best option to bowl.

2) Dushmantha Chameera (Lucknow Supergiants)

Chameera was bought by Lucknow SuperGiants for Rs 2 crore and one of the biggest reasons the LSG franchise went all out for the Sri Lankan pacers is because of the qualities he brings to the table as a quick bowler. Chameera is quite deceptive with his pace and he can beat the batters with pace as well as his slower balls. At the death, he’s a deadly sniper, bowling the yorker at will and along with being a good fast bowler he packs a few hefty blows at the end also with his bat as time and time again he has bailed Sri Lanka from precarious positions.

3) Dewald Brevis (Mumbai Indians)

Dewald Brevis took the world by storm when he had set the U19 World Cup on fire after scoring 506 runs. Labelled as Baby ABD, Brevis already has the attention of the world and one needs to see if he can actually live up to all the hype and excitement behind him. He was bought for whopping Rs 3 crore, the right-handed batter would be looking to bat at his favoured position of number 3 but the fact that only four foreigners are allowed to play makes it difficult for to straight away enter the playing XI but he's very young, the youngster might just be one for the future.

4) Odeon Smith (Punjab Kings)

Odeon Smith lit the third match of season with a blistering 25* off 8 balls to guide his side chase a mammoth target of 205 quite comfortably. Odeon Smith came into the limelight recently in the series against India as he showed the world that however big the boundaries he can hit the ball very far and no boundary is enough to sustain the batter. The right-handed batter has the experience of finishing T20I games for West Indies and this has already come in handy for Punjab Kings this season. He was bought for Rs 6 crore and along with Shahrukh Khan, with the duties of finisher as well as make important breakthroughs with his fast bowling. Someone who idolises Andre Russell's game is certainly moving in the right direction and it could be some exciting times for the Punjab fans.

5) Rovman Powell (Delhi Capitals)

In January, Rovam Powell smashed an unbelievable century against England in a T20I game and he hammered all the bowlers but what was wonderful about this innings was he read the situation really well and took control of the game. He was previously bought by KKR but never really got a game because of Dr Russ but now with age and maturity he’s become a mainstay for the West Indies team. He is a power-hitter and on his day he can take down any bowler at his own will. DC bought him for Rs 2.8 crore, as Ricky Ponting will hope that his all round skills come in handy and give DC that much needed batting all rounder that they have been searching for a long time

6) Bhanuka Rajapaska ( Punjab Kings)

The swashbuckling left hander from Sri Lanka lit the tournament with a blistering innings of 43 from just 22 deliveries, showing the Sri Lankan selectors what they have been missing. Bhanuka was recently overlooked by the Sri Lankan selectors for the India series for apparently not being match fit but he just showed the mental temperament and big hitting skills he possesses. Bought for his base price of 50 Lakhs in the mega auction, many raised an eyebrow considering the 30-year-old has played 18 T20Is for Sri Lanka and has scored 320 runs at an ordinary average of 26.67 but he brings ample of experience playing in the different leagues in especially in the subcontinent.

7) Romario Shepherd (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Sunrisers Hyderabad shelled out a massive 7.75 cr to buy Romario Shepherd as many teams were interested in him but ultimately SRH got their man. He came into the limelight after the Caribbean Premier League where he was not only a good T20 bowler, but he proved his batting abilities in the CPL 2021. For Guyana Amazon Warriors, he scalped 18 wickets in 7 games at 7.69, with a batting strike-rate of 165.15. He single handedly won some really tough games for the Warriors as a finisher. In overall T20s, Shepherd has scalped 55 wickets in 47 games, whereas he has scored 344 runs at a strike-rate of 159.25. In the recently concluded England vs West Indies series, he won a game on his own with his death bowling and explosive batting

8) Kyle Mayers (Lucknow Supergiants)

The latest left handed power hitter Kyle Mayers is making quite a name for himself in the international circuit with some impressive performances against some big teams around the world. The 29 year old averages over 40 and has a strike rate of over 150 in T20’s as Mayers has only played 4 T20s for West Indies which indicates that he’s relatively inexperienced in T20 cricket but if given the opportunity to play he will know that a good performance will mean that he will cement that opening slot for the West Indies team heading into the World Cup. Coming into the IPL, he will be in rich vein of form as he single handedly bowled England to make his country win a historic series.

Also read: Top 5 all rounders to watch out in the upcoming Tata IPL 2022

2022-03-30 12:33

RCB looking for their first victory as they take on KKR in match no 6

(Cricket news) Royal Challengers were left disappointed against the Punjab Kings as they couldn’t defend 205 runs, on the other hand Kolkata Knight Riders produced a clinical performance to get a victory over the defending champions CSK. Brendon McCullum, the coach of KKR and Mike Hesson the coach of RCB, the two men who orchestrated New Zealand's rise as a white-ball cricket will find themselves battling each other out when Kolkata Knight Riders take on Royal Challengers Bangalore.

RCB’s first match indicated that their batting runs deep but their same problem of leaking runs in the death overs continued as last match IPL debutants Odean Smith and Bhanuka Rajapaksa had a field day batting against a very docile bowling lineup. Glenn Maxwell is often that fulcrum for this RCB side, as not only is he the chief destructor with the bat through the middle overs but more importantly his off-spin is a vital counter to opposition stacking up left-handers and something that RCB will miss considering KKR have three powerful left handers in the team. One thing the RCB camp will be really pleased with is the form of Faf Du Plessis, who just missed out on a hundred against PBKS as fans will be hoping that he leads the side from the front with his exquisite batting.

KKR ticked all the boxes against CSK in the last match as Umesh Yadav wreaked havoc in the Chennai batting line up with his early swing movement. The Knights displayed their bowling might against CSK so much so that the batters simply had to turn up and play sensibly to seal the deal, which they did quite comfortably. Since IPL 2020, KKR are one of three sides that have conceded 10+ runs an over in the death overs as the likes of Shivam Mavi and Andre Russell conceded 47 runs in the last three overs but on the contrary, Narine and Chakravarthy at the other end against Super Kings conceded 11.6 runs per over. The KKR think tank needs to figure out the best way of utilising the 8 overs from their spinners as they hold the key to their chance of victory. In the last match, we saw Nitish Rana walk ahead of Shreyas Iyer at number 3, a decision which raised many eyebrows but Rana’s role was simple as he was given licence to play free, something that will continue in this match as well.

Pitch and weather report: As we saw in the previous matches that the pitch is a good one for batting. The bounce is good, the outfield is quick, the boundaries are short and the batters can definitely score a lot of runs on this pitch. The temperature is going to hover around 38 degrees with chances of rain

Interesting facts:

Faf du Plessis won the Man of the match twice against KKR last season,
Mohammed Siraj has not taken a wicket in the PowerPlay in the last 10 IPL games
Andre Russell and Sunil Narine have strike rates of 215.12 and 196.43 respectively.
Russell has hit 75 sixes which are the second most in the tournament since 2019
Ajinkya Rahane needs 15 runs to 4000 IPL runs and become the ninth Indian to do so

Probable XI for RCB:

1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Anuj Rawat, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Shahbaz Ahmed, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 David Willey, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Sidharth Kaul

Probable XI for KKR:

1 Venkatesh Iyer, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Sam Billings/Mohammad Nabi, 6 Sheldon Jackson (wk), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Shivam Mavi, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Also read: CSK, LSG seek improvement in top-order batting after opening losses

2022-03-29 12:12

KKR look to consolidate position as Royal Challengers Bangalore eye first win

Navi Mumbai, Mar 29 (Cricket News) Seeking to consolidate their position after a winning start, Kolkata Knight Riders will have their task cut out as they take on a determined Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League here on Wednesday.

The two outfits head into the game on the back of contrasting results.

While the Shreyas Iyer-led KKR humbled defending champions Chennai Super Kings by six wickets, Royal Challengers Bangalore suffered a five-wicket loss to Punjab Kings, despite posting a 200-plus score.

For RCB, skipper Faf Du Plessis is in prime form after he made a scintillating 57-ball 88 and would like to continue in the same vein. Opener Anuj Rawat was unable to capitalise on a good start and would be aiming for consistency.

Unburdened by the captaincy pressure, Virat Kohli made a statement and played with more intent against Punjab. He will definitely look to rediscover his glorious touch and continue to torment the opposition bowlers like he did during his prime.

Wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik also played a significant cameo and his role would be crucial once again, if RCB have to set or chase a big total.

If these four go all guns blazing, then it would be a daunting task for the varied KKR attack.

While the KKR bowling unit will have to be particularly cautious of the six-hitting prowess of Du Plessis, which was on display on Sunday, RCB bowlers would have to quickly forget the hammering they received at the hands of the Punjab batters.

A profligate Mohammed Siraj, who leaked 59 runs, will have to pull up his socks. Another key bowler is death overs specialist and last edition's Purple Cap holder Harshal Patel. Even the role of Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who is capable of spinning a web around the batters, could decide the fate of the match.

For KKR, they ticked all the boxes in their lung-opener against CSK and they would be hoping that they can repeat their performance.

The biggest positive for KKR was Ajinkya Rahane finding his mojo and scoring runs.

Although all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer managed only 16 runs in the first game, he is capable of pummelling any attack into submission.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer along with Sam Billings and Sheldon Jackson would need to shoulder responsibility in the middle-order.

On the bowling front, Umesh Yadav was sensational at the Wankhede. But others including Shivam Mavi, spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine would need to put up an improved show.

All-rounder Andre Russell’s role with the bat and ball could eventually be the difference between the two sides.

KKR are unlikely to tinker with their winning combination.

Being an evening game, dew would certainly be a factor and one can expect a high-scoring affair.

Teams (from): Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj, Faf du Plessis (c), 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, Luvnith Sisodia, Siddharth Kaul.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Aaron Finch, Abhijeet Tomar, Ajinkya Rahane, Baba Indrajith, Nitish Rana, Pratham Singh, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer (c), Ashok Sharma, Pat Cummins, Rasikh Dar, Shivam Mavi, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Aman Khan, Andre Russell, Anukul Roy, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohammed Nabi, Ramesh Kumar, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sam Billings, Sheldon Jackson.

Match starts at 7.30 PM.

Also Read : Elgar comfortable with SA players opting for IPL instead of Bangladesh Tests

News Source : PTI

2022-03-28 13:20

Top 5 all rounders to watch out in the upcoming Tata IPL 2022

(Cricket news) All-rounders have always been a crucial part of the league since the beginning of the IPL. The likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya were unearthed through the IPL and have since become mainstays not only for their franchises but also for the Indian Cricket team. This time around a lot of all rounders fetched a lot of money, so let us take a look at the all rounders who can light up the IPL with their performances:

Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings)

The newly appointed captain of CSK and India’s best all-rounder has been a constant name in both the line-ups over the years and has consistently delivered. Heading into the IPL, he has been in the form of his life after his heroics against Sri Lanka and that could act as a huge boost for CSK going forward in the tournament. He is a very wily bowler, an impact batter and a gun fielder, Jadeja is well and truly a 3D factor on the field. Over the years, his batting has massively improved over the years as last season, he scored 227 runs from 12 innings at an average of 75.66 and scored at a good strike-rate of 145.51. Along with that he also picked up 13 wickets from 16 innings at an average of 26.61 and possessed an impressive economy rate of 7.06. The best part about Jadeja is that he can play any role as a batter in the team and being the captain of the side, we’ll see him batting higher up the order.

Jason Holder (Lucknow SuperGiants)

The West Indies all-rounder stocks have risen over the last few years and at the moment playing some of his best cricket. He can hit big, bowl wicket-taking deliveries as well as keep the batsmen in check in the frugal overs. In their recently concluded T20I series against England, he took four wickets off four balls, helping West Indies clinch the series 3-2 and becoming the first West Indian bowler to register a hat-trick in international T20Is. Jason Holder was the only shining star in SRH's dismal campaign last season as he picked up 16 wickets from eight matches at an average of 15.43 with an economy rate of 7.75.

He played some valuable cameos in the latter matches and it provided his side with a late surge lower down the order. In the last couple of years, Holder has become West Indies' joint highest wicket-taker along with Dwayne Bravo in T20Is with 26 wickets from 17 innings at an economy rate of 7.86 and SR of 14.1. Lucknow SuperGiants shelled out a massive Rs 8.75 crore for him and hope he continues his golden run of form.

Hardik Pandya (Gujarat Titans)

The newly appointed Gujarat Titans’ captain Hardik Pandya will have to prove his worth this season if he wants to make into the India squad for this year's T2O World Cup. Pandya announced himself on the world stage during the IPL, portraying his ability to strike the ball big, outstanding fielding, and some street-smart bowling really helped to become a top all rounder in the world’. The captain of GT, Pandya has some big couple of matches to prove his fitness and showcase his talent for his new franchise, who have put extreme faith in him despite being out injured for such a long time and even though he is out of shape because of the injury, he has to take responsibility with great vigor. If Gujarat Titans are to make the playoffs then they need a massive season from Hardik.

Andrew Russell (KKR)

The Jamaican cricketer who plays internationally for the West Indies has previously lit up the tournament with some swashbuckling hitting in the IPL but over the last two seasons he has struggled with a lot of injury issues and couldn’t really perform to his fullest ability. He has played in more than 300 Twenty20 (T20) matches for a number of sides in different leagues all around the world. KKR retained him as a main key player because of the all-round skills he possesses. Russell in the IPL averages a staggering strike rate of 169.8 and has become a very handy bowler in the death overs. In 2019, he won the MVP as he had scored more than 500 runs and had picked up 15 wickets in a season which actually showcased his full all round capabilities. KKR fans will be hoping that he is fit and firing because if he gets going then there is no ground big enough for him or even any bowler safe from his massive hits.

Liam Livingstone (Punjab Kings) :

If Livingstone finds his groove, then be rest assured that there might be a lot of lost balls. He has this unique ability to hit big and make the opposition bowlers suffer. Along with being a power-hitter, Livingstone is a handy leg spinner as well, who can provide crucial breakthroughs in the middle overs if needed.In his short T20 career, he already holds the record for the fastest century by an England batsman when he got his 100 off just 42 balls against Pakistan at Trent Bridge last year. In this year's Hundred, he scored 348 runs at a strike rate of 178.46 playing for Birmingham Phoenix. In his short career he has a strike rate of 158.33 in T20Is which is quite mindblowing considering he doesn’t have a assured batting position in the side

His number as a so-called part-time leg-spinner is also decent in T20Is, picking up 12 wickets in 17 matches that he has bowled at an average of 19.58, with an economy rate of 7.12. He didn't have the best of times in his debut season, averaging just 8.40 with the bat from five innings playing for RR and this season he will come with a point to prove as he was bought for a whopping Rs 11.5 crore by Punjab Kings. He would certainly hope to make a mark and justify the price tag in his second season in the IPL

Also read: Top 5 bowlers to watch out in the upcoming Tata IPL 2022

2022-03-27 11:03

Kolkata Knight Riders beat CSK by six wickets in IPL opener

Mumbai, Mar 26 (Cricket News) A clinically all-round Kolkata Knight Riders beat defending champions Chennai Super Kings by six wickets as Mahendra Singh Dhoni's first tournament fifty in three years went in vain in the IPL lung opener here on Saturday.

Unburdened by captaincy, Dhoni, who relinquished the leadership role just two days back, smashed an unbeaten 50 off 38 balls to take CSK to 131 for 5 after being put in to bat.

But, KKR, who lost to CSK in the last season summit clash, chased down the target with nine balls to spare, with out of favour India batter Ajinkya Rahane top-scoring with a 34-ball 44.

Rahane, who was bought for Rs 1 crore by KKR after playing very few matches for Delhi Capitals last season, was in good touch as he hit six fours and one six during his knock. He shared 43 runs for the opening wicket with Venkatesh Iyer (16) and that was the highest partnership for KKR in the end.

Nitish Rana (21), new captain Shreyas Iyer (20 not out) and Sam Billings (25) made useful contributions to give KKR a winning start to the tournament.

Iyer thus started his KKR captaincy with a win while his counterpart Ravindra Jadeja, who took the place of the iconic Dhoni as CSK skipper, began his stint with a loss.

Iyer hit the winning runs, a boundary, as KKR reached 133 for 4 in 18.3 overs.

Dwayne Bravo (3/20) was the pick of the bowlers for CSK.

Earlier, KKR dished out a clinical bowling show to restrict CSK to 131/5.

CSK crossed the 130-run mark thanks to Dhoni’s unbeaten 50 off 38 balls (7x4; 1x6) and skipper Jadeja’s 26 not out off 28 balls (1x6). Dhoni's last IPL fifty was 84 not out versus Royal Challengers Bangalore on Apr 21, 2019.

CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad (0) perished cheaply. after being caught by Nitish Rana in the slip cordon off pacer Umesh Yadav (2/20).

The typical Wankede track, which had a good amount of bounce, did aid the KKR bowlers and they took maximum advantage.

Devon Conway (3) and Robin Uthappa (28 off 21 balls) then tried to revive the CSK innings, but managed to add only 28 runs for the second wicket.

Conway, who was looking rusty, became Umesh Yadav’s second scalp.

Uthappa was brutal on Shivam Mavi, whom he hit for a boundary in the second over and followed it up by another boundary and a maximum in the fourth over. In between, he hammered Umesh for a six. But his stay was cut short, stumped by Shedlon Jackson off Varun Chakravarthy (1/23) in the eighth over as CSK found themselves in a spot of bother at 49/3.

They further slipped to 52/4, as a horrible mix-up between Ambati Rayadu (15 off 17 balls) and Jadeja led to the former’s dismissal. After 10 overs, CSK were tottering at 57/4.

CSK lost half of their side for 61 after Shivam Dube (3) gave a sitter to Sunil Narine at short-midwicket off pacer Andre Russell.

Then, Jadeja and Dhoni added 70 runs for the sixth wicket to take CSK to a respectable total. The past and present captain duo initially played a barrage of dot balls but Dhoni hammered three boundaries in the 18th over, in which CSK amassed 14 runs.

Showing glimpses of his famous match-finishing prowess, Dhoni fetched a boundary and a six in the penultimate over, from which CSK got 15 runs.

The duo added 18 runs in the final over with Jadeja hitting a six off the final ball, as CSK added 74 runs in the final 10 overs.

Also Read : Kolkata Knight Riders restrict CSK to 131/5 in IPL opener

News Source : PTI

2022-02-15 23:33

IPL auction is done and dusted, it's about giving best for West Indies now: Pollard

Kolkata, Feb 15 (Cricket News) Their players may have earned hefty deals at the IPL mega auction but West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard on Tuesday said its time to move on and focus on international cricket as his team looks to tame India in the T20 series.

From the large pool of available players, 14 West Indians were chosen to join Pollard, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, who were retained by their respective franchises ahead of the auction, making up the largest number of foreign players in the IPL, from any territory outside of India.

"That's (IPL auction) is done and dusted and it's back to International cricket. When the IPL comes they will deal with that. It's about representing the West Indies and putting your best foot forward now," the Windies skipper said in a virtual media interaction on the eve of their three-match T20I series here.

West Indies wicketkeeper-batter and vice-captain Nicholas Pooran, who has been woefully out of form, fetched the highest bid among his teammates when he was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 10.75 crore in the IPL mega auction on Sunday.

Asked if the players will look to justify their hefty pay days by showcasing their talents in the series, Pollard said: "I would not say that. Every time they get an opportunity to represent their International team, they want to do well.

"These guys would have been selected in the IPL. Each and every time you step on a cricket field, you are expected to do well." West Indies were blanked 0-3 in the ODI series and Pollard hoped his team would make amends in the upcoming T20I series.

"Guys who have not been here before would have got some experience of the conditions coming up against a well drilled Indian team. For us it's about improving all the time. We can definitely improve on that," he said.

Pollard said they would take confidence from their thrilling 3-2 win over England at home in their last T20I series.

"For us it's about consistency. We had a very good series against England. We faltered a couple of times in the back end of the innings. But we showed that there's something inside these guys and there's a belief to do well," he said.

"We are very confident. We have been able to come out on top against England, it will give us that extra confidence against India.

"The guys would be looking forward to score runs on these sort of surfaces where it's conducive for strokemaking. We are looking forward to it and the guys are quietly confident." Pollard had missed the last two ODIs with a troubled knee but the skipper said he's raring to go for the T20I series.

"Things have improved for me. It was one of the knees . and the rigours of the 50-over game was very very difficult. As we stand right now all of us are available for selection," he said.

Giving his take on the wicket, Pollard said: "It looks a very good cricketing wicket. Obviously, there's something in it for the bowlers. There's still some chill in the air and with dew around the ball it should be able to slide onto the bat." He, however, did not seem too concerned about the dew.

"The dew will be for both the teams so we will see what happens and who can tackle the dew well."

Also Read : Focus on Blue: Rohit says IPL batting slot will not be considered for Team India

News Source : PTI

2022-02-10 09:25

Excited for IPL auction, says Windies allrounder Smith

Ahmedabad, Feb 9 (Cricket News) With his tearaway pace bowling and batting exploits down the order, West Indies allrounder Odean Smith is hoping to land a handsome deal from one of the franchises during the upcoming IPL mega auction.

Priced in the highest bracket of Rs 2 crore for the IPL mega auction on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru, Smith is expected to spark a bidding war among the franchises.

"Quite excited going to the auction, I would say. If I get selected, that will be good. My hopes are high on getting selected," the 28-year-old said in a virtual media interaction after the second ODI here.

Smith said he looks up to fellow Jamaican allrounder Andre Russell who has been a big hit for the two-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders.

"I'm really influenced by Andre Russell I would say. He plays a similar kind of cricket, both with the batting style and bowling. Watching him over the years, I've picked up a few in terms of his batting." Smith showed sparks with his bowling when he removed Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli in one over as India set a modest target of 238. In reply, the visitors were bundled out for 193 in the 46th over with Smith chipping in with a 20-ball 24 batting at No 9.

Smith hoped to bring consistency to his ODI game.

"It's about consistency. Generally International cricket is not easy. In T20 you have just four overs (to bowl), here you have to bowl 10 overs so you have to fit and be consistent." Smith, who was a member of their Under-19 World Cup winning squad in 2016, impressed as an allrounder in a losing cause as India won the second ODI by 44 runs here to take an unassailable 2-0 lead with one match in hand.

At the midway stage, Windies had fancied their chances of chasing 238 only to be bowled out for 193 to concede the series.

It was India's 11th consecutive bilateral ODI series win against West Indies and Rohit Sharma's first as full-time ODI captain.

"The top order batters did not get enough runs, did not spend enough time at the wicket. It was a difficult wicket and as we saw with the Indian innings, two guys (Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul) stayed long. I think that made all the difference as we did not spend enough time in the middle," he said.

West Indies needed just 48 runs from the last six overs but Smith got out in the 45th over after his 20-ball 24 and it proved to be too much for the last pair in the end.

"I've a lot of work to do in both the departments going forward. I've to do a lot more work in my batting. The task was not that difficult, I should have finished the chase with two good overs, so I've a lot of work to do.

"This was my fifth ODI game, so I've a lot of time to continue learning," he concluded.

Also Read : India beat West Indies by 44 runs in 2nd ODI

News Source : PTI

2022-02-09 13:40

IPL: Here's what CSK, KKR and MI need to do in the auction

(Cricket news) With the IPL mega auction in two days we need to take a look at what these five teams need to do in the auction and how they can rectify their mistakes from last season and the previous auctions.

1) Chennai Super Kings

Retained: MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali

Chennai Super Kings have been the most consistent side over the past few years and many experts have often criticised their auction policy of selecting experience over youth but this strategy has paid off a lot as they were crowned champions last year. This year they have gone with the theme of continuity and will most likely go all out for their former players. One area the CSK management will look to invest heavily is finding a top order batsman to open with Ruturaj Gaikwad most preferably a left handed batter. Quinton de Kock, the South African wicket-keeper batter is a great asset at the top of the order and also very good behind the stumps and could be CSK’s ideal replacement for Dhoni in the long run.

The CSK management will try their level best to get the likes of Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar back into the team as these two will be the main bid attractions, they not only provide quality bowling but also are very handy with the bat. CSK might think about bringing back Ashwin in the colours of yellow and form a lethal spin duo with Jadeja as over the past year or so he has been in exceptional form.

2) Kolkata Knight Riders

Retained: Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Venkatesh Iyer

Last year’s runner up KKR have retained their two West Indies talismans as the management have shown faith in Andre Russell after he had a below average IPL season last year. They have gone in with two rising stars in Varun Chakravarthy and Venkatesh Iyer as they showed last year in the IPL why they are so highly rated by the selectors. The main concern going into the auction for KKR would be finding a suitable captain and most preferably an Indian player leading their side. Shreyas Iyer may well be the perfect candidate, Iyer guided Delhi Capitals to the final of IPL 2020. He is a marquee player, and the KKR might just go for him as a captain candidate. Iyer has scored 2375 IPL runs at 31.66, which includes 16 half-centuries.

Another area that they have to heavily invest in is a good solid opening batsman who can give their side a good start, something that KKR have relied heavily on in the past years. The release of Shubhman Gill was a surprise for the KKR fans, and they can’t have him now since the Ahmedabad franchise got him. Devdutt Padikkal is the perfect candidate to replace Gill as he has just played a couple of seasons and has scored more than 400 runs in both seasons. Padikkal has been in terrific form in the domestic circuit l. He has scored 884 IPL runs at 31.37, with six half-centuries and one century.

3) Mumbai Indians

Retained: Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard

The MI management had to select four players out of the plethora of talent they had in the squad but ultimately they stuck with the four most experienced players. They will try hard to get their players back but it will be a tough task since the other 9 franchises will have one eye on them. According to rumours, Ishan Kishan will be one of the few marquee players that MI will go for as he is not only an explosive batsman but also can keep wickets for his side if needed.

The MI franchise will need to target a spinner, especially if the IPL is hosted in India as they can go for Yuzvendra Chahal in the auction although a lot of teams will eye him but knowing he can be a game changer they might just go all in for him. Another area of concern heading into the auction would be to find an ideal pace partner for Jasprit Bumrah as they can go after either Lungi Ngidi or Kagiso Rabada to form a lethal pace duo which will not only instil havoc in the opponents eyes but also provide them with 8 overs of quality bowling.

Also read: Kohli says he was approached a few times by IPL franchises in past

2022-02-03 09:56

Need players who can adapt to all conditions: KKR bowling coach Arun

Kolkata, Feb 2 (Cricket News) Kolkata Knight Riders newly appointed bowling coach Bharat Arun said that the franchise would look to pick players who can adapt to all conditions during the upcoming IPL mega auction.

As things stand now, the venue of the tournament slated to be held in the last week of March is yet to be decided and with 10 days left for the auction the KKR think tank are busy preparing their strategy.

"You need to pick players who can adapt to different conditions. Even before the pandemic, when you picked bowlers for home conditions, you still needed them to play seven away games in the IPL," former India bowling coach Arun told kkr.in.

Arun said having seen most of the international players his experience would come in handy.

"Having watched most of the top players around the world up close, you have a fair idea as to what they can do. And it helps you to prepare and take your calls better, and also plan more effectively during the matches," he said.

The two-time former champions, who finished runners-up in the last edition, have retained the West Indies all-rounders Andre Russell (Rs 12 crore) and Sunil Narine (Rs 6 crore) along with Indian duo of Venkatesh Iyer (Rs 8 crore) and Varun Chakravarthy (Rs 8 crore).

KKR are now left with a purse of Rs 48 crores for the mega auction which will see 590 players go under hammer in the two-day auction in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.

He further said they may see a shift in the IPL auction with so many premium fast bowlers out there for grabs.

"I sincerely think so, because even though a lot of people think cricket is inclined towards the batsman, I would look at it differently.

"I would say that therein lies an opportunity for me as a bowler to excel. Yes, there are limitations for bowlers. But again, they know that if they execute and if they can build a little more guile around their bowling, they have a chance to be a hero," he added.

Arun, who was credited for transforming the Indian fast bowling unit that's feared all around the world, said they would need bowlers who can excel in all conditions.

"It has been a privilege to be a part of the Indian team before this. In a way, I was blessed to have had a group of bowlers who are so multi-talented.

"It was a conscious effort, I think, with Virat (Kohli) and Ravi (Shastri) to be the Number 1 team in the world. And to be so, it was important that we win under all conditions. Preparing this bunch of fast bowlers was our biggest challenge and the way they responded... The rest is history." "With the Indian side, our goal was always to be Number 1 in any conditions. To be able to achieve that objective, I think the biggest challenge was to have bowlers who could excel and who could get to 20 wickets in all conditions. We did exactly that, and that's why we were successful."

Also Read : Lanka pacer Lakmal to retire from international cricket after India tour

News Source : PTI

2021-12-23 18:58

If possible, I would play for KKR forever: Gill

Kolkata, Dec 23 (Cricket News) The talented Shubman Gill said that given a choice he would like to play for Kolkata Knight Riders forever.

Gill, who is currently nursing a shin injury which is keeping him out of South Africa tour, was released by the KKR management, who retained Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer and Varu Chakravarthy.

Once seen as KKR's future captain, the 22-year-old Indian opener was among the likes of Eoin Morgan, Dinesh Karthiik, Rahul Tripathi and Nitish Rana to be released.

"The kind of bond I have with the KKR franchise is something really special to me," Gill said in a short-film titled 'Love, Faith and Beyond'.

"Once you're associated with a franchise you would want to carry on and play with them forever... And if I would be able to play in purple and gold, I would play forever," he added.

Bought for Rs 1.8 crore ahead of IPL 2018, a 18-year-old Gill rose to prominence with KKR in the very first season where scored 203 runs in 13 matches at a strike-rate of 146.04.

But later on he drew flak for his poor conversion rate while his strike-rate too came down as overall he has so far played 58 matches for the franchise, scoring 1417 runs at a strike rate of 123.00.

"Not every year you can have all the best teammates or all the best players or all your best friends in one team. Instead of cribbing about the fact that we don't have them we should cherish the time that we had with them," Gill added.

The 11-minute short-film is a KKR's tribute to some of the best and the brightest players who were a part of the franchise.

"Ideally, there are so many players you want to retain but it just does not work that way," MD & CEO, KKR Venky Mysore said.

"They are a bunch of highly talented kids, very motivated, grounded and have a deep desire to succeed." Assistant coach of KKR Abhishek Nayar said: "A Shivam Mavi, Prasidh Krishna and Kamlesh Nagarkoti, will never forget this franchise, as it stood by them when no one else did.

"When KKR invested in the youngsters, their vision was purely for the guys to feel more connected to the franchise. KKR wanted the players to know that it was about the franchise caring for the players and helping them grow & become better cricketers."

Also Read : Bowling to Kohli will be tough but exciting too, says SA's comeback man Oliver

News Source : PTI

2021-12-01 14:00

IPL retention: Few surprises as big players will appear in the auction for the first time, big teams opt for some continuity

(Cricket news) With two new franchises coming to the IPL next year, there was bound to be some major changes as a total of 27 players were retained by the eight existing franchises. A total of 269 crores were spent to hold on to these 27 players, which included 19 Indians, four uncapped players and eight foreigners. Let us take a look at the players retained by each franchise:

1) Chennai Super Kings

Retained - Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Moeen Ali, Ruturaj Gaikwad

MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja were the first names for the defending champions as both have been a part of the franchise since 2011, the only point of discussion was which place would Dhoni take but eventually they selected him as the top pick because it would swell their purse ahead of the next auction, if he retires after the 2022 season. Jadeja was retained for 16cr and took the second spot with 12cr. The third slot was the most debated as the CSK management opted for Moeen Ali over Faf Du Plessis. In most likelihood, Moeen’s all round skills and his plethora of T20 experience swung the scale his way, he was retained for 8cr. The final spot went to the highest run getter from last year as Ruturaj Gaikwad as he was retained for 6cr. It has been learnt that the Super Kings have earmarked the Maharashtra and India batter as a future captain too.

Major players released: Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, Suresh Raina, Deepak Chahar

2) Kolkata Knight Riders

Retained - Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine

The runners up from last season opted for continuity and promoting promising talent like Venkatesh Iyer and Varun Chakravarthy who have subsequently become mainstays of the team. While Russell and Narine have been loyal players for Knight Riders for a while as they were relatively quick to sign fresh contracts, Chakravarthy and Iyer were keen to bargain for better financial packages. Ultimately Andre Russell was retained for 12 cr, followed by Venkatesh Iyer for 8cr, Varun Chakravarthy was allotted the spot for a price of 8cr and Sunil Narine occupied the last spot as he was retained for 6cr. KKR will enter the auction with a purse of 48cr in the mega auction next year.

Knight Riders' chief executive officer Venky Mysore said, “Leaving out Shubman Gill was a tough choice, but the franchise felt Iyer and Chakravarthy possessed skills that are not easily found in the auction”.

Major players released: Eoin Morgan, Shubman Gill, Dinesh Karthik, Lockie Ferguson

3) Delhi Capitals

Retained - Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Prithvi Shaw, Anrich Nortje

Delhi Capitals have been the most consistent side over the last three years as they have made the playoffs in every season under the guidance of Ricky Ponting. All four players retained by DC have been match winners over the last two or three years as the franchise saw the quartet as the core group around which the rest of the unit could be assembled during the auction. The only talking point for them is the absence of Shreyas Iyer as he will now look to captain one of the two new franchises that is going to enter next year. DC retained Pant for 16cr, followed by Axar Patel for 9cr, then Prithvi Shaw for 7.5cr and Anrich Nortje for 6.5cr.

Major players released: Shreyas Iyer, Avesh Khan, R Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada

4) Royal Challengers Bangalore

Retained - Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj

The Royal Challengers Bangalore retained only three players as they are heading into a new era with Virat Kohli not being the captain of the franchise. Glenn Maxwell, for the first time in his IPL career was retained, getting the second slot at Royal Challengers while Mohammed Siraj was the third. While it came as a surprise that RCB didn’t retain a fourth player especially when they had the trio of Chahal, Devdutt Padikkal and Harshal Patel to choose from. The only logical thinking could be that they wanted a larger purse to go after a high profile player who could come in and lead this franchise, RCB have a purse of 57cr after retaining Kohli for 15cr, Maxwell for 11cr and Siraj for 7cr.

Major players released: Devdutt Padikkal, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal

5) Mumbai Indians

Retained - Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard

Mumbai Indians always had two slots booked for Rohit and Jasprit but the dilemma for the MI management was the other two remaining retention spots. MI have been a champion side winning two titles in a row with a very talented group of players but when given a choice to retain only four players it becomes difficult. The MI management opted to go with Suryakumar Yadav as the third retained player because the team management felt Kishan had more impact mainly batting in the top order as opposed to Suryakumar who is not just a 360-degree batter but also can float around the batting order. With the fourth retention MI showed their loyalty to their most loyal foreigner Kieron Pollard as they retained him for 6 cr.

Major players released: Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Trent Boult, Rahul Chahar, Krunal Pandya

6) Punjab Kings

Retained - Mayank Agarwal, Arshdeep Singh

The Punjab Kings are again going through a rebuild next season as they will enter the 2022 auction with the strongest purse of INR 72 crore. The Punjab Kings management didn’t dwell too much after learning KL Rahul doesn’t want to be a part of this franchise, they moved in quickly to start negotiations with Mayank Agarwal, a potential captaincy candidate. While Arshdeep was logical second choice as he not only impressed everyone with his skill set but also showed that he can play under pressure.

Major players released: KL Rahul, Ravi Bishnoi, Nicholas Pooran

7) Rajasthan Royals

Retained - Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal

The major question was will the Rajasthan management retain the English trio, as they eventually decided to retain Jos Buttler and let go off Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer. The Royals have shown faith in Sanju Samson and made him their first retention for 14cr followed by Buttler for 10cr and Yashasvi Jaiswal for 4cr as they enter the auction with a healthy purse of 62cr.

Major players released: Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer

Also read: Kohli, Maxwell, Rohit, Dhoni retained ahead of IPL mega auction

8) Sunrisers Hyderabad

Retained - Kane Williamson, Abdul Samad, Umran Malik

The major question everyone had on their mind was how did they let Rashid go? It is understood that he was second on the list of retention, however he wanted a better deal and test the waters of the mega auction next year. One thing the SRH management stuck with was their captain Kane Williamson as they have identified him to lead the franchise through this mini rebuild. The Sunrisers have also held on to two uncapped Indian players, both from Jammu & Kashmir in aggressive batter Abdul Samad and fast bowler Umran Malik who made his IPL debut this season and showed extreme pace, touching 150kph. Despite Rashid's absence, one thing favouring the Sunrisers at the auction is a big purse of 68 crore

Major players released: David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar

2021-11-29 16:27

SKY or Kishan, Moeen or Faf, Siraj or Harshal: Teams face conundrum ahead of IPL retention deadline

New Delhi, Nov 29 (Cricket News) Some will unveil their core, while others might just go with a clean slate when the deadline to retain players ends on Tuesday for the eight existing IPL franchises.

Most of the teams have been making last ditch efforts to keep players of their choice in the lead up to the mega auction next year.

After the eight teams finalise their retention plans, new franchises -- Lucknow and Ahmedabad -- will pick a maximum of three players between December 1 and 25 before the mega auction in January.

The existing teams can retain a maximum of four players, not more than three Indians and not more than two overseas recruits.

PTI explores likely retentions ahead of the deadline.

Delhi Capitals: ========= The franchise is all set to retain skipper Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Axar Patel and South African pacer Anrich Nortje. They had to make the tough call of releasing other consistent performers like R Ashwin and Kagiso Rabada, who they might look to buy back in the auction.

Another star player, Shreyas Iyer, is leaving Delhi after he didn't get his captaincy back following his return from a shoulder injury.

Mumbai Indians: ========== The five-time champions will build the side around their two pillars -- skipper Rohit Sharma and lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

Suryakumar Yadav and veteran Kieron Pollard are next in their pecking order. It might well be a toss up between Suryakumar and Ishan Kishan, both of whom went on to play for India after their exploits for Mumbai Indians.

Hardik Pandya is not the all-rounder he used to be due to his inability to bowl regularly and he might be one of the players the franchise tries to buy back on the auction table.

Chennai Super Kings: ============= The four-time champions have more or less figured out their four players. Leader M S Dhoni picks himself and so does Ravindra Jadeja and the prolific Ruturaj Gaekwad, who was instrumental in the team's triumph this season following an early exit in 2020.

The tough call they need to make is in the overseas retention with the battle between the all-round Moeen Ali and team's longtime recruit Faf du Plessis.

Punjab Kings: ======== With skipper K L Rahul set to go back into the auction, the franchise may look for another fresh start. Over the past two seasons, they lost crucial games they should have won and it cost them a play-off spot.

The team is keen on retaining its uncapped players Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi, whom the side has groomed from their younger days.

Among the capped players, the team needs to decide its retentions among Mayank Agarwal, Mohammad Shami and Nicholas Pooran.

Kolkata Knight Riders: ============= They are likely to retain Varun Chakaravarthy, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer and Sunil Narine. But that would mean letting go of World Cup winning skipper Eoin Morgan and Shubman Gill, who too can be their leader going forward.

Under Morgan, KKR made a remarkable comeback in the UAE leg of the 2021 edition by working their way into the final. Considering his proven leadership skills, it will be hard for the team to release him.

Rajasthan Royals: =========== Making Sanju Samson the captain did not change their fortunes but Royals are likely to retain him alongside star England wicketkeeper batter Jos Buttler.

The team is in two minds about retaining Ben Stokes, who missed a majority of the 2021 season due to injury and mental health concerns, and Jofra Archer, who has had fitness issues in the past.

Uncapped opener Yashasvi Jaiswal is also in the fray.

"I am very tempted for Yashasvi Jaiswal because he's a young guy, who’s shown a lot of potential, and he could be the guy you could invest in," former cricketer Irfan Pathan told Star Sports about his take on the likely retentions.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: ================== Virat Kohli, who has stepped down from captaincy, will be retained alongside Yuzvendra Chahal. Glenn Maxwell too did enough this season to win the team's trust.

Harshal Patel, who made a successful India debut following a memorable IPL, and Mohammad Siraj are fighting for one retention spot. Opener Devdutt Padikal too would be hard to let go of for the perennial underachievers.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: ============= For a team that remained in the news for the wrong reason this year after a fallout with former captain David Warner, only two players -- Kane Williamson and Rashid Khan -- look set to be retained.

They also need to decided if they want to build the pace bowling line up around Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan or start afresh.

Also Read : Ashwin goes past Harbhajan as Williamson keeps New Zealand in fight

News Source : PTI

2021-11-26 11:27

Zazai’s unbeaten 59 helps Bangla Tigers beat Deccan Gladiators

Abu Dhabi, Nov 26 (Cricket News) Hazratullah Zazai struck an unbeaten 59 off just 26 balls to help Bangla Tigers register a comprehensive nine-wicket win over Deccan Gladiators in an Abu Dhabi T10 match here.

The Tigers took 8.1 overs to overhaul the target of 112.

Will Jacks and Zazai made good of a strong foundation provided by Johnson Charles' big hitting at the top of the order.

Their third win took Bangla Tigers to the third spot on the points table, where they find themselves sandwiched between Deccan Gladiators and Delhi Bulls, both teams with three wins in their bag.

Following their 19-ball 67-run partnership in the previous match, Charles and Zazai gave another blistering start to Bangla Tigers' innings.

By the time Charles fell to Odean Smith in the second over, the team had put on 34 runs on the board. His dismissal didn't do much to stem the flow of runs as his replacement, Jacks displayed the full repertoire of his shots to ensure required run rate never became threatening.

Deccan Gladiators captain Wahab Riaz threw the ball to Wanindu Hasaranga for his second over when the Tigers decided to go for their batting powerplay.

However, Zazai nullified Hasaranga's threat by hitting the leg-spinner for three big hits on the leg side, taking his team closer to the target. His second six of the over brought the 50-run partnership between him and Jacks.

The left-hander reached his own half-century in style in the next over when he slogged Sultan Ahmed for another six in the eighth over. Fittingly, the winning runs also came off his bat when he deposited a Tom Banton full toss for four over long-on.

Earlier, Gladiators openers started with a flurry of boundaries but Mohammed Aamir, playing his first match of the tournament, pegged the innings back by dismissing Tom-Kohler Cadmore.

James Faulkner and Karim Jamat also picked up a wicket each on either side of a hat-trick of sixes. With Andre Russell and Tom Banton at the crease, the Gladiators opted for the powerplay at the end of the fourth over.

However, they could only go one over without losing a wicket as Benny Howell sent back danger man Russell with a slower ball.

David Wiese started dealing in sixes right from his arrival at the crease and remained unfazed by Banton's dismissal in the seventh over. He found the perfect ally in Odean Smith whose eight-ball 26 took Deccan Gladiators past the 100-run mark.

The last two overs of the Gladiators innings yielded 33 runs and helped them post a challenging 112 on the board.

Also Read : Shreyas Iyer becomes 16th Indian to slam hundred on Test debut

News Source : PTI

2021-11-06 19:33

Vintage Warner seals eight-wicket thrashing of Windies

Abu Dhabi, Nov 6 (Cricket news) Veteran opener David Warner produced a feisty unbeaten 89 as Australia recorded a facile eight-wicket win over the West Indies to stay alive in the semifinal race at the T20 World Cup, here on Saturday.

The left-hander was at his vintage best as he smashed four sixes and nine fours to anchor the 158-run chase in a match that was a swansong game for Dwyane Bravo and probably also for Chris Gayle.

Warner got good support from Mitchell Marsh who slammed a 32-ball 53 (5x4, 2x6) before getting out while trying to score the winning run.

The duo stitched a match-winning 124-run partnership in 75 balls to seal the chase with 23 balls to spare.

Australia would now have to wait for the result of South Africa and England match.

The Proteas need to beat England by a big margin to crush the hopes of Aaron Finch's men who have a net run rate of 1.216 with four wins from five matches.

The Aussie lefthander, who struggled to get going in the recently-concluded IPL here and lost his place at the Sunrisers Hyderabad, upped the ante in the third over, smashing Jason Holder two consecutive boundaries before finishing the over with a six.

Skipper Finch (9) got out in the next over after being cleaned up by Akeal Hosein but Warner maintained the run rate.

Warner raced to his 20th T20 International half-century in 29 balls, as Australia were never in a spot of bother and made it a run-a-ball equation at the halfway mark -- 98 for /1 -- needing 60 off 60 balls.

There was his trademark pull, sweep and switch hits as he toyed with the Windies attack.

Marsh also followed suit with an equally aggressive halfcentury -- his fifth in T20Is as Australia made it a walk in the park.

Earlier, skipper Kieron Pollard struck a combative 31-ball 44 to lead West Indies to a fighting 157 for seven.

Opting to field in a must-win match, Australia were taken to the cleaners by Windies opener Evin Lewis, who smashed Josh Hazlewood for a hattrick of fours en route to his 26-ball 29.

'Universe Boss' Gayle made a nine-ball 15 in what seemed his last International appearance as he enjoyed every bit of the moment and also signed off with a wicket of Marsh.

He also celebrated jumping on to Marsh while the Aussie was on his way back.

On a batting-friendly wicket that aided true pace and bounce, the struggling defending champions finally got their rhythm back.

Australia got three wickets for five runs but the Windies kept firing with Pollard holding the innings together.

Pollard slammed one six an four fours while Shimron Hetmyer (27) and Dwyane Bravo, who made a 12-ball 10 in his final International outing, also made useful contributions.

Finally it was Andre Russell who finished it off with two sixes (18 not out from seven balls) to prop the total as the Windies put on 58 runs in the final five overs.

For the Aussies, Hazlewood was brilliant, returning with 4/39 as he bounced back brilliantly after being hit for 20 in his first over.

The loss also meant that the two-time world champions West Indies have missed out on a direct qualification to 'Super 12' for the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.

According to the ICC T20 rankings predictor, if the Windies lose they would drop to number nine and hence would not get a direct qualification.

It was an emotional match for Bravo whose final innings in International cricket was over when he departed after getting caught at long-on.

Bravo was hugged by Pollard on his way out as Russell and others too gave him a standing ovation, while Gayle also gave him an emotional hug in the dugout.

It also seemed a final match for Gayle.

It's not official yet, but the Windies great was seen waving at the camera and raised his bat after crossing the rope as he was also seen distributing his cricketing gears to the fans in the stands.

Fresh from his career-best performance of 5/19, leg-spinner Adam Zampa dismissed the well-set Lewis in the 10th over with a googly when the left-hander hit a skier only to be taken by Steve Smith at long-with a superb catch.

Also Read : Galye appears to have played his last T20I for West Indies, fraternity hails format's Bradman

News Source : PTI

2021-11-06 12:15

Australia looking to jump across the Caribbean hurdle for semi final berth at ICC T20 World Cup

(Cricket news) The Australian team are currently placed second in Group 1 of the super twelve at the ICC T20 World Cup. They have played four matches and have got 6 points as they lost their third match to table toppers England. The Aussies already have a better net run rate than third placed South Africa and a win will put more pressure on the proteas who also play their final group match today.

Australia is riding on a huge victory over Bangladesh in their previous match as their bowling performance in the tournament has been top notch. Adam Zampa picked up a five wicket haul in the last match and is the team’s leading wicket taker with 10 scalps. Mitchell Starc has picked up six along with Josh Hazlewood who has four from four. The pace attack once again will be in full force as Pat Cummins has also been economical in all the matches, Zampa has struck in every match and once again will be the player to watch out for in the bowling attack.

The batting side has not been striking well as openers Aaron Finch and David Warner have been the leading run scorers but there has been only one half century from the team in four matches. Glen Maxwell has to come in form as his team needs some huge hitting and Steven Smith too needs to bring his stable batting into the side. They are the favourites in the clash although the West Indies have had more success in the shortest format.

Defending champion West Indies have had a rough run at the tournament so far and have already lost the semifinal spot which means they have nothing to lose. T20 star Dwayne Bravo will be playing his last international match for the team and would want to end his career on a winning note. They have won one match out of four and are currently placed fifth as a victory will push them to fourth place.

Shimron Hetmyer was on fire in the last match when he scored 81* against Sri Lanka in a losing cause and has been the highest scorer for the team with 100 runs in 4 matches. The likes of Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard haven’t performed well this time and will look to hit huge ones in the final match.

Among the bowlers, Akeal Hosein has been the leading wicket taker with 4 wickets in as many matches. Ravi Rampaul, Bravo and Jason Holder have not struck so far and would want to go out in style. The two time champions have the knack to stage upsets and have enough arsenal to do it.

Also read: T20 World Cup: India keep semi-finals hope alive with a dominant victory over Scotland

2021-11-05 16:00

Two time champion West Indies fail to relive their glorious run in ICC T20 World Cup

(Cricket news) T20 Champions West Indies put up a disappointing show at this year’s ICC T20 World Cup as they suffered their third loss of the tournament to exit from the semifinal race. They still have one more match to go but irrespective of the result they will finish above Bangladesh in Group 1. They have so far played four matches and have got 2 points with their only victory coming against Bangladesh.

West Indies started their World Cup defense in the worst possible way as they got out for 55 against England. It was their second lowest T20 score after the 45 all out against England in 2019, Chris Gayle was the only batter to reach double digits as he top scored with 13 runs. The England side reached the target in 9 overs as Akeal Hosein took two wickets while giving away 24 runs in his spell.

In the second match West Indies faced South Africa as the defending champions batted first with opener Evin Lewis scoring a well built half century while Lendl Simmons scored 16 from 35 balls without a single boundary. Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell failed to pick up where Lewis left off as the runs came in slow and the target was set to 144 in twenty overs for the proteas. The South African batters did the job in 19 overs as Akeal Hosein once again was the pick up of the bowlers as he picked up a wicket for 27 runs in his spell.

Riding on a two match losing streak, West Indies faced Bangladesh who were in the same situation as they too were looking for a desperate win. Lendl Simmons was not included in the team as Gayle opened with Lewis. The top order could not bring in runs as Roston Chase stayed on the crease for a bit as Nicholas Pooran scored a match winning 40 off 22 balls as the team ended up scoring up 142 in twenty overs. Bangladesh batters surprisingly fell short by just three runs as the defending champions got their first victory of the tournament.

In their fourth match, West Indies faced a young Sri Lankan side which thrashed the experienced bowlers as they batted first. Dwayne Bravo gave away 42 runs while taking a wicket, Jason Holder and Ravi Rampaul gave away 37 runs without taking a wicket. The Lankans set up a high score of 189 in 20 overs. The openers departed in the opening two overs as Pooran once again brought some hope as she scored 46 runs while his exit again put the team in trouble as Shimron Hetmyer blasted 81 runs in 54 balls and stayed till the end. The Caribbean side could not finish on a positive note as they fell short of 20 runs to confirm their exit from the semifinal race.

Shimron Hetmyer is currently the leading run getter for the team with 100 runs in 4 matches as Akeal Hosein leads the bowling charts with 4 wickets in as many matches. Chris Gayle failed to live up to the expectations as he has scored 30 runs in 4 matches, Ravi Rampaul has taken two wickets so far as the experienced players could not produce the magic in the shortest format. The West Indies will next play Australia in their fifth and final match of the tournament on 6th November.

Also read: Reigning T20 champions West Indies fail to qualify for the World Cup semifinals after 20 run loss to Sri Lanka

2021-11-05 13:55

Holders West Indies out of T20 World Cup semifinals race after loss to Sri Lanka

Abu Dhabi, Nov 4 Cricket news) Defending champions West Indies were eliminated from the semi-final race in the T20 World Cup after a 20-run loss to Sri Lanka here on Thursday as their ageing stars failed to recreate the magic of the past. Going into the game with two losses in three games, the West Indies were always up against it and Sri Lanka out-batted them by amassing 189 for three on a good batting surface.

Pathum Nissanka (51 off 41) and Charith Asalanka (68 off 41) struck sublime half-centuries to give Sri Lanka the upper-hand. The West Indies could only reach 169 for eight despite Shimron Hetmyer's unbeaten 81 off 54 balls.

Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga once again starred with with the ball taking two wickets for 19 runs in four overs.

The West Indies, who have won two of the last three world titles, are now mathematically out of the competition with two points from four games. Their last game is against Australia on Saturday.

Sri Lanka batters played with freedom and flair to set up a daunting target which prove to be too steep for West Indies, who could never recover from a poor start to the run chase.

For Sri Lanka, it was their first win of the Super 12 stage and they go home offering hopes for a bright future.

The West Indies' forgettable campaign showed the need to look beyond greats like Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo while rebuilding ahead of the 2022 edition.

Gayle' struggles in the continued and he was the first to depart for West Indies. Pacer Binura Fernando removed Gayle and Evin Lewis in the second over to put extreme pressure on the opposition.

Nicholas Pooran (46) and Hetmyer batted well but wickets at regular intervals kept the West Indies always behind in the chase. Earlier, the in-form Nissanka and Asalanka enjoyed batting on the surface.

Nissanka played some outrageous strokes en route his third half-century of the tournament. If the switch hit was not bold enough, the opener walked way across the off stump to whip Ravi Rampaul towards backward square leg for a boundary.

Asalanka too struck a sublime half-century and one of the highlights of his innings was a straight slog sweep off Dwayne Bravo for a six.

With nothing to lose, Sri Lankan batters played to their promising potential and made the West Indies attack look pedestrian.

They also displayed that the future of Sri Lankan batting is in capable hands and with more experience at the highest level, they will only get better. Sri Lanka made 48 for one in the Powerplay with the loss of Kusal Perera, who played well for his 29 off 21 balls. Andre Russell took a brilliant catch to dismiss him.

Nissanka and Asalanka then got together and with their free flowing strokeplay, put the West Indies attack under tremendous pressure.

After Nissanka's dismissal, Asalanka went ballistic. In the 18th over, he slog swept Bravo for a straight six before smoking one over the bowler's head for a boundary.

Skipper Dasun Shanka also chipped in with an unbeaten 25 off 14 balls in the death overs.

Also Read : Experienced guys like myself have not done well: Pollard

News Source : PTI

2021-11-05 12:52

Australia cannot afford slip-up against Windies in their bid for T20 WC semis

Abu Dhabi, Nov 5 (Cricket news) Their campaign back on track after drubbing Bangladesh in their previous game, Australia cannot afford slip-up against an unpredictable West Indies in their final Super 12 match as they look to seal a semifinal spot in the T20 World Cup here on Saturday.

After losing to arch-rivals England last Saturday, Australia bounced back with a record eight-wicket win over Bangladesh on Thursday which boosted their net run rate from -0.627 to +1.031.

Still, a win may not be enough for the Aaron Finch-led side to book a last-four berth if the Proteas manage to beat the Englishmen by a margin that would better their NRR than Australia's in Saturday's another Group 1 match in Sharjah.

If lucky, a loss against West Indies still could hand Australia a semi-final spot as Group 1 runners-up if England make it five out of five, beating South Africa.

So, there's a lot at stake for both Australia and South Africa. Australia are currently occupying the second spot ahead of the Proteas by virtue of better NRR in the Group 1 table.

Facing such an uncertain scenario, the Australians cannot afford to be complacent. Moreover, a bruised and battered Caribbeans, who are the defending champions, would look to salvage some pride and bow out of the showpiece with a win.

Australia, the 2010 runners-up, had made their last semi-final appearance in 2012 when they were eliminated by the eventual champions West Indies.

The two-time defending champions West Indies side failed to live up to their reputation as they relied heavily on their ageing stars like Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard.

From crashing to 55 all out in their group opener against England to faltering against Sri Lanka on Thursday that sent them out of reckoning for a semifinal spot, it just did not work out for West Indies.

Australia, on the other hand, are beginning to peak at the right time in their bid to win their only missing title.

Their bowling attack came to the fore in their eight-wicket win over Bangladesh that came with 82 balls to spare -- the highest T20I win between two Full Member teams.

While the pace duo of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc gave the opening blows, leg spinner Adam Zampa polished off the tail en route to a career-best 5/19.

Even Glenn Maxwell (2-0-6-1) was tidy with his part-time off-spin and the team would only hope that he starts firing with his bat also.

Their inconsistent top-order also got some boost with the return of Mitchell Marsh at No 3. Marsh blasted 16 not out off five balls, including a six against Taskin Ahmed, to seal the issue after skipper Finch laid the foundation with a 40.

They would hope that the likes of David Warner and Maxwell get into the groove against the misfiring Windies as they may stick to an unchanged XI.

The Teams (from) Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Pat Cummins, Ashton Agar, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Swepson.

West Indies: Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Roston Chase, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Jason Holder, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Match starts at 3.30pm IST.

Also Read : West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo to retire from international cricket after T20 WC

News Source : PTI

2021-11-05 11:30

Reigning T20 champions West Indies fail to qualify for the World Cup semifinals after 20 run loss to Sri Lanka

(Cricket news) West Indies will no longer be able to defend their T20 title after failing to qualify for the World Cup semifinals with a 20 run defeat against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi. They will play for pride against Australia on Sunday but will take little pleasure in a positive result in that fixture, having endured a disappointing campaign in the T20 World Cup.

Half centuries by Charith Asalanka and Pathum Nissanka gave Sri Lanka a 91 run stand with the second wicket partnership as they went on to post a mammoth 189-3. Kusal Perera (29 runs from 21) helped his side get off to a decent start with his partnership with Nissanka resulting in 42 runs from the first five overs. Perera was dismissed by Andre Russell (2-33) but Nissanka (51 runs from 41) and Asalanka (68 runs from 41) ensured the runs kept flowing.

Despite Nissanka achieving his half century, the 23 year old was dismissed two balls later after being caught by Shimron Hetmyer at deep midwicket from a Dwayne Bravo delivery. However, Asalanka continued to punish the West Indies, helped by Dasun Shanaka who scored 25 runs from 14. Asalanka was eventually dismissed for 68 runs off 41 balls after being caught by Shimron Hetmyer from Andre Russell’s delivery. Despite the crucial victory, West Indies had the difficult task of scoring 190 runs in 20 overs to keep their hopes alive of progressing into the semifinals.

However, they could not have got off to a worse start with Chris Gayle (1) being dismissed in the second over after being caught by Hasaranga from Binura Fernando’s delivery. His fellow opener Evin Lewis (8) was then bowled by Fernando as West Indies were at 10 - 2. Nicholas Pooran (46 runs off 34) got a reprieve when Maheesh Theekshana squandered two opportunities to dismiss the batter. Roston Chase (9 runs off 8) was dismissed at the other end, being caught by Bhanuka Rajapaksa at midwicket off Chamika Karunaratne’s delivery to make West Indies’ tough task even more difficult.

Some economical bowling by Sri Lanka ensured that West Indies continued to lose wickets in the middle overs while ensuring the run rate kept increasing. After Pooran’s dismissal, Sri Lanka endured a late surge by Shimron Hetmyer (81* runs from 54) who recorded his highest T20 score but as wickets kept tumbling down at the other end, West Indies fell 20 runs short of their target to end a disappointing campaign for the reigning champions.

Also read: CA formally postpones lone Test against Afghanistan

2021-11-03 13:32

West Indies aim for survival as Sri Lanka look to sign off on a high

Abu Dhabi, Nov 3 (Cricket news) Defending champions West Indies will be desperate to address their batting woes and keep their slim semi-final hopes alive when they take on an inexperienced Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup here on Thursday.

After two back-to-back defeats, West Indies managed to revive their campaign with a scrappy three-run win over Bangladesh. The two-time champions’ chances of reaching the semi-finals look very slim but they aren’t out of the race just yet.

They not only need to win their last two fixtures to stay in the mix for the semis but also require dominant victories to improve their net run rate, which is the worst in the group.

The wins will not only improve West indies chances but will also hurt fellow contenders Australia’s chances of progressing and if South Africa lose against England, who are already through, then all three sides could finish on six points which will bring the net run rate into the equation.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka, who had won the title in 2014, slumped to their third consecutive defeat after a dominant victory in their campaign opener.

With just one match to go in their Super 12 campaign, Sri Lanka can finish on a maximum of four points which will not be enough to help them progress.

The West Indies bowlers sealed the win against Bangladesh with all-rounders Dwayne Bravo, Jason Holder and Andre Russell bowling brilliantly at the death. The bowling unit has shown they are capable of defending decent totals.

Holder, who was added into the squad as a replacement for Obed McCoy, and debutant Roston Chase turned out to be valuable additions.

While Holder had an immediate impact with the ball (1/22) and the bat (15 off 5), Chase (39) anchored the innings as wickets tumbled at the other end.

The West Indies were also guilty of being sloppy in the field against Bangladesh, missing several run-out opportunities and dropping catches and need to improve on that front.

But most importantly, they urgently need to address their batting frailties.

The side, known for its flamboyant style of play, has failed miserably with the bat. Had it not been wicketkeeper batter Nicholas Pooran’s quickfire 22 ball 40 they would have lost to Bangladesh as well.

They will need to be better prepared to counter the wily Sri Lankan spin duo of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, who have bamboozled the opposition batters.

For Sri Lanka, the pace trio of Chamika Karunaratne, Dushyant Chameera and Lahiru Kumara looked off-coloured against England. They will look to bowl in the right areas against a wobbly West Indies.

As many as six Sri Lankan batters got good starts against England but failed to capitalise. But opener Kusal Perera can be dangerous while Pathum Nissanka showed he can tonk the ball over the park.

The role of Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who has shown glimpses of his talent, will also be crucial.

Skipper Dasun Shanaka would be expecting rookie Charith Asalanka, who shone in the team's win in the opener, and Avishka Fernando to make key contributions. Playing their last game of the tournament, Sri Lanka will hope to conclude the campaign with a win.

Teams (From) Sri Lanka Squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Kusal Janith Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya De Silva, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Chamika Karunaratne, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Maheesh Theekshana, Akila Dananjaya, Binura Fernando.

West Indies: Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Roston Chase, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Jason Holder, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Match starts at 7.30 PM IST.

Also Read : It's not all doom and gloom for Australia but top order needs to fire: Lee

News Source : PTI

2021-10-30 11:45

West Indies defeat Bangladesh by three runs to keep T20 World Cup title defense alive

(Cricket news) Having already lost two out of two Super 12 games against South Africa and England, the Windies knew that they could not have another slip-up if they are to keep their dream of retaining the title alive. The defending champions scored 142/7 in 20 overs and managed to defend the lead as Bangladesh could only muster 139/5, despite Liton Das scoring 44 runs off 43 balls.

The win can be particularly attributed to two West Indies players, Andre Russell bowled magnificently in the final over, denying Bangladesh the 13 runs they needed to win the match as well as Nicholas Pooran, who scored 40 runs off 22 balls to ensure his side reached a score of 142 runs. Another honourable mention is T20 debutant Roston Chase, whose dependable performance of 39 runs off 46 balls showed great maturity.

For the West Indies, Evin Lewis was the first to be dismissed for just 6 runs off 9 balls from a Mustafizur Rahman delivery that was caught by Mushfiqur Rahim. To make matters worse, Chris Gayle was bowled by Mahedi Hasan, scoring just 4 runs in 10 balls as the score read 28-2 at the end of the powerplay. The spinner also took the wicket of Shimron Hetmyer (9 runs off 7) as things quickly went from bad to worse for the reigning champions.

Having already received one lifeline from Mahedi Hasan, Roston Chase was spared again at the score of 27 runs when Mahedi fumbled a simple catch off the ball from Shakib, resulting in a crucial partnership between Chase and Nicholas Pooran. With the runs flowing slowly for Windies throughout their innings, the left-hander hit successive sixes in Shakib’s over and did the same to Mahedi in the 18th over to bring up a 50 run partnership in 33 deliveries.

However, Shoriful Islam dismissed both the batters in successive deliveries as Pooran was caught at deep cover by Mohammad Naim and Chase was cleanly bowled. Pollard, who had retired for just 8 runs because of illness returned after the dismissal of Dwayne Bravo and watched Jason Holder (15* runs off 5) hit consecutive sixes before scoring one of his own in the last ball of the innings. West Indies scored 58 runs in the last five overs which included seven sixes compared to a meagre 84 runs in the first 15 overs with no sixes.

For Bangladesh, Shakib Al Hasan was dismissed for just nine runs after being caught by Jason Holder from an Andre Russell delivery while Mohammad Naim was bowled for 17 runs off 19 balls. Soumya Sarkar’s (17 runs off 13) partnership with Liton Das ensured Bangladesh kept up with the required run rate but was eventually dismissed by a diving catch from Chris Gayle off an Akeal Hosein delivery. Mushfiqur Rahim also went cheaply for just 8 runs off 7 balls as the chase became increasingly difficult for Bangladesh.

The partnership of Liton Das (44 runs off 43) and Mahmudullah (31* runs off 24 balls) gave some hope to The Tigers with some timely boundaries and a six off Bravo. With just 13 runs needed from seven balls, Liton Das was caught by Jason Holder off Andre Russell’s delivery, playing a crucial factor in Bangladesh failing to get over the finishing line.

Also read: David Warner heroics guide Australia to a 7 wicket victory over Sri Lanka at the T20 World Cup

2021-10-29 21:54

Pollard is fine, his last ball six made the difference: Pooran

Sharjah, Oct 29 (Cricket news) West Indies stand-in skipper Nicholas Pooran said regular captain Kieron Pollard's last-ball six after returning to bat following a break eventually made all the difference in their three-run win over Bangladesh in a Super 12 match of the T20 World Cup here on Friday.

Kieron Pollard (14 not out) retired ill in the 13th over but the reasons for his walking out at that stage were not clear. He, however, came back in the final over to hit a last ball six after seven batter of his side were packed off.

Pooran, who managed the entire second innings, refused to divulge much on Pollard's health.

"(On Pollard's health) He looks fine, the medical team is still working with him but he should be okay. You can see why he's a wonderful leader, walking back in to hit that last-ball six. We try to be someone like that in the future," Pooran said in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Pooran rued the missed catches but said they always had the belief.

"It's tough managing all the players, but everyone gives me full support. All hands on the deck on field. Unfortunately we didn't really take all our catches, but the belief was there. We backed our experience to close out the game." Asked about the decision to give Andre Russell the last over, he said: "On that wicket back of a length was tough. He's a big player and executed for us." For his 22-ball 40, Pooran was also adjudged the player of the match.

"Tactical move (to go lower down the order). We talk about batsmen taking responsibility and doing what's needed for the team. The batting hasn't clicked yet and we needed to put our hands up.

"I felt as a cricketer and a batsman I needed to put my hand up. I have been working very very hard for the last couple of months, things just hadn't gone my way. I hadn't been doing myself justice, giving away my wicket. I'm always confident and positive about my attitude and skills," Pooran said.

Losing captain Mahmudullah said Liton Das' (44 off 43) wicket in the 19th over put paid to their hopes.

"I think Liton's wicket was very crucial because we were both set. If that would have been six… that's probably one advantage when you have tall fielders," he said.

Liton timely connected a Bravo delivery, which definitely would have gone for a six had it not been for a lanky Holder, who held on to the catch comfortably at the long-on boundary.

"Having said that, bowlers did quite a good job but we missed a few chances that cost 10-15 runs. We tried (to go harder at the top) but the wicket wasn't one where you could hit. When you bowled back of length it was hard to score," Mahmudullah said.

"The bowlers did a good job, but it's the batting… but it was a close game, we can't blame batters or bowlers, in T20 cricket some games you win, some you lose. (Dropping catches) that is an issue, we need to do better."

Also Read : West Indies virtually knock out Bangladesh with 3-run win, stay alive in T20 World Cup

News Source : PTI

2021-10-29 21:10

West Indies virtually knock out Bangladesh with 3-run win, stay alive in T20 World Cup

Sharjah, Oct 29 (Cricket news) Defending champions West Indies kept alive their slender hopes of making the semifinals while virtually knocking Bangladesh out of the T20 World Cup with a narrow three-run win here on Friday.

Asked to set a target for the third consecutive time in the tournament, West Indies posted 142 for seven with Nicholas Pooran's 40 off 22 balls being the highlight of their innings.

The wicketkeeper batter hit four sixes and one four.

Roston Chase (39), making his T20 international debut, was the other chief contributor with the bat.

In reply, Bangladesh could manage 139 for five in 20 overs as all West indies bowlers picked one wicket each.

With no points from three matches, Bangladesh are out of the tournament, while West Indies can still sneak into the semifinals, provided they win their remaining matches and other results go in their favour.

Bangladesh began the chase on a poor note, losing openers Mohammad Naim (17) and Shakib Al Hasan (9), who was limping, in the first six overs. But gradually picked up the momentum with wicketkeeper batter Liton Das (44 off 43) taking the initiative.

West Indies, like Bangladesh, were sloppy in the field and the two-time champions were also guilty of missing as many as three run out opportunities.

With 50 need off the last six overs with six wickets in hand, skipper Mahmudullah (31 not out) and Das looked to be in control, converting ones into twos while also hitting boundaries regularly.

Dwayne Bravo (1/36) produced a conducive 17th over, giving away just three runs. In the first ball of the penultimate over, he was hit for a six by Mahmudullah but the veteran all-rounder proved his mettle by getting rid of danger-man Das in his final ball.

Needing 13 of the last over, Mahmudullah failed to clear the boundary even once despite being dropped by substitute Andre Fletcher in the fourth ball to bring down the equation to four off the last ball.

But Andre Russell (1/29) bowled a gem of a final delivery full outside the off stump, denying Mahmudullah any chance to free his arms to seal a close win for West Indies.

Earlier, Pooran hit four sixes and one four while Chase (39) was the other chief contributor with the bat.

Aware of West Indies struggle against spin, Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah handed the ball to off-spinner Mahedi Hasan (2/27) to open the innings, putting pressure on the Caribbean team.

After a few overs of pace, bringing back spin in the fifth over paid immediate dividends with Hasan getting the big wicket of Chris Gayle (4) as Bangladesh gave away just 29 runs while picking two wickets in the Powerplay.

In his next over, right after he put down Chase of his bowling, Hasan snared Shimron Hetmyer's (9) wicket.

Kieron Pollard (14 not out) and Chase tried to repair the innings before the skipper retired ill in the 13th over.

The reasons for his walking out at that stage were not clear but he came back in the final over to hit a last ball six after seven batter of his side were packed off.

In the very next ball, Andre Russell (0) was run out without facing a ball as things went from bad to worse for the West Indies.

Then on West Indies got some rub of the green when Chase was dropped once again by Hasan at deep mid-wicket before Bangladesh missed a stumping opportunity against Pooran.

The momentum slightly changed in the West Indies favour as Chase and Pooran plundered 14 runs off the 15th over.

Pooran continued the assault as he hammered Shakib Al Hasan for back-to-back sixes.

Jason Holder too pitched in with an unbeaten five-ball 15.

Also Read : Worked on T20 bowling, WC kind of my main goal for past few months: Pat Cummins

News Source : PTI

2021-10-28 18:48

De Kock has put to bed controversy surrounding taking knee: Wiese

Abu Dhabi, Oct 28 (Cricket news) Namibia all-rounder David Wiese says Quinton de Kock has put an end to the controversy around his refusal to take a knee by listing out his reasons for the decision but the teams must stay united while deciding on such issues.

De Kock came out with a statement on Thursday saying he is fine taking a knee if it "educates others" and that he was deeply hurt at being called a racist for refusing to make the gesture earlier.

"He has put it (the controversy) to bed and everyone now knows the reasons behind what he did. He has come out and said his reasons and every single person out there has got own belief and own stand," Wiese said in an interaction with media.

"For me the most important thing is that with whatever you decide to do, you decide to do as a team.

"The team has got to stand in unity whether it is feeling strongly about taking a knee or just like the Pakistan team stood and held hands on their hearts. Whatever you are doing to show your support, you just have to do as as a team," said Wiese, who was De Kock's teammate before joining Namibia.

The wicketkeeper-batter had pulled out of South Africa's Group 1 Super 12 stage match against the West Indies in Dubai on Tuesday after the Cricket South Africa ordered players to take the knee before every game.

De Kock explained that he did not take a knee before the match because of the manner in which the diktat was issued to the players, hours before the contest.

For Wiese, who is a former South African player but now an important cog in the wheel for Namibia, Caribbean Andre Russell and Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan are top all-rounders in the current era.

"In terms of T20 cricket, Andre Russell is always going to be one of the best all-rounders in the world, simply because he is a match winner. He can take the game away from you with the bat or ball. He is such a dangerous player.

"And the other one for me, who I think people sometimes forget about is Shakib Al Hasan. He is a fantastic bowler, batter, the best all-rounder in the world.

"But he sometimes gets forgotten because when you think of all-rounders, you think of guys like Andre Russell and big-hitters," he said.

The 36-year-old said the Abu Dhabi T10 league is a fantastic event.

"The skills that you have to exhibit in T10 cricket (are) massive and you got to upskill yourself as a player. I have always felt that T10 is such a great opportunity to grow the game globally in developing countries.

"It is a great format for people to get interested in the game and there is a great future for it," Wiese, who will playing for Deccan Gladiators in the tournament, said.

Also Read : I am not racist: Quinton de Kock says fine with taking knee, available to play for SA

news Source : PTI

2021-10-28 13:40

Windies, Bangladesh face must-win situation against each other in T20 WC

Sharjah, Oct 28 (Cricket news) Their campaigns thrown haywire by back-to-back losses, defending champions West Indies and Bangladesh would be locked in a do-or-die battle when they square off in a crucial group 1 Super 12 match of the T20 World Cup here on Friday.

While the West Indies lost to England and South Africa, Bangladesh were defeated by Eoin Morgan and Co. after going down to Sri Lanka.

Both teams need a win to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

The West Indies desperately need to sort out their batting woes. In their campaign opener against England, they were bowled out for 55 and all their batters were guilty of throwing away their wickets going for big shots instead of rotating the strike and building the innings.

In the second game, the two-time champions slightly tweaked their no-holds barred approach, sending Lendl Simons to anchor the innings. But the opener was painfully slow, managing 16 off 35 balls.

Simmons' innings resulted in the other batters, including Evin Lewis who hit a quick-fire half-century, to take risks and in turn lose their wickets.

West Indies lost eight wickets for 64 runs between the 11th and 20th over to put up a below-par target.

Going ahead, Simmons could be replaced by Roston Chase, who anchored the innings well while scoring an unbeaten 54 in the warm-up match against Afghanistan.

A useful bowler, the Barbadian can also give the team another spin bowling option.

The West Indian bowlers have also looked ordinary with not enough runs to defend. Only left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein has been impressive.

Additionally, the UAE conditions do not suit West Indies’ "big-hitting" style of play.

They are yet to register a win in seven outings, including the two warm-up games played ahead of the tournament.

On the other hand, Bangladesh are familiar with the sluggish sub-continent tracks and yet they have failed to exploit it.

A lot was expected from Bangladesh, having come into the tournament as the sixth-ranked team which had beaten the likes of New Zealand and Australia. But the Mahmudullah-led side has been inconsistent throughout the tournament.

They have won only two of their five matches so far.

In Mohammad Naim, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh have some talented batters but they have failed to fire in unison.

Their bowlers have also lacked discipline and will have to put up a much-improved show, as West Indies, although struggling at the moment, have a formidable batting line-up studded with match winners.

Despte the many issues plaguing the side, Bangladesh might have a slight edge going into the game, having already played a day match here on Sunday.

Teams (from): West Indies: Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Roston Chase, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Jason Holder, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Bangladesh: Mahmudullah (capt), Liton Das, Mohammed Naim, Mahedi Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nurul Hasan, Afif Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Shamim Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammed Saifuddin and Shoriful Islam.

Match starts 3:30 PM IST.

Also Read : Another proud moment but from here on we have to lift our level: Namibia skipper

News Source : PTI

2021-10-26 13:15

T20 World Cup preview: South Africa take on West Indies in match no 6

(Cricket news) With both sides losing their first match, both South Africa and West Indies will be desperate to get some points on the table. Both the sides will be hoping to produce a good batting performance after their horror show in their first matches. So the two line-ups will hope to sing a redemption song when they clash in Dubai today.

For West Indies the major inquest needs to be done on their batting as in the previous match both the England spinners enjoyed a field day against the West Indies batters. In the last match, Moeen Ali and Rashid finished with 6/19 in a combined 6.2 overs, the same can be expected with South Africa as they too have two quality spinners in the form of Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, the batters need to improve and tackle the threat of spin and help post a decent total at least. The West Indies mantra has always been ‘go big or go home’ but something drastic needs to change as this aggressive style is clearly not working for them, the batters need to give them some time and assess the situation before going big. The management need to think about bringing in Roston Chase as an extra spin option as we saw in the last match how much help Akeal Hosein got off the pitch picking up three wickets.

South Africa will be hoping that they have a better batting display as they will hope to take some positives out of the Australia game as the bowling and fielding effort of the team was top notch. In the batting department, Quinton de Kock needs to get back to form as he has failed to reach 30 in his last 6 T20 innings, but his batting average is 14.25 against Dwayne Bravo and 28.20 against Andre Russell in this format which could give him the added confidence boost that he needs. In the last match, Anrich Nortje continued his good form as he caused a lot of problems to the Australian batsmen and will again be the key if they are to restrict the West Indies big hitter, a slight concern for the management can be that West Indies have a lot of left handers in their team as both the South African spinners are left handed which could be an advantage for them. The spinners need to be perfect with their line and length because if these West Indies batters get going then there is no stopping them.

Head to head: South Africa 9 - 6 West Indies (2-1 in T20 world cup games)

Pitch and weather report: The Dubai venue has been very unpredictable in the last two matches but the trend of winning the toss and bowling first will continue as the temperatures will increase as the day progresses which make it difficult for the bowlers to grip the ball with all that sweat and humidity. A target of 150 would seem to be the par score in this tournament. The temperature will hover around at 34 degrees, with no chances of rain.

Interesting facts:

Roston Chase has had a superb CPL with a batting strike rate of 144.3 and a bowling economy rate of 6.92 in this year's CPL.
Reeza Hendricks needs seven runs to complete 1000 runs in T20 and will only become the seventh South African to do so
Chris Gayle has a strike rate of 177.94 in T20s against South Africa
South Africa and West Indies have faced each other three times at T20 World Cups, in 2007, 2009 and 2016 and West Indies have only won the last of those.

Also read: Afghanistan defeat Scotland by 130 runs at the T20 World Cup

Probable XI for West Indies;

1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Shimron Hetmyer/Roston Chase, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Kieron Pollard (capt), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Dwayne Bravo 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Obed McCoy, Ravi Rampaul

Probable XI for South Africa:

1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Aiden Markram, 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 David Miller, 6 Heinrich Klaasen/Reeza Hendricks, 7 Kagiso Rabada, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Lungi Ngidi, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi

2021-10-25 13:40

Good batting display high on agenda as West Indies take on South Africa

Dubai, Oct 25 (Cricket news) Smarting from opening game losses, a good batting display will be high on the agenda for South Africa and defending champions West Indies when the two teams lock horns in a Super 12 match of the T20 World Cup here on Tuesday.

While South Africa were handed a five-wicket defeat by Australia, West Indies sank to six-wicket loss against England on Saturday.

It will be imperative that both sides improve upon their batting as they seek to register their first points in the group.

Put in to bat, both sides struggled to put runs on the board. West Indies were skittled for just 55 runs while the Proteas were a touch better, managing 118 in 20 overs thanks to Aiden Makram’s 36-ball 40.

South Africa’s problem in recent games was one again on display in their opening clash. Playing with a top-heavy side, they were unable to overcome the loss of early wickets. While Markram held on to his wicket at the other end, the Proteas twice lost wickets in clusters of three. David Miller’s woeful form and the inexperienced middle order didn’t help their case either.

However, armed with world class bowlers, South Africa got most things right with the ball, making the run-chase tight. Pacers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje bowled fiery opening spells before the spin duo World No.1 bowler Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj restricted runs in the middle over.

In the game against England, the spinners were the undoing of West Indies and the Proteas will count on Shamsi and and Maharaj to do the trick for them.

South Africa will head into the clash with the psychology advantage, having inflicted a series defeat on the West Indies at home earlier this year.

West Indies, on the other hand, will have to regroup fast after their disastrous campaign opener. The two-time champions will have to rethink their batting approach against South Africa. Besides veteran Chris Gayle, none of the players managed to reach double digit scores.

West Indies were guilty of losing nine of their 10 wickets while trying to hit a four or a six. None of the players attempted to rebuild the innings after early strikes. They seemed to have forgotten that rotating the strike was important when boundaries were difficult to come by.

However, their batting line-up is studded with proven match-winners who can take away the game at any given point.

Their bowling department did well to make the run chase as difficult as possible while the fielding was also top-notch. If West Indies had a better total, they’d have been in the game.

Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein (2/24) made a good impression with his quick balls and excellent fielding.

Kieron Pollard and Co. will also have one eye on the their net run-rate which sits at -3.970, which could come into play towards the end of the group stage.

The Teams (From): West Indies: Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Roston Chase, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Keshav Maharaj, Quinton de Kock (wk), Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, W Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen.

Match starts at 3:30pm IST.

Also Read : T20 World Cup preview: Afghanistan take on Scotland in match no 5

News Source : PTI

2021-10-23 17:30

T20 World Cup preview: West Indies take on England in match no 2

(Cricket news) The World no 1 T20 side England take on defending champions West Indies in a mouthwatering clash, it's been 5 and a half years since West Indies played that momentous final of 2016 World Cup in Kolkata, the chants of Ian Bishop's 'Remember the name' commentary still remains fresh in the memories of the fans. It is fitting then that the two teams will meet on the opening day of the Super 12 stage in this year's tournament.

The men from the Caribbean will be a bit disappointed with their preparations as they lost both of their warm up matches against Pakistan and Afghanistan. The strength in this line up lies in the middle order as batsmen like Pollard and Russell on their given day can single handedly make the team win. Another thing to note would be that West Indies will bat deep which will indirectly put pressure on the opposition to defend totals, explosiveness of each batsmen is uncanny and each have the ability to hit the ball out of the park. The weakness lies in the experience of the spinners as they have opted not to select Sunil Narine in their squad so a lot of onus will fall on Hayden Walsh to pick some crucial wickets in the middle order.

England have improved leaps and bounds since their heartbreak in the 2016 T20 final as they have established themselves as the finest white ball cricketing nation. Heading into the tournament, England are favourites to win the trophy but they will have to do it the hard way as superstars such as Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and Sam Curran will all be out. England may actually drop the no1 T20 batsman Dawid Malan to occupy Moeen Ali at number 3, a strategy Chennai Super Kings used a lot in this season's IPL. The form of Eoin Morgan could be a concern as he admitted that he will drop himself if he doesn’t perform for his team. England in their two warm up matches against India and New Zealand performed really well, we saw that the opening partnership of Roy and Butler will hold the key for England if they are to make it all the way to the final.

Head to head: West Indies 11 - 7 England in T20s ,( In T20 World Cups West Indies have won 5 times against England)

Pitch and weather report: The Dubai International stadium was the highest scoring venue in the IPL as the trend will most likely continue, considering the fire power both have in their batting line up. The trend with this venue has been to win the toss and bat second as dew plays a very important part later in the evening. The temperature is going to hover around 34 degrees as there is no chance of rain.

Interesting facts:

England and West Indies have the highest boundary percentage since 2019
Chris Gayle averages 34.08 against England in 13 innings with a strike rate of 157.31
Dwayne Bravo has dismissed Jos Buttler 3 times in T20 cricket at an average of 19
Gayle and Bravo are two of only six players to have featured in all six T20 World Cups to date, dating back to the original event in South Africa in 2007.
West Indies have played just two T20Is in Dubai, and lost them both, against Pakistan in 2016. England, by contrast, have won four and lost two at the stadium, also against Pakistan between 2010 and 2015.

Also read: 2021 T20 World Cup: Defending Champions West Indies take on No.1 ranked England

Probable XI for West Indies:

1 Evin Lewis, 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Kieron Pollard(capt) , 7 Andre Russell, 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Hayden Walsh Jr, 10 Obed McCoy, 11 Oshane Thomas/Ravi Rampaul

Probable XI for England:

1 Jason Roy, 2 Jos Buttler (wk),3 Moeen Ali, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Eoin Morgan (capt), 7 David Willey/Chris Woakes, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Tymal Mills

2021-10-22 18:45

2021 T20 World Cup: Defending Champions West Indies take on No.1 ranked England

(Cricket news) West Indies and England kick off their T20 World cup campaign on Saturday at the Dubai International Stadium. The match will be a replay of the 2016 T20 World Cup final which West Indies won.

England lost their 1st warm-up game against India by 7 wickets but came back to win their 2nd game against New Zealand by 13 runs. The defending champions on the other hand suffered heavy defeats in both their warm-up games. Against Pakistan they lost by 7 wickets and 27 balls to spare and against Afghanistan by 57.

England squad:

Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Jonathan Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

The big concern in England camp will be Eoin Morgan's form with the willow. The skipper contributed almost nothing as a batter although he did lead the team well as a captain. Moeen Ali, who just won the IPL with CSK has been in good form while Jason Roy also got some runs in the last few games that he played for SRH. Other than these three no other player has played much cricket but they are the no.1 team in the world which makes them heavy favourites.

Also read: Australia vs South Africa set to kick off the T-20 World Cup Super 12 in Abu Dhabi

West Indies squad:

Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Roston Chase, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh jnr.

Despite his impressive performances in the IPL, Sunil Narine doesn't find a place in the squad because of fitness issues. The West Indies side usually bats very deep sometimes till no. 10 which is a huge advantage. Chris Gayle's form has been heavily discussed and is a bit of concern for West Indies. Dwayne Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer will be the two key players for the Windies as both of them have had a very good IPL.

The average first innings score at the Dubai International Stadium is 144 while it drops down to 122 in the 2nd innings. The dew will also be a very big factor, maybe even more than the wicket itself. West Indies' performance in the warm-ups shouldn't be too big of a concern as they have a lot of fire power in their side. England on the other hand are the no. 1 side in the world and would like to start that way.

2021-10-22 11:45

Struggling WI face tough battle against England in their T20 WC opener

Dubai, Oct 22 (Cricket news) Two-time champions but currently out of sorts, the West Indies will hope to raise their game by a few notches when they open their campaign against favourites England in a Super 12 match of the ICC men's T20 World Cup here on Saturday.

A team packed with some of the most destructive T20 players, the West Indies cut a sorry figure in the two warm-up games against Pakistan and Afghanistan and would need to quickly shrug off the disappointment ahead of the tournament proper.

It was poor batting which cost them both the practice matches. While against Pakistan, the Carribean team failed to put up a fighting total, scoring a modest 130 for 7, Kieron Pollard's men managed 133-5 in their chase of 189 against Afghanistan.

Roston Chase's 54 off 58 balls against Afghanistan was the only highlight of their batting as none of the other batters could capitalise on their starts in both the matches.

Pollard showed some spark when he hit a 10-ball 23 with five boundaries against Pakistan and his finishing skills will play a big role for the team in the tournament.

The West Indies will need the likes of Evin Lewis, Lendl Simmons, Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran to fire to make a good start and win at least three group matches to qualify for the semifinals.

One of the major concerns for West Indies is the form of 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle, who scored just 165 runs in 9 innings in the Carribean Premier League and featured in just two games for Punjab Kings in the UAE leg of the IPL.

Experienced all-rounder Andre Russell too has had frequent fitness issues, the latest being a hamstring injury. He played only three games for Kolkata Knight Riders in UAE.

There is not much to write home about their bowling either with spinner Hayden Walsh (2/41) and left-arm pacer Obed McCoy (2/43) being their most successful bowlers in the two practice games.

With Oshane Thomas in the ranks, pace still looks better than their spin department which features the likes of Fabian Allen, Chase and Akeal Hosein.

England, on the other hand, are the reigning World champions in ODI cricket and will be itching to put the ghosts of the 2016 edition to rest when Carlos Brathwaite had smashed four successive sixes in the final to end their dreams.

Up against the same opponents, Eoin Morgan's men will look to set the record straight when his army of men takes the field on Saturday.

England seems a balanced side despite missing some key players in Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Sam Curran.

Their batting boosts of some big names such as Jason Roy, Jos Buttler, and Jonny Bairstow -- all capable of destroying any bowling attack on their day.

While England lost to India in the first warm-up, they quickly recovered to beat New Zealand in the second match.

Bairstow's 49 runs off 36 balls and Moeen Ali's 20-ball 43 late in the order were the highlights of their batting against India, while Buttler slammed 73 off 51 balls against New Zealand to gear up for the showpiece.

Mark Wood and Adil Rashid snapped four and three wickets respectively to lead a clinical bowling display against New Zealand and with David Willey, Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali also in their side, it looks like a formidable attack.

Teams: West Indies: Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Roston Chase, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.

England: Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Jonathan Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Match starts at 7.30pm IST.

Also Read : Top 5 players to miss out of the T20 World Cup this year

News Source : PTI

2021-10-16 11:27

Outplayed by very good CSK, says McCullum; explains why Russell missed final

Dubai, Oct 16 (Cricket news) Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Brendon McCullum conceded that his team was outplayed by a very good Chennai Super Kings side in the IPL final but also blamed an underwhelming middle-order batting performance for the comprehensive loss.

MCullum also stated that explosive batter Andre Russell could not make the XI despite working hard to be match-fit after a hamstring injury.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings to their fourth Indian Premier League title, outwitting Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in a one-sided final on Friday.

"It's a shame that we fell short, but we were outplayed by a very good CSK side today," McCullum said at the post-match press conference.

Kolkata suffered a middle-order collapse and when asked whether the problem lay precisely there, McCullum agreed.

"Yeah, I think, that's a fair assessment." "I think, our bowling group did really good job, we fielded well and our top-order batting was superb, but unfortunately we weren't quite able to get the real impact through our middle-order players "...there is a lot of experience there and they did not have the greatest of tournaments and that can happen at times," lamented McCullum.

"...but again I am just really proud of all the guys for their efforts and what a story it was to go as close as we did after being under the pump half way through the," he added.

The former New Zealand mainstay said the campaign has been fulfilling in more ways than one.

"...more positives than negatives, that is for sure and we walk away with our head held high," he asserted.

McCullum also explained why Russell, who was recovering from a hamstring injury, could not make it to the summit clash.

"...Andre obviously had a hamstring tear early on in the competition. He worked unbelievably hard to try and get himself available. He was still at risk there. And it was a risk, I felt in a final, we just couldn't afford to take," the former wicketkeeper-batter explained.

"And then we had another hamstring issue with Rahul Tripathi, so, look, such is the nature of hamstrings that he was never really sure whether they are going to be fully healed or not, and it's such a big risk.

"...in the end we decided to go for the guys who had done so well for us to get into the final and I am really proud of all their achievements," he added.

McCullum also lavished praise on the in-form Venkatesh Iyer, who played a key role in the team making it to the summit clash.

Kolkata were languishing at the seventh spot after the India leg of the IPL was suspended, but in a remarkable turn of fortunes, the Eoin Morgan-led side ended up second.

Iyer amassed 370 runs from the 10 games that he played in the 2021 season and the head coach termed his story as an incredible one.

Also Read : We are extremely proud of fight we have shown: KKR captain Morgan

News Source : PTI

2021-10-15 14:20

IPL Finals preview : Chennai Super Kings take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2021 final

(Cricket news) It is going to be a Goliath vs Goliath clash between the nine time finalist CSK and the two champions KKR in a mouth watering match. Both teams heading into the match will be equally stacked up as the teams are trying script a comeback story of their own, KKR this first half of the season looked down and out but have miraculously won 7 out their 9 matches in UAE, whereas CSK will look to do a complete 180 and win this years trophy after finishing bottom of the league last season in 2020.

KKR will get an added boost ahead of the final as Andre Russell will be fit for the final, KKR management provided an update saying Russell will be in the mix for the final after suffering a hamstring injury against CSK. For KKR this season, the turning point in all the recent matches have been the middle overs, they have picked up 29 wickets in 9 innings along with that they have also managed to score the most runs from overs 7-15 in the UAE leg. KKR’s revelation, Venkatesh Iyer will again be the man to watch out for as he along with Shubmann Gill at the top have given blistering starts to the team which help the middle order to play fearless cricket, a trend that will look to continue in the final. The key to success for KKR has been their lethal spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy who are the most economical bowlers this season.

For KKR it is key for them to get the openers early as Sunil Narine has dismissed Faf Du Plessis twice at strike rate of 67, a match up Eoin Morgan and Brendon McCullum will certainly be aware of and we might see Narine bowl in the powerplay. Another strategy punt the KKR think tank will use is bowling short to Ruturaj Gaikwad, 19 short or short-of-length balls have been bowled to him out of which he has been dismissed three times, a weakness surely Lockie Ferguson and Shivam Mavi will utilise.

CSK will have Suresh Raina back from injury but is unlikely to make the playing XI as Robin Uthappa showed his class and temperament last match which will most likely keep in the lineup. CSK will again rely heavily on their openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf Du Plessis to give them a good start and mostly defy KKRs lethal spin duo from picking up crucial wickets. CSK will need their bowling line up to pick up wickets early in the powerplay in order to expose KKR’s fragile middle order, the likes of Eoin Morgan and Dinesh Karthik haven’t really been amongst the runs as CSK bowlers can expose this weakness.

CSK openers have made 1150 runs in this year's IPL which is the most by any IPL team this season, both the openers have a strike rate of almost 140 against pacer. For CSK the main reason for success has been Stephen Fleming's mantra of having distinguished roles in the team like Deepak Chahar: new ball, Ruturaj Gaikwad: anchor, Faf du Plessis: enforcer, Moeen Ali: aggressor, Dwayne Bravo: death bowling and Josh Hazlewood: hard lengths.

Pitch and weather report; An urge to win the toss and bowl first will likely continue as 9 out of 12 matches have been won by sides chasing, but out of all the UAE venues, Dubai has been the most batting friendly track. The pitch may offer something for the pacers up front but as the ball will get old spinners will come into play. The temperature is going to hover around 32 degrees with no chances of rain as of now.

Head to head: CSK 16 - 8 KKR, the last match they played CSK narrowly beat KKR by 2 wickets as Ravindra Jadeja was man of the match with 22 (8) & 1/21

Interesting facts:

Andre Russell has 300 runs against CSK in 10 innings with a strike rate of 169.49
MS Dhoni has an average of 35.57 and with a strike rate of 150 in IPL finals
Ruturaj Gaikwad needs 23 runs to overtake KL Rahul for the orange cap
The team chasing has won the last eight games in Dubai
Knight Riders have restricted their opponents to under 140 in five of the six games they have bowled first in the UAE leg of IPL 2021.
Moeen has been the most economical spinner so far this season, going at just 6.4, better than the likes of Varun Chakravarthy and Narine.

What to expect: KKR have six wins in UAE all have come in run chases, CSK have lost 5 matches this season all have come while setting targets. On the other hand CSK have a 100% chasing record this season, winning six out of six. Neither team has a particular advantage in this venue as both the teams have a 50% record of wins and loses in the Dubai International stadium. The last time they faced each other in the final KKR came out on top at Chepauk.

Also read: Kolkata Knight Riders to face Chennai Super Kings in IPL final

What the Captains said: "It's the full team (effort). It was the first time we didn't qualify last year and emotions were quite high, but whatever games we had towards the end of last year, we made the most of it. A lot of batters made the most of that. That's the reason we have come back strongly, but credit goes to the support staff and everyone in the team. Without that character, we couldn't have come back like this." - MS Dhoni.

“Six off two [against DC in Q2], the odds were probably in favour of the bowling side, but Rahul Tripathi has done superbly well for us. It's a nice insight into our team culture - the young guys coming in feel free to express themselves. The backroom staff have created an environment for them to do this. With the squad we have, there's expectation. Hopefully we can implement all that we've strategized. We would like to keep going, playing against CSK, one of the best franchises in IPL history." - Eoin Morgan.

Probable XI for KKR:

1 Venkatesh Iyer, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Rahul Tripathi, 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Shakib Al Hasan/Andre Russell , 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Shivam Mavi, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Lockie Ferguson

Probable XI for CSK:

1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Robin Uthappa, 5 Ambati Rayudu, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Deepak Chahar, 11 Josh Hazlewood

2021-10-14 17:35

IPL Final: KKR spinners hold aces as world awaits Dhoni 'Magic' one last time

Dubai, Oct 14 (Cricket news) Mahendra Singh Dhoni's astute captaincy in canary yellow will be Chennai Super Kings' biggest weapon against a clinical Kolkata Knight Riders, whose troika of top-notch spinners promise to hold the aces in the high-octane Indian Premier League final here on Friday.

If numbers are anything to go by, then CSK, in their astonishing ninth final appearance in 12 editions (they were suspended in two), are certain to start favourites against Kolkata Knight Riders on 'Dussera' day but in terms of trophies, there isn't much of a difference.

CSK have three titles with five final defeats while KKR have won both their finals under the mercurial Gautam Gambhir. No team has mastered the art of reaching finals like Dhoni's CSK.

But KKR will definitely be in the hunt since they won one of the most exciting high-scoring summit clash back in 2012 where they chased a target of 190 with two balls to spare.

On Friday, CSK's chances of winning a fourth title will depend on how well they handle the 12 overs from KKR's spin trio of Varun Chakravarthy (economy rate 6.40), Shakib Al Hasan (ER:6.64) and Sunil Narine (ER:6.44), who have been outstanding in this tournament.

In fact, Shakib's all-round abilities have provided more balance to KKR during the business end once Andre Russell sustained a hamstring injury.

However, the final match comes with its own set of pressures and how these three perform when put under the pump will be the key against a team of battle-hardened "been there done that" professionals.

Dhoni's captaincy mantra is simple -- rely on experience as IPL is not a finishing school or place to groom youngsters however talented they may be.

He groomed Ruturaj Gaikwad when the pressure of qualification was off his back in 2020 and the Pune lad has played freely.

He has scored three half centuries and with his rise, Dhoni laid the groundwork for not just next year but many more to come fr his franchise.

It shouldn't surprise anyone if Gaikwad becomes the next CSK captain once Dhoni calls time on IPL, which could be next year or the year after that.

No one knows the drifts and patterns of IPL more than India's most revered white-ball captain.

He understands that for IPL consistency, one needs experienced players primarily along with one or two talented youngsters.

Therefore, the job that Suresh Raina used to do during his initial years, is now being done by the young Gaikwad, who has scored an astounding 600 plus runs in the tournament with a match to go.

Hell or high water, CSK's batting will revolve around Gaikwad, who if all goes well, will surely be one of the biggest all-format batting stars in the post Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma era.

There is abundant experience in the CSK ranks. The skipper himself is on the other side of 40 with Dwayne Bravo at 38, Faf du Plessis at 37, Ambati Rayudu (36) Robin Uthappa a few weeks short of his 36th birthday along with Moeen Ali (34) and Ravindra Jadeja (32).

Add to it, three mid-level experienced internationals like Josh Hazlewood, Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur, who understand the pressure situations well and CSK seem immune to big match pressure Dhoni is a master at maneuvering resources. An example of it this IPL was his "right-hand man" and a true-blue IPL legend Raina being dropped.

The former India player looked distinctly overweight and completely out of touch and the ruthless operator replaced him with Uthappa, who had a big role in winning the game against Delhi Capitals with that resounding start to the chase.

The Knight Riders, on the other hand, also have a captain who has won a World Cup and has been at the heart of England team's transformation as white ball captain.

Many believe that Russell the batter should replace Morgan, who has had an awful IPL with the willow.

Bur it's the leadership that has stood the test of time as he has marshalled his available resources well. He stuck with Shubman Gill as an opener and the youngster has had a decent run.

The faith shown in Venkatesh Iyer will also benefit the Indian white-ball team while Narine the bowler found his mojo under him with constant support after remodelled action.

Morgan is as quiet and as unexpressive as Dhoni even in testing times and it would be a contest of two ticking brains trying to gauge the next move in what promises to be a mouth-watering three-hour battle.

Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (Captain), Dinesh Karthik, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathy, Shubman Gill, Harbhajan Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Pawan Negi, M Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Dube, Tim Southee, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russel, Ben Cutting, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sheldon Jackson, Tim Seifert.

Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, KM Asif, Deepak Chahar, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, N Jagadeesan, Karn Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shardul Thakur, R Sai Kishore, Moeen Ali, K Gowtham, Cheteshwar Pujara, Harishankar Reddy, Bhagath Varma, C Hari Nishaanth.

Match Starts: 7:30 pm IST.

Also Read : We will dissect what happened in last four overs: Morgan

News Source : PTI

2021-10-14 12:51

Hussey not worried about collapse, says Russell 'might be in mix' for final

Sharjah, Oct 14 (Cricket news) Looking ahead instead of losing his sleep over the team's middle-order collapse in second qualifier, Kolkata Knight Riders chief mentor David Hussey said Andre Russell is recovering from his injury and "might be in the mix" for the IPL final against Chennai Super Kings.

After the middle-order wobble, KKR managed to beat Delhi Capitals by three wickets here on Wednesday.

Swashbuckling all-rounder Russell had suffered a grade 2 hamstring injury and after having missed a few games, he might be back for Friday's final against CSK.

"He was bowling before the game (against DC) today, so he might be in the mix," Hussey said at the post-match press conference after the win over DC.

Chasing a modest 136 for victory against DC, the Knight Riders lost six wickets in 3.5 overs with only seven runs added, before Rahul Tripathi's stunning six in the penultimate delivery of the final over sealed the issue in his team's favour.

Not worried with the collapse, Hussey backed his batters to come good in the final.

"No, I'm not concerned because they're all classy players. They know how to play. (It) is just the difficult nature of these pictures, they have been playing on, makes the middle of players, sort of stand out, they are not getting their strike rate 200," Hussey said.

"They had to knuckle down and maybe a strike rate of 110-120, so not concerned, we are going to Dubai full of confidence and you just never know what's going to happen." Venkatesh Iyer's brilliant half century and Shubman Gill's 46-run knock laid the foundation for KKR before the dramatic collapse. But Hussey sounded optimistic going into the final.

"... Full credit to (KKR skipper Eoin) Morgan, (we have) full confidence in Morgan, Dinesh Karthik and Shakib (Al Hasan) going in the next game. They have done it countless times for their countries and in the IPL. So, we're looking forward to the next game," the chief mentor said.

Hussey also informed that all-rounder Shakib was available for selection in the final.

"He (Shakib) is a fine player, has probably won us two games or contributed to two wins, so I'd like to think he is available, and I think, everybody's going to be available for selection, so it's going be a tough call by the head coach (Brandon McCullum)," said Hussey.

Hussey praised Iyer, who plays for Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket, and also his partnership with Gill.

"We have found a player in Venkatesh Iyer, not only he is a classy player but he is a wonderful person and team man as well. He struck the ball superbly and from ball one, so I think some of these big sixes that he hit actually changed the tempo of the game and got us into a winning position," said Hussey.

"Furthermore, the opening partnership we had between those two players was just class personified. They complement each other really well, if one player is going, the other one sits back and gives the other person the strike.

"And I think they run between the wickets really well. So, we have definitely found a nice opening partnership there and hopefully continues for one more game," he added.

He also lavished praise on young opener Gill, saying the right-hander will have a long career for India.

"Shubman is a class player, everyone knows he is going to be a 10-year veteran of Test match, ODI and T20 cricket for India," he said, adding that McCullum should get credit for the team's turnaround after it was languishing at the seventh spot at the end of the first leg in India.

Also Read : Ravindra Jadeja and Faf du Plessis set to cross milestones in final match of IPL

News Source : PTI

2021-10-13 14:45

Narine won't be added to West Indies World Cup squad: Pollard

Sharjah, Oct 13 (Cricket news) West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard says they will resist the temptation of adding Sunil Narine to their T20 World Cup squad despite the spinner's sublime form in the ongoing IPL, where he played a key role in Kolkata Knight Riders reaching the Qualifier-2.

The 33-year-old Narine reminded the fans of his vintage past with his four-wicket haul and impact batting in the eliminator against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday.

He has taken 11 wickets in eight IPL matches since the league's resumption in the UAE. He went wicket-less against Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad and in an earlier match against RCB but took three wickets in the team's two-wicket defeat to Chennai Super Kings.

However, he has not played any international cricket since August 2019, forcing defending champions West Indies to ignore him while announcing their World Cup squad on grounds of fitness.

The ICC deadline to make changes in the squad ends on Friday. "If I add my two cents or my words on how his non-inclusion came about, then it could be spun - just like how he's bowling on these Sharjah wickets - in all different directions," Pollard told ESPNCricinfo.

"Let's deal with the fifteen guys that we have here at this moment in time, which is more important, and see if we can rally around these guys and see if we can defend our title.

"I have no comments on that. Enough has been said on that. I think persons have explained the reason of his non-inclusion at this point in time. For me personally, I know Sunil Narine as a friend first, before an international cricketer. We grew up playing cricket together. He is a world-class cricketer." Pollard though was keen to have fast bowling all-rounder Andre Russell in their squad. The burly cricketer, not part of the WI squad, has not played any IPL game since September 26 due to an injury.

Nothing can be said about Russell until he joins the West Indies camp.

"Before I make any assumptions as to what he can or he can't do, we need to do our assessment first as a team," Pollard said.

"We haven't had the opportunity to see him. We've gotten reports as to what he has done. I wouldn't want to get into trying to say what he can or can't do at this point in time.

"He's a critical person for our team and we'd love for him to be 100%, but we have to deal with what's in front of us."

Also Read : Narine made it look easy with his outstanding spell: Morgan

News Source : PTI

2021-10-12 12:37

Our bowlers have shown us the way, says KKR skipper Morgan

Sharjah, Oct 12 (Cricket news) Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan attributed the team's massive reversal in fortunes in the second leg of IPL-14 to his bowlers' aggressive approach.

During the eliminator on Monday, Sunil Narine gave glimpses of his 'old mystery' with the ball and then topped it up with three monster sixes, as KKR's four-wicket victory dashed Virat Kohli's dream of winning an IPL trophy while leading Royal Challengers Bangalore.

"I think (in) the first phase of the tournament, we were trying to implement Baz's (head coach Brendon McCullum) mantra of trying to play positive, aggressive cricket, a brand of cricket that our fans really enjoy watching and also players really enjoy playing," Morgan said.

"In that first phase it didn't quite happen, throughout different games, we showed glimpses of it, but throughout this whole second phase, people have turned out for different motivation and drive to try and play that aggressive brand of cricket." The first phase of IPL was held in India before it was suspended owing to COVID-19 cases in its bio-bubble.

"Our bowlers have shown us the way (on) how to be aggressive with the ball and in trying to take wickets and identifying when to hold back and be a little more defensive and that's led the way with our batting as well," he added.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, the elated skipper lavished praise on all-rounder Narine, who played a vital role in the team's win over RCB, saying his impact in the match with both the bat and the ball was "huge".

"I think he was outstanding today. Both with the bat and the ball, his impact in the game was huge. He changed momentum when he went out to bat and swung that completely in our favour after the platform the guys had laid (at) the top of the order," Morgan said.

Narine, who was adjudged the player of the match, returned fine figures of 4/21 and then chipped in with a vital 15-ball 26, his cameo proving to be the difference in the end.

"I think with the ball, he bowled as good as I have ever seen him bowl. The guy is consistently exceptional every time he takes the field and always seems to take big wickets in the game. Today he managed to do that," said Morgan.

Rival skipper Kohli and AB de Villers were among Narine's scalps and Morgan felt that the 33-year-old Trinidadian is working to improve his game.

"He is always working on his game. He is always tinkering with things, trying to improve his game.

"I don't think, he was the only bowler to turn the bowl today, we watched Varun Chakravarthy beat the batters on number of occasions, both inside and out and Yuzi (Yuzvendra) Chahal turning the bowl as well, so I actually thought (that) the wicket turned more than expected today," said Morgan.

The captain also provided an update on injured swashbuckling all-rounder Andre Russell.

"Obviously the decision that we have been taking is on a daily basis. Andre has a grade 2 hamstring tear and it has only been a couple of weeks since that injury. He has worked incredibly hard along with our medical team, with intensive rehabilitation to try and get himself back on the park.

"We only have 48 hours before the next game, so we will have to take that decision based on how he presents himself tomorrow and the next day," informed Morgan.

Morgan added that Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib-Al-Hasan was available for selection in Qualifier 2.

He also had words of praise for Kohli, who has played his last game as RCB skipper.

"Virat is obviously a classy and experienced captain, who has done it for an extremely long time both in IPL and international cricket," he quipped.

KKR play Delhi Capitals on Wednesday for a place in the final where Chennai Super Kings await.

Also Read : Narine made it look easy with his outstanding spell: Morgan

News Source : PTI

2021-10-11 13:15

IPL: Kolkata Knight Riders take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in the eliminator

(Cricket news) Kolkata Knight Riders face off Royal Challengers Bangalore in the eliminator as both teams after a long time have a chance for IPL glory. Both the sides come into this match with a point to prove, Virat Kohli in his final season as captain would want to win the IPL trophy for the first time in the franchise history and as for KKR, they were down and out of the tournament in the first half of the season, but a quick change in fortunate has surely given them a chance to script a great comeback story.

RCB this season have gone strength to strength and have pretty much settled with a set playing XI. With the added form of Srikar Bharat at number 3, it allows the likes of Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers to play with much more freedom. If RCB are to negate KKR’s spin threat in the middle overs, Glenn Maxwell will be crucial to break the shackles for KKR. The area of concern going into the match for RCB will be that they have picked up only one wicket in the powerplay. Shubham Gill and Venkatesh Iyer on the other hand have given blistering starts to KKR this season, something that the RCB team management need to look out for. The match up against ABD and the KKR spinners will be the key as he can be the deciding factor in such a high intensity match.

KKR have a selection headache as it will be interesting if Russell or Shakib plays in this eliminator. It is crucial for Gill and Iyer to give them a good start so that the middle order have the platform to play fearless cricket, something that KKR team management have adopted in the second leg of the tournament. As for the bowlers, the two mystery spinners will be the key to stop the run flow, if danger man Glenn Maxwell gets going then it will be difficult for the KKR bowlers to contain him. The KKR think tank might just include Shakib in the playing XI considering this season AB de Villiers has gotten out three times to a left arm spinner where he has just managed 21 runs of 27 balls.

Head to head: RCB 13 - 15 KKR, the last time they met KKR completely dominated them winning by 9 wickets with 60 balls remaining.

Pitch and weather report: The Sharjah pitch this season has thrown quite a curveball as they have produced the most unexpected wickets, like we saw in the previous matches a target close to 160 is a winning score as the spinners will get a lot of assistance through the pitch and also the new ball zips a lot on the surface. Temperature will hover around 40 degrees as there is no chance of rain.

Interesting facts:

This is the first time both the teams have faced off each in the playoffs
Narine has 9 playoff appearance and has a very poor record of picking up just 4 wickets and averaging 8.60 runs
Mohammed Siraj is one wicket away from claiming 100 wickets in T20
Glenn Maxwell has hit 101 off 63 against spinners especially in the middle overs
In games in Sharjah this IPL, the team that has scored more in the powerplay has always won the match.

Also read: IPL: Can Kolkata Knight Riders win their third title this season?

Probable XI for RCB:

1 Virat Kohli (capt), 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 3 KS Bharat (wk), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Dan Christian, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 George Garton, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal.

Probable XI for KKR:

1 Shubman Gill, 2 Venkatesh Iyer, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Rahul Tripathi, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Eoin Morgan (capt), 7 Andre Russell/Shakib Al Hasan, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Shivam Mavi.

2021-10-09 18:40

IPL: Can Kolkata Knight Riders win their third title this season?

(Cricket news) For KKR the season has been of two halves, in the first leg of the IPL in March, KKR weren’t being able to manage a victory even with match winners like Russell and Cummins but in the second half of season their fortunes turned for the brave as the team started to play together and not depend upon individual brilliance.

Kolkata Knight Riders finished the group stage in fourth position with 14 points and will face Royal Challengers in the eliminator on Monday. This season the star performers have been the Indian domestic players as their leading run getter and wicket taker have been Indians, Varun Chakravarthy has picked up 16 wickets whereas Rahul Tripathi has scored 377 runs. The foregin players have gelled in with the squad quite well, there was a doubt that Pat Cummins was going to be a big miss but the likes of Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee haven’t let that happen.

The star performer and probably the find of the tournament has been Venkatesh Iyer, initially in the first half of the tournament KKR were struggling to find a suitable opening batsman alongside Shubham Gill as Venkatesh Iyer fitted the role seamlessly. It is not only his batting that has caught the selectors eye but also his part time fast bowling is quite effective as well. This season he has been the added impetus for KKR to qualify for the playoffs and just might turn into a game changer not for KKR but also for the Indian team in the future. This season in just 7 matches he has managed to score 239 runs at a strike rate of 130 along with that he has also picked up 3 wickets at an economy rate of 8.53 rpo.

Also read: Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore looking for their first trophy in Indian Premier League

The concern heading into the playoffs might be the fitness of Andre Russell and the inconsistency of Eoin Morgan as he hasn’t found the form he usually displays for his National team. The things that have worked in favour of KKR are the subtle gambles that Brendon McCullum has taken, he firstly went with a very inexperienced top 4 four but that gamble has completely changed the dynamics of the team as KKR this season are the highest scoring team from overs 7 to 15, what this does is that the experienced guys in the form of Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell finish the innings for them. Secondly his strategy punt of bowling at least two overs of spin in the powerplay has also paid off as Sunil Narine and Chakravarthy have been the most economical spinners this second half of the season,

With the tournament heading into the final few matches, KKR do stand a chance of winning their third IPL crown considering their form and fearless brand of cricket, but they need to do it the hard way by winning three matches in row to bring the trophy back to the ‘city of joy’.

2021-10-09 12:00

Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore looking for their first trophy in Indian Premier League

(Cricket news) With the second phase of IPL coming to a thrilling finish, there are many records at stake. The playoffs begin from tomorrow as the top four teams try to get the trophy in their hands and all the teams have reached the qualifiers earlier with two former champions and two former finalists.

Delhi Capitals: 20 points (Matches played 14, matches won 10)

Delhi has topped the points table for a third time after 2009, 2012 and have won three in their last five matches. They have reached the qualifiers five times since the inaugural edition and have reached this stage for the third consecutive time. Their batting line up has been led by Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant and their bowling line has the fearsome trio of Avesh Khan, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje.

Chennai Super Kings: 18 points (Matches played 14, matches won 9)

Chennai has been the definition of consistency in the Indian Premier League. They have reached the qualifiers in every season they have played except for last year when they finished seventh. They are three time champions with five runner up finishes. They have lost the last three matches but have the star line up which includes MS Dhoni, Faf Du Plessis, Shardul Thakur, Dwayne Bravo, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Rituraj Gaikwad.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 18 points (Matches played 14, matches won 9)

Bangalore is in the qualifiers for a sixth time and are known to falter at the big stages. They have the big names in the team like Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and Ab De Villers but somehow manage to fall at the final hurdle. Harshal Patel has been the stand out player this season as he is the leading wicket taker this season and is joined by Glenn Maxwell who can turn around the match in the death overs. They have lost only one in the last five matches so things might change this time around.

Kolkata Knight Riders: 14 points (Matches played 14, matches won 7)

Kolkata is the only team in this season’s playoffs other than Chennai who have won the trophy. The two time champions have reached the playoffs for a seventh time and narrowly qualified for the playoffs edging out Mumbai Indians in the final stages, they have had 3 victories in their last five matches. Although they don’t have any stand out performers this season, the team work has clearly played the main role. Lockie Ferugson has been a contender for the fastest ball this season and Rahul Tripathi looks to continue his best season with the bat. Varun Chakravarthy leads the bowling charts while is closely followed by Prasidh Krishna and Andre Russell.

Also read: Had asked Maxwell if he wanted strike but he said 'you can finish it off': Bharat

2021-10-09 11:13

Collective failure in second leg of IPL cost us dearly, says MI skipper Rohit

Abu Dhabi, Oct 8 (Cricket news) Defending champions Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma said their "collective failure as a group" in the second leg of IPL led to their early exit from the tournament.

It is for the first time in three seasons that five-time champions MI have not entered the last four after lifting the trophy in the past two editions.

"We had a fabulous run as a franchise. We can be very proud of what we have created. We were just getting into the momentum of winning games in Delhi, and then there was a break in between. Once we came here, there was collective failure as a group," a disappointed Rohit said at the post-match presentation.

"When you play for a franchise like Mumbai, you are always expected to perform. I wouldn't call it pressure. More than anything, it is the expectation. What we have created as a group stands out in the last 5-6 years." Rohit admitted that MI encountered a stop-start season in this IPL. "But we had an on-and-off season. But very happy with the win today, we gave everything, and I am sure it was entertaining for the fans too. Little disappointed we couldn't go through." The MI skipper was full of praise for young wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan who hit a whirlwind 84 off 32 balls.

"Ishan Kishan is a very talented player, just the right position to bat is crucial. He just batted the way we want Ishan to," he said of the left-hander who was won the man-of-the-match award for his exploits with the bat up the order.

SRH's stand-in skipper Manish Pandey, who hit an unbeaten 69 off 41 balls in a losing cause, too said that the season was a tale of collective failure for the side.

"We had a lot of changes in the side, that didn't work for us. We were struggling in the first few games too, and had to pull ourselves up in the second leg but the whole team didn't put in complete performances, despite some really good individual performances,' he said.

He lauded Friday's wicket on offer and said for him it was the best pitch of the tournament so far. "It was really hot, and it was an intense 20 overs. My calves are a bit cramped. I think the surface was the best of the tournament.

Man-of-the-match Kishan said he went out with a positive mindset and it paid off.

"Getting in good touch before the World Cup. Good state of mind is very important. I knew we are in a do-or-die situation. It was just the intent and the positive mindset.

"I haven't scored as many boundaries in the cover region this season. You have to be prepared for every circumstance. It's important to be in that mindset.

Also Read : KKR mentor David Hussey says Andre Russell likely to be available for play-offs

News Source : PTI

2021-10-08 12:20

Rajasthan Royals end their playoffs chances with a disappointing finish

(Cricket news) With the completion of their fourteen matches in the IPL, Rajasthan Royals have ended their chances to qualify for the playoffs. They are currently in seventh place with ten points and only won two matches in the second phase at UAE. This is the third year they are finishing in the last two positions of the table points as they had last reached the playoff in 2018, Sanju Samson finished on top among the batters for the second consecutive time and Chris Morris finished on top among the bowlers for the second time after 2015.

Their bowling line did not once get the opposition all out in this season as only three bowlers played the full fourteen matches and there was a single four wicket haul by Chris Morris which showed the dismal form of the players. Chris Morris took 15 wickets in only eleven matches as Chetan Sakariya and Mustafizur Rahman finished with 14 wickets in as many matches. Chetan and Mustafizur finished with the most dot balls as they bowled 113 balls.

Their best bowling performance came in their fifth match which they played against Kolkata Knight Riders where they restricted the team for a score of 133. The star performer was Chris Morris who took four wickets for 23 runs and three more bowlers had an economy rate under 6.

In the batting line up, Sanju Samson finished with 484 runs in fourteen matches which is his highest in a season. But he was the only batter who scored more than 300 runs this season as Jos Butler came in second with 254 runs in just seven matches as he didn’t play in the second phase of the league. Samson and Butler also were the only ones to score a century and Samson was the only to hit more than one fifty as the batters did not show consistency in both the phases.

The team crossed the 200 run mark twice in fourteen matches, the team scored 217 in their first match of the season which they played against Punjab Kings. Powered by a 119 from captain Samson they lost the chase by just four runs as none of the other batters scored more than 30. In their seventh match, Jos Butler played a timely innings of 124 to take the side to 220 which is their highest of the season and beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by over 60 runs.

Rajasthan could not cross the 100 run mark in their last two matches which cost them dearly. In their 13th match which they played against Mumbai Indians, they could only score 90 runs and in their last match they could just manage 85 runs as Rahul Tewatia scored more than half of the runs in the final match. Rajasthan will have a lot to introspect as they performed poorly in their final stages which brought them to the bottom of the table and now will look to come back stronger next year.

Also read: KKR mentor David Hussey says Andre Russell likely to be available for play-offs

2021-10-08 11:35

KKR mentor David Hussey says Andre Russell likely to be available for play-offs

Sharjah, Oct 8 (Cricket news) Kolkata Knight Riders' swashbuckling injured all-rounder Andre Russell is likely to be available for the play-offs stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) beginning on Sunday, the team's chief mentor David Hussey said.

KKR have virtually assured themselves of a play-offs berth in the IPL after their 86-run win over Rajasthan Royals on Thursday. They are set to play against the third-place team of the league phase in the Qualifier 1 on Sunday.

“He (Russell) had a fitness test on Wednesday, and I think he’s just maybe a game away. So, I think he’d be pushing hard over the next few days to get back in for the final (play-offs)," Hussey said at the post-match press conference on Thursday.

"(His availability) will be a huge boost not only for us but the competition. He’s world-class and he provides lots of entertainment.” With three play-offs spots already sealed by Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings and Royals Challengers Bangalore, KKR consolidated their position for the fourth and final spot, finishing league engagements with 14 points from 14 games with an impressive net run rate of 0.587.

He admitted that there has been a change in fortunes for the KKR in the UAE after struggling in the Indian leg.

“At the halfway mark, we weren’t playing the type of cricket that we wanted to play. We are all about playing entertaining cricket -- hitting fours, sixes -- and with the ball, hitting the stumps, taking wickets, and fielding exceptionally well.

“So, the break probably did us a world of good -- we got to refresh, recharge our batteries and re-plan -- and come to Abu Dhabi. Abhishek Nayar did a great training session, all the boys got a lot of volume and (were) ready to go,” explained Hussey on how the change occurred in the group.

He credited head coach Brendon McCullum for the way KKR were playing.

“He (Brendon) is so cool and calm that he’s got this plan and vision for the team to go forward. He believes in every player to play their best. He makes everybody feel that they are the most important person in the team.

"Brendon should take a lot of credit for the way everybody’s playing here tonight. Great for him, because he’s been through a lot,” Hussey said.

The 44-year-old former Australia cricketer also lavished praise on his players for putting up a team performance.

“It is never easy playing on these types of surfaces. Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana (and) Rahul Tripathi showed their class once again, they sort of adapted their games accordingly, and they knew if they take it deep in the batting innings, they are going to make a decent target,” he said.

“With the ball, pretty simple plans, bowled directly as fast as they can and at the stumps and we have got some world class spinners as well, and we back up each other in the field, so it was pretty much a team performance tonight,” Hussey said.

He said KKR will watch the final league game between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday “as a group” but they were looking forward to their play-offs game (Qualifier 1) against Royal Challengers Bangalore (likely to be third-place finishers).

Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson lamented that none of his batters could build a partnership with Rahul Tewatia, who was going strong from one end.

“Sharjah is his (Rahul Tewatia) favourite ground, he enjoys batting here. We could have a recent (decent) partnership with him. We could have had a close match, he was batting really well, he wanted someone else actually to be with him and have a good partnership.

"We didn’t do that and that’s why we ended up on the losing side,” Samson said.

The Kerala batter also said that the biggest positive for his franchise was the performance of the young Indian players.

“We have a lot of positives. If you look at the young Indians in our side, the way they came out and expressed themselves, the way they performed, that’s one of the biggest positives this season.”

Also Read : Rahul's blistering knock in Punjab Kings' consolation win against CSK

News Source : PTI

2021-10-07 17:00

IPL: Kolkata Knight Riders take on Rajasthan Royals in match no 54

(Cricket news) Kolkata Knight Riders equation to qualify for the playoff is simple, if they win today's match then they are through. Over the years net run rate has always been something that has cost them a place in the IPL playoffs but this year their scenario has changed a bit. For Rajasthan the only thing they can do is win big by 125 runs and also hope SRH beat MI by 40 runs, the chance of this particular scenario is quite slim and they will mostly play for their pride.

The KKR camp has some good news as both Andre Russell and Lockie Ferguson have started training but it remains to be seen if they are included in the playing XI. Brendon McCullum has a good selection problem as in the last match, we saw MI fast bowlers wreak havoc against the RR batsmans, and this could tempt him into playing 3 fast bowlers instead of his 3 spinner 2 pacer combination. Morgan has used Sunil Narine very tactfully in the second leg as he usually gives him an over to bowl in the powerplay, this trend will continue as Narine’s record against Evin Lewis is one to watch for. He has bowled 82 times to him and dismissed him 6 times conceding only 69 runs in all T20. As for the batting, Eoin Morgan needs to up his game if KKR are to challenge for their third IPL crown.

RR this season have shown glimpses of what this team can do but at times lacked character in the team, the captain Sanju Samson has led from the front without much support from his teammates. RR’s main problem this season has been their misfiring middle order with too many changes and lack of experience has cost them matches that they should have won, with likes of Liam Livingstone and David Miller both failing they had little but to trust the youngsters, a move which clearly hasn’t worked for Kumar Sangakkara and co. The RR think tank might be tempted to bring in this year's most costliest player Chris Morris back into the playing XI considering he has picked 19 wickets in 13 matches against KKR.

Head to head: KKR 12 - 11 RR, the last time they met RR won by six wickets as Chris Morris was man of the match with figures of 4/23.

Pitch and weather report: The common theme at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium has been to win the toss and choose to bowl as five of seven matches have been won by the teams chasing. Sharjah pitch has been the most unpredictable pitch this season as it has been a bowlers paradise. The temperature is going to hover around 40 degrees and there is no chance of rain.

Interesting facts:

David Miller averages 22 at strike rate of 119 since 2016
KKR spinners have picked up 28 wickets compared to RR’s 9 wickets
Nitesh Rana needs 5 more runs to complete 3000 runs in T20
RR have the best unit in the powerplay as they average 8.50 rpo
Morgan's average of 11.1 is the worst for a batter who has made a minimum of 100 runs this season

Also read: Umran Malik testing the speed barrier at the Indian Premier League

Probable XI for KKR:

1 Shubman Gill, 2 Venkatesh Iyer, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Andre Russell/Shakib Al Hasan, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Lockie Ferguson/Tim Southee, 10 Prasidh Krishna/Sandeep Warrier, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Probable XI for RR:

1 Evin Lewis/Liam Livingstone, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Shivam Dube, 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 David Miller/Chris Morris, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Shreyas Gopal, 9 Kuldip Yadav, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Chetan Sakariya

2021-10-06 12:31

KKR eye handsome win over RR to remain ahead in play-off race

Sharjah, Oct 6 (Cricket news) Two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders would strive for a handsome win over struggling Rajasthan Royals in their last round-robin game to stay ahead in the IPL play-offs race here on Thursday.

With 12 points from 13 matches, KKR are currently sitting at the fourth position in the pecking order, just ahead of defending champions Mumbai Indians on net run-rate.

MI too have 12 points from 13 games and still have a match to play against bottom-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday.

If both KKR and MI win their last matches, then it will boil down to net run rate and that's where the Eoin Morgan-led side (0.294) would have an edge as it currently enjoys a positive run rate compared to the Mumbai outfit (-0.048).

KKR had a mixed bag in the second leg of the tournament so far, winning four and losing two games.

While KKR started the second phase with back-to-back wins over Royal Challengers Bangalore and MI before suffering a defeat to Chennai Super Kings, they came back to beat table toppers Delhi Capitals.

A defeat against Punjab Kings followed before they outplayed SRH by six wickets to keep their nose ahead in the race for the final play-offs spot.

KKR have been impressive in the second half and even their two defeats were narrow, where they lost in the last over.

In the batting department, Venkatesh Iyer has been the star performer in the second leg for KKR, while Rahul Tripathi too has been impressive this season.

Young Shubman Gill scored a fine half-century in KKR's last match, which holds good for the team. Nitish Rana, up in the batting order, has also done well but the form of skipper Morgan remains a cause for concern.

The induction of star Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan in the last match for the first time in the second leg, has given a new dimension to the side.

In bowling, mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been the team's go-to man while Sunil Narine too has been among the wickets.

In the absence of Andre Russell and Lockie Ferguson, who missed a few games following injuries, Tim Southee and Shivam Mavi are the new pace bowling pair for KKR.

Pacer Prasidh Krishna did well to snap four wickets in the matches that he had played, before being dropped for conceding 22 runs in the 19th over, against CSK.

RR are out of the race, languishing at the seventh spot in the eight-team standings with 10 points from 13 games.

And come Thursday, RR would look to dent KKR's hopes and end their campaign on a positive note.

RR have been hit hard by the form of their Indian batsmen. Barring Yashahvi Jaiswal and, to some extent, skipper Sanju Samson, the team's Indian batsmen lacked intent.

With Mustafizur Rahaman as their most experienced overseas signing and young Chetan Sakariya in the ranks, RR's bowling is a bit thin on experience.

Teams (from): Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (captain), Dinesh Karthik, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathy, Shubman Gill, Harbhajan Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Pawan Negi, M Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Dube, Tim Southee, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russel, Ben Cutting, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sheldon Jackson, Tim Seifert.

Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (captain), Liam Livingstone, Evin Lewis, David Miller, Chris Morris, Oshane Thomas, Mustafizur Rahaman, Tabraiz Shamsi, Glenn Phillips, Chetan Sakariya, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Akash Singh, Anuj Rawat, KC Cariappa, Yashashvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube, Shreyas Gopal, Kartik Tyagi, Mayank Markande, Jaydev Unadkat, Kuldip Yadav, Mahipal Lomror.

Match starts at 7:30 PM.

Also Read : https://spogonews.com/cricket/csk-start-favourites-against-rr-aim-to-finish-in-top-two/

News Source : PTI

2021-10-04 11:30

Morgan admits that he has been 'short of runs' but expects some round the corner

Dubai, Oct 4 (Cricket news) Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan is the first one to admit that he has been woefully short of runs throughout the IPL but is confident of finding some form with the tournament hitting the business end.

KR are currently placed fourth with 12 points from 13 games and with a positive net run-rate will just need to win their final game to qualify for the play-offs along with CSK, Delhi Capitals and RCB.

"Yeah, I am short of runs in this phase of the tournament, the whole tournament in general. I am very lucky to be in a position where I have been through stages like this in my career,' MOrgan said after his team's six wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.

"And I think the longer you go without contributing a significant score, the closer you are to actually contributing. And that's coming from experience," said Morgan, who scored a total of 111 from 12 innings with a highest score of 47 not out. Speaking about Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, who have had a key role in KKR, he said the team was very lucky to have them.

"I think they are the two big impact players for us (Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine). We are very lucky to have them, particularly Narine. He has been a huge part of the franchise for a long time, an integral part of KKR's success.

"Game on game basis, you have to look at where they can have the biggest impact in the game and you try to get them in that position," Morgan added.

Morgan was all praise for the bowling group, who restricted SRH to 115.

"The match against SRH was a good example, we are fortunate enough that the other guys in our bowling group bowled extremely well and that allowed us to juggle things around," the KKR captain added.

The KKR captain said veteran New Zealand cricketer Tim Southee has had a good impact in the absence of key players like Andre Russell, Lockie Ferguson, Pat Cummins and the others.

"Tim's obviously had a huge impact in the side, When you miss two or three big gun players - we miss Pat, we miss Lockie, and obviously Dre (Russell) has been missing as well. His contribution with the ball in this phase has been brilliant.

"It's one thing contributing throughout a campaign, but I think, when you look at actually when you need players to stand up, senior players to be able to do that... Tim has done that brilliantly," he added.

Asked about the conditions in the UAE, Morgan said there was a need to adapt to the conditions.

"We were here two nights ago and the ball seemed to come onto the bat. Yes, it swings early in the Powerplay and a little bit of nip, which is expected here in Dubai, but today was a little bit sluggish.

"Obviously, the wicket is one thing, you need to adapt to conditions, bowl well, field well, and we did that incredibly well," he added.

While T20 cricket is primarily entertainment, Morgan doesn't mind that challenging element on tracks which gives an insight to what "real cricket is all about".

"The batsmen had to work a little bit harder (on Dubai track). I think sometimes in T20, it is nice to have that element to give an insight into the real game of cricket as opposed to the ball flying everywhere and everything in the batsmen's favour." Morgan praised opener Shubman Gill, who made a match-winning half-century on a sluggish track and said he has shown a great amount of promise.

"I am delighted for Shubman Gill. He has shown a great amount of promise in all formats of the game. Probably over the last two IPLs, he has continued to show promise. On a tricky wicket today, he made it look easy. His true class shone through...," the skipper said of the young Indian batter.

Also Read : IPL 2021: CSK face in-form DC in battle of top two

News Source : PTI

2021-10-02 15:00

SRH aim to dent KKR's play-off prospects

Dubai, Oct 2 (Cricket news) Out of the play-offs race, bottom-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to dent Kolkata Knight Riders' chances of making it to the knockout stage when they face off in an IPL game here on Sunday.

With nine defeats from 11 matches, SRH are languishing at the bottom, while KKR still have hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage as they are at fourth place with 10 points from 12 matches.

SRH have won just one match out of the four that they have played since the resumption of the IPL in the UAE.

While SRH had returned to winning ways after five losses on the trot with a convincing victory over Rajasthan Royals, they lost their last game by six wickets at Sharjah, allowing Chennai Super Kings to qualify for the play-offs.

The Sunrisers had dropped their only IPL-winning (2016) skipper David Warner after axing him from captaincy but that didn't change the fate of the team as Kane Williamson has not been able to revive the fortunes of the Orange Army.

For SRH, batting remains their weakest link, especially in the absence of Jonny Bairstow.

While English opener Jason Roy sizzled on his debut with a quickfire 60 and Williamson too scored a 51 in their successful chase of 165 against RR, both came a cropper against CSK in their last game.

Wriddhiman Shah held the innings together with a 46-ball 44 but SRH could not accelerate in the death overs and only managed 37 runs in the last five overs against CSK.

Their India players such as Priyam Garg, Abhishek Sharma and Abdul Samsad will have to step up if SRH are to salvage some pride and end the season on a positive note.

In the bowling department, Jason Holder has time and again given them the breakthroughs, but senior India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Siddarth Kaul have disappointed.

Leg-spinner Rashid Khan remains SRH's biggest weapon against any opposition, but he didn't have enough runs to play with most times.

For KKR, the UAE leg of the IPL has been a topsy-turvy affair as they have won three games, while losing two so far.

The two-time former champions have impressed with their performance in the second half, and even their two defeats were narrow, where they lost in the last over.

Venkatesh Iyer has been the star performer with the bat in the second leg for KKR, while Rahul Tripathi has scored the maximum runs for the team this season.

The decision to move Nitish Rana up the order has also paid dividends but Shubman Gill has not been able to capitalise on the starts.

In bowling, Varun Chakravarthy has been their go-to man as he picked up six wickets in the second leg, while Sunil Narine too has been among the wickets.

But they have concerns in the pace department with Andre Russell and Lockie Ferguson missing games following injuries, forcing skipper Eoin Morgan to make changes.

Even the KKR captain needs to get some runs under his belt.

Tim Southee and Shivam Mavi is the new pace bowling pair for KKR and they will need to step up.

Pacer Prasidh Krishna did well to snap four wickets in the matches that he had played, before being dropped for conceding 22 runs in the 19th over, against CSK.

Teams (from): Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (captain), Dinesh Karthik, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathy, Shubman Gill, Harbhajan Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Pawan Negi, M Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Dube, Tim Southee, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russel, Ben Cutting, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sheldon Jackson, Tim Seifert Sunrisers Hyderabad: Kane Williamson (captain), David Warner, Manish Pandey, Sherfane Rutherford, Wriddhiman Saha, Shreevats Goswami, Rashid Khan, Vijay Shankar, Mohammad Nabi, Abhishek Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddharth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed, Urman Malik, Basil Thampi, Sandeep Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Abdul Samad, J Suchith, Jason Holder, Virat Singh, Priyam Garg, Kedar Jadhav, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Jason Roy. Match starts at 7:30PM IST.

Also Read : Royal Challengers Bangalore eye playoffs berth against Punjab Kings

News Source : PTI

2021-10-02 12:25

Punjab Kings deserved to win because they seized key moments: McCullum

Dubai, Oct 2 (Cricket news) Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Brendon McCullum conceded that Punjab Kings deserved to win against his side as the KL Rahul-led outfit "seized the key moments" during their IPL game.

Punjab Kings boosted their chances of making IPL play-offs with a five-wicket win over KKR on Friday night.

"I thought we played another good game of cricket tonight (but) Punjab Kings deserved the win because they seized the key moments but we certainly played a hand and we really got a good game of cricket," McCullum said at the virtual press conference.

KKR skipper Eoin Morgan has not been among the runs, and the former New Zealand stumper expects some runs from the England captain.

"Obviously, he (Morgan) is one of our senior players, he is one of our international batsmen and as captain as well in his own, he would love to contribute a lot more runs, actually he captains the side very well tactically, but look you want some more runs from (him), no doubt in that," McCullum added.

"You need runs from your overseas players and you particularly need in those key spots as well. I am confident that he will come up (alright)," he said, adding that senior Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib-AL-Hasan is in the mix for selection.

McCullum also admitted that without sans Andre Russell, it was difficult to balance the side.

"In terms of the balance, when you take out a world-class all-rounder like Andre Russell, it is always difficult to balance your side," he added.

Meanwhile, Punjab Kings bowling coach Damien Wright heaped praise on skipper Rahul for his crucial 67-run knock.

"Look, I thought his innings was super, we were quite attacking from the other end with KL and he played a real anchor role for us.

"I would have loved to see him there at the end, but I thought his innings tonight was super and he is such a class-player," the former Australian first-class cricketer said.

Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh have shone for the Punjab Kings in the death overs and the bowling coach attributed it to their training.

"Look, I would say, it is purely down to the way that they train and apply themselves. It's been an area of our game that we have been strong at (bowling in the death) as we play here in Dubai, and I thought their last two overs were the difference in the game.

"Both of them work really hard and that's just paying off. He (Shami) bowled beautifully tonight," he said, adding that young spinner Ravi Bishnoi has been a huge inclusion in the squad.

Also Read : If we learn to handle pressure better, we will be among top teams: Rahul

News source : PTI

2021-10-01 13:30

IPL: Kolkata Knight Riders take on Punjab Kings in match no 45

(Cricket news) Knight Riders came into the UAE leg knowing that they had to win 6 out of 7 matches but now they have a realistic chance of making the playoffs. With Mumbai tied on points with them, they can’t breathe easy as they need to win their remaining matches as well. On the other hand even if Punjab even win their remaining matches, chances of qualification look grim as they need to depend upon certain results going their way.

KKR will most likely be without Andre Russell as he might be nursing a hamstring injury, the KKR management will stick to the same line up mostly. KKR will be hoping that the two openers give them a good start as Shubman Gill averages more than 72 runs against PBKS. This season Rahul Tripathi has been a revelation for KKR, scoring 315 runs at an average of 35 runs and same can be said for Nitish Rana he too has scored 280 runs this season. Sunil Narine loves playing against Punjab, he's picked up 30 wickets against them and also has his best IPL figures against them also. On the contrary Rahul has the edge over Narine so it will be an interesting matchup to see. One area of concern for KKR going ahead in the tournament might be the form of Eoin Morgan.

PBKS will be without Chris Gayle as he has left the bio bubble due to fatigue and won't be available for the remaining matches. The common theme with Punjab this season has been their over reliance on the openers as the middle order batsmen have let the team down. The PBKS management need to find a quick solution to the problem as last match Aiden Markram showed some stability in the middle overs. Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh will be assigned with the task of breaking the Gill - Iyer partnership as they need to put pressure on KKR’s somewhat fragile middle order batsmen. One of the key match ups could be Shami vs Tripathi. Shami has the edge over him as he has dismissed him 2 times in 18 balls conceding only 15 runs in the process

Head to head: KKR 19 - 9 PBKS, the last time they met KKR won comfortably by 5 wickets as they were able to break their four match losing streak.

Pitch and weather report: Dubai international Stadium has been a better batting venue compared to others as we can expect some runs to be scored, with the evenings being cooler captains will most likely want to chase on this surface. The temperature might be fluctuating between 28-30 degrees as dew factor may come into play. There is no chance of rain as of now.

Interesting facts:

Lockie Ferguson has surprisingly delivered two fastest deliveries in IPL 2021 at 152.75 and 152.74 kph
This could be Nicolas Pooran’s 200th T20 game
Dinesh Karthik is just 16 runs away from 4000 runs in IPL and will become the 11th batsmen to do so
KKR love facing PBKS as they have won 19 times which is most against any other franchise

Also read: Playoffs means opportunity to manage workloads, but won't be too experimental: Fleming

Probable XI for KKR:

1 Shubman Gill, 2 Venkatesh Iyer, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Sunil Narine, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Ben Cutting/Lockie Ferguson, 10 Prasidh Krishna, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Probable XI for PBKS:

1 KL Rahul (capt, wk), 2 Mayank Agarwal/Mandeep Singh, 3 Aiden Markram, 4 Nicholas Pooran, 5 Deepak Hooda/Shahrukh Khan, 6 Fabian Allen, 7 Harpreet Brar, 8 Ravi Bishnoi, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed Shami

2021-09-28 13:25

IPL: Kolkata Knight Riders take on Delhi Capitals in match no 41

(Cricket news) After two huge victories over Mumbai and Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders would be hoping to maintain their winning momentum as these few remaining matches will be crucial for their playoff credentials. On the other hand, Delhi Capitals will be vying for the top two spot as they are virtually guaranteed of a playoff position.

KKR may lose their talisman Andre Russell for this crucial encounter, last match against CSK Russell heard something pop in his hamstring and subsequently hobbled out of the field, this may be huge blow to the KKR side as he not only brings his explosive batting skills but this season he has been more effective with the ball picking up 11 wickets for his side. KKR need to deal with the DC openers as Prithvi Shaw in last five innings against KKR has scored four half centuries with a strike rate of 140.91. The KKR management will look to their two spinners to provide important breakthroughs, Sunil Narine has dismissed Dhawan twice in 64 balls conceding only 69 runs in the process and last year Varun Chakravarthy wrecked havoc by claiming 5 wickets. The captain himself Eoin Morgan also needs to find his form to provide the right bases to attack in the death overs.

DC will also be without Marcus Stonis who picked up a leg injury against SRH, another concern for the DC management is that also picked an injury in that game and maybe out. DC will breathe a sigh of relief with Russell’s unavailability as the all rounder has an bowling average of 13,4 and batting strike rate of 190.21 in eight innings. All the bowling onus will be on Rababa and Nortje to take wickets up front and in the death overs. Ashwin also might get a game due to the slow and sluggish pitches in Sharjah as he might be key in the middle overs to stop the batsman from scoring runs.

Head to head: KKR 14 - 12 DC, the last time they met DC comfortably chased down 154 runs in 17 overs as they won by 7 wickets.

Pitch and weather report: The relaid Sharjah Stadium pitch has always been a batters paradise but this season the pitches have been on the slower side as it will assist the spinners. The temperature will hover around 38 degrees with zero chances of rain.

Interesting facts:

DC have won 4 of their last five encounters against KKR
Shubman Gill has bettered his batting average in the UAE leg and also bettered his boundary from 17 to 22.9%
Rishabh Pant needs 24 runs to overtake as DC’s highest run scorer
Sunil Narine claimed his 150 wicket for KKR when he dismissed Rayadu in the last match.
DC and KKR have been the two most expensive bowling teams at the death this IPL season, conceding 10.38 and 10.22 runs per over respectively

Also read: Iyer's return has allowed us to play ideal line-up: Hopes

Probable XI for KKR:

1 Shubman Gill, 2 Venkatesh Iyer, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Nitish Rana, 6 Eoin Morgan (capt), 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Prasidh Krishna, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Probable XI for DC:

1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt/wk), 5 Lalit Yadav, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Avesh Khan

2021-09-27 15:21

Eyeing play-off berth, DC have their nose ahead against KKR

Sharjah, Sep 27 (Cricket News) A dominant Delhi Capitals will fancy their chances of securing a play-off berth when they face Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League here on Tuesday.

A cloud of uncertainty over KKR's injured all-rounder Andre Russell's participation gives Delhi more reasons to feel optimistic ahead of their afternoon match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Eyeing a maiden title triumph, DC are on a roll having dominated most of their opponents with an aggressive brand of cricket this season, and look pretty confident of not just making the play-offs but also doing one better than last year when they lost to Mumbai Indians in the summit showdown.

DC are placed second in the pecking order with eight wins and 16 points from 10 outings, while two-time winners KKR find themselves in the fourth position with four wins and six defeats.

While the Delhi Capitals are coming off a crushing win over Rajasthan Royals in the previous outing, KKR will enter the game after having suffered a reversal at the hands of Chennai Super Kings, despite setting a stiff target of 172 on Abu Dhabi's big ground.

KKR missed Russell towards the end after he walked off the field with a hamstring problem, having bowled three decent overs.

In his absence, Prasidh Krishna was given the responsibility of bowling the 19th over and even though he has impressed with his death bowling in the past, he had no answer to a marauding Ravindra Jadeja on Sunday.

Up against one of the in-form teams of this edition, KKR will have their task cut out when they take to the field against DC.

Eoin Morgan and his team know there will be very little margin for error as they head into a game which is more crucial from their point of view as far as keeping their play-offs prospects are concerned.

KKR will have to deliver on all fronts if they are to challenge the might of Delhi Capitals, who are led by the dynamic Rishabh Pant and flooded at the moment with in-form players.

The likes of Morgan, Dinesh Karthik, Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer and Shubman Gill will have to fire in unison to ensure that the team is able to compete in batting.

Rahul Tripathi will enter the game with some confidence, having top-scored with a brisk 45 against CSK. Then, the bowlers will have to stick to the plans.

DC, on the other hand, are sitting pretty at the moment.

They put up a stellar display to beat Rajasthan Royals in the last outing and going by their form, DC are likely to continue in the same vein.

The likes of Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw and Shimron Hetmyer form a very formidable group with the bat.

While in bowling, the guile of spin duo Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel is being complemented well by the pace and bounce of Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada and Avesh Khan.

Teams (from): Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, Ripal Patel, Shikhar Dhawan, Shimrom Hetmyar, Shreyas Iyer, Steve Smith, Amit Mishra, Anrich Nortje, Avesh Khan, Ben Dwarshuis, Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Kulwant Khejroliya, Lukman Meriwala, Pravin Dubey, Tom Curran, Umesh Yadav, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Marcus Stoinis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sam Billings and Vishnu Vinod.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (captain), Dinesh Karthik, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathy, Shubman Gill, Harbhajan Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Pawan Negi, M Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Dube, Tim Southee, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russel, Ben Cutting, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sheldon Jackson, Tim Seifert.

Match starts at 3.30PM IST.

Also Read : Selection not in my hand: Harshal on not making World Cup squad

News Source : PTI

2021-09-27 11:02

Jadeja cameo helps Chennai Super Kings beat KKR by two-wickets

Abu Dhabi, Sep 26 (Cricket News) Ravindra Jadeja won a close match for Chennai Super Kings for the umpteenth time as his back-end pyrotechnics ensured a two-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League thriller here on Sunday.

Jadeja (22 off 8 balls) launched into pacer Prasidh Krishna, who bowled the 19th over, where the pacer lost his length completely under the Saurashtra all-rounder's onslaught with CSK reaching the target of 172 in exactly 20 overs.

Instead of bowling yorkers, Krishna repeatedly bowled length balls as Jadeja hit two sixes and two boundaries to make it a cakewalk in the final over. Krishna conceded 22 runs in the penultimate over to leave CSK with four runs to get in the final over.

But there was more drama in store as Sam Curran and Jadeja were snuffed out by Sunil Narine before Deepak Chahar ended the match with a single.

However KKR skipper Eoin Morgan's captaincy left a lot to be desired as the decision to bring in Krishna in the 19th over would be debated. Morgan in his defence could sight Anre Russell's injury being the reason but Narine in the 19th over could have posed more challenge for a rampaging Jadeja.

The win also meant that CSK remained unbeaten after the IPL resumed and once again were back at the top in the pecking order, with 16 points.

In pursuit of a challenging 172, CSK were down and out at 142/6 before Jadeja took the onus on himself.

KKR had posted 171/6, as they rode on late flourish by former skipper Dinesh Karthik and Nitish Rana after the foundation was laid by Rahul Tripathi (45).

CSK wasn’t able to capitalise on the aggressive 74-run opening start given by Ruturaj Gaikwad (40 off 28 balls; 2 fours and 3 sixes) and South African Faf Du Plessis (43; seven fours).

KKR pegged CSK by sending both the openers back in quick succession. CSK then suffered a middle-order collapse. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy had got KKR back into the game by dismissing Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Earlier, former skipper Dinesh Karthik's late cameo and Nitish Rana's steady long handle took Kolkata Knight Riders to a par-score of 171 against Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League encounter on Sunday.

Seamer Shardul Thakur (2/20 in 4 overs) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/21 in 4 overs) performed impressively to keep KKR under leash till the 13th over when they were 93 for 4.

However, the last seven overs yielded 78 runs and KKR were able to put on a more than fighting score largely due to Sam Curran (0/56 in 4overs) leaking runs at the back end. Even Josh Hazlewood (2/40 in 4 overs) got a bit of stick helping KKR's cause.

The platform was laid by Rahul Tripathi (45 off 33), who hit four boundaries and one six but it was the CSK bowlers, who kept making inroads and did not allow the KKR batsmen to either free their arms or settle down.

Opting to bat, Kolkata lost opener Shubman Gill (9) in the first over after a horrible mix-up with Venkatesh Iyer.

One-down Tripathi and in-form Venkatesh Iyer (18) tried to resurrect the innings but the southpaw was unable to convert his start after he nicked one to Mahendra Singh Dhoni off Thakur.

Tripathi, who fetched his first boundary, an imperious pull shot over mid-wicket, also got a 'life' after the ball on which he had nicked, was adjudged as a 'no-ball'. Off the very next one, he smashed his first maximum over deep extra cover.

Skipper Eoin Morgan (8) also fell cheaply as he holed to Du Plessis off Josh Hazlewood as KKR was in spot of bother at 70/3. Tripathi also fell in the 13th over, as he was cleaned up by left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja as KKR slipped to 89/4.

Then Andre Russell (20) took on Sam Curran in the 15th over, smacking two fours and a monstrous six, as KKR fetched 14 runs. But Shardul Thakur forced Russell to drag one back onto his stumps.

Then it was the Rana and Karthik show that took them past 170.

Also Read : Batsmen gave us good feedback on bowling right lengths against RR: DC pacer Nortje

News Source : PTI

2021-09-25 18:50

Chennai boy Varun Chakravarthy pose biggest threat for Chennai Super Kings

Abu Dhabi, Sep 25 (Cricket News) Varun Chakravarthy's extra bounce and unpredictable angles will keep the Chennai Super Kings batsmen on tenterhooks as they take on Kolkata Knight Riders in a high-octane Indian Premier League encounter here on Sunday.

On a roll post IPL's resumption, both Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders would look to continue their winning streak when the two most impressive sides of the tournament's second phase lock horns against each other in the second double header.

Both CSK and KKR have registered two wins out of as many games post IPL's resumption in the UAE, and the two sides would be desperate to outwit each other in their bid to register a hat-trick of victories.

However Chakravarthy, who had tormented the CSK batters during last season in UAE will like to once again ask probing questions to the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni on tracks where the ball would occasionally grip and come onto the bat slower than expected.

Another common factor post the tournament's resumption is that CSK and KKR have registered both their thumping wins against Royal Challengers Bangalore and defending champions Mumbai Indians.

While CSK beat MI and RCB by 20 runs and seven wickets respectively, KKR tamed RCB and MI by nine and seven wickets respectively.

But it is in the standings where CSK hold an edge over KKR. While the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side is atop the pecking order with 14 points from nine games, KKR is at the fourth spot with eight points from the same number of matches.

Young Gaikwad has been ominous form at the top. After scoring a match-winning unbeaten 88 off 58 balls against MI, he made quick 38 against RCB on Friday and in the company of Faf du Plessis provided a good start for the team while chasing 157. And Dhoni would want the youngster to continue in the same vein.

After an unimpressive outing against MI, CSK batters lifted their game with Du Plessis (31), Moeen Ali (23), Ambati Rayudu (32), Suresh Raina (17 not out), Dhoni (11) all getting starts.

But it is the performance of the bowling unit which should be lauded as the bowlers were upto their task for the second consecutive match to hand CSK its seventh win of the season.

Dwayne Bravo (3/24) was brilliant with the ball against RCB, while Shardul Thakur (2/29) and Deepak Chahar (1/35) provided good support to the West Indian.

KKR, on the other hand, had a dream start to the second leg after struggled in the first phase.

KKR is looking a completely different unit, in the manner in which they defeated RCB and MI.

Rookie Venketesh Iyer had impressed all and sundry with his stroke making in his first two IPL games. While he made a 27-ball 41 in KKR's 93-run chase against RCB, in the game against MI the opener made 53 off 30 balls.

Shubman Gill is also in fine form and with Rahul Tripathi (74 not out off 42) to coming good, KKR's batting looks in safe hands.

The tall opener Venkatesh will face a different kind of challenge when Deepak Chahar starts swinging the ball both ways which will also test his skills considering he doesn't have a distinct footwork whole playing the faster bowlers.

But skipper Eoin Morgan would be desperate to return among runs.

On the bowling front, Varun Chakravarthy, star all-rounder Andre Russell, Lockie Ferguson, Sunil Narine and Prasidh Krishna would hope to continue their fine show.

KKR will hope to continue playing in the aggressive fashion and win the title just like the 2014 edition when they notched nine victories in a row.

Teams (From): Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (Captain) Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir, Faf du Plessis, Robin Uthappa, Karn Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Jason Behrendorff, Krishnappa Gowtham, Mitchell Santner, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Hari Nishanth, N Jagadeesan, Cheteshwar Pujara, KM Asif, Harishankar Reddy, Bhagath Varma.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (captain), Dinesh Karthik, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathy, Shubman Gill, Harbhajan Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Pawan Negi, M Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Dube, Tim Southee, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russel, Ben Cutting, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sheldon Jackson, Tim Seifert.

Match starts at 3:30 PM IST.

Also Read : Our players have understood their roles and responsibilities: Dhoni on turnaround

News Source : PTI

2021-09-23 14:15

Mumbai Indians look to bounce back against Kolkata Knight Riders on Match 34

(Cricket news) Mumbai Indians take on Kolkata Knight Riders in an attempt to get back to winning ways after their loss to CSK in the 1st game of phase 2. Kolkata Knight Riders had an amazing start in the phase 2 after a comfortable win against RCB. Eoin Morgan and co. will be looking to continue on the same path.

Mumbai Indians missed Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya in the last game. The pair is deemed fit and available for selection. Their replacements in the side Saurabh Tiwari and Anmolpreet Singh were two of MI's highest scorers in the last game. It'll be interesting to see if they are dropped after.

KKR on the other hand looked like a very balanced side in the first game. Venkatesh Iyer should keep his place in the side after his fine knock against RCB. The only other change could be Sakib Al Hasan coming in place of Sunil Narine to strengthen their batting and bring a little variation to their bowling line-up with a left arm spinner.

Also read: Rajasthan Royals pull off a great escape as Punjab Kings fail to score 8 runs in 2 overs

Head to Head: MI 22 - KKR 6, KKR have always struggled against MI, even during the time when KKR used to be unbeatable they would always struggle against MI.

Pitch & Weather Report: The Sheikh Zayed Stadium is mostly a batting friendly surface so it may assist the batsman again. The temperature is expected to be 34 degrees with 67% humidity and no chances of rain as of now. The hot and humid conditions might play a key role for the spinners.

Interesting facts:

Rohit Sharma is 18 runs away from becoming the first batsman to score 1000 runs against a team in IPL. He has won four Player of the Match awards in MI-KKR contests - the most by any player, followed by three each for Sachin Tendulkar and Hardik Pandya.
While MI haven't won their season opener since 2013, they have come storming back into form in their second match of a season in the five of the last six seasons - four of those wins coming against KKR.
Shubman Gill is set to play his 50th IPL game.
Andre Russell has faced more balls from Jasprit Bumrah than from any other bowler in the IPL, and the Mumbai talisman has come out of that head-to-head with a magnificent record: only 51 runs conceded in 40 balls, and three wickets.

2021-09-22 20:00

The fantastic four who have made a mark in the T20 game for the country and in IPL

(Cricket news) The Indian Premier League finishes on 15th of October and the T20 World Cup begins two days later. The squads have been announced by the teams and the players form in IPL will set the stage for a bigger show while they represent their country. Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Andre Rusell have made major strides in the IPL and are known for their T20 game.

Chris Gayle is no doubt the greatest T20 batsmen, the power he holds while comfortably guiding the ball out of the stadium is simply something to admire and to ponder upon. Gayle has been part of the IPL since 2009 and holds multiple records in the league. He has hit a record 357 sixes and also has the highest score in the league of 175 not out, Gayle is the flagbearer of T20 cricket and has been the most attacking player. The 6 foot three inch batsmen does not have the need to run between the pitch instead scores in boundaries and is one of the strongest players in the game. He scored the first international T20 century in 2007 against South Africa in the World Cup and will play a vital role in this year’s World Cup.

Dwayne Bravo is one of the superstars in Chennai Super Kings and has established himself as one the finest bowlers in IPL. He has the record of taking the most wickets in a single season of the league, he had 32 wickets in the 2013 season. His unreadable slow balls leave the batsmen stumped and are unable to score while he is in form, the T20 game requires heavy striking with the bat and the ball and Bravo has the ability to do both. With the ball he is deadly especially in the death overs and with the bat can play cameos and hit maximums. He is also one of the most athletic players on the team and can move around quickly in the field.

Andre Russell will be always remembered for his 2019 season with Kolkata Knight Riders as raged up a storm in the season. He scored 510 runs while batting at number 6 and smacked 52 sixes in 249 balls in the season. He does not take any time to adjust in the pitch, the bat straight away goes for the big ones and can chase any target when in form no matter who he is up against. Russell is a pacer too and can bowl around 140 km/ hour, in the 2018 season his fastest ball was recorded at 147.73 km/hour and can send the stumps on a roll.

Kieron Pollard is the biggest of the four as he is 6ft f5 inches tall and does justice to his giant stature. He will be captaining the West Indies team in the T20 World Cup and is the perfect candidate in the format. He has played over 500 T20 matches making him one of the most experienced players in the shortest format and has played explosive knocks for the Mumbai Indians. Pollard is known to clear the boundaries casually, he has the two biggest sixes this season and both over 100m which shows his raw strength. He is known to provide the last minute show for the team and can chase huge targets under pressure, he is also known for his fielding and shows no fear to dive to take superhuman catches.

The West Indies is the only team to win the T20 World Cup twice and will look to capture their third title. Their domination in the T20 format reminds the world of how they were on top of the game in the 1970s when Vivian Richards, Clive Llyod along with Malcolm Marshall and Michael Holding were a deadly combination and could disarm the opposition while striking fear in the pitch. After so long the current players will try to bring glory and make history in the shortest format of the game.

Also read: The test of speed and skill in Indian Premier League, bowlers taking over the game

2021-09-22 14:05

MI eye improved batting effort against rejuvenated KKR

Abu Dhabi, Sep 22 (Cricket News) Defending champions Mumbai Indians would look for inspiration from skipper Rohit Sharma, who is set to return to action, when they take on a rejuvenated Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League match here on Thursday.

Mumbai were without the services of Rohit and star all-rounder Hardik Pandya in their 20-run defeat to Chennai Super Kings on Sunday as both were rested as a precautionary measure due to having niggles. However, head coach Mahela Jayawardene has said Rohit should be fit and available for selection for the match against KKR.

KKR, on the other hand, have registered a dominating nine-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in their opening game of the second leg of the league.

Mumbai, who are currently placed fourth in the table with eight points, began their second leg campaign in a typical slow manner but with only half the tournament left to play, the defending champions need to win to stay in the top half of the league table.

Rohit, who has been in fine touch of late, will be expected to continue in the same vein and help his side make amends of the inept batting performance against CSK. Apart from Saurabh Tewary, who hit an unbeaten half century, none of the other batsmen were able to capitalize on their starts against CSK, failing to chase down 156.

On the other hand, the comprehensive win would have boosted KKR’s confidence. Having struggled in the first leg, KKR looked a completely different unit, in the manner in which they defeated RCB.

The Eoin Morgan-led side, placed sixth in the points table, fired on all cylinders with mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy and star all-rounder Andre Russell wreaking havoc with the ball before openers Shubman Gill and debutant Venkatesh Iyer chased down the 93-run target with 10 overs to spare.

Skipper Morgan had said that KKR would be dangerous opponents with nothing to lose in the second leg and the team certainly looked menacing against RCB. They will hope to continue playing in a similar aggressive fashion and win the title just like 2014 edition when they notched nine victories in a row.

They will also hold the edge over their rivals having already experienced the conditions at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium against RCB.

The Teams (from): Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (captain), Dinesh Karthik, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathy, Shubman Gill, Harbhajan Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Pawan Negi, M Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Dube, Tim Southee, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russel, Ben Cutting, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sheldon Jackson, Tim Seifert.

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (captain) Quinton de Kock, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Aditya Tare, Anmolpreet Singh, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Anukul Roy, Arjun Tendulkar, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, James Neesham, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Marco Jansen, Yudhvir Singh, Adam Milne, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohsin Khan, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult.

Match starts at 7:30PM IST.

Also Read : Special to change game myself after watching others do it: Tyagi

News Source : PTI

2021-09-20 15:00

IPL: Kolkata Knight Riders meet Royal Challengers Bangalore in match 31 of the season

(Cricket news) KKR meet RCB at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, in what is a must win match for KKR. RCB on the other hand will be looking to continue their first phase form and hopefully go on run to win their maiden IPL trophy. Brendon McCullum's side lost five matches in the first phase as this unwanted break will act as a blessing in disguise for KKR, now that the players and coaches had time to reflect on the early tournament failures, the only option for them is to start winning all the matches if they stand a chance to qualify for the playoffs.

RCB on the other hand will have a lot of new faces in the camp as Adam Zampa, Finn Allen, Kane Richardson and Daniel Sams all opted out of the tournament. RCB have recruited the world no 2 T20 bowler Wanindu Hasaranga who can be their x factor heading into the tournament, the slow pitches along with playing at these venues not long back will certainly assist RCB. One area that RCB needs to improve is its death bowling if they are to challenge for the title, after the Chennai leg the RCB bowlers have leaked 12.10 runs per over and picked up only 5 wickets in the death overs. Purple cap holder Harshal Patel and Kyle Jamieson will have a lot of responsibility to tighten things up.

KKR need their foreigners to perform to their potential if they stand any chance of qualification. They have lost their star player Pat Cummins who had figures of 3/24 when they last faced each other in the first phase of the tournament, KKR management have replaced Cummins with Tim Southee who shares a close relationship with Brendon McCullum. The West Indies duo of Sunil Narine and Dre Russ hold the key to success if they are to find a result against this in form Bangalore team, Narine holds a good head to head record against AB de Villiers as he has been dismissed 3 times in 53 balls conceding only 64 runs.

Also read: KKR is now dangerous side with nothing to lose, says Morgan

Head to head: KKR 14 - 13 RCB. The last time these two sides met, RCB scored 204 runs and won that match pretty comfortably by 38 runs.

Pitch & Weather Report: The Sheikh Zayed Stadium is mostly a batting friendly surface so it may assist the batsman again. The temperature is expected to be 34 degrees with 67% humidity and no chances of rain as of now. The hot and humid conditions might play a key role for the spinners.

Interesting facts:

Both Russell and Narine have strike rates of over 200 against RCB
De Villiers has now struck three consecutive fifties against KKR
Kohli is set to make his 200th appearance for RCB
Kohli is also 71 runs shy of scoring 10,000 runs in T20’s

Probable XI for KKR:

1 Nitish Rana, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Sunil Narine, 8 Lockie Ferguson, 9 Kamlesh Nagarkoti/Shivam Mavi, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Prasidh Krishna

Probable XI for RCB:

1 Virat Kohli (capt), 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 3 Rajat Patidar, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 Shahbaz Ahmed, 7 Kyle Jamieson, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

2021-09-18 20:00

Harshal Patel leading the race for purple cap in first phase of Indian Premier League

(Cricket news) The 14th season of IPL will see its second phase starting from 19th of September. The top 10 of all time wicket takers are dominated by the spinners as there are only three pacers, Lasith Malinga is on the top with 170 wickets and Amit Mishra will look to overtake him this season as Mishra needs five more wickets to become the leading wicket taker. Only two spinners have managed to win the purple cap, Pragyan Ojha in 2010 and Imran Tahir in 2019. Dwayne Bravo has taken the most wickets in a single season as he won the purple cap in 2013 with 32 wickets.

Harshal Patel: Royal Challengers Bangalore

Harshal is having his best season by picking up 17 wickets in seven matches as he leads the list of wicket takers in the first phase of IPL. He and Andre Russell are the only bowlers to take a five wicket haul so far in this season. Harshal created chaos in the opening game against Mumbai Indians as he took three wickets in the last over while conceding a single run. He will look to break Bravo’s record as there are seven more matches and he needs 15 more wickets. Although he proved to be economical in the beginning, he has leaked the second most runs in the league this season after Shardul Thakur.

Avesh Khan: Delhi Capitals

Avesh Khan is placed second in the list as he has taken 14 wickets from eight matches. He has been bowling well in every match and has leaked minimal runs. He has the ability to trouble the batsman with his pace as well as the length. The T20 format requires sharp bowling and Avesh does have the potential to stop the run scoring. He has bowled 72 dot balls this season and is fourth on the list.

Chris Morris: Rajasthan Royals

Chris Morris is currently third having picked up 14 wickets in seven matches. He had taken fifteen wickets in the 2013 season in sixteen matches and will be able to finish strong this time. He is the most expensive player as he was bought by the team for a price of 16.25 crores. He does have a lot of expectations to fulfil and is so far performing well for the team. He has bowled 63 dot balls this season and bowled 18 dot balls against Kolkata Knight Riders while picking up four wickets.

Rahul Chahar: Mumbai Indians

Rahul Chahar has been one of the most economical bowlers this season as he has not only reduced the run flow but has also picked up wickets. He has 11 scalps from seven games and looks promising as the second phase will test his potential. He cleaned the top four batsmen from the Kolkata Knight Riders which played a major part as Mumbai won the match by 10 runs.

Rashid Khan: Sunrisers Hyderabad

Rashid Khan has been the most economical bowler out of the top five as he has given away only 172 runs while taking 10 wickets. He is one of the top bowlers in the game and has been phenomenal with the bowl although the others have failed to do well. It will be a shame if Sunrisers don’t finish in the top four as Rashid is a player who can trouble any of the batsmen and can defend low totals.

Also read: The top five run scorers in the first phase of the Indian Premier League

2021-09-17 19:00

IPL: Can Kolkata Knight Riders do the impossible and qualify for the playoffs?

(Cricket news) KKR haven't really hit the ground running this first half of the season, too many inconstient performances has led the team down and now require a herculean effort to qualify for the playoffs. The Knights basically have to win 6 out of their 7 matches to stand any chances to make it to the playoffs in the second half of the season. The two time champions will be without their primer fast bowler Pat Cummins who opted out of the IPL to focus on the T20 World Cup and Ashes. KKR have played 7 matches and have won 2 and lost 5 as they lie 7th in the table

One thing KKR have shown this season is that they were giving consistent runs at specific roles, last year apart from Shubman Gill, no one had a fixed batting position in the team. Although this season they have stuck with Gill-Rana-Tripathi combination in the top order followed by Morgan-Russell-Karthik trio but the issue is that they looked good individually but as a eleven they haven't clicked in unison. They have had games where the top order performs but the middle order fails and vice versa. Cummins was arguably their best player in the Indian leg, picking up 9 wickets and scoring valuable runs in the lower order but him pulling out will serve as a massive jolt to the franchise. They have replaced Cummins with New Zealand T20 captain Tim Southee.

The problem with the first half of the season was that the team didn’t click on both fronts, either some matches their batting was good or bowling was bad. The main Achilles heel for this team is the inability to strike at regular intervals as in the last season KKR picked up the fewest wickets, a trend which continued this season as well. Their pacers have struggled to pick up wickets in the powerplay (3 wickets in 7 innings during the powerplay) this has hampered the spinners in the middle overs as the batsman usually used to get settled in.

Also read: KKR's Morgan, McCullum excited about playing in front of fans

The only positive heading into the tournament is the form of Russell and Narine as they both had a good CPL. The added benefit of Varun Chakravarthy getting selected for the T20 World Cup should act as a catalyst to perform better and showcase his talent to the Indian fans. Last season, Chakravarthy finished the season with 17 wickets as the slow turning pitches as well as his variations helped baamboozle the batsmans. KKR need a miraculous performance as their coach Bredon McCullum stated that they were “paralysed by the fear of failure” during the first half of the season as the second half of the season they need to rectify their mistakes as well as play fearless cricket as they have nothing to lose. KKR take on RCB on 20th September

Probable XI for the game:
1 Shubman Gill, 2 Nitish Rana, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Sunil Narine, 8 Prasidh Krishna, 9 Shivam Mavi, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

2021-09-09 13:08

King takes Guyana into top-4 at Hero CPL, Jamaica improve play-off chances

St. Kitts and Nevis, Sep 9 (Cricket news): Guyana Amazon Warriors rode on a fighting batting performance from Brandon King to move back into the top four of Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) table with a 17-run victory over the Saint Lucia Kings.

The Amazon Warriors won the toss and elected to bat first. They overcame an early loss to post a competitive 151 for six led by Brandon King (77).

Guyana needing a win to get back into the loop for the play-offs, lost three early wickets in the PowerPlay as Wahab Riaz and Jeavor Royal made early inroads. King rescued the Amazon Warriors with his first Hero CPL 50 of the season but other than Nicholas Pooran’s 25 no batsmen was able to stick with King. Once King fell, Odean Smith was able to add some sixes to take Guyana to a challenging 151.

Saint Lucia Kings were circumspect in their reply and were three down with 43 on the board. Gudakesh Motie’s tight spin bowling saw him take two for 12 from his four overs.

Roston Chase and Tim David put together an aggressive 75 from 63 balls but just then Naveen Ul-Haq and Odean Smith bowled four excellent overs to seal two crucial points for the Amazon Warriors.

Brief scoresGuyana Amazon Warriors 151/6 (King 77, Pooran 25; Wahab 2/16, Royal 2/17) beat Saint Lucia Kings 134/6 (David 47*, Chase 40; Motie 2/12, Smith 2/12) by 17 runs ********* In the other match, Jamaica Tallawahs once again beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots with a 22 run victory at Warner Park.

The Patriots won the toss and opted to bowl, yet the Tallawahs were able to post a sizeable score of 169/8, largely thanks to some power hitting from captain Rovman Powell and Andre Russell.

The Patriots were unable to accelerate and chase the total as Tallawah bowlers Imad Wasim, Veerasammy Permaul and Migael Pretorius helped produce a disciplined bowling performance which earned the franchise their third win of the season.

Kennar Lewis and youngster Kirk McKenzie batting through the first five overs gave Tallawahs a steady start. Shamarh Brooks top scored with 43 runs from 39 balls to consolidate, before Powell and Russell hit fast runs to take the score to a substantial total.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in contrast had an indifferent start, losing batsman Evin Lewis in the second over, followed by captain Chris Gayle.

Devon Thomas and Joshua da Silva tried building a foundation but wickets tumbled and only Dominic Drakes later on in the innings was able to strike at the required velocity to chase the target, hitting 22 runs from just 12 balls. Once Drakes was out all hopes of a Patriots win evaporated.

Jamaica Tallawahs 169/8 (Brooks 43, Powell 37, Russell 28; Fawad 2/14, Jaggesar 2/20) beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 147/8 (Thomas 35, da Silva 28; Pretorius 3/26, Permaul 2/31) by 22 runs.

Also read: Will not host Afghanistan men's team in November if women are not allowed to compete: CA

News source:PTI

2021-08-28 12:37

CPL: Jamaica and Trinbago score first wins

St Kitts & Nevis, Aug 28 (Cricket news) Andre Russell bludgeoned his way to a record 14-ball unbeaten 50 as Jamaica Tallawahs hammered St Lucia Kings by 120 runs in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) here.

It was the biggest win in CPL history by run-margin.

Jamaica were 255 for five in 20 overs with the help of useful contributions from all their batters. In reply, the Kings succumbed under the pressure to score and were bowled out for 135.

Put into bat, Jamaica were off to a lightning start, thanks to Kennar Lewis (48 in 22) with five massive sixes.

Chadwick Walton (47), Haider Ali (45) and Rovman Powell (38) also provided valuable contributions. After that it was "Dre Russ show".

Striking at a rate of 357, Russell smashed six maximums and a three fours in his unbeaten 50-run knock.

When the Kings started the chase, wickets fell at regular intervals and they were 56 for 6. Only Tim David (56 in 28) held out for a while.

CPL debutant Migael Pretorius was the star with the ball for the Jamaica and had figures of 4/32 as the Kings stumbled to 135 all out.

Also read: Guyana stun defending champs Trinbago Knight Riders in CPL opener

In another match, defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders, who lost their opening game, quickly got back onto the rails with a six-wicket victory over Barbados Royals.

Barbados Royals won the toss and opted to bat first but the decision didn't go their way as an excellent Trinbago bowling display, led by Isuru Udana's 5/21, restricted them to 122 all out.

In reply, Trinbago initially made hard work of the chase before the experienced duo of Kieron Pollard and Denesh Ramdin saw them home with ease.

The Royals had got off to a steady start reaching 37 runs at the end of the powerplay for the sole loss of Johnson Charles.

However, they could not build on the foundation as Udana's double strike removed Jason Holder and Glenn Phillips in quick succession.

A counter-attacking 30 runs from Azam Khan briefly threatened to help Barbados set an imposing target but Udana's re-entry into the attack led to the dismissal of both Khan and Thisara Perera to complete the first five wicket haul of the CPL season.

Trinbago stuttered in their chase of the target losing three wickets in the powerplay as Mohammed Amir started his spell with laser like accuracy and Oshane Thomas followed that up by getting Tim Seifert to top-edge a rising delivery to deep square leg.

At 38/4 the Knight Riders were in a perilous situation, but captain Pollard took on the responsibility to take the drama out of the chase with a brilliantly constructed 58 runs from 30 balls.

Along with the experienced Ramdin, the pair put on an 87-run partnership from 57 balls to see Trinbago home comfortably.

News source: PTI

2021-07-15 15:30

Brand new cricket format 'The Hundred' signs 5 overseas replacement players

The Hundred is a brand new format for the game of cricket which will start on 21st July. It will be a one-month tournament that will end on 21st August. The tournament will feature 8 new teams that will have players from across the globe. It will also feature both England men and women World Cup winners. The format is simple: each team will have 100 balls, whoever scores more wins.

As per the latest cricket news, 5 new overseas players have signed as replacements for The Hundred. Hayley Matthews will be joining Welsh Fire. The West Indies allrounder and T20 World Cup winner will be replacing Sune Luss who will not be able to travel after being found positive. New Zealand’s Colin de Grandhome will be a part of the Southern Brave team in place of Andre Russell who has pulled out of The Hundred due to international commitments and Guyana’s status on the UK red list.

Wahab Riaz’s visa issue means that Marchant de Lange will start the tournament for Trent Rockets. Kieron Pollard’s injury means that Glenn Phillips will now play the entire tournament for Welsh Fire. Ellyse Perry has withdrawn from the competition due to personal reasons and Katie Mack will replace her at Birmingham Phoenix and Amy Jones will be their captain.

Ollie Pope will miss the initial phase of The Hundred as he recovers from injury, Alice Monaghan will replace Hannah Jones at London Spirit.

Colin de Grandhomme said, “When I got the call to join Southern Brave it was an easy decision. I’ve settled in really well at Hampshire and I’m hoping to create some more fantastic memories at the Ageas Bowl. I’m really looking forward to linking up with Devon Conway again and all of the guys can’t wait to get going.”

Hayley Matthews said, “I’m thrilled to be taking part in The Hundred this summer. It’ll be a lot of fun to play in Cardiff alongside the like of Sarah Taylor in front of big crowds. The Hundred can help move women’s cricket forward and it’ll be great to take part.”

Beth Barrett-Wild, Head of The Hundred Women’s Competition said, “I’m gutted for Suné Luus, I know how excited she was about playing for Welsh Fire in The Hundred this summer, but we all wish her a very speedy recovery. In Hayley Matthews we have a big stage player, in brilliant form, coming in, and I’m sure she will be looking forward to the opportunity to show off her skills.”

2021-06-10 20:01

Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj has shown remarkable improvement, should play World Test Championship final: Harbhajan Singh

New Delhi, Jun 10 Pacer Mohammed Siraj's "remarkable improvement" should be rewarded with a place in the playing XI in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand, reckons former India spinner Harbhajan Singh.

Harbhajan also says young opener Shubman Gill must get back to his groove after a cheap run against England and in the IPL at home since a good is paramount in seam and swing friendly conditions in England.

Asked about his preferred team combination for the final, Harbhajan gave his reason why he feels Siraj can pip Ishant for a place in the final XI.

"If I was the captain, I would go with three pure fast bowlers. In that case, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami pick themselves. In this final, I would like to go with Mohammed Siraj ahead of Ishant Sharma," Harbhajan told PTI on Thursday.

"Ishant is a brilliant bowler but for this game, my choice is Siraj, who has shown remarkable improvement in the last two years." For Harbhajan, a player's current form should always be taken into account and that's where Siraj, whose five-wicket haul in Brisbane was crucial in India's series win, should get a look-in.

"You have to look at present scenario. Siraj's form, pace and confidence makes him a better choice for this final match. The kind of form he is in last six months, he looks like a bowler who is hungry for his chances. Ishant has gone through some injuries of late but has been a great servant of Indian cricket no doubt," the off-spinner said.

"If you leave some grass on the surface, Siraj with his pace will be lethal. Trust me, New Zealand batters won't find him easy as he not only hits the deck but also gets to move the ball off the pitch at brisk pace. He can create awkward angles for batsmen," India's third highest wicket-taker in Test cricket observed.

What has impressed Harbhajan most is the this year's IPL where Siraj troubled Andre Russell during a Kolkata Knight Riders versus Royal Challengers Bangalore game.

"I saw him during 2019 when Russell blasted him to all corners of the ground. This year I saw him bowl some really accurate yorkers and consistently hitting the right spot ball after ball. The pace has also increased.

"Russell was beaten for pace during a couple of deliveries. It's the confidence that he gained by playing for India. He would look into batsmen's eyes and batters are on back-foot." On Gill, Harbhajan believes that the talented Punjab lad would have certainly worked on his flaws and hoped he would come out all guns blazing during the next three months in England.

"A good first innings score of 375 to 400 will set up the match nicely for Indian pace attack. But for that Gill needs to bat well. Rohit has had enormous white ball success in England during World Cup and he is an experienced hand.

"You don't want a situation where Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara are every time walking in at 15 for 2. You should also give a start which allows them to build and consolidate." The cold conditions in Southampton might not be too conducive for spinners with the pitch expected to remain solid throughout the course but Harbhajan feels that two spinners in five-man attack is the way forward if Hardik Pandya is not there.

"You play two spinners when the climate is on the hotter side. The cracks will appear and they will both be effective. If it remains on the cooler side, the pitch which comprises mainly of black soil won't break." "They can take a final call factoring in the weather just before the game and also taking the five-day forecast into the account. I don't see a case for four pacers with no Hardik Pandya in the set-up. You can only play four pacers if the pitch can't be distinguished from the outfield," he explained.

The veteran of 103 Tests believes that Ravindra Jadeja's batting skills and spin ability makes him an automatic choice for number seven.

"If you look at Jaddu's batting performances in England, it's as good as anyone. He has multiple half centuries and he is top class bowling operator. The moment you don't have Hardik to lend balance, Jaddu automatically fits," he said.

Also the fact that two spinners will give Kohli a chance to rotate the fast bowlers for effective short bursts.

"But yes, how much they will come into play if it's cold remains a question as there might not be much help from the surface. Two spinners always gives you chance to rotate your fast bowlers while playing four fast men means one will certainly be under-bowled." New source PTI

2021-04-28 12:25

KKR's floundering batting faces strong DC test

Ahmedabad, Apr 28 Kolkata Knight Riders' floundering batting will be put to test once again as they look to build a winning momentum against a star-studded Delhi Capitals in their Indian Premier League match here on Thursday.

KKR's batting woes emanate right from the top with the highly talented Shubman Gill continuing his poor run -- 89 runs from six outings.

While their bowling, especially the 'master-apprentice' spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, have done an excellent job in restricting the oppositions, KKR's top-order batting has hurt them the most.

Chasing an easy 124 against Punjab Kings in their last match, KKR's top-order cut a sorry figure to be at 17 for 3 inside three overs before skipper Eoin Morgan led from the front to snap their four-match losing streak.

Against a DC batting line-up boasting tournament's leading run getter Shikhar Dhawan (265 runs), Prithvi Shaw, Steve Smith and the dangerous Rishabh Pant, KKR can't afford any more slip-up if they want to continue their ascent in the IPL points table.

First-up, Morgan will have to fix the Gill conundrum. With scores of 15, 33, 21, 0, 11 and 9, the opener has failed to impress, extending his poor run of form from the England Test series.

It would not be a bad ploy to drop Gill down the order and bring back Narine to open with Rahul Tripathi, something that was suggested by the legendary Sunil Gavaskar.

The top-order reshuffle may be the way forward as the likes of Morgan, Andre Russell and Dinesh Karthik looked to have found their mojo in the middle.

Thursday's clash will see a mini battle between the Caribbean duo of Russell and Shimron Hetmyer who will be anxious to do well after the Capitals suffered an agonising one-run defeat against Royal Challengers Bangalore here on Tuesday.

Chasing 172 for a win, the Capitals were struggling at 92 for 4 but Hetmyer upped the ante in company of his captain and another left-hander Pant as the duo smashed explosive half-centuries but only to go down in a last-ball thriller.

Russell too looked in his elements when he smashed Chennai Super Kings bowlers all around the park in his 22-ball 54 but only in a losing cause. It remains to be seen who among the Caribbean duo wins the battle on Thursday.

After Ravichandran Ashwin's pulling out, the Capitals' bowling got a boost from Ishant Sharma who cleaned up the in-form Devdutt Padikkal with a peach of a delivery en route to a tidy 1/26.

KKR batting will be put to test against the likes of Ishant, Kagiso Rabada and young gun Avesh Khan, while the spin duo of Amit Mishra and Axar Patel will also look to make an impact.

The Teams (From): Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (c/w), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, Shams Mulani, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings and Aniruddha Joshi.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Tim Seifert, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Mavi, Lockie Ferguson, Pat Cummins, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Sandeep Warrier, Prasidh Krishna, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Shakib Al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Harbhajan Singh, Karun Nair, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer and Pawan Negi.

Match starts at 7.30pm IST. News Source : PTI

2021-04-27 09:45

Captain Morgan, bowlers beat Monday blues to get past Punjab Kings

Ahmedabad, Apr 26 Skipper Eoin Morgan brought in a sense of calm after early jitters as Kolkata Knight Riders didn't let a brilliant bowling performance go in vain during their easy five-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in an IPL encounter on Monday.

After the bowlers put up a splendid show to restrict Punjab Kings to 123 for 9, KKR scored the runs in 16.4 overs with skipper Morgan remaining unbeaten on 47 off 40 balls.

For KKR, it was a collective bowling performance with Prasidh Krishna (3/30), Pat Cummins (2/31) and Sunil Narine (2/22) choked Punjab after the young Shivam Mavi (1/13) bowled an astounding 15 dot balls in his four over spell.

KKR has now ended their four-match losing streak and are placed fifth with four points from six games. Punjab Kings slipped a notch behind and are now at sixth place.

Chasing the paltry target on a dew-laden Motera, KKR found themselves in familiar territory as they lost top-three for 17 runs inside three overs.

But Morgan (4x4, 2x6) showed perfect intent to seize control with Rahul Tripathi in a 66-run partnership off 48 balls as KKR sealed the issue in 16.4 overs to return to winning ways.

Morgan pulled Shami over square to get off the mark with a maximum and there was no looking back.

He along with Tripathi used their feet and kept charging the Punjab bowlers as they just needed 48 runs in the final-10.

Tripathi could not finish it after an impressive 32-ball 41 as there was a bit of a blip with Andre Russell departing in addition of 15 runs but Morgan and Dinesh Karthik ensured that there's no further damage to cruise home with 20 balls to spare.

Earlier, Rana got out for a golden duck in the first over, gifting his wicket to Moises Henriques, chipping a wide full toss straight to Shahrukh Khan at cover.

Then the Indian cricket's blue-eyed boy, Gill, continued his woeful run after showing some glimpses of his class, trapped by Mohammed Shami.

Ravi Bishnoi then produced a spectacular diving catch, sprinting about 30 metres to dismiss Sunil Narine for a duck.

Earlier, youngster Mavi started it all, tying things down with the new ball, bowling 15 dot balls in his four overs on the trot, before Cummins and Prasidh tightened the noose sharing five wickets between them at the death.

The pace troika removed the top three KL Rahul (19), Chris Gayle (0) and Deepak Hooda (1) in space of 12 balls for six runs to leave PBKS in a disarray in the first 10 overs.

On a pitch, where the ball stayed low and gripped a bit, the Punjab batsmen failed to apply themselves with Sunil Narine (2/22) and Varun Chakravarthy (1/24) further denting their progress during the middle overs as well as back-end.

Prasidh had the best figures as he ended Chris Jordan's 18-ball 30 cameo which took the total past the 120-run mark.

Mavi capped a fine opening spell of four overs dismissing Chris Gayle for a golden duck with the 'Universe Boss' taking a bottom edge.

Bowling with the new ball, the youngster was superb in the Powerplay, conceding just nine runs from his three overs, never allowing the two star Punjab openers, Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul, to express themselves.

The pressure was evident on Rahul when he perished after trying to break free against Cummins in the final over of Powerplay.

The dangerous Deepak Hooda (1) got out courtesy a stunning low catch by Eoin Morgan as Punjab had a terrible start losing three wickets in 12 balls for six runs.

Amid ruins, opener Mayank Agarwal scored a painstaking 31 off 34 balls which also halted the team's momentum.

At that point, Morgan used Narine to great effect as the Trinidadian dismissed Agarwal and Moises Henriques in successive overs to push them behind further. News Source : PTI

2021-04-26 16:13

IPL Match 18: Marvellous Morris guides RR to a 6 wicket win against KKR

Chris Morris starred for the second time this season for his side to show the world why Rajasthan Royals didn't hesitate to spend a whopper on him at the IPL auctions earlier this year and powered the Royals to thrash Kolkata Knight Riders by 6 wickets at the Wankhede stadium on Saturday.

Chasing a below par target of 134 runs at the Mumbai strip, Rajasthan walked into the field with a new opening combination of Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, the Royals did not get an ideal start as Butter fell prey to Varun Chakravarthy in the 4th over after scoring just 5 off 7. Jaiswal did look in great touch as he scored 22 runs off 17 balls with 5 boundaries, but the youngster couldn't convert his start into a big score and got out to Shivam Mavi, who came in the side replacing Kamlesh Nagarkoti, in the fifth over.

RR captain Sanju Samson truly led from the front with his responsible inning to ensure two crucial points for his struggling side. He received good support from the other end by David Miller that guided RR to the finish line in the 19th over. Sanju Samson scored 42 off 41 balls without taking many chances and remained till the end to clinch this crucial win for the Royals. Miller scored 24 off 23 with 4 fours. Shivam Dube's 22 runs off 18 balls featuring 2 fours and a six also accounted for a significant contribution as the Royals sealed the victory by 6 wickets with 7 balls left.

Earlier RR had won the toss and invited KKR to bat first. KKR were off to a slow start as their openers despite taking their time at the crease couldn't score big. Shubnam Gill was the first to fall after getting run out by Jos Buttler, scoring 11 runs off 19 balls. Nitish Rana fell prey to Chetan Sakariya as he scored 22 of 25 balls. RR bowlers put up a disciplined show restricting the KKR scoring rate. Rahul Tripathi was the top scorer for his side with his 36 runs off 22 balls that featured 1 four and 2 sixes, followed by Dinesh Karthik who scored 25 runs off 24 balls. Suniel Narine ( 6 off 7 ) skipper Eoin Morgan (0) Andre Russell (9 off 7) all put up disappointing shows. Chris Morris finished his four over spell with the figures of 4/23 that included the crucial wickets of Morgan, Karthik, Russell along with Pat Cummins, who, as evident from his batting against CSK is also capable of inflicting serious damages to the opposition bowlers. RR bowlers thus restricted them to 133/9 in 20 overs in a game where both the teams were desperate for victories to pump life in their derailed IPL campaigns.

2021-04-23 13:00

KKR hope to revive campaign against beleaguered Royals

Mumbai, Apr 23 Bolstered by Pat Cummins' late blitz against Chennai Super Kings, a pumped-up Kolkata Knight Riders will finally look to bring their campaign back on track after a hattrick of defeats when they face a beleaguered Rajasthan Royals in their IPL clash here on Saturday. Big on paper, KKR, led by England's World Cup winning skipper Eoin Morgan, have so far failed to come together as a unit and slipped to sixth in the table after starting the tournament on a high against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Facing bottom-placed Rajasthan Royals, who have been the most inconsistent team so far in the season, KKR will be desperate for a turnaround.The rise of Pat Cummins as a batsman in their 18-run defeat to CSK will provide a big boost but it can't paper over the failure of their star batsmen, who have floundered even while chasing even modest target. The seamers too have leaked runs in the death overs.Having struggled on Chepauk's slow surface, KKR had hoped to return to winning ways at the Wankhede but Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad took their attack to the cleaners and amassed a massive 220 for 3 in their previous match.If that was not all, their famed top-five, including Shubman Gill and Morgan, surrendered inside the Powerplay.Andre Russell and Dinesh Karthik then revived the chase before Cummins produced some sensational powerhitting, slamming a 34-ball 66 not out before running out of partners as KKR finished on 202 after being 31/5 in 5.2 overs. "Everyone's pumped. I am sure if we get a win or two and we will be on our way and flying. I think there's a feeling that we can win from basically anywhere," Cummins had said. The other positive has been Russell's return to form. It was his 54 off 22 balls that had set the tone and it would not be a bad ploy for Morgan to promote the Jamaican up in the order, while Cummins provides late blitz. The skipper will himself look to get back among runs, while he will be equally concerned about Gill, who once again failed to convert his starts and he returned with a golden duck against CSK.Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, are coming into the match after a humiliating 10-wicket loss against RCB. Sanju Samson's men have failed to inspire after posting their only win of the tournament, against Delhi Capitals in their second match. Samson has fizzled out after a blazing 119 against Punjab Kings and the top and middle-order look brittle with Jos Buttler, Manan Vohra and David Miller enduring poor form. Bowling is also a big concern for the inaugural edition champions as their big buy Chris Morris and Mustafizur Rahman have struggled to check runs. They also have limited overseas options with Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes ruled out because of injuries, while Liam Livingstone have left citing bio-bubble fatigue. Squads: Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (c & wk), Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Manan Vohra, Anuj Rawat, Riyan Parag, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Mahipal Lomror, Shreyas Gopal, Mayank Markande, Andrew Tye, Jaydev Unadkat, Kartik Tyagi, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, KC Cariappa, Kuldip Yadav and Akash Singh. Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Tim Seifert, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Mavi, Lockie Ferguson, Pat Cummins, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Sandeep Warrier, Prasidh Krishna, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Shakib Al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Harbhajan Singh, Karun Nair, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer and Pawan Negi. Match starts: 7.30pm IST. News Article : PTI

2021-04-22 12:15

My job quite easy towards end of match: Dhoni after CSK's win over KKR

Mumbai, Apr 21) Chennai Super Kings survived some tense moments during their 18-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders in their IPL match on Wednesday but skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his job became "quite easy" towards the end of the game. CSK posted a big total of 220 for 3 after being asked to bat and then reduced KKR to 31 for five. Andrew Russell (54) and Pat Cummins (66 not out) went on a six-hitting spree to keep KKR in the hunt before being bowled out for 202 in 19.1 overs. "Quite easy in a game like this. From the 16th over onwards the contest was between the fast bowler and the batsman. You can't do too much. Can't put a different field. It's about you vs me. The side that has won is a side that has executed slightly better," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation. "You don't want to take too many early wickets. Big hitters coming in, 200 runs, there's only one way they'll play. Not much you can do. The only option was Jadeja. It was turning, was a bit dry." Despite putting up 220 on board, Dhoni felt it was a chaseable total. "If they would've had more wickets, could've been different. Have seen enough in cricket, always like to be humble. There's no good reason if you have scored, the opposition can't score. "My lines to the players was that we have got good runs on the board but let's be humble." Sent into bat, Faf du Plessis (95 not out) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (64) knocked the daylight out of KKR bowlers, adding 115 for the opening wicket to lay the foundation. "The batting has been really good. Rutu is somebody who has shown his class in the last IPL. You always need to assess where he is mentally. Once when he was off guard, I just asked him how are you feeling today," Dhoni said. "When you put a question like that, you wait for the reactions, you see what's in his eyes. There was enough in his reactions to suggest he wasn't rattled. That's what I've been doing all my life (applying psychology) but in a good way." Losing skipper Eoin Morgan said he didn't think his team had a chance after they were reduced to 31 for five in 5.2 overs. "It's (pulse) quite high at the moment. What a hell of a game of cricket. Certainly from the position we were in after our powerplay, we probably didn't think we'd get as close as we did," he said. "But Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik really did put a partnership together, once you do that taking advantage of the conditions here, it's very difficult to stop. "A partnership going in that manner and then following that Pat Cummins the way he played really gave us every chance towards the end. Tremendous fight from our middle and lower order which is all you can ask for when you lose wickets upfront like that." Defending 220, CSK pacer Deepak Chahar (4/29) produced a sensational spell, claiming four wickets, while Lungi Ngidi (3/28) captured one to leave KKR tottering at 31 for 5 in 5.2 overs."I don't know (what I am doing right). I am just trying to bowl straight balls and it is swinging. It was a good wicket to bowl on, the ball was swinging and seaming," Chahar said."I didn't pick a lot of wickets last year and I realised later that when I'm bowling the first over I have the responsibility and if I get 1-2 wickets in the powerplay, the tone is set." Chahar said his team bowled some really bad balls to allow the KKR batsmen to be in the run chase. "The dew came in, the ball was coming on nicely, some good batting by Russell and we also bowled some bad balls, so it was a combination of everything," he said. "Even the cutters Sam was bowling were coming onto the bat. I was thinking we should not lose this match, they were batting really well and at one point needed 40 off 20 balls which is very gettable on this ground. "It is always good to win matches like this in the group stage as you learn a lot of things." News Source : PTI

2021-04-22 11:53

It's a matter of time before something comes together: Morgan on his poor form

Mumbai, Apr 22 His poor run of scores notwithstanding, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Eoin Morgan remains unfazed and says it's a "matter of time" before he fires in the ongoing IPL. After their 18-run loss against Chennai Super Kings here on Wednesday, the World Cup-winning captain's sequence of scores this season read 2, 7, 29 and 7. "It's everything's about the process. The way I'm going about things at the moment is extremely positive. I've been here a long time now and I've been practising well and it's a matter of time before something comes together," he said at the post-match press conference. KKR have got a vaunted batting line-up, but it has faltered in three matches so far in the league, even though the team came close against CSK. In the high-scoring game, CSK posted 220/3 in 20 overs and then managed to bowl out KKR for 202, after Morgan's team was reeling at 31 for five inside the powerplay. "We have a very deep batting line-up, and it's one of our strengths and we are very experienced in that middle and lower middle-order, and today we saw that." A fine rally, led by Andre Russell, Pat Cummins and Dinesh Karthik, helped KKR go past 200 but not the stiff victory target of 221. Morgan said he is proud of the strong comeback by his team. "We have to be proud of getting so close, and actually putting ourselves in a winning position. Particularly, Pat Cummins towards the end played beautiful," Morgan said. "It really did flip things right in our favour, but obviously, having made those five mistakes earlier did cost us." For KKR, the change of venue did not change their fortunes as their bowlers leaked plenty of runs after Morgan opted to field. Morgan had made two changes in his bowling attack, bringing in rookie pacer Kamalesh Nagarkoti in place of Harbhajan Singh, while Sunil Narine played his first game of the season replacing Shakib-Al-Hasan. While Narine returned figures of 1/34 from his four overs, Nagarkoti conceded 25 runs from his two overs. But it was their star pacer Cummins who was the most expensive among the lot as the Aussie gave away 58 runs from his four overs, while Russell's two overs went for 27 runs with one wicket at the death. But Morgan said the bowlers did a reasonable job. "I think today, upon reflection after both sides have been batted, they did a reasonable job. When you look at the position that we were in from the powerplay onwards, and only falling 20 runs short. "You don't have to be an optimist to think that we would have been in a good position if we had batted better at the top of the order," he signed off. News Source : PTI

2021-04-20 12:41

Dhoni-led CSK eye another win as fresh challenge awaits struggling KKR

Mumbai, Apr 20 On a roll after back-to-back wins, the vintage Chennai Super Kings would look to extend their winning run when they clash with struggling Kolkata Knight Riders in their next IPL match here on Wednesday. After their abject campaign in UAE last year, the CSK started the season in an ominous fashion, losing to Delhi Capitals by seven wickets in a one-sided affair. But since then, the MS Dhoni-led side has come on its own with the 'Captain Cool' making the most of his resources at the batting-friendly Wankhede stadium. Deepak Chahar's brilliance handed them their first win of the season against Punjab Kings it's been a tale of two Englishmen -- Moeen Ali and Sam Curran for the CSK. Explosive all-rounder Ali has embraced the number three spot with knocks of 36 from 24 (vs Delhi Capitals), 46 off 31 (Punjab Kings) and 26 off 20 in his match-winning show against Rajasthan Royals on Monday. He is also quietly doing the job with his off-spin with Dhoni cleverly bringing him in the mix in the non-friendly conditions here. In their chase of 189, Jos Buttler had started to look ominous and sent a good-length ball from Ravindra Jadeja into the stands as the ball had to be replaced. Well aware that the dry ball would turn more than the dew-laden wet ball, Dhoni stepped up his attack with Jadeja and Ali from both ends. While Jadeja dismissed the dangerous looking Buttler and Shivam Dube in one over, Ali accounted for David Miller, Riyan Parag and Chris Morris in his match-turning 3/7. The only brightspot of their abysmal campaign in UAE, youngster Sam Curran has also made some impact both with the bat and ball. Be it his 15-ball 34 against in a losing cause to Delhi Capitals, or his bowling in the Powerplay, Curran is giving Dhoni many options. Against a side which will play its first match of the season at the Wankhede, smarting from two successive defeats, the Dhoni-led CSK will start as overwhelming favourites against KKR as Eoin Morgan is all set to ring in some changes to revive their campaign. After their emphatic start against Sunrisers Hyderabad, KKR have slipped to fifth spot with defeats to Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. And in both the defeats, the Morgan-led side had the upper hands but could not capitalise on their starts. Varun Chakravarthy had dismissed Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar in five balls to have RCB in a spot with 9/2 inside two overs. But in a bizarre decision, Morgan took the mystery spinner out of the attack and brought in Shakib-Al-Hasan as Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers powered them to 204/4. It remains to be seen if Morgan persists with Shakib or bring in seaming Aussie all-rounder Ben Cutting in the less spin-friendly conditions. Morgan also has persisted with the veteran Harbhajan Singh and gave him the opening overs in all the three matches. Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav could be a better option. Head coach Brendon McCullum has already hinted of making some changes after their 38-run defeat to RCB. As for CSK, opener Ruturaj Gaikwad is enduring a terrible form with scores of 5, 5 and 10 and it remains to be seen whether he is given a longer rope by Dhoni who is not known to tinker his XI much. Squads KKR: Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Tim Seifert, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Mavi, Lockie Ferguson, Pat Cummins, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Sandeep Warrier, Prasidh Krishna, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Shakib Al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Harbhajan Singh, Karun Nair, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer and Pawan Negi. CSK: MS Dhoni (c & wk), Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, KM Asif, Deepak Chahar, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, N Jagadeesan, Karn Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shardul Thakur, Sam Curran, Josh Hazlewood, R Sai Kishore, Robin Uthappa, Moeen Ali, Krishnappa Gowtham, Cheteshwar Pujara, M Harisankar Reddy, K Bhagath Varma and C Hari Nishaanth. Match starts: 7.30pm IST. News source: PTI

2021-04-17 13:08

KKR look to overcome middle-order muddle, return to winning ways against RCB

Chennai, Apr 17 The misfiring Kolkata Knight Riders will look to bring their campaign back on track when they take on table-toppers Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL here on Sunday. In the battle between the world's two best white-ball captains, Eoin Morgan and Virat Kohli, the Bengaluru franchise will hold a slight edge over Kolkata after its two wins from as many outings. Known for his tactical nous and man-management skills, the World Cup-winning English skipper will be keen to bring KKR back on track after a familiar middle-order collapse cost them the game against Mumbai Indians. After two ordinary seasons, the purple brigade started its campaign in an emphatic fashion, ticking all the boxes against Sunrisers Hyderabad. But against their nemesis MI, KKR middle-order collapsed in an inexplicable fashion to suffer their 12th loss from 13 matches. Morgan's astute captaincy in using his bowling resources was the highlight as KKR had bowled out MI for a modest 152. In his new role of bowling at the death, Andre Russell has taken six wickets at an impressive average of 7.83, but has failed to deliver with the bat. With 14 runs from two matches, the big-hitting Jamaican has looked a shadow of his past. Vice-captain Dinesh Karthik, too, will be under pressure to deliver after his painstaking stay in the middle in the last game. While Nitish Rana has impressed the most in batting, their star opener Shubman Gill has faltered after impressive starts, and KKR would hope the youngster fires in the coming days. On a slow Chepauk deck where batting at the death has been a concern, KKR's bowling has been a revelation with Morgan cleverly using his resources. Against the star-studded RCB who are yet to fire in unison this season, KKR's bowling would once again look to make an impact. It would not be a bad idea to bring in left arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav in place of veteran Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who has bowled just the opening over in each of the two matches. Boasting a famed batting line-up in Kohli, AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell and the talented youngster Devdutt Padikkal, RCB are yet to perform to their full potential. But it did not matter much as RCB have won both their matches with new signing Maxwell holding fort in the middle and the likes of Shahbaz Ahmed and Harshal Patel making the difference in bowling. Bought for Rs 14.25 crore in the 2021 auction, Maxwell has bounced back from a poor last season in the UAE. On a difficult batting wicket, Maxwell's 59 -- his first IPL half-century since 2016 -- was the cornerstone before Bengal left-arm spinner Shahbaz turned it around against SRH in the 17th over, taking three wickets for one run. In their first match, Harshal Patel's five-for set it up before de Villiers' 48 sealed a two-wicket win over defending champions MI. Kohli will be keen that his star-studded batting fires in unison against KKR. Teams (from): Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (capt), AB de Villiers, Devdutt Padikkal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, Kane Richardson, Washington Sundar, Pavan Deshpande, Joshua Philippe, Shahbaz Ahamad, Navdeep Saini, Adam Zampa, Kyle Jamieson, Glenn Maxwell, Rajat Patidar, Sachin Baby, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Dan Christian, KS Bharat, Suyash Prabhudessai, Daniel Sams and Harshal Patel. Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (capt), Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Tim Seifert, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Mavi, Lockie Ferguson, Pat Cummins, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Sandeep Warrier, Prasidh Krishna, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Shakib Al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Harbhajan Singh, Karun Nair, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer and Pawan Negi. Match Starts: 3.30pm. News source: PTI

2021-04-14 11:55

Pitch wasn't easy, KKR will be back strongly: Russell

Chennai, Apr 14 (PTI) Kolkata Knight Riders' big-hitting all-rounder Andre Russell blamed it on the pitch as he dissected his team's narrow 10-run loss to Mumbai Indians here and asserted that the side will bounce back strongly in the coming matches. The Eoin Morgan-led side dominated the game almost in its entirety but choked in the final few overs to lose in a modest chase of 152. Needing just 30 runs from 27 deliveries, KKR's experienced finishers -- Russell and Dinesh Karthik -- faltered big time as the five-time champions Mumbai pulled off an epic comeback to secure their first win of the season. "It's a difficult wicket to bat on, it was not easy for a new batter to come in and start hitting from ball one. It's very challenging," Russell, who got out for nine off 15 balls, said at the post-match virtual interaction. "Even for me, the ball was a bit up and down so it's not the easiest pitch to hit on. No matter how good you are, you still need a couple of balls to actually get your eyes in. "Unfortunately, a good finisher like myself and DK, we didn't get bat to balls. I think if we did get a few boundaries the game would be over. We definitely feel disappointed but at the end of the day, it's not the end of the road. It's our second game," he added. Russell said they would learn from the mistakes and will make a comeback in the next few games. "We're gonna go back to the drawing board. We definitely are playing some good cricket as a team. It's about moving on from this game and going from strength to strength." Needing to accelerate, Russell was seen blocking Krunal Pandya and even got a reprieve when the left-arm spinner spilled a simple catch off his own bowling. "We don't try to do the wrong thing all the time, but it just happened you know. It's bat and ball, sometimes it goes your way sometimes it doesn't...I was looking to rotate the strike, not allow too many dot balls. I didn't get any runs and that added a bit of pressure on me," he admitted. KKR got off to a flying start with opener Nitish Rana slamming a second successive half century as he along with Shubman Gill put on an opening stand of 72 runs from 53 balls. But leg-spinner Chahar brought about the turnaround, grabbing four wickets from his four overs before KKR choked at the death. "It's a game of cricket. We definitely have to learn from this. I've trust and confidence in the boys. We are still confident, we are still playing some good cricket, and I'm proud of the boys," Russell said, giving his full support to the team. KKR next face Royal Challengers Bangalore in Sunday's afternoon match to conclude the Chennai leg of their campaign.

2021-04-12 13:02

Clinical KKR hope to get it right against nemesis MI

Chennai, Apr 12 (PTI) Fresh from their clinical display against Sunrisers Hyderabad, two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders will look to set the record straight against nemesis Mumbai Indians in their second IPL match here on Tuesday. Having missed the last two playoffs, KKR looked a completely different unit, in the manner in which they defeated SRH by 10 runs in their IPL opener here on Sunday. Be it the aggression shown by the top-order or the explosive finish by Dinesh Karthik, KKR's displayed a fearless approach under skipper Eoin Morgan. Morgan's intent was evident right at the toss when he chose to leave out their most-trusted lieutenant, Sunil Narine. The left-right opening combination of Nitish Rana and Shubman Gill started to attack right from the first ball, clearly indicating that the new approach had Morgan's success mantra written all over it. Boasting of a solid middle-order in Andre Russell, Karthik and Morgan, 2020 was a season of promise for KKR but some rudderless planning did not help their cause. This time KKR have further bolstered their middle-order by adding Bangladesh superstar Shakib Al Hasan, while Morgan, in his full season as skipper, gives a new dimension to the side. Rana's deft wrist work and brute power was on full display on Sunday and it ensured that they stayed ahead despite Rashid Khan's twin blows in the form of Gill and Russell. After Rana's 56-ball 80, it was underfire Karthik who hit an unbeaten 22-run cameo from nine balls to propel KKR to a winning total of 187 for 6. And KKR would look to come out all guns blazing against the five-time champions on Tuesday. They have won just once in their last 12 games against MI, and have an overall lopsided 6-21 head-to-head record. But eventually it will all boil down to battle of wits between Morgan and Rohit Sharma, under whose captaincy MI has won a record fifth IPL title last season in UAE. MI will pose real challenge for KKR as the title hoders would be desperate to secure their first win of the season after their two-wicket loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL opener on Friday. KRR found it easy against SRH bowlers, which lacked firepower but in Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult, MI attack will be a completely different proposition. Gill's struggle to bat at T20 pace has been a concern for KKR and it will be interesting to see the young opener's approach against the finest in the business. Often known as slow starters, MI lost the other day due to individual brilliance of RCB's Harshal Patel and AB de Villiers on a two-paced wicket here. In his debut match for MI, Chris Lynn was their top-scorer, albeit with some stroke of luck as he survived some edges and mishits. If Quinton de Kock is still in quarantine, MI may have to persist with Lynn at the top, otherwise they may go back to their preferred left-right opening combination of Rohit and de Kock. MI's explosive middle-order consisting Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and the Pandya brothers -- Hardik and Krunal -- also failed to fire to be restricted to 159 for nine. Squads (from): Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Tim Seifert, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Mavi, Lockie Ferguson, Pat Cummins, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Sandeep Warrier, Prasidh Krishna, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Shakib Al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Harbhajan Singh, Karun Nair, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer, Pawan Negi. Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Anmolpreet Singh, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Mohsin Khan, Hardik Pandya, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Anukul Roy, Ishan Kishan, Quinton de Kock, Aditya Tare, Adam Milne, Nathan Coulter Nile, Piyush Chawla, James Neesham, Yudhvir Charak, Marco Jansen, Arjun Tendulkar. Match starts: 7.30pm IST.

2021-04-12 11:40

We have a destructive batting unit: Morgan

Chennai, Apr 12 (PTI) Kolkata Knight Riders possess one of the most destructive batting line-ups in the IPL, something which was in full display during the 10-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, said skipper Eoin Morgan. It was an emphatic batting display by KKR's top-order with opener Nitish Rana (80 off 56 balls) going on the rampage in company of Rahul Tripathi (53 off 29 balls) in a 104-run partnership as they were 145 for one after 15 overs. A mini-collapse followed but that did not derail them as vice-captain Dinesh Karthik's cameo of 22 not out from nine balls took them to a challenging 187 for six. "One of the many strengths we have within our squad is two of the most talented guys in the country opening the batting for us," Morgan said at the post-match virtual media conference. Free from the "burden" of captaincy, Karthik smashed two sixes and one four to ensure that they do not go on backfoot after losing Andre Russell, Rana and Morgan for three runs. "Tripathi today at No. 3 played beautifully, and the middle-order we have is extremely versatile. When Dinesh plays like that or Andre plays the game he can play, you're going to see a very destructive batting unit that has potential to win you matches." The skipper was all-praise for Rana who played the match-winning knock, days after recovering from a bout of COVID-19. "I'm delighted for Nitish obviously a match-winning innings today. The thing that impressed me the most about his innings was the method that he used. "He played really aggressively and always took a positive option, which really did set up our batting innings." Talking about Karthik, who was seen batting at No 6, Morgan said the wicketkeeper-batsman is happy with the role given to him. "Dinesh is happy with where he is at the moment. Obviously we're in regular conversation with him being the vice-captain and me being captain." KKR's big-hitting Russell (5 off 5 balls) may not have clicked with the bat but the Jamaican was seen bowling at the death as he defended 22 runs in the last over. "I'm delighted. Andre has been a big part of the franchise for a long time now," Morgan said."Obviously, when you are a player of that talent and ability, you can offer so much at any stage, and today he did that. Bowling at the death is not an easy job to do, and he managed to get us over the line." Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was given the first over of the match, almost took the prized-scalp of David Warner but his catch was dropped by Pat Cummins at point. Harbhajan did not bowl after the impressive first over and Morgan defended the decision. "It's more to do with matchups. There's a lot of preparation that goes into the analysing of the opposition team, and him bowling the first over of the game was a decision based on that," he said. "He created a great opportunity. Unfortunately the catch was dropped. And the role that he played from then on, obviously using his experience to speak to other players, was outstanding. "Since he's arrived in the camp, he's had more energy than anybody have seen within the squad so fantastic. Hopefully he can continue doing that." KKR next take on Mumbai Indians here on Tuesday.

2021-04-10 12:33

Morgan-led KKR open IPL campaign against consistent SRH

Chennai, Apr 10 (PTI) Former champions Kolkata Knight Riders will look to strike a perfect balance under the astute leadership of Eoin Morgan when they open their IPL campaign against a consistent Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Sunday.One of the best in business in the white-ball format, Morgan took charge of an ordinary-looking KKR under Dinesh Karthik midway into the last season held in the UAE.Running against time, Morgan-led side finished on same points with SRH and RCB but the two teams advanced on better run-rate as KKR missed the playoffs for the second time in succession.In his first stint as full time captain, all eyes would be on the ODI World Cup-winning English skipper who will look to transform the misfiring army of cricketers and bring back the glorious days of two-time IPL champions. In Shubman Gill, they have a fantastic young top-order batsman who can easily shift gears, while the likes of Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana and veteran Karthik, who's free from the captaincy burden, can form the core of their Indian batting.Then there is the skipper Morgan who will look to bat through the overs while hoping that 2019 MVP Andre Russell gets back his explosive touch after a quiet season.Russell had the worst season by his standards averaging 13 in nine innings without a single match-winning performance as the over-dependency on the Jamaican cost KKR dear last season.Another West Indian who flopped big time in the UAE was Sunil Narine.Whether it was his suspect bowling action or his failing against the short ball, Narine, who was instrumental in their twin triumphs in 2012 and 2014, looked a pale shadow of his past.It's time that they think beyond the Trinidadian and try out Shakib Al Hasan, their buy in this year's auction.On the slow Chepauk strip, all eyes would be on the new 'Knight' and 40-year-old Harbhajan Singh, who will aim to make maximum impact in what could be his last IPL.They also have a mystery spinner in Varun Chakravarthy who struck it rich in absence of Narine last year but his fitness remains a concern.One of the more consistent sides of IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad lost before the final hurdle, going down to runners-up Delhi Capitals in the Qualifier 2 last year.SRH will be bolstered by the return of senior India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar who played just four games in last year's IPL in the UAE due to a hip injury.Fresh from his fine form during the white-ball leg of the England series at home, Bhuvneshwar will spearhead their attack with yorker specialist T Natrajan by his side.Add Afghan star spinner Rashid Khan to the bowling lineup and the 'Orange Army' looks pretty balanced in their attack.But the real strength of SRH will be their destructive top-order with the duo of David Warner and in-form Jonny Bairstow. They also have Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey, forming a solid top four.Wriddhiman Saha also opened for SRH last year as the wicketkeeper-batsman and will look to prove a point after being sidelined because of Rishabh Pant's heroics in the national team.Buit remains to be seen who will play the role of the finisher for the SRH as they seem to lack muscle power teams badly need in the last five overs.KKR have a slight edge head-to-head as the Purple Brigade lead 12-7 against the Orange Army and last year they won both their matches against them.Squads KKR: Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Tim Seifert, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Mavi, Lockie Ferguson, Pat Cummins, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Sandeep Warrier, Prasidh Krishna, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Shakib Al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Harbhajan Singh, Karun Nair, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer and Pawan Negi.SRH: David Warner (C), Kane Williamson, Virat Singh, Manish Pandey, Priyam Garg, Wriddhiman Saha, Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Sreevats Goswami, Vijay Shankar, Mohammad Nabi, Kedar Jadhav, J Suchit, Jason Holder, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, T Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddharth Kaul, Basil Thampi, Shahbaz Nadeem and Mujeeb ur Rahman.Match starts: 7.30pm IST.

2021-04-08 15:21

Here are all the important statistical records from every IPL season so far

New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) The Indian Premier League is into its 14th season and here's a look at the important statistical records through the past 13 editions.

ALL TIME TOP-5 BATTING RECORDS
=======================

Highest Run Scorers

=============

Virat Kohli (RCB) 5878
Suresh Raina (CSK) 5368
David Warner (SRH) 5254
Rohit Sharma (MI) 5230
Shikhar Dhawan (DC) 5197

Most Number of 100s

=============

Chris Gayle (Punjab Kings) 6
Virat Kohli (RCB) 5
David Warner (SRH) 4
Shane Watson (CSK Retd) 4
AB de Villiers (RCB) 3

Most Number of 50s

==============

David Warner (SRH) 48
Shikhar Dhawan (DC) 41
Rohit Sharma (MI) 39
Virat Kohli (RCB) 39
Suresh Raina (CSK) 38

Most Number of 6s

============

Chris Gayle (Punjab Kings) 349
AB de Villiers (RCB) 235
MS Dhoni (CSK) 216
Rohit Sharma (MI) 213
Virat Kohli (RCB) 201

Most Number of 4s

=============

Sikhar Dhawan (DC) 591
David Warner (SRH) 510
Virat Kohli (RCB) 503
Suresh Raina (CSK) 493
Gautam Gambhir (KKR) 491

Best Strike Rate

===========

Andre Russell (KKR) 182.33
Nicholas Pooran (Punjab Kings) 165.39
Sunil Narine (KKR) 164.27
Hardik Pandya (MI) 159.26
Moeen Ali (CSK) 158.46

Highest Individual Scores

================

Chris Gayle (Punjab Kings) 175 (66 balls) for RCB vs *PWI
Brendon McMullum (KKR) 158 (73 balls) vs RCB
AB de Villiers (RCB) 133 (59 balls) vs MI
KL Rahul (Punjab Kings) 132 (69 balls) vs RCB
AB de Villiers (RCB) 129 (52 balls) vs *Gujarat Lions

BOWLING RECORDS

============

Highest Wicket-taker

==============

Lasith Malinga (MI) 170
Amit Mishra (DC) 160
Piyush Chawla (MI) 156
Dwayne Bravo (CSK) 153
Harbhajan Singh (KKR) 150

Best Match figures

============

Alzarri Joseph (MI) 6/12 vs SRH
Sohail Tanvir (RR) 6/14 vs CSK
Adam Zampa (RPS) 6/19 vs SRH
Anil Kumble (RCB) 5/5 vs RR
Ishant Sharma (*DC) 5/12 vs *KTK

Best Economy Rates

=============

Rashid Khan (SRH) 6.24
Anil Kumble (RCB) 6.57
Glenn McGrath (DD*/DC) 6.61
Muttiah Muralitharan (CSK) 6.67
Roloef van der Merwe (RCB) 6.74

Best Bowling Average

==============

Kagiso Rabada (DC) 18.09
Doug Bollinger (CSK) 18.72
Dimitri Masceranhas (*KXIP) 18.73
Ferveez Maharoof (DD*) 19.25
Lasith Malinga (MI) 19.80

Most Number of Dots

==============

Harbhajan Singh (CSK) 1249
Ravichandran Ashwin (DC) 1170
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (SRH) 1164
Lasith Malinga (MI) 1155
Piyush Chawla (MI) 1148 *

Denotes teams whose names have been changed or now defunct (Compiled as per records on IPL.t20.com).

2021-04-08 11:43

IPL-14: Formidable MI aim for hat-trick, Kohli aims to break RCB deadlock behind 'closed doors'

Chennai, Apr 8 (PTI) Rohit Sharma has a legacy to defend, Virat Kohli would be looking to create one while a "been-there-done-that" Mahendra Singh Dhoni seems ready to pull off a fresh trick when the Indian Premier League starts here on Friday, cooped up in a bio-bubble as a raging pandemic wreaks fresh havoc. Two editions of IPL within a space of five months isn't an ideal situation for all the stakeholders. But for the fans at large, exhausted by the second wave of COVID-19 with cases going past the one lakh mark daily, watching towering sixes, toe-crushers and new talents unearthed will be a welcome diversion in the next seven weeks. The opening encounter will be between defending champions Mumbai Indians and under-achievers Royal Challengers Bangalore here and the big-hitters on both sides will ensure that necessary fireworks will be there even if fans are absent from the stands thanks to the pandemic. The virus has cast its shadow on the league in the build-up stage with some positive cases among both players and support staff. But with a strict bio-bubble in place for the games, the BCCI would be hoping for a smooth run just like the previous edition in the UAE. If one looks at the bigger picture, the 14th edition of IPL assumes greater significance as it is being held in a T20 World Cup year and that too in the sub-continent. If Kohli will keep a 'Hawk Eye' on the performances of his probable list of players, it won't be any different for an Eoin Morgan or a Kieron Pollard, who would also be preparing for the mega-event while giving it their all for their respective franchises. For Rohit, the most successful captain in the 'IPL Universe' with an unprecedented five titles, he could well walk away with a sixth trophy and the first title hat-trick of this league. Mumbai Indians, perhaps in the near two decade existence of Twenty20 format, is a side that will be remembered for its aura. If Rohit fails, then Quinton de Kock will certainly succeed. If both fail, Ishan Kishan and Surya Kumar Yadav could scare the daylights out of the opposition. And if the top-order is blown away, then the indomitable Pandya brothers (Hardik and Krunal) will be on the rivals' case. On the outfield, Kieron Pollard will save those extra runs apart from the trademark big hits always expected of him and also bring in the change of pace suited for the Chennai track. Trent Boult, with his swing, and Rahul Chahar, with his googlies, will also test the batsmen. Mumbai Indians can only lose on their bad days and on good days, they are going to be a nightmare as England captain Michael Vaughan has already warned. Rohit's opposite number is the national captain, who is ready to open once again but the squad composition of RCB doesn't inspire the highest confidence. Glenn Maxwell has again been picked for a bomb and New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson has been made an overnight multi-millionaire by the franchise despite him being untested on Indian dust-bowls. Devdutt Padikkal will be in his second season with teams analysing him way more and Yuzvendra Chahal seems to have lost his mojo. Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini do not inspire the highest confidence in in white ball cricket at least despite their gutsy performances in Australia early this year. Amid all this, Dhoni will be quietly smiling and may be planning differently as it will be a placid Wankhede where CSK will be playing Delhi Capitals instead of sluggish Chepauk on Saturday. The return of seasoned Suresh Raina, which opens up an option to play Imran Tahir in most games, and the presence of Moeen Ali and Sam Curran as floating all-rounders gives CSK a better look than last time. Dhoni's faith in uncapped Krishnappa Gowtham also needs a bit of validation. As Dhoni brings on his years of IPL leadership experience, his ardent "fan" and "disciple" Rishabh Pant is ready to chart his own destiny as a Delhi Capitals leader while taking inspiration from his illustrious senior's captaincy. Pant 2.0 after his Gabba heroics is the most confident man in Indian cricket currently and with a batting line-up that has Prithvi Shaw, Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer along with the experience of Steve Smith and Ajinya Rahane, Capitals would like to finish one better than last time. Kagiso Rababda and Anrich Nortje's cobtribution will be as important as Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra and Axar Patel's bowling. Sunrisers Hyderabad is one of the most low profile teams which has been known for on-field exploits. A superb assortment of foreign players comprising the prolific David Warner in batting and world's best T20 bowler Rashid Khan along with Kane Williamson, Jason Holder, Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy makes them a contender. Kolkata Knight Riders would expect that Andre Russell gets his six-hitting prowess back while Varun Chakravarthy is more than a one-season wonder. Eoin Morgan, the best white ball international skipper on view, would look for a settled batting order while praying that Sunil Narine isn't again called for a suspect action. For Punjab Kings, the owners would hope that change in the name brings about a change in luck but a lot would depend on skipper KL Rahul's performance. He wouldn't mind another 'Orange Cap' while Mohammed Shami would like to make a roaring comeback in international cricket. Chris Gayle, in between, is sure to provide entertainment but the team is certainly not title contender to start with. For Rajasthan Royals, the absence of Jofra Archer first up will certainly rob them off initial momentum and with another wobbly Indian line-up under an inconsistent Sanju Samson at the helm, the heavy-lifting is going to be done by Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Chris Morris. Still, a play-off berth looks highly unlikely as of now.

2021-04-03 12:06

IPL: Kolkata Knight Riders desperate to turn fortunes post tough transition

Kolkata, Apr 2 (PTI) Two-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders will be striving for consistency in its bid to recreate old magic which has been lost during a difficult phase of rebuilding, post Gautam Gambhir's departure. Be it the opening combination, middle-order or finding a finisher, KKR struggled for stability in the last edition in the UAE, while a change of captaincy at the halfway stage did not help them either. Add the floundering forms of their two biggest Caribbean stars -- a half-fit Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, who is not even half the bowler after being repeatedly called for suspect action, KKR missed the playoffs for a second time in a row in the Gambhir era. Here's is a SWOT analysis of the side that will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in their season-opener in Chennai on April 11. STRENGTHS: In Eoin Morgan, his first stint as full-time KKR captain, the Purple Brigade have got one of the most astute brains of the white-ball format. The English World Cup-winning skipper, who took over the role after seven games last season, was one of the brightspots for the team in 2020. The left-hander struck 418 runs in 14 innings at an average of 41.80 and also hit the most sixes (24), giving impetus in the death overs with his cameos. KKR have made some smart additions to their squad in the mini-auction, apart from retaining their core of the side -- 17 players -- despite a disappointing season. By bringing back Bangladesh star all-rounder Shakib-Al-Hasan and signing 2016 IPL Final man-of-the-match Ben Cutting, they have got the much-needed back-ups for the Windies duo of Narine and Russell, who failed to fire last season. KKR will also be buoyed by the smash-hit international debut of Prasidh Krishna, who took 4/54 in the first ODI against England in the recently-concluded series. This would also mean KKR would have a settled pace attack spearheaded by Aussie superstar Pat Cummins with Lockie Ferguson as the back-up option. WEAKNESSES: Once their strength, KKR of late has struggled in the spin department. Left arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav is a shadow of his past and retuned with just one wicket in five matches, of which he was not given the ball in one. One of the architects of their twin triumphs in 2012 and 2014 under Gambhir, Sunil Narine is also floundering. Narine's action once again came to haunt him in 2020 as he was warned of suspect action and went on to miss four matches. Before that he had to be pulled out of CPL final for Trinbago Knight Riders as he was found chucking. It was another mystery spinner, Varun Chakravarthy a Tamil Naud architect-turned-cricketer who took up the responsibility in Narine's absence to finish with most wickets -- 17 -- for KKR. But Chakravarthy's fitness has come under the scanner time and again as it remains to be seen how he shapes up for the IPL. OPPORTUNITIES: Having decided to step away from being captain to "focus on his batting", Dinesh Karthik too will look to make amends in 2021. Then there are the seasoned duo of Shakib-Al-Hasan and veteran Indian offspinner Harbhajan Singh who too will look to make most of the limited opportunities that come their way on slow tracks on offer in Delhi and Chennai. KKR have two interesting uncapped new signings in Venkatesh Iyer and Vaibhav Arora, who too will look to grab their opportunities. Left-hand Madhya Pradesh batsman Iyer is fresh from a blistering 146-ball 198 against Punjab in the Vijay Harare Trophy. Himachal Pradesh medium-pacer Arora is in the form of his life after taking a hat-trick on debut against Maharashtra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. THREATS: KKR would need good start from opener Shubman Gill to give better starts this year in the Powerplay overs. Gill consumed a lot of deliveries upfront in most games which did create pressure on middle-order. The Morgan-led side would look to ensure that they get a winning combination, something that eluded them last time as they would be desperate to make the cut. KKR Squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Tim Seifert, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Mavi, Lockie Ferguson, Pat Cummins, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Sandeep Warrier, Prasidh Krishna, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Shakib Al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Harbhajan Singh, Karun Nair, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer and Pawan Negi.

2021-02-04 16:44

55+ players confirmed for 'The Hundred'

According to a press release by the ECB, the final list of retained men’s players for England's new 100 ball tournament "The Hundred" has been announced today. A number of English and foreign stars among the 57 male and female players have signed up for the event that will kick start this year. The men’s retention window, where the teams could retain players who were due to play with them last year is now sealed. Australian stars like Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell, Blackcaps skipper Kane Williamson, West Indies’ power hitter Andre Russell and English pacer Mark Wood were the high profile names announced today. The women's squads also are continuing to build with players like Alex Hartley, England's Freya Davies, and Kiwi Amelia Kerr among a series of new signings. The signings of players for the women’s teams can take place until June. The announcement of the picks along with more women’s signings will take place throughout the day on 23rd February. The league will feature eight city-based teams from Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Southampton and two from London. Birmingham Phoenix have heavily armed their men’s squad with the retention of Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson. Along with Gwen Davies, Thea Brookes and seamer Issy Wong are the three women’s retention. The London Spirit will have Mason Crane, Freya Davies, Joe Denly and Mark Wood all staying at Lord’s. Glenn Maxwell and Somerset spinner Roelof Van Der Merwe are two of men’s retention. Australia's Aaron Finch and Chris Lynn alongside Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman will stay with the Northern Superchargers. The women’s side will continue to construct with English bowlers Beth Langston and Linsey Smith signing Lauren Winfield-Hill’s squad. Wicket keeper John Simpson rounds off the list of retention for the Emerald Headingley-based side. Southern Brave signed three overseas stars consisting Kiwi leg spinning all rounder Amelia Kerr. She will line up alongside Western Storm spinner Fi Morris. West Indian Andre Russell and Australia’s Marcus Stoinis will join the men's squad alongside England seamer Craig Overton and Ross Whiteley. England Sam Billings has been retained by the Oval Invincibles. South Africa women’s team skipper Dane Van Niekerk and Nepalese spinner Sandeep Lamichhane will continue to stay at the Kia Oval. Retained Scotland international Sarah Bryce, and exciting batter Alice Capsey and allrounder Jo Gardner will strengthen the women's squad. Manchester Originals have entrusted the locals with England and Lancashire spinners Alex Hartley and Matt Parkinson continuing their stay at Emirates Old Trafford. Veteran Derbyshire, Wayne Madsen is the final men’s player to be retained. English allrounder Lewis Gregory will captain the Trent Rockets side that will avail the services of Australia's Nathan Coulter-Nile and D’Arcy Short. Nancy Harman and Lucy Higham will join the Trent Rockets, whereas Ben Cox, Luke Wood and Luke Wright are also being retained. Liam Plunkett will line up with Afghan leg spinner Qais Ahmad. They will be joined by Ryan Higgins and David Payne at Welsh Fire. South East Stars Amy Gordon will also stay in Cardiff. Full list of players named today: Birmingham Phoenix: Shaheen Afridi, Thea Brookes, Chris Cooke, Gwen Davies, Liam Livingstone, Isabelle Wong, Kane Williamson London Spirit: Charlie Dean, Mason Crane, Freya Davies, Joe Denly, Hannah Jones, Glenn Maxwell, Sophie Munro, Roelof Van Der Merwe, Mark Wood Manchester Originals: Georgie Boyce, Natalie Brown, Ellie Threlkeld, Alex Hartley, Emma Lamb, Wayne Madsen, Matt Parkinson, Northern Superchargers: Aaron Finch, Beth Langston, Brydon Carse, Chris Lynn, John Simpson, Linsey Smith, Mujeeb Ur Rahman Oval Invincibles: Sam Billings, Sarah Bryce, Alice Capsey, Laurie Evans, Jo Gardner, Will Jacks, Sandeep Lamichhane, Dane Van Niekerk Southern Brave: Amelia Kerr, Fi Morris, Craig Overton, Andre Russell, Marcus Stoinis, Ross Whiteley, Trent Rockets: Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ben Cox, Lewis Gregory, Nancy Harman, Lucy Higham, D'Arcy Short, Luke Wood, Luke Wright Welsh Fire: Qais Ahmad, Amy Gordon, Ryan Higgins, David Payne, Liam Plunkett

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