Northampton, Jul 3 (Cricket News) India will enter the upcoming limited overs series against England on a positive note, having beaten Northamptonshire by 10 runs after an impressive display by the bowlers in their second warm-up match here on Sunday.

India had earlier defeated Derbyshire by seven wickets.

After Harshal Patel lifted India from a precarious position to 149 for eight with a 36-ball 54, the visiting bowlers fired in unison to bowl out the county side for 139 with three balls to spare.

Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal and Harshal picked up two wickets apiece as Northamptonshire failed to overcome India's total.

Earlier, asked to bat first, India were off to a disastrous start losing Sanju Samson in the very first delivery of the match, the successful bowler being skipper Joshua Cobb.

One-down bat Rahul Tripathi, too, did not last long but more trouble awaited India as pacer Brandon Glover sent back Suryakumar Yadav to leave the visitors tottering at 8/3 in the third over.

Glover two wickets in quick succession put Northamptonshire on top before a partnership of 43 runs for the fourth wicket steadied the ship. However, Ishan Kishan, having laboured to 16 off 20 balls, fell to left-arm spinner Freddie Heldreich to bring to an end the brief partnership.

That signalled the arrival of Dinesh Karthik and the seasoned campaigner straightaway got into the groove with a few boundaries and a six.

However, Karthik got out after making a brisk 34 off 26 balls as India slipped to 72 for five at the start of the 12th over.

Venkatesh Iyer scored a sedate 20 off 22 balls, but it was Harshal who did the bulk of the scoring when India needed runs to put up a challenging total. Harshal struck five fours and three sixes during his breezy knock.

For Northamptonshire, Brandon Glover was the most successful bowler with figures of 3/33, while there were two wickets apiece for medium pacer Nathan Buck and Heldreich.

Brief scores: India: 149/8 in 20 overs (Harshal Patel 54, Dinesh Karthik 34; Brandon Glover 3/33) Northamptonshire: 139 all out in 19.3 overs (Saif Zaib 33; Avesh Khan 2/16, Yuzvendra Chahal 2/25). 

Also Read : Pacers put India on top before Pujara fifty extends lead to 257

News Source : PTI

Bold and brutal calls in India's T20I squad for the England series

(Cricket news) BCCI has announced two separate 17 member squads to take on England in 3 T20Is after the Test match is concluded. The squad for the 1st T20I is the same squad that defeated Ireland 2-0 with the addition of Captain Rohit Sharma. The Indian skipper has been ruled out of the Test match due to Covid which allows him to play the 1st T20I. The reason that there are two squads is because there is only one day's rest between the last day of the Test and the 1st T20I.

India's squad for 1st T20I: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.

India’s squad for 2nd and 3rd T20I: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik.

From the 2nd T20I Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah will join the squad after having completed the Test match. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Rahul Tripathi, Venkatesh Iyer and Arshdeep Singh are the five players who will make way for the Test players. Ruturaj Gaikwad has not been consistent in the chances that he has got so far in his international career. This is a tough time for him as he has also been dropped from the ODI squad. The opener is still pretty young and has a lot of time left to cement his place in the squad. 

Arshdeep Singh's exclusion was pretty understandable as he is yet to get a game and all the other seamers have performed well and someone has to make way for Jasprit Bumrah. However Arshdeep has something to cherish as he has been called up for the ODI squad for the first time. Sanju Samson played a brilliant innings in the last T20I against Ireland but that is still not enough to secure his place in the side. Rahul Tripathi is another player who was always going to be dropped once the big boys return. He will have to wait longer to get his opportunity in Indian colours. 

Venkatesh Iyer is the one player whose exclusion seems very harsh. In the opportunities that he has got with India Venkatesh has rarely disappointed. He did have a poor IPL campaign but his performances in blue have been really good. Hardik Pandya's return has pushed Iyer down the pecking order but he could still be in the squad as a backup for Pandya. His ability to bat anywhere is also an added bonus. Mohammed Siraj who has been a part of the T20I set-up is not a part of the squad. Mohammed Shami is back in the ODI squad but not in the T20I squad for unknown reasons. Shami is one of the best bowlers in India but he hasn't played since the T20 World Cup. Shami definitely doesn't deserve to be dropped from T20Is as his performances in the IPL have been really good.

Also read: Important calls in India's ODI squad for England series

(Cricket news) India have announced their 17 man squad that will take on England in 3 ODIs. The matches will be played at the Oval, Lord's and Old Trafford respectively. India whitewashed West Indies in their last ODI series and they come into this series in good form. England convincingly whitewashed Netherlands and are on fire in the whiteball format. There has been a change as long term whiteball captain Eoin Morgan has retired with Jos Buttler set to lead the side for the first time in the ODI format for the India series. The series will be an important step in the preparation for the World Cup next year. 

India's ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh

India have chosen a full strength squad as expected. Apart from a few players who are injured this should pretty much be the squad for the World Cup even though there is a long time left for it. KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar and Kuldeep Yadav who were part of the last squad miss out because of injuries. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda, Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan have been dropped. Gaikwad didn't get to play a single game but is presumably dropped for inconsistent performances in the T20I format.

Deepak Hooda being dropped is likely to do with the return of Hardik Pandya and the conditions. Playing a batting all-rounder who bowls spin doesn't really make sense in English conditions especially when Ravindra Jadeja is in the side. The reason to drop Ravi Bishnoi will also be the same as Yuzvendra Chahal is the established wrist spinner. It is surprising that the selectors have chosen not to keep a direct replacement for Chahal in the squad. Avesh Khan is clearly dropped because of the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami even though he didn't get a single game to prove himself. 

Arshdeep Singh gets his maiden ODI call-up which is a little unexpected because he has been dropped from the T20I squad. His selection might have to do with the fact that he is the only left arm seamer available. Ishan Kishan was a late COVID-19 replacement in the ODI series against West Indies but his impressive T20I form has earned him a place in the ODI format which was always going to happen eventually. Hardik Pandya's return to the squad was imminent as he has shown good quality since his return to cricket. 

Pandya's importance to the ODI squad is immense and his presence is something India has been missing. Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja were injured during the West Indies series but they have been called back immediately as expected. Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah are back in the ODI squad. Bumrah was a part of the South Africa series and was later rested for the West Indies series. Shami on the other hand hasn't played an ODI game since 2020 against Australia. 

Also read: Doubts over Rohit Sharma's availability as India take on England

Birmingham, Jun 30 (Cricket News) Skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been ruled out of the rescheduled Test match against England after testing positive for COVID-19, will be available to lead the side in the white-ball series as he was named in squads for T20Is and ODIs by the BCCI on Thursday.

The three-match T20 series will begin on July 7 in Southampton.

Rohit was already supposed to play from the second T20I but since he missed out on the Test match, he is available from the first game.

Five players, including Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and Shreyas Iyer will join the team from the second game in Edgbaston on July 9.

One notable omission in the T20 squad is Mohammed Shami, who hasn't been picked in shortest format since last T20 World Cup as he isn't scheme of things for Australia World Cup.

Shami, oldest player in the current set up, Shikhar Dhawan (37) and Mohammed Siraj are part of the ODI squad which will be played from 15 to 20th of July.

The players who will return home after first T20I are Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Tripathi to name a few.

It is understood these players are not first choice going into the T20 World Cup.

India’s squad for 1st T20I: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik India's squad for 2nd and 3rd T20I: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik India's squad for 3 ODIs: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, J Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohd Shami, Mohd Siraj, Arshdeep Singh. 

Also Read : Bumrah drawing inspiration from Dhoni ahead of captaincy debut

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India won the T20I series against Ireland 2-0. The first match was very comfortable while the second one went down to the last ball. Despite being whitewashed, Ireland played really well and made India work really hard for both the wins. Hardik Pandya captained India for the first time and did a good job. He will surely be in the core group of leaders in the future for the men in blue. There were a lot of good things that happened for India in this tour.

Deepak Hooda was named the Player of the Series for scoring 151 runs in 2 matches. He opened in the first match and batted at number 3 in the second, both times he did an incredible job. His power hitting was on another level all together. Hooda was on the bench for the entire South Africa series but he has now made the most of his opportunities. Hooda along with Sanju Samson got a partnership of 176 runs in the second match which was the highest for India in a T20I. Samson got an opportunity in the 2nd T20I after Ruturaj Gaikwad's injury and scored his maiden T20I fifty. 

The Indian bowlers didn't have an amazing series but they did the job. Both wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Bishnoi played one match each. They adapted well to the conditions and bowled good spells in the middle overs. Umran Malik made his international debut and picked up his first wicket in Indian colours. He also successfully defended 16 runs in the last over of the 2nd match when he was under a lot of pressure. Hardik Pandya gave himself the responsibility of bowling in the powerplay but didn't do particularly well. His bowling form is a bit of a concern but there is still time for him to work on it before the World Cup.

Also read: England start Stokes-McCullum era with a whitewash over New Zealand

(Cricket news) India are all set to take on Ireland for the 2nd and final T20I. The men in blue comfortably won the rain affected 1st T20I and now will be looking to seal the series. Ireland will be hoping to bounce back and tie the series which will be a remarkable achievement for them. It will be very difficult for them to get the better of this Indian side who has a lot of talent and most of them are playing to earn their place in the team for the World Cup.

India's possible playing XI:

Venkatesh Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umran Malik 

Bench: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Rahul Tripathi, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh & Harshal Patel 

Ruturaj Gaikwad didn't bat in the last game as he had a niggle. Venkatesh Iyer is the ideal replacement who has been waiting for his opportunity. Sanju Samson and Rahul Tripathi are the other options but Venkatesh deserves the opportunity. Umran Malik made his debut in the last match but only bowled one over which turned out to be expensive. He is likely to get another opportunity where he can hopefully bowl four overs. There is a chance that Bhuvneshwar Kumar is rested for the game which means that Arshdeep Singh could get his debut cap.

The weather forecast suggests that there will be a lot of rain before the match but not during. Despite the forecast there is a chance that rain interrupts the play which is why the team that wins the toss would like to bowl first. India's seam bowling wasn't particularly impressive in the last match which is something that the team will look to improve. Yuzvendra Chahal was the man of the match in the last game and he will again be very crucial for the visitors.

Also read: How catastrophic will Rohit Sharma's potential absence be for India?

(Cricket news) India defeated Ireland in the 1st T20I by 7 wickets with 16 balls to spare. There was a 2 hour 20 minute delay due to rain which caused the game to be cut down to 12 overs. Umran Malik was handed his debut cap as he took Harshal Patel's place purely because his raw pace would be effective in the conditions. As for Ireland, Conor Olphert made his international debut. Hardik Pandya won the toss and decided to bowl first.

Ireland in the first innings managed to get to 108/4 in 12 overs. Harry Tector was the star of the show as he hit 64 off 33 balls. His innings included 6 fours and 2 sixes as he took on the Indian bowlers. Keeper Lorcan Tucker provided decent support with his 18 off 16 balls. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal and Avesh Khan picked up a wicket each. Umran Malik's debut didn't go to plan as he got to bowl only 1 over which went for 14 runs. There was a lot of swing on offer but the Indians missed their lines a few times. Tector was the one man army for Ireland as he scored more than half of their runs. 

Chasing 109 runs in 12 overs, India opened with Ishan Kishan and Deepak Hooda because Ruturaj Gaikwad had a niggle. Kishan got off to a flying start as he scored 26 runs off just 11 balls. Hardik Pandya batting at number 4 hit 24 off 12 balls while Deepak Hooda was the star of the show. The replacement opener made an unbeaten 47 off 29 balls to lead his side to victory, hitting 6 fours and 2 sixes in his entertaining innings. As for Ireland Craig Young picked up two wickets while Josh Little got a scalp. India ended up chasing the target in 9.2 overs as Yuzvendra Chahal was named man of the match for his 1/11 in 3 overs. The next match on 29th June is also expected to be interrupted by rain but India do have the advantage and should win the series from this position.

Also read:  Mayank Agarwal to join Indian Test squad in England as cover for Rohit Sharma

Bengaluru, Jun 26 (Cricket News) Madhya Pradesh, not considered among cricketing elites during the past decade, on Sunday humbled domestic powerhouse Mumbai by six wickets in a one-sided Ranji Trophy final under coach Chandrakant Pandit, who exorcised the ghosts of losing one at this very ground 23 summers ago.

On the final day, Mumbai could only manage 269 in their second innings, leaving MP with a paltry target of 108, and they did it in style as Pandit won a record sixth national title as a coach.

Sarfaraz Khan (45), who finished the season with 18 short of 1000 runs and young Suved Parkar (51) tried their bit, but with the need to attack at every opportunity, MP's Kumar Kartikeya (4/98) and the other bowlers knew that wickets would come their way.

While chasing, there were some hiccups, but with just over 100 to get, it was a stroll in the park for the MP team.

As they completed the victory, Pandit was flooded with memories (not happy ones), which he hasn't been able to erase for over two decades and despite winning five trophies as a coach.

It was here at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in the summer of 1999 when MP, despite a first-innings lead of 75, failed to win the game as Pandit, a proud captain, finished his playing career in tears.

Before the final, he spoke to PTI about divine intervention and circle of life and during the five days, sat in one corner with a white towel on his lap.

He has again proved to be an 'Alchemist', after guiding Vidarbha to four trophies (successive Ranji and Irani Cup), with a team that didn't have superstars.

The Yash Dubeys, Himanshu Mantris, Subham Sharmas, Gourav Yadavs or Saransh Jains aren't players who would give you the feeling that they are India prospects, the classy Rajat Patidar being an exception. But they gave enough indication that they aren't ready to concede even a micro millimetre without a good scrap.

They gave the Mumbai men a lesson in perfect execution of tactic with dollops of 'Khadoos' cricket, which many thought was a patent of the 41-time champions.

MP's win once again proved that the Ranji Trophy is often won by sides which don't have too many superstars or India prospects with ambition or wherewithal to play top-flight cricket.

It happened with Rajasthan when they had Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Akash Chopra during their triumph while Vidarbha had Wasim Jaffer and Ganesh Sathish guiding a bunch of youngsters.

In MP, there was no Avesh Khan or Venkatesh Iyer and had only an emerging potential star in Patidar, yet they followed Pandit's 'Gurukul' style of 'My Way or HighWay' coaching philosophy to emerge triumphant.

Since 2010, the Ranji Trophy, barring Karnataka's dominance for a few seasons and Mumbai winning it once, it has been won by teams like Rajasthan (twice), Vidarbha (twice), Saurashtra (once) and Madhya Pradesh, who would never be in contention in the past.

This shows that cricket has moved from the Shivaji Park, Azad Maidan or Cross Maidan in Mumbai, from the National Stadium in Delhi or the state-of-the-art camps in Bengaluru or Kolkata, to the hinterlands.

Bhopal's Yash Dubey, who had problems with his eye-sight during teenage years or Sultanpur's Kumar Kartikeya, who hadn't gone back home for nine years or Hoshangabad's Gourav Yadav, who would beat Prithvi Shaw's bat many times just for fun are men, who haven't had it easy.

When the Ranji Trophy started, the Madhya Pradesh cricket team wasn't even formed and it was back then known as Holkar, a princely state from the British era, which produced the country's finest cricketers – the charismatic Mushtaq Ali -- or the first ever captain of the Indian cricket team -- the great CK Nayudu.

Holkar was a formidable team till the 1950s before it was rechristened as Madhya Bharat and subsequently Madhya Pradesh.

MP, over the years, have produced some fine cricketers – spinners Narendra Hirwani and Rajesh Chauhan -- who had brief but eventful international careers.

Amay Khurasiya, who had finished his cricket some years before the IPL, where he would have been a rocking success.

And then there was the peerless Devendra Bundela, who was one of those unlucky middle-order batters, who played in the 1990s and 2000s when Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman were in their pomp.

But as a Ranji team, it never looked menacing save the occasional final they played 23 summers back under Pandit's captaincy.

However, this was a team that had enough self-belief and was ready to punch above its weight. They did it with aplomb through five days.

The Ranji Trophy deserves to be in the MPCA cabinet for the next one year. 

Also Read : India women eye series sweep against Sri Lanka (Final women's T20 International)

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Cricket Ireland has today confirmed the broadcast coverage of the ‘LevelUp11 India Tour of Ireland T20 Series 2022’ - the two-match T20 International series between Ireland Men and India Men to be played at Malahide Cricket Club on 26 and 28 June 2022.

The match times are:

26 June 2022: Ireland Men v India Men – 1st T20I (Malahide, 9pm start)
28 June 2022: Ireland Men v India Men – 2nd T20I (Malahide, 9pm start)
 
TELEVISION / STREAMING COVERAGE

The matches will be broadcast and available in Ireland and the UK on BT Sport, however, fans should note the following:For the rest of the world, the broadcast details are:

India: Sony Sports network
Sub Saharan Africa: SuperSport
Caribbean: Flow Sports
MENA: Etisalat
South East Asia: Eleven
US: Willow
 
The squads are:

Ireland squad: Andrew Balbirnie (Captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olphert, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

India squad: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.

Also read: Ireland Men’s principal jersey sponsor revealed to be Exchange22
 

Malahide (Ireland), Jun 25 (Cricket News) India's fringe players including a struggling Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson will get another chance to prove themselves before the return of the seniors when Hardik Pandya marks his much-anticipated International captaincy debut against a star-struck Ireland in a two-match T20 series, beginning here on Sunday.

With Rishabh Pant joining the the Test side in England, Pandya was appointed the stand-in skipper after his heroics in leading Gujarat Titans to IPL 2022 triumph in their debut season.

Pant stood in as skipper in their last T20I series at home against South Africa after KL Rahul pulled out due to a groin injury.

India have been forced to hand the captaincy duties to too many players due to injuries, scheduling issues and workload management over the past 24 months.

Hardik joins that list for the one-off Ireland series and expectations will be high from him after his exploits with the Gujarat Titans.

NCA chief VVS Laxman, who will be filling in for India head coach Rahul Dravid in the short-series with the latter overseeing the Test team's preparations in England, is expected to follow the template set by his former teammate.

The two games will give the think tank more clarity on identifying the core group of players for the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year and the team for the three games against a strong England next month.

In the home series against South Africa, Dravid displayed his stable approach and retained the side in all five games despite losing first two games. The Pant-led side bounced back to level 2-2 before the fifth match was washed out.

With Pant and Shreyas Iyer joining the Test squad in the UK, the series opens a window for the likes of Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda.

It could well be a make or break situation for Samson who has not been able establish himself in the T20 set up despite getting many opportunities.

Returning from a wrist injury, Suryakumar Yadav will walk back into the playing eleven and he is likely to bat at number three or four.

Ishan Kishan made a strong case for the reserve opener's slot with his consistent run against South Africa and he will be looking to build on that success.

The pressure will be on his opening partner Gaikwad, who looked in discomfort against high-quality fast bowling in the previous series.

India's pace sensation Umran Malik and yorker-specialist Arshdeep Singh, who patiently warmed the bench against South Africa, could get their big break with the conditions expected to favour the fast bowlers.

With the due respect, Ireland are not expected to push India to the limit like South Africa did, giving the visitors more freedom to experiment.

For Irish players, the series against the mighty India presents them an opportunity to attract global attention.

Uncapped Stephen Doheny and Conor Olphert have earned maiden call-ups in the squad led by Andrew Balbirnie, who feels India remain a very strong outfit despite the absence of senior players including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah.

"Nowadays, any Indian team you play is going to be a good team. It kind of shows the depth of Indian cricket that they can put out two teams. We couldn't do that - there's no way we could put out a Test team and a T20 team at the same time, we just don't have the numbers for that, " Balbirnie said ahead of the series opener.

Squads India: Hardik Pandya (captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.

Ireland: Andrew Balbirnie (captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olphert, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

Match starts 9 PM IST. 

Also Read : India's ideal playing XI for the two T20Is against Ireland

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) The Indian team is gearing up to play 2 T20Is against Ireland. Both the games will be played at the Village in Dublin. The men in blue will be without a few of its big players and also without its coaching staff led by Rahul Dravid as the red team is in England preparing for the Headingley Test. Hardik Pandya will captain the side for the first time ever while NCA head VVS Laxman will act as head coach. 

India's ideal playing XI-

Openers: Ishan Kishan & Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad are pretty much India's 2nd choice opening pair when KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma aren't available. Their opening combination was very good against South Africa and the management is more than likely to back the pair once again as they compliment each other really well. Venkatesh Iyer and Rahul Tripathi are the other two options. 

Middle order: Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda & Dinesh Karthik

Suryakumar Yadav returns after his injury absence and should get into the team straight away. This will be a very important tournament for the batter as he will have to start firing right away to earn his place back in the team. Dinesh Karthik is in red hot form and he needs to continue doing the same. Karthik's position in the batting order will most likely depend on the situation. Deepak Hooda spent the whole South Africa series on the bench. It wouldn't be wrong to say that Hooda is next in line for a place in the middle order. There have been rumours of Sanju Samson being guaranteed to be in the playing XI but Hooda definitely deserves a chance. Venkatesh Iyer and Rahul Tripathi are the other options.

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya & Axar Patel 

Skipper Hardik Pandya will look to lead from the front with both bat and ball. It will be interesting to see if Pandya pushes himself up the order or continues batting at no. 5. Axar Patel being the only spin bowling all-rounder has to play. He was good in patches in the IPL and against South Africa. Patel will be hoping to have a better series against Ireland which will guarantee his long term place in the side even after Ravindra Jadeja returns.

Seamers: Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar & Avesh Khan

India continued backing these trio of seamers against South Africa and there is no reason to change that now. Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh will be eager to get their debut caps but these 3 are likely to feature in both matches. The trio had a good 3rd and 4th game against South Africa and the team will need a similar performance. Conditions will be much better for seam bowling and they need to take full advantage of it.

Spinner: Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal will once again be an important part of the side. His wrist spin will be very effective in Irish conditions. Ravi Bishnoi is another option but Chahal is first choice. He is a proper wicket taking option and it will be interesting to see how Pandya uses him.

Bench: Sanju Samson, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh & Umran Malik 

Also read: Answers India will be searching for in the warm up Test

Malahide, Jun 24 (Cricket News) Dashing stroke-players Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson will be returning to the India playing XI in place of Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant in the two-match T20I series against Ireland starting Sunday.

While chief coach Rahul Dravid is in Leicester with the Test squad, National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman, who is in charge of the T20I side for this particular series, is expected to follow the template set by 'The Wall'.

With Iyer and Pant in the Test team, Surya, who is making a comeback from a wrist injury, and Samson, who is looking to make use of what could be his last chance to prove his worth, will be sure-shot starters.

Surya has been a regular in the Indian T20I side for the past one year and will only get his place back.

But as far as Samson is concerned, his alternative could be Deepak Hooda, who can also bowl a couple of overs of handy off-spin, besides possessing an ability to hit the ball hard.

However, if one looks at coach Dravid's philosophy, he doesn't believe in casting his net too wide and exploring too many options. He also needs to close in on spots by the time India play the Asia Cup.

While Ruturaj Gaikwad has not been very successful, the Chennai Super Kings opener might just get two more chances against a weak Ireland side, against whom he can score some runs and get his confidence back.

Ishan Kishan, who has all but sealed the reserve opener's slot for the next few months, will continue in his role for the time being and will open with regular skipper Rohit Sharma in the England leg of the T20Is also.

Stand-in captain Hardik Pandya, who batted at No. 5 in the last series, is expected to continue in that position with Dinesh Karthik coming a slot below him.

However, with Karthik being assigned a specific role, he could also come ahead of Pandya, depending on the situation.

But it is still not clear if Dravid or Laxman will try out 'Jammu Express' Umran Malik or blockhole specialist Arshdeep Singh in this series, or continue with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Avesh Khan, with Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal as the spinners. 

Also Read : India Test batter M Vijay makes return to action after nearly 2 years

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Ireland’s Men are set to take on India in the two-match LevelUp11 India Tour of Ireland T20 Series 2022 at Malahide, starting on Sunday afternoon. With crowds in Ireland starved of attending top-class cricket due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fans have snapped up the tickets well in advance as the games have sold-out.

Facing India at home is quite a daunting prospect at the best of times. For many of the Irish players involved it will be a career highlight, none more so than for Gareth Delany. The 25 year-old is looking forward to the games but knows how difficult the task will be against the world’s best T20I side:

“It’s an incredibly exciting opportunity to go against the world’s best as we start off our international summer of fixtures. It’ll be a very stiff challenge against some of the best players in this format but it’s very exciting all the same. Hopefully, we’ll be able to put in two strong performances.”

Given its population size, top-class cricket talent is always plentiful in India, and they arrive with a hugely talented squad, all looking to make a name for themselves during these two matches. Delany picks out a few who he’s especially hoping to face over the next few days:

“It’d be really cool to bowl to Suryakumar Yadav. He’s an incredibly talented batter who can play 360 degrees and mix it up between power and finesse. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is also one of the world’s best new ball bowlers in T20 and has a very low economy rate for T20 cricket, so it would be a good challenge to go against someone of his calibre.”

Ireland has looked to reset its T20 game after the departure from the 2021 T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, something Delany says was difficult to take at the time:

“Not qualifying for the Super 12 stage was an incredibly disappointing experience for us as a squad. We’ve a lot of young guys in our squad at the moment so that experience will stand to us and the fixtures that we have this summer will hopefully benefit us going forward.”

Despite that setback he’s confident that the team will bounce back with improved performances:

“If we can play to our best, then I’d be pretty confident that we’ll show progress, but it’ll be a very difficult and pressurising few games. We’ve identified areas that we can improve on from that last T20 World Cup to hopefully go one step further later this year in Australia.”

As Ireland build up to the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later in the year, with further T20 fixtures against New Zealand, South Africa and Afghanistan to come in the next couple of months, Delany and his team-mates will be hoping to put their best feet forward and show head coach Heinrich Malan what they’re capable of:

“We’ve a packed summer schedule against some of the best T20 sides in the world so it’ll be a good chance to find out where we are as a team and identify areas we need to work on to be as best prepared for that first game in Australia as possible.”

Ireland squad: Andrew Balbirnie (Captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olphert, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

India squad: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.

The fixtures are:

Sunday 26 June: Ireland v India, 1st T20I (Malahide, start 4.30pm).
Tuesday 28 June: Ireland v India, 2nd T20I (Malahide, start 4.30pm).

Also read: Jemimah and Deepti lead India to win in 1st T20I against Sri Lanka

Bengaluru, Jun 21 (Cricket News) There's a common adage in sport. "You never win a silver. You always lose a gold." Mumbai cricket has followed this old concrete jungle saying to the 'T' as its team now chases an unprecedented 42nd Ranji Trophy title. It now finds a bunch of bravehearts from Madhya Pradesh standing in its way with tricks of trade learnt from a Mumbaikar.

MP head coach Chandrakant Pandit won't let his team settle for anything less than a championship but Amol Muzumdar's men have dominated the proceedings since the start of the business end of the season.

On paper, the Mumbai team is overwhelming favourite in the final match starting on Wednesday with the best Gen-Next talent in its repertoire.

Sarfaraz Khan, after a few indifferent seasons, has raised his game to an altogether different level with 800-plus runs in just five games.

Yashasvi Jaiswal is one youngster who is as passionate about his red ball performance as he is about donning the garish pink jersey of Rajasthan Royals. Three hundreds in four innings of quarterfinal and semi-final showed his voracious appetite for runs.

Prithvi Shaw isn't the typical Mumbai khadoos (stubborn) batter but more of Virender Sehwag mould with penchant for butchering any attack.

Arman Jaffer is a chip of old block and it will be good for him if he could achieve even 50 per cent of what his illustrious uncle Wasim did.

Add to it the likes of Suved Parkar or Hardik Tamore, who knew the opportunity of wearing the Lion's crest on the white flannels come at a premium.

Mumbai have always had formidable batting line-ups that can scare the opposition team but this time the two under-rated performers have been left-arm spinner Shams Mulani (37 wickets and 292 runs) and off-spinner Tanush Kotian (18 wickets and 236 runs).

Mulani or Kotian are by farthest stretch of imagination not India prospects or even India 'A' contenders but they are a rare breed of domestic performers who know how to win crunch games as they did against Goa in a do-or-die situation.

However, MP is one of the most improved teams in recent times and under Pandit inculcated the discipline that's needed to reach the summit clash in a tournament like Ranji Trophy.

Missing Venkatesh Iyer in batting and pace spearhead Avesh Khan in bowling didn't do them any good but unheralded Kumar Kartikeya, with his stamina to bowl for hours, has done the job for his team.

The Himanshu Mantris and Akshat Raghuvanshis have all executed their assigned roles to perfection.

In this team, there is only one player who is true blue talent and that's Rajat Patidar.

For Mumbai, it will be imperative to ensure that Patidar doesn't walk away with the game in one session with his wide array of strokes.

MP, with its two spinners in Kartikeya and Saransh Jain, will like to play the waiting game, something that Pandit as a coach has injected in his wards across the states.

It would be a game of chess played on 22 yards but enticing enough for all those who get to watch it. 

Also Read : Ashwin has not travelled to England after testing positive for COVID-19: BCCI source

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(Cricket news) The 5 match T20I series between India and England had a sort of anti-climax ending. The series was poised at 2-2 with the decider meant to be at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru. The match was unfortunately called off due to rain after just 3.3 overs. The series ended as a tie with both the teams sharing the trophy. This means that India have now failed to win a series against South Africa in all three formats. The series in general has seen good performances from both the teams and a tie seems to be the fair outcome.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was named the player for the series for picking up 6 wickets in the 4 matches. Kumar has always been the silent performer for India in all formats throughout the years. These days he only plays T20Is and he showed his true worth once again. Harshal Patel was the highest wicket taker of the series with 7 wickets as he continued his excellent form with the blues. Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel and Avesh Khan had a couple of bad games at the start but then bounced back well. Hardik Pandya who was the 6th bowling option was rather disappointing with the ball but his ability with the bat made up for it.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan had a decent series with the bat. Kishan was the highest run scorer of the series with 206 runs. The biggest positive for India were Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya. Both the players looked to have settled into the finishers role in the side. The Ireland series is going to be very important for the pair who are expected to be an important part of the Indian team for the upcoming world cup. Rishabh Pant's form in T20Is remains a concern as he is well short of runs despite batting at number 4 throughout the series. Shreyas Iyer dominated the spinners but really struggled against pace which isn't a good sign because the World Cup is in Australia where the conditions will be pace friendly.

The team management stuck with the same playing XI throughout the series even after losing the first two matches. Avesh Khan was the one who benefited the most. After going wicketless for 3 matches he was still trusted and he delivered by picking up 4 wickets in the 4th Test. Rishabh Pant's captaincy was being questioned after the first two games but he got a hang of it for the next two. India will now play 2 T20Is against Ireland under the leadership of Hardik Pandya with VVS Laxman set to be the coach. Rahul Dravid along with Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer will join the rest of the Test team in England.

Also read: How much will KL Rahul's absence in the England Test affect India?

Bengaluru, Jun 19 (Cricket News) South Africa won the toss and opted to field against India in the series-deciding fifth T20 International here on Sunday.

Keshav Maharaj is leading the visitors in the absence of injured Temba Bauma.

South Africa made three changes with Tristan Stubbs, Reeza Hendricks and Kagisio Rabada coming in place of Bavuma, Tabraiz Shamsi and Marco Jansen.

India remained unchanged.

Teams: India: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (w/c), Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan South Africa: Quinton de Kock (w), Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj (c), Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje. 

Also Read : Saha in talks with Tripura for 'player-cum-mentor role'

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) After losing the first two T20Is against South Africa, India managed to pull out a comeback to bring the series back on level terms at 2-2. Now the two teams gear up for the series decider at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru. The momentum is with India and South Africa may be missing a few crucial players with injuries. It will be a very good test for the young Indian side for future tournaments where they will have to deal with the pressure situations. 

India's possible playing XI:

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Bench: Deepak Hooda, Venkatesh Iyer, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi. 

India have persisted with the exact same line-up for the 4 matches and it is expected to stay the same way for the 5th one unless there are any injuries. Focus will be on Rishabh Pant who has been really short of runs lately. The Indian side is looking well balanced in this series so far. Shreyas Iyer is also yet to perform to his full potential in this series and he will be under a little bit of pressure. Hardik Pandya has been good with the willow but his bowling has room for improvement.

South Africa possible playing XI:

Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock, Dwaine Pretorius, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje.

Bench:, Tristan Stubbs, Aiden Markaram, Temba Bavuma, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, 

Temba Bavuma was retired hurt in the last match and is expected to be out of contention which means that Maharaj will lead the side. If Parnell and Rabada are fit then they should be back in the side but it is unlikely. Quinton de Kock will have to take more responsibility at the top of the order as he hasn't been firing lately. Maharaj and Shamsi haven't shown their true potential but at the same time the pitches haven't assisted them.

The Chinnaswamy stadium is traditionally a high scoring ground. Unlike all the other pitches in this series, this one is likely to be flat and wouldn't change much throughout the game. Up until now the series has been an entertaining one as it is 2-2 before the deciding 5 T20I. What it hasn't had yet is a thrilling match with a last over finish. Fans will be hoping to see that in Bengaluru among other things.

Also read: How much will KL Rahul's absence in the England Test affect India?

Bengaluru, Jun 18 (Cricket News) A lot of grey areas are yet to be addressed but a young Indian team, with an admirable collective temperament, will start as favourites in the series-deciding fifth T20 International against South Africa here on Sunday.

In a space of eight days, this Indian team has played four games. It fielded an identical XI, which is in sync with Rahul Dravid's "school of continuity", seen the nadir in the first two games, only to break its own record of highest margin of victories over the Proteas -- by 47 runs in the third game and by 82 runs in the fourth.

With Dinesh Karthik doing exactly what is expected of him and Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan also hitting the straps, the Indian fans would want to see Yuzvendra Chahal perform a trick or two at his IPL home ground in a match that matters the most.

Therefore, when the teams step out on the M Chinnaswamy Stadium turf, the side that looked jaded and overcooked in the first two games will start as overwhelming favourites as the South Africans have already lost the plot.

If Temba Bavuma is unable to recover, they will miss a leader more than the batter. And suddenly in the last two games, the batting has looked iffy on tracks that have variable bounce, which has made this Indian attack look way more lethal.

Call it strangely pleasant, but it remains a fact that in this series a lot of things haven't exactly gone as per plan but yet India have managed to level the series after being 0-2 down.

A young captain who, perhaps, would have liked a few days in his hometown in Rourkee had there not been a pressure from one of the stakeholders to have at least a few stars in the absence of safe 'box-office' bets like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma or Jasprit Bumrah.

Neither has Pant's captaincy been exceptional nor has his similar pattern of dismissals inspired confidence but India have somehow managed to pull through.

If they finally win the series the young man would be in that leadership mix alongside Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul when the next transition in Indian cricket happens after the 2023 ODI World Cup.

If coach Dravid wanted to check out whether there is a possibility to tinker with the existing top three, the troika of Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shreyas Iyer haven't exactly fitted into the jigsaw puzzle.

Gaikwad, with his current technique, would be nine out of 10 times found wanting against quality attack on better pitches, with sporadic performances here and there. In top flight cricket, he won't get those couple of uncapped domestic bowlers whom he can bully. On the contrary, he could get bullied by express pace.

Ishan Kishan has a limited range of strokes and one shouldn't go by the volume of runs scored in this series as the extra bounce and pace on Australian wickets will be a difficult proposition.

Shreyas Iyer got a full series but he should be the first one to admit that he has blown it with both hands and when India next play against Ireland at Malahide, his place will go to Suryakumar Yadav, considered a way better T20 proponent.

There is something about big ICC event years and Karthik revving up his performances.

He is already going to don the big gloves in Ireland and the manner in which he is proving to be an asset at the back-end, no one should be raising eye-brows if he becomes the designated keeper-batter by the time India play Pakistan at MCG the in the last week of October.

Among the bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is once again swinging the new ball and Avesh Khan, having developed a well-disguised bouncer along with an ability to bowl more fuller and hit the hard lengths, is also a contender among the five pacers that India might carry Down Under.

The spinners in this series, despite an improved effort, have been below-par. Axar Patel has blown hot and cold, but more important, looked uni-dimensional while Chahal, in his bid to be quicker through the air, has proved to be profligate.

The series hasn't been one of India's best but somehow, just like top teams do, the 'Men In Blue' have found their way out to win matches under pressure. That augurs well as Pant and his men aim to wrap up the series at the 'Garden City'.

Teams (from): India: Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Marco Jansen.

Match starts at 7pm IST. 

Also Read : Pant falling into outside off-stump trap, not a good sign: Gavaskar

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India defeated South Africa by a mammoth 82 runs to complete an impeccable comeback to level the series at 2-2. After losing the first two matches of the series, India continued to persist with the same playing XI and trusted the same players while South Africa were forced into 3 changes. Quinton de Kock was fit again as he replaced Reeza Hendricks while Kagiso Rabada and Wayne Parnell were out with injuries. Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi came into the side. Temba Bavuma for the 4 time in this series won the toss and put India into bat first.

India got off to a very slow start as they only managed 56 runs after 10 overs and lost 3 wickets. South Africa bowled really well at the start on the pitch that had uneven bounce. India were struggling at 81/4 at one stage when Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik stepped up. The pair stitched together a 65 run partnership which ended up being the difference between the two sides. Pandya was dismissed after scoring 46 off 31 while Karthik got 55 off 27. This was Karthik's maiden T20I fifty and it also earned him the player of the match award. The partnership between Pandya and Karthik was very smartly played as the pair didn't take too many risks at the beginning but then started firing towards the end. The pitch was difficult to bat on due to the confusing nature of its bounce. India ended the innings on 169/6 which looked defendable. Anrich Nortje, Dwaine Pretorius, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj picked up a wicket each while Lungi Ngidi got two scalps. 

Chasing 170, South Africa never looked comfortable. Temba Bavuma injured his arm while diving to complete a run and had to retire hurt which was the first blow. The Indian bowlers were consistently hitting the right length and letting the pitch bring the variation. Bavuma and Jansen were hit on the helmet by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Avesh Khan respectively. Harshal Patel and Axar Patel got a wicket each while Yuzvendra Chahal got two scalps. Avesh Khan, who had not picked up a single wicket in the first 3 matches was the pick of the bowlers as he picked up 4 wickets and bowled really well, giving away just 18 runs.

The men in blue got two very comfortable wins with a huge margin to set up an ultimate series decider in Bangalore. The plan of sticking with the same playing XI is working for India. The two players who made an international comeback i.e Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik have both been excellent and have taken a massive step into booking their berth to Australia for the World Cup.

Also read: How much will KL Rahul's absence in the England Test affect India?

Rajkot, Jun 18 (Cricket News) India pacer Avesh Khan felt the pressure after going wicket-less in the first three games but said head coach Rahul Dravid’s faith in him pushed him to come up with a match-winning performance in the fourth T20I.

Avesh relied on the hard lengths to end up with career-best figures of four for 18 in his young international career.

Despite losses in the first two games, India did not change the playing eleven.

"The team hasn't changed over four games, so credit to Rahul (Dravid) sir. He gives chances to everybody and intends to give them a long enough run," Avesh said at the media interaction on Friday night.

"He doesn't drop a player after one or two bad performances because you cannot judge a player on the basis of one or two games. Everyone is getting enough matches to prove themselves.

"Yes, there was pressure on me. I had zero wickets in three games but Rahul sir and the team management gave me another opportunity today and I ended up picking four wickets. It's also my papa's birthday, so it's a gift for him too." The 25-year-old decided on his game plan to bowl on what was a tricky pitch after a chat with opener Ishan Kishan.

"Whenever we are batting first, I always end up asking the batters how the wicket played, whether it was two-paced or not.

"I spoke to Ishan (Kishan) today and he said that hard length balls aren't easy to play; some are bouncing, some are stopping and the others are keeping low. Then I planned to attack the stumps and bowl the hard lengths consistently. It's in my hands to bowl well, not pick wickets.

"The slower ball wasn't very effective on today's wicket, so I tried to bowl hard lengths with the occasional bouncer to change things up." India did well to reach 169 for six after a poor start, thanks to Dinesh Karthik’s career-best 55 off 27 balls.

"Today's wicket wasn't easy for batters, it was two-paced although DK bhai, Hardik and Rishabh all played well. 170 was a very good total on this wicket and all we wanted to ensure was pick a couple of wickets in the powerplay," Avesh added.

Only six games old in international cricket, the fast bowler from Indore is way down in the pecking order and is getting his chances since the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami are not part of the series.

Asked about his chances to make the T20 World Cup squad, he said: "Selection is not in my control. I just want to give my 100 percent every game I get to play for India. I don't want to have any regrets over the effort I put in my performances." 

Also Read : Dinesh Karthik, Avesh Khan engineer India's series levelling win

News Source : PTI

Rajkot, Jun 17 (Cricket News) Dinesh Karthik played a knock to remember before Avesh Khan gave his dad a "perfect birthday present" with a fiery spell as India steam-rolled South Africa by 82 runs here on Friday to level the five-match series 2-2. Karthik (55 off 27) scored his maiden fifty close to 16 years after his T20 debut and alongside vice-captain Hardik Pandya (46 off 31 ) took India to a fighting 169 for six.

For the second game in a row, South African batters faltered and collapsed to 87 for nine in 16.5 overs with skipper Temba Bavuma retired hurt. Avesh (4/18) led India's brilliant display with the ball and recorded his career-best figures in the process. It was an away team's lowest total in T20 Internationals in India.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Avesh were impressive with the new ball as South Africa slipped to 35 for two in the powerplay. After a hit on the shoulder, Temba Bavuma (8) injured his left elbow with a dive on the run and had to leave the field. He didn't even come out for the post-match presentation ceremony.

Quinton de Kock (14), who missed the last two games due to a wrist injury, was run out after getting a 'yes and no' from Dwaine Pretorious at the the other end. The pitch remained tricky to bat on even in the second innings with the odd ball gripping and rising sharply from good length, making strokeplay difficult.

South Africa could never get into the chase with wickets falling regularly. The series decider will be played in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Earlier, the Indians were struggling at 81 for four before a 65-run stand between Hardik and Karthik brought the home team back into the game. India were able to amass 73 runs in the last five overs.

Having won their fourth toss in as many games, South Africa put the Indians on the back-foot in the powerplay despite the absence of their lead bowler Kagiso Rabada due to an injury.

The other pacer, who missed due to an injury was Wayne Parnell while star opener Quinton de Kock made a welcome return at the expense of Reeza Hendricks.

The first ball after the powerplay made matters worse for India as the hosts struggled to 40 for three in 6.1 overs.

Ishan Kishan, who played some fine strokes en route to his 27 off 26, was dismissed on the very ball of Anrich Nortje’s opening spell.

The southpaw tried to guide a short ball to third man but got himself in an awkward position to top edge it to de Kock.

India's top three has not looked comfortable against high quality pace in the series and it was evident here once again.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, who had found form in the previous game, was the first one to depart after the extra bounce from Lungi Ngidi induced the outside edge.

Iyer, who has been troubled by the short ball in this series, missed a good length ball from Marco Jansen that pitched on middle and seamed back a little.

The Proteas had to take a DRS review for a LBW to send Iyer back in the hut, giving Jansen his first wicket on his T20 debut.

Post the powerplay, skipper Rishabh Pant and Hardik, gave the innings a move on with a 41-run stand.

Indian batters have targeted South Africa's weak link, the spinners, throughout the series and that trend continued on Friday.

Hardik hammered Tabraiz Shamsi for successive sixes while a struggling Rishabh Pant was trying to find his range at the other end.

However, the India skipper once again went for the big one against a wide ball and that led to his downfall. On this occasion, Maharaj purposely bowled wide and Pant took the bait only to edge it back to short third man.

It was the fourth time in the series Pant perished to a ball wide of off stump.

The momentum changing stand came via Hardik and Karthik who swept his way to a memorable knock.

Having made his T20 debut back in December 2006 when India played their maiden game in the shortest format, the man of comebacks finally completed his first half century.

Standing deep in the crease, Karthik relied on the sweeps -- conventional towards square-leg, slogs over cow corner and reverse over '45' both against spinners and pacers, to get the bulk of his boundaries.

The most attractive stroke of his innings was the slog sweep off pacer Dwaine Pretorius that sailed over deep square leg. 

Also Read : Ranji SF: Jaiswal, Jaffer hundreds derail UP; Mumbai lead by 662 runs

News Source : PTI

Rajkot, Jun 17 (Cricket News) South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss for the fourth time on the trot and elected to bowl against India in the fourth T20I here on Friday.

India fielded the same playing XI, while South Africa made three changes, replacing Kagiso Rabada, Wayne Parnell and Reeza Hendricks with Marco Jansen, a fit-again Quinton de Kock, and Lungi Ngidi.

South Africa is leading the five-match series 2-1.

Teams: India: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (w/c), Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan.

South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma (c), Dwaine Pretorius, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi. 

Also Read : After mega media rights deal, Ness Wadia wants longer IPL of two halves

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) After losing the first two T20Is against South Africa, India were 1 loss away from losing the series. The men in blue did manage to save the series with a convincing win in the 3rd T20I. Now they have a chance to level the series with a win in the 4th T20I at Rajkot. Nothing changes for South Africa as they still need a win to seal the series. Either way it promises to be a hard fought encounter which will determine whether the next match in Bangalore is just a consolation or a series decider.

India's possible playing XI:

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Bench: Deepak Hooda, Venkatesh Iyer, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi. 

India has stuck with the same line-up for all 3 matches and there is no reason why they will make a change now. The combination turned out to be good in the last match for India and it looks like the team is working in tandem. There will be a lot of pressure on Rishabh Pant as a captain and as a batter. Pant hasn't had a lot of success with the willow in this format and he won't find a better match to prove his worth.

South Africa possible playing XI:

Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Dwaine Pretorius, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje.

Bench:, Lungi Ngidi, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs.

Aiden Markaram has gone back to South Africa after being ruled out of the series. Quinton de Kock is back in contention after recovering from injury and should be back in place of Reeza Hendricks. The Proteas don't have a reason to make any other changes in the side. Playing Marco Jansen instead of Wayne Parnell may be the only other change on the cards. 

The pitch in Rajkot is really good for batting and the match is likely to be high scoring. The powerplay is going to be extremely crucial for both the teams in each innings. Nortje and Rabada haven't been at their very best in the series so far and it is important for South Africa that they do start contributing more.

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(Cricket news) The BCCI have announced a 17-member squad for the two-match T20I series against Ireland. The matches will be played on 26th and 28th of June at The village in Malahide. The Indian red ball team will already be practicing in England when this series commences. The squad doesn't have any surprises as such despite the decision to leave out one or two players has been questioned.

Squad: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik

Hardik Pandya has been named the captain of the side while Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be his deputy. Pandya has made an incredible comeback and a lot of it has to do with his impeccable success with Gujarat Titans in the IPL. The only players not retained from the last T20I squad which is currently playing the series against South Africa are the ones in the Test squad. Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer will be joining the England tour and hence won't be in the T20I squad. 

The two new additions are Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson and Rahul Tripathi. Samson is India's go to replacement for Rishabh Pant and his inclusion was inevitable. Samson will be looking to put in a better performance if given a chance. He might not get a game since Ishan Kishan and Dinesh Karthik are wicket-keeping option in the team. Venkatesh Iyer and Deepak Hooda are ahead in the pecking order and are waiting for their opportunity on the bench. Suryakumar Yadav is back after recovering from his injury and he should slot straight into the Playing XI at number 3. This series is very important for the batter to show his quality and earn his place in the Playing XI once again. 

Even though there isn't an official statement, VVS Laxman is likely to coach the side. National Cricket Academy coaches Sitanshu Kotak, Sairaj Bahutule and Munish Bali will be part of his support staff. This series is very important for all the players who get the opportunity to play to try and either break into the squad or cement their place in it. 

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New Delhi, Jun 15 (Cricket News) Indian Premier League winning captain Hardik Pandya was deservingly named skipper of the Indian team for the two-match T20 International series against Ireland in Dublin on June 26 and 28.

The only new face in the side is Maharashtra right-hand batter Rahul Tripathi, who was rewarded for his stellar batting during this edition of IPL where he scored more than 400 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Pandya, who is Rishabh Pant's deputy in the current T20I series against South Africa, was elevated to the leadership role and will join the Test squad in England after the completion of the home series.

Sanju Samson, whose profligacy has been well documented over the years, gets another shot at redemption, as he made a comeback for the series, having guided Rajasthan Royals to the IPL final.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been named vice-captain for the series.

The designated wicketkeeper will be 36-year-old Dinesh Karthik if one goes by the squad list, while both Ishan Kishan and Samson can keep wickets if need be.

Samson's keeping isn't considered up to the mark, so he could well be the third keeper in the mix.

India's T20I squad: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik. 

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News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India defeated South Africa in the 3rd T20I by 48 runs to keep the series alive at 2-1 with 2 matches to go. It turned out to be a good performance by India which resulted in a comfortable victory. Proteas batters for the first time in the series fell flat and didn't look comfortable. Both the teams went unchanged which was surprising considering it was a do or die game for India after two underwhelming performances. 

Temba Bavuma won his 3rd consecutive toss and once again put India into bat first. Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad gave India a terrific start as they 97 run opening partnership in under 10 overs. Gaikwad scored his maiden international fifty as he got 57 off just 35 balls. He hit 5 fours off Anrich Nortje's 5th over which set the tone for the innings. Ishan Kishan continued his incredible run of form as he scored 54 off 35 balls. The innings included 5 fours and 2 sixes which brought up his 2nd fifty of the series. After the 10th over, South Africa started picking up wickets and slowed down the run rate quite a bit. Hardik Pandya scored 31 off 21 balls at the death to take India's total to 179. The Proteas did get hammered in the first half but recovered really well in the second half. Dwaine Pretorius was the pick of the bowlers as he picked up 2/29 in his 4 overs.

Defending 180, India started really well with the new ball. Axar Patel was brought in very early on in the 4th over itself and the plot worked as he got rid of Bavuma. India controlled the tempo very well as the required run rate kept on shooting up. The men in blue managed to pick up wickets at regular intervals. None of the Proteas batters really got going. Harshal Patel picked up 4 wickets in 3.1 overs and gave away only 25 runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Axar Patel got a wicket while Yuzvendra Chahal bagged the player of the match award. Chahal finished with figures of 3/20 as he picked up the wickets of Heinrich Klaasen, Rassie Van der Dussen and Dwaine Pretorius. South Africa were bowled out for 131 runs as India won by 48 runs.

The win will be a massive confidence booster for India who now have a chance to level the series in Rajkot. South Africa can still seal the series with a win in the next match. The fact that India has stuck with the same line-up for the 3 games makes it clear that there will be no changes in the next match unless the conditions are completely different. 

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Visakhapatnam, Jun 14 (Cricket News) South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and elected to bowl against India in the third T20I here on Tuesday.

Both India and South Africa are fielding unchanged sides.

It is a must-win game for hosts India who trail the five-match series 0-2.

Teams: India: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(wk/c), Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Reeza Hendricks, Dwaine Pretorius, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje.

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News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) The first two T20Is haven't gone India's way and now they find themselves in a do or die situation. The men in blue now have to win all the remaining matches in order to win the series. South Africa on the other hand need one win to clinch the trophy and beat India in all 3 formats in the same year. India have retained the same line-up in the two games so far but they will have to make some changes in the next one.

India's possible playing XI:

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Deepak Hooda, Dinesh Karthik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh

Bench: Axar Patel, Venkatesh Iyer, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel.

India's bowling performance has not been upto the mark so far therefore changes are expected. Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh could be given their debuts while Ravi Bishnoi is likely to come back into the lineup. Axar Patel has failed to contribute with ball and bat. Even though he doesn't have a direct replacement Deepak Hooda is close enough. He will give the batting more depth and his off spin is handy. Hardik Pandya has shown that he is more than capable of completing his 4 over quota.

South Africa possible playing XI:

Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Dwaine Pretorius, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje

Bench:, Lungi Ngidi, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs

Heinrich Klaasen has earned his place in the team after the blistering knock at Cuttack. De Kock is likely to be fit again and should replace Reeza Hendricks. The rest of the team is well set and picks itself. Maharaj and Shamsi haven't been too great so far but they have a chance to step up at Vizag. There is still no update on the availability of Aiden Markaram who has missed both games due to Covid.

India will have to keep things simple and try to play their natural game. Dravid and Pant have a few tough calls to make with regards to team selection and balance. More will be expected from the likes of Pandya, Kishan and Gaikwad. Pant himself will have to bat well if India want to win the game. South Africa just need to continue doing what they have done in the first two matches. Considering the situation they will be eyeing a whitewash which will be an incredible feat. 

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Visakhapatnam, Jun 13 (Cricket News) Under-performing spinners, an out-of-form opener and his own poor show -- skipper Rishabh Pant will have a lot on his mind when India take on a buoyant South Africa in the third T20 on Tuesday in their bid to keep the five-match series alive.

India came into the series on a 12-match winning streak but South Africa took the wind out of India's sails with two crushing defeats.

Pant's side is now struggling on multiple fronts and it would take a herculean effort to plug all the holes with just one day between the second and third game.

If bowling let India down in the first game, a poor batting show cost them the second match and now they have their backs to the wall.

Strike-rate woes for Ruturaj, Iyer ==================== India's batting left a lot to be desired with the openers failing to give the team a good start in the powerplay.

While Ishan Kishan has done well so far, Ruturaj Gaikwad (23, 1) has pulled the team down with questions being raised over his technique against quality pacers and his ability to force the pace early on.

Shreyas Iyer too has looked vulnerable against the fast bowlers and even though he has got starts, he hasn't been able to capitalise or push the run-rate, putting pressure on the next line of batters in the middle-order.

Hardik Pandya, who was in sensational form for Gujarat Titans in the IPL, produced some big hits when the team was in a comfortable position in the first T20 but he couldn't get going on the two-paced Cuttack track.

He also failed to impress with the ball and has leaked 49 runs in the four overs that he bowled across the two matches.

Pant's captaincy under scanner =================== Shoehorned into captaincy, Pant (29, 5) has not fired himself so far. He has only three fifties in 45 T20Is with an average of 23.9 and strike-rate of 126.6.

As someone, who is touted as a future leader, Pant has not inspired enough confidence with his leadership abilities.

His decision to promote Axar Patel over designated finisher and the experienced Dinesh Karthik in the second game was baffling, to say the least.

Going into the World Cup in Australia later this year, a lot will be expected from the wicketkeeper batter, who can win matches single-handedly and he will look to produce an inspired show on Tuesday.

Uninspiring show by Chahal & Axar ===================== In bowling, the spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel have been a big letdown as they went for 75 and 59 in six and five overs in the two matches and the axe is likely to fall on one of them going into the third game.

Chahal, who was the purple cap holder in the IPL, and Axar were put under the pump with the likes of David Miller, Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klassen feasting on their pedestrian bowling.

With the duo flopping, it needs to be seen whether the team management gives young leggie Ravi Bishnoi or allrounder Venkatesh Iyer, who also opens for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL, a chance in the middle.

The hosts, save Bhuvneshwar Kumar, have looked bereft of ideas of getting breakthroughs as India picked just four wickets in the opening game and six in the second match with the leading seamer from Meerut doing most of the damage.

Indian bowlers have the propensity to concede runs in a heap in one or two overs which completely undo the work done in the previous overs and they will need to tighten their game to salvage hopes of saving the series.

India's think-tank might also look to unleash the express pace of Umran Malik on South Africa or get Arshdeep Singh in place of Avesh Khan, who is yet to take a wicket in the series.

South Africa, on the other hand, have looked like a well-oiled machine with both their bowlers and batters working in partnerships.

If Miller and van der Dussen took it away with a stellar show in the first T20, comeback man Klassen proved to be the difference on Sunday with his fluent 81-run innings on a tricky wicket.

Skipper Temba Bavuma also played the perfect foil to Klassen to script SA's recovery.

In bowling, the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Wayne Parnell have hunted in a pack.

Teams (from): India: Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Marco Jansen.

Match starts at 7pm IST. 

Also Read : South Africa comfortably defeat India to go 2-0 up in the series

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) South Africa defeated India by 4 wickets with 10 balls to spare in the 2nd T20I. The Proteas lead the 5 match series 2-0 and have won all 7 matches against India this year in addition to the two Tests they won at the end of last year. India are getting well and truly outplayed in their own backyard. It will now take unbelievable character and quality for India to win the series from this position.

Temba Bavuma once again won the toss and elected to bowl first. India struggled to cope with the pitch in the 1st innings as they could only manage 148/6. Ishan Kishan scored 34 off 21 balls while Shreyas Iyer got 40 off 35 balls. Other than that the entire top order failed to stick around. Dinesh Karthik who initially struggled, finished with 30 off 21 balls to get India to a defendable total. The pitch was definitely fast bowler friendly as the two specialist spinners bowled a combined 4 overs. After having a bad game in Delhi, Keshav Maharaj had an excellent game as he finished with figures of 1/12 in 2 overs. Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Dwaine Pretorius and Wayne Parnell all had excellent spells as they kept Indian batters at bay. 

The Indian bowlers didn't have enough runs to defend but Bhuvneshwar Kumar showed his class. The U.P seamer finished with figures of 4/13 in his four overs. He got the new ball to dance to his instructions by picking up 3 wickets in the powerplay. Unfortunately his efforts went in vain as Heinrich Klaasen, who replaced the injured Quinton de Kock scored an incredible 81 off 46 balls to lead South Africa to victory. David Miller and Temba Bavuma played cameos as the Proteas always looked in control. Apart from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Avesh Khan all Indian bowlers were expensive and couldn't trouble the visiting batters.

Rishabh Pant's first two games as India skipper haven't gone too well. Both the wickets have been extremely tricky to read especially for the captains. India now have 3 must win matches coming up which will be anything but easy. South Africa is the team which India have struggled to get the better of recently. India will have no option but to make some changes in the playing XI in the next match. Both Arshdeep Singh and Umran Malik will be the first ones in Rahul Dravid's mind as the players to come in.

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Cuttack, Jun 12 (Cricket News) South Africa captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and opted to bowl against India in the second T20I of the five-match series at the Barabati Stadium here on Sunday.

The Proteas made two changes to their XI after their wicketkeeper-batter and opener Quinton de Kock pulled out with a hand injury, bringing in Heinrich Klaasen who will do the duty behind the stumps.

South Africa also included Reeza Hendricks in place of Tristan Stubbs.

Trailing 0-1, the Rishabh Pant-led India remained unchanged.

Teams: India: Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (capt), Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Dwaine Pretorius, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi. 

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News Source : PTI

Cuttack, Jun 11 (Cricket News) India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar on Saturday said the bowlers let stand-in skipper Rishabh Pant down in the high-scoring first T20 International against South Africa.

Elevated to captaincy after designated skipper KL Rahul pulled out on the eve of the series opener after a groin injury, Pant had a forgettable outing leading the side for the first time ever, even as his bowlers struggled with their line and length.

Bhuvenshwar backed the wicketkeeper-batter and said he's a long way to go.

"He's a young captain and it was his first match. I'm sure he will try to do better and improve as the series progresses. Generally the captain is as good as the team and it's a team effort.

"Our bowling did not go off well and let him down. If we did well then you would have hailed his decision-making skills. I'm sure he will do well," Bhuvenshwar said.

The experienced seamer, however, refused to read too much into their forgettable bowling display at the Ferozshah Kotla and expressed optimism about a strong comeback in the second match.

In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar is leading the Indian pace attack in the ongoing five-match series.

India could not defend 212 as the rampaging South African duo of David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen struck half-centuries to hunt down the target with five balls to spare and go 1-0 up in the series.

"There wasn't any big discussion as anyone can have an off day. As a bowling unit, we had an off day but that's okay we just want to come back in the next match," Bhuvneshwar said at the pre-match press conference here.

"It was the first match of the series and everybody was coming out of the IPL, almost everyone in the team had a good IPL. Everyone knows what needs to be done and things to improve on.

"We are aware that we didn't bowl well in the first match. So we hope to improve, bowl well and level the series. We still have four matches to go, we have matches in hands to bounce back," he said.

In the first game, Team India fielded a new-look pace attack in Bhuvneshwar, Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan, but none of them could make an impact against the marauding South Africans.

Bhuvneshwar said it's about taking responsibility and improving in every match ahead of the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Australia in October-November.

"My target is not any different. I just have to bowl in the same way as in the power play or in the death overs. Yes, in absence of them, I try to take up responsibility, focus on improving in every match before going to the T20 World Cup." 

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News Source : PTI

Cuttack, Jun 11 (Cricket News) Accidental captain Rishabh Pant will expect an improved showing from the India bowlers as he plots a comeback against a marauding South Africa in the second T20 of the five-match series here on Sunday.

Leading India for the first time ever, Pant had to swallow a bitter pill when David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen shot down an imposing 212 with utmost nonchalance to go up 1-0 in the series.

The southpaw also had a forgettable Indian Premier League where he failed to lead Delhi Capitals to the playoffs.

Seen as a future white-ball captain, Pant's stakes have suddenly come down post-IPL and that has coincided with the resurgence of Hardik Pandya.

Returning to full fitness, the pace bowling all-rounder took the IPL by storm not only by his form but by pulling off a coup as he led Gujarat Titans to the title in their debut season.

Amid the growing chorus of 'Hardik Pandya -- the next white-ball captain of India', Pant will be under scrutiny again as he masterminds a comeback.

It may still be early days for Pant the leader, but his body language never stood out and he looked under pressure on his captaincy debut. He also made a debatable decision to underbowl the IPL Purple Cap winner Yuzvendra Chahal, fresh from claiming 27 wickets for runners-up Rajasthan Royals. At Kotla, the leggie bowled only two full overs.

As for Pandya, fresh after his historic success with GT, continued from where he left in the IPL.

Pandya, who last played for India in November last year in the 2021 T20 World Cup, dazzled with the bat with a 31 not out from 12 balls to prop the total past 200.

But he failed to impress with the bowl and leaked 18 runs in his only over. The big headache for Pant would be the bowling department where he would have to make a call between Arshdeep Singh and pace gun Umran Malik.

While the batting looks in perfect shape, the new-look pace department looked flat in the series opener.

Seniormost Bhuvneshwar Kumar did not look the same and leaked runs in the death overs, while Harshal Patel too was taken to cleaners.

Youngster Avesh Khan too failed to impress though he was the most economical among the trio.

With the duo of Arshdeep and Malik trying hard to impress at the nets with their pace and accuracy it is likely that one among the duo may be well set for a debut on Saturday.

It would not be an easy task as another slip-up would mean the Pant-led side would have the difficult task of winning three in a row.

Fresh from their individual players' success in the IPL, the Proteas are finding themselves at 'home'.

In the form of his life, Miller who scored 481 runs at 68.71 in the IPL to play a key role in GT's triumph, has started in ominous fashion and looked unstoppable both against spin and pace at Kotla.

Quinton de Kock failed to convert his start but the Lucknow Super Giants batter also scored a bagful of runs (508) in the IPL and he would look to make it count here.

With Van der Dussen also striking it rich, the trio will form the batting backbone, while the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje would look to stop the Indians.

Teams (from) India: Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer,Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Marco Jansen.

Match starts at 7pm IST. 

Also Read : India look to level series against South Africa in Cuttack

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) After losing the first T20I, India are now preparing to take on South Africa in Cuttack. The first match was a tale of two innings for India as their batting was almost perfect while the bowling was way off. South Africa on the other hand will be looking to get a 2-0 lead. The Proteas will be looking to improve their bowling this time around, especially in the power play. Both the teams are likely to name an unchanged playing XI as the conditions shouldn't be too different.

India's possible playing XI:

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umran Malik.

Bench: Deepak Hooda, Venkatesh Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

The batting line-up is likely to remain the same. However there might be a few changes in the bowling department. Umran Malik's pace is too much of an asset to be kept on the bench for a long time. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the one likely to be replaced. There is a high chance that India may field an unchanged XI as well.

South Africa possible playing XI:

Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Dwaine Pretorius, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje

Bench: Heinrich Klaasen, Lungi Ngidi, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen

Aiden Markaram, who missed the last game due to Covid is likely to miss this one as well. Even though the two spinners had a tough game in Delhi, they should be retained in the team. South Africa will be hoping that the two openers stay at the crease for longer. Pretorius is likely to be used as a floater depending on the situation. David Miller is definitely one to look out for as he is in the form of his life. 

The dew factor will definitely come into play in Cuttack. The pitch is expected to be slower which is why it could be a low scoring game. A 2-0 deficit will be very difficult for India to come back from. South Africa have already defeated India in Tests and ODIs, now they have taken the lead in T20Is as well. Rishabh Pant has had quite a few criticisms about his captaincy in the last match and he will have a few questions to answer.

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(Cricket news) South Africa defeated India by 7 wickets in the first T20I. The Proteas completed their highest chase ever in the format and that too with 5 balls to spare. It was a difficult day for both sets of bowlers but in the end the visitors made the home wide look about 10-15 runs short. David Miller was awarded the Player of the Match award for his unbeaten 64 off just 31 balls which led South Africa to a memorable victory. Unfortunately for India they missed out on the world record for the most consecutive T20I wins. 

After losing the toss India were put into bat first and they managed to put a mammoth 211 runs on the board. Ishan Kishan was the star of the innings as he scored an incredible 76 off 48 balls. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Hardik all contributed with the bat. Pandya was seen playing attacking cricket with the willow after a very long time. Both the openers made the most out of the powerplay. Keshav Maharaj, Wayne Parnell, Anrich Nortje and Dwaine Pretorius were the wicket takers. Maharaj and Shamzi were hit all over the place by Kishan and Iyer as they leaked a combined total of 70 runs in 5 overs. 

The wicket was on the slower side as the ball wasn't coming on to the bat. Skipper Temba Bavuma at the toss said that he expects the wicket to get better in the second innings and that is exactly what happened. Despite losing both the openers early the Proteas managed to chase down the target with 5 balls and 7 wickets to spare. Pretorius, who was promoted to number 3 scored 29 off just 13 balls. He made the most out of the power play before being completely fooled by Harshal Patel's slower delivery. Rassie Van der dussen and David Miller stitched a match winning 131 run partnership. Van der Dussen struggled a lot at the start but Miller's power hitting made up for it. Shreyas Iyer dropped his catch off Avesh Khan's bowling when he was on 29 off 30 and he accelerated from there finishing with a score of 75 off 46.

India did get enough runs on the board but the Proteas chased it very well. The pitch got drastically better to bat in the 2nd innings. It was Rishabh Pant's first game as captain and it had a few questionable decisions. The bowling changes weren't the best as it turned out. The team's lead spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was given only 2 full overs even when the team desperately needed a breakthrough. The Indian team management may be forced into making a change or two by bringing in Arshdeep Singh and/or Umran Malik. BCCI could also name replacements for KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav before the next match.

Also read: Mithali Raj retires and leaves behind an unparalleled legacy

New Delhi, Jun 9 (Cricket News) South Africa captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and elected to field against India in the first T20 international of the five-match series here on Thursday.

India have fielded three pacers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan and Harshal Patel, while Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal are the two spinners in the playing eleven. Veteran Dinesh Karthik has also been included in the XI. For South Africa, Aiden Markram missed out after testing positive for COVID-19. Teams: India: Rishabh Pant (C), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (C), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje. 

Also Read : Kumar Kartikeya's 6-for dooms Punjab as MP cruise into Ranji Trophy semifinals

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India are back in international cricket action as they take on South Africa in a 5 match T20I series. The first match will be held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. It will pretty much be a second string Indian side with a lot of 3 format players missing. KL Rahul was initially named as captain but an injury has ruled him out of the series. Kuldeep Yadav who was also a part of the squad was ruled out of the series after suffering an injury in the nets. India have a chance to win their 13th consecutive T20 international which will be a world record.

India's possible playing XI:

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Bench: Deepak Hooda, Venkatesh Iyer, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi 

As of now no replacements have been named for the injured KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav. Gaikwad and Kishan will be the front runners for the opening spot while Venkatesh Iyer is also another option. Despite getting called up it is difficult to see Arshdeep and Malik get an opportunity straight away. The return of Pandya and Karthik will be very interesting to see. 

South Africa possible playing XI:

Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma (C), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje

Bench: Heinrich Klaasen, Lungi Ngidi, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Tristan Stubbs

The conditions will mean that Lungi Ngidi will have to miss out. The choice between Dwaine Pretorius and Marco Jansen will be very difficult but the latter's superior bowling ability edges it ever so slightly. Miller and de Kock have been in incredible form throughout the IPL and the pair will be key for the Proteas. The spin duo Shamsi and Maharaj will have to play exceptionally well if their team is to win.

India are by no means full strength but it is still a very strong side filled with match winners. The men in blue will be looking for revenge after their disastrous performance in South Africa last year. Both Rahul Dravid and Rishabh Pant have emphasised that it will be difficult to give every single player an opportunity to all the players but fans will be hoping to see a few new faces. For South Africa it will be an opportunity to get the better of India in all 3 formats as they defeated India in Tests and ODIs earlier this year. 

Also read: Mithali Raj retires and leaves behind an unparalleled legacy

(Cricket news) The men in blue will be back in international action as they take on South Africa in a 5 match T20I series. It is pretty much a 2nd fiddle Indian team as majority of the 3 format players have been rested. The series could see a few new and some returning faces introduced for India as it is right after the IPL. The 5 T20Is will be played at Delhi, Cuttack, Vizag, Rajkot and Benguluru. India have won 12 consecutive T20I matches and they will break the World record if they win the next one in Delhi.

India's ideal playing XI:

Openers: KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan 

A lot of questions have been asked about KL Rahul's intent and strike rate while batting. He has to answer those questions and being the captain he will definitely play. The Indian management has put their trust in Ishan Kishan and they're unlikely to change things in this series. Ruturaj Gaikwad who has been very unlucky with the lack of opportunities is the other option. There is a chance that all 3 of them will be in the side with Ishan sliding down at number 3.

Middle order: Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik

Shreyas Iyer is the ideal option at number 3 in absence of Virat Kohli. Iyer didn't have a particularly good IPL season but he had an incredible T20I series against Sri Lanka before that. Vice captain Rishabh Pant will be keen to perform well after a lackluster IPL. Dinesh Karthik is back in the squad and is likely to be inserted straight back into the XI. Rahul Dravid has already confirmed that Karthik will play a finisher's role which means that his batting position will depend on the situation. Pant and Karthik are equally capable of donning the gloves but the deputy skipper is more likely to do it. This Indian team has as many as 4 wicket keeping options which isn't normal in any sense. Deepak Hooda and Venkatesh Iyer are the two other options both of whom are bowling options as well but these 3 are likely to play.

All-rounders: Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is back in the squad which is incredible news as he has been in incredible form throughout the IPL. It solves the whole 6th bowling option problem perfectly. Pandya's batting position will be under the scanner as he has batted at number 3 and number 4 for Gujarat Titans. Axar Patel had a good season with the ball but he was even better with the willow. In absence of Ravindra Jadeja he is the obvious choice as the spin bowling all-rounder. Deepak Hooda and Venkatesh are other all-round options. There is a chance that Axar Patel is dropped in favour of Venkatesh Iyer to go with the bowling combination of 2 seamers, 2 wrist spinners along with Pandya and Iyer. 

Seam bowlers: Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan

Even though debutants Arshdeep Singh and Umran Malik have got a call-up, these three have been in the mix for much longer. With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, it gives more opportunities for the other quicks to try and showcase their skills. The likelihood is that Rahul Dravid will try out all 5 of his fast bowling options throughout the series with different combinations but he should start with Harshal, Bhuvneshwar and Avesh in the 1st match.

Spinner: Yuzvendra Chahal

The IPL purple cap winner does have a stiff combination from Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav. Having said that, Chahal is almost undroppable at this moment in time. His performance in the IPL has just further cemented his place in the Indian side. The return of Hardik Pandya does give a chance for two wrist spinners to be in the team although Axar Patel's presence does make it very unlikely.

Bench: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda, Venkatesh Iyer, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik 

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New Delhi, Jun 8 (Cricket News) Zeroing in on a core group for the upcoming T20 World Cup will be India’s main endeavour as they audition a bunch of players, both old and new, in the five-match T20 International series against a strong South African side, starting here on Thursday.

The Men in Blue are on a 12-match winning streak and come Thursday, they can create an all-time record of winning 13 T20I games in a row.

However for head coach Rahul Dravid, the primary aim over the next 10 days will be to narrow down on a core group of players going into the World Cup in October.

And he couldn't have hoped for a better opposition than a gritty South African side which has seen its stock rise recently.

With likes of skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli rested for the series, stand in captain KL Rahul is a certainty at the top but it would be a tough choice between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan as his opening partner.

Both are coming off underwhelming IPL seasons and it could well be a case where both are given a go at the top to see who fares better.

India currently face a problem of plenty.

Shreyas Iyer, was terrific at No. 3 against Sri Lanka in February, could hold on to the spot, in the absence of the injured Suryakumar Yadav. But Deepak Hooda, who has been in fine form, could also be given a chance since his impressed batting in the same position for Lucknow Super Giants.

The mercurial Rishabh Pant and comeback man Dinesh Karthik form an explosive middle order.

While Pant will be keen to rediscover his touch, it is to be seen if Karthik, who dazzled in the role of a finisher for RCB, can replicate his IPL form with the national side and stay in contention for a World Cup spot if given a chance.

If Hooda, Karthik and Venkatesh Iyer perform well, it would give the management an opportunity to play around with the line up during the World Cup.

Hardik Pandya is likely to resume his duties as the finisher despite a splendid run batting at No. 3 and 4 in the IPL.

"Without giving too much away sometimes, the role that you play for your franchise matches with the role that you play for India, but sometimes you have to play slightly different roles for different teams," Dravid said in the lead up to the series opener.

The seasoned Bhuvneshwar Kumar will spearhead the pace attack alongside death overs specialist Harshal Patel and would hope to prove their prowess given that only Jasprit Bumrah is a sure pick for the World Cup among the fast bowlers.

Avesh Khan is likely to fill in the third pacer’s spot but if he falters, Arshdeep Singh, who impressed in the IPL with his ability to bowl yorkers, could be handed a debut over fellow rookie Umran Malik.

However, Dravid has made it clear that it will be difficult to provide game time to all the available payers.

The wrist spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav return to the side after for the first time since 2019. Both players have reinvented themselves and have been rewarded for a superb IPL season.

With the injured Ravindra Jadeja expected to be a sure-shot selection for the World Cup and Chahal unlikely to miss out, Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel and Kuldeep will have to make a strong case for themselves.

South Africa have not lost a white-ball series in India since 2010. The Proteas have come with their best possible side.

For the visitors, a rejuvenated David Miller with his pyrotechnics will hold the key along with the flamboyant Quinton de Kock and Aiden Makram.

In the bowling department, the onus will be on spin twins Tabrez Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj and the pace duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje.

The South African T20 side will be playing together for the first time since the World Cup last year and skipper Temba Bavuma said the Proteas will also be looking to identify players for specific roles for the Australia edition.

Teams (From): KL Rahul (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk),Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (C), Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Marco Jansen.

Match starts 7pm IST. 

Also Read : Umran might have to wait for his debut, hints Dravid

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jun 6 (Cricket News) Umran Malik got an extended spell during India's first training session, but it was his colleague Arshdeep Singh who looked way more impressive at the nets, which included honing of his yorker skills.

However, both the juniors might have to wait for their turn with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan ahead in the pack.

If push comes to shove, Arshdeep looks a better bet than Umran.

The Indian team's evening session under Rahul Dravid and Paras Mhambrey was as intense as it could get.

While Umran, the toast of the nation for his express pace, bowled as quick as he can, Rishabh Pant didn't leave any opportunity to smash him with equal ferocity.

The faster he unleashed his thunderbolts, the more ferocious was Pant's intent with the willow.

Young Arshdeep first bowled a short spell and then had a session under bowling coach Mhambrey, when he was seen practicing the blockhole deliveries.

Mhambrey kept a baseball mitt (gloves) on the front crease, exactly on middle stump line for the yorker on middle stump and an energy drink bottle around tramline for the wide yorker.

Arshdeep was supposed to hit the two 'props' as part of match simulation.

"Theek hai? (alright)," he would ask Mhambrey who would tell him to focus more on line than length.

So who was the better bowler of the two? Arshdeep certainly looked to possess multi-dimensional skill sets compared to the Jammu speedster.

Another aspect indicating that the Punjab player could be slightly ahead of Umran is the training time.

Normally, fast bowlers in extreme conditions don't go all out in training sessions and just try to bowl enough to hit the rhythm.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who will lead the pack, bowled for hardly 15 minutes.

Similarly, Harshal Patel, who is also a certainty was rested on the day along with two sure-shot first XI candidates, Yuzvendra Chahal and Hardik Pandya.

Before the match, the ones who bowl more at the nets are the ones who are likely to be benched.

DK trains lap scoop Dinesh Karthik might not be a certainty going into the first game with Pant being deputy to KL Rahul but his short net session was entertaining.

At 36, Karthik knows what he needs to practice and thus asked the throwdown experts Nuwan, Daya and Raghu to provide him with deliveries that allows him to play lap scoop and reverse lap scoop over short fine and short third man fielder.

According to the DDCA groundsmen, there will be dew post 8pm but like other times, the team didn't practice with wet balls. 

Also Read : Pretorius wants to inculcate Dhoni's calmness and self-belief

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, May 28 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli can consider taking a break, freshen up his mind and work on a few things, feels former Australian speedster Brett Lee, a year after struggling to look beyond the Indian when it came to the best batter in recent years.

Kohli's mediocre campaign in the IPL-15 ended after Royal Challengers Bangalore's seven-wicket defeat by Rajasthan Royals in the second qualifier in Ahmedabad on Friday.

"Do I say it is a concern, I do. I would like him (Kohli) to be scoring more runs of course," Lee told PTI on Saturday when asked about Kohli's prolonged lean patch.

Kohli, who hasn't scored an international hundred for nearly three years, is battling his career's worst slump, having managed 341 runs in 16 IPL games at a below-par average of 22.73. In the ongoing IPL, he opened the RCB innings in most games.

In the second qualifier, Kohli chased a fast, rising delivery from pacer Prasidh Krishna, which was wide outside the off-stump, to give a simple catch to Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson behind the stumps.

"The hardest thing is when Virat Kohli doesn't score runs, generally the team doesn't do well. When we see Kohli had that purple patch, when he got 800-900 runs in that season (IPL 2016) his team (Royal Challengers Bangalore) fared pretty well. We want more from Kohli.

"A strong Kohli is a strong team. Unfortunately he missed out in the semis; he could not get his team to cross the line of his own bat, getting less than 10 runs.

"Maybe (it is) a chance for Kohli to go back and try work on a few things and maybe just have a rest from cricket. Just get away and just freshen up the mind," added Lee, who is the brand ambassador of 'Sportsbet.io'.

Around this time last year, Lee had picked Kohli and Australia seamer Pat Cummins as the best batsman and bowler of the world.

"When you look at the recent greats, it is hard to look past Virat Kohli," Lee had said when asked who his favourite Test batter is in an interview with ICC.

Impressed with fast-bowling talent in India ============================= This Indian Premier League has seen the emergence of young pacers like Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Kamran Malik, Mukesh Choudhary, Arshdeep Singh and the 45-year-old Lee, who has 310 Test wickets, believed this could come in handy when the country plays in the T20 World Cup in Australia.

"The two Khan boys (Mohsin and Avesh) have got real talent. The one thing that Indian cricket is producing is a nice catalogue of fast bowlers. I like that.

"They have got good spin options as well but certainly if you are looking forward to the T20 World Cup in Australia, you want guys that can bowl fast on the fast bouncy wickets," said Lee.

Pace sensation Umran Malik must play longer format ================================ One of the biggest finds of the IPL has been Malik, who consistently bowled over 150 kmph and ended with 22 wickets for the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

"Look he has been fantastic, what Umran Malik delivers is pure pace. I wish him well and I am hoping that he gets the opportunity to play the longer format of the game as well," Lee said. 

Also Read : Watch Gavaskar's videos to learn how to counter fearsome pacers despite short height: Miandad

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Can RCB fans dream of “Ee Sala Cup Namde” or will it be the familiar story of choking at the big stage? While watching the DC vs MI, RCB players had a range of emotions - going by their social media. Eventually, DC lost and the RCB's camp went into ecstasy as they had entered the playoffs. Virat Kohli was one of those players who led the celebrations and it showed how much it meant to him. On the other hand, LSG have been the most consistent side in the tournament but a few shaky performances at the end meant that they finished 3rd in the standings and have to face a spirited RCB side in the Eliminator.

RCB are going to bank on a rejuvenated Kohli and hopefully finds his mojo in the Eliminator against LSG. RCB also seem to have found enough horsepower in the batting lineup as Faf du Plessis stitched a 115 with Kohli versus GT which was also the franchise's highest partnership this season. Rajat Patidar has made some decent contributions at No.3 but the gamble of sending Glen Maxwell at three last match played as the RCB management need to assess the situation before they can send him up the order. Dinesh Karthik will be the key in this high pressure match as he will be given the finishers role. RCB have bowlers have just bagged 16 wickets in the PowerPlay, with seamers taking only 12 wickets in that period as it is the lowest by any franchise this season. Josh Hazlewood will hold the key against Quinton De Kock as he has dismissed him thrice in the IPL.

LSG have been able to win tight matches but the one thing they haven't been able to figure out is the extreme reliance on their top order. KL Rahul (537 runs at 48.8), Quinton de Kock (502 runs at 38.6), and Deepak Hooda (406 runs at 31.2) have scored the majority of the runs but the other batters have collectively contributed only 789 runs at 17.2. If their middle order is not performing then the fast bowlers are compensating for it, they have taken 96 wickets in the league stage at an average of 23.8 and strike rate of 17.1 which is highest this season. Mohsin Khan, who bowls with a high-arm action and has been the key man for LSG this season as he has the added advantage of a left-arm angle. Avesh Khan who has been the leader of the pack is back to his best after a dip in his form also. Krunal Pandya had some success against DK dismissing him twice and conceding just 24 runs off 28 balls. 

Pitch and weather report: The pitch at the Eden Gardens was a wonderful batting wicket and the same can be expected from this match. The weather is very unpredictable as basically the Kalbaisakhi season in Bengal has started and a few thunderstorms are expected but mostly we can expect a game today.

Interesting facts:

• LSG have lost 23 wickets in the Powerplay in the IPL
• SuperGiants are yet to win a single match against the teams that have qualified for the playoffs in this year
• DK has the best death-overs strike rate (226.37) in the IPL (min 50 balls faced).
• Virat Kohli needs  one more catch to reach 150 catches in T20 cricket
• RCB have lost the Eliminator in the last two IPL seasons
• Quinton de Kock needs to hit three sixes to reach 300 sixes
• Mohsin Khan needs to take four wickets to reach 50 wickets in T20 cricket.

Also read: Remember the Titans: Killer Miller, Captain Pandya take Gujarat franchise to IPL final

Probable XI for RCB:

1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Rajat Patidar, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Mahipal Lomror, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Harshal Patel/Akash Deep, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Mohammed Siraj

Probable XI for LSG:

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

Kolkata, May 24 (Cricket News) Indian skipper Rohit Sharma's abysmal form in the IPL is not a matter of concern as he will be back among the runs soon, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said on Tuesday.

The record five-time IPL winning Mumbai Indians skipper had a woeful season finishing with 268 runs from 14 innings at an average of 19.14 with a modest strike-rake 120.17 as their team finished at the bottom of the standings this season.

"Everybody is human. There will be mistakes but Rohit's record as captain is outstanding. Five IPL titles, Asia Cup winner, he has won whatever he has captained, so his record as captain is outstanding. Mistakes will happen because they are all human," Ganguly said on the sidelines of a promotional event.

Before the last match where he scored a fiery fifty against Kolkata Knight Riders, former India captain Kohli also endured his worst-ever IPL with 236 runs from 13 innings which included three golden ducks.

Backing the duo, Ganguly said: "They are very good players. I'm sure they will be back among runs. They play so much of cricket that at times they go out of form. Kohli played very well in the last game, especially when it was required for RCB.

"That's why he (Kohli) was so happy that RCB qualified. They are all great players, it's a matter of time they will be at their best," Ganguly added.

Captain Sharma, Kohli and senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah have all been rested from the five-match home T20I series against South Africa next month.

In Rohit's absence, KL Rahul has been appointed as the captain of the Indian team for the T20I series against the Proteas.

Rishabh Pant has failed to impress especially with his DRS making decisions but Ganguly feels with time he would improve.

"Don't compare Pant with MS Dhoni. Dhoni has so much experience, has captained in 500-plus games in IPL, Tests and ODIs. So it's not fair for Rishabh to be compared with Dhoni." Malik's future in his own hands, fitness will be key ============================== Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Umran Malik has been one of the finds of the IPL with his raw pace, clocking consistently over 150 kmph to get a maiden India call-up for the T20 series.

"His future is in hands. If he stays fit and bowls at this pace, I'm sure he will be around for a long time.

"Many have played well in this IPL. Tilak (Varma) has done well for MI. Rahul (Tripathi) for Sunrisers, Tewatia for GT.

"We have seen many emerging fast bowlers like Malik, Mohsin Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan... It's a place where talent gets exposure." 

Also Read : Gujarat Titans take on Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 1

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

(Cricket news) The IPL league stage has just been completed and the playoffs are about to start. In the midst of it the BCCI have announced an 18-member squad for the upcoming 5 match T20I series against South Africa. The 5 matches will be played at Lucknow, Cuttack, Vizag, Rajkot and Benguluru. This will be the first of 4 T20I series India will play before the T20I World Cup in Australia. BCCI also named the squad for the 5th Test against England which is why some of the key players are not a part of the T20I squad. 

Squad: KL Rahul (Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (vice-captain)(wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik

The inclusion of white ball specialist who have been a part of the set up i.e Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan and Harshal Patel was not a surprise. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant were chosen to lead the side and were not rested despite being in the Test squad as was Shreyas Iyer. The likelihood is that the trio will be rested for the England whiteball series which is due to start on 7th July. Axar Patel, who was a regular member of the Test side is in this squad but surprisingly isn't in the Test squad.

After a successful IPL campaign, Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik have made a return to the squad. Describing Pandya's inclusion as a return isn't the best way to put it as he missed just 3 T20I series reportedly because he wanted to regain his bowling fitness. Pandya has shown his class with bat and ball in the IPL this season with an added touch of amazing captaincy. His bowling fitness is still a question mark as he has bowled in a few games and not in some. Pandya's return to the squad is absolutely key for India but he will have to start firing straight away. 

Dinesh Karthik inclusion on the other hand is a comeback and a remarkable one. The keeper hasn't played an international game since the 2019 World Cup while his last T20I game was also in 2019. This season, he has proven that he is the best finisher India has and has made his way back into the squad. IPL form won't matter if Karthik under-performs with India, therefore this particular series will be very crucial for him. There is no real competition for Karthik in the finishers role as the players India has used as finishers play different roles for their IPL franchisees.

Arshdeep Singh and Umran Malik have been handed maiden international call-ups. Both the seamers have had amazing IPL seasons and all the fans as the experts have demanded their inclusion. Arshdeep is a death bowler and will have competition from Harshal Patel for that role. Umran on the other hand has a huge advantage as no one in India and even the world can match his consistent and fierce pace. There is a strong chance that both of them may not get a game in this series especially if the series is a tight one but their call-up in itself is a good step.

The notable players who have missed out on a call-up are Shikhar Dhawan, Sanju Samson and Rahul Tripathi. While Dhawan and Samson have been a part of the set-up, Tripathi has never got a call-up despite consistent domestic performances. The Indian squad already has 4 wicket keeping options in Pant, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan and Dinesh Karthik therefore  Samson's inclusion is understandable. It appears that India have moved past Dhawan in T20Is and Tests. Tripathi may have to wait for the Ireland series for his call-up. Washington Sundar who has been in the set-up is also not in the squad which could be due to his injury issues.

BCCI usually mentions in their statements about players who have been rested which is not the case this time. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja have definitely been rested. It is unclear whether Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur have been rested or dropped because both of them didn't have the best of IPLs and are also in the Test squads. Mohammed Shami hasn't played a white ball game since the 2021 T20 World Cup and every squad announcement except the latest have mentioned that he is rested. His IPL performances definitely proves that he deserves to be in the T20I squad.

Also read: County stint will keep me in good stead when we face England: Pujara

New Delhi, May 22 (Cricket News) Jammu and Kashmir pace sensation Umran Malik on Sunday earned an expected call-up in the Indian team for the upcoming five-match T20 International home series against South Africa starting June 9.

Umran has picked up 21 wickets in 13 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL but it's his ability to bowl consistently at 95 miles per hour that has caught the imagination of all and sundry with calls for his immediate selection in top-flight cricket.

Along with Umran, Punjab Kings' death overs specialist Arshdeep Singh has also earned his maiden national call-up.

As reported on July 14 by PTI, regular captain Rohit Sharma, star batter Virat Kohli, pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have all been rested for the white-ball series in which Rishabh Pant will be the vice-captain.

Rohit, Kohli, Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will all fly to England on June 15 for the one-off Test against England at Edgbaston from July 1-5 and will be joined by Cheteshwar Pujara, who has earned a recall to the 17-member Indian Test team after a stupendous show in English County Championship for Sussex.

Ditto for all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who has successfully led new franchise Gujarat Titans into IPL play-offs and has been consistent with the bat, besides bowling a few overs at brisk pace.

Umran pips Mohsin among bowlers but Tripathi misses out --------------------------------------------------------------- While former players and experts have all spoken in unison about Umran's selection in the national team, it wouldn't have been a cakewalk had Lucknow Super Giants pacer Mohsin Khan been fully fit.

While Umran has 21 wickets (before Sunday's game), most of which came in the first phase when batters were getting used to his pace, it is understood that the selectors were far more impressed with Uttar Pradesh left-armer Mohsin, who has 13 wickets from 8 matches at an astounding economy rate of 5.93 compared to Umran's 8.93 in 13 games.

However, Mohsin's dodgy hamstring made the decision easier for Chetan Sharma's committee, which also picked Arshdeep especially for his death overs bowling for Punjab Kings.

Arshdeep bowls at early to mid 130's and has only 10 wickets in 13 games (before Sunday's game) but his ability to bowl the change-ups along with wide yorkers and deliveries in the block-hole has earned him a place in the squad.

Arshdeep was with Indian team as net bowler in an away series against Sri Lanka last year while Umran was in the UAE, assisting the national team during T20 World Cup.

The selectors more or less picked up players who have played in last two T20I series for India with Dinesh Karthik, at 36 years of age and 18 years after he first played for India, making his umpteenth comeback.

Karthik's inclusion will certainly put Rishabh Pant under a bit of pressure as both are designated middle-order finishers unlike third keeping option Ishan Kishan, who is a specialist opener. As per indication in the team sheet, Karthik is second keeper and Ishan is a pure batter.

If there was one player, who would feel a bit let-down, it has to be Rahul Tripathi, who, before Sunday, had scored 393 runs at a strike-rate of above 160 and had three fifty plus-scores to his credit.

Tripathi, who has been consistent in the IPL, may get his chance sometime during the season but he might feel hard done by, considering Suryakumar Yadav was left out due to hand injury.

Hardik back in the mix, Venkatesh remains back-up ------------------------------------------------------- In the case of Hardik Pandya, it was never a question of how he will make a comeback for one of India's guaranteed game-changers but as to when that recall will come.

The Gujarat Titans skipper scored 413 runs in 13 games at a strike-rate of 131-plus but more importantly bowled nearly 25 overs (24.3 overs), which is around a couple of overs per game.

He worked up good pace, got a few wickets but more importantly will give Rohit a sixth bowling option going into the World T20 in Australia.

India's spin department for the T20I series also looks menacing with three wrist spinners -- Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi and Yuzvendra Chahal -- in the mix along with left-arm orthodox Axar Patel.

Pujara back in Test squad after bagful of County runs --------------------------------------------------------- The 34-year-old Pujara scored 720 runs in five Division two games for Sussex, which included two double hundreds and two hundreds, which forced the selection committee to give him a call-up for the 'fifth' Test of the last series. The squad doesn't have any new face from the one that was picked last year.

Prasidh Krishna, who had been drafted into the Test squad during the course of last series, is back while KS Bharath is now the official second keeper in Tests after 37-year-old Wriddhiman Saha was shown the door earlier this year.

Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari, who have done well for India in the little chances that they got, are there.

India’s Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain) Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohd Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.

India’s T20I squad: KL Rahul (Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (vice-captain)(wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik. 

Also Read : Thank you, Mumbai, we will remember this one: Kohli after MI's win seals RCB's playoff berth

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, May 18 (Cricket News) Former Sri Lankan pacer Chaminda Vaas reckons rookie speedster Umran Malik, who has thrilled everyone with his pace in the IPL, will become a "great bowler" for India.

Playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL-15, the fast bowler from Jammu has been impressive with his pace and consistently clocked above 150 kmph in the speed gun.

He has so far taken 21 wickets, with best figures of 5/25 and is the fourth highest wicket-taker in the tournament.

"I think he (Umran) is getting better day by day and I saw him playing in the last IPL as well. He is bowling consistently and accuracy is important when it comes to T20. And he will be a great bowler for India. He will be there with (Jasprit) Bumrah, I guess if India gives him a chance. He will go a long way," Vaas told reporters here.

The ex-left-arm seamer, who has 355 wickets in 111 Tests, is in the city to coach children of the 'Mumbai Cricket Club' led by coach Jwala Singh.

This IPL has also seen the emergence of young pacers like Mukesh Choudhary, Arshdeep Singh, Umran, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan and the 48-year-old attributed it to good first-class structure in India.

"India has a good first-class structure and most of the first-class clubs are producing a lot of (good) cricketers and India cricket has a plan going forward. So that is why they are able to produce so many fast bowlers, cricketers," he said.

Vaas elated with performance of Sri Lankans ------------------------------------------------ The IPL has seen Sri Lankan players like Wanindu Hasaranga, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dushmantha Chameera among others perform well and Vaas feels it will pave the way for the younger cricketers in the island nation.

"Well, I am so glad that in this IPL, most of the Sri Lankan got opportunities and they believe in themselves that they can (play) a bigger role in the IPL. And the best example is Wanindu (Hasaranga).

"Wanindu is a star and he has always performed well in the Sri Lanka team but here (in the IPL) he is doing amazing. Not only him but others are doing (playing) their part (well) and it is good for the future players of Sri Lanka to come and play in the IPL. It is a morale-booster for the youngsters," said Vaas.

"Dushmantha has come a long way. I was working with the national set-up for eight months and he has improved a lot. I am already pleased with his performance and he will be a future star," he added.

Vaas predicts bright future for Matheesha Pathirana ------------------------------------------------------- Matheesha Pathirana made an impressive debut for Chennai Super Kings and Vaas feels the rookie pacer has a brilliant future.

"Yes, when I was the U19 coach, he (Matheesha) came from that group and I have seen his potential. He is bowling like Lasith Malinga and he has a brilliant future.

"With his action, he might get injuries but he has to look after himself and Sri Lanka cricket (also needs to) take care of him," he added.

Vaas also thanked India for helping Sri Lanka, which is facing an economic crisis.

"Actually I am not in politics, but this (current) issue is a bigger mess in Sri Lanka. I was glad that the Indian government has helped us to come (out) this situation in a better way," he signed off. 

Also Read : ECB appoint Matthew Mott as England Men's White-Ball Head Coach

News Source : PTI

(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
 

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 15 (Cricket News) A clinical Rajasthan Royals inched closer to securing a play-offs berth with a convincing 24-run win over Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League here on Sunday.

Both RR and LSG are now tied on 16 points from 13 matches and need another win to confirm their place in the next stage of the tournament. Thanks to their margin of victory, RR also toppled LSG from the second place.

Batting first, Yashasvi Jaiswal top-scored with 41 while Devdutt Padikkal blazed away to an 18-ball 39, as Rajasthan Royals posted 178 for six. Skipper Sanju Samson made 32 off 24 balls.

Ravi Bishnoi was the most successful bowler for LSG, picking 2/31 in four overs.

When their turn to bat came, LSG were stopped at 154 for eight.

The Super Giants got off to a terrible start as Trent Boult (2/18) sent back two of their top batters -- Quinton de Kock (7) and Ayush Badoni (0) -- in successive deliveries in the beginning of the third over.

De Kock was caught at point by an agile Jimmy Neesham, while Badoni was trapped in front of the wicket, after which the batter opted for a review to clear his doubts.

Deepak Hooda (59 off 39 balls) denied Boult a hat-trick -- the ball headed towards the slip but after one bounce.

In the next delivery though, Hooda got off the mark with a beautiful drive through covers.

Following the New Zealand pacer's double blow, Prasidh Krishna (2/32) and Boult conceded only two runs in the next two overs, as RR kept things tight.

However, KL Rahul (10) struck Prasidh for a six to begin the final power play over but the bowler had the last laugh as he had the LSK skipper caught with his smart bowling.

LSG were in deep trouble at 29 for three in the sixth over when Krunal Pandya joined Hooda in the middle.

The two quickly added 65 runs for the fourth wicket to keep their team in the game, before Ravichandran Ashwin removed Pandya at a crucial juncture, thanks to some excellent work by Jos Buttler and Riyan Parag in the deep.

Meanwhile, Hooda brought up his fifty but Yuzvendra Chahal had the charging batter stumped after Sanju Samson nearly made a hash of it.

Obed McCoy (2/35) then picked up the wickets of Jason Holder and Dushmantha Chameera to take RR closer to victory.

Earlier, Jaiswal started the proceedings for Royals on a confident note, hitting successive fours off Mohsin Khan in the first over.

But the RR soon suffered a body blow when Avesh Khan knocked over the in-form Jos Buttler's (2) off-stump in the beginning of the third over as the batter tried to scoop it over fine leg.

Buttler's early dismissal brought skipper Sanju Samson into the middle and, looking to regain his touch, he straightaway got into the act, flicking Avesh past midwicket for a boundary at the Brabourne Stadium.

Samson then played a late cut against Mohsin and the ball flew over the slip cordon for a boundary. Then came a lovely cover drive from the blade of the RR captain as the team reached 25 for one in four overs.

Meanwhile, after getting an awkward boundary, Jaiswal got a life when Mohsin dropped him off the bowling of Avesh, failing to hold on to the ball despite getting both hands to it.

LSG paid heavily for the profligacy on Mohsin's part as Jaiswal made full use of the reprieve, accumulating 21 runs off Chameera to lift RR to 51 for one in the six power play overs.

He began the over with a four, found the fence two more times, and then finished it in style, carting the Sri Lankan pacer's short ball for a massive six over the midwicket region.

Even as Jaiswal went after the bowling, the usually flamboyant Samson seemed content playing second fiddle.

Samson, however, looked to cut loose against Ravi Bishnoi as he hit him for two fours before Jason Holder brought about the former's downfall in the next over with a slower ball outside off for Deepak Hooda to take a catch in the deep.

Devdutt Padikkal came and raced to 14 off 5 balls, with the help of two fours and a six against Marcus Stoinis.

Padikkal then scored two boundaries off Chameera as RR crossed 100 in the 11th over.

However, at the other end, Jaiswal was out caught and bowled by Ayush Badoni. But, unperturbed by the loss of the set Jaiswal, Padikkal continued to play his shots and got a six off Krunal Pandya.

Going for one too many though, Padikkal hold out in the deep. 

Also Read : Yashasvi Jaiswal, Padikkal take RR to 178/6 against LSG

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, May 15 (Cricket News) Yashasvi Jaiswal top-scored with 41 while Devdutt Padikkal blazed away to an 18-ball 39 as Rajasthan Royals posted 178 for six against Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL here on Sunday.

Skipper Sanju Samson made 32 off 24 balls after he opted to abt.

Ravi Bishnoi was the most successful bowler for LSG, picking 2/31 in four overs.

Jaiswal started the proceedings for Royals on a confident note, hitting successive fours off Mohsin Khan in the first over.

But the RR soon suffered a body blow when Avesh Khan knocked over the in-form Jos Buttler's (2) off-stump in the beginning of the third over as the batter tried to scoop it over fine leg.

Buttler's early dismissal brought skipper Sanju Samson into the middle and, looking to regain his touch, he straightaway got into the act, flicking Avesh past midwicket for a boundary at the Brabourne Stadium.

Samson then played a late cut against Mohsin and the ball flew over the slip cordon for a boundary. Then came a lovely cover drive from the blade of the RR captain as the team reached 25 for one in four overs.

Meanwhile, after getting an awkward boundary, Jaiswal got a life when Mohsin dropped him off the bowling of Avesh, failing to hold on to the ball despite getting both hands to it.

LSG paid heavily for the profligacy on Mohsin's part as Jaiswal made full use of the reprieve, accumulating 21 runs off Dushmantha Chameera to lift RR to 51 for one in the six power play overs.

He began the over with a four, found the fence two more times, and then finished it in style, carting the Sri Lankan pacer's short ball for a massive six over the midwicket region.

Even as Jaiswal went after the bowling, the usually flamboyant Samson seemed content playing second fiddle.

Samson, however, looked to cut loose against Ravi Bishnoi as he hit him for two fours before Jason Holder brought about the former's downfall in the next over with a slower ball outside off for Deepak Hooda to take a catch in the deep.

Devdutt Padikkal came and raced to 14 off 5 balls, with the help of two fours and a six against Marcus Stoinis.

Padikkal then scored two boundaries off Chameera as RR crossed 100 in the 11th over.

However, at the other end, Jaiswal was out caught and bowled by Ayush Badoni. But, unperturbed by the loss of the set Jaiswal, Padikkal continued to play his shots and got a six off Krunal Pandya.

Going for one too many though, Padikkal hold out in the deep. 

Also Read : Saha great player of short ball: Gujarat Titans mentor Gary Kirsten

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, May 14 (Cricket News) Many seniors including captain Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul are all set to be rested for the upcoming five-match T20 series against South Africa, with an eye on the marquee tour of England in July.

Besides, the national selection committee is also set to excuse Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant from the engagements against the Proteas.

It is understood that veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan and all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who has impressed one and all with his captaincy for Gujarat Titans in IPL-15, are in reckoning for the leadership role for both South Africa and the short two-match T20I series against Ireland.

The T20 rubber against the Proteas will start in the national capital on June 9 with the remaining matches being held at Cuttack, Visakhapatnam, Rajkot and Bengaluru respectively.

The squad for the SA series is likely to be selected on May 22 -- the last day of the league phase of this edition of IPL -- in Mumbai.

The PTI has already reported that an out-of-form Virat Kohli will also be given a much-needed break but it is understood that for the selectors as well as the BCCI, the tour of England starting early July is paramount.

"All the senior India players will get at least three and half weeks of complete rest. Rohit, Virat, KL, Rishabh and Jasprit will all directly go to England for the 'fifth Test' following the white-ball series. We need all our key players to remain fresh for the England series," a senior BCCI source privy to the development told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

As a part of workload management, all the senior all-format players will not be part of the next seven T20 Internationals.

Asked about captaincy, the source said: "The selectors have a couple of choices. Shikhar Dhawan, as he has already captained India in absence of Virat, Rohit and Rahul during last year's Sri Lanka series. But Hardik Pandya's impressive captaincy for Gujarat Titans hasn't gone unnoticed. So it will be a close call," he added.

Mohsin Khan could pip Umran Malik in SA squad ---------------------------------------------------- While Umran Malik has generated considerable excitement with his 150 kmph plus pace, there is a feeling that he is too raw and time with the India A team could help him develop better.

While he remains in the mix with death overs specialist Arshdeep Singh, the man who is emerging as a 'Dark Horse' is Lucknow Super Giants' left-armer Mohsin Khan.

"Our pace bowling department is set and selectors might not experiment too much," he said.

"But yes, Mohsin has impressed almost everyone with his pace, bounce and swing in this edition. He does have a chance. Having said that, not ruling out Umran or Arshdeep either, but Mohsin might just be slightly ahead," he added.

It is understood that most of the players who recently played in the T20 series against Sri Lanka and the West Indies are set to be retained irrespective of their current IPL form.

Obviously Suryakumar Yadav or Ravindra Jadeja's injury needs to be factored in and Deepak Chahar will also not be available.

The likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda along with Dhawan and Hardik are set to form the core of the batting unit. Sanju Samson could also be retained and there could be at the max one left field selection in the squad.

In the pace bowling unit, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan are all certainties, along with the IPL's stellar spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal. Kuldeep Yadav is also expected to make the cut. 

Also Read : Unrest in CSK? Rayudu backtracks after announcing 'IPL retirement'

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 10 (Cricket News) Gujarat Titans returned to winning ways after back-to-back losses and became the first team to seal their place in the play-offs by defeating Lucknow Super Giants by 62 runs in an Indian Premier League match here on Tuesday.

Even though LSG did a decent job with the ball to restrict GT to 144 for 4 after being asked to bowl, the KL Rahul-led side flopped with the bat as they were bowled out for 82 in 13.5 overs.

Rashid Khan (4/24) starred with the ball for GT, while Yash Dayal (2/24) and R Sai Kishore (2/7) picked up two wickets each.

Earlier, opening batter Shubman Gill hit a fine half-century but LSG produced a disciplined bowling effort to restrict GT to the modest score. Gill remained not out on 63 off 49 balls with the help of seven fours but lacked support from the other end. He was left stranded as GT's next highest scorer was David Miller (26).

Avesh Khan (2/26) picked up two wickets for LSG, while Mohsin Khan (1/18) and Jason Holder (1/44) scalped one apiece.

GT sealed their play-off berth, reaching 18 points from 12 games. The defeat snapped LSG's five-match winning streak but they are still comfortably placed in the second spot with 16 points and need just a win to book their last-four berth.

LSG made a slow start to their chase and their problems were further compounded after they lost Quinton de Kock (11) and skipper KL Rahul (8) in consecutive overs to slump to 24 for 2 after four overs.

While Yash Dayal accounted for De Kock, Rahul top-edged a Mohammed Shami short delivery to Wriddhiman Saha behind the stumps.

Debutant Karan Sharma didn't help his cause either, handing a catch to David Miller inside the circle to give Dayal his second scalp of the day.

Introduced into the attack in the eighth over, Rashid Khan struck with his third delivery, foxing Krunal Pandya with a googly and Saha was quick to whip off the bails.

With wickets falling in quick succession from the start, LSG never got any momentum to their chase, reaching 58 for 4 at the halfway stage.

The ever-rising asking rate led to the downfall of Ayush Badoni (8), who was stumped by Saha off R Sai Kishore.

LSG's scorecard cut a sorry figure as the likes of Marcus Stoinis (2) and Jason Holder (1) too failed to rise to the occasion.

Deepak Hooda top-scored for LSG with a struggling 26-ball 27.

Earlier, GT's decision to bat first after winning the toss backfired big time as they lost Wriddhiman Saha (5) and Matthew Wade (10) cheaply with the scoreboard reading just 24 inside five overs.

With wickets tumbling from the other end, Gill went about his business cautiously and in the company of skipper Hardik Pandya shared 27 runs for the third wicket before the latter departed, edging one to Quinton de Kock behind the stumps to give Avesh his second wicket of the day.

Once Hardik departed, Gill took the onus on himself and upped the ante, first chopping Avesh to the square boundary and then reverse-swept Krunal Pandya to the third-man fence in the next over.

But thereafter, both Gill and Miller failed to open their arms as Mohsin and Krunal bowled tight line and length to stem the run flow.

Miller finally broke the shackles in the third delivery of the 16th over with a huge six off Jason Holder over extra cover, in what was the first maximum of the innings.

Miller, however, perished in the final ball of the over, caught by Ayush Badoni as he slashed one straight to deep third man.

Gill, on the other hand, went about his innings in a smooth fashion and brought up his fifty in 42 balls with a single off Dushmantha Chameera.

Once he reached his fifty, Gill opened up and struck Chameera for back-to-back boundaries to pick up 14 runs from the 17th over.

Rahul Tewatia (22 not out off 16 balls) used the long handle to good effect in the final over, smashing Holder for three boundaries to take the score close to the 150-run mark. 

Also Read : Shubman Gill hits half-century, but LSG restrict GT to modest 144/4

News Source : PTI

Pune, May 10 (Cricket News) Opening batter Shubman Gill hit a fine unbeaten half-century but Lucknow Super Giants produced a disciplined bowling effort to restrict Gujarat Titans to a modest 144 for 4 in their Indian Premier League match here on Tuesday.

Gill remained not out on 63 off 49 balls with the help of seven fours but lacked support from the other end. He was left stranded as GT's next highest scorer was David Miller (26).

Avesh Khan (2/26) picked up two wickets for LSG, while Mohsin Khan (1/18) and Jason Holder (1/44) scalped one apiece.

GT's decision to bat first after winning the toss backfired big time as they lost Wriddhiman Saha (5) and Matthew Wade (10) cheaply with the scoreboard reading just 24 inside five overs.

With wickets tumbling from the other end, Gill went about his business cautiously and in the company of skipper Hardik Pandya shared 27 runs for the third wicket before the latter departed, edging one to Quinton de Kock behind the stumps to give Avesh his second wicket of the day.

Once Hardik departed, Gill took the onus on himself and upped the ante, first chopping Avesh to the square boundary and then reverse-swept Krunal Pandya to the third-man fence in the next over.

But thereafter, both Gill and Miller failed to open their arms as Mohsin and Krunal bowled tight line and length to stem the run flow.

Miller finally broke the shackles in the third delivery of the 16th over with a huge six off Jason Holder over extra cover, in what was the first maximum of the innings.

Miller, however, perished in the final ball of the over, caught by Ayush Badoni as he slashed one straight to deep third man.

Gill, on the other hand, went about his innings in a smooth fashion and brought up his fifty in 42 balls with a single off Dushmantha Chameera.

Once he reached his fifty, Gill opened up and struck Chameera for back-to-back boundaries to pick up 14 runs from the 17th over.

Rahul Tewatia (22 not out off 16 balls) used the long handle to good effect in the final over, smashing Holder for three boundaries to take the score close to the 150-run mark. 

Also Read : I try to learn one new shot every year: Jitesh Sharma on his range of strokes and stellar IPL debut

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) LSG have been one of the most consistent sides this season, stringing eight victories in 11 games, same as fellow IPL debutants Gujarat Titans. These two sides will face off for the second time, as the winner this time will become the first team to qualify for the playoffs of IPL 2022. LSG have won four on the trot while the Titans who had a five-game winning streak, have lost two successive games and will be eager to get back to form.

LSG have been heavily reliant on their top order to get the majority of the runs as KL Rahul and Quinton De Kock have formed a formidable partnership. They have also found the solution to their No.3 problem in the form of Deepak Hooda who has managed scores of 41, 52 and 34 in their last three games. Marcus Stoinis has been used as a floater in the teams as in the last match we saw him score 14-ball 28 which is a sign of things to come as the Australian is yet to make a big impact in this tournament. In the bowling department, the pace bowlers Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Dushmantha Chameera and Jason Holder, have picked up 44 wickets which has highlighted the collective nature of LSG's pace bowling arsenal. Although the spin duo of Krunal Pandya and Ravi Bishnoi have failed to pick up wickets at regular intervals, they have restricted the batters to low run rates in their overs. Avesh Khan could be the key against Shubman Gill, having conceded only 25 runs off the 28 balls he has bowled to the opener while he has also dismissed him twice.

GT are entering this fixture on the back of two defeats and will like to go back to winning ways again. Even though they lost these two matches, Hardik Pandya and co. can take out some positives as Shubman Gill and the captain are back amongst the runs after failures in the recent games. A stable batter at No. 3 is still a concern for them, but Sai Sudarshan's 65 against PBKS gave them some encouragement. Their lower middle order has been the reason behind winning games as David Miller, Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan have kept Titans in the race for the playoffs. In the bowling department, the GT management will be a bit worried after Mohammed Shami's expensive outings in the recent games as they will be hoping he gets back on track quickly. Rashid Khan will be key as he has dismissed Rahul three times, with the batter having a strike rate of only 76.64 against the leg spinner off the 43 balls he has faced.

Pitch and weather report: Both the teams are undefeated in Pune as the pitch over the last few matches suggest that it is on the slower side. If the batsmen can negate the early pace and bounce, then batting becomes easy, like we saw when Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 99. The temperature is going to hover around 28 degrees with a 10% chance of rain.

Interesting facts:

• Gujarat Titans have been the best chasing team this season, having won five out of the six times they have batted second.
• Marcus Stoinis has batted in five different positions in his eight innings so far in IPL 2022, with his 38* off 17 at No. 8 against RR being his highest.
• Mohammed Shami has dismissed both KL Rahul and Quinton De Kock thrice in the IPL.
• Saha has an average of 51.7 against pacers this season.
• Lockie Ferguson's economy has jumped to 10 in the last six matches, after having conceded 7.7 runs an over in the first five matches.
• Chameera is two short of completing 100 wickets in T20s.
• Quinton de Kock is one half-century away from overtaking Kamran Akmal (48) to own the record of most fifty-plus scores by a wicketkeeper in T20 cricket.
• Hardik Pandya (46) needs four scalps to complete 50 wickets in the IPL.

Also read: Bumrah was special but batters let us down, says MI skipper Rohit

Probable XI for LSG:

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

Probable XI for GT:

1 Shubman Gill, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Hardik Pandya (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Alzarri Joseph, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Pradeep Sangwan
 

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

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

(Cricket news) The IPL is reaching its final stage and no team has yet secured a spot in the playoffs. The two new teams Gujarat and Lucknow are top of the table. Mumbai Indians have already been eliminated while Chennai Super Kings chances of qualification are very rare. Saturday there will be a double header as 7th place Punjab Kings will take on 3rd place Rajasthan Royals and 2nd place Lucknow Super Giants will take on 8th place Kolkata Knight Riders. 

LSG are having a very good first season in the IPL while KKR have been struggling. The match is definitely a must win for Kolkata who after 5 consecutive losses won their last one against Rajasthan. KKR could still manage to qualify for the playoffs but they need consistency. Shreyas Iyer and Brendon McCullum have been making loads of changes to the side as retained players Venkatesh Iyer and Varun Chakravarthy have also been dropped. KKR's biggest challenge will be to get the better of Lucknow's breakthrough player Mohsin Khan who has been in incredible form. Avesh Khan, who missed the last game should return to the side as well. LSG don't have a fixed batting order as they keep chopping and changing. Tim Southee and Umesh Yadav are the only two Kolkata players who have been consistent and they will hold the key for their side's success. Shreyas Iyer who came into the IPL as the most in-form player hasn't been good enough and he needs to start firing now. 

Punjab Kings match against Rajasthan Royals is very crucial for both the teams. A win could take PBKS into the top 4 while a win for RR could take them to 2nd place. The big battle will be the in-form Liam Livingston against RR's spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal. Kuldeep Sen is another Rajasthan bowler who has been in incredible form. His raw pace has been causing opponents a lot of trouble. Orange Cap holder Jos Buttler will be facing Kagiso Rabada in what promises to be a fiery contest. Jonny Bairstow was promoted to open the batting in the last game with Mayank Agarwal deciding to bat at number 4. It will be interesting to see if PBKS stick with the strategy.

Also read: Does the English media watch football with blinkers?

Pune, Apr 29 (Cricket News) Punjab Kings won the toss and opted to bowl against Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League here on Friday.

Punjab did not make any changes from the previous game while Lucknow brought in Avesh Khan in place of Manish Pandey.

Teams: Lucknow Super Giants: Quinton de Kock (w), KL Rahul (c), Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder, Dushmantha Chameera, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan.

Punjab Kings: Mayank Agarwal (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (w), Rishi Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Sandeep Sharma, Arshdeep Singh.

Also Read : Delhi Capitals win toss, opt to bowl against Kolkata Knight Riders

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) In-form Lucknow SuperGiants will look to solidify their position in the top four with a victory over the inconsistent Punjab Kings. The protagonists of IPL's most successful partnership in the last season in the IPL, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal will face off for the first time this season with both their sides seeking consistency as the race to play-offs intensifies. 

Lucknow Supergiants are coming off the back of a fine victory over MI as KL Rahul slammed his second century of the tournament, Rahul has been the most successful run-getter for Punjab to date in IPL with an aggregate of 2548 and four successive 500+ seasons leading up to his switch to LSG and it will be an emotional return for the adopted son of Punjab.  With the likes of Jason Holder, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya and Deepak Hooda in the XI, they have depth in batting as well as bowling. The only area of concern going into the match may be the number 3 position as Manish Pandey hasn’t scored too many runs, Gautam Gambhir and co would want some stability in that position. In terms of bowling,  LSG have only rarely used Marcus Stoinis the bowler in this IPL, but his stellar record against Mayank - two dismissals in three games might tempt Rahul into giving him some few overs in the powerplay. KL Rahul would see Ravi Bishnoi come into form as he has only picked up just two wickets in last four games at 9+ RPO.

PBKS batting has mostly been led by Liam Livingstone but over the few matches the Englishman had failed to replicate his previous form. Shikhar Dhawan’s 88 in the last match would be a confidence boost not only for him but for his franchise as well as the returning Bhanuka Rajapaksa added more firepower to Punjab's batting half. The form of Mayank Agarwal might be a bit concerning but if he manages to play the anchor role with Shikhar then he will soon get back amongst the runs. In the bowling department Kagiso Rabada will be the key as Manish Pandey averages only 7 against him and has been twice dismissed by the South African in all T20s. Mayank Agarwal can use Rahul Chahar in the powerplay considering his record Rahul is good, he has scored only 36 runs off 35 balls against Rahul Chahar with one dismissal.

Pitch and weather report: The MCA pitch last match saw a lot of pace and bounce as RR were able to defend the lowest total in this year's IPL. We saw Kuldeep Sen trouble the RCB batsman with his raw pace as the same looks to continue in today's match as well. The temperature is going to hover around 35 degrees with no chance of rain as the dew won't be a factor in the second innings.

Interesting facts:

• Mayank Agarwal has won only one out of eight tosses in IPL 2022
• Among regular captains this season, KL Rahul has scored the most runs (368) and has the highest average (61.33)
• Marcus Stoinis (986) and Deepak Hooda (978) are both 1000 IPL runs
• Arshdeep Singh has got Quinton De Kock out twice in 14 balls while giving away only 14 runs.
•  Arshdeep has the best economy (5.66) in the death overs
• KL Rahul has a strike rate of 145 against both spin and pace, which is subsequently the best 

Also read: Titans look to continue 'Golden Touch', RCB seek Kohli's return to form

Probable XI for LSG:

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

Probable XI for PBKS:

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

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 24 (Cricket News) KL Rahul once again proved to be Mumbai Indians' nemesis as his magnificent second hundred set up a comfortable 36-run win for Lucknow Super Giants' and in turn knocked the five-time champions out of this edition of IPL.

Rahul continued his fairytale run against MI, slamming an unbeaten 103 off 62 balls with the help of 12 fours and four maximums as LSG posted 168 for 6 after being invited to bat at the Wankhade stadium.

In reply, Rohit Sharma looked good during his 31-ball 39 but MI suffered a collapse once again to slump to 67 for four.

Tilak Varma hit a gritty 27-ball 38 to give MI some hope before Lucknow restricted them to 132 for 8 for their fifth win in 8 matches to grab the fourth position in the overall points standing.

For MI, it was another collective failure as they slumped to their eighth successive loss on the trot, the only team in the history of the tournament to achieve the dubious record as they remain at the bottom.

For LSG, all the bowlers chipped in with Krunal Pandya taking 3 for 19 and Dushmantha Chameera conceded only 14 runs in 4 overs.

Rahul, who had scored a century against MI a few days back, looked in imperious form but he didn't get enough help from the other batters.

Manish Pandey had a 58-run stand with Rahul but he lacked intent during his run-a-ball 22, while Marcus Stoinis (0), Krunal Pandya (1) and Deepak Hooda (10) paraded back to the hut in quick succession.

Later, Rahul added another 47 off 25 balls with young Ayush Badoni (14) to take LSG to a competitive score.

For MI, Australian Daniel Sams had a forgettable evening as he conceded 40 runs in his four overs.

Kieron Pollard pulled things back a bit as he snapped two wickets in two overs, while Riley Meredith accounted for two but conceded 40, with Jasprit Bumrah once again displaying his brilliance as an all-format great.

Chasing 169, Ishan Kishan looked low in confidence but with Rohit in full flow, MI reached 43 for no loss in the first six overs.

The MI skipper smashed five boundaries and a six during the powerplay to raise hopes of a successful chase.

Ravi Bishnoi, however, put Kishan out of his misery in the 8th over, while Mohsin Khan, who replaced an injured Avesh Khan in the XI, got rid off Dewald Brevis (3) for his maiden IPL wicket.

Rohit then ended up playing across the line as Krunal foxed his former MI skipper, leaving Mumbai at 58 for 3.

Suryakumar Yadav (7) then walked back after playing an aweful shot to hand Ayush Badoni his first IPL wicket.

Tilak smashed two fours and as many sixes but once he was sent back by Jason Holder it was all over for MI.

Earlier, the MI bowlers were on the money at the start with Bumrah dealing the first blow, removing Quinton de Kock (10) with Rohit Sharma taking a low dipping catch.

MI used four bowlers in the powerplay with LSG managing only 32 for one in the first six overs.

Rahul and Pandey struggled to up the ante as pressure was maintained from both ends.

Rahul then sprung into action with a maximum over deep mid-wicket off Unadkat, while Pandey deposited Meredith into the sightscreen.

THe LSG skipper then pulled one across the deep mid-wicket, before cutting the next ball over point for successive boundaries as the Lucknow team racked up 17 runs to reach 72 for one at the half way stage.

Bumrah was brought back into the attack but Rahul send him across deep square leg and then picked up a single to complete another fifty.

Pandey's (22) struggle ended with a top-edge off a short ball from Pollard to Meredith.

Rahul clobbered Sams over long-on to leave the bowler shaken, who ended up bowling three successive wide balls.

The next legitimate delivery was sent over deep backward point by Rahul but the bowler somewhat redeemed himself in the fifth ball with Marcus Stoinis holing out to Tilak varma at deep mid-wicket.

After Pollard and Meredith removed Pandya and Hooda quickly, Ayush Badoni joined Rahul, who continued to get the boundaries for LSG.

Rahul slammed Bumrah for a couple of fours, before smashing Unadkat for three more in the next over.

He reached three figures with a six off Meredith. 

Also Read : Many sporting giants have gone through this phase...that happens: Rohit on MI's dismal run this IPL

News Source : PTI

Navi Mumbai, Apr 19 (Cricket News) Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul won the toss and elected to bowl against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their IPL match here on Tuesday.

Both teams are fielding the same playing XI from their respective previous games.

Teams: Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis (c), Anuj Rawat, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Suyash Prabhudessai, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj.

Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Manish Pandey, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder, Dushmantha Chameera, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi. 

Also Read : Should Umran Malik be fast tracked into international cricket?

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) RCB and LSG are probably the two most in-form teams in this year’s IPL, both teams are on 8 points and will look to go top of the table. Both started with a loss, both registered a hat-trick of victories and then lost the subsequent game. For RCB this season Dinesh Karthik has been the star of the show, helping them win two matches single-handedly. As for SuperGiants, their openers KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock have clicked together at the top, easing the burden on the middle order

RCB are heading into the match in red hot form, having won 3 on the bounce. RCB's primary concern will be the top order, with skipper Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli having managed only one fifty-plus score in the 12 innings between them. Du Plessis started off with a wonderful 88 against Punjab Kings, while Kohli hasn’t even hit a fifty in this year's tournament as his highest score is 41 not out off 29 balls. Their strong middle order of Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik and Shabaz Ahmed have masked their problems. In the bowling department Mohammed Siraj has been very expensive and RCB is missing Harshal Patel, especially in the death overs as he may be ready for this crucial encounter, although Josh Hazelwood has brought in some much needed leadership in the bowling front. Wanindu Hasaranga will again be the key against the left-handers in this LSG side.

LSG on the other hand are banking on their top order to score majority of the runs as their middle order has been hot and cold this season. The No.3 spot in particular has been an area of concern for the SuperGiants, with Evin Lewis, Manish Pandey, and K Gowtham all getting look-ins but none have made a lasting impression in that crucial position. Another worry for them is that their overseas paceman Dushmantha Chameera has been leaking too many runs. He has gone for 12 or more in an over in two games, and LSG will want him to tighten up. If LSG are to stop Dinesh Karthik from causing havoc then they need to keep hold of Ravi Bishnoi as his strike rate dips to 75 against wrist spin, with the wicketkeeper-batter having managed only 12 off 16 balls against wrist spinners this tournament. Jason Holder holds the key as he has picked up nine wickets in five innings against them at an average of 14.33 and economy rate of 7.58 against RCB.

Pitch and weather report: The DY Patil pitch has been the most unpredictable venue this season but one thing is certain that pacers get a lot of swing early on in the inning. History suggests that chasing is a better option in this venue but the last two matches were won by sides batting first. The temperature is going to hover around 32 degrees with no chance of rain.

Interesting facts:

• KL Rahul, who has scored 501 runs against RCB, averages 83.50 against RCB
• Harshal Patel is yet to pick up a wicket in the death overs. He picked up 21 wickets at the death in the previous season.
• Karthik's first-ten-balls strike rate is 214 which is the best this season
• Avesh Khan has taken five wickets in the powerplay and death overs in IPL 2022.
• Super Giants (8.61) and Royal Challengers (7.86) have the worst and third-worst economy rates in the powerplay in IPL 2022.
• Glenn Maxwell has dismissed Rahul twice in four T20 innings 

Also read: Battle of power hitters as COVID-hit Delhi Capitals clash with Punjab Kings

Probable XI for RCB:

1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Anuj Rawat, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Suyash Prabhudessai, 6 Shahbaz Ahmed, 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Josh Hazlewood.

Probable XI for LSG:

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

New Delhi, Apr 18 (Cricket News) Pace bowling sensation Umran Malik could be fast-tracked into the Indian team as early as June when it will play seven T20 Internationals against South Africa and Ireland respectively.

India will play South Africa in a five-match T20 International series at home (June 9, 12, 14, 17, 20) and two matches in Ireland's Malahide (June 26, 28) where a second-string team comprising white-ball specialists will be plying their trade as the big guns prepare for the series-deciding fifth Test against England, starting early July.

Umran was a net bowler during India's last World T20 campaign in the UAE.

The BCCI is keen on having a bigger pool of fast bowlers going into the upcoming World T20 in Australia and Umran, with his scorching pace, has a high probability of making it to the squad if all goes well and he remains fit over the next two months.

The pool of premier bowlers whose workload management will be paramount are Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar (if fit), Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav.

The three bowlers from the fringe pack, who might get a go in some of the 20 plus T20I matches in the run-up to the World Cup are Umran and left-armers T Natarajan and Arshdeep Singh, all of whom have been impressive in the IPL.

Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling coach and fast bowling legend Dale Steyn has termed the Jammu man a "genius".

"My job with Umran is to ensure he runs fast and make players play differently. My job is to try and make him forward-thinking as to what the batters are planning on doing.

"It's exciting for us to sit back and watch what a genius he is. I don't want to turn him into what I was, all I want is his geniuses to come out," Steyn said on 'Star Sports' 'Cricket Live' programme.

It is understood that chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma and his committee will be keeping a close eye on Umran, who is now India's fastest bowler by a distance, regularly clocking 152 plus (approx 95 miles/hr).

He has nine wickets from six games for SRH this season and the manner in which he intimidated an established international batter like KKR's Shreyas Iyer was an exhilarating sight.

Sunil Gavaskar, commentating for the IPL broadcasters, said that Malik will become more lethal once he is able to stop spraying deliveries on leg-stump and wide off it.

"A lot of guys who bowl at that speed tend to spray the ball around but Umran bowls very few wide deliveries. If he can control the wides down the leg side, he will be a tremendous bowler because that will mean he'll be attacking the stumps all the time, and with his pace, it's not easy to hit straight.

"If he bowls wicket-to-wicket, he's going to be pretty much an unplayable bowler. He's going to play for India," Gavaskar said.

Former opener WV Raman, one of the most respected voices in Indian cricket, feels that time is ripe for Umran to be drafted into the Team India set-up straightaway.

"He is a special talent. He has pace and now he is slowly picking up the ropes of fast bowling. When a young bowler has pace, don't wait for three seasons before you blood him.

"If he is young and as quick as Umran is, you should seriously look at him," Raman, who has been a former NCA batting coach, apart from working with KKR and the Indian women's team, told PTI.

"When Umran is bowling, you could hear that the ball is hitting the bat. But also when you have a bowler like that bowling at 150 consistently, then you also need good slip catchers as the ball will travel at quite a speed," Raman added.

Raman also analysed that when it comes to express pace bowlers, they have a better chance of making their international debut much earlier compared to batters, who are doing well in IPL.

"If you look at our batting unit, we have a lot of experience and if you are an uncapped player making a mark as a specialist batter within No. 4, it is a bit difficult to get a look-in. After that you have multi-dimensional cricketers coming in.

"Also you will produce more quality batters than bowlers. Therefore when a special bowler comes in the horizon, he is bound to create a certain degree of interest," Raman explained.

Former selector Devang Gandhi, however, feels that raw pace can be counter-productive as batters at international level can score quick runs.

"I believe that India will bank on experience going into the World Cup considering that Australian pitches for the ICC tourney will be great for batting.

"But having said that, in the run-up to the World T20 you can check out on various options and there is no harm if they decide to try out Umran and see what he can bring to the table," Gandhi, a member of the last selection committee, said.

Also Read : Killer Miller leads GT to incredible run chase against CSK

News Source ; PTI

Mumbai, Apr 16 (Cricket News) Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to field in their Indian Premier League match against Lucknow Super Giants here on Saturday.

Seeking to end their five-match losing streak, MI made one change from their previous match playing XI with Fabian Allen replacing Basil Thampi.

Super Giants also made one change with Manish Pandey coming in for K Gowtham.

The Teams: Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Ayush Badoni, Jason Holder, Krunal Pandya, Dushmantha Chameera, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi.

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Dewald Brevis, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Fabian Allen, Jaydev Unadkat, Murugan Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Tymal Mills. 

Also Read : Stokes is obvious choice to lead England Test team: Former captains

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Mumbai Indians are struggling and one more loss would mean that they will virtually be out of the playoff race but on the other hand the new franchise Lucknow Supergiants have played 5 and won three. Mumbai Indians must win eight of their remaining nine league matches to have a fair chance of making the playoffs, after losing five in a row to begin with. However, miracles do happen in sport, like when Kolkata Knight Riders won nine games in a row on their way to a second IPL title in 2014.

One of Mumbai's problems is that their senior core of Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard and Jasprit Bumrah have not contributed a lot but their youngsters Tilak Verma and Dewald Brevis have shone on the big stage. Suryakumar Yadav is the only batsman that is scoring big but isn't getting much support from the other players. The very fact that MI are playing with just three overseas players says that something is wrong in the MI camp, as they should look to play Tim David or Fabin Allen to give them that extra all rounding option. Except for Jasprit Bumrah the rest of the other bowlers are proving to be really expensive as Rohit Sharma and co need to figure something out really quickly. Thampi, Ashwin and Jaydev Unadkat have never dismissed de Kock in a T20. Moreover, his strike rate against them reads 173, 153 and 145, respectively.

The Lucknow Supergiants suffered a disappointing defeat against the Rajasthan Royals in their last match and will look to bounce back and go to the top of the table. There have been many other contributions with the bat from Hooda, KL Rahul and the impressive Ayush Badoni, and with the ball from Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, K Gowtham and Pandya. The LSG will look to send Marcus Stonis up the order from him, get settled and play a big innings rather than playing the finisher role in the team. Ravi Bishnoi has enjoyed reasonable success against MI batters (Surya, Rohit, Kishan and Pollard) and has managed to keep them quiet as the three spinners in Krishnappa Gowtham and Krunal Pandya will be the key in this fixture.

Interesting facts:

• Rahul has the most runs in the IPL since 2018 with 2680 runs at an average of 53.6
• Dushmantha Chameera has got Rohit Sharma out six times in T20Is
• The No. 3 spot has yielded only 21 runs as they will look to get Marcus Stoinis at no 3
• Five defeats for Mumbai Indians is also their joint-longest losing sequence in IPL. They lost each of their first five matches in 2014 edition and the first four matches in 2015

Also read: Tripathi, Markram star in SRH's third straight win

Probable XI for MI:

1 Ishan Kishan (wk), 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Dewald Brevis, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Tymal Mills/Tim David, 8 Jaydev Unadkat, 9 Mayank Markande/M Ashwin, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Basil Thampi/Fabian Allen

Probable XI for LSG:

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

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) In the 2022 IPL mega auction, Chennai Super Kings brought back Deepak Chahar for 14 Cr. A few days later while playing for India against West Indies, Chahar pulled his hamstring and was ruled out of the start of the IPL. His return date was always unclear but now latest reports suggest that he has suffered a back injury which will rule him out of the entire IPL campaign and possibly the T20 World Cup. 

The injury is a massive blow to CSK who have only 1 win in 5 games so far. It could be a concern for the Indian side as well. Deepak Chahar was one of the reserves for India in the T20 World Cup. After the World Cup he has been called up for every single squad and has performed exceedingly well with both bat and ball. His prowess with the new ball combined with his ability to score valuable runs lower down the order make him a very valuable player. Even though India has no shortage of fast bowling options, Chahar is unique in a way. Shardul Thakur is the closest replacement but Chahar is a genuine new ball option.

The absence of Chahar won't be a game changer but he will definitely be missed. Even if he does get fit in time, the selectors might not select him in favour of bowlers who have done well in the IPL and are game ready. CSK and India fans will be hoping that Chahar pulls off a speedy recovery and plays a part towards the backend of the IPL season. Fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel were a part of the last T20I series. Players like Umesh Yadav, T. Natarajan, Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep Singh are also expected to be in the mix. Mohammed Shami was a part of the 2021 T20I World Cup squad but hasn't been a part of any white ball team. Since then, the BCCI have always mentioned his name under the rested players therefore he is expected to be in the mix as well.

Also read: PBKS hand MI 5th consecutive defeat courtesy of Dhawan and Agarwal

(Cricket news) Rajasthan Royals defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 3 runs in a last over thriller. KL Rahul won the toss and elected to bowl first as both teams made two changes. For Rajasthan, Rassie van der Dussen and Kuldeep Sen replace Yashasvi Jaiswal and Navdeep Saini respectively. As for Lucknow, Marcus Stoinis and Dushmantha Chameera replace Evin Lewis and Andrew Tye.

Devdutt Padikkal gave Rajasthan Royals a decent start but LSG responded with quick wickets as RR were 67 for 4. Krishnappa Gowtham picked up two wickets while Avesh Khan and Jason Holder got a scalp each. Shimron Hetmyer and Ravichandran Ashwin who was sent ahead of Riyan Parag steadied the ship. Hetmyer continued his great form as he scored 59 off 36 balls hitting a boundary and 6 maximums. Ashwin provided good support with his 23 ball 28 before getting retired out with 10 balls to go. Skipper Sanju Samson and coach Kumar Sangakkara confirmed that it was a team decision made in order to send the big hitter Riyan Parag in for the last 10 balls. RR finished their innings at 165 for 6.

Defending 166, RR were given a terrific start by Trent Boult who picked up 2 wickets in two balls of the innings dismissing KL Rahul and Krishnappa Gowtham. Jason Holder was dismissed shortly after by Prasidh Krishna but Quinton de Kock and Deepak Hooda built an important partnership. Yuzvendra Chahal then bowled an incredible spell where he picked up 4 wickets. Marcus Stoinis produced some late fireworks but a good last over from Kuldeep Sen ensured that LSG fell 3 runs short. Lucknow came very close and if one of the Stoinis' swings had connected the result would have been different. Chahal is proving his worth once again showing how terrible the decision to leave him out of India's squad for last year's T20 World Cup was. 

Also read: Kuldeep carnage stuns KKR as DC get their 2nd win of the season

Mumbai, Apr 10 (Cricket News) Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and elected to bowl against Rajasthan Royals in an Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.

Both the teams made two changes each with LSG bringing in Marcus Stoinis and Dushmantha Chameera in place of Evin Lewis and Andrew Tye, while RR replacing Yashsavi Jaiswal and Navdeep Saini with Rassie van der Dussen and Kuldip Sen.

Teams: Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler, Rassie van der Dussen, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson(C, WK), Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Kuldeep Sen, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul(C), Quinton de Kock(WK), Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder, Krishnappa Gowtham, Dushmantha Chameera, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan.

Also Read : David Warner, Prithvi Shaw shine in Delhi's 215 for 5 vs KKR

News Source : PTI

Navi Mumbai, Apr 7 (Cricket News) Quinton de Kock showed imperious form in his 80 off 52 balls as Lucknow Super Giants outplayed Delhi Capitals by six wickets for their third successive win in their debut IPL season here on Thursday. Delhi Capitals lost their way after a sizzling knock from Prithvi Shaw (61 off 31) to end at 149 for 3 after Lucknow predictably decided to field first.

With the resources that Lucknow possess, 150 should have been a comfortable chase and the K L Rahul-led side made sure it was, getting home with two balls to spare on a tricky surface.

De Kock was at his destructive best as he shared a 73-run stand with his opening partner Rahul (24 off 25).

The South African wicketkeeper-batter was particularly harsh on compatriot Anrich Nortje who was playing his first game since November. The fit again pacer, playing his first IPL game in India, was smashed for three fours and a six by de Kock in an over leaking 19 runs.

In what turned out to be a forgettable night for Nortje, the South African pacer had to be taken off the attack later after bowling two waist-high no balls.

After Rahul's fall, his team needed 76 off the last 10 overs. De Kock, who collected nine fours and two sixes, put the team on the cusp of victory with his second 50-plus score of the tournament.

With the pitch not the easiest one to bat on, Lucknow struggled to finish the game with even the in-form Deepak Hooda and experienced Krunal Pandya not finding the big hits.

Lucknow eventually managed to get the job done with the young Ayush Badoni hitting the decisive four and a six off Shardul Thakur in the final over.

Earlier, Shaw's knock was all class before Lucknow bounced back in the game with an impressive bowling performance. Young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (2/22) was the standout performer for the new IPL entrants.

David Warner (4 off 12), returning to the franchise where he made his IPL debut back in 2009, struggled in his first innings of the season.

Off-spinner K Gowtham (1/23) was given the ball in the second over and Shaw did not let him settle, dispatching a full ball over cover for his first four of the innings.

Jason Holder was at the receiving end in the following over when Shaw pulled him for a six over mid-wicket. Then came the turn of pacer Avesh Khan who was hammered for three consecutive fours in the fourth over.

It seemed Shaw was batting on a different surface while the others struggled around him. He used his quick hands to cut the ball and was equally quick to drive anything full over cover.

It was a promising powerplay for Capitals who reached 52 for no loss in six overs. However, Lucknow fought back after the powerplay with wickets of Shaw, Warner and Rovman Powell (3 off 10) in a space of 18 balls.

Shaw was caught behind off Gowtham after he hit him for a straight six. Warner fell to a poor shot off Bishnoi and Powell saw his stumps disturbed as he went for the slog-sweep off a googly from the young leg-spinner, leaving Capitals at 74 for three in the 11th over.

The onus was on skipper Rishabh Pant (39 not out off 36) to take the team to a respectable total and he did that in the company of Sarfaraz Khan (36 not out off 28) who was playing his debut game for the franchise.

Pant mainly targeted the straight boundaries and Sarfaraz, without taking much risks, showed skills that has fetched him a bagful of runs in domestic cricket. 

Also Read : Prithvi Shaw sizzles but LSG limit Delhi Capitals to 149/3

News Source : PTI

Navi Mumbai, Apr 7 (Cricket News) Delhi Capitals lost their way after a sizzling knock from Prithvi Shaw to end at 149 for 3 in their Indian Premier League match against Lucknow Super Giants here on Thursday.

Shaw's 61 off 34 balls was all class before Lucknow Super Giants bounced back in the game with an impressive bowling performance. Young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (2/22) was the standout performer for the new IPL entrants.

David Warner (4 off 12), returning to the franchise where he made his IPL debut back in 2009, struggled in his first innings of the season.

The southpaw was a mere spectator at the other end, witnessing Shaw's brutal assault on the opposition.

Off-spinner K Gowtham (1/23) was given the ball in the second over and Shaw did not let him settle, dispatching a full ball over cover for his first four of the innings.

Jason Holder was at the receiving end in the following over when Shaw pulled him for a six over mid-wicket. Then came the turn of pacer Avesh Khan who was hammered for three consecutive fours in the fourth over.

It seemed Shaw was batting on a different surface while the others struggled around him. He used his quick hands to cut the ball and was equally quick to drive anything full over cover.

It was a promising powerplay for Capitals who reached 52 for no loss in six overs. However, Lucknow fought back after the powerplay with wickets of Shaw, Warner and Rovman Powell (3 off 10) in a space of 18 balls.

Shaw was caught behind off Gowtham after he hit him for a straight six. Warner fell to a poor shot off Bishnoi and Powell saw his stumps disturbed as he went for the slog-sweep off a googly from the young leg-spinner, leaving Capitals at 74 for three in the 11th over.

The onus was on skipper Rishabh Pant (39 not out off 36) to take the team to a respectable total and he did that in the company of Sarfaraz Khan (36 not out off 28) who was playing his debut game for the franchise.

Pant mainly targeted the straight boundaries and Sarfaraz, without taking much risks, showed skills that has fetched him a bagful of runs in domestic cricket.

Capitals could not finish strong enough as LSG did well to concede only 13 runs in the last 12 balls. 

Also Read : Lucknow Super Giants opt to field against Delhi Capitals (Indian Premier League)

News Source : PTI

Navi Mumbai, Apr 7 (Cricket News) Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and opted to bowl against Delhi Capitals in their Indian Premier League match here on Thursday.

Capitals made three changes, bringing in David Warner, Anrich Nortje and Sarfaraz Khan in place of Tim Seifert, Khaleel Ahmed and Mandeep Singh.

LSG replaced Manish Pandey with Krishnappa Gowtham.

The Teams: Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Rovman Powell, Sarfaraz Khan, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman, Anrich Nortje.

Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Evin Lewis, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder, Krishnappa Gowtham, Andrew Tye, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan. 

Also Read : Faf Du Plessis has earned respect in RCB change room: Glenn Maxwell

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

(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

Pune, Apr 5 (Cricket News) Mumbai Indians' young recruit Tim David is keen to use legendary all-rounder Kireon Pollard's experience to improve his game and come out as a better player after IPL-15.

Pollard has been a Mumbai Indians veteran and one of IPL's all-time greats.

"I think Polly's (Pollard) played over 10 years in the IPL, so there's a lot of experience there," David was quoted as saying in a note shared by the record five-time champions on the eve of their game against Kolkata Knight Riders.

The Singaporean himself is a big-hitting all-rounder.

"I think that happens over time naturally. You can't just get all of it like, on a notebook straightaway. It just happens with different questions here or there, different situations, different experiences at training and trying to run some ideas past him." "Just get little bits here and there and hopefully, I can gain some of those experiences from him (Pollard), and maybe some that I can try and use in a game or that I can add to my game that can be successful," added David.

Mumbai Indians have had a horrendous start to their campaign having lost both their games -- against Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals.

But David believed that the team would get better.

"He has been a fun captain," David said of skipper Rohit Sharma, one of the finest white-ball exponents.

"I've only played two games with him (Rohit), so just getting used to playing with him. Getting used to playing with lots of guys in the team, but we'll find our feet and start playing better as a team as the tournament goes on.

"But it's been good fun so far. (The advice) has been just about how to be able to find my skills best in the game and to help the team," quipped David.

He also said that it was all about preparing to play in Indian conditions.

"Mahela (Jayawardene) has been good. Again the same, just about preparing to play in Indian conditions. Learning that comes up in the IPL with different players, and how my skills can be best suited to play in games," he said when asked about learning from the Sri Lankan great.

On their next opponents, David said, "They're a strong side, every team is strong in the IPL." Finally what are his personal goals and pat came the reply: "to be a better player".

"First of all try and be a better player at the end of the tournament than I was when I got here. I've tried to make the most of the environment that MI has provided.

"There's been some awesome opportunities to learn already. And obviously, most importantly, on the field it's to try and put in some performances that can really help the team win some games," he signed off. 

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

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) The Rajasthan Royals have ticked all boxes this season as they have convincingly won their first two matches, on the other hand Royal Challengers Bangalore will look to take the confidence after their victory over KKR in the last match. Rajasthan Royals have turned it on already this IPL, winning two matches and posting mammoth scores of 193 and 210.

Last year RR finished second from bottom with just five wins from 14 matches but this year they just look like a completely different team, having fixed their gloring holes in the squad. Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson have hit a total of 16 sixes and they also have the likes of Devdutt Padikkal and Shimron Hetmyer who are contributing heavily with the bat as they can notch up big hits without spending too much time in the middle. While other teams have taken a pragmatic approach in the middle overs, Royals have scored at 10.07 runs per over in this phase, the highest for any team in IPL 2022. The biggest storyline will be Chahal facing his old team as he will hold the key to make breakthroughs in the slog overs. Both Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna will also play a crucial role in the powerplay and mainly stop the likes of Faf and Virat to settle in.

RCB will be without Glenn Maxwell, who will be available for selection from 9th April but will have the Australian quicks Jason Behrendorff and Josh Hazlewood available for selection. If RCB are to put on a big total or even chase a big score then Virat Kohli needs to be in form, as he has an exceptional record against Prasidh and Boult and his strike rate jumps to 140 or above against these pacers. Kohli has the edge over Ashwin as well, as he has gotten out to Ashwin only once in 20 innings and averages 162 against the offspinner and will be looking to dominate again. Hasaranga had a good start to the season with five wickets, but the key battle will be against the in-form Sanju Samson as has troubled him in the past, dismissing him thrice in four T20s in the span of 11 balls. Butler also has little success against Hasaranga, he is yet to hit a boundary in the 23 balls that he has faced from him in the T20s.

Pitch and weather report: The three games played at the Wankhede have been won by the teams chasing. There has been a lot of assistance for the pacers with Umesh Yadav (twice) and Mohammed Shami being certain examples. Any captain winning the toss will likely bowl first as the dew factor plays a vital role in the second innings. The temperature is going to hover around 30 degrees with no chance of rain.

Interesting facts:

• Faf du Plessis has hit 30 sixes since IPL 2021 which is the second most since last year
• Hetmyer has a strike rate of 248.14 in this years IPL,
• Chahal has picked up 23 wickets in 17 matches since IPL 2021
• Rajasthan Royals have hit 58 boundaries and 25 sixes in the two matches they have played
• Harshal Patel (69) needs four more wickets to become the second highest wicket taker for Royal Challengers Bangalore

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

Probable XI for RR:

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

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 Akash Deep
 

(Cricket news) Lucknow Super Giants defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 12 runs to get back to back wins. SRH on the other hand have both their matches so far. Kane Williamson won the toss and unsurprisingly elected to bowl first with an unchanged XI. LSG brought in Jason Holder to replace Dushmanta Chameera. 

In the first innings LSG got off to a disastrous start as they were 27/3 in 5 overs. Deepak Hooda and KL Rahul both scored half centuries to rescue their side and take their total to 169/7. KL Rahul played a captain's knock as he scored 68 off 50 balls with great support from Hooda who got 51 off 33 balls. Washington Sundar bowled an incredible spell as he took 2 wickets in the powerplay. Romario Shepherd and T Natarajan also got 2 scalps each. Umran Malik proved to be very expensive as he went for 39 runs in his 3 overs.

With a target of 170 runs, SRH struggled to build partnerships along the way. Rahul Tripathi played a decent knock of 44 off 30 balls but then threw his wicket away. Nicholas Pooran was the only other batter who got going with his 24 ball 34. Avesh Khan was the pick of the bowlers as he took 4/24. Krunal Pandya picked up two wickets while Jason Holder got 3 as SRH ended their innings at 157/9. The worrying thing for SRH is that this is their best team available this season. The performances need to be better than this, especially the batting. The captain and team management have to sort out a few things, especially the batting line-up.

Also read: Maxwell will be available against MI on April 9, says RCB head coach Hesson

Navi Mumbai, Apr 5 (Cricket News) Young pacer Avesh Khan feels bowlers hardly have any respite in a tournament like the IPL, and the key to success for him lies in handling the pressure.

Avesh, the most expensive uncapped Indian player in the ongoing IPL after LSG paid 25 times more than his base price of Rs 20 lakh to avail his services, picked up four big wickets conceding just 24 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

He also bowled a brilliant 18th over to help his side beat SRH by 12 runs here on Monday.

"In IPL as a bowler there will be pressure on you in every match and how you handle that is very important. I never think that I am the main bowler of the team. I always try to take wickets for the team," Avesh said at the post-match virtual press conference.

"If I start thinking that I am the main bowler, I will take pressure upon myself, which is unnecessary." Avesh said as a bowler his main job is to pick up wickets for his side.

"I am very happy to contribute to the winning cause. In the first match I got an opportunity to save 11 runs in one over which I couldn't. Today I was focused on taking wickets," he said.

Avesh's performance helped LSG defend 169 for seven, limiting SRH to 157 for nine, and register their second win out of three games in debut IPL season. 

Also Read : Maxwell will be available against MI on April 9, says RCB head coach Hesson

News Source : PTI

Navi Mumbai, Apr 4 (Cricket News) Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul wants his batters to put pressure on the opposition by playing aggressive but risk-free cricket, look for the fours and sixes, but "choose smart shots".

Rahul's team's earned its second successive win in the IPL-15 here on Monday, beating Sunrisers Hyderabad by 12 runs.

Having scored 169 for seven after a disastrous start, LSG stopped SRH at 157 for nine.

Winning games likes these will give a lot of confidence to LSG, and Rahul touched upon that at the post-match presentation.

"What's pleasing is that we've found a way to stay in the game and give ourselves a good chance of winning. We did that again today," Rahul said.

While pacer Avesh Khan (4/24) shone bright with the ball, Rahul and Deepak Hooda did the bulk of scoring for LSG.

"Not ideal to lose three wickets early, but we need to give ourselves a little time since we bat deep and we have power at the death. That's something we need to learn as a batting group - how to play risk-free cricket while looking for fours.

"But with the ball we've been brilliant in all three games. We don't chat so much in the middle. As opening batsmen, you give yourselves a couple of balls and if the wicket is good then both openers have to go." Rahul said the addition of all-rounder Jason Holder has bolstered the team.

"We have that extra batter with Jason coming in, so the plan is to put pressure on the opposition. That's the body language we want to carry. To go out there and not only hit boundaries and sixes, but choose smart shots.

"If we lost wickets early, we need to quickly assess the situation and see what the target should be. Quinton and Lewis wanted to put pressure on Washington, but it didn't come off." On Hooda, the captain said, "I've been playing with Hooda for last 3-4 seasons, he doesn't come out of the nets. Don't really need to do so much nets when you're batting so well, but he never comes out of the nets.

"He had to wait for his chance, he's using that, and now is becoming someone you can rely on, in the middle order." SRH skipper Kane Williamson said his team will "reflect on the small margins" and look at the positives from the outing, which was comparatively better than their heavy defeat against Rajasthan Royals.

"Much better performance from the last outing. Our powerplay bowling was good with three wickets," said Williamson, whose bowlers had LSG reeling at 27 for three after opting to field first.

He added, "If only we could break the next partnership but credit to Deepak Hooda and KL Rahul. That was the difference to take them to 170. There were glimpses where we put ourselves in positions to get over the line with the bat, but wasn't good enough.

"It was a good surface. We knew if we can get some good partnerships, there was enough power in the hut. We'll reflect on the small margins and look at the positives. I think the guys with the bowling roles were good. Some key death overs from us too." This was SRH's second loss on the trot.

"A few ones and a few twos and the chase would've taken a different shape. The game is a game of small margins but we don't want to get too far ahead and try to look back on those good bits." 

Also Read : Avesh bowls brilliant 18th over as Lucknow Super Giants beat SRH by 12 runs

News Source : PTI

Navi Mumbai, Apr 4 (Cricket News) Lucknow Super Giants paid 25 times more than his base price of Rs 20 lakh to get Avesh Khan's services in IPL-15. The move was worth it as his excellent bowling acted as the catalyst for his team's 12-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Monday.

Heading into the lucrative T20 league as the most expensive uncapped Indian player, Avesh picked up four big wickets for only 24 runs and bowled a brilliant 18th over to turn the match decisively in LSG's favour.

Asked to bat first, skipper KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda struck useful half-centuries to lift Lucknow Super Giants to 169 for seven after a disastrous start.

Chasing 170, Kane Williamson's (16) innovation brought him two fours and a six but he paid the price for going overboard, his ramp shot off Avesh finding a sliding Andrew Tye at short fine leg in the fourth over with SRH score reading 25 for one.

Avesh brought about Abhishek Sharma's downfall with a change in pace as the batter failed to read it while trying to loft him.

As Sharma made his way back to the dugout, last-game's half centurion Aiden Markram walked out to join Rahul Tripathi in the middle, and the two began rebuilding the SRH innings.

Placed at 51 for two at the end of the seventh over, Tripathi used Tye's pace to hit the Australian bowler for three fours and then, using his wrists, smashed Krunal Pandya (2/27) for a six over fine leg. A quite 10th over was, however, followed by the dismissal of Markram, the bowler being Krunal.

Going strong at 44 off 30 balls, Tripathi tried to slog sweep Krunal and hit straight to deep mid-wicket, where Ravi Bishnoi was stationed. Nicholas Pooran smashed Krunal over long-on for six and then carted Jason Holder (3/34) for 15 runs to bring the equation down to 50 form the last 30 balls.

Andrew Tye kept it fairly tight in the 17th over, giving not more than eight runs, before Pooran hoicked Avesh Khan over deep square leg for a maximum.

However, Avesh had the last laugh as Pooran mistimed his knee-high full toss.

Earlier, after his team lost three wickets for just 27 runs in the powerplay, Rahul (68 off 50 balls) found an able ally in Hooda (51 off 33 balls) and added 87 runs for the fourth wicket to revive the innings.

Rahul hit six fours and a six, while Hooda found the fence three times and also cleared it thrice.

Coming back from a long break after playing their opener last Tuesday, SRH made a dream start and left the Super Giants in all sorts of trouble early on.

Making a strong comeback after the pounding in his team's heavy defeat against Rajasthan Royals, Washington Sundar (2/28) was handed the new ball and he delivered in his very first over, and SRH's second, dismissing the dangerous Quinton de Kock with his off-break bowling on a grassy pitch that prompted Kane Williamson to put two slips when Bhuvneshwar Kumar started the proceedings.

Backed to bowl in the powerplay despite going for plenty in the previous game, Washington got de Kock (1) to chip one to Williamson at cover.

Few moments later, Washington had Evin Lewis (1) trapped in front of the wicket after the swashbuckling West Indian batter failed to execute his slog sweep. It was another huge wicket for SRH given Lewis' blazing, match-winning knock against Chennai Super Kings last Thursday.

Manish Pandey struck Romario Shepherd for a four and a six but then, going for one too many, ended up lobbing a catch to mid-on in the same over to leave LSG in a spot of bother.

Spurred by the early success, Williamson effected bowling changes frequently but he may have delayed by at least an over in introducing the attacking T Natarajan while opting for Abdul Samad's innocuous, part-time seam up stuff at the DY Patil Stadium.

The pacy Umran Malik consistently hit 145 kmps but also leaked plenty of runs, allowing KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda to settle down and revive LSG's innings.

Having withstood the early reverses, the duo of Rahul and Hooda went about their task in a professional manner, finding the boundaries as well as running the singles and twos as the 100 came up in the 14th over with Malik going for 16 runs.

Shepherd broke the partnership when he had Hooda caught in the deep to signal the arrival of the in-form Ayush Badoni (19 off 12), who got into the groove with a boundary. 

Also Read : Skipper KL Rahul, Deepak Hooda lift LSG to 169/7 against SRH

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Apr 4 (Cricket News) Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bowl against Lucknow Supergiants in an IPL match here on Monday.

While SRH are playing an unchanged side Lucknow inducted Jason Holder in the playing eleven in place of Dushmantha Chameera.

Teams: Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock, Manish Pandey, Evin Lewis, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder, Andrew Tye, Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Kane Williamson (c), Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Abdul Samad, Romario Shepherd, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan and Umran Malik. 

Also Read : How chance encounter with Suresh Raina changed 12-year-old Tilak Varma's mindset

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) The Sunrisers Hyderabad will take on the Lucknow Supergiants in a bid to win their first match of the season. After their heavy defeat against the Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers are looking a little like the odd team out once again. On the other hand, the LSG franchise got their first victory of the season against CSK and will look to continue the same momentum.

For SRH they will hope to forget the first match of the tournament quite quickly as nothing really worked in that match. The new-look top 4 combined to score only 11 runs as Aiden Markram was the only batsman that went down fighting in that game with a fifty and an innings which might earn him a promotion up the order but SRH do need their other new faces to step up big time. Their bowling attack that has always looked strong over the previous season,looks good on paper but most of the players are out of form and also the lack of a wicket-taking spinner in the playing XI who can make inroads in the middle overs is missing as in the first match the absence of Rashid Khan was really highlighted. Nicholas Pooran holds the key for SRH as he needs to replicate his the same form he showed in the India vs West Indies series 

For the LSG fans, the good news is that Jason Holder has completed his quarantine after arriving in India following the conclusion of West Indies' Test series against England and trained with his SuperGiants team-mates as he is likely to slot straight into the XI and face his old franchise. For the LSG franchise, Chameera holds the key as he has met Nicholas Pooran three times in T20 cricket and has dismissed him three times in just six balls. The new superstar Ayush Badoni will be hoping that he gets promoted up the order now that Holder is going to come into the lineup and naturally act as a finisher in the team. Bishnoi vs Samad will be another battle to watch out for as the leggie has got  the better of the SRH youngsters so far in their young careers.

Pitch and weather report: The different pitches at the DY Patil stadium have thrown up contrasting results. While the first game here was a high-scoring one, the second one saw the fall of 17 wickets and the latest saw Jos Buttler bring up the first hundred. Spinners will hold the key in this venue considering the boundaries are longer..The temperature is going to hover around 30 degrees with no chance of rain as dew will be a factor in the game.

Interesting facts:

• Bhuvneshwar has dismissed Manish Pandey four times while conceding just 20 runs in 19 balls.
• Evin Lewis (85) and Pooran (84) are currently the third- and fourth-most six-hitters in all T20 cricket since the start of 2021. 
• Holder has averaged 20.95 at an economy rate of 7.83.in T20 cricket from 2020. 
• Sunrisers Hyderabad have lost 10 of their last 11 games in the IPL
• Quinton de Kock has scored 57 runs via slog shots in the powerplay, the most by any batter, since 2020

Also read: Livingston displays all-round brilliance as PBKS hand CSK 3rd defeat

Probable XI for SRH:

1 Kane Williamson (capt), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 5 Aiden Markram, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Umran Malik, 11 T Natarajan

Probable XI for LSG:

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

Mumbai, Mar 31 (Cricket News) Evin Lewis, who looks up to Chris Gayle for inspiration, batted, or rather, belted the ball like the legendary Jamaican to power Lucknow Super Giants to an incredible six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in the IPL on Thursday.

Lewis blazed away to an unbeaten 23-ball 55 as LSG, from a hopeless situation, overhauled an imposing target of 211 with three balls to spare.

Openers KL Rahul (40) and Quinton de Kock (61) laid the foundation with a rollicking stand but the increasing required run rate made the task extremely difficult for LSG.

However, Lewis had other ideas and along with the talented Ayush Badoni, who played his part with a nine-ball 19, made it look quite easy in the end.

The script changed completely in the blink of an eye as Lewis and Badoni smashed Shivam Dube for 25 runs in the penultimate over to bring the equation down to nine from the last six balls.

For sure, handing the ball to Dube to bowl the 19th over will be debated for a while.

In all, Lewis hit six fours and three sixes as first-timers LSG recorded their maiden win in the lucrative league. Badoni hit two maximums, which turned out to be crucial in the context of the final result.

Earlier, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (2/24) did a tremendous job with the wet ball in difficult conditions, even as Robin Uthappa turned back the clock with his beautiful yet brutal assault to propel CSK to a strong total.

Rahul and de Kock were off to a flyer, punishing the CSK bowlers into submission.

The duo was at its destructive best, dealing only in four and sixes and at one point it looked like they were going to finish the game in quick time.

But Dwaine Pretorius (2/31) was right on his mark as he got rid of Rahul before Dwayne Bravo (1/35) engineered Manish Pandey's dismissal to bring the defending champions back in the game.

Pretorius struck once again, accounting for compatriot de Kock as CSK continued to put pressure with good fielding.

Then, Lewis joined forces with Badoni to do the job for LSG.

With just nine required in the last over and Mukesh Choudhary bowling a couple of wides, Badoni smashed a six to level the score and then took his side over the line.

Earlier, Uthappa scored a fluent 50 off 27 balls to give CSK a solid start before Dube made 49 off 30 deliveries, while skipper Ravindra Jadeja (17 off 9) and MS Dhoni (16 off 6), who slammed two fours and a six, provided the final flourish.

Uthappa looked like a man on a mission as he slammed Avesh Khan (2/38) for back-to-back boundaries off the first two balls of the innings.

With the ball coming nicely onto the bat, he smashed it all over the park.

CSK were dealt a blow when a direct hit by Bishnoi from backward point marked the end of Ruturaj Gaikwad (1), who was well short of the crease in the third over.

But Uthappa, and new man Moeen Ali (35), continued the assault by dealing only in fours and sixes.

The Super Giants bowlers had no answer for the duo as CSK raced to 73 for one at the end of the Powerplay.

In all, Uthappa slammed eight fours and one maximum, while Moeen hit four boundaries and two sixes during his 22-ball stay.

It was Bishnoi again who gave the second breakthrough when he trapped Uthappa leg before with a quick delivery, soon after the batter reached his fifty.

Dube picked up from where Uthappa left, cracking three boundaries off Dushmantha Chameera (0/49), who struggled with his line, in the ninth over. It was a bad day for the Sri Lankan as he repeatedly fumbled with the ball in the field, giving away easy boundaries.

With the bowlers struggling after getting nothing from the wicket, sloppy fielding made matters worse for LSG.

Dube and Ambati Rayudu (27), then, shared a 60-run stand to keep CSK on course for a big total. 

Also Read : Robin Uthappa, Shivam Dube power CSK to 210/7 against Super Giants

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Mar 31 (Cricket News) Robin Uthappa turned back the clock with his beautiful yet brutal assault before his colleagues joined the party to propel Chennai Super Kings to 210 for seven against Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League here on Thursday.

Uthappa scored a fluent 50 off 27 balls to give CSK a solid start before Shivam Dube made 49 off 30 deliveries, while skipper Ravindra Jadeja (17 off 9) and MS Dhoni (16 off 6), who slammed two fours and a six, provided the final flourish to ensure that the four-time champions have plenty of runs on the board.

Young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (2/24) did a tremendous job with the wet ball in an otherwise insipid performance by the Super Giants' bowling unit. Andrew Tye (2/41) managed to pick two wickets in his final over.

Put in to bat, Uthappa looked like a man on a mission as he slammed Avesh Khan (2/38) for back-to-back boundaries off the first two balls of the innings.

With the ball coming nicely onto the bat, he smashed it all over the park.

CSK were dealt a blow when a direct hit by Bishnoi from backward point marked the end of Ruturaj Gaikwad (1), who was well short of the crease in the third over.

But Uthappa, and new man Moeen Ali (35), continued the assault by dealing only in fours and sixes.

The Super Giants bowlers had no answer for the duo as CSK raced to 73 for one at the end of the Powerplay.

In all, Uthappa slammed eight fours and one maximum, while Moeen hit four boundaries and two sixes during his 22-ball stay.

It was Bishnoi again who gave the second breakthrough when he trapped Uthappa leg before with a quick delivery, soon after the batter reached his fifty.

Dube picked up from where Uthappa left, cracking three boundaries off Dushmantha Chameera (0/49), who struggled with his line, in the ninth over. It was a bad day for the Sri Lankan as he repeatedly fumbled with the ball in the field, giving away easy boundaries.

With the bowlers struggling after getting nothing from the wicket, sloppy fielding made matters worse for LSG.

Dube and Ambati Rayudu (27), then, shared a 60-run stand to keep CSK on course for a big total. 

Also Read : Lucknow Super Giants opt to bowl against Chennai Super Kings

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Mar 31 (Cricket News) Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul won the toss and opted to bowl against Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League here on Thursday.

Andrew Tye replaced Mohsin Khan in the LSG playing XI.

For CSK, Moeen Ali, Dwaine Pretorius and Mukesh Choudhary come in for Adam Milne, Devon Conway and Mitchell Santner.

Teams: Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Robin Uthappa, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Shivam Dube, Dwayne Bravo, Dwaine Pretorius, Mukesh Choudhary, Tushar Deshpande.

Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Evin Lewis, Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Dushmantha Chameera, Andrew Tye, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan. 

Also Read : (CSK) Chennai Super Kings Academy summer camps from April 6

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Both Lucknow Supergiants and Chennai Super Kings are looking for their first win. Lucknow suffered a disappointing loss against newcomers Gujarat Titans as CSK also went down to KKR in their first. Both the new captains will hope for their first victory out of the way and hopefully take momentum from the result into the season.

The Chennai Super Kings will have Moeen Ali back as he missed the first game because of visa issues but is now likely to come in for Mitchell Santner and straight away slot in the number 3 role that he played in last year. Along with his explosive batting at the 2021 T20 World Cup, Moeen was impressive with the ball in the powerplay. In 11 overs, he picked up five wickets at an economy rate of 5.7. Jadeja can certainly use him against De Kock who has taken 53 runs off 38 but also has dismissed him four times in eight T20 innings. Jadeja will particularly be happy with MSD’s form after he scored his first fifty since 2019 and played the perfect finishing role. With Deepak Chahar out, Tushar Deshpande will continue and will have big responsibility to make important breakthroughs for the team.

The Lucknow Supergiants have probably the best opening pair on paper but last match both the experienced players were disappointing and the so-called fragile middle order had to steady the ship for the team. Deepak Hooda and Ayush Badoni played crucial knocks and helped them recover from a precarious 29 for 4. Ayushi Badoni, a relatively unknown commodity, showed everyone the plethora of talent that exists in the Indian domestic circuit as he pretty much assured himself a place in the playing XI now.

In the last match, one thing Rahul might rue is his use of Dushmantha Chameera. Chameera was SuperGiants' most threatening bowler on the night but didn't even get to bowl his full quota. Krunal Pandya could be SuperGiants' trump card against CSK as he has an exceptional record against the CSK middle order. In T20s, Krunal has conceded 37 off 33 against Robin Uthappa with two dismissals, 28 off 25 against Ambati Rayudu (two dismissals), 15 off 15 against Ravindra Jadeja (two dismissals) and 17 off 24 against Dhoni.

Pitch and weather report: The Brabourne pitch is more of a two paced wicket as in the middle phase of the game where the teams will face a lot of challenges to score runs . The wicket will suit the spinners and it will not be easy to go against them. Taking the pace off the ball will help the pacers on this pitch. The temperature is going to hover around 32 degrees with no chance of rain as dew will again be a factor going into the game.

Interesting facts:

• Since 2018, Rahul has hit the most sixes (110).
• Dhoni has most sixes for an Indian in overs 16th to 20th. With 51 sixes
• Jadeja has never dismissed Rahul but he has conceded only 39 runs off 38 balls 
• In the IPL, Adam Milne has taken only seven wickets at an economy of 9.47. 
• Outside of the IPL, he has taken 144 wickets in 127 games at an economy of 7.52.

Probable XI for CSK:

Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Moeen Ali, 5 Ambati Rayudu, 6 Ravindra Jadeja (capt), 7 MS Dhoni (wk), 8 Shivam Dube, 9 Dwayne Bravo, 10 Adam Milne, 11 Tushar Deshpande

Probable XI for LSG:

1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Evin Lewis, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Deepak Hooda, 6 Ayush Badoni, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Andrew Tye/Mohsin Khan, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Avesh Khan

Also read: Royal Challengers Bangalore RCB beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 3 wickets
 

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

Mumbai, Mar 25 (Cricket News) "You would hear a lot more about Abhinav Manohar in the future," said Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya after the IPL debutant displayed remarkable hitting in the final over to ensure a five-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants here on Monday.

With Titans needing 11 off the final over, Manohar smashed back-to-back fours off Avesh Khan to make the task much easier for his team. With the confidence he showed under extreme pressure, it did not look like he was playing his first game on a big stage like the IPL.

"Manohar is someone to look at with the talent he has. He is someone who you are going to hear about in the future. Rahul Tewatia was sensational as well," said Hardik at the post-match presentation.

Hardik, who played his first game since November last year, bowled four overs and scored 33 batting at number four.

"Mostly I'll bat at number four, because I want to take pressure with my experience so that the others can play freely. We want to win as a team and nobody can take the contribution away from anyway," he said.

He was all praise for pacer Mohammad Shami who bowled a sensational spell with the new ball.

"This was the right game for us to be on either side and learn, but have learnt a lot by winning. Shami is known for his seam positions and he got us to a great start. We would have any day taken 160 on this wicket," he said referring to Super Giants 158 for six. 

Also Read : Gujarat Titans beat Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Mar 28 (Cricket News) Gujarat Titans won the toss and opted to bowl against Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League here on Monday.

Teams: Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade, Vijay Shankar, Abhinav Manohar, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Aaron, Mohammed Shami.

Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock, Evin Lewis, Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Dushmantha Chameera, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan. 

Also Read : PBKS defeat RCB by chasing 205 with an over to spare

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
 

(Cricket news) The 15th edition of the IPL is going to be bigger than ever with a brand new format and two new teams. One of the new teams is Lucknow Super Giants which will be coached by Andy Flower with Vijay Dahiya as his deputy and Gautam Gambhir as a mentor. In the 3 draft picks, LSG went for KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis and Ravi Bishnoi.

It was pretty clear that KL Rahul will be the captain and that too for the long term. Rahul captained Punjab Kings for 2 seasons and is also the vice captain of India in all formats. He is always talked about highly in a leadership perspective but is yet to prove it. In both the seasons where Rahul was captain, Punjab finished 6th. Some of his team selection calls were often subject to criticism. It is safe to say that Rahul hasn't had much success as a captain but he will be keen to prove his capability with a fresh start as the captain of LSG.

Lucknow had an incredible auction as they signed some quality players. Avesh Khan was their most expensive buy at 10 crore. The LSG squad has a lot of depth especially in the overseas department. What combination and personnel to go for will be Rahul's biggest headache. There are a few young players like Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav, Karan Sharma and Ayush Badoni who need to be developed for the future. Big things will be expected from Lucknow with the kind of talent they possess.

On a personal level, Rahul will definitely open the batting. With Quinton de Kock in the side he might give up wicket keeping duties because de Kock is a regular keeper while Rahul rarely keeps wickets nowadays but being the captain he might want that position to get better at DRS calls. His own form has never been an issue it's just his captaincy that will be under the scanner

Lucknow Super Giants full squad:

KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, Ravi Bishnoi, Quinton de Kock, Deepak Hooda, Manish Pandey, Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder, Mark Wood, Avesh Khan, Ankit Rajput, K Gowtham, Dushmanta Chameera, Shahbaz Nadeem, Manan Vohra, Mohsin Khan,  Ayush Badoni, Karan Sharma, Evin Lewis, Mayank Yadav, Kyle Mayers.

Also read: Two reasons why India can play 5 bowlers in Tests unlike others

Dharamsala, Feb 27 (Cricket News) Making full use of the opportunities, Shreyas Iyer was breathing down Suryakumar Yadav's neck as India completed a clean sweep with consummate ease, beating Sri Lanka by six wickets in the third and final T20 International here on Sunday.

The Indian team's last three T20 home series against New Zealand, West Indies and now Sri Lanka have ended in identical 3-0 margins.

Chasing a target of 147, it was like a walk in the park for Shreyas, who smashed 73 not out off 45 balls to complete the chase in 16.5 overs after Avesh Khan and Mohammed Siraj enjoyed a brilliant run in the powerplay overs.

Shreyas, whose game against the short ball was once found to be suspect, had a rubber to remember with a hat-trick of half-centuries, an aggregate of 200 runs that fetched him the Player-of-the-Series Award.

Come to think of it, Shreyas is fighting for one elusive middle-order spot with Suryakumar, who was the Player of the Series against the West Indies before sustaining a hairline fracture on his right hand.

Not only in the third match but throughout the series what was evident was that Shreyas was in control of the pull shots which he had been made to practice for hours in the nets.

He is getting in line to keep the pulls down and now presents a happy headache for skipper Rohit Sharma, who became the most capped player in T20 Internationals with 125 games, one more than Pakistan's ageless wonder, Shoaib Malik.

It was a 'Super Subs' day out with India making four changes in the playing XI, including Ishan Kishan due to concussion. They came up trumps without breaking much sweat.

Avesh made amends for a forgettable debut as his scorching opening spell alongside Mohammed Siraj put the Sri Lankans on the back foot straightaway, as both made full use of the pace and bounce on offer on the Dharamsala track.

Even the two wrist spinners, Ravi Bishnoi (4-0-32-1) and Kuldeep Yadav (4-0-25-0), did well enough to bottle up the islanders on a chilly night.

Strange enough, for two years Bishnoi has been only bowling googlies but with so much accuracy, that the batters in IPL and now in international cricket are yet to get a measure of him.

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka was once again the saviour with a 74 not out off 38 balls that took his team close to 150-run mark. Shanaka hit nine fours and two sixes.

But it was Avesh (4-1-23-2) and Siraj (4-0-22-1), who just dismantled the Lankan top-order with pace and bounce, as they were reduced to 11 for 3 in the fourth over and there was no coming back from there.

Siraj started it by hurrying Danushka Gunathilaka (0) with a short ball which he tried to pull but only managed to drag back onto the stumps.

Avesh, who went for 40 odd runs on debut on a Eden Gardens belter, bowled much fuller from his usual back-of-length stuff and sent back Pathum Nissanka (1) and Charith Asalanka (4), both deliveries hitting the bat faster than they could have comprehended.

The best part about India's performance was that vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah, veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar and first choice wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal were given a much- needed break.

The skipper is spoilt for choice as he and coach Rahul Dravid are slowly building a set-up where they have multiple options for each and every position in both departments.

The only missing link in the T20 squad is the absence of a good off-spinner as the Indian team management is unlikely to go back to Ravichandran Ashwin for the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Otherwise, the team looks in good health. Also consider the fact that people who are not playing this series include Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul.

There is Suryakumar, Deepak Chahar and now Ishan Kishan getting injured at some point and Shardul Thakur being rested.

Yet a Test specialist like Siraj and the fiery Avesh or the committed Harshal Patel (4-0-29-1) are all making their cases for selection going into the big-ticket event eight months from now.

There would be injuries or the odd loss of form but even then, Rohit will have not much to worry about in terms of options. 

Also Read : Unbeaten Shreyas Iyer guides India to whitewash and achieves rare feat

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India defeated Sri Lanka by 6 wickets with 19 balls to spare to complete a 3rd consecutive T20I series whitewash. In the process India also equalled Afghanistan's record of 12 consecutive T20I wins. They will have to wait another 3 months for their next T20 match against South Africa where they can try and break the record.

In the final T20I, India made 4 changes as Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishan Kishan were replaced by Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj and Avesh Khan. India went into the game with one less batter as Harshal Patel played at number 7 and Ravindra Jadeja was used as a pure batter. Sri Lanka won the toss and surprisingly elected to bat first on a tough track. 

Sri Lanka could only manage 146 runs in the 20 overs with Dasun Shanaka scoring an unbeaten 74 off 38 balls. No other Lankan batter looked comfortable at the crease but the skipper played an important knock to get a respectable total after Sri Lanka were 60 for 5 after 12 overs. India's death bowling just like the last game was questionable as they conceded 86 runs of the last 8 overs.

In the run chase Shreyas Iyer's unbeaten 73 off 45 balls guided India to a comfortable win. Iyer kept going with the flow despite wickets falling at the other end. Dushmantha Chameera dismissed Rohit Sharma for the 6th time in T20 internationals while Chamika Karunaratne got rid of Sanju Samson. Lahiru Kumara got the wickets of Venkatesh Iyer and Deepak Hooda but it all went in vain as India got over the line with 19 balls to spare. Skipper Rohit Sharma will have a very welcome headache in terms of team selection in the future. 

The action will now happen in Mohali where Rohit Sharma will lead the Indian Test team for the first time ever as India take on Sri Lanka in a 2 match Test series with the World Test Championship in mind. A lot of positives to take for India from the series win and perhaps the only negatives are death bowling and fielding.

Also read: Youngsters given ample game time, we now know where they fit in team ahead of WC: Mithali

Dharamsala, Feb 26 (Cricket News) India opener Ruturaj Gaikwad was on Saturday ruled out of the remaining two T20 Internationals against Sri Lanka owing to a wrist injury.

The BCCI has added Mayank Agarwal to India's squad for the remaining two T20Is.

India lead the three-match series 1-0, with the second game slated to be played here on Saturday.

The 25-year-old had been ruled out of the first T20I on Thursday as well after he sustained the injury during a practice session.

"Batter Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka. He had complained of pain in his right wrist joint ahead of the first T20I in Lucknow on Thursday and was examined by the BCCI Medical Team," BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in the statement.

He will head to NCA for further management of his injury.

"An MRI scan was later conducted followed by a specialist consultation. Ruturaj will now head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further management of his injury." Mayank, who is part of the Test squad, has joined the team in Dharamsala.

He had a bubble to bubble transfer from Mohali to Dharamsala.

Suryakumar Yadav and Deepak Chahar are already out of the series with a fractured wrist and hamstring injury respectively India's T20 squad: ============= Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Avesh Khan, Mayank Agarwal. 

Also Read : Mayank Agarwal replaces Ruturaj Gaikwad as India prepare 2nd T20I vs Sri Lanka

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India are eyeing another series win as they gear up for the 2nd T20I against Sri Lanka. Ruturaj Gaikwad who was supposed to finally get his opportunity has been ruled out of the series due to wrist injury and Mayank Agarwal has been added to the squad. For Sri Lanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Kusal Mendis have been ruled out after missing the first T20I.

India's possible playing XI: 

Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Bench: Mayank Agarwal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan

India is likely to play with the same team as they have no reason to make a change. The batting line-up being very flexible will rotate depending on the situation. Rain is forecasted throughout the day which is why having 7 bowling options is a very big asset. 

Sri Lanka possible playing XI:

Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Dasun Shanaka (c), Chamika Karunaratne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara

Bench: Kamil Mishara, Janith Liyanage, Ashian Daniel, Shiran Fernando, Binura Fernando

Sri Lanka have a lot to improve on after a disappointing game in Lucknow. Skipper Shanaka's bowling changes were very questionable in the first game. Distributing Chameera's 4 overs is the most difficult task he will be facing. Not having Theekshana and Hasaranga is a big loss but the others will have to take more responsibility.

There is a possibility that we might not see any action today as rain is forecasted throughout the day. India are eyeing a series win to make it 3 in a row since the World Cup disappointment in UAE. India will be looking for a win so that they can give some other players an opportunity in the 3rd game and the players in the Test squad could be rested.

Also read: Was the Indian women's approach for the New Zealand series right?

Dharamsala, Feb 25 (Cricket News) A reinvigorated India will look to pocket their second series win in as many weeks and build on the gains made from a drastic change in their batting approach in the second T20 International against Sri Lanka here on Saturday.

India were forced to look in the mirror after their early exit from the T20 World Cup last year but four months later, they look a transformed unit with a bunch of youngsters being tried out in various positions and roles.

It is still early days but the Rohit Sharma-led side has already figured out the core group of players that will travel to Australia for the World Cup Down Under later this year.

Young opener Ishan Kishan got a massive dose of confidence in the series opener on Thursday after his struggles against the West Indies.

Finding strike rotation tough in the preceding series, Kishan was able to overcome that weakness against the Sri Lankan bowlers besides flaunting the strokeplay he is known for in the IPL.

There is no time to settle in a T20 game and India have finally realised that, allowing them to post 180 plus totals regularly.

If it wasn't for Ruturaj Gaekwad's wrist injury, he could have opened with Kishan and Rohit would have dropped himself down the order like he did against the West Indies. The same could happen on Saturday if Gaekwad is able to regain full fitness.

Such is Rohit's class that he has not taken any time to find his rhythm after coming from an injury break. He looked in sublime touch en route to his 44 but must be disappointed to not have carried on for longer.

Shreyas Iyer made merry at number three in the absence of the rested Virat Kohli and would be aiming to repeat that for the rest of the series.

When a full strength India take the field next, he might not find a place in the playing eleven and therefore, he needs to make the most of the opportunities that come his way.

As Rohit indicated after the opening game, a fit again Ravindra Jadeja will continue to bat higher up the order as the team wants to optimise his significantly improved batting skills.

"We want more from him that is why we asked him to bat higher. You will see that happening more and more in the games that he plays for India. I want him to bat up the order more.

"He is a very improved batter, so we will try and see if we can promote him going forward. We are very clear with what we want to achieve with him in white ball cricket," said the skipper referring to the all-rounder.

Comeback man Sanju Samson did not get to bat in the opener and he will be eagerly waiting for his turn at the scenic Dharamsala ground.

India are also getting better on the bowling front. They used as many as seven options, including Deepak Hooda, on Thursday and most of them did alright. Venkatesh Iyer was a tad expensive but took a couple of wickets.

It would take a special effort from Sri Lanka to end India's 10-match winning streak in the spiritual home of Dalai Lama.

With a misfiring top-order and absence of frontline spinners Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka struggled to compete in the first game.

Even skipper Dasun Shanaka bowling after a while did not help as Indians looked unstoppable with the bat.

The weather is expected to be much colder in the night compared to Lucknow. With only a travel day separating the two games, the players will have little time to adjust to the conditions.

Squads: ===== Rohit Sharma (captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Hooda, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav.

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Charith Asalanka, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka (c), Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Praveen Jayawickrama, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lahiru Kumara, Danushka Gunathilaka, Ashian Daniel, Shiran Fernando, Binura Fernando.

Match starts 7PM. 

Also Read : IPL Governing Council announces format for TATA IPL 2022 Season

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India took a 1-0 lead by defeating Sri Lanka by 62 runs in the 1st T20I. It was a dominant Indian performance against a Sri Lankan side who were missing 2 key players. Dasun Shanaka won the toss and elected to field first. Ruturaj Gaikwad was supposed to play the game but was ruled out because of a wrist injury he sustained in training which led to Deepak Hooda making his T20I debut.

Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan started the game in fantastic fashion as they put together 11 runs in the first 12 overs. Rohit Sharma was dismissed after scoring 44 off 32 balls while Ishan Kishan scored 89 off 56 balls. Rohit unlike his usual self hit only 2 fours and a six, Ishan Kishan on the other hand hit 10 boundaries and 3 maximums. Shreyas Iyer batting at number 3 scored an incredible 25 ball 50 consisting of 5 fours and 2 sixes to take India to a total of 199. The biggest challenge of playing at the Ekana Stadium is the sheer size of it. It is considerably bigger than every ground in India which makes it difficult to clear the rope. The number of opportunities for batters to get doubles and triples increases which leads to them tiring out sooner. All three of Rohit, Kishan and Shreyas did really well to run quick between wickets and find the gaps.

The Lankans got off to a worst possible start as they lost Pathum Nissanka on the very first ball. No batter apart from Charith Asalanka who scored an unbeaten 53 off 47 balls looked comfortable at the crease. The Indians bowled really well, making use of the massive target posted by their batter. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the pick of the bowlers as he picked up 2 wickets from his 2 overs, giving away only 9 runs. The massive target meant that Rohit Sharma could use all 7 bowling options. Venkatesh Iyer picked up 2 wickets while Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja picked up a scalp each.

India have a big chance to once again seal the series in the next game and inflict their 3rd consecutive whitewash in T20Is. The fans will be hoping that Ruturaj Gaikwad can recover before the next match and find a place in the playing XI. The next two encounters will be in Dharamshala which will pose a completely different challenge for the Indian side. 

Also read: Indian women put in a team performance to avoid whitewash against New Zealand

(Cricket news) After inflicting a whitewash on the West Indies, India will take on Sri Lanka for another 3 T20Is. The series will be India's last before the IPL so a lot of things will have to fall to perspective as there could be a few changes in the squad after the IPL.

India's possible playing XI:

Rohit Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Bench: Sanju Samson, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan

The top six is tough to predict, especially in the correct order. Everyone apart from Gaikwad, Kishan and Hooda are almost certainly going to play. Rohit Sharma has mentioned that Samson is someone he wants to give chances to but that might not happen in the 1st T20I.  Bumrah and Jadeja's return to the side is a big positive for the team.

Sri Lanka possible playing XI:

Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Dasun Shanaka (c), Chamika Karunaratne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara

Bench: Kamil Mishara, Janith Liyanage, Ashian Daniel, Shiran Fernando, Binura Fernando

Wanindu Hasaranga hasn't recovered from Covid yet and is likely to miss the entire T20I series. The all-rounder will be a massive miss and his absence swings things massively in India's favour. Chameera will be a very key bowler who has the ability to trouble the Indian batters. Batting wise a lot will depend on Charith Asalanka.

It goes without saying that India will have one eye on the World Cup later this year. India would like to end this international season on a high. Their next series after this will be against South Africa in June. 

Also read: Indian women put in a team performance to avoid whitewash against New Zealand

Lucknow, Feb 23 (Cricket News) In-form India batter Suryakumar Yadav was on Wednesday ruled out of the three-match T20 International series against Sri Lanka owing to a hairline fracture on his hand.

The series starts here on Thursday and Yadav's injury was confirmed to PTI by a BCCI source before the Board issued an official statement.

Yadav, who was adjudged Player of the Series in the preceding T20Is against the West Indies, is the second Indian player to be forced out of the Sri Lanka series after pacer Deepak Chahar.

Chahar was ruled out of the games in Lucknow and Dharamsala after picking up a hamstring injury.

"Deepak sustained a right quadriceps injury during bowling while Suryakumar suffered a hairline fracture during a fielding attempt in the third and final T20I against the West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday," BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in the statement.

"They will now head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further management of their injuries," he added.

The 31-year-old Yadav was seen at India's practice session here on Tuesday.

The BCCI has not named any replacements for the two injured players as options are available with the team.

Earlier, the BCCI had announced that Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant would be rested for the series against Sri Lanka.

The T20I rubber against the West Indies was India's first in a packed calendar in the build-up to the World Cup and they now take on Sri Lanka in an identical three-match contest followed by two Tests in Mohali and Bengaluru.

India's T20 squad: ============ Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Avesh Khan. 

Also Read : All eyes on Ajinkya Rahane as Mumbai play Goa

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India and Sri Lanka will go head to head for 3 T20Is with the first one being in Lucknow and the other two in Dharamshala. India come into the series after two consecutive 3-0 T20 series wins against New Zealand and West Indies. The team has rested Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Shardul Thakur while Axar Patel and Washington Sundar were left out due to injuries. Surya Kumar Yadav and Deepak Chahar who were initially a part of the squad were withdrawn after suffering injuries in the 3rd T20I against West Indies while no replacements were named.

India's ideal playing XI:
Openers: Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad

Skipper Rohit Sharma will be looking to assert his dominance at the top of the order. When both Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad had to play in the 3rd T20I against West Indies Rohit had to play at number 4 which isn't where he is going to play regularly. KL Rahul's injury gives India a chance to try out other openers. Ruturaj Gaikwad didn't get his opportunity in the blue jersey until the last game where he couldn't get going. Coach Rahul Dravid has said in the press conference that players will not be judged on a single performance and would be given more chances which Gaikwad does deserve.

Wicket keeper: Ishan Kishan

In absence of both Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan is the choice to don the gloves. The other keeper in the squad is Sanju Samson who is coming into the side after a long time. Kishan is more comfortable opening the innings but has batted at number 3 on numerous occasions. Samson on the other hand is a natural number 3 batter which could lead to him playing there. India could also repeat what they did against the West Indies by playing Rohit Sharma in the middle order. 

Middle order: Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda

Shreyas Iyer will definitely be in the side as he is Virat Kohli's direct replacement. Venkatesh Iyer at the moment is undroppable with the kind of form he is in. Suryakumar Yadav's absence leaves a spot open for Deepak Hooda who will also give India the bowling option. There is a possibility that India could play both Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson to keep Hooda out.

All rounder: Ravindra Jadeja 

Jadeja is back in the squad after a lengthy injury absence. He will slot straight back into the side as the premier all-rounder. He might be bumped up the order depending on the situation to get the left and right hand combination now that Pant isn't in the side. India do not have a direct replacement for Jadeja in the squad even though Deepak Hooda can play that role if called upon.

Seam bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel

Jasprit Bumrah is the vice captain of the side and will be leading the attack in his first T20 series after the World Cup. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel had a good series against West Indies and should keep their place in the side. Avesh Khan and Mohammed Siraj are the other options.

Spinner: Yuzvendra Chahal

India have 3 wrist spinners in the squad but Chahal is definitely the best one. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi are also good options but Chahal's ability to take crucial wickets, contain runs and bowl in the power play is what makes him a must have in the squad.

Bench:
Sanju Samson, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan.

Also read: India women lose rain affected encounter against NZ despite Richa Ghosh heroics

(Cricket news) India defeated West Indies in all 3 T20Is to complete a tour whitewash winning 6 out of 6 games across 2 formats. India recovered very well from the disappointing tour of South Africa which Rahul Dravid described as an eye opener. The tour also kicked off India's new permanent all format captain Rohit Sharma. 

The biggest takeaway is perhaps the performance of the Indian middle order in all 3 games. Venkatesh Iyer in all 3 games was exceptional as he is slotted straight into his new role as a finisher. Suryakumar Yadav in the 1st and the last game and Rishabh Pant in the 2nd game did their jobs perfectly well. The failure of the middle order has been the downfall of the Indian side for quite a while and the reason for that is they don't get to bat often enough because of the dominance of the top 3. The return of Ravindra Jadeja will only improve the side's depth. 

After scoring only 17 in the first game, Virat Kohli got a 41 ball 52 in the 2nd innings. The innings was the first time in a while where Virat Kohli's timing was exquisite. He changed his approach and started attacking from the start which could be because of him not being the captain anymore. Kohli was subsequently rested for the 3rd game and will not take part in the 3 T20Is against Sri Lanka as well. It goes without saying that Kohli is a very key player for the side across formats and him getting back into his groove is extremely important. Although this innings doesn't guarantee that happening it is definitely a start.

The bowling did it's job really well despite the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. Bhuvneshwar Kumar used all his experience while Shardul Thakur, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar also showed that Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid can count on them. The wrist spin partnership of Ravi Bishnoi and Yuzvendra Chahal worked it's magic in the first two games. They complimented each other really well and spun the first two games in India's favour. Venkatesh Iyer was always available when called upon and he was ready when Chahar pulled his hamstring in the 3rd game. Not only did he bowl well but also picked up 3 crucial wickets. 

Rohit Sharma ticked every single box as the captain of the side. His bowling changes and field placements were on point throughout the series. The team selection as well spot which showed in the results. It is a very good sign before the World Cup. Perhaps the only negative was the fielding which at times was sloppy especially with the catching but will surely improve in the future. Avesh Khan and Ruturaj Gaikwad were given an opportunity to play the last game but couldn't make an impact. With Kohli and Pant to be rested in the Sri Lanka series more opportunities could arrive Gaikwad's way but it will be slim pickings for Avesh Khan who has a lot of competition.

Also read: Venkatesh Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav lead India to 17-run win over West Indies

Kolkata, Feb 21 (Cricket News) Finding the perfect combination can be tricky and there is no set formula, but India head coach Rahul Dravid says he and skipper Rohit Sharma are pretty clear about the team for the T20 World Cup in Australia in less than eight months' time.

The former captain, who took over from Ravi Shastri after India's group stage exit in last year's T20 World Cup in UAE, will have his first big challenge in Australia. Dravid said he and Rohit understand what should be the team combination for the mega-event.

"I think we have got a fair idea between Rohit and myself and the selectors and the management," Dravid said after their 17-run win over the West Indies in the third T20I that ensured a 3-0 clean sweep here on Sunday.

"I don't think there's a set formula to it. But we're pretty clear about the balance and the combination (for the T20 World Cup)...We are just structuring a little bit of the team around it and also balancing individual workloads as well.

"We have got a pretty fair idea of the kind of skills we're looking for in Australia, with the kind of guys who are in running. Not everything is set in stone but we want to give everyone a fair chance to stake their claim for those spots," he added.

The T20I series against West Indies was India's first in a packed calendar in the build-up to the World Cup and they next take on Sri Lanka in an identical three-match rubber in four days' time.

In the absence of some Team India regulars like opener KL Rahul, and pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, India gave opportunities to youngsters such as Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Avesh Khan to stake their claim in the World Cup-bound squad.

With Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant being given a 10-day bio-bubble rest, India also tried out Shreyas Iyer, while Kishan doubled up as the wicketkeeper in the third and final T20I. Dravid said the whole process was about having the backups ready.

"In the times that we live in, it's never easy... I don't think there's a time-frame when you can actually say that okay, now this is the team you want to freeze on.

"You don't want to cast your net too wide. We don't also want to restrict ourselves to just 15 players. We want to give players opportunities, ensure that by the time we get to the World Cup, some of our guys have played at least 10-15-20 games," Dravid explained.

"It gives Rohit a chance to play them, bowl them in positions that he wants to, but he also has to be balanced with the fact that we need to have a few back-ups of people in case of an injury," he added.

Kishan opened in all the three matches of the series but the Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter failed to impress with just 71 runs at an average of 23.66.

In the final game, Maharashtra 'run-machine' Ruturaj Gaikwad opened with Kishan as Rohit opted to bat at No.4 but the duo failed to make it big.

Dravid said the youngsters would not be judged on one series or one bad game.

"This is a tough format. We are asking them to play high risk cricket. We're asking them to play shots all the time. And we don't judge them on a few games. It's not the way, it's done.

"We try to give people as much as possible consistent runs. We're trying to give them opportunities to play and not judge them on a game to game basis or on one series." Struggling Kishan gets Dravid's support ======================== Giving full support to IPL 2022 auction's most expensive buy Kishan, Dravid said: "Ishan has been picked on his potential, his performance. Yes, you cannot specify this many games. Sometimes it's combination, sometimes it's injuries." "Never always give a player the same number of games, there cannot be a written number in stone whether it's seven or six matches." "Whether it's Ruturaj Gaikwad or Avesh Khan today. We are not judging them on one game. They're here because they perform and deserve to be here," the former captain stressed.

"We like to give the players confidence in the group in and around the squad and that they are not going to be judged on one game. It's always a tricky balance. But in the larger group, I'm not concerned about one-off series. In this format, it's going to happen," Dravid added.

Venkatesh Iyer making strides as all-rounder =========================== For long, India have been fretting over their sixth bowling option especially after the back injury to their pace bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

In the absence of an unfit Pandya, India have tried out the likes of Venkatesh Iyer and Shardul Thakur and it's the former who has impressed the head coach.

"I know he plays a different role (opener) for his IPL franchise but we're very clear with what is the kind of role that we see him filling in our situation... Obviously our top three isn't really a spot, because these guys have established and have been performing very well in the top three," he said.

"So we challenged him, we gave him the role to be able to bat in that position. Every time he's improved, he's gotten better. That's really pleasing." Venkatesh scored 92 runs from three matches with a strike rate of 184.00 and also played the role of the sixth bowler taking two wickets at an average of 13.50.

In the final T20I when Deepak Chahar limped off following a hamstring injury in the third over, Venkatesh filled in and took 2/23 in his 2.1 overs.

"The role of a sixth bowler is something that you always be called upon to bowl. But in a situation like today where we unfortunately lost Deepak, you have to bowl a few critical overs," Dravid said.

"That is the role of a sixth bowler. If you are having a good game and the captain doesn't need you then he doesn't need you.

"If he needs you, he probably will need you at a critical time. And I think he's done a really good job for us, really good series he has had," he added.

100 days, a learning experience for 'the Wall' =========================== Having started off his stint as India coach with a 3-0 sweep over New Zealand last year, it's been a roller-coaster ride so far for Dravid.

Be it their back-to-back Test and ODI series defeats in South Africa, the controversy surrounding Virat Kohli's captaincy or the recent saga around Wriddhiman Saha's sacking from Test cricket, Dravid summed it all up by saying it's been a "learning experience".

"I learnt a lot. I'm not stressed too much about the results and just want the team to get better and move in the right direction," Dravid, who completed 100 days as coach on February 17, said.

"South Africa was a reality check for us, especially in the one-day format. In Tests, while it was disappointing, things could have gone our way with a bit of luck.

"From my perspective, it's really important to keep learning as a coach to keep improving. I keep learning everyday...I don't expect not to make mistakes. I'm going to make mistakes," he conceded.

"But I learn, I'll improve and get better. I hope the team wants to do that (too)...we need to keep improving. We are far from the finished product," he concluded. 

Also Read : Not hurt by Wriddhi's comments but he deserved honesty and clarity about his position: Dravid

News Source : PTI

Kolkata, Feb 21 (Cricket News) Fast bowler Avesh Khan admitted that he had butterflies in his stomach when he learnt that he is going to make his debut against the West Indies in the third and final T20 but support and comforting words from skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid calmed him down.

Although Avesh failed to make an impact in his T20 debut, conceding 42 runs from his four overs, India defeated West Indies by 17 runs to complete a series clean sweep on Sunday.

"Nervousness is bound to happen. When I got to learn that I am playing, making my debut I was a little nervous because the thing for which I have been working hard was finally going to get fulfilled," Avesh told team-mate Venkatesh Iyer in a chat published on BCCI TV.

"Rohit bhai (Rohit Sharma) backed me, Rahul sir (Dravid) told me to enjoy my debut game. This day is not going to comeback again and I just enjoyed." Having achieved his first goal, the 25-year-old right-arm pacer now wants to serve Indian cricket for long.

"It was a nice feeling. Every player has a dream to play for India and my dream got fulfilled today (Sunday). I am feeling very good. I enjoyed the moment, the entire match and we won the ,match as well," Avesh said.

"I will try to serve the Indian team as much as possible." 

Also Read : India climb to top spot in ICC T20 rankings after series sweep over WI

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India defeated West Indies by 17 runs to complete a tour whitewash as the hosts won all the games. Both the sides made 4 changes to their side as Kieron Pollard won the toss and elected to bowl first. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Avesh Khan finally got their opportunity after a long time on the bench.

Gaikwad couldn't make the most out of the opportunity as he fell to Jason Holder after scoring just 4 off 8 balls. Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer added 53 crucial runs after 8 overs but were both dismissed in quick succession shortly after. Rohit Sharma struggled as he could only manage 7 runs off 15 deliveries before being clean bowled by Dominic Drakes. Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer just like they did in the first match lit up the fireworks as the pair added 91 runs in just 6 overs. Iyer scored an unbeaten 25 off 16 balls, hitting 4 fours and 2 sixes while Suryakumar Yadav hit 1 boundary and 7 sixes for his 31 ball 65. India set a healthy target of 185 for the Windies.

The visitors lost early wickets as Deepak Chahar got rid of both the openers Kyle Meyers and Shai Hope cheaply. Chahar then pulled a muscle during his run-up and didn't return to the field as Venkatesh Iyer had to take his position. Iyer grabbed the opportunity and picked up two very crucial wickets to go with his batting cameo. Harshal Patel picked up 3 wickets while Shardul Thakur bowled brilliantly at the death and also picked up 2 wickets. In the end the Windies fell 17 runs short as Nicholas Pooran was the only batter who crossed the 50 run mark. Pooran on a personal level had a fantastic series scoring a half century in all 3 games.

India now prepares for the 3 T20Is against Sri Lanka in a couple of days where some new guys could get an opportunity in the absence of Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant while Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja return to the side. Bumrah is also named the vice captain for both the T20Is and Test squad in the absence of KL Rahul.
 

Also read: 7 hour daily train journey as teenager, former Indian Air force man Saurabh ready for 'India Test'

Kolkata, Feb 20 (Cricket News) West Indies captain Kieron Pollard won the toss and opted to bowl against India in the third and final T20 International here on Sunday.

Pacer Avesh Khan is making his T20I debut, one of the four changes in the India playing XI alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer and Shardul Thakur.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal made way apart from Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant.

The West Indies, too, made four changes to their line-up, bringing back Hayden Walsh, Fabian Allen, Dominic Drakes and Shai Hope.

India have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

Teams: India: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (w), Rohit Sharma (c), Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Harshal Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan West Indies: Kyle Mayers, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran (w), Rovman Powell, Kieron Pollard(c), Jason Holder, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Dominic Drakes, Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh.

Also Read : 7 hour daily train journey as teenager, former Indian Air force man Saurabh ready for 'India Test'

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Feb 19 (Cricket News) White-ball skipper Rohit Sharma was on Saturday officially named captain of the Indian Test team for the upcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka, starting March 4.

Senior batsmen Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, who are battling poor form, were dropped.

Senior wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha and experienced pacer Ishant Sharma were also left out of the Tests as the All India senior selection committee named squads for the Sri Lanka series.

Sri Lanka's tour will begin with a three-match T20 series starting February 24 and will be followed by the five-day matches from March 4.

Rookie Uttar Pradesh left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar was the only new face in the 18-member squad.

Ahead of the T20 series, the selection committee, headed by Chetan Sharma, decided to give Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant a break, while Shardul Thakur was rested for the entire Sri Lanka series.

Meanwhile, Washington Sudar and KL Rahul were ruled out of the entire series.

Ravichandran Ashwin will be available subject to his fitness, while Axar Patel is still recovering and is expected to be fit for the second Test.

"The selection committee deliberated a lot on Rahane and Pujara. We told them we will not consider them against Sri Lanka but doors are open for them. We told them to go and play Ranji Trophy," Selection Committee chairman Chetan Sharma told reporters during a virtual press conference.

India Test squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Mayank Agarwal, Priyank Panchal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, KS Bharat, R Ashwin (fitness), Ravi Jadeja, Jayant Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammad Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Saurabh Kumar.

India T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Bhuveshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Mohammad Siraj, Sanju Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan. 

Also Read : India win last over thriller against West Indies to seal T20 series

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India are eyeing another whitewash this time in the T20Is against West Indies. India won the 1st T20I comfortably and edged a close win in the 2nd one. West Indies are yet to register a win on this tour which is a big concern for them. India on the other hand will be looking to try a few things out tactically and otherwise.

India's Possible Playing XI:

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan. 

Bench: Deepak Hooda, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant have been released from the bio bubble to have some time off as both have been constantly playing since the South Africa tour. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Avesh Khan could finally get an opportunity to make an impact on the international stage. Shreyas Iyer is a direct replacement for Virat Kohli while Ishan Kishan will keep his place in the side despite poor form as he is the only gloveman in the squad after Pant's departure.

West Indies possible playing XI:

Brandon King, Kyle Meyers, Romario Shepherd, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard, Roman Powell, Jason Holder, Akeal Hossein, Odean Smith, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell.

Bench: Darren Bravo, Dominic Drakes, Shai Hope, Hayden Walsh Jr, Fabian Allen.

The balance of the side worked really well for the Windies in the last game which is why they wouldn't be keen on making any changes. Perhaps the opening combination is the one that could be changed in the near future.

India batted second and won in the 1st game after which they batted first and won the 2nd game. They could try and bat 2nd again given the dew situation. One eye will definitely be on the World Cup later this year as Rohit Sharma has said a lot of times. The addition of Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami to this squad will only make it better.

Also read: India win last over thriller against West Indies to seal T20 series

(Cricket news) India defeated West Indies by 8 runs to win the 2nd T20I and the series with 1 game left to play. India entered an unchanged 11 while West Indies brought back Jason Holder in place of Fabian Allen. Kieron Pollard won the toss and put India into bat.

India got off to a tricky start as both Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma were finding it very difficult to get their timing right and middle the ball. Ishan Kishan could only manage 2 runs off his 9 balls before he was dismissed by Sheldon Cottrell. The dynamic changed when Virat Kohli walked in with his positive intent as he freely played his shots, took on the bowling and scored 52 off 41 balls to get his side out of a precarious position. Roston Chase once again bowled an incredible spell to pick up the wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav. Rishabh Pant and Venkatesh Iyer stiched a very good and aggressive partnership of 76 runs in the last 6 overs. Iyer scored 33 off 18 balls hitting 4 boundaries and a six while Pant scored 52 off 28 balls which includes 7 fours and one unbelievable one flick which went for six. India set a target of 187 for the Windies to chase.

The visitors got off to a decent start as Brandon King and 34 runs in the first 5 overs. Rohit Sharma reacted by introducing Yuzvendra Chahal in the power play and leggie repaid the faith as he got the wicket of Mayers. King was dismissed shortly after by Ravi Bishnoi. Rovman Powell and Nicholas Pooran occupied the crease for the next 10 overs and displayed some outstanding batting. Powell hit 4 fours and 5 sixes for his unbeaten 68 off 36 balls while Nicholas Pooran scored 62 off 48 hitting 5 boundaries and 3 maximums. The West Indies in the end fell 8 runs short thanks to a fantastic 2nd last over by Bhuvneshwar Kumar where he gave away only 4 runs and also dismissed Pooran.

India will now be looking to rest a few players in the next match and maybe give others a chance. Ruturaj Gaikwad is definitely one of the players who is long overdue to get his international debut. West Indies have one match left to open their account on the tour and will be keen on doing so in the 3rd and final T20I.

Also read: Here's why Deepti Sharma will be India's most important player in the World Cup

Kolkata, Feb 19 (Cricket News) The series in their bag, India will have the liberty to experiment in the third and final T20I against the West Indies here on Sunday.

With Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant given a 10-day break, the home team is set to finally include the gifted Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad in the playing XI.

Under Rohit Sharma's captaincy, India secured their third successive series win with an eight-run win over the West Indies in the second T20I here on Friday.

With the T20 World Cup scheduled in less than eight months time in Australia, Rohit would look to try out new options, beginning with finding a reserve opener.

In the absence of KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan has failed to impress at the top of the order and his place could be given to the talented Gaikwad, who has been warming the bench until now.

Playing the series just after he became the most expensive buy of the IPL 2022 mega auction -- he was bought back by Mumbai Indians for a staggering Rs 15.25 crore -- the Jharkhand left-hander has struggled to get going.

After his anxious 42-ball 35 in the first match, Ishan could manage just two runs from 10 balls in the second game.

It remains to be seen if Rohit gives one more chance to his Mumbai Indians teammate or bring in Gaikwad.

New-look middle-order sans Kohli and Pant =========================== With the Sri Lanka T20I series up next, it may not be a bad idea to give Ishan a longer run.

In the middle-order, Shreyas will replace Kohli, who has been given a much-needed break ahead of his landmark 100th Test.

The former India captain will miss the T20I series against Sri Lanka and return for the Tests against the islanders.

Shreyas, who was the third biggest buy at the IPL auction but could not fit into India's T20 combination for the first two matches against the West Indies, will be the obvious choice.

Recently appointed as Kolkata Knight Riders skipper, Shreyas had played a match-winning knock during the ODI in Ahmedabad, and he would look to grab the opportunity of playing at the Eden Gardens -- his new "home ground".

Hooda, Avesh, Siraj waiting in the pipeline ========================== Deepak Hooda also impressed after making his debut in the preceding ODI series and it remains to be seen if the big-hitting all-rounder is tried out in the T20Is.

In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, India have so far fielded the pace duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel.

Both Bhuvneshwar and Patel have so far delivered the goods, especially in the second match when the former bowled a game-changing penultimate over before the rookie seamer defended 25 runs in the final over to secure a series-clinching win.

It remains to be seen whether Rohit would look to alter his bowling combination by bringing in Mohammed Siraj. The uncapped Avesh Khan, too, gives him an option.

Khan recently became the most expensive uncapped Indian player in the history of the IPL auction after being picked by Lucknow Supergiants for 10 crore.

The pacer has been in good form in the last 12 months, bagging 14 wickets in 16 matches at an impressive economy rate of 7.37 in IPL 2021.

In pursuit of their first win of the tour ======================= Fresh from their thrilling 3-2 victory at home over England, the Windies are yet to win a match in the ongoing tour of India, having lost the preceding ODI series 0-3.

In their favourite format, the Kieron Pollard-led side has failed to impress in the first match but, on Friday, the duo of Rovman Powell and Nicholas Pooran threatened to chase down India's 187 with explosive half-centuries.

Wicketkeeper-batter Pooran has been in imperious form, scoring a second successive half-century, and off-spinning all-rounder Roston Chase too has been impressive.

Teams (from): India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda, Kuldeep Yadav and Harpreet Brar.

West Indies: Kieron Pollard (captain), Nicholas Pooran (vice-captain), Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Kyle Mayers, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Match starts: 7 am IST. 

Also Read : Bubble Fatigue: BCCI gives break to Kohli and Pant for 4 T20Is; duo will be back for Lanka Tests

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India will take on the West Indies in the 2nd T20I at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. After winning the 1st T20I comfortably by 6 wickets, India will be looking to seal the series. West Indies have had a disappointing tour so far as they haven't won a single game. The Windies will be hoping to put in a better performance and level the series.

India's Possible Playing XI:
Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant(wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi.

Bench: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Shreyas Iyer.

India is likely to go unchanged in the game despite the amount of talent sitting on the bench. The pitch at the Eden Gardens isn't that suitable for quicker bowlers which is why Mohammed Siraj and Avesh Khan might not get an opportunity. The combination of the side is working really well at the moment as Harshal Patel and Deepak Chahar's big hitting power compensates for the absence of a proper All-rounder at number 7.

West Indies possible playing XI:
Brandon King, Kyle Meyers, Romario Shepherd, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard, Roman Powell, Jason Holder, Fabian Allen, Odean Smith, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell.

Bench: Darren Bravo, Dominic Drakes, Shai Hope, Hayden Walsh Jr, Akeal Hossein.

Roston Chase was a forced change in the last game but his performance was more than enough to keep him in the side. If Jason Holder is fit he has to come into the side in which case Akeal Hossein could be the one to miss out. Jason Holder could be bumped up the order as he is the best player of spin in the squad and the two Indian wrist spinners are in excellent form.

The Windies need to take advantage of their batting depth and keep the score board ticking. There is too much depth in their batting for the top and middle order to play conservatively. India on the other hand ticked all the major boxes in the game. If Rohit Sharma does win the toss he may be looking to bat first to try and put some pressure on his batters to score big in the first innings.

Also read: Same old story continues as complacent India lose series against New Zealand

Kolkata, Feb 17 (Cricket News) Shreyas Iyer might have been the third biggest buy at the IPL auction but to fit into India's T20 combination, he would need to showcase all-round skills as that's what the team is looking for in the middle-order slot, skipper Rohit Sharma has said.

Wednesday was a mixed bag for Shreyas.

Around evening, Kolkata Knight Riders unveiled the worst kept secret in the IPL universe by announcing their Rs 12.25 crore recruit as franchise captain for 2022.

By 6:30 pm, however, it was clear that the former Delhi Capitals and new KKR captain isn't fitting into the specialist batter category in Team India for the T20 game against West Indies.

"Someone like Shreyas Iyer is sitting out, very hard on him to be out and not making it to the XI, but it's what the team requires. We need that option in the middle, someone who can bowl," Rohit said, after India's easy six-wicket win in the first T20 International on Wednesday.

"It's always nice when you have those kind of competitions going on," he added.

Skipper Rohit gave a glimpse of what kind of team combination he is looking at in the shortest format and he made the hard but prudent call in picking a '360 degree' player like Suryakumar Yadav along with the less fancied Iyer -- Venkatesh, who brings in all-round skills to the table.

"We were very clear with Shreyas, we told him the team wants that option (of an all-rounder) going into the World Cup. They are all smart guys, professionals and they understand the team comes first," the Indian captain said.

"A lot of things go into deciding the playing XI, the opposition, the conditions, the dimensions of the ground. Yes, sometimes it can be tough for the guys missing out but we are making sure we are giving out a very clear message. Unfortunate but we want to put the team first," the skipper displayed no ambiguity in his statements.

It is also understood that Shreyas' technique against the short ball has been a bit susceptible and a lot of work is going into making him correct his body position to deal with express quicks in future.

All those who witnessed a couple of days' training at Eden Gardens saw how Rohit, himself a fine exponent of pull-shot, was seen explaining to Shreyas a thing or two about balance.

On the eve of the match after regular nets session, Shreyas wore the helmet and didn't have his pads on but team's throwdown specialist Raghavendra was seen standing at 10 yards and feeding him with fast but loopy balls, aimed at his helmet visor as he continuously played the pull-shot.

It was an exercise to perfect a particular shot as Rahul Dravid kept a hawk's eye on the proceedings.

As Rohit had mentioned before the match, IPL dynamics won't dictate how he builds a team, he walked the talk.

Hence it wasn't surprising to see Shreyas (Rs 12.25 crore), Shardul Thakur (Rs 10.75 crore), and Avesh Khan (Rs 10 crore) along with two retained players (Ruturaj Gaikwad Rs 6 crore) and Mohammed Siraj (Rs 7 crore) warming the bench.

Add to it Deepak Hooda's Rs 5.75 crore and Kuldeep Yadav's Rs 2 crore base price, India's reserve bench was worth more than Rs 50 crore.

"When the guys who are missing come back it's going to be very challenging to make the playing XI. But I'm happy with that challenge rather than not having players," Rohit said. 

Also Read : Full strength Indian women look to avoid series defeat against New Zealand

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India defeated West Indies by 6 wickets with 7 balls to spare as the West Indies were once again disappointing with the bat and the Indians capitalised on that. Rohit Sharma put the West Indies into bat after winning the toss saying that they're not sure how the pitch will play out and having a target in front would be the best way to go forward. 

India's two wrist spinners proved to be too good for the West Indies with their variations. Nicholas Pooran's blistering knock of 61 took West Indies to a total of 167 with Skipper Kieron Pollard and Kyle Meyers also playing short cameos while the other batters well and truly struggled. Ravi Bishnoi on his debut picked up 2 wickets and gave away only 17 runs as 17 of his 24 deliveries were dot balls but he also missed his line quite a few times bowling 6 wides. Bhuvneshwar Kumar retained his place in the side despite being dropped from the ODI squad completely and picked up a wicket up front with the new ball. Harshal Patel was a tad bit expensive but did manage to pick up two scalps while Deepak Chahar and Yuzvendra Chahal chipped in with a wicket each. Chahal was the one who deserved more wickets as he bowled extremely well leaving the Windies batters confused at times with his pace variations.

Chasing 168 runs, captain Rohit Sharma got his side off to a flying start with his 19 ball 40 which consisted of 4 boundaries and 3 huge sixes while Ishan Kishan played 2nd fiddle as he took 42 balls to score 35 runs. Roston Chase who was brought into the side after Jason Holder got injured came in and bowled a terrific spell, picking up both Indian openers. He gave away only 14 runs in his four overs despite bowling with a considerable amount of dew which is extremely difficult for a finger spinner. India then lost Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant in quick succession leaving the team in a minutely scary situation but Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer steadied things. The pair put together 48 runs and got India over the line with 7 balls left as India didn’t need lower order to contribute with the ball.

India have a lot of positives to take but perhaps the only negative is that they lost too many wickets in the run chase probably should have finished off the game before with less struggle. West Indies need to come back strongly in the next game where India will be eyeing a series victory. At this stage looking at the form of both teams a whitewash in the T20s after the one in the ODIs looks very likely for the men in blue.

Also read: Prasidh Krishna: India's next fast bowling prodigy with the red ball

Kolkata, Feb 15 (Cricket News) Flush with exciting talent and focussed on the T20 World Cup in exactly eight months' time, the Rohit Sharma-led Team India would be aiming to get its combinations right when it takes on the West Indies in a three-match series beginning here on Wednesday.

India were the pre-tournament favourites but made a shocking group stage exit in the last T20 World Cup held in the UAE in October-November. The shambolic campaign exposed loopholes in the team combination and temperament, spoiling Virat Kohli's swansong as T20 skipper.

India will look to make amends and rebuild the side with a packed T20 calendar lined up ahead of the marquee event in Australia beginning October 16.

Rohit, under whom Mumbai Indians have won five IPL titles, would be looking to sort out issues such as the opening blues, the middle-lower order conundrum and also the bowling strategies.

And he will have a happy headache of plenty while trying to firm up the squad.

Just the other day at the IPL mega auction, wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan hit the jackpot by landing a Rs 15.25 crore deal with Rohit's franchise Mumbai Indians.

In fact, 10 players from the current squad landed massive deals and all eyes would also be on the likes of Shreyas Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders Rs 12.25 crore), Harshal Patel (Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rs 10.75 crore) and Shardul Thakur (Delhi Capitals, Rs 10.75 crore).

Opening puzzle ========== First up would be the opening combination and who would be ideal to partner the skipper in the shortest format with his regular KL Rahul out with a left hamstring strain.

Ishan opened in the first match of their preceding three-match ODI series against the Caribbean team in Ahmedabad but the skipper also tried out Rishabh Pant and Shikhar Dhawan.

While Ishan may be the preferred choice, Rohit also has options in Maharashtra run machine Ruturaj Gaikwad who has been in red hot form but has only been warming the bench.

Then there is Venkatesh Iyer, the KKR all-rounder who shot to prominence in the UAE leg of the last IPL as a big-hitting opener with 320 runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 125. He was just behind Gaikwad who had more runs (407) in this period.

It will also be interesting if Virat Kohli comes out to open with Rohit to get among runs as he's been dealing with a lean patch. His last International century came at this very venue way back in November 2019 in the pink ball day/night Test against Bangladesh.

Middle and lower order conundrum ====================== India have a packed white ball calendar in the run up to their T20I World Cup opener against Pakistan on October 23.

So, it would not be a bad ploy for the think tank to give some much deserved rest to the dashing Pant as Ishan seems to be a confirmed selection in the side.

This will help Rohit try out both Shreyas Iyer and Surkyakumar Yadav in the same XI. The duo was in fine form in the recently-concluded ODI series.

Suryakumar was the top scorer in the ODI series with 104 runs at an average of 52.00, while Iyer scored a match-winning 80 in their 3-0 series sweeping win in the third ODI.

India also have some exciting options lower down the order with the likes of Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Harshal Patel.

Patel impressed with a fine cameo of 11-ball 18 to prop up India's total to a match-winning 184/7 from 140/6 in his only outing in the series against New Zealand just after the World Cup.

Bishnoi will fancy his chances =================== Fresh from a stupendous comeback series in the ODIs, Yuzvendra Chahal will be India's regular spin option but it remains to be seen if exciting Rajasthan leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi gets a maiden call up.

He was rewarded after an impressive run in the IPL and domestic circuit to be selected for the series.

With Washington Sundar ruled out of the series with a hamstring injury, it remains to be seen if the youngster from Jodhpur will get his maiden International cap.

West Indies aim for improvements ===================== Unlike their flop show in the ODI series, the Kieron Pollard-led West Indies would look to give a strong fight to the hosts in their favourite T20 format.

Boasting of T20 specialists, the Windies came here after beating England 3-2 at home in a thrilling five-match series.

They bat deep and with some aggressive hitters, the West Indies will hope to give India a tough fight.

Jason Holder has been in fine form for them and took four wickets in four balls in the final ODI against England to return with career-best figures of 5/27.

With some exciting all-round options in Odean Smith and Akeal Hosein, Pollard's men would look to make it count at a venue where they won the T20 World Cup in 2016.

Dew factor, a concern? ============== With the chill in the air, dew can be a concern for both the teams at the Eden.

The CAB has kept four pitches ready for the three matches to be played in five days.

SQUADS: India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda, Kuldeep Yadav and Harpreet Brar.

West Indies: Kieron Pollard (captain), Nicholas Pooran (vice-captain), Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Kyle Mayers, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Match starts: 7 pm IST. 

Also Read : The top bargain buys of this years 2022 IPL auction

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) After an incredible 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series, India will play 3 T20Is against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens. India have had a few injury issues before the series. Washington Sundar is the latest one to be ruled out of the series after a hamstring injury with Kuldeep Yadav named as replacement. Previously KL Rahul and Axar Patel were replaced by Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda due to their respective injuries. In the absence of Rahul, Rishabh Pant has been named as Rohit Sharma's deputy.

India's Possible Playing XI:
Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant(wk), Shreyas Iyer, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Bench: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel

While the return of Kul-Cha wasn't possible in the ODIs it is more than likely in the T20Is with both Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar injured. Despite having a good series against New Zealand Venkatesh Iyer and Bhuvneshwar Kumar might have to sit out the game. Virat Kohli returns to the side for the first time since the World Cup. Ishan Kishan takes KL Rahul's place in the side while Ruturaj Gaikwad will have to wait for his opportunity.

West Indies possible playing XI:
Brandon King, Kyle Meyers, Romario Shepherd, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard, Roman Powell, Jason Holder, Fabian Allen, Odean Smith, Akeal Hossein, Sheldon Cottrell

Bench: Darren Bravo, Rostom Chase, Dominic Drakes, Shai Hope, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Despite their shortcomings in the one dayers, West Indies have a very good T20I side with a deep batting line-up and as many as 7 bowling options. This is the same side that defeated England 3-2 in the T20I series in January so they come into the matches in good form.

India will definitely start the series as favourites especially after the ODI performances. After not crossing the 50 run mark in an ODI series for the first time since 2017 all eyes will be on Virat Kohli and his bat. India have a lot of seam bowling options and 3 wrist spinners but they have only one finger spinner in the form of Deepak Hooda which could be seen as an area of concern especially when Hooda is unlikely to play. The return of Kul-Cha is surely amazing news for Indian fans who have been waiting a long time to see the pair back together. 

Also read: Prasidh Krishna: India's next fast bowling prodigy with the red ball

Bengaluru, Feb 12 (Cricket News) Ishan Kishan and Deepak Chahar clinched the most eye-popping deals as India's battle-hardened T20 exponents laughed their way to the bank on the opening day of IPL mega-auction where the franchises saved their highest bids for home-grown talent.

Kishan's Rs 15.25 crore winning bid from Mumbai Indians pipped the Rs 14 crore figure that CSK offered to retain Deepak Chahar on Saturday. Franchises showed prudence in overall spending but didn't hesitate to loosen the purse strings for proven performers, especially Indians.

In terms of US Dollars, there were 20 million-plus buys, the biggest by far at any IPL auction with most of the beneficiaries being Indian T20 specialists.

It was a satisfying 'Pay Day' for all current India internationals with Shreyas Iyer getting a staggering Rs 12.25 crore deal from Kolkata Knight Riders and the multi-skilled Shardul Thakur making Delhi Capitals break the bank with a Rs 10.75 crore.

These two, along with Kishan and Chahar, were the top four buys of the day.

"I'm really excited to be back at MI. I know everyone has treated me there like a family so I am really happy to be there and I hope to give my best to the team. Thank you so much," said the 23-year-old Kishan in a video posted on his twitter handle.

The big-hitting Kishan made his India debut last year and has been a Mumbai Indians player all along, performing consistently well for the side.

Young pacer Prasidh Krishna (Rs 10 crore) was paid big by Rajasthan Royals for his timely Man of the Series performance against the West Indies while Washington Sundar, another India regular, got richer by Rs 8.75 crore.

One of the expected big buys was pacer Avesh Khan, who was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 10 crore, the highest in the history of IPL for uncapped players.

Yuzvendra Chahal would be a bit cross as he came late in the day and could only get Rs 6.5 crore from Rajasthan Royals.

Even Nitish Rana, not an Indian regular but an IPL performer, was retained for Rs 8 crore by KKR while the uncapped Rahul Tripathi, who has been consistent in the league, very deservingly crossed the million dollar mark at Rs 8.50 crore.

Shahrukh Khan, another formidable domestic T20 finisher but one with a base price of a mere Rs 20 lakh, was taken for a 'mic-drop' deal of Rs 9 crore by Punjab Kings.

Rajasthan's former one-season wonder Rahul Tewatia was lapped up by Gujarat Titans for a mind-boggling Rs 9 crore.

It wasn't an auction to remember for the old guard and only two 35 plus players -- Shikhar Dhawan (Rs 8.25 crore, Punjab Kings) and Ravichandran Ashwin (Rs 5 crore, Rajasthan Royals) -- got good deals.

Among other seniors Mohammed Shami was taken by Gujarat Titans for Rs 6.25 crore. His new ball partner Bhuvneshwar Kumar got Rs 4.6 crore from Sunrisers.

While this was the last mega auction, what was impressive was the discretion that franchises used while buying players as the focus was on top Indian players available in the market and currently playing white-ball cricket.

For Chennai Super Kings, the aim was to follow Mahendra Sigh Dhoni's template and retain their core base of players as much as possible as they waited to buy back Deepak, another multi-skilled cricketer on ascendancy for India.

KKR retained eight out of their top first 11 players from last season but are still looking short in the fast bowling department.

KKR didn't do too badly as they picked up Australian Test captain Pat Cummins at Rs 7.25 crore, which is less than half of what he was paid at last auction.

"To get back Pat Cummins at that price, we are very, very delighted. We thought he would go higher," KKR CEO Venky Mysore said.

"We could not be happier getting Cummins and Shreyas in the first round itself. Heart beats a bit more properly now, we can now have some fun looking at what else is going on," he added.

While Cummins is a captaincy candidate, he will not be available during the first two weeks even though Mysore didn't want to commit on captaincy.

"As far as captaincy is concerned, that's a decision our coach and the think-tank will take. Certainly, between Cummins and Shreyas, we have solid options for us. I'm sure the think-tank will make the right decisions," he added.

Franchises do their homework =================== In case of overseas recruits, the franchises focussed on those who have shown themselves to be consistent performers in previous IPLs and with a reputation of doing well on Indian tracks.

Like other years, none of the franchises got swayed by performances in Big Bash League, the Caribbean Premier League and the Pakistan Super League and concentrated solely on those who can bring value during the IPL.

So Wanindu Hasaranga, who is from Sri Lanka and currently the world's No. 1 T20 International bowler, fetched Rs 10.75 crore while West Indian Nicholas Pooran, despite a disastrous IPL the last time, got a similar amount from Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The same reason got England's keeper-batter Jonny Bairstow a Rs 6.75 crore bid from Punjab Kings.

It was a case of supply and demand and at what time of the auction one is placed as teams, save for CSK (Dhoni) and Delhi Capitals (Rishabh Pant), didn't have wicketkeepers.

Pooran is an optimistic buy considering that he can be destructive on his day.

The discretion was evident when one saw a David Warner going for Rs 6.25 crore.

It was a very good bargain buy for Delhi Capitals and same could be said about newcomers Lucknow Supergiants, who got a fabulous player like Quinton de Kock for Rs 6.75 crore.

"Absolutely excited to buy David Warner. I cannot believe that we got such a legend at Rs 6.25 crore. With Warner and Prithvi Shaw opening the batting, it will be an explosive start to every single Delhi Capitals innings," DC co-owner Parth Jindal said.

The paucity of all-rounders meant that Jason Holder (Rs 8.75 crore) and Shardul would have attracted solid bids.

"We are really excited to have Shardul as he can bowl in Powerplays and bowl at the death," Jindal said.

Their only dodgy buy is Mitchell Marsh, whose IPL career has been plagued by injuries and paying him Rs 6.50 crore could be a bit of an oversight considering he can't be played at No. 3, where he worked wonders for Australia.

Among domestic players, Riyan Parag's Rs 3.80 crore retention by Royals, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy performer Abhinav Manohar's Rs 2.60 crore deal with Gujarat Titans were eye-catching.

South Africa's U-19 World Cup star Dewald Brevis, known as 'Baby AB' for his batting style's resemblance to AB de Villiers, was brought by Mumbai Indians for Rs 3 crore.

Abhishek Sharma, a left-arm spinner and left-handed batter, who many term as 'Poor Man's Krunal Pandya' for similar skill sets got a whopping Rs 6.5 crore from Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Foreign fast bowlers in demand ====================he Trent Boult came in the marquee set and still fetched a million dollars (Rs 8 crore) for his good show in previous years for Mumbai Indians as Rajasthan Royals aggressively bid for him.

But when his New Zealand teammate and slightly pacier Lockie Ferguson arrived in fast bowler's set, he got the paddles raised at frequent intervals and Gujarat Titans, who didn't have a great first day, suddenly got activated and bought him for Rs 10 crore.

For CSK, Josh Hazlewood's exit will be a big deal as the Australian pacer will now play for RCB with a deal of Rs 7.75 crore.

Another speed demon Mark Wood of England got Rs 7.5 crore from Lucknow Supergiants Good bargain buys by Lucknow Supergiants ========================== While RCB got their opening issues and captaincy sorted with a Rs 7 crore bid for Faf Du Plessis, Lucknow Supergiants claimed Quinton de Kock for Rs 6.75 crore.

Also, a currently out-of-sorts Manish Pandey, for Rs 4.6 crore, wasn't a bad bargain either.

Lucknow, however, bid big for Krunal and clinched him for a cool Rs 8.25 crore. His former Baroda bete noire Deepak Hooda was also taken by Lucknow for Rs 5.75 crore.

It is now up to Lucknow mentor Gautam Gambhir, who knows a thing or two about volatile temperaments, to see that team spirit is not hampered by the warring duo.

Pujara, Rahane, Ishant don't come under hammer, Saha unsold ======================================= Three prominent Test specialists Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishant Sharma didn't come under the hammer on the day and it is understood that franchises didn't want to spend on players who don't bring value to the table with their T20 game.

They might come back on Sunday at the accelerated bidding process if someone expresses interests. Wriddhiman Saha, who has been told that he won't be picked for Test matches went unsold as teams are looking beyond the soon-to-be 38 year-old Bengal stumper.

Umesh Yadav, for his inconsistent white ball record, also went unsold and one of IPL's bonafide legends Suresh Raina found out that just playing IPL to IPL wouldn't work as Chennai Super Kings didn't bid for him. Ditto for Steve Smith who went unsold as there were no takers. 

Also Read : After SRH snub, Warner looks to start afresh at where it all began in IPL

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India won the ODI series against West Indies 3-0. This was the 1st time that India inflicted a whitewash on the West Indies and it was also the first time Rohit Sharma took charge of the team after becoming ODI captain. India recovered well after a disastrous tour of South Africa although it has to be said that the West Indies were very poor especially with the bat.

For the first time since 2017, Virat Kohli ended an ODI series without a single 50+ score. New skipper Rohit Sharma said that despite not getting a century, Kohli has batted well and the team management is not worried about his form. Kohli does have a century drought but by no means is he lacking runs as he is crossing the 50+ mark consistently. It is just a matter of before we see the best of Virat Kohli and the team management will be hoping that it comes in the T20I series.

India's middle order was the biggest positives as KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar all chipped in with crucial runs. The middle order of India usually doesn't get much batting time due to their top order's dominance. In this series, the middle order bailed the team out in difficult times. There is a lot of healthy competition for the middle order places which is very good for Indian cricket.

Indian seamers had a very good tournament with Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj leading the attack. Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur also chipped in with crucial wickets. With Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah rested the Indian pace battery showed it's depth. The performance is an indication that it will be very difficult for Bhuvneshwar Kumar to find his way back in the squad.

Even though the pacers were predominant due to the conditions, the spinners did chip in. Washington Sundar played really well in the first game but was just a tad bit off in the 2nd one even though he bowled a match winning over towards the end. Yuzvendra Chahal won the man of the match in the 1st game and bowled well in the 2nd one as well. Kuldeep Yadav played the 3rd game marking his international comeback. 

Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid still have a lot of things to sort out in terms of balance and personnel before the World Cup next year. Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are three players who will definitely be back in the mix hopefully in the Sri Lanka series. Healthy competition is always beneficial for the team but it is crucial for India to try out their best line-up before the World Cup a few times.

Also read: Iyer, Pant, Prasidh and Siraj star as India defeat dull West Indies by 96 runs

(Cricket news) India defeated the West Indies by 96 runs to complete the whitewash in the 3-match ODI series. Captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first. India made 4 changes with Shikhar Dhawan, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav and Shreyas Iyer replacing KL Rahul, Deepak Hooda, Shardul Thakur and Yuzvendra Chahal. West Indies on the other hand brought in Hayden Walsh Jr for Akeal Hossein as Kieron Pollard didn't recover in time.

Alzarri Joseph got the Windies off to a brilliant start as he got rid of Rohit Sharma in the 4th over and dismissed Virat Kohli for a duck in the same over. Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant steadied the ship with their left and right hand combination. The pair added 110 runs and set the tone of the innings. Iyer fell at 80 runs while Pant was dismissed on 56. Washington Sundar and Deepak Chahar added some runs late on to get India to a total of 265 which was the highest total of the series. Jason Holder was the pick of the bowlers as he took 4 wickets for 34 runs from his 8 overs. 

West Indies never looked like chasing the total. Apart from Nicholas Pooran and Odean Smith, no player got past the 30 run mark. Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj both picked up 3 wickets each. Kuldeep Yadav on his international comeback picked up 2 wickets and so did Deepak Chahar. The track complimented the seamers really well and Kuldeep chipped in well with his wrist spin. Indian seamers got really good lateral movement and bounce off the surface which the Windies batters couldn't deal with. West Indies once again failed to bat for 50 overs as they have done all series.

 After a disappointing tour of South Africa, India came back well despite missing Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. India will now shift focus to the T20Is but it has been a very good start to the Rohit Sharma era. West Indies have a lot of work to do before the ODI World Cup but it doesn't look good for them at the moment.

Also read: Suzie Bates' ton helps New Zealand run over lackluster India

New Delhi, Feb 11 (Cricket News) India vice-captain KL Rahul and all-rounder Axar Patel were on Friday ruled out of the three-match T20I series against the West Indies beginning in Kolkata from February 16 due to injuries with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda replacing them in the squad.

While Rahul has suffered a hamstring injury while fielding in the second ODI on February 9, Axar has not fully recovered from his shin injury that also forced him to miss the South Africa tour. The spinner had also recently tested positive for COVID, said BCCI.

"Rahul sustained an upper left hamstring strain during fielding in the 2nd ODI on 9th February 2022 while Axar has resumed the final stage of his rehabilitation after recently recovering from Covid-19. They will now head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further management of their injury," said the BCCI in a statement.

"The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda as replacements," it added.

Both Gaikwad and Hooda are also part of the squad picked for the ongoing ODI series against the Caribbean side in Ahmedabad.

Rahul and Axar's fitness issues have also raised questions over their availability for the home series against Sri Lanka starting February 25.

Rahul had missed the first ODI to personal commitments before returning for the second game.

India's T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda. 

Also Read : Shreyas, Pant steer India to 265 after top-order collapse

News Source : PTI

Bengaluru, Feb 11 (Cricket News) Dashing batter Shreyas Iyer and the multi-skilled Shardul Thakur are expected to laugh their way to the bank as two of the costliest buys in the history of Indian Premier League when the last mega-auction commences here on Saturday.

The 10 teams in the league, following the addition of Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Supergiants, will be bidding heavily for the Indian players in a list of 590 cricketers, including 227 overseas candidates up for grabs during the two-day event.

This year's auction might witness the maximum number of Indian million dollar buys (Rs 7.5 crore and above) with more than 10 cricketers set to cross Rs 10 crore bid range and some expected to hit close to Rs 20 crore.

While Iyer could be the highest ever auction buy (in the 20 crore range), the likes of Shardul and Kishan (keeper-batter), with their bouquet of skills, can also fetch anything in the range of Rs 12-15 crore or even upwards if some franchises get into intense bidding wars.

Then there are Deepak Chahar and Yuzvendra Chahal, who can also get anything in the range of USD 2 million (Rs 15 crore) as both of them are proven international performers.

With megastars like Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings), Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) and Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians) retained by their respective franchises, teams would look from flamboyant middle-order batters to good wrist spinners not to forget the all-rounders, who are always in demand.

While KL Rahul, at Rs 17 crore, is the player with highest retention price, former Delhi Capitals skipper Iyer might force some of the franchises like Punjab Kings (Rs 72 crore purse), Sunrisers Hyderabad (Rs 68 crore) and Rajasthan Royals (Rs 62 crore) to break the bank.

These are franchises that need solid middle-order game-changers and also a member of the leadership group in case a Mayank Agarwal or Kane Williamson don't work out.

For Dhoni's CSK, it would be about going mostly go for tried and tested performers, who are known to win matches and championships while teams like Punjab and Rajasthan, as has been their habit, would bid insane amounts for left-field selections.

Even Kolkata Knight Riders where former Mumbai Ranji stalwart Abhishek Nayar, by virtue of being the eyes and ears of CEO Venky Mysore, has the maximum say might go all-out for Iyer as they require a captaincy candidate.

However, with a dodgy retention like Varun Chakravarthy, who is never fully fit and hardly plays anything save IPL, has put the team in a spot with only Rs 48 crore in purse and an entire team to build.

Since this is a mega auction and teams need to have a minimum of 18 players on their roster (everyone will go in range of 22 to 25 players), the Indian players -- both capped and uncapped -- will be highly valued.

That's the reason why last year's Purple Cap winner Harshal Patel has kept a base price of Rs 2 crore as he can get up to five times more than that while second highest wicket-taker Avesh Khan has kept it as low as Rs 20 lakh, hoping it can go up by 50 times (Rs 10 crore).

Even not so great T20 performers like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane, at their premium base price, are expected to find takers while someone like an Ambati Rayudu might go in for a good Rs 7 to 8 crore.

Bhuvneshwar Kuma, who is well past his prime, and Kuldeep Yadav, who is coming back, are also expected to get decent, if not handsome, deals.

Watch out for Deepak Hooda, who has upped his game since Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and is now also a capped India player, with a very decent first two ODI games against the Windies.

Warner, de Kock, Rabada, Holder star attractions ============================== David Warner is back in form and expect at least three franchises to empty their coffers for the Australian opener who will grab anything between USD 1.5 to 2 million.

Apart from opening the batting, Warner is among the rare overseas captaincy candidates, having guided Sunrisers to the trophy back in 2016 before an ugly fallout last year.

It is expected that Lucknow Supergiants will bid handsomely for Warner while one candidate who can be the highest overseas buy is West Indies' Jason Holder.

PTI had already reported that RCB is ready to bid up to Rs 12 crore and it can even move up considering he can hit big sixes and is more than a handy medium pacer who has a lot of variations up his sleeve.

His Windies teammates like veteran Dwayne Bravo, along with young bowlers like Odean Smith and Romario Shepherd, are also going to get good deals.

If anyone can match or even beat Holder and Warner for a bigger price tag, it is South African keeper-batter Quinton de kock, who will get multiple bids from franchises.

Delhi Capitals let him go at the expense of Anrich Nortje, who is currently nursing an injury but the GMR-JSW co-owned franchise might want to get Rabada back at any cost but they only have Rs 47.5 crore to buy players. Rabada is also on the wish-list of other franchises including Lucknow.

Watch out for Shahrukh, Nitish, Rahul, Devdutt ============================= Even if M Shahrukh Khan doesn't make his debut on Friday against the West Indies, he will remain one of the most sought after players among the Gen-Next with an auction value of anything between Rs 5 to 8 crore because of a low base price which will inevitably start a bidding war.

Nitish Rana, the left-hander, and Rahul Tripathi, the right-hander, have been proven performers and they will go for much higher bids than the likes of established international stars such as Steven Smith, Jonny Bairstow or for that matter, Eoin Morgan.

Both Nitish and Rahul could go for around Rs 10 crore while someone like Devdutt Padikkal will also be in high demand.

Among the U-19 stars, the only one who can fetch a decent bid from the victorious team is Raj Angad Bawa as he is an all-rounder.

While Yash Dhull can get a bid but the franchises are now smart and know how U-19s can often not be upto the challenge given their past experience with the likes of Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Manjot Kalra and Shivam Mavi.

Among little known domestic players, Yash Thakore, Abhinav Manohar, Mayank Yadav, Ritwick Roy Chowdhury, Abhishek Sharma, and Mujataba Yousuf could all get bids. 

Also Read : India win toss, elect to bat against WI in 3rd ODI

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) After winning the first matches, India will now take on the West Indies for the 3rd and final ODI. India have an opportunity to inflict a whitewash but there is a strong possibility that we see the team make quite a few changes instead of going with the strongest team in search of a whitewash. In the presentation of the 2nd ODI, Rohit Sharma mentioned that he doesn't mind losing 1 or 2 games here and there to try out certain things.

India's possible playing XI:

Rohit Sharma(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul(wk), Surya Kumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Shikhar Dhawan will definitely come back into the side after recovering from Covid. Which batter to leave out is the big question and it could be Rishabh Pant with KL Rahul likely to don the gloves. One of the things Rohit Sharma said before the series was that wanted to try and get Kuldeep and Chahal back together and this match is the best chance to do so. It may finally be the time to hand a debut to Avesh Khan with Mohammed Siraj missing out.

West Indies possible playing XI:

Shai Hope(wk), Brandon King, Shamarah Brooks, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard(c), Jason Holder, Fabian Allen, Alzarri Joseph, Akeal Hossein, Odean Smith, Kemar Roach

Skipper Kieron Pollard missed the last game due to a niggle but should be back in the side. Darren Bravo is likely to be the one that makes way after Odean Smith's brilliant performance in the last game. West Indies have a very deep batting line-up but they don't seem to bat till the end. The middle order has to find a way to stick around which will then give them the opportunity to make use of their batting depth. India on the other hand have ticked all boxes. They did get lucky in the last match with no dew but they need to be prepared for it. The captain that wins the toss will once again look to ball first to take advantage of the possible dew which makes bowling difficult in the 2nd innings. The Windies need a win to carry forward the momentum into the T20Is.

Also read: Auction important as we will be preparing our base for next 5-6 years: RR skipper Samson

Ahmedabad, Feb 10 (Cricket News) The returning Shikhar Dhawan will add more firepower to a ruthless India, who are faced with the problem of plenty, as they eye a clean sweep of West Indies in an inconsequential third ODI here on Friday.

Hosts India head into the final match of the series after having ticked almost all the boxes in the first two games, which they won comfortably.

Senior opener Dhawan was among the four players, including a reserve bowler, who had tested positive for COVID-19 just four days ahead of the start of the ODI leg.

But now that the southpaw is back, the Indian team could be forced to make few changes to its winning combination.

In his absence, the team management opened with Ishan Kishan in the first game and the flamboyant Rishabh Pant in the second.

After his side's 44-run win in the second game on Wednesday, India skipper Rohit Sharma made it clear that Dhawan will be back for the last match of the ODI series.

"We will get Shikhar back for next game, and he needs some game time. It is not always the results. We wanted to try it one game," Rohit had said.

This means that vice-captain KL Rahul would continue to bat in the middle-order along with former skipper Virat Kohli, whose search for his 71st international hundred continues.

The hosts, who were restricted to 237 for nine in the second game, would be keen to post a big score if they again bat first.

Skipper Rohit failed in the last game but it is common knowledge that he can take on any attack on his day, and so is the case with Dhawan.

Pant will go back to the middle-order alongside Suryakumar Yadav, who is likely to retain his place after emerging as the team's highest scorer in the second match following a top-order collapse.

In all probability, all-rounder Deepak Hooda would have to make way for Dhawan in the playing XI.

All the middle-order batters -- be it Pant, Suryakumar, Kohli or KL -- would be keen to get some more runs under their belt and end the ODI leg on a high.

It remains to be seen whether Shreyas Iyer, if available for selection, can make the playing XI or not.

The Indian bowlers dished out a clinical show in the two preceding matches, dismissing their opponents for 176 and 193, respectively.

And with the series sealed, the Indian team management can afford to make few changes and give opportunities to new players.

So, either left-arm orthodox spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who is making a comeback after recovering from an injury, or young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi could get a look-in.

This means that either Yuzvendra Chahal or Washington Sundar could be rested to make way for one of their teammates.

Also, Madhya Pradesh pacer Avesh Khan has been waiting in the wings, and the team management might also give him a game.

With pacer Prasidh Krishna taking four wickets in an excellent second game and Shardul Thakur also among the wickets, it is highly unlikely that the duo would be dropped.

So if Avesh is included, probably Mohammed Siraj would have to make way.

Meanwhile, the West Indies, who have already conceded the series, would be looking to put up an improvised show with the bat and regain some lost ground.

The second ODI was the 11th time in the last 17 games that the West Indies have failed to bat their quota of 50 overs.

Their batters, including skipper Kieron Pollard and senior all-rounder Jason Holder, must put a prize on their wickets.

Apart from the duo of Pollard and Holder, the likes of Shai Hope, Brandon King and the swashbuckling Nicolas Pooran, would also be looking to dig deep and get some runs under their belt.

On the bowling front, West Indies did well to restrict India in the second ODI and would want to continue from where they left.

Pacers Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph and Odean Smith hit the right length, but the role of spinners Fabian Allen and Akeal Hosein is also crucial from the visitors' point of view.

Teams (From): India: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Mayank Agarwal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Shahrukh Khan.

West Indies: Kieron Pollard (captain), Fabian Allen, Nkrumah Bonner, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Nicolas Pooran, Kemar Roach, Romario Shepard, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Match starts at 1.30 PM. 

Also Read : IPL: Here what DC, PBKS and RCB need to do in the auction

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) With the IPL mega auction coming up, let us take a look at what Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore need to do in the auction to win their first IPL trophy and break the trophy drought.

1) Delhi Capitals

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

The DC management did a wonderful job in the last auction as they purchased a plethora of talent and that is the reason why they have been one of the most consistent sides over the last three years. They go into the IPL mega auction with a purse of 47.5 crores. They have the lowest budget among all the teams and subsequently need to fill out 21 slots out of which seven are overseas slots. The DC camp might just go all in for Shikar Dhawan as he has scored 1726 runs in the last three years scoring 12 fifties and two hundreds in the meantime. If they can buy him back, he can fill a big part of that core given his experience of playing in the IPL. Dhawan can provide the much needed calmness and help Rishabh Pant in his captaincy.

One thing Delhi Capital needs to focus on is to buy an Indian fast bowler as they have plenty of options to pick from. The DC management might just target Prasidh Krishna especially after his wonderful start to his international career, they could also target Avesh Khan after his wonderful IPL season he had last year.

2) Punjab Kings 

Retained: Mayank Agarwal, Arshdeep Singh

Punjab have retained the least amount of players and will enter the IPL auction with the largest purse amongst any other teams. The PBKS management will have to target a potential captain to lead this side and finally help this team reach the playoffs. The Punjab franchise over the years have been the most inconsistent side and need to have a good auction to stand any chance in making the playoffs. The Kings need to break their bank on David Warner as not only will he provide the much needed runs up to but also lead the side from the front and use his captain winning experience in the squad.

Steve Smith is most likely going to be low on the radar, especially in T20 cricket and this is a golden opportunity for a team like Punjab to get him as he can be a great candidate for the captaincy role. The Kings can also target Lockie Ferguson as the New Zealand fast bowler has express pace that can rattle the batters and has been impressive in the matches he has played for KKR. Punjab should look to get this player into the team and provide that extra injection of pace that this side has lacked over the years.

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

3) Royal Challengers Bangalore

Retained: Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj

RCB is one more franchise that is in need of a captain after Virat Kohli decided to step down. They too might bid heavily for Shreyas Iyer or David Warner as potential candidates but according to rumours the RCB management want to go all out for Jason Holder and there is an outside possibility that the West Indian all rounder might be their new captain. Holder over the years has become the best all rounder in the world and with his captaincy experience he might be a value for money buy. The other area of focus should be getting a fast bowler who can hit the deck with his pace and a player like Pat Cummins might just fit the bill as he not only brings an abundance of experience but since the T20 World Cup he has been in exceptional form as he will look to bring the same form in the ipl

"For Holder, they have reserved ₹12 crore and another ₹8 crore for Rayudu and ₹7 crore for Parag. If they spend ₹27 crore approximately on these players, they would have another ₹28 crore left. The core with Kohli, Maxwell, Siraj, Holder, Rayudu and Parag will be set. Let's hope they can get two out of the preferred three," a source said.
 

(Cricket news) India defeated a Kieron Pollard-less West Indies by 44 runs to win the ODI series in the process. West Indies won the toss and elected to bowl first purely because of the dew factor but luck shined on India as shockingly there was no dew at all in the 2nd innings. The Windies replaced Pollard with young gun Odean Smith while India welcomed back vice-captain KL Rahul in place of Ishan Kishan. 

Everyone including the West Indies side were shocked to see Rishabh Pant walk out to open the innings alongside his captain. Despite KL Rahul opening the innings in South Africa he was pushed down the order. Rohit Sharma clarified that Pant opening is just an experiment and not something permanent. The trick didn't work out that well as both Pant and Sharma were dismissed cheaply. Odean Smith and Kemar Roach gave the West Indies a perfect start as India were struggling for 43/3 after 12 overs.

KL Rahul and Surya Kumar Yadav came to the rescue and put together 101 runs to get out of a precarious situation. Rahul was run-out on 49 after a terrible misunderstanding but the innings was another proof that his future in ODIs lies batting in the middle order as his numbers have been extraordinary at that position. Surya Kumar Yadav played a crucial knock of 64 runs before being dismissed by Fabian Allen. Deepak Hooda played a nice little cameo and batted with the tail to get India to a respectable total. India finished at 237/9 with Odean Smith and Alzarri Joseph picking up 2 wickets while Jason Holder, Akeal Hossein, Kemar Roach and Fabian Allen got one scalp each.

Rohit Sharma once again came with a surprise as he decided to open the bowling with Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur and used Prasidh Krishna as the first change. That did the trick as West Indies openers had got off to a great start but Krishna came in to bowl and picked up 2 wickets in quick succession. He ended up with match winning figures of 4/12 off 9 overs and won the Player of the Match award. Shai Hope, Shamarah Brooks, Akeal Hossein and Odean Smith all played small cameos but none of them could play the big innings to win the game for their side.

In the end it was a 48-run victory but the match was a lot closer than that purely because of West Indies having batting till number 9. Indian management would be pleased to see the 6th bowler Deepak Hooda get some overs. Shardul Thakur bowled two excellent bouncers to get two wickets while Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar and Deepak Hooda got a wicket each. With the series already won, India may look to give a few other players chances in the side. Rohit Sharma said in the presentation that Shikhar Dhawan needs some game time and will come back in the next game. Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Avesh Khan and Deepak Chahar are all waiting on the bench.

Also read: Would the selectors be right in dropping Wriddhiman Saha from the Test squad?

New Delhi, Feb 9 (Cricket News) Ishant Sharma is set to skip the Ranji Trophy, Wriddhiman Saha has already withdrawn and the path does not seem too easy for Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane -- has the long due transition phase kicked in for India's Test team? By the look of it, the wheels of change seem to have been set in motion keeping the upcoming home Test series against Sri Lanka in mind as Ishant's Ranji pullout also puts a huge question mark on his international future.

It is understood that even Pujara and Rahane, who are playing Ranji Trophy, will have to score more than just a stray century to be in reckoning as their bad patch has been a prolonged one and one good innings might not undo the damage that has already been done.

The 33-year-old Ishant is the most experienced player in the current Indian Test set-up with 105 Test matches and 311 wickets in his kitty but has gone off the boil since the tour of England.

On Wednesday, Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) selection committee met to pick the Ranji squad and despite the selectors as well as office bearers trying to get in touch with Ishant, they were unable to get a confirmation on his availability till evening.

"As and when, if he tells he wants to play, he will be included as he is a Delhi legend. but I don't know what has happened to him since he has been incommunicado for the last week. He hasn't come for Ranji team's practice sessions. We don't know what's on his mind," a senior DDCA selector said.

"We don't know if the Indian team management has told him something which may have led to a change in his mind-set," he added, rather confused.

The writing was on the wall when Ishant wasn't even considered among the top five pacers who played the three Tests in South Africa.

"Just like Wriddhi, even Ishant has got feelers that his India career might just be over. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj are now India's No 1, 2 and 3 in priority list when all are fit," a senior BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

"Then comes Shardul Thakur, who is an all-rounder and Umesh Yadav was choice No.5," he added.

Against Sri Lanka, India plays two Tests at Mohali and Bengaluru where the two pacers would be Shami and Bumrah (if both are fit) and the third will be Siraj.

It doesn't make sense to take a senior bowler like Ishant and make him carry drinks when an Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna or Ishan Porel can get good exposure.

India, in 2022, play three more Test matches -- two in Bangladesh and one in England which is part of the 2021 series.

Save the Test against England where they might think of fielding four pacers, Ishant is unlikely to fit into the scheme of things.

He played against New Zealand in Kanpur but looked pedestrian for the better part. In Mumbai, an injury was cited as reason for his ouster even though he was seen bowling at lunch time every day.

It is understood that he didn't bowl well enough in the nets in South Africa to be considered for selection in top five.

Time running out for Rahane-Pujara duo ========================= The only two people who have got a bit of grace period are Rahane and Pujara, who have had a dry run for two years.

If youngsters like Hanuma Vihari (a possible No.3) and the talented Shubman Gill (No.5) need to be settled in their new roles, it should start with the Sri Lanka series.

That initiation will ensure that they carry on deep into the World Test Championship's second cycle.

Somewhere, the new team management under Rahul Dravid's stewardship needs to take a few tough calls but it would also depend on what the new Test captain (in all likelihood Rohit Sharma) also feels about the future of these two seniors.

They are sure-shot selections against Sri Lanka but in their case, the team management wants them to play Ranji Trophy which means that if they can score heavily over a period of time, there is a chance of a comeback.

Unlike Ishant and Saha, who seem to have played their last Tests respectively.

For Rahane and Pujara, the Ranji Trophy begins with the two squaring off against each other and they would like to give their everything to keep their places in the team. 

Also Read : Rohit retains 3rd spot but closes in on No. 2 Kohli in ICC ODI batting rankings

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Navdeep Saini have joined Indian team training ahead of the 2nd ODI in Ahmedabad. India convincingly won the 1st and a similar performance would seal the series for them. West Indies on the other hand have to bat longer. The intent of their middle order batters in the last game was questionable.  

India's Possible Playing XI:

Rohit Sharma(c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Surya Kumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Vice captain KL Rahul will return to the side, the only question is what position will he bat at. Rahul may open the batting again as both Surya Kumar Yadav and Deepak Hooda played good knocks in the last match. Shardul Thakur went wicketless in the last game and could be dropped for this one. Deepak Chahar is the like for like replacement but considering the amount of turn the pitch had to offer India may play a 3rd spinner in Kuldeep Yadav. Avesh Khan, Deepak Chahar, Ravi Bishnoi and Sharudl Thakur complete the bench.

West Indies possible playing XI:

Shai Hope(wk), Brandon King, Darren Bravo, Shamarah Brooks, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard(c), Jason Holder, Fabian Allen, Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, Akeal Hossein 

It wouldn't be a surprise to see West Indies retain the same line-up as the combination of the team is good but the performance has to improve. Their bowling was good in the last game considering the short target India had to chase. The middle order in particular needs to stick around for a lot longer even if the runs come at a slower rate.

Weather & Pitch report:

As seen in the last game there was a lot of turn on offer which may tempt India to add another wrist spinner in addition to Chahal. It will be a sunny day with temperature around 25° C. The dew will affect the game more than the pitch itself as bowling will be very difficult in the 2nd innings which makes the toss very important. The captain that wins the toss will definitely be bowling first to then try and chase against the bowlers who will be troubled by the dew. India are clear favourites but West Indies will look to come back strongly. India needs to capitalise on the game and not let this one slip. 

Also read: Australia name 18-man Test squad for Pakistan tour

Ahmedabad, Feb 8 (Cricket News) Focus will be on vice-captain K L Rahul's batting position on his return from a short break as a buoyant India aim for another demolition act against the West Indies in the second ODI to seal the three-match series here on Wednesday.

The India spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar ran riot as they shot out West Indies for a meagre 176 and then skipper Rohit Sharma bossed the chase with a blistering 60, as the hosts recorded an easy six-wicket win in the lung-opener at the Motera.

Infused with new energy under Rohit, India looked a completely overhauled unit after being whitewashed in South Africa and the team would certainly want to continue from where it left of on Sunday night.

The biggest positive for India is that Rohit, who had missed the South Africa series due to a hamstring injury, was in brilliant form on comeback.

He would be raring to take the listless West Indies attack to cleaners once again. Ditto for Ishan Kishan, who opened with Rohit in the first ODI, and did a decent job with a 36-ball 28.

But with Rahul being available from this game onwards, it remains to be seen whether the wristy Karnataka batter opens along with the skipper or plays in the middle order on a relatively slow track. Rahul skipped the first ODI for a personal engagement.

If he opens the batting, then Jharkhand dasher Kishan will have to make way for the senior batter.

If Rahul bats in the middle order then debutant Deepak Hooda, who played his part to perfection in the first game with an unbeaten 26 off 32 deliveries, might have to sit out as the team cannot afford to tinker with the rest of the middle-order comprising heavyweights Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav.

The game is also crucial for Kohli, who is enduring a lean patch and would like to get that 71st hundred that has been in waiting for over two years.

The hosts, if they bat first, would certainly also like to set a target, as they build up for next year's World Cup.

On the bowling front, India dished out a clinical show as the spin duo of Chahal and Washington ran through an unimpressive West Indies line-up.

The team management is unlikely to make any changes to the bowling attack.

But it remains to be seen if one of the two tweakers is dropped and left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who is also waiting in the wings, makes his way into the playing XI.

The West Indies, on the other hand, will look to forget the hammering and eye improved show in an all the departments, especially batting.

Sunday was the 10th time in the last 16 games that West Indies failed to bat a full 50 overs.

The Kieron Pollard-led side needs to get that aspect sorted and as pointed out by experienced all-rounder Jason Holder, the batters need to put a bigger prize on their wicket.

"We got to dig deeper. I don't think we are too far off to be fair. Our top-order just needs to go a little deeper, put a heavier prize on their wicket, and just get themselves a really good chance," Holder had said.

The team from the Caribbean also possesses hard-hitters including Nicolas Pooran and Pollard and can take any good attack to the cleaners. They would be hoping that Wednesday would be that day.

Their bowlers, save Alzarri Joseph, were taken to task by the Indian batters, especially Rohit, and they would like to come afresh and bowl in the right areas.

Teams (From): India: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Mayank Agarwal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Shahrukh Khan.

West Indies: Kieron Pollard (captain), Fabian Allen, Nkrumah Bonner, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Nicolas Pooran, Kemar Roach, Romario Shepard, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Match starts at 1.30 PM. 

Also Read : Gillespie not interested in Australia head coach job, says Langer's exit was 'heartbreaking'

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India defeated West Indies by 6 wickets with 22 runs to spare. The men in blue managed to mark India's 1000th ODI with a dominant victory. Yuzvendra Chahal was named the player of the match for his 4/49 in 9.5 overs. Chahal also took his 100th ODI wicket in the process. It was also the beginning of the Rohit Sharma era as he captained India for the first time as permanent ODI captain.

After winning the toss Rohit Sharma elected to bowl first mainly because of the dew factor which makes bowling very difficult in the 2nd innings. West Indies were bowled out for just 176 runs with only Jason Holder crossing the 50 run mark. Indian bowlers proved to be too good for them. Mohammed Siraj got the first wicket in the form of Shai Hope. Chahal picked up 4 wickets while Washington Sundar and Prasidh Krishna got 3 and 2 scalps each. 

Rohit Sharma captained the side exceedingly well as his bowling rotations and field placements worked out really well. His move to bring on Washington Sundar in the power play worked wonders as Sundar picked up 2 wickets in the 12th over itself. He also had 3 successful reviews which is always a positive sign. Virat Kohli pretty much looked involved in the game with his advice during DRS and with field changes as well which is incredible news for India.

The spinners were big positives in the innings. The pitch had a lot of turn even for Sundar who usually isn't a sharp turner of the ball. The finger spinner had a very successful comeback into the side but didn't get a chance to bat which will be a big part of his contributions in the future. Yuzvendra Chahal was the pick of the bowlers and had a visible change in style. He bowled a lot quicker through the air and would often bowl side-on to get the extra pace which paid off. He bowled a wonderful googly to clean bowl Kieron Pollard on his very first ball.

The Windies batters never looked set on the crease apart from Holder who scored a 57 off 71. The skipper Pollard perhaps made the biggest error as he tried to hard through the covers on his very first ball and was clean bowled by Chahal's wrong one. Fabian Allen also showed that he can be useful with the Willow as his 68 run partnership with Holder put a respectable total on board.

Indian batting didn't have much pressure as the target was a small one. Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan got off to a great start as the Indian skipper scored 60 runs off just 50 balls. Virat Kohli came in with the clear intention of scoring quick as he got 2 boundaries in his first 2 balls and crossed 5000 ODI runs in India in the process. He pulled the 4th ball and was caught at fine leg. Alzarri Joseph picked up the wickets of India's top 3 and also inflected Rishabh Pant's run-out. Surya Kumar Yadav and debutant Deepak Hooda were composed enough as they took India over the line.

India could wrap up the series in the next where there could be a few changes if any of the 3 COVID-19 positive players recovers. West Indies need to change their approach more than anything as they once again failed to bat 50 overs. The toss will once again be crucial because the dew in the 2nd innings will make the bowling extremely hard.
 

Also read: Langer says his respect for values might have been taken as 'too intense' by some

Ahmedabad, Feb 5 (Cricket News) Opener Ishan Kishan and hard-hitting Tamil Nadu batter Shahrukh Khan were on Saturday added to the Indian squad for the first ODI against West Indies to be played here on Sunday.

“The All-India Senior Selection Committee has added Ishan Kishan and Shahrukh Khan to India’s squad for the first ODI against the West Indies to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a media release.

Earlier in the day, skipper Rohit Sharma had already confirmed that Kishan would open the batting with him when the hosts take field on Sunday at the ‘Motera’.

"Ishan Kishan is the only option we have and he will open with me," Rohit said on the eve of the series-opener.

"Mayank (Agarwal) was added to the squad and he is still in isolation. He came (joined) late and we have some rules in place. If someone is travelling, we have to put them in (mandatory 3-day) quarantine. He has still not finished his quarantine, so Ishan will open the innings,” elaborated Rohit.

The 23-year-old Kishan has played two ODIs, from which he has scored 60 runs with 59 as his best score. The southpaw has also featured in five T20Is from which he has scored 113 runs.

Kishan was also a prominent member for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.

The 26-year-old Chennai-born Shahrukh, known for his abilities to finish games, is a right-handed batter. He has played 33 ‘List A’ games from which he has scored 737 runs.

Indian Squad for the 1st ODI: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Ishan Kishan, Shahrukh Khan. 

Also Read : England win toss, elect to bat in U-19 World Cup final against India

(Cricket news) After a disappointing 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series, India begin the white ball series at home against the West Indies. The Windies just defeated England 3-2 in a T20I series while they lost 2-1 in their last ODI series against Ireland. India desperately needs this victory but the Covid outbreak will make it more difficult. Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shikhar Dhawan have been tested positive along with a few members of the staff and stand by player Navdeep Saini. Mayank Agarwal and Ishan Kishan who were originally not a part of the squad were added.

India's Possible Playing XI:
Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Surya Kumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal.

The Covid outbreak leaves India short of options especially in the middle order. Despite the addition of Agarwal, Rohit Sharma confirmed in a press conference that Ishan Kishan will open the batting. Washington Sundar should bring the team much needed balance. Deepak Hooda will act as a very handy 6th bowling option. Kuldeep Yadav might have to wait a while for his return to the side. Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi and Sharudl Thakur complete the bench.

West Indies possible playing XI:
Shai Hope(wk), Brandon King, Shamarah Brooks, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard(c), Jason Holder, Fabian Allen, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Alzarri Joseph, Akeal Hossein 

Jason Holder will have a very important role to play with both bat and ball. West Indies will try a new opening combination this series as Justin Greaves who opened against Ireland is not in the squad. The biggest advantage West Indies have is the amount of proper All-rounders they have. 

Weather and Pitch report:
In the infamous Test matches against England that were played in Motera stadium, the pitch was a rank turner. This time around it might not turn as much but it will turn for sure. It will be a clear sunny day with the weather being on the cooler side which makes it excellent conditions to play cricket. 

The home advantage makes India favourites but the Windies cannot be taken lightly. The Indian side have to win this series and the pressure is now on Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma. The visitors will definitely fancy their chances of a victory considering that India is neither at full strength nor in good form.
 

Also read: Hayden, Johnson slam players, Cricket Australia after Langer's resignation as head coach

Ahmedabad, Feb 5 (Cricket News) Rohit Sharma's presence as the new leader, with a fresh template to arrest the familiar 'middle-order muddle', is exactly what the Indian team needs while ushering in a new era, which will begin with the ODI series against the West Indies, beginning here on Sunday.

After a rude reality check against a weak South African side in the away series, India are now back in familiar settings with a new ODI captain in Rohit, who will team up with illustrious Rahul Dravid and strive to get India back to winning ways.

The series-opener is historic 1000th ODI for India, who would like to begin their preparations for the 2023 World Cup after failing to win the coveted trophy in 2015 and 2019, and the team will indeed look at a paradigm shift in strategy.

The 'Rohit-Dravid' duo over the course of the next few months will underline the 'Men in Blue's' philosophy in the 50-over format after it became clear that some rejigging is needed as a part of course correction.

Thus, the series beginning Sunday would be the perfect platform to focus on setting their struggling middle-order right.

Firstly, skipper Rohit, one of the finest white-ball exponents, will have to lead from the front.

With KL Rahul unavailable in the first game, and other specialist openers Shikhar Dhawan and Ruturaj Gaikwad both testing COVID-19 positive, it is in all likelihood that Mayank Agarwal, who was added to the squad, would open with Rohit.

However whether Agarwal will be straight be thrown into a match without training session due to quarantine is another question, specially when Ishan Kishan is also in the mix.

Rohit on his day can take any attack to cleaners and the West Indies', rather inexperienced one, would be no exception and ditto for Mayank.

In the series against South Africa, save Rishabh Pant's knock in the second game, the middle-order crumbled on all the three occasions and the need of the hour is to have impactful players in it.

With Shreyas Iyer not available for the series, there is a chance for aggressive Suryakumar Yadav and equally formidable Deepak Hooda, who has had a decent outing in the last Vijay Hazare Trophy, to impress the national selectors.

Apart from two, a lot will depend on how Virat Kohli performs.

India had tried rookie Venkatesh Iyer in an unfamiliar middle-order position in South Africa, but the experiment didn't work.

In terms of bowling, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, is back to the ODI squad, and would most probably be in the playing XI along with his seasoned partner Yuzvendra Chahal.

The 27-year-old Kuldeep played his last ODI against Sri Lanka in July 2021, and recently recovered after undergoing a surgery.

But the team management has included young Jodhpur-born googly bowler Ravi Bishnoi in the squad, and it would be interesting to see if he gets a game right away.

In the absence of key pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, who have been rested, the bowling unit is expected to be led by 'Palghar Express' Shardul Thakur, who shone in the Johannesburg Test against South Africa.

It is the best chance for Thakur, whose prowess with the bat was on display in the ODI series against the Proteas, to cement his place in the side.

Also, along with him, the series provides a chance for young bowlers like Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar, Prasidh Krishna and Avesh Khan to step up and stake a permanent claim with two years left for the World Cup.

Meanwhile, West Indies would come into the context after their confidence boosting T20 series win over England, although the format is entirely different.

The team from the Caribbean possess a power-hitter Nicholas Pooran, who can turn the game on its head. He would also look to impress the franchises before the IPL auction.

He would however need support from others.

Also, the role of skipper Kieron Pollard and experienced all-rounder Jason Holder could be the difference on a day.

Pollard and his men would be more than keen to spoil India's party in their marquee clash.

Teams (From): India: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Mayank Agarwal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan.

West Indies: Kieron Pollard (Captain), Fabian Allen, Nkrumah Bonner, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Nicolas Pooran, Kemar Roach, Romario Shepard, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Match starts at 1.30 PM. 

Also Read : India need firepower in middle-order, finalise batting positions ahead of ODI world Cup: Agarkar 

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India will play the first ODI against West Indies on 6th February. The men in blue have had a Covid outbreak as Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shreyas Iyer were tested positive along with 3 members of staff and standby player Navdeep Saini. India will field the team with the limited options they have. Officially only Mayank Agarwal has been added to the squad but there are reports about Ishan Kishan entering the bio bubble as well. Vice captain KL Rahul is unavailable for the 1st game but will be back for the 2nd and the 3rd.

India's ideal playing XI:

Rohit Sharma - The opening batter is fit and will play his first game as India's permanent ODI captain. India did miss his presence in the South Africa series. Rohit Sharma will be very crucial at the top of the order even more now that he is the captain.

Mayank Agarwal - Shikhar Dhawan and Ruturaj Gaikwad who were the two openers in the squad have tested positive for COVID-19. Mayank Agarwal was called in as a replacement and should open the batting. There have been reports of Ishan Kishan being added to the squad but there is no confirmation while Agarwal's addition is official. KL Rahul is unavailable for the 1st game but will be back for the 2nd so it would be safe to assume that whoever out of Agarwal and Kishan play is likely to be given just one opportunity.

Virat Kohl i- Even though Virat Kohli is said to be out of form he scored two half centuries against South Africa. The standards that he has set for himself demand more from him. Kohli looked good in patches against the Proteas but not his usual self. It is important for India to get Kohli back to his best and this series will be a big tester for the same.

Rishabh Pant - The Gloveman played a very good knock in the 2nd ODI against South Africa but then threw his wicket away in the 3rd match. Pant has a point to prove that he can convert starts into big knocks and finish the games. He could be pushed down the order in this series to switch things up.

Suryakumar Yadav - After sitting out the first two games against South Africa, Yadav came in for the 3rd. Although he only got 39, he is one player who deserves more chances in the 50 over format. With Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul out of contention Yadav's place in the side is pretty much guaranteed.

Deepak Hooda - Deepak Hooda is all set to make his international debut. After a tough year where he was banned by his state team of Baroda, the all-rounder switched alliances and had a good season playing for Rajasthan. Hooda is likely to bat lower down the order and his off spin will also come in very handy as the 6th bowling option. 

Washington Sundar - Sundar is back in the squad and with Jadeja's absence he should be brought straight back into the side. There is a chance that India play with either Shardul Thakur or Deepak Chahar, Sundar is definitely a better fit. He is definitely a 10 over bowler and can bat higher up the order if needed.

Deepak Chahar - Chahar should be rewarded for his performance in the last ODI in South Africa. It will be difficult for both Chahar and Shardul Thakur to play in the side together because of their similar traits but Chahar should be given the edge.

Mohammed Siraj - Siraj didn't get a single game in South Africa but now that Jasprit Bumrah is rested and Bhuvneshwar Kumar dropped, Siraj is ahead in the pecking order while Avesh Khan is the other option. Siraj is on the right path to make himself an all format bowler.

Prasidh Krishna - Prasidh got a chance to play in the last ODI against the Proteas and picked up 3 wickets. His performance in his debut ODI series against England was also a good one. The seamer is surely one to watch in the ODI formats and can slowly turn himself into an all format bowler.

Yuzvendra Chahal - The wrist spinner position has a lot of competition with Kuldeep Yadav back in the squad and Ravi Bishnoi getting his maiden call-up. India should stick with Chahal and back him at least in this series. It is difficult to see Kul-Cha return to the side without a fast bowling all-rounder but Chahal on his own could be dangerous as well.

Bench - Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan.
 

Also read: Here's why the return of Kul-Cha is more complicated than it seems at this point

(Cricket news) After a disappointing whitewash against South Africa, India will now face West Indies in a 3 match ODI series. BCCI have named the 18-man squad for the series with major changes. All 3 matches will be played at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad.  

Squad:

Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (WK), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan.

This will be Rohit Sharma's first ODI series as the permanent captain. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have been rested to manage their workload. Ravindra Jadeja is unavailable due to injury, so is Axar Patel who will be back for the T20s. KL Rahul is unavailable for the 1st ODI but will be back for the 2nd. There has been a big overhaul to the squad that lost 3-0 against South Africa.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are the obvious candidates to be dropped after a disappointing outing in South Africa. Jayant Yadav and Navdeep Saini who were injury replacements in South Africa have been dropped straight away. Ishan Kishan, who wasn't given a chance to play in South Africa has been dropped while Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is yet to make his debut finds a place in the team but is dropped from the T20Is.

Surprisingly Venkatesh Iyer hasn't been backed and is dropped. He was poor with the bat in the two games he played against South Africa and got to bowl only in the 2nd match. After playing just two ODIs, the Indian side looks to have moved on from Iyer or it could just be a temporary thing to try something different. The good news for Iyer is that he is a part of the T20I squad.

Washington Sundar, who missed the South Africa series due to Covid is back in the squad. Kuldeep Yadav is back in the ODI squad straight away after recovering from his knee injury. Avesh Khan, Deepak Hooda and Ravi Bishnoi earn their maiden ODI call-ups. Despite rumors, Rishi Dhawan is not in the squad. Dhawan was the 2nd highest run scorer and the 2nd highest wicket taker in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare trophy. He was also the captain of the eventual winners Himachal Pradesh. His selection would have made perfect sense as he is a proper fast bowling all rounder which India is missing. 

There are some very bold decisions in the squad which were needed considering the poor performance in South Africa. The series could see the return of spin twins Kul-Cha (Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal) at least for the time being.  

Also read: Big calls in India's T20I squad for West Indies series

(Cricket news) BCCI have announced the 18-man squad for the 3-match T20I series West Indies. All 3 games will be played at the Eden Gardens. India will properly begin their preparations for the T20I World Cup in Australia later this year. India's last series was the 3-0 win against New Zealand right after the T20I World Cup.

Squad:

Rohit Sharma(C), KL Rahul (VC), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk),Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel

Virat Kohli and Shardul Thakur, who were rested in the New Zealand series are back in the squad. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are once again rested while Ravindra Jadeja is still not match fit. Ravi Bishnoi has earned his maiden call up while Washington Sundar is back after his injury. Venkatesh Iyer and Bhuvneshwar Kumar keep their place in the squad despite being dropped from the ODI squad.

Ravichandran Ashwin is dropped presumably due to his poor performance in the two ODIs against South Africa. He had a decent World Cup and performed well in the New Zealand series as well. It is now very clear that the selectors want to keep Ashwin exclusively for red ball as Washington Sundar is the primary off spinner in both the white ball squads. The question is that if Ashwin is dropped due to poor performance in the ODIs against South Africa why isn't the same done with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Axar Patel will be available for the T20Is and not for the ODIs.

IPL orange cap winner Ruturaj Gaikwad is axed from the squad without being given a chance in the team. The selectors clearly want Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan to be the openers with Virat Kohli as the 4th option. It’s a very harsh call on Gaikwad who despite being called up in the T20s against New Zealand and the ODIs against South Africa is yet to make his international debut. He has been retained in the ODI squad and could get a chance against the West Indies.

Despite rumors, Shah Rukh Khan hasn't been called up as India still lacks a genuine finisher who bats at 6 or 7 for his IPL team. Overall the selectors have made a few big calls in the squad. The intention of trying to improve the white ball situation must start from the selection and so it has. While the choices are bold, they could work in the long run. The Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid era is about to go in full flow with a very busy calendar coming up for India.

Also read: Malinga appointed as specialist bowling coach for Sri Lanka's Australia tour
 

New Delhi, Jan 26 (Cricket News) Young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi was on Wednesday rewarded with a maiden India call-up for the upcoming Twenty20 series against the West Indies, while senior wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav also returned to the white-ball setup after a knee surgery.

Skipper Rohit Sharma on the day cleared his fitness test and as reported by PTI on January 17, was back in-charge for the series that starts with ODIs in Ahmedabad from February 6.

Among senior players, Ravichandran Ashwin has been dropped from the white-ball team, while Washington Sundar, who missed the South Africa series due to COVID-19, was back in the squad.

"Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami have been rested from the series," BCCI secetary Jay Shah was quoted as saying in a press release.

While Ashwin is believed to be injured and out for six weeks, BCCI statement didn't mention his injury status so it can be concluded that even if he is fit, he wouldn't have been picked after an indifferent white-ball series in South Africa.

The other notable comeback has been Baroda batter Deepak Hooda, who had changed states and did wonderfully well for Rajasthan in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well as Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Hooda is being looked as a potential finisher in shorter formats and for now in the ODI team. He was part of the Nidahas Trophy squad in Sri Lanka four seasons back but didn't get a game.

"If you go and look at Hooda's performances in white-ball cricket this season, most of his runs have come when the team has been in trouble. That shows he can take pressure. The selectors would like to see more of M Shahrukh Khan, who is a good talent. There are a lot of matches and if he has a good IPL, who knows, he will be right there," a BCCI source informed PTI on condition of anonymity.

However it is understood that Himachal Pradesh captain Rishi Dhawan wasn't in consideration as his bowling is friendly medium pace and can't be seen as a finisher in white-ball cricket.

It is also learnt that vice-captain KL Rahul will be available from the second ODI onwards as he is set to miss the first 50-over game due to personal reasons.

"Ravindra Jadeja is undergoing his final stage of recovery post his knee injury and will not be available for the ODIs and T20Is. Axar Patel will be available for the T20Is," Shah added.

Bishnoi has been one of the finds of the Indian Premier League for the Punjab outfit and has been picked up by new franchise Lucknow Super Giants from the drafts for the next IPL. In 42 T20 games, he has 49 wickets at a great economy rate of 6.63. In 17 List A games, he has 24 wickets and an economy rate of 5.48.

He primarily bowls googlies which is his stock delivery and occasionally bowls leg-breaks. With Kuldeep, Yuzvendra Chahal and Bishnoi, India is again going back to the trusted formula of wrist spin which gave them lot of success between 2017 to 2019.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been dropped from the ODI squad but retained for the T20Is while former skipper Virat Kohli featured in both the teams.

It is understood that Kuldeep, who had lost his mojo in the Kohli-Ravi Shastri era, has been called back as the current team management and selectors feel that he has the X-factor to contribute to the team's cause.

He underwent a knee surgery in September last year.

Avesh Khan and Harshal Patel, who were part of the New Zealand T20 Internationals are predictably back as reported by PTI.

The six-match series against the West Indies will feature three ODIs starting in Ahmedabad from February 6, followed by as many T20 Internationals in Kolkata.

Due to COVID-19 protocols, the BCCI has curtailed the number of venues from six cities to two.

ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel. 

Also Read : Dravid will bring lot to table but it's more about man-management than coaching: Warne

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 25 (Cricket News) India's white-ball captain Rohit Sharma is "fit" and ready to lead the side against the West Indies in a six-match white-ball series starting February 6 with the three ODIs in Ahmedabad.

However, the team selection meeting, which is set to happen this week, will be an interesting one as some senior players like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravichandran Ashwin, after their indifferent performance against South Africa in their 0-3 ODI series defeat, will come under the scanner.

But Rohit is ready to lead the side after a left hamstring injury ruled him out of the South Africa tour. The T20 matches against the Caribbean team are set to be held from February 16 to 20 in Kolkata.

"Rohit is fit and available for the series against the West Indies," a senior BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

"By the time, the West Indies series starts, it will be more than seven and half weeks of rehabilitation and recuperation for Rohit.

"He is already training in Mumbai and is expected to be in Bangalore for the fitness test and get a formal okay from the National Cricket Academy," the source informed.

Rohit set to be named Test captain too ======================== It is almost certain that for the time being, Rohit will be named the Test captain although BCCI will be looking at other options considering his workload and the responsibility that comes with leading India in two back-to-back World Cups in 2022 and 2023.

It is understood that KL Rahul's first stint as captain hasn't gone as per expectations and for now, he will have to remain an apprentice under Rohit till he is seen to be ready to lead the national team in near future.

Under Rahul, India lost all four international games in South Africa and for men who matter in Indian cricket, he hasn't exactly come across as a proactive captain.

It is understood that Rahul's performance as Lucknow Super Giants captain will be keenly monitored during this edition of the IPL.

Hardik Pandya's comeback ================ Hardik Pandya has been bowling in the nets and even though it is not clear whether he can bowl full tilt but Venkatesh Iyer's relative inexperience at No.6 and Rahul Dravid's admission that the colourful Baroda man was missed, can pave the way for his comeback against the West Indies.

"You have to remember after the T20 World Cup, Hardik was dropped and not rested because of his fitness. The selectors wanted to send him a message after his underwhelming show at World T20 but he is too good a player to be kept out for long.

"If not against West Indies, then he will surely be back against Sri Lanka," the source added.

Ravindra Jadeja also seems to be close to attaining full fitness and will play either against West Indies or in the next assignment against Sri Lanka.

Bumrah might be rested =============== Jasprit Bumrah's workload management is paramount for this current Indian team and there is a possibility that he might be rested for the six matches.

This is after Bumrah played all six games in South Africa which, which included three Tests and three 50-over games, and sent down the highest number of overs (104.5 overs in Tests and 30 in ODIs).

However, Bhuvneshwar, whose form has tapered off, might be dropped while Ashwin might get one more series as the South Africa white-ball leg was his comeback in ODIs.

The likes of Avesh Khan and Harshal Patel could once again make it to the T20 team. 

Also Read : Morgan looking for rejuvenation along with captaincy record in 3rd T20

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 22 (Cricket News) India batter Shreyas Iyer and spinner Yuzvendra Chahal along with Australoan dasher David Warner are expected to be the top draws as over 1,200 players registered themselves for the Indian Premier League mega auction scheduled for next month.

Apart from Shreyas and Chahal, the 10 teams are likely to be involved in bidding war for Indian players like senior opener Shikhar Dhawan, batter Ishan Kishan, the pace duo of Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar, the top two wicket takers of the last edition Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan, spinner Rahul Chahar and all-rounder Washington Sundar.

The above bunch of Indian players is expected to attract anywhere between Rs 7 to 15 crores (between USD 1 to 2 million) Among foreign players, Warner, South African Kagiso Rabada are likely to fetch big bucks along with England's Mark Wood, Australia's Mitchell Marsh, New Zealand's Trent Boult and Pat Cummins. Veterans Faf du Plessis and Dwayne Bravo could still keep their franchise Chennai Super Kings interested.

"Total of 1,214 players (896 Indian and 318 overseas players) have signed up to be part of the IPL 2022 Player Auction," the IPL said in a statement on Saturday.

The two-day mega auction is slated to be held in Bengaluru on the February 12 and 13.

This is the initial list of players. All 10 teams will be sent the following which will the franchises will revert with the names of the players they are interested in.

The list will then be pruned for the auction.

A total of 33 players have been retained/picked ahead of the Player Auction. The existing eight IPL Franchises have retained a total of 27 players, including MS Dhoni by Chennai Super Kings, Rohit Sharma by Mumbai Indians and Virat Kohli by Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The two new IPL teams have picked six players with Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul being named captain of the Ahmedabad and Lucknow franchise respectively.

Some of other other big names retained include Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Kane Williamson, Jos Buttler and Glenn Maxwell to name a few.

The big names to miss out are Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Mitchell Strac, Sam Curran and Chris Gayle.

First player registeration from Bhutan ======================== More than 200 players who have registered are capped international players, while 62 uncapped foreign players have also thrown their hat into the ring.

An unnamed player from Bhutan has registered for the lucrative league while a record number of 14 cricketers from USA have signed up for the auction.

Australia tops the overseas list with 59 players while 48 cricketers from South African have also put forth their names.

West Indies (41), Sri Lanka (36), England (30), New Zealand (29) and Afghanistan (20) are some of the other countries from where numerous players have registered their names.

There is also representation from Namibia (5), Nepal (15), Netherlands (1), Oman (3), Scotland (1), Zimbabwe (2), Ireland (3) and UAE (1). 

Also Read : Indian bowlers disappoint once again as South Africa seal ODI series win

News Source : PTI

Jaipur, Dec 19 (Cricket News) Experienced Akshdeep Nath's stroke-filed 78 and a responsible unbeaten 58 by Rinku Singh formed the cornerstone of Uttar Pradesh's five-wicket win over Madhya Pradesh in the pre-quarter-final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy here on Sunday.

With the win, Uttar Pradesh qualified for the quarter-finals of the national ODI championship and will now take on Himachal on December 21.

First, despite Shubham Sharma's responsible 83, Madhya Pradesh were bundled out for a sub-par 234 as UP bowlers wreaked havoc on their lower order.

Nath then anchored the chase and Rinku gave the finishing touches as they saw their side home.

Put into bat at the Jaipuria Vidhyalaya ground here, Madhya Pradesh was teetering at 0/1 after ace speedster Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/46) castled opener Abhishek Bhandari (0) in the first over.

Rameez Khan (35 off 68 balls) and in-form Shubham Sharma (83 off 99 balls) then rallied the innings with their 73-run stand for the second wicket.

The duo took on the Uttar Pradesh attack with gusto, while Rameez hammered four fours, Sharma's patient knock was laced with 10 boundaries.

When it looked like the duo would score big, Khan was run-out in the 20th over, with MP poised at 73/2.

Sharma then found an able ally in experienced campaigner Rajat Patidar (46 off 49 balls; 3x4; 1x6) as the duo then conjured 78 runs for the third wicket and rallied the innings.

While Sharma was the cynosure of eyes and toyed with the UP attack, Patidar, who came two-down, played his part to perfection.

However, Shivam Sharma (1/47) castled Shubham in the 34th over to bring his side back into the game.

The UP bowlers then did not allow MP batters to settle down and grabbed quick wickets of Patidar and Venkatesh Iyer (30) as MP slipped to 204/5.

MP suffered a lower order collapse as they lost the last five wickets for meagre 30 runs and were eventually shot out for 234.

Chasing 235, UP was reeling at 7/2 as pacer Avesh Khan (2/47) struck in the fifth over. Opener Madhav Kaushik (29; 6x4) also wasn't able to convert his start and became medium pacer Venkatesh Iyer’s (1/40) only scalp.

Sameer Rizvi (38) and experienced Aksh Deep Nath, who hit seven boundaries and a six, then took the game deep with their 58-run stand for the fourth wicket. But Patidar ran out Rizvi as UP slipped to 101/4.

However, Nath was going strong from one end and was then well-supported by 24-year-old left-handed batter Rinku Singh, who hit five boundaries.

The duo added 97 runs for the fifth wicket and took the game away from MP. Once Nath fell in the 45th over, it was up to Rinku to see the side home.

The southpaw did not disappoint and in company of Bhuvneshwar Kumar (16 not out) ensured that the team chased the target with five balls to spare.

Brief Scores: Madhya Pradesh 234 (Shubham Sharma 83; Rajat Patidar 46; Yash Dayal 3/35 Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2/46;) lost to Uttar Pradesh 237/5 (Akshdeep Nath 78; Rinku Singh 58 not out; Avesh Khan 2/47) by 5 wickets. 

Also Read : Vijay Hazare Trophy: Karnataka beats Rajasthan by eight wickets, sets up QF clash with TN

News Source : PTI