Bengaluru, Jun 13 (Cricket News) Record champions Mumbai, who are back to their ruthless best, face a high on confidence Uttar Pradesh in what promises to be an intriguing semifinal of the Ranji Trophy, beginning here on Tuesday.

The in-form Mumbai batters will be up against a varied UP attack, which will be bolstered by the addition of pacer Mohsin Khan.

The 41-time Ranji champions made it to the last four with a world record 725-run hammering of Uttarakhand and will aim to carry the momentum into the game. UP decimated Karnataka by five wickets.

Mumbai will once again rely on their batters to set the tone. All eyes would be on Prithvi Shaw, who will have to be at his best against Mohsin and Co.

The two other big impact players are Yashasvi Jaiswal and an in-form Sarfaraz Khan who would be oozing with confidence after their hundreds in the last game.

Sarfaraz has pummelled opposition attacks into submission at will. And thus it will indeed be a challenge for the UP bowling unit to stop him.

Debutant Suved Parkar, who scored a double hundred, will look to add runs in his kitty while Armaan Jaffer would also be eyeing a bigger knock.

Mumbai will however, be forced to make a change as wicket-keeper Aditya Tare has been ruled out due to an injury and Hardik Tamore could make the playing XI.

But this time they would be facing the likes of left-arm pacer Yash Dayal, Ankit Rajpoot and tweaker Saurabh Kumar, who can spin a web around the opposition.

Kumar, who picked up seven wickets in the quarter-final, could well be the go-to man for skipper Karan Sharma.

Mumbai are unlikely to tinker with their bowling combination. And left-arm spinner Shams Mulani, who has been taking fifers at will, will look to recreate his magic.

Add to it the experience of Dhawal Kulkarni, Mohit Awasthi, Tushar Deshpande and young off-spinner Tanush Kotian, Mumbai have the necessary fire-power to get the better of the UP batters.

UP also have a relatively inexperienced batting line-up and are reliant on one or two batters. Their top-order would need to fire in unison and skipper Sharma will have to lead from the front.

Two other batters who can make an impact are Priyam Garg and Rinku Singh.

But the others like Aryan Juval, Samarth Singh, Dhruv Jorel would need to stand up and take greater responsibility. While Mumbai would be keen to get a step closer to their 42nd title, UP have the wherewithal to pull off a major upset. 

Also Read : Pressure on spinners, Ruturaj as India take on SA in must-win game

News Source : PTI

Kolkata, May 24 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli's return to form and a rather dramatic entry into the IPL play-offs will make Royal Challengers Bangalore a more confident unit when they meet a top-heavy Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator here on Wednesday.

After a string of low scores, Kohli found his rhythm enroute to a scintillating 54-ball 73 in their last match against Gujarat Titans.

This was his only second fifty this season, a visual treat for the eyes which encapsulated all the Kohli-esque shots as RCB kept their hopes alive with a fine win.

But their fate was not in their own hands as they anxiously waited for a Mumbai Indians win in their game against Delhi Capitals to secure an entry into the play-offs.

Kohli's return to form will be a big plus to their top-order which often has struggled to get going in the power-play.

Add Dinesh Karthik's new-found finishing exploits, a quality pace trio in Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga and Harshal Patel who would look to embrace the seam-friendly Eden conditions, and Faf du Plessis's calm and astute captaincy, RCB will be upbeat in their quest of an elusive IPL title.

Having featured in three IPL finals, RCB are one star-studded outfit which has failed to live up to its fans' expectations time and again.

But this time under a three-time IPL winner in du Plessis, RCB look more balanced especially on the pace bowling front.

Even as India speedster Mohammed Siraj (eight wickets from 13 matches) has failed to impress, the trio of Hazlewood, Hasaranga and Harshal with 57 wickets in between, have been their backbone.

With fresh tracks on offer for the knockouts, the trio would look to relish the challenge Another big plus point for RCB this season has been India veteran wicketkeeper-batter Karthik's new-found form with the bat that has also ensured an India comeback ahead of the T20 World Cup.

Assigned the role of a finisher, the 36-year-old, who was bought by RCB for Rs 5.50 crore, Karthik has played a key role in their qualification to the playoffs.

With 287 runs from 14 innings, of which he had been unbeaten nine times, Karthik has a superb strike of 191.33.

RCB's experience in batting certainly will weigh heavily against the young LSG pace attack of Avesh Khan and Mohsin Khan.

Lucknow also have the experienced duo of Jason Holder and Dushmanta Chameera but they have been inconsistent this season, something that can be a cause of concern for the KL Rahul-led outfit.

A key battle for RCB would be against the Lucknow Super Giants opening duo of K L Rahul and Quinton de Kock -- by far the best opening pair of this IPL -- sitting pretty on second and third places in the top run getters' list.

That they have scored 1039 runs together -- including the highest opening partnership in IPL history of 210 against Kolkata Knight Riders -- sums up their dominance.

But this also will be the team's weakness as the Lucknow franchise lacks a quality middle and lower order, barring Deepak Hooda who has four half-centuries this season.

But barring the trio, no other batter has impressed to lend solidity in the middle and lower-order.

The likes of Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Ayush Badoni and Holder have failed to impress and it's high time that they get into their acts in a virtual quarter-final.

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

Match starts: 7.30pm. 

Also Read : I will definitely be around IPL next year: AB de Villiers

News Source : PTI

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

Mumbai, May 14 (Cricket News) In impressive form throughout the season, Lucknow Super Giants would look to bounce back from their previous match defeat and register a win to confirm their IPL play-offs berth when they face another aspirants, Rajasthan Royals, here on Sunday.

LSG were on top of IPL points table with four wins on the trot before relinquishing that position after losing to Gujarat Titans in their previous match.

The KL Rahul-led side, which is now at second spot with 16 points, would not want to lose another game just before the start of the knockout round.

The Royals would also look to make amends for their all-round failure in their comprehensive eight-wicket defeat at the hands of Delhi Capitals in their last match.

With 16 points from 12 matches, a win for LSG on Sunday will confirm their play-offs berth. For the Royals too, a victory will take them on the verge of securing a last-four stage spot.

Captain Rahul and his opening partner Quinton de Kock will have to score the bulk of runs once again for LSG. Both fell cheaply against the Titans and they would look to bounce back against the Royals.

Rahul, the tournament's second most prolific batter with 459 runs from 12 matches, has been in impressive form with two centuries and as many half centuries.

De Kock has scored three half centuries to accumulate 355 runs from 12 outings.

Deepak Hooda is another batter who is in form with 347 runs and three half centuries, and he has the ability to make a difference.

The Royals will rely heavily on England wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler, who has scored 625 runs from 12 matches with the help of three centuries and as many half centuries. His team-mates though have not been in the best of form.

Captain Sanju Samson has, again, failed to realise his full potential though he has not done bad either. He has scored 327 runs from 12 matches with two half centuries.

The good news for the Royals is that Devdutt Padikkal (295 runs from 12 matches) has shown some consistency with 31 and 48 in the last two matches though he is yet to make a big one.

The same is the case with Shimron Hetmyer (291 from 11 matches), who has shown a lot of promise but is yet to fire, though his 31 not out off 16 balls was instrumental in the Royals' six-wicket win over Punjab Kings.

Ravichandran Ashwin was the top-scorer for the Royals in their previous match against Delhi Capitals and his utility as a batter can be exploited by the Royals.

The Royals will once again depend on spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who is at joint top among wicket-takers with 23 scalps from 12 matches, to deal with the likes of Rahul and de Kock, even as R Ashwin, Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna look to chip in.

For LSG, bowling is the weaker department and the likes of Avesh Khan and Jason Holder will have to step up to restrict Buttler and other RR batters.

Both were among wickets against the Titans while Mohsin Khan was economical with figures of 1/18 in four overs. The 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.

Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (c), 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 at 7:30pm. 

 

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

 

 

 

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Pune, May 9 (Cricket News) On a slippery slope after back-to-back losses, Gujarat Titans will need their batters to fire when they take on high-flying Lucknow Super Giants as both teams look to seal IPL play-offs berth here on Tuesday.

The two new entrants are having a dream run in their maiden season.

While Gujarat led the points table for most part of the league, Lucknow moved ahead of them to take the top spot. The Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat side's winning streak came to an end with back-to-back losses against Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians last week.

Both teams have 16 points each from 11 outings and a win for either of them will confirm the passage to the next stage.

LSG, who have won their last four games, would be brimming with confidence as they head to the fixture with a morale-boosting 75-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders.

KL Rahul has led from the front and the opener is the second highest run scorer in the tournament, collecting 451 runs from 11 games with two hundreds and as many fifties.

The team has relied heavily on him to get the job done with the bat. But the likes of Quinton de Kock and Deepak Hooda have taken more responsibility in the recent games which will definitely take the pressure off Rahul.

Their bowling unit has been right on mark. While LSG were able to defend 153 against Punjab Kings, they polished off KKR for just 101, with pacers Avesh Khan and Jason Holder proving to be too hot to handle for the former champions.

Pacers Mohsin Khan (5.35) and Sri Lanka's Dushmantha Chameera (7.90) have bowled economically as has Krunal Pandya (6.64), while Ravi Bishnoi (8.23) and Avesh (8.14) have been a tad expensive. But the bowling unit has often found a way to get over the line.

Gujarat's stellar run in the IPL can be attributed to their ability to come back from tough situations. They had different players winning games for them but that was not the case against MI when they failed to get nine runs off the last over in what should have been an easy run chase.

The batting department needs to be more consistent. The top order batters have failed to take their innings deep.

Shubman Gill has endured a hot and cold season, while Wriddhiman Saha has shown good intent.

Skipper Pandya, David Miller and Rahul Tewatia have also looked off colour recently and need to get into the groove again in the business end of the tournament.

Gujarat have a lethal bowling attack, studded with world-class bowlers like Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson and Rashid Khan.

But Shami hasn't been able to live up to expectations recently. The senior India pacer has given away 124 runs while taking only two wickets in the last three games.

However, he can can wreak havoc with the new ball while Ferguson's ability to generate extra pace is a cause of concern for any batting line-up.

Rashid continues to remain economical but the star Afghan spinner will be eager for more wickets.

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

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.

Match starts at 7.30 PM. 

Also Read : Alyssa Healy, Keshav Maharaj win ICC 'Player of Month' award

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, May 2 (Cricket News) When Imran Khan, a young aspiring first-class cricketer took his younger brother Mohsin to Badruddin Siddiqui for guidance, the coach didn't know what to make of the short and slight player from Moradabad's Sambhal area.

With eight wickets from four games, Mohsin is the latest among the group of rookie pacers, who have started making waves in this year's IPL.

Badruddin is one of the well-known grassroots level coaches in UP, having groomed the versatile Mohammed Shami during his initial years.

"It was more than a decade back when Mohsin's elder brother Imran used to come to my academy. By then Shami had moved to Kolkata and was playing Ranji Trophy.

"It was Imran who told me that his younger Mohsin is interested and if he could bring him for training," Badruddin recollected after his ward took 4/16, including wickets of David Warner, Rishabh Pant and Rovman Powell to win it for Lucknow Super Giants.

Badruddin remembers that initially Mohsin was like any other 13-year-old, who would at times be a tad inattentive.

"Kids of that age would be like that. Suddenly, he is bowling and next moment I see him padded up and taking guard. He would get scolded by me but if I am honest, 10 years back, I never felt seeing his physique that he could become a potent fast bowler," the coach said.

"However, his height shot up in a year and he became six feet tall. His game went to a different level and he started working hard with full focus," the coach said.

Multan Khan, a retired cop with UP Police had full faith in Badruddin since he was Shami's coach and left it entirely on him to guide his son.

"Imran unfortunately couldn't continue and later cleared state government exam and is now employed. But their father left all cricketing decisions with me. Once he got selected in the Vijay Merchant Trophy (U-16 Nationals), I knew he would come up the ranks," he said.

In fact, just like Shami left for Kolkata to face the bump and grind of tough club cricket, Badruddin also sent Mohsin to Kolkata based coach Abdul Monayem so that he could arrange a first division club for him.

Lot of youngsters from Meerut ply their trade as professionals in Kolkata but as luck would have it, Mohsin had to come back as he was selected for U-19 UP side.

"I remember Mohsin as he played in some practice matches between club teams that we had arranged pre-season. He attracted a lot of attention with his 6 feet 3 inch frame and would release the ball from around 10 feet after jump. He was a fine talent but he had to go back," Monayem recollected.

Training with Shami at his private ground --------------------------------------------- While he has been primarily a white-ball bowler, in 2020 during first lockdown post COVID-19, Mohsin got a rare chance to train with Shami at his residential ground in Amroha.

Shami owns a proper private ground at his native place where he has developed turf pitches and along with Badruddin, his younger brother Mohammed Kaif and Mohsin trained there during lockdown.

"It was a very small group and I had called Mohsin so that he could train and learn watching Shami. I also wated Shami to have a look at him and give his feedback as to how he was shaping up.

"What I felt was that Shami was impressed and gave him a lot of tips. He has often enquired about Mohsin's progress. And trust me you have seen his bowling but he is an equally capable had-hitting batter," Badruddin said.

UP's most potent T20 bowler of late ---------------------------------------- Lucknow is not the first team for Mohsin as he was picked by Mumbai Indians some years back after attending trials. It was learnt a senior BCCI official's right-hand man back then had really helped Mohsin get a first foothold but MI then had a set team and he didn't get chance to play.

Before Vijay Dahiya joined Lucknow Super Giants as an assistant coach this season, he already had worked as the senior UP team's head coach and already had a first hand knowledge about Mohsin's talent which came in handy at the auction.

Dahiya, perhaps, one of the best talent spotters in the country, had preferred playing Mohsin in one of the games ahead of the seasoned Ankit Rajpoot.

"Apart from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, we had three premier pacers --Yash (Dayal), Ankit and Mohsin. In one of the T20 games, we gave Ankit a break and played Mohsin.

"The extra bounce that he gets due to his height will always be an advantage. He is humble, gentle and hardworking, the attributes one always likes," Dahiya said.

Setting a player of Pant's calibre with short balls and then a dipping fuller delivery showed how he can be a 'Director's Actor', in this case a captain's perfect executor, but the tougher journey will start now.

"The challenge now is to remain grounded and the real test of temperament will happen in this tournament itself. Not all days will be same.

"A game will be round the corner where batters will go hell for leather against him. How he comes back will tell us how he will be doing in future. In the end, we all have our future in our own hands," Dahiya concluded. 

Also Read : Cheteshwar has got his 'flow' back with better match practice, says father cum coach

News Source : PTI

Pune, Apr 28 (Cricket News) Punjab Kings would be keen to put brakes on Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul's rollicking batting form and notch up a win when the two sides clash in an IPL game here on Friday.

Lucknow are currently in fourth spot, having five wins and three losses from eight games, while Punjab are at sixth, with four wins and as many losses.

Lucknow beat Mumbai Indians by 36 runs in their last game, while Punjab come into the game after defeating Chennai Super Kings by 11 runs.

Rahul has been in sublime form at the top of order and has already hit two hundreds -- both against Mumbai Indians -- and a fifty-plus score this season.

With 368 runs, he is the second highest run-getter so far this season, just behind Rajasthan Royals' Jos Buttler and has been the batting mainstay for his team.

Punjab’s balanced bowling attack, led by South African pacer Kasigo Rabada, would be keen to put the brakes on the stylish right-handed batter.

Rabada and the likes of Arshdeep Singh, who has been impressive in death overs, Sandeep Sharma, Rishi Dhawan and Rahul Chahar, would need to pose serious questions to Rahul at the MCA stadium, which has witnessed high-scoring thrillers. Leg-spinner Chahar is the leading wicket taker for Punjab with 10 scalps but he would need to step up even more to help his team's cause.

In the batting department, opener Shikhar Dhawan, who hit an unbeaten 88 in Punjab's previous matcg, is back among the runs and that is a big plus.

But the form of skipper Mayank Agarwal is a cause of concern. He has blown hot and cold with the willow, having a single fifty-plus score in the seven matches this season. He would be keen to find consistency and provide the thrust at the top with flamboyant Dhawan.

One-down Bhanuka Rajapaksa has played his part well against CSK the other night when he chipped in with 32-ball 42 and the Sri Lankan would be keen to put up another good show.

One of the top-order batters will need to come good again to set the stage for power-hitters like Liam Livingstone and Jonny Bairstow if Punjab have to post or chase a big total.

For Lucknow, captain Rahul needs support from other batters, including his opening partner Quinton De Kock, who failed in the game against Mumbai as he was dismissed for 10.

De Kock, who has scored 225 runs so far, has not done full justice to his potential and needs to fire on all cylinders and add weight to the LSG batting.

Lucknow have depth in their batting with the experienced Manish Pandey, the hard-hitting duo of Marcus Stoinis and Krunal Pandya, reliable Deepak Hooda, rookie Ayush Badoni and West Indian Jason Holder, who is known to hit sixes at will, in their ranks.

The bowling department has also fared well, with Sri Lankan pacer Dushmantha Chameera and Holder right on the money so far. The duo have shared 14 wickets among them and will need to continue with their good work to stop the attacking Punjab batting line-up.

The eight overs of spinners Krunal Pandya and Ravi Bishnoi can also become crucial and change the fate of a match.

The Teams (From): Punjab Kings: Mayank Agarwal (c), Shikhar Dhawan, 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.

Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (c), Manan Vohra, Evin Lewis, Manish Pandey, Quinton De Kock, Ravi Bishnoi, Dushmantha Chameera, Shahbaz Nadeem, 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.

Match starts at 7.30 PM. 

Also Read : Take Umran Malik to England for one-off Test, limited-overs series: Gavaksar

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Apr 15 (Cricket News) An auction botched up by poor planning, Mumbai Indians will continue to grope in the dark in search of an ideal playing eleven with an aim to end their five-match losing streak against Lucknow Super Giants in an IPL match on Saturday.

This is not the first time that MI have had a losing streak of five matches but this is probably the first time that it seems that the team's think-tank do not have an idea of how to stem the rot that has set in.

It is certainly not skipper Rohit Sharma's fault that the five-time champions had bungled big time at the auction table with below-par domestic signings save NT Tilak Varma, which is coming to bite them.

Against Lucknow in the afternoon Mumbai heat, Rohit and his chosen ten would have to put their best foot forward in order to tame the likes of Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul, Krunal Pandya, Ayush Badoni to name a few.

Krunal and De Kock, in particular, would like to pose some serious challenges for the MI brigade and may be compel them to think whether not putting enough efforts to get them back in their roster was a prudent enough thing to do.

There had been some inexplicable team selections and dropping a million dollar plus buy like Tim David after two games is one of them.

Such has been MI's plight that they haven't been able to field their full quota of foreign players in order to have enough bowlers in their ranks.

However, David might be given a go in place of a Jaydev Unadkat, who has once again come short in the highest level of cricket and is an example of the yawning gap between standards in domestic cricket and IPL.

One among Unadkat and Basil Thampi need to make way for David as they don't have too many options at the table.

In case of Murugan Ashwin, the only plausible replacement at this time looks to be leg-spinner Mayank Markande, who not so many moons back had some decent performances for the five-time champion outfit.

Not having a quality spinner like Rahul Chahar or Krunal, who can at times stem the flow of runs is also hurting MI.

Head coach Mahela Jayawardene had already said and rightly so that Rohit's performance isn't a worrying factor.

One of the reasons being his touch which is not out of place but perhaps he needs to curtail down on a few shots and bat deep along with Suryakumar Yadav to put up a challenging score which the weak bowling line-up can defend.

For Lucknow, mentor and brains behind the strategy Gautam Gambhir needs to think whether both Marcus Stoinis and Jason Holder could be a part of same eleven or they would be better off dropping one of them and playing the hard-hitting Evin Lewis in the top-order alongside Rahul and De kock.

Teams Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (captain), Manan Vohra, Evin Lewis, Manish Pandey, Quinton De Kock, Ravi Bishnoi, Dushmantha Chameera, Shahbaz Nadeem, 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.

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Anmolpreet Singh, Rahul Buddhi, Ramandeep Singh, SuryakumarYadav, Tilak Verma, Tim David, Arjun Tendulkar, Basil Thampi, Hrithik Shokeen, Jasprit Bumrah, Jaydev Unadkat, Jofra Archer, Mayank Markande, Murugan Ashwin, Riley Meredith, Tymal Mills, Arshad Khan, Daniel Sams, Dewald Brevis, Fabian Allen, Kieron Pollard, Sanjay Yadav, Aryan Juyal and Ishan Kishan. 

Also Read : Hardik has kept amazing team environment, taken brave decisions as skipper: Rashid

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Lucknow Super Giants will look to continue their fine form and get a win against a Delhi Capitals side which are still missing some key players but the likes of David Warner and Anrich Nortje will most likely return to the playing XI, making it an exciting encounter to witness. All eyes will be on the two future captains of India as KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant will battle out with each other on the field. 

The Lucknow Supergiants will be further boosted by the arrival of Marcus Stoinis who might go directly into the playing XI and can give the top order much needed stability with him batting at no 3 or 4. Meanwhile, Avesh Khan got back to his best after conceding nine runs per over in his first two matches but his brilliant four-wicket haul against Sunrisers Hyderabad will give him a lot of confidence as he's going to be the one leading this pace attack again for the Super Giants who were further boosted in bowling department with the arrival of Jason Holder, who gave them the assurance of bowling in the death. On the other hand, some concerns for the Super Giants are that Andrew Tye has been a bit expensive in his last two outings and Manish Pandey hasn’t started the tournament well with the bat. The battle between Warner vs Ravi Bishnoi tells a compelling story as the leggie has bowled four balls conceded five runs and has got him out twice.

Delhi Capitals will be delighted that David Warner and Anrich Nortje will likely walk into the Capitals XI with the opener finally out of quarantine and the fast bowler having recovered well from a back injury. Warner will likely replace Tim Seifert while Nortje could come in place of Khaleel Ahmed, with the Capitals having played only three overseas players in their last games as the partnership of Nortje and Mustafizur will be an interesting watch, the main question would be that can they replicate the same partnership that Nortje had with Kagiso Rabada, only time will answer that question. The battle between Quinton De Kock and the DC spinners will be an interesting watch, his vulnerability against spin early on especially those that turn away from the batter, could make Kuldeep Yadav and Lalit Yadav be viable options for DC to use them in the powerplay. DC need to keep one eye on Ravi Bishnoi, as he has kept Rishabh Pant quiet, conceding only 24 runs off the 23 balls he has bowled to him, while also dismissing him once.

Pitch and weather report: The DY Patil pitch has been the most unpredictable pitch in this year’s tournament as we have witnessed runs galore as well as plenty of wickets fall. The temperature is going to hover around 32 degrees as there is no chance of rain but dew is going to play a major part in the second innings due to the humidity as the groundsmen have been using APSA-80, the chemical agent which is used to prevent moisture from forming

Interesting facts:

• The average first-innings score at DY Patil stadium in this IPL has been 174 as winning the toss doesn’t have a major effect with the results going 2-2
• Deepak Hooda is enjoying a fine start to the season as his strike rate is 86 (first ten balls), 165 (11-20 balls), 180 (21-30 balls), 186 (30+ balls).
• Since IPL 2016, David Warner averages 76.89 in the powerplay,
• Both Anrich Nortje and Avesh Khan, since IPL 2021, have taken 8 wickets in the powerplay, 7 in the middle overs and 16 in the death.
•  Rishabh Pant is set to become the joint second-most capped player for Delhi Capitals in the IPL, 
• Shardul Thakur needs 3 more wickets to reach 150 wickets in T20 cricket

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

Probable XI for LSG:

1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Evin Lewis, 4 Marcus Stoinis, 5 Deepak Hooda, 6 Ayush Badoni, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Jason Holder, 9 Ankit Rajpoot, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Avesh Khan

Probable XI for DC:

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

Mumbai, Apr 6 (Cricket News) KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, the two enormously gifted cricketers, earmarked as future India captains will be showcasing their tactical acumen when newcomers Lucknow Super Giants square off with Delhi Capitals in an IPL match on Thursday.

Rahul and Pant, both match-winners in their own rights even with the bat, will like to seize the initiative in these early rounds.

IPL is a great platform where a good exhibition of meticulous homework, informed decision making with a dash of punt at critical junctures will hold any leader in good stead.

India will be playing a lot of cricket in next few years and with national captain Rohit Sharma's workload management is paramount, Rahul and Pant will both like to make a strong case for themselves going into the future.

And hence, the availability of the dashing David Warner and fit again Anrich Nortje for Capitals and the dependable Marcus Stoinis for LSG will certainly add to the depth of the playing XIs and bolster the competitive edge.

"David Warner is out of quarantine, so he's definitely available for selection for the next game, which is very exciting.

"Anrich Nortje has been going incredibly well over the last couple of weeks, since he's arrived here in India. And he has passed his fitness test to be available for selection," said Capitals assistant coach Shane Watson on the eve of the game.

It is expected that Tim Seifert will make way for Warner in the Capitals line-up and Nortje is set to enter the playing eleven at the expense of either Rovman Powerll or Mustafizur Rahman who starred with the ball in the previous game.

All-rounder Stoinis, who was picked by Lucknow from the draft, might replace one among Andrew Tye or Evin Lewis. As of now, replacing Tye looks more imminent.

Both teams have had issues with their bowling but Lucknow under Gautam Gambhir's mentorship, has managed pretty well.

The addition of Jason Holder has made them stronger and Delhi will be hoping that Warner gives them a rollicking start alongside mercurial Prithvi Shaw.

In case of LSG, skipper Rahul two good knocks against CSK and Sunrisers Hyderabad would like that Quinton de Kock also repeats his performance against CSK.

However it is LSG's bowling that needs to stop DC's batting firepower which will grow manifold in Waner's presence and skipper Pant and Shaw also waiting for their big knocks.

While Lalit Yadav is growing in confidence with each passing game, it is veteran batter Mandeep Singh, who is the weakest link in the batting line-up.

The way Mandeep backed towards leg-stump to deliveries from Lockie Ferguson and even Hardik Pandya, didn't make a pleasant sight.

However with LSG's attack not having an express quick in absence of Mark Wood, Pant and coach Riocky Ponting might be tempted to give the former Punjab captain one more chance.

In case, he doesn't get it then the three available options are Kona Bharat, Sarfaraz Khan and Yash Dhull. Sarfaraz was in great form during first-class season while Bharat did well for RCB last year in the few chances that he got.

In case Lucknow, Manish Pandey has looked horribly out of touch but Gambhir is known to back his players which could well save him from getting the axe.

Also there is no denying that LSG's bench strength when it comes to Indian batting back-up isn't great.

The two available players are Manan Vohra, who even after a decade in IPL, has failed to deliver and there is Uttar Pradesh white-ball captain Karan Sharma, who isn't exactly a finished product.

Teams (From) Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (Captain), Manan Vohra, Evin Lewis, Manish Pandey, Quinton De Kock, Ravi Bishnoi, Dushmantha Chameera, Shahbaz Nadeem, 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.

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 7.30 PM. 

Also Read : Ireland Women’s performance squad set for Spanish preparation camp

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Apr 6 (Cricket News) KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, the two enormously gifted cricketers, earmarked as future India captains will be showcasing their tactical acumen when newcomers Lucknow Super Giants square off with Delhi Capitals in an IPL match on Thursday.

Rahul and Pant, both match-winners in their own rights even with the bat, will like to seize the initiative in these early rounds.

IPL is a great platform where a good exhibition of meticulous homework, informed decision making with a dash of punt at critical junctures will hold any leader in good stead.

India will be playing a lot of cricket in next few years and with national captain Rohit Sharma's workload management is paramount, Rahul and Pant will both like to make a strong case for themselves going into the future.

And hence, the availability of the dashing David Warner for Capitals and the dependable Marcus Stoinis for LSG will certainly add to the depth of the playing XIs and bolster the competitive edge.

It is expected that Tim Seifert will make way for Warner in the Capitals line-up while all-rounder Stoinis, who was picked by Lucknow from the draft might replace one among Andrew Tye or Evin Lewis. As of now, replacing Tye looks more imminent.

Both teams have had issues with their bowling but Lucknow under Gautam Gambhir's mentorship, has managed pretty well.

The addition of Jason Holder has made them stronger and Delhi will be hoping that Warner gives them a rollicking start alongside mercurial Prithvi Shaw.

In case of LSG, skipper Rahul two good knocks against CSK and Sunrisers Hyderabad would like that Quinton de Kock also repeats his performance against CSK.

However it is LSG's bowling that needs to stop DC's batting firepower which will grow manifold in Waner's presence and skipper Pant and Shaw also waiting for their big knocks.

While Lalit Yadav is growing in confidence with each passing game, it is veteran batter Mandeep Singh, who is the weakest link in the batting line-up.

The way Mandeep backed towards leg-stump to deliveries from Lockie Ferguson and even Hardik Pandya, didn't make a pleasant sight.

However with LSG's attack not having an express quick in absence of Mark Wood, Pant and coach Riocky Ponting might be tempted to give the former Punjab captain one more chance.

In case, he doesn't get it then the three available options are Kona Bharat, Sarfaraz Khan and Yash Dhull. Sarfaraz was in great form during first-class season while Bharat did well for RCB last year in the few chances that he got.

In case Lucknow, Manish Pandey has looked horribly out of touch but Gambhir is known to back his players which could well save him from getting the axe.

Also there is no denying that LSG's bench strength when it comes to Indian batting back-up isn't great.

The two available players are Manan Vohra, who even after a decade in IPL, has failed to deliver and there is Uttar Pradesh white-ball captain Karan Sharma, who isn't exactly a finished product.

Teams (From) Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (Captain), Manan Vohra, Evin Lewis, Manish Pandey, Quinton De Kock, Ravi Bishnoi, Dushmantha Chameera, Shahbaz Nadeem, 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.

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 7.30 PM. 

 

Also Read : DK playing his best cricket, needs to put his name back in international cricket: du Plessis

 

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Mar 30 (Cricket News) Chennai Super Kings will welcome the return of star all-rounder Moeen Ali as they eye a much improved batting performance in the IPL clash against Lucknow Super Giants here on Thursday.

Both the teams come into the game after a loss in their respective opening matches. A common factor in their defeats were the failure of the top-order and they would be looking to correct that at the Brabourne Stadium.

It is still very early days in the two-month long IPL but the toss is already playing a significant role in the game's outcome. With the second innings dew in mind, teams are preferring to put the opposition in.

The losses for CSK and LSG came after batting first at the Wankhede. Conditions are not expected to be very different at the nearby CCI ground with heavy dew likely to set in the second half of the game. Lucknow skipper KL Rahul and star opener Quinton De Kock had a forgettable outing on Monday and they would be keen to get some runs under their belt. Rahul needs to lead from the front with the IPL presenting a big test for his captaincy skills.

Seasoned campaigner Manish Pandey and Evin Lewis, who is a hard-hitting batter, on their day can take any attack to cleaners, had a forgettable outing and the team management would hope that they come to the party.

Lucknow would be pleased that their middle-order comprising Deepak Hooda, debutant Ayush Badoni and Krunal Pandya clicked when their top-order collapsed and the trio would again need to shoulder the responsibility.

But it was the Lucknow bowling, which would need to quickly forget the hammering they received at the hands of Gujarat. While pacer Dushmantha Chameera was right on the money, co-pacer Avesh Khan leaked 33 runs in 3.4 overs.

Also the role of spin trio of Ravi Bishnoi, Hooda and Krunal, could decide the match’s fate.

CSK would also look to put up a much better show with the bat after they managed only 131 in the first game. With Moeen Ali, a pinch-hitter available for selection alongside Dwaine Pretorius, they would indeed heave a sigh of relief.

In the first game, save a vintage Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the other batters faltered – be it Ruturaj Gaikwad, Robin Uthappa, Devon Conway or Ambati Rayadu.

New skipper Ravindra Jadeja would also be keen to get a big score individually and ditto for Shivam Dube, who is racing against time to prove his worth on the IPL stage.

But it remains to be seen who CSK leave out to include Moeen, who can come in at number three.

While all-rounder Dwayne Bravo claimed three wickets against KKR, others leaked runs and all of them would need to fire in unison. 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.

Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (Captain), Manan Vohra, Evin Lewis, Manish Pandey, Quinton De Kock, Ravi Bishnoi, Dushmantha Chameera, Shahbaz Nadeem, 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.

Match starts at 7.30 PM. 

Also Read : Rajasthan Royals defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 61 runs (Indian Premier League)

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) New teams Gujarat Lions and Lucknow Supergiants face each other in a clash of the new guns as both Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul will look to get a victory for their new franchise. Both sets of owners will be extremely nervous considering it is their first match, so the onus is on the player and experienced players to step up and remove all the tension from their camps.

The Lucknow Supergiants did brilliantly in their first ever auction and have relatively ticked all the missing gaps in their squad but going into their first the only issue for Supergiants is that they will not be able to field a full-strength team as of yet. England quick Mark Wood had been ruled out of the entire season with an elbow injury, as they went with Australian Andrew Tye as his replacement. The likes of Marcus Stoinis, Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers are also expected to be out for the first week of the IPL due to their international commitments but they have plenty of back-ups to replace them. They do have a number of talented household IPL names in  Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan as they will this season rely heavily on their Indian core to perform big in the tournament. Their biggest strength, however, is their opening pair of KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock who can wreak havoc if both start to find form in the tournament.

As for Titans, Jason Roy's withdrawal has put their plans in a bit of disarray but they have roped in Rahmanullah Gurbaz as his replacement and will most likely open with Shubman Gill at the top as they have to wait to bring in Matthew Wade to open. The one thing that theTitans put emphasis was on their bowling attack as they have the likes of Rashid Khan (who has also been named the team's vice-captain for the season), Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami and Rahul Tewatia, R Sai Kishore available to bowl when needed, they easily have one of the strongest bowling units going in the tournament. The area of concern for Hardik Pandya will be their fragile batting line up which lacks certain match winning experience and they may find it difficult to chase down big scores considering their fragile middle order.

Pitch and weather report: The pitch at the Wankhede in the season opener had evident assistance for pace, with lots of wickets falling in the first match. With a new pitch pacers will get massive assistance off the pitch and we can expect some fiery spells from both sets of fast bowlers. The temperature is going to hover around 31 degrees with no possibility of rain.

Interesting facts:

• In T20s since 2020, 14 out of 20 matches have been won by the chasing team at the Wankhede Stadium.
• Miller needs 26 more to tally 2000 runs in the IPL.
• Hardik is two hits away from tallying 100 sixes in the IPL.
• KL Rahul has the highest average of 47.43 at a strike rate of 136.37, for players who have scored more than 3000 runs in the IPL

Probable XI for GT:

1 Shubman Gill, 2 Matthew Wade (wk), 3 Wriddhiman Saha/Vijay Shankar, 4 Abhinav Manohar, 5 David Miller, 6 Hardik Pandya (capt), 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 R Sai Kishore, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Mohammed Shami

Probable XI for LSG:

1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Manish Pandey, 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Manan Vohra, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Ankit Rajpoot, 8 K Gowtham, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Avesh Khan

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

Sultanpur (Haryana), Mar 4 (Cricket News) Maharashtra rode on skipper Ankit Bawane’s elegant 140 and Azim Kazi’s 113 to post a big total of 462 against Uttar Pradesh on the second day of their Ranji Trophy elite group G game here on Friday.

Bawane and Kazi stitched a crucial 130-run stand for the fifth wicket as they frustrated the Uttar Pradesh bowlers after Maharashtra resumed the day on their overnight score of 298/4.

Bawane added 24 runs to his overnight score before becoming pacer Ankit Rajpoot’s (2/76) second victim.

The Maharashtra captain hammered 23 boundaries in his 250-ball innings.

After Bawane fell, 28-year-old Kazi, a left-handed batter, took the onus on himself and kept playing shots at will.

He too notched up his 100 and was the last man to be dismissed.

Kazi struck 13 boundaries and a six during his 243-ball knock as he took on the UP attack with gusto. But he was devoid of partners as Satyajeet Bacchhav (19) and Taranjitsingh Dhillon (19) failed to convert their starts.

For Uttar Pradesh, Jasmer Dhankar (3/83) was the pick of the bowlers.

In reply, Uttar Pradesh opener Almas Shaukat (4) retired hurt while his partner Samarth Singh (14) fell cheaply after being cleaned up by Vicky Ostwal (1/14).

UP were reeling at 30-1 but then Priyam Garg (29 not out) and Karan Sharma (9 not out) held fort till the stumps were drawn.

UP have a mountain to climb as they trail by 400 runs. In the group, it is a tough race for the knock-outs as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have seven and eight points respectively.

Brief Scores: Maharashtra 462 all out (Ankit Bawane 140, Azim Kazi 113; Jasmer Dhankhar 3/83, Ankit Rajpoot 2/76) versus Uttar Pradesh 62/1(Priyam Garg 29 not out; Vicky Ostwal 1/14).

Uttar Pradesh trail by 400 runs Assam 316 (Sarupam Purkayastha 113, Riyan Parag 48; Rajneesh Gurbani 5/77, Aditya Sarvate 3/64) versus Vidarbha 265/9 (Faiz Fazal 86, Atharva Taide 42; Riyan Parag 5/68, Siddharth Sarmah 1/35). Vidarbha trail by 51 runs. 

Also Read : Khare, Singh hit tons as Chhattisgarh in firm control against Delhi

News Source : PTI

Rohtak, Feb 18 (Cricket News) Debutant Pavan Shah slammed his maiden double hundred to take Mahrashtra to an imposing 415 and put them in a commanding position against Assam on the second day of their Elite Group G Ranji Trophy game here on Friday.

The 22-year-old Shah, a right-handed batter, who hails from Chinchwad near Pune, took the pedestrian Assam attack to cleaners as he hammered 20 boundaries and two maximums enroute his 219 off 401 balls.

Shah started from his overnight score on unbeaten 165, and remained the cynosure of eyes at the Choudhry Bansilal stadium here, as he kept playing his shots at will.

The right-handed batter, a product of the Verroc Vengsarkar academy, stitched a 112-run stand with number seven Diyang Hinganekar (46; 7x4), who played his role to perfection.

But in-form Assam pacer Mukhtar Hussain (5/88) trapped Hinganekar in front of the wicket as Maharashtra lost its sixth wicket for 296.

But there was more agony in store for Assam as Shah found an able ally in Satyajeet Bachhav, who hit a patient 52 in 108 balls, striking six boundaries and a maximum.

The Shah-Bachhav duo added vital 74-runs for the seventh wicket. It was Bachhav's knock that eventually helped the western team cross the 400-mark and ensure that it would be an uphill task for Assam batters. After Bachhav fell, Assam bowlers quickly rattled the tail.

In reply, Assam lost opener Rishav Das (14) cheaply, who became Mukesh Choudhary's first victim. Even one-down batter Gokul Sharma (5) perished early as they were reeling at 32/2.

But opener Subham Mandal (34 not out) and the talented all-rounder Riyan Parag (26 not out ) then steadied the ship with their 49-run unbroken stand for the third wicket and held fort till stumps were drawn. At stumps, Assam was poised at 81/2, still adrift by 334 runs.

Brief scores: Maharashtra 415 all out (Pawan Shah 219; Satyajeet Bachhav 52; Mukhtar Hussain 5/88, Arup Das 2/86) versus Assam 81/2 (Subham Mandal 34 not out, Riyan Parag 26 not out; Manoj Ingle 1/5). Assam trail by 334 runs.

At Sultanpur: Uttar Pradesh 301 all out (Akshdeep Nath 91, Rinku Singh 65; Dhruv Jurel 64; Aditya Sarwate 5/86, Aditya Thakare 2/43, Umesh Yadav 2/58) versus Vidarbha 256/2 (Faiz Fazal 142 not out, Sanjay Ramaswamy 96; Ankit Rajpoot 1/50, Saurabh Kumar 1/84). Vidarbha trail by 45 runs. 

Also Read : Unhappy Katich tenders resignation from SRH assistant coach's post over baffling auction big buys

News Source : PTI

Jaipur, Dec 20 (Cricket News) An in-form Uttar Pradesh will fancy their chances against Himachal Pradesh while Tamil Nadu face a stiff challenge against a resurgent Karnataka when two of the quarter-final matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy are played here on Tuesday.

While Himachal had made a direct entry to the quarterfinals, Uttar Pradesh secured a hard-fought five wicket win over Madhya Pradesh on Sunday to make the last-eight stage.

Likewise, Tamil Nadu stormed into the quarterfinals directly, while Karnataka outclassed Rajasthan to make the last eight of the national ODI championship.

Uttar Pradesh will rely on their experienced campaigner Akshdeep Nath, who played a vital role in the team’s win over MP. But, he would need support from his top-order colleagues -- especially openers Madhav Kaushik and young wicket-keeper Aryan Juyal, skipper Karan Sharma and Sameer Rizvi.

If all of them fire in unison, the Himachal bowlers will have a tough time. Another important cog in UP’s wheel is aggressive left-handed batter Rinku Singh, who took the side home against MP. Their formidable bowling attack is led by ace India speedster Bhuvneshwar Kumar and includes Ankit Rajpoot, 24-year-old Yash Dayal and Shivam Mavi. Slow left-arm bowler Shivam Sharma will also be keen to play a part. UP are unlikely to tinker with their winning combination.

For Himachal, their biggest asset is skipper Rishi Dhawan, who is a bowling all-rounder and can contribute with both the bat and ball.

But Dhawan would need support from his top-order batters, which comprises wicket-keeper Shubham Arora, Prashant Chopra, Nikhil Gangta and left-handed Amit Thakur.

Left-arm orthodox spinner Mayank Dagar will play a key role for Himachal, along with skipper Dhawan.

While Uttar Pradesh will have the edge, they would not want to take Himachal lightly in what promises to be an interesting match.

Meanwhile, Karnataka would be confident after the eight-wicket thrashing of Rajasthan in the pre-quarters and would be keen to raise their game against arch-rivals TN, who too have been in good form in the tournament.

Karnataka have one of the best batting line-ups in the form of Ravikumar Samarth, Devdutt Padikkal, Krishnamurthy Siddharth, skipper Manish Pandey, Abhinav Manohar and Krishnappa Gowtham. This batting unit can take any attack apart and Tamil Nadu bowlers would be well aware of that.

Karnataka's bowling attack, led by Prasidh Krishna, will have its task cut out against a strong TN batting line-up.

Tamil Nadu had beaten Karnataka in the league phase in Thiruvananthapuram and would be keen to do so again, albeit at a different venue and in different conditions.

In N Jagadeesan, B Indrajith, Dinesh Karthik, captain Vijay Shankar, M S Washington Sundar and the power-hitter M Shahrukh Khan, the team has the batters who can go after the opposition bowling.

Young batter B Sai Sudharsan, in his maiden season, has been a good addition at the top, and can score at a quick rate too.

Washington Sundar, on a comeback trail after an injury during the tour of England, has 12 wickets but would be expected to make substantial scores too and his role in the crunch game will be crucial.

Fellow spinners R Sai Kishore, M Siddharth and R Sanjay Yadav would be vital for Tamil Nadu's chances.

Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have been involved in some thrilling contests in the past, including the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final in which Shahrukh Khan sealed the match for TN with a last ball six.

Tuesday's winner could very well go all the way in the championship.

The schedule: At KL Saini stadium: Tamil Nadu vs Karnataka (Starts 9am).

At Sawai Mansingh Stadium: Himachal vs Uttar Pradesh (Starts 9am). 

Also Read : Assam Cricket Association to focus on infrastructure development: Officials

News Source : PTI

Chandigarh, Dec 14 (Cricket News) Delhi's dismal show in the domestic season continued as they finished a dreadful fifth among six teams after losing to Saurashtra by four wickets in their last group C league match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, here Tuesday.

Saurashtra by virtute of being group toppers with an all-win record and 20 points qualified for the quarter-finals with second placed Uttar Pradesh, who finished on 12 points with three wins out of five matches.

Delhi again batted first and laboured their way to 201 for 8, which was also possible because of useful knocks from Anuj Rawat (45 off 57 balls) and skipper Pradeep Sangwan (34 off 43 balls).

Jaydev Unadkat (2/26) and Chetan Sakariya (2/29) kept things tight while all-rounders Chirag Jani and Prerak Mankad also got a wicket apiece.

In reply, Saurashtra scored the runs losing six wickets in 38.1 overs with Mankad smashing 73 off 63 balls and this is his second half-century in a two back-to-back games.

With IPL teams looking for seam-bowling all-rounders, who could also be finishers, Mankad might interest franchises at the auction.

Delhi has now been knocked out of two white ball national competitions before reaching the knock-out stage and it is there to be seen as to what kind of measures Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) takes for ensuring an improved show in the blue riband Ranji Trophy tournament.

In another match, former KKR left-hander Rinku Singh (75) and pacer Ankit Rajpoot (5/33) were the star performers for Uttar Pradesh in their comprehensive 78-run win over Haryana to finish second in the group.

UP scored 245/9 and save Rinku, none of the others reached 50-run mark. For Haryana, India seamer Harshal Patel (3/56) and veteran Mohit Sharma (2 wickets) were the main wicket-takers.

Patel also smashed 67 off 61 balls with six sixes but the rest of the batters didn't perform up to the mark and were all out for 167 in 38.5 overs.

In another match, seasoned bowlers Varun Aaron and Shahbaz Nadeem too three wickets apiece as Jharkhand beat Hyderabad by 36 runs in an inconsequential group league game.

Brief Scores UP 245/9 (Rinku Singh 75, Harshal Patel 3/56). Haryana 167 in 38.5 overs (Harshal Patel 67, Ankit Rajpoot 5/33). UP won by 78 runs.

Delhi 201/8 (Anuj Rawat 45, Jaydev Unadkat 2/26). Saurashtra 204/6 (Prerak Mankad 73, Mayank Yadav 3/57). Saurashtra won by 4 wickets.

Jharkhand 276 (Virat Singh 65, Chama Milind 6/63). Hyderabad 240 (Varun Aaron 3/50, Shahbaz Nadeem 3/32). Jharkhand won by 36 runs. 

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News Source : PTI

Rohtak, Nov 4 (Cricket news) Off-spinner Shivank Vashist took a career-best 5 for 19 as Delhi crushed Uttarakhand by 35 runs to make a winning start in their Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament opener here on Thursday.

At the Bansi Lal Stadum in Rohtak, Himmat Singh (35 off 34 balls) and skipper Pradeep Sangwan (25 off 21 bllas) made important contributions in their modest total of 121 for 8 in 20 overs.

In reply, Uttarkahand were never in the game as Vashist ran through the middle-order during his four-over spell with the minnows being shot out for 86 in 18 overs.

Navdeep Saini (1/18 in 4 overs) and Pradeep Sangwan (1/12 in 3 overs) were very disciplined in their first spell with Dikshanshu Negi (21) top-scoring in an otherwise embarrassing batting show.

In another game, Hyderabad beat Saurastra by two wickets in a last-over thriller. Saurashtra posted 173 for 8 with all-rounder Prerak Mankad scoring 71 off 46 balls that had five sixes and four boundaries.

Skipper Jaydev Unadkat also bolstered the total with 58 off 32 balls that had six fours and three sixes. Mohammed Siraj took 3 for 38 in 4 overs.

In reply, Hyderabad scored the runs with three balls to spare with Kolla Sumanth (21 no off 15 balls) and Chama Sumanth (12 no off 4 balls) hitting a six each in their 22 run stand off 9 balls.

Brief Scores: Delhi 121/8 (Himmat Singh 35, Pradeep Sangwan 25). Uttaarakhand (Dikshanshu Negi 21, Shivank Vashist 5/19, Navdeep Saini 1/18). Delhi won by 35 runs.

Saurashtra 173/8 (Prerak Mankad 71 off 46 balls, Jaydev Unadkat 58 no off 32 balls, Mohammed Siraj 3/38). Hyderabad 177/8 in 19.3 overs (Tanmay Agarwal 55 off 35 balls, Kolla Sumanth 21 no off 15 balls). Hyderabad won by 2 wkts Uttar Pradesh 165/4 (Karan Sharma 60 off 50 balls, Rinku Singh 57 off 29 balls, Gurinder Singh 1/39). Chandigarh 143/5 (Manan Vohra 42 off 39 balls, Ankit Rajpoot 2/25). UP won by 22 runs.

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News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Feb 17 (PTI) The selectors on Wednesday retained 17 of the 18 members in the Indian squad for the final two Tests against England while senior pacer Umesh Yadav's inclusion would depend on his fitness assessment ahead of the day/night game in Ahmedabad. Shardul Thakur is the only player who has not been kept as he will be released to compete in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The anticipation was around senior pacer Mohammed Shami's fitness and it has been learnt that he is still not 100 percent fit for the rigours of five-day games. "Umesh Yadav will join the team in Ahmedabad and after his fitness assessment will replace Shardul Thakur, who will be released for Vijay Hazare Trophy," BCCI secretary Jay Shah was quoted as saying in a press release. Predictably, left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem has been dropped from stand-by list after his poor show in the first Test. Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar and keeper-batsman Kona Srikar Bharat are stand-by players. Priyank Panchal and Abhimanyu Easwaran have also been released to play Vijay Hazare Trophy. The five net bowlers, who were in Chennai will also join the team in Ahmedabad. They are Ankit Rajpoot, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Warrier, Krishnappa Gowtham and Saurabh Kumar Squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (Vice-captain), KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Standby players: KS Bharat, Rahul Chahar.