(Cricket news) At the beginning of Day 4 India were in a commanding position as they were 125/3 with a lead of 257. Rishabh Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara were at the crease but England bowlers came through with some quality. Pujara tried to cut Stuart Broad's wide short ball but it went straight to the hands of the fielder. Shreyas Iyer came in and started playing his shots like he usually does but then England reverted back to their short ball theory which is Iyer's weakness. The batter fell straight into the trap as he was dismissed by Matthew Potts. 

England kept India quite for a very long time and the runs stopped flowing. Pant had already smashed Jack Leach all over the park in the first innings but the bowler got his revenge. Pant was trying to take him on again but couldn't do so. He was dismissed after trying to play a reverse sweep which was caught at first slip. Jadeja was also dismissed on 23 after being cleaned up by Ben Stokes. Unfortunately for India this time their tail didn't wag and they were bowled out for 245 before tea. England started really well in the 2nd innings. Alex Lees and Zak Crawley stitched a 107 run partnership as both batters were looking solid. Lees reached a fine half century of just 44 balls.

Just before tea Jasprit Bumrah came into the attack and managed to clean up Crawley. The English opener left the ball which came back into him and dislodged his stumps. Bumrah once again provided a breakthrough in the very first ball after tea as he managed to produce an edge off Ollie Pope. Moments later Lees was run-out which put India right back in the contest. The visitors picked up 3 wickets in no time and put the pressure back on England. The two in form batters Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root soaked in all that pressure with minimum effort. The pair batted the rest of the day and added a partnership of 150 runs. Root is unbeaten on 76 while Bairstow is 72 not out. The latter was given a lifeline as Hanuma Vihari dropped him off Siraj's bowl.

Both Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Siraj failed to bowl tight lines which made things easy for Root and Bairstow. Jadeja did keep things tight from one end as he bowled from over the wicket into the rough. England are coasting towards what will be a record breaking victory. India will need to produce something extraordinary to win the match as a draw is pretty much out of the equation. There will be a lot of pressure on Jasprit Bumrah who is captaining for the very first time. Even Bumrah the strike bowler will be under the pump as he is expected to get the breakthrough.

Also read: Harmanpreet to return in Melbourne Renegades colours in WBBL

(Cricket news) England started day 3 on 84/5 with Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow at the crease. The pair started to open up and play aggressively from the beginning of the day. Bairstow had been really cautious on Day 2 but really opened up after settling down. Ben Stokes was dropped on 18 by Shardul Thakur off Mohammed Shami's bowling. Stokes' luck wasn't up as he was dropped once again by skipper Jasprit Bumrah off Thakur's bowling. Both were rather regulation catches and that too of Stokes who is mighty dangerous. Thankfully for India, Stokes hit the very next ball towards Bumrah once again and the Indian captain dived to his left to take a blinder. Stokes had to walk back after scoring 25 off 36.

Nothing was slowing down Bairstow's onslaught as he continued to counter attack as he reached his century in just 109 balls. The batter scored just 16 runs off his first 65 balls and then scored 84 off 54. This was his 3rd hundred in consecutive Test matches and his 5th in 2022. He was soon dismissed by Mohammed Shami who produced an edge which went to Virat Kohli at first slip. Sam Billings played a nice little cameo of 36 off 56 before being dismissed by Siraj. India cleaned up the tail fairly early as England were 284 runs behind.

Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara opened the batting with a lead of 132 runs. James Anderson struck in the very first over as he got rid of Gill who edged the ball to Zak Crawley at second slip just like the first innings. Pujara and Hanuma Vihari steadied the ship with some solid batting. The pair didn't take any risks even though the run rate was very low, they managed to stay at the wicket. Vihari got out on 11 after he chased Stuart Broad's ball and only managed to edge it to Bairstow at 3rd slip. Broad kept bowling fuller to try and tempt Vihari to drive which ultimately brought the breakthrough. 

Virat Kohli came into bat and instantly started playing his strokes including two glorious trademark cover drives. Kohli's bad luck continued as he was dismissed by an unplayable ball from Stokes. The hall bounced way more than it should have which caught Kohli by surprise. The ball took an edge and was on its way down after hitting Billings's glove but Joe Root was there to pick up the pieces. Kohli could only manage 20 off 40 as his struggles continued. Pant came into bat and started to put the bad balls away. Pujara reaches a solid half century to mark his return after a short time out of the squad. 

England went with altered tactics towards the end of the day. They got Anderson to bang it in short from around the wicket to Pujara. On the other end was Joe Root who was constantly bowling wide to Pant to try and tempt the keeper. The pair managed to keep their calm as India finished the day on 125 for 3 with a lead of 257 runs. India are in a very commanding position with two days to go. They will be hoping to bat till tea tomorrow before trying to bowl out England once again. England will be hoping that they can make inroads by cleaning up India for less 350 before trying to pull off another stellar run chase.

Also read: ECB names squad for England Men’s white ball matches against India

Birmingham, Jul 3 (Cricket News) India's famed pace bowling unit for the umpteenth time put its team in pole position, bowling out England for 284 before the hosts just about managed to put a foot in the door by getting the top-order cheaply in an engrossing third day's play in the fifth Test.

At stumps, India were 125 for 3 in their second innings with Cheteshwar Pujara (50 batting, 139 balls) displaying his gutsy avatar with a half-century, battling it out in the company of the flamboyant Rishabh Pant (30 batting, 46 balls). The overall lead stood at 257 runs.

However, the dismissals of Shubman Gill (4), Hanuma Vihari (11) and Virat Kohli (20) would make the visitors uncomfortable going into the final day.

Kohli, as usual, got the best delivery of the entire third day's play when rival skipper Ben Stokes got one to rear up off length and no batter would have survived such a delivery with less than split second of reaction time.

Kohli, who was standing a good two feet outside the batting crease, was literally putting his best foot forward to defend from 17 yards while tackling the probing questions that James Anderson kept on asking but, as luck would have it, that delivery outside the off-stump had his name written on it.

Pujara played his usual waiting game with the clips off his toes and the occasional square cuts when provided width. Pant, on the other hand, mixed caution with aggression and if he stays for an hour on the fourth morning, he will completely turn the tables.

While India in recent years, after taking a 100-run plus lead, have never lost a Test match, the current England side under Brendon McCullum's 'Bazball' (relentless attack) philosophy has made a mockery of near 300-run chases.

India would like to score at least 275 in their second essay and set England a target of at least 400 plus in order to close the match.

The third day is considered a moving day in Test cricket and things indeed proceeded at a breakneck pace as England scored runs at 4.61 runs per over, courtesy Jonny Bairstow's (106 off 140 balls) counter-attacking third hundred in as many games.

Bairstow was swift yet brutal in his assault which got him 14 boundaries and two sixes.

But, in line with India's overseas script in the last couple of years, the troika of skipper Jaspreet Bumrah (3/68 in 19 overs), Mohammed Shami (2/78 in 22 overs) and Mohammed Siraj (4/66 in 11.3 overs) kept up the pressure to ensure a sizeable lead of 132 runs.

Shardul Thakur (1/48) was taken to the cleaners by Bairstow but his happy knack of picking up crucial wickets saw him get rid of Stokes (25) just when the partnership of 66 was looking dangerous.

Kohli sledges, Bairstow hammers ------------------------------------- The morning session belonged to Bairstow (106 off 140 balls), who smashed the Indian attack after being extensively sledged by Kohli.

Kohli had something to say to Bairstow about his 'play and miss' game and the England batter wasn't someone to take the stuff lying down.

Post that altercation, Bairstow started chancing his arms and played a lot of lofted shots over mid-off and clipped a few towards the mid-wicket boundary.

"Don't poke the Bear that is Johnny Bairstow again please," noted commentator Ian Bishop tweeted while Virender Sehwag joked that Kohli has forced Bairstow to transform from "Pujara to Pant".

Bairstow, who seemed to be struggling during the final hour on the second day, did play and miss in the first 20 minutes in the morning.

But once Bumrah continued with attacking field, he had a lot of options in front of the wicket.

While Thakur got the prized scalp of Stokes, Bairstow handed him some harsh punishment with a ramp shot followed by a square drive.

There was also a regal pick-up pull for a maximum off Siraj's bowling.

There were two more sixes off Thakur's bowling as the morning session belonged to England before India made a comeback in the next one. Bumrah creates pressure, Siraj reaps reward ----------------------------------------------- Once Bairstow smashed Shardul Thakur (1/48 in 7 overs) through cover point to complete his 11th Test century off 119 balls and third in as many games, he suddenly went into a shell.

Skipper Jasprit Bumrah (3/68 in 19 overs), who has had a dream game as an individual performer, bowled a probing spell, beating the bat time and again.

In the next 20 balls, Bairstow managed only six runs after his mayhem that saw him get 14 boundaries and two sixes.

Bottled up by Bumrah, Bairstow had no option but to try an expansive drive when a fuller delivery was pitched on the fourth stump line from Shami. The resultant thick edge was smartly taken by a leaping Kohli, who made amends for his needless engagement with the batter.

Once the Bairstow-Sam Billings (36) stand of 92 runs ended, Siraj bowled fast and quick to get the remaining three wickets for addition of another 43 runs. 

Also Read : India dismiss England for 284 on Day 3 of rescheduled fifth Test

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Day 1 of the final deciding Test match between India and England ended with India on 338/7. India are definitely on top after Day 1 especially considering the fact that Ben Stokes won the toss and put India into bat first. India once again went with the same bowling combination without Ravichandran Ashwin. Cheteshwar Pujara and Shubman Gill opened the batting while Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari played in the middle order.

There was movement of the pitch for the seamers but very little movement or no movement in the air. The wicket didn't have much bounce or carry in the first session at least. Shubman Gill started the innings really well as he played a couple of gorgeous strokes. The opener was looking really good before he played a nothing shot off James Anderson which picked up the edge on its way to Zak Crawley at 2nd slip. Gill could've easily left the ball on both line and length but he had a poke at it which was a shame because he was looking so good on 17. 
Pujara on the other hand played his natural game and looked very solid. He played a beautiful straight drive which showed that he had regained his bat swing and footwork since his last Test match. He was given out caught behind but the decision was overturned after DRS. His stay didn't last long after as he was dismissed with a beauty from Anderson. The delivery bounced much more than expected and took the edge flying into Crawley's hands as he was dismissed for 13.

India's new number 3 Hanuma Vihari really struggled in the beginning. Vihari was given a lifeline as Crawley dropped an easy catch at first slip off Matt Potts. He was playing and missing quite a bit before finally falling to Matt Potts' ball while on 20 off 53. The ball was an outswinger off the hand but due to the pitch's natural variation it nipped in off the surface to catch Vihari plum on the pads as he didn't even bother to review. Virat Kohli's nightmare form and incredible bad luck continued as he could only manage 11 runs. He tried to leave a wide delivery from Potts but the ball hit the bat and found its way to the stumps. Rishabh Pant came in to bat ahead of Shreyas Iyer presumably to keep the right hand, left hand combination. Iyer started well by playing his shots and scoring a few good boundaries but then struggled as soon as the English bowlers started to bowl short. He was on 15 off 10 balls when he nicked Anderson's ball down the leg side towards Sam Billings who took an excellent catch down.

India were in deep trouble at 98/5 and it looked like England would have the advantage after the first innings but Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant had other plans. The pair stitched together a crucial partnership of 222 runs to give India the advantage. Pant scored 146 off just 111 balls hitting 19 fours and four sixes. He scored runs all over the ground with a range of shots including his trademark one handed six which went 101 metres long. Jack Leech who picked up 10 wickets in the last Test against New Zealand was hit for 71 runs in 9 overs. Pant was finally dismissed by Joe Root's wide flighted delivery which was caught at first slip by Crawley.

Jadeja's innings was completely opposite as he was very patient and didn't take any risks. He played a wonderful hand in supporting Pant as he finished the day unbeaten on 83 off 163 balls. His innings was an incredible paced innings which consisted of 10 fours. The improvement in Jadeja's red ball batting has been immense in the last couple of years and has been one of the main reasons for India's success. Shardul Thakur didn't trouble the scorers as he could only manage to score 1 run before being dismissed by Ben Stokes. India will start day 2 with Jadeja and Mohammed Shami at the crease.

England's bowling started off great but then went a little haywire. Anderson was brilliant as usual as he picked up 3 crucial wickets. Potts started really well by picking up 2 wickets but was later very expensive. Broad was decent on the day but went wicketless. Jack Leech had a very tough day as he was hammered by Pant all over the place. He tried a lot of things but nothing was working. Joe Root stepped up after Leech's hammering and got rid of Pant. Ben Stokes had a very tough day with the ball despite picking up a wicket. The skipper bowled way too short and wide majority of the time including a few wild balls and a lot of no balls. England will have to bowl 7 overs before the new ball is available but they will like to get things wrapped up before that. A certain Ravindra Jadeja will be standing in the way of that.

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

Birmingham, Jul 1 (Cricket News) Rishabh Pant played a knock for the ages to turn the tables on England and take India to an imposing 338 for seven on a rain-hit day one of the rescheduled fifth Test here on Friday.

At 98 for five, India were staring down the barrel but Pant (146 off 111 balls) scripted a remarkable turnaround in the company of Ravindra Jadeja (83 batting off 163) as the duo shared a match changing 222-run stand off 239 balls. Pant, who rendered the England bowlers helpless, hammered 20 boundaries and four sixes, in his awe-inspiring effort.

The rain in the morning meant only 73 overs could be bowled on the opening day. Having faced criticism for his struggles in white-ball cricket recently, Pant continued his love affair with the red-ball format by smashing his fifth century overall and fourth in overseas conditions.

The conditions and match situation was against him but he once again thrived on it to leave the opposition frustrated. As only he could, he danced down the track against the great James Anderson, reverse scooped him but also played conventional strokes, including the straight drives and back foot punches, enroute to the fastest hundred (89 balls) by an Indian wicketkeeper.

In the nervous 90s, he fell on the ground while going aerial over Jack Leach but that still fetched him a four before reaching three figures in the following over.

Stokes fancied Leach's chances against Pant but the ploy failed miserably as the southpaw collected boundaries off the left-arm spinner at will. Leach ended up with day's figures of 0/71 in nine overs. Pant went ballistic in what happened to be Leach's last over of the day, clobbering him two sixes and as many fours.

With a couple of hundreds in England, one each in Australia and South Africa, Pant has already walked into the list of the finest wicketkeeper-batters to have come out of India.

The 24-year-old's epic innings came to an end towards close of play with part-timer Joe Root providing the much needed breakthrough. Jadeja, who enjoyed Pant's audacious stroke from the other end, also played a major role in India's remarkable recovery and produced some delightful drives on the way.

After overs were lost in the first two sessions due to rain, the evening session was played in bright sunshine. Pant and Jadeja's counter-attacking partnership had helped India recover to 174 for five at tea after the visitors lost half their side shortly after lunch.

Rain delayed the start of the second session by an hour and England were all over India soon after play resumed.

While Anderson did the damage in the morning, Matthew Potts got the prized wicket of an out of form Virat Kohli (11) and a shaky Hanuma Vihari (20) post lunch to put England on top.

Vihari was the first to go after Potts trapped him in front of the stumps with a full ball that darted back sharply. In his following over, Potts sent back Kohli, who dragged one on to his stumps in his half-hearted attempt to leave the ball.

Shreyas Iyer (15 off 11 balls), playing his first Test outside India, started on an aggressive note by collecting three fours off Potts. However, Anderson and the support staff had done their homework on Iyer, who has had issues against the short ball.

The 39-year-old pacer angled one around the rib cage area that induced a faint edge on way to Sam Billings, who took a brilliant one handed catch diving full-stretched to his left.

India looked down and out at that stage and fresh lease of life was infused in the innings by the two southpaws, Pant and Jadeja.

Pant made his intent loud and clear by advancing and smashing Anderson down the ground. Jadeja too played his strokes with the highlight being the straight drive and cover drive off Broad.

Earlier, England's most decorated pacer Anderson produced probing spells in the rain-hit morning session to reduce India to 53 for two. Rain forced the lunch break 20 minutes before time.

Anderson had openers Shubman Gill (17 off 24) and Cheteshwar Pujara (13 off 46) caught by Zak Crawley at second slip to give England the advantage after Stokes opted to 'chase' at Edgbaston.

India could have been three down had Crawley held on to a tough chance presented by Vihari off Matthew Potts. 

Also Read : Harmanpreet stays calm, it helps in her decision-making: Deepti Sharma

News Source : PTI

Birmingham, Jul 1 (Cricket News) Veteran seamer Jimmy Anderson dismissed openers Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara in near identical fashion to reduce India to 53 for two at lunch on the opening day of the rescheduled fifth Test against England here on Friday.

Gill (17 off 24 balls) looked good while hitting those four boundaries but jabbed at a delivery from Anderson pitched a shade outside the off-stump as Zak Crawley took a regulation catch in the slip cordon.

Pujara (13 off 46 balls), who made a comeback in the series after missing home Test against Sri Lanka, looked solid as he hit an off-drive and square drive to collect a couple of boundaries but Anderson bowled a peach of a delivery to get him.

It pitched on length and climbed enough as the batter was forced to play an awkward defensive stroke only to find Crawley's safe pair of hands in the slip cordon.

Virat Kohli (1 batting) and Hanuma Vihari (14 batting) were at the crease at lunch, which was taken early after rain stopped play.

Anderson ended first session with figures of 8-2-15-2.

Brief Scores: India 53/2 (Shubman Gill, 17, Cheteshwar Pujara 13 batting, Jimmy Anderson 2/15) vs England. 

Also Read : Need Bumrah more as bowler than as a captain: Rahul Dravid

News Source : PTI

Birmingham, Jul 1 (Cricket News) England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bowl against India in the rescheduled fifth Test, starting here on Friday.

With skipper Rohit Sharma ruled out after testing positive for COVID-19, Jasprit Bumrah will be India's 36th Test captain. Shubman Gill is the only specialist opener while Shardul Thakur as seamer all-rounder has been preferred over veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Teams India: Jasprit Bumrah (captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, England: Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Sam Billings, Matthew Potts, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, James Anderson. 

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

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

Birmingham, Jun 30 (Cricket News) Accidental India captain Jasprit Bumrah feels leading the Indian team is the biggest achievement of his career and he would go into the rescheduled fifth Test remembering the wise words of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who had no captaincy experience but went on to achieve phenomenal success as leader.

Bumrah only got to know that he will be captaining the Indian team on Thursday morning after Rohit Sharma returned another positive test for COVID-19, ruling him out of the game.

Taking on an in-form England side will be a big challenge but Bumrah is up for it.

"The taste of success feels good when there is pressure. I am always up for responsibilities and I love to be in tough challenges. As a cricketer, you always want to test yourself in deep waters. I have spoken to many cricketers. Everybody improves and keep getting better," he said on the eve of the game.

"I remember speaking to MS (Dhoni), and he told me that he never captained any side before he led India for the first time. Now, he is remembered as one of the most successful captains of all time.

"So, I am focusing on how I can help the team and not focusing on what I have done before or how the cricketing conventions or the rules have been set." It is rare for a fast bowler to lead the Indian team and Bumrah said it was a massive honour and responsibility. The pacer has experienced meteoric rise in international cricket, including the five-day version in which he is only four seasons old, having made his Test debut in January 2018.

"Representing India in Tests was always a dream for me and this opportunity to lead the side is the biggest achievement of my career. I'm very happy that I've been given this opportunity. I have had immense faith in myself.

"In every scenario, I have trusted my instincts that have taken me to this level in cricket and I will keep doing that, going forward. Nothing changes for me, especially my role. That's what I am going to do as the captain of the side," Bumrah said.

"I only came to know that I would be leading the side after Rohit Sharma tested COVID positive once again on Thursday. I first broke the news to my family when I came to know that I would be leading the side." Bumrah said the visitors are up for the challenge.

"We are completely focused on the game and we are fully prepared, given we already played a practice match against Leicestershire, where the wicket was a bit different from this one," said the 28-year-old. He has already had long conversations with former captain Virat Kohli and Rohit on the job at hand.

"Their roles have been very important. Virat's inputs will be crucial when I am bowling or when I am making (some) changes. Virat's suggestions are going to be invaluable and always important for us," said Bumrah.

The team has decided on the openers for the game in Rohit's absence but Bumrah was not ready to reveal that a day before the match.

"I had a look at the wicket and had discussions with our coach (Rahul Dravid) and have a fair idea on how this wicket might behave. We have decided on the openers against England as well but won't reveal anything now.

"Rohit is a very important player and we will miss him in this game. It's unfortunate that someone like Rohit is missing out," he said. 

Also Read : Unfinished Business: Bumrah's India ready to face England 2.0

News Source : PTI

Birmingham, Jun 30 (Cricket News) Never before has he navigated the choppy waters of leadership but Jasprit Bumrah will certainly like to showcase his captaincy acumen while leading a slightly under-prepared India against a vastly improved England in the rescheduled fifth Test, starting here on Friday.

India were leading the five-match series 2-1 when multiple COVID-19 cases in their camp led to the postponement of the final game which was a part of the World Test Championship.

Nine months have passed since and a lot of water has flown through the Thames with the then captain Virat Kohli relinquishing Test captaincy. His successor, Rohit Sharma, is missing out on this game after testing positive for COVID-19.

Worse, Rohit's designated deputy KL Rahul is also out after having undergone a surgery for sports hernia.

In this backdrop of musical chair of Indian captaincy, the gauntlet has been thrown at Bumrah, arguably one of the finest fast bowlers in the history of Indian cricket and now set to be the 36th man to lead the national Test team.

He has been acknowledged widely as the undisputed leader of the fast bowling group but come Friday, the challenge against Ben Stokes' side will be very different when he walks out for the toss at the Edgbaston.

Fast bowlers in Indian context have never been considered worthy of leadership contention and Kapil Dev, the world class all-rounder, was more of a fast medium bowler in his prime and later a medium-fast as time progressed.

Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan, two fine exponents of fast bowling, were never even considered for vice-captaincy during their heydays. And hence,it took 35 years for India to have another pacer captain.

But leadership is an instinctive thing -- some are blessed with that sixth sense and intuition, some are born gamblers and some become better as they grow on the job.

While this arrangement is a stop-gap one, Indian cricket establishment might have an idea of what can be expected of Bumrah when the time comes for the next change in baton.

New England, new template ------------------------------- The 3-0 demolition of New Zealand with three tricky chases completed in style has shown that England, under new coach Brendon McCullum, have de-constructed their style-sheet as far as Test matches are concerned.

Their batters are plundering opposition attack while there are lesser number of five-wicket hauls from the pacers if one goes by the statistics of the New Zealand series. It was Jack Leach, who had two five-wicket hauls and neither James Anderson nor Stuart Broad got their names on the various 'Honours' Board'.

The pitches have become a tad flatter, which is helping the batters and thus Bumrah, along with Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj will have an onerous task of tackling a batting line-up bubbling with confidence.

Joe Root, after relinquishing captaincy, has found the touch that had deserted him and Jonny Bairstow, with the confidence of IPL, has scored nearly 400 runs at a strike-rate of 120 plus, unheard of in Test matches.

"England have done well as they won a couple of Test matches from positions where they could have potentially lost the games," Indian coach Rahul Dravid told the mediapersons on Wednesday.

"We will like to focus on what our strengths are rather than thinking about opposition's strength," the head coach said, reminding one and all that India are still third in World Test Championship table (58.33 percentage points) behind Australia (75 percentage points) and South Africa (71.43% pts).

Team combination a worry for India --------------------------------------- India will have to bat well and in absence of regular opening pair of Rohit and Rahul, who were fantastic during the four Tests played last year.

Coach Rahul Dravid expects a match-winning performance if not a hundred from Virat Kohli, who looked good in the practice game but the Test match will be a different beast altogether.

The practice game against Leicestershire was more of an extended net session and Indian teams, since Mahendra Singh Dhoni took over as captain, has hardly played official first-class games as a pre-cursor to the Test matches.

James Anderson might be a month short of his 40th birthday but those magical wrists can still make the ball dart around and it will be a different experience for Shubman Gill or Shreyas Iyer.

Cheteshwar Pujara has scored a bagful of county runs but that psychological disadvantage of facing the very first ball of an innings, if he is asked to open, could clutter his mind.

Hanuma Vihari is a solid player but would need support from the other end, considering he has a defensive game.

It remains to be seen who will be India's bowling all-rounder. Will it be Ravichandran Ashwin, who isn't an automatic choice in overseas conditions or Shardul Thakur, who hasn't done his chances any harm with some big-hearted efforts in SENA countries.

Edgbaston hasn't exactly been a happy hunting ground for India where they have lost most of their Test matches but as it often happens with new beginnings, a new captain can always try to buck the trend.

Teams India squad: Jasprit Bumrah (captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk, vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Ravichandran Ashwin, Prasidh Krishna, Kona Srikar Bharat (wk), Mayank Agarwal, Umesh Yadav England XI: Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Sam Billings (wicketkeeper), Matthew Potts, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, James Anderson.

Match Starts: 3 pm IST. 

Also Read : Want to set example where players can see me and get motivated to get fit: Harmanpreet

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Last year India and England went head to head for 4 Tests. India were leading the series 2-1 after an impressive performance. The 5th and final Test at Old Trafford was indefinitely postponed after a Covid outbreak in the Indian camp. The two teams now gear up for the deciding Test match at Edgbaston. A lot of things have changed since the last time as both teams will have different coaches and captains. There are certain other changes in both the teams but it should be a cracking Test match in any case. 

India's possible playing XI:

Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

Bench: Mayank Agarwal, Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat

Rohit Sharma has been tested positive for Covid and even though he isn't ruled out, it is unlikely that he will be available. Cheteshwar Pujara is likely to open the batting even though Mayank Agarwal has been called up to the squad purely due to his recent county performances and also because Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari both deserve to be in the side. Leaving out Ravichandran Ashwin is going to be very difficult but doing that worked in the first 4 matches. The combination of 4 seamers and Ravindra Jadeja works perfectly in English conditions. The rest of the team pretty much picks itself. Jasprit Bumrah is likely to lead the side in the absence of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma which will make him the first fast bowler to captain India in 35 years.

England's possible playing XI:

Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Johnny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Ben Foakes, Matthew Potts, Jack Leech, Stuart Broad, James Anderson

Bench: Sam Billings, Harry Brook, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton 

James Anderson and Ben Foakes missed the last Test but both are available for the match. England's middle order of Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Johnny Bairstow are in excellent form and will be extremely crucial for them. The playing XI pretty much picks itself as the team did really well against New Zealand. The opening combination is still a concern but England have decided to stick with it. Jos Buttler's incredible white ball performances have still not earned him a call back into the Test.

Light rain and showers are predicted in the first two days while the rest three days are expected to be sunny. The seamers will definitely get good purchase off the pitch especially in the first two days. There will be some turn on the pitch towards the end due to sunny weather but not much. The toss will be very crucial and both teams will definitely like to bowl first. England are favourites going into the match after their performance against New Zealand and the fact that India are missing both their first choice openers. The visitors however cannot be ruled out because there is too much talent in their squad. 

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

(Cricket news) India were leading 2-1 in the Test series against England last year but the 5th and final Test was postponed due to Covid crisis in the Indian camp. India now gear up for that final Test but Covid and injury issues are still not leaving them. Vice captain KL Rahul was ruled out of the match due to injury and then captain Rohit Sharma tested positive for Covid. Rahul Dravid in a press conference said that Rohit Sharma can still be available for the game but the chances of that happening are however unlikely. Mayank Agarwal was a late addition to the squad and is a candidate to open the batting.

India's possible playing XI-

Openers: Shubman Gill & Cheteshwar Pujara

Shubman Gill was originally selected as the third opener and his place in the side was almost certain once KL Rahul was ruled out. Despite Mayank Agarwal being in the squad, it would make perfect sense for Cheteshwar Pujara to open the batting. Pujara has experience of playing in England and he should be comfortable in the position. Pujara’s inclusion will allow India to play both Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer. Mayank Agarwal had really struggled to make runs and his exclusion from the side in the first place is an indication that he will not play. If Rohit Sharma does somehow recover in time then he will open with Gill while Pujara will most likely move to number 3. Pujara's recent county performances means that he is almost undroppable, at least from this match.

Middle order: Hanuma Vihari, Virat Kohli & Shreyas Iyer

Virat Kohli is going through a tough phase but Dravid has clearly stated that he will be backed. Kohli played well in the practice match which is a good indication. Vihari and Iyer should complete the middle order. Iyer has done well in India since his debut but is yet to play in overseas conditions so this will be a good Test for him. Vihari has previously said that he is most comfortable at number 3 and that is where he will play if Pujara opens. If Rohit Sharma is fit or India chooses to open with Agarwal then one of the two will have to sit out and it will most likely be Iyer.

Wicket keeper: Rishabh Pant

KS Bharat played exceptionally well in the practice match but Rishabh Pant wasn't too bad himself. Pant is undroppable from the Test side and will be for a long time. His contribution to the team will be very crucial. There is a high chance that he will play at number 5 to get a left and right hand combination unless Ravindra Jadeja is promoted. Pant was decent in the first 4 matches but he will like to show a better performance in this match.

All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja & Shardul Thakur

Ravindra Jadeja is also undroppable from the red ball team in any conditions. His ability with the bat and ball is very important for the combination that India plays. Leaving Ravichandran Ashwin out will be a very difficult decision but playing him over Jadeja will mean that India will lose some crucial runs. India has a world class fast bowling attack and they have the option of playing 4 fast bowlers which is very useful in English conditions. India did play both Ashwin and Jadeja in the WTC final which didn't work out well for them. Playing more than one spinner is always risky in English conditions even if that spinner is Ashwin who is arguably the best in the world. Shardul Thakur is the perfect 4 seamer as he has the knack  of picking up wickets at crucial times. His ability with the is also a great asset to the side which gives India much needed batting depth. 

Seamers: Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah & Mohammed Siraj

Bumrah and Shami are two of the best seamers in the world and their selection is a no brainer. Bumrah is also likely to captain the side in Rohit Sharma's absence. Mohammed Siraj's performance in the first 4 matches last year will definitely make him the designated 3rd seamer in the side. Umesh Yadav is the other option but Siraj is ahead of him in the pecking order. Prasidh Krishna who is on his first Test tour is the other option.

Bench: Mayank Agarwal, Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat

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

Birmingham, Jun 29 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli has set an altogether different bench-mark with his 70 international hundreds but Rahul Dravid, from a coach's perspective, wants his best batter to make "match-winning contributions" even if it is not a three-figure one like it has happened over the years.

Kohli has not scored an international hundred since November 2019 but Dravid dismissed notions that the owner of 27 Test hundreds is "lacking in motivation".

"As players, you go through these phases and I don't think you need motivation to be very honest with you and I think in Virat's case it is nothing to do with lack of motivation or desire," Dravid said ahead of India's rescheduled fifth Test against England starting here on Friday.

"It's not always focussing on those three figures like even a 70-odd (79) in a difficult situation in Cape Town (vs SA) was a good innings. Didn't convert into a three-figure, but it was a good score.

"Obviously, the standards that he has set, people only see hundreds as a success but for me, from a coaches' perspective, we want contributions from him -- match-winning contributions, whether it is a 50 or a 60," the coach explained.

For Dravid, Kohli, who is nearing 34, isn't on the wrong side of 30 as many would like to believe.

"In my opinion, he is on right side of 30 and he is an incredibly fit guy. He is one of the most hardworking guys that I have come across and his desire and hunger and whole attitude of looking after himself,' he said.

"And his preparation, even the way he batted at Leicester, batting in those conditions and scoring the 50s and 60s, keen on playing against our bowlers, batting against Bumrah and all these guys. He is ticking all right boxes and doing everything he needs to do to come out of it," Dravid said in a reassuring tone.

Six captains in 7 months not something I envisaged -------------------------------------------------------- Since Dravid first took the team to Sri Lanka, he had Shikhar Dhawan as captain and then also had Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya and now in all likelihood Jasprit Bumrah as a captain.

So six captains across three formats in a space of seven months since he took over isn't an ideal situation.

"It is what it is. When I took this job, even I couldn't have predicted that we will have so many captains in six or seven months but that can happen in times we are living in, COVID-19, unfortunate injuries to people, what happened to Rahul (groin injury) and now to Rohit in last 3 weeks," Dravid said emphatically.

"Sometimes, we have had to balance out the workload and just have to react to that, its not something I wanted when I started off, not something you envisage when you start off but when they arise, you react and deal with them.

"...in spite of number of captains we have had, we have played pretty good cricket, over last six to eight months. We have got our contingency plans in place and communications are clear and within the group everyone knows what we are going to do if some situation arises,' he said.

Hints that Pujara could open ------------------------------ Dravid didn't want to give it away but said that if situation arises, number three can be asked to open which means that Cheteshwar Pujara might be seen opening the batting with Shubman Gill.

"Any such decision is taken in consultation with the player. As a player not every situation is as expected and it can happen at times that number three will have to open," he said. 

Also Read : Rohit ruled out of fifth Test after testing Covid positive again, Bumrah to lead India

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jun 29 (Cricket News) Jasprit Bumrah is set to become first fast bowler in 35 years to lead Indian Test team in the rescheduled 'fifth Test' against England as regular captain Rohit Sharma has been ruled out of the game after testing positive for COVID-19 for the second time on Wednesday.

The last pacer-captain that India had was the great Kapil Dev, who was removed from captaincy in 1987. Since then India has never had a speed merchant leading the team in traditional cricket.

"Rohit is out of this Test match, starting July 1, as his RT-PCR test has come positive again. He is still in isolation. Jasprit Bumrah, who is one of the vice-captains in absence of KL Rahul, will lead the team," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Bumrah will be the 36th cricketer to lead India in the longest-format since the country first played in 1932. The Gujarat pacer, who has 123 wickets in 29 Tests, has grown into world's best fast bowlers.

The Chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma had already said that he is being groomed as a future leader.

Fast bowlers have not been traditionally given the job in India unlike in Pakistan where their greatest skipper was Imran Khan. Legends like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis also led national side.

In West Indies, Courtney Walsh led the side for a considerable amount of time and world number one Pat Cummins now leading Australia in longest format.

Cheteshwar Pujara or Hanuma Vihari to open with Shubman Gill --------------------------------------------------------------------- With the experienced Rohit out of the playing eleven, seasoned Cheteshwar Pujara has a good chance of opening the batting with young Shubman Gill.

The soure said that Mayank Agarwal has just been brought as "cover" and is not in the scheme of things as far featuring in the playing eleven is concerned.

"Mayank is here just as cover. It is likely to be Pujara-Gill combination that is going to open the batting. There is an outside chance for Hanuma Vihari to open as he has done the job in a stop-gap arrangement in Australia during the 2018 series. But chances of Pujara opening are way more," he said.

It is understood that the specialist batters in the set-up will be Pujara, Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Vihari and Rishabh Pant.

The only other debatable matter is whether to play a fourth fast bowling all-rounder in Shardul Thakur or a second spinner in Ravichandran Ashwin alongside Ravindra Jadeja.

Along with Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami select themselves automatically.

Squad for Ireland series will play first T20I vs England ------------------------------------------------------------- With the first Test scheduled to finish on July 5 and the first T20I scheduled for July 7 in Southampton, the selection committee has decided that the star players will be given a three-day recovery period before they are picked from the second game.

India are scheduled to clash with England three T20Is and as many ODIs.

"The squad that played T20I series in Ireland will remain in the first T20I and then from second T20I, all the stars (Rohit, if fit, Kohli, Bumrah, Pant, Jadeja) will make a comeback," the source added.

"Once, they are well rested, all of them will be a part of the regular white ball side but most of the players in Ireland will remain till the end of T20I series." 

Also Read : Babar Azam surpasses Kohli as world no 1 T20 batter for longest period

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Jun 29 (Cricket News) Pakistan captain Babar Azam has surpassed India's Virat Kohli in becoming the world No.1 T20I batter for the longest period of time after he maintained his top spot in the latest ICC T20 batting rankings.

Kohli was the No.1 ranked T20I batter for a total of 1,013 days during his reign last decade, but Babar has now surpassed this number following his long-standing stay at the top.

Among others, Ishan Kishan slipped two places but Deepak Hooda and Sanju Samson made huge gains at the ICC T20I Player Rankings following their sensational innings at the second and final T20I against Ireland.

Left-handed batter Kishan slumped to number 7 after scoring 26 and 3 in the two T20s against Ireland but Hooda, who smashed 47 in the first game and a maiden century in the second match to power India to a series-clinching four-run win, galloped 414 places to 104th.

Samson was also rewarded for his knock of 77 as he reached the 144th spot in the batting chart.

Ireland's Harry Tector gained a massive 55 places to reach 66th position among batters with scores of 39 and 64 not out in the rankings, which was updated after the two-match India-Ireland series.

In the bowlers' list, pacer Harshal Patel moved from 37th to 33rd position while Ireland's Mark Adair climbed to 43rd from 45th.

In Test ranking, Joe Root hung on to his narrow lead as the top-ranked batter but there was some big movement behind him following the completion of England's home series against New Zealand.

New Zealand batting pair of Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell have attained career-best positions as has England spinner Jack Leach, after superb performances in the third match of their ICC World Test Championship series in Leeds.

Mitchell and Blundell, who were involved in century partnerships in all three Tests of the series, are both in the top 20 now.

Mitchell's scores of 109 and 56 saw him advance four places to 12th position while Blundell's knocks of 55 and 88 not out have lifted him 11 slots to 20th position.

England batter Jonny Bairstow advanced 20 places to 21st after scoring 162 and 71 not out in the series, while Oliver Pope is up three places to 49th after his 82 in the second innings of the Test, which England won by seven wickets to complete a 3-0 series victory.

New Zealand workhorse Neil Wagner dropped a spot to 10th on the latest rankings for bowlers, with England duo of Stuart Broad (up one spot to 13th) and Jack Leach (up 13 places to 25th) are among the notable movers.

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan dropped a spot to third on the all-rounder rankings following a disappointing second Test against the West Indies, with India veteran Ravi Ashwin taking his place. West Indies' left-hander Kyle Mayers jumped three places to eighth on the all-rounder rankings following his Player of the Match performance against Bangladesh.

The recent rise of Australia's Josh Hazlewood as a dominant white-ball bowler continued as the in-form seamer moved up two places to equal fifth on the latest ODI rankings.

Hazlewood is already No.1 on the T20I rankings and his move up the ODI list comes on the back of a strong spell of 2/22 in the final 50-over match of the series against Sri Lanka.

Chris Woakes' absence during England's recent ODI series against the Netherlands saw the tall seamer drop two spots to fourth on the latest rankings, with New Zealand quick Matt Henry (second) and Pakistan speedster Shaheen Afridi (third) both rising a place behind the top-ranked Trent Boult.

There is also a small re-shuffle inside the top 10 on the ODI batter rankings, with Australia skipper Aaron Finch dropping two spots to 12th as Root and Shai Hope move up to joint 10th. Australia's Alex Carey was up three places to 23rd after his knock of 45 not out and England's Jos Buttler is up four places to 25th after his unbeaten 86. 

Also Read : Hooda's maiden century helps India beat Ireland by 4 runs to pocket series 2-0

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Jun 27 (Cricket News) England will be playing India on the back of the three-Test series against New Zealand and former off-spinner Graeme Swann believes it would make the hosts slight favourites going into the rescheduled fifth Test starting in Birmingham on Friday.

England on Monday completed a 3-0 series whitewash against New Zealand after wining the third and final Test by seven wickets.

"England are in a very good position and I would say they are slight favourites because of that series (against New Zealand)," Swann said in a virtual interaction, facilitated by Sony Sports, official broadcasters of India-England series.

"And the fact that India just had one (warm-up) game in England, so they are coming in cold (for) the Test match, which is a bit of disadvantage. They (England) have got the three Test matches under their belt, so that makes them pre-game favourites." Swann hailed the aggressive brand of cricket played by England under new captain Ben Stokes and new head coach Brandon McCullum and said this was a "bad time" to face England.

"It is a real bad time to play England because they just played these three games against New Zealand.

"You are going to face an England team where Joe Root is back to his absolute best, where Olive Pope is playing his best-ever for England. Ben Stokes has amalgamated the team and got playing in an ultra-positive and rock and roll fashion.

"There are chinks in the armour - the opening batting slot is still very weak. But nearly all the other spots had excellent (returns). Even the spinner Jack Leach, who is under a lot of pressure, has got 10 wickets in a match," explained Swann.

The fifth Test is from last year's incomplete series against England which got rescheduled due to outbreak of COVID-19 in the Indian camp.

Swann picks Root, Stokes as key players for England -------------------------------------------------------- The 43-year-old, who has taken 255 wickets in 60 Tests, picked Root and Stokes as key players for England.

"It is quite simple for England, it will be Joe Root and Ben Stokes, if they continue their form, their sort of ethos, England will do well. Stokes is leading from the front and he is a natural leader. Joe Root is thriving and batting at his absolute best," he said.

Talking about India, he said: "I think Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli (key players). If Kohli plays with the same freedom that Joe Root is playing now, we are all in for a treat.

"Virat is a wonderful player and if Jasprit get his line and length with that Dukes ball, he is unplayable," he added.

Pujara's county experience will benefit him: Swann ------------------------------------------------------ Cheteshwar Pujara hit four centuries, including two double centuries for Sussex in Division Two County Championships to force his way back in the Indian team and Swann felt that it would hold him in good stead in the one-off Test.

"He (Pujara) was phenomenal for Sussex, so that is massive bonus for India. Having a player who is in England at the start of the season, when the ball swings around, scoring so heavily, that gives him leg up the ladder, when he goes into the Test match," he said.

Pujara, who was left out of India's home Test series against Sri Lanka earlier this year, amassed 720 runs in just 5 matches with an outstanding average of 120 for Sussex. 

Also Read : Didn't want to risk playing Gaikwad as he had a calf niggle: Pandya

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) The Indian side who are preparing for the 5th Test match against England have been hit with a massive scare. Captain Rohit Sharma has been tested positive for Covid 19 and is a doubt for the match. KL Rahul has already been ruled out of the match and now Sharma's absence is a huge concern for India. If Rohit Sharma doesn't recover then Shubman Gill is the only opener left in the squad. KS Bharat did well when he opened the innings in the practice match; he hasn't even made his international debut yet. Mayank Agarwal is likely to be sent to England as cover for the Indian skipper.

KL Rahul's absence is already a big loss for India as the partnership between Rahul and Rohit has been a main reason why India are 2-1 up in the series. Without Rohit, India's chances of winning will be considerably low, more so considering England's form. Gill and Agarwal will be India's best options but neither of them have much experience on English soil. It would be very disappointing for India if they lose the Test match and surrender their lead. There is a chance that India will ask Cheteshwar Pujara or Hanuma Vihari to open the batting which might be a good option. KS Bharat opened the batting for India in the practice match against Leicestershire and did a good job but it is unlikely that he will be asked to open.

In terms of captaincy, KL Rahul was the designated vice captain when the squad was named. There has been no official statement from BCCI regarding the new vice captain but it is likely to be Jasprit Bumrah. If Rohit doesn't recover in time, Bumrah will be leading the side which will be the first fast bowler to captain India in 35 years. Having Virat Kohli in the side is a huge bonus as his input will be very crucial. Other experienced campaigners like Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammed Shami will also take more responsibility. Indian fans will be hoping that Rohit recovers in time to lead the Test side for the first time in overseas conditions.

Also read: India get comfortable win against Ireland in rain affected encounter

New Delhi, Jun 27 (Cricket News) Former India opener Virender Sehwag feels current skipper Rohit Sharma could be relieved from captaincy duties from T20s so that the 35-year-old can manage his workload better.

Rohit has not been able to feature in all of India's matches since taking over as captain due to injuries and workload management. “If the Indian team management has someone else in mind as captain in the T20 format, then I think, Rohit (Sharma) could be relieved and the following can be taken into consideration going forward,” Sehwag told PTI in an interview.

“One, that would allow Rohit to manage his workload and mental fatigue, given his age.

"Two, once someone new is appointed as captain in T20s, it would also allow Rohit to take breaks and rejuvenate himself to lead India in both Tests and ODIs,” he said in an interaction arranged by Sony Sports, the official broadcaster of the India-England series.

However, Sehwag maintained that if the team management sticks with its current policy of having one captain to lead India across the three formats, then Sharma is still an ideal choice.

“If the Indian think-tank still wants to pursue with the same policy, which is, to let one man leading India in all the three formats, then I still believe, Rohit Sharma is the best man for it.” While a lot of permutation and combination have been at play currently ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year, the former Indian swashbuckling opener asserted his top three choices among the batters for the tournament would be Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and KL Rahul.

Star batter Virat Kohli is India's designated number three batter at the moment.

“India has options aplenty when it comes to hard hitters in T20s. However, I would personally vouch for Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and KL Rahul as the top three batters for the World Cup in Australia,” Sehwag said.

“The right-hand and left-hand combination of Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan, or for that matter, Ishan and KL Rahul could be quite interesting for the World T20,” he added.

Sehwag, who was known to take many fearsome pacers to the cleaners in his heyday, was all praise for young pacer Umran Malik, and believes, that the 22-year-old should feature in the World Cup alongside the likes of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah as one of India’s bowling mainstays.

“If there is one pacer who has thoroughly impressed me, of late, it is none other than Umran Malik. He should definitely be part of India’s plans as one of the key bowlers alongside the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami,” Sehwag stated.

“This IPL has given us many promising young bowlers, but Umran’s skills and talent will definitely earn him a place in the Indian across all three formats in the long run,” he remarked. 

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

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Jun 25 (Cricket News) Impressed by his raw pace, former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar feels rookie pacer Umran Malik should board the flight to Australia for this year's T20 World Cup.

"I hope so because he (Umran) is a very exciting talent. He did well in the IPL and he deserves a chance as he looked the best bowler in the format. I hope he is in the plane and I am sure he will do well if given an opportunity," Vengsarkar told reporters here on Saturday. The T20 World Cup is set to be played in Australia in October-November later this year.

"He (Umran) is young and raring to go. You must give an opportunity to someone who is in form. He is young, keen to play and hungry for success," added the former national chairman of selectors.

Umran had picked up 22 wickets in 14 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL this year but it is his ability to bowl consistently at 95 miles per hour that has caught the imagination of all.

He was subsequently rewarded for his consistency by earning his maiden national call-up for the T20 series against South Africa but did not get a game.

He has also been selected for the T20 series against Ireland, commencing on Sunday and it remains to be seen whether he gets to make his India debut.

Vengsarkar's 1983 World Cup-winning teammate and former India all-rounder Roger Binny also felt that Umran should be given a chance straightaway in all three formats.

"There is definitely going to be a bigger bunch of fast bowlers coming through now. And he (Umran) should be given a chance straightaway because he has proved that he is quick and if you saw him bowl some of the yorkers in the IPL that was brute force. So you cannot keep a youngster out for that long," Binny said.

"Well, I am not surprised that somebody, who is coming to the scene (and bowling over 150 kmph), because we have a lot of people (bowling) around the 140-142 area for the last six-seven years and especially in the IPL. I am not surprised (by the sheer pace of Umran)." The duo was speaking on the sidelines of the book-launch of 'The 1983 World Cup Opus', in association with Paymentz.

Vengsarkar backs Virat Kohli to come good in England Test ************************************************ Vengsarkar, who selected Virat Kohli for the first time in the national team, backed the former skipper, who has been enduring a prolonged lean patch, to come good against England.

"I am sure because he (Kohli) is a world class player. He's done well and is so fit. He is just not scoring in T20s but I think he'll come back strong, especially in the Test in England. He and Rohit Sharma, I expect big runs in England," said Vengsarkar.

Vengsarkar also hailed Hardik Pandya for his strong comeback.

"The way he (Hardik) came back from injury is great. He must have worked very hard on his fitness. He did very well in the IPL and as a captain he did well. (He is a) very fine all-rounder." "He led from the front. He guided the team in his first major tournament as captain (of Gujarat Titans). An all-rounder plays an important role in any team," he said.

Hardik led the Gujarat Titans to their maiden IPL title and played a key role by amassing 487 runs and picking up eight wickets. He then carried on his form into the T20 series against South Africa. 

Also Read : Kohli hits 67; Iyer, Jadeja also score fifties in warm-up game

News Source : PTI

Leicester, Jun 25 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli showed his class, hitting an impressive 67 off 98 balls while Shreyas Iyer (62) and Ravindra Jadeja (56 not out) also got ample batting practice as India finished their second innings on 364 for 7 against Leicestershire on day three of their four-day warm-up match here on Saturday.

Kohli, who has been enduring a prolonged lean patch, decorated his innings with five boundaries and two sixes.

He was ably supported by Iyer, who scored his runs off 89 balls with the help of 11 boundaries, and Jadeja who struck 10 fours during his unbeaten knock.

But Chesteshwar Pujara could only manage 22 of 53 balls with the help of three fours. Pujara batted for both sides. He was out for a duck in Leicestershire's first innings on Friday.

Jadeja was also out for a duck off Navdeep Saini early in the Indian second innings but came back later to bat again as it is just a practice match. At stumps, Mohammed Siraj (1 not out) was giving Jadeja company.

Pacer Navdeep Saini (3/55), one among the four Indian players to turn out for Leicestershire, shone bright with three wickets for the county side.

Another Indian player Kamlesh Nagarkoti (2/48) also chipped in with two wickets, while R Sai Kishore (1/55) and Will Davis (1/400) accounted for a wicket each. The visiting Indians still lead Leicestershire by 366 runs at stumps with a day's play remaining in the match.

Earlier, Saini, who picked up Shubman Gill's wicket on the second day, dismissed well-set Srikar Bharat (43 off 98) and Jadeja (0) in a span of three deliveries to reduce India to 118 for 4.

But it was Hanuma Vihari (20) who was the first to depart, after adding just 11 runs to his overnight score, off the bowling of Will Davis.

Seventeen runs later, Saini struck twin blows in an over in the form of Bharat and Jadeja.

Nagakoti the accounted for Iyer and Shardul Thakur (28 off 38) in a span of seven overs. But before being dismissed, Shardul shared 39 runs in the company of Kohli, who came out to bat at an unusual No. 7 position.

Pujara didn't help his cause as he was stumped by Sam Bates off Sai Kishore.

Kohli was dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah (1/30), while Iyer was the last batter to be dismissed by Nagarkoti.

Skipper Rohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav are yet to bat. 

Also Read : Hardik Pandya relishes captaincy, says it brings out best in him

News Source : PTI

Malahide (Ireland), Jun 25 (Cricket News) He struck gold in his debut season as captain in the IPL, and Hardik Pandya admits that responsibility brings out the best in him on a cricket field.

Hardik, who led the Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in the side's and his debut season earlier this year, has been named as captain of the Indian team for the two-match T20 International series against Ireland, starting here on Sunday.

And the dashing all-rounder said he believes in taking ownership on the field. "Earlier also, I liked taking up responsibility and now also it is the same but it is a bit more responsibility now. I always believed that I did better when I took responsibility," Hardik said during a virtual press conference on the eve of the first T20I.

"If I can take ownership of my own things and take my own decisions, they tend to be strong. Cricket is such a game, staying strong during situations is very important.

"Always responsibility was given to me and I took it and that's why I became better. While captaining I will see how I can give the same responsibility to every player and give them the ability to fight with situations," he added.

Playing under two talismanic skippers in Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli has taught Hardik a lot about leadership qualities, but he said every captain has their own style.

"Obviously I have taken a lot of things from them (Dhoni and Kohli) but at the same time I also want to be myself, obviously my understanding of the game is different but I have taken a lot of good vibes from them.

"I am not instinctive but I see more situation than go on my gut. At what point of time, what decision the team requires, I focus on that rather than going on my gut. Gut always goes 50-50," he said.

"I have got an opportunity to lead India. It's in itself a big thing. I don't play the sport to show anyone anything, if I am good enough. I was always the same." India has bench strength now ************************ India is fielding its reserve players in the series against Ireland and Hardik said the bench strength India possesses now is a good sign for the game in the country. "If such a situation arises that we have to send two teams, we are very lucky that we have the bench strength where we can allow the players to go and express and a lot of people will get opportunities.

"There are so much talent in India that people don't get opportunities. Playing for India is always a dream and for them to achieve that dream will be really fantastic," he said.

"The way talent has come up and the character the players have shown and the way we played, it indicates India's bench strength. There are plenty of options right now in Indian team. Four people are still fighting for places in the team. They are knocking the doors, so it can be better than that." Won't take Ireland lightly ********************* Despite fielding a second string side against Ireland, Hardik said they would approach the short series the same way they play in a big tournament.

"It's a challenge mentally, it is easier to say that we are playing against Ireland but playing for India is the biggest pride. If we want to win the World Cup, every match from here is important for us to reach the World Cup final. The first thing I said to all is that it doesn't matter whom we are playing, we need to focus on our own things," he stressed.

"We keep the same intensity we generally keep even if we are playing the World Cup or a big series. Again it comes down to mental strength, how better you can get because it's not easy in two matches getting yourself on but at the same time we are playing for India and we have to be on our A game which we will.

"The discussion between me and the coach is simple -- approach the game as you do in any other game for India." Hardik also said that the team management might give opportunities to some young players, but not at the cost of a strong playing XI.

"We want to give opportunities but at the same time we want to play with our best XI. So there will be a couple of caps given but at the same time it is about making sure that when we go on the field we have the best XI." 

Also Read : Harmanpreet leads India to series sealing win over Sri Lanka

News Source : PTI

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

Leicester, Jun 23 (Cricket News) Wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat impressed with an unbeaten 70, even as India's top-order failed to get batting practice on the first day of their warm-up match against Leicestershire here on Thursday.

Opting to bat after winning the toss, India's top guns failed to fire as the visitors slipped to 81 for five, before reaching 246 for eight at the close of play.

Bharat shone during his 158-minute stay in the middle before rain brought an early end to the day's proceedings at Grace Road.

In all, the 28-year-old batter from Andhra hit eight fours and a six while facing 111 balls. At stumps, Mohammed Shami was giving Bharat company on 18.

Skipper Rohit Sharma (25) and Shubman Gill (21) got out after getting starts. The opening duo, which is set to begin India's innings in the one-off 'fifth Test', added 35 runs for the first wicket before the latter was dismissed by fast-medium bowler Will Davis.

India's first-choice wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who was representing the English county side alongside Cheteshwar Pujara, Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna, held on to the catch of Gill, who found the fence four times while lasting 38 minutes.

For the addition of another 15 runs, India lost the wicket of Rohit, who hit three fours during his 64-minute stay in the middle. Rohit's departure paved the way for Virat Kohli's arrival, and the former India captain looked to take the onus upon himself to prop up India.

In between, Hanuma Vihari (3) came on to bat at number three but departed cheaply off the bowling of Roman Walker.

Shreyas Iyer failed to open his account and walked back to the dressing room after facing 11 balls, having nicked Prasidh to the waiting hands of Pant.

Interestingly Prasidh, who got the ball to swing prodigiously, got some tips from Kohli right before Iyer's dismissal.

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja too failed to make an impact as he was adjudged lbw off the bowling of Roman Walker, who finished the day with impressive figures of 5/24.

With five of their batters back in the hut, Kohli and wicketkeeper Bharat got together and added 57 runs to steady the ship.

However, Kohli, having struck four boundaries and a six, fell to Walker. The 21-year-old seamer then dismissed Shardul Thakur (6) to complete his five-wicket-haul and reduce India to 148 for seven.

Fast bolwer Umesh Yadav chipped in with 23 off 32 balls, hitting four boundaries in the process.

The Test match, rescheduled after it was abandoned owing to a COVID-19 outbreak last year, starts on July 1. 

Also Read : India eye improved top-order show in 2nd T20I against Sri Lanka

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) In preparation for the Test match against England, India will be playing a 4 day warm-up match against Leicestershire. India will not have time to get into the series because there is only one match. India have a 2-1 lead in the series but they will not want to settle for a tied series. This changed England's side under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes is already looking much better than the side India faced last year. This warm-up match is very important for India as they will want to answer a couple of questions.

India squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav.

Leicestershire CCC squad: Sam Evans (Captain), Rehan Ahmed, Sam Bates (wk), Nat Bowley, Will Davis, Joey Evison, Louis Kimber, Abi Sakande, Roman Walker, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna.

Four Indian players namely Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna will be playing for the Leicestershire team. Ravichandran Ashwin who will not participate in the match after his arrival in England was delayed due to a positive Covid Test. India have a couple of things to figure out which is where the practice match will be a massive help. Only two of Pujara, Vihari and Iyer will play in the match. If any of the batter plays well in this match then he almost guarantees his place in the playing XI.

In the first 4 Test matches India went with a combination of 4 seamers and Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin's absence means that India can't try any other combination. When he took over as Test captain Rohit Sharma was asked about Ashwin's exclusion from the XI in England to which he said “Really, can’t tell you anything about his overseas place - why doesn’t he find it or why is he in the eleven. I honestly, have no idea because I wasn’t a part of the selection at that point so I can’t tell you what happened and why was he left out and why didn’t he play and those kinds of stuff”. Sharma as a captain may want a world class spinner like Ashwin in the team regardless of the conditions.

In the South Africa series Ashwin was in the XI for all 3 games due to Jadeja's absence but he didn't have a good series with bat or ball. Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to be the 3 fast bowlers. If India do go for 4 seamers, Shardul Thakur is the obvious candidate. Thakur was exceptional in the 3 matches he played in England last year and also the 3 he played in South Africa. Umesh Yadav and Prasidh Krishna have a chance to try and give the team management a headache if they pull off something extraordinary.

The main goal for India will be to get acclimatized to the English conditions. All the players apart from Pant and Iyer have had a good period of rest after the IPL and each one of them should be ready to go. This will be Rohit Sharma's first overseas Test as a captain. The way India played in the 4 matches of this series, they definitely deserve to win this but this England side looks much more settled and driven than the last one. Ben Stokes who missed the last series will also be back and this time will captain the side.

Also read: Indian women gear up for opening T20I against Sri Lanka

(Cricket news) After their disappointing performance at the World Cup in New Zealand, the Indian women's team now prepare for a whiteball tour of Sri Lanka. The tour will kick off with 3 T20Is at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. The Indian team will now be under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur who is the new all format captain after Mithali Raj's retirement. India will use this series as a preparation for the Commonwealth Games where they will be playing T20Is.

India's possible playing XI:

Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav

Bench: S Meghna, Simran Bahadur, Renuka Singh, Radha Yadav

Considering the conditions in Sri Lanka, playing 2 seamers and 3 spinners will make perfect sense. Harmanpreet Kaur will definitely be keen to bowl a couple of overs herself. The opening partnership between Verma and Mandhana will be very crucial. It is an important tournament for Jemimah Rodrigues who returns to the squad after being dropped from the World Cup. 

Harmanpreet Kaur needs only 46 runs to overtake Mithali Raj as the highest run scorer for India in T20Is. Smriti Mandhana on the other hand is just 29 runs away from becoming the 5th Indian batter (men or women) to score 2000 runs in T20Is. Harmanpreet Kaur in a press conference said "I think things will be easy because when two different captains were there, sometimes things were not easy because we both had different ideas. Now, it’s easy for me to tell them what I am expecting from them and things will be much easier for me and my teammates as well.”

When MS Dhoni gave his white ball captaincy to Virat Kohli, the former captain said that in India split captaincy doesn't work for long term. What Harmanpreet said perfectly sums it up. Indian fans will be hoping that things change and this Indian side can bring an ICC trophy home. The next chance they get will be in 2023 when South Africa will host the T20 World Cup. As of 22nd June 2022, nobody has picked up the rights to telecast the series in India. If anyone has then there has been no promotion of it which is very surprising considering the fact that women's cricket is watched and followed widely by people in India.

Sri Lanka Squad: Chamari Athapaththu(c), Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeevani, Oshadhi Ranasinghe, Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranaweeram, Achini Kulasuriya, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Malsha Shehani, Ama Kanchana, Udeshika Prabodhani, Rashmi de Silva, Hansima Karunaratne, Kaushani Nuthyangana, Sathya Sandeepani, Tharika Sewwandi.

Also read: Takeaways from the epic tied between India and South Africa

Dubai, Jun 22 (Cricket News) On the back of his recent exploits, veteran Dinesh Karthik jumped a massive 108 spots to 87th on the latest ICC T20 rankings for batters, even as young opener Ishan Kishan broke into the top 10.

Kishan finished the series with two half centuries against South Africa and was the leading run scorer with 206 runs at an average of 41. That form catapulted the left-hander up one spot to sixth on the latest T20 rankings for batters.

Karthik has been in excellent form since the IPL-15 and had a few blazing knocks in the T20 series against South Africa.

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam still holds the top spot on the T20 batting rankings and Kishan is the only Indian player rated inside the top 10.

Yuzvendra Chahal was the biggest mover on the T20 rankings for bowlers with the India spinner jumping three places to 23rd following his six wickets during the South Africa series.

Josh Hazlewood maintains his position as the top ranked T20 bowler, with Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan (joint third) and Sri Lanka tweaker Wanindu Hasaranga (sixth) both moving up a place inside the top 10.

Ravindra Jadeja maintains his top position in the Test all-rounders' list with 385 rating points. He is currently in the UK for India's upcoming Test against England, a spill over of last year's five-match series, which could not be completed owing to a COVID-19 outbreak.

Bangladesh captain Shakib al Hasan moved up to second position with 346 rating points, though he has a long way to go if he wants to overtake Jadeja at the top of list.

Former India captain Virat Kohli (742) maintained his 10th position in the Test batting chart, while seasoned off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (850) and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah (830) occupied the second and third positions in bowling respectively.

West Indies quick Kemar Roach also made his move on the updated list for bowlers, with the veteran right-armer jumping four spots to eighth following an impressive display against Bangladesh.

Australian quick Pat Cummins leads the Test bowlers' list with 901 rating points. 

Also Read : Cricket Australia introduces draft system to pick overseas players in BBL-12

News Source : PTI

Leicester, Jun 20 (Cricket News) Indian cricketers, including skipper Rohit Sharma and opener Shubman Gill, on Monday hit the nets here ahead of the rescheduled fifth and final Test against England, starting in Birmingham on July 1.

Rohit and Gill are likely to open the innings for India in the Test and the duo got into the groove as they looked to sharpen their skills during the practice session at the Leicestershire County Ground.

Rohit, who was rested for the T20I series against South Africa at home, defended few deliveries on the front foot, while also playing the pull shots against the short balls. Gill, too, looked to work on his game during the batting session.

India will be based here for a week and play Leicestershire in a four-day warm-up match from June 24.

The duo of Rohit and KL Rahul had played a pivotal role in India securing a 2-1 lead in the Test series in Engand last year before the final match was abandoned owing to a COVID-19 outbreak.

Rahul, however, will miss the tour this time because of a groin injury, which had also ruled him out of the series against South Africa. His absence opened the door for Gill to open for India.

Rohit had amassed 368 runs in 4 Tests, including a hundred and two fifties, while Rahul racked up 315 runs, comprising a hundred and a half-century.

Gill had played a crucial role in India's historic Test series win on Australian soil in 2020-21 and will be keen to make a mark in the UK after returning to the squad following last year's series against New Zealand.

It will also be the first time that Rohit will be leading the team in Test cricket overseas.

England, led by Ben Stokes, have been in sensational form, having recently won 2-0 against reigning World Test Championship winners New Zealand.

India's tour of England also comprises three T20Is and as many ODIs, and the visitors will play two warm-up matches against Derbyshire and Northamptonshire before the white-ball series.

Indian players such as Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jedaja, who were not part of the South Africa series, had their first training session in England last week. 

Also Read : Karthik opens up lot of options going into World T20: Dravid

News Source : PTI

Bengaluru, Jun 20 (Cricket News) Dinesh Karthik as an "enforcer" opens up a lot of options going into the T20 World Cup, says India head coach Rahul Dravid, who wants to identify a core group of 18-20 players by the end of England series.

For Dravid, to be a part of the World T20 set-up, it won't be enough to just the "knock the door". Anyone who wants to stake a claim in that squad of 15 will need to "bang it down".

"It was really nice to see Karthik come off and do what he has been picked to do. That was good and it opens up a lot more options for us, going forward," Dravid said after the five-match series against South Africa ended in a 2-2 draw.

The last game was abandoned due to rain.

"He was picked for what he has been doing exceptionally well for the last two or three years (in IPL) and kind of indicated in the sense that it almost came together in the game at Rajkot," Dravid spoke about the Tamil Nadu dasher's 27-ball-55 that was crucial in India restoring parity in the series.

For Dravid, Karthik and Hardik Pandya are the two “enforcers” in the death overs.

"We needed that big performance in last five overs to make a par score and he and Hardik batted beautifully. Both of them are enforcers for us at the end," Dravid spelt out what role the team management has in mind for Karthik.

The coach had no hesitation in admitting that Karthik has made a good case for himself going into the T20 World Cup.

"I was telling guys that you have to start banging the door down and not just knocking the door down and innings like that (Rajkot fifty) means he is knocking very hard." Want to get hang of core as quickly as possible ============================= Dravid doesn't want to put a time line but by the end of the England T20Is, he wants to have a fair idea about the 18 to 20-odd players he would be looking at ahead of World Cup in Australia.

India and England will clash in six white-ball games (July 7-17) after one-off Test.

"As you come closer and closer to the event, you want to firm up your final squad or if not, obviously you want to have some contingencies in the kind of world we live in today. Obviously you want to take only 15 to the WC but (need to identify) top 18 to 20 players," he replied to a query on where he stands on his core team.

"Obviously, there could be odd changes due to injury and things that are beyond your control but we are going to start looking to firm up that squad as quickly as possible.

"Whether that will happen in next series (Ireland) or series after that (England) is hard to tell but we are certainly looking to do that as quickly as possible," he revealed.

Coach defends under-fire Gaikwad and Iyer =========================== If there were two people who have ideally blown away their chances to be a part of World T20 core squad, they are Ruturaj Gaikwad (96 runs in 5 games) and Shreyas Iyer (94 runs in 5 games). Gaikwad is looking completely out of place in international cricket and Iyer's struggle against quality pace bowling is now well-documented.

The head coach however chose to be a bit more empathetic towards the duo even though one will not play against Ireland (Iyer is in Test team) and other unlikely to get any more starts.

"We are not going to make knee-jerk reactions on people just like that. I don’t like judging people after one series or one game," Dravid said.

"Shreyas on a couple of tricky wickets showed a lot of intent, played really positively for us. Ruturaj in one innings showed what he has got. We are not disappointed with anyone," Dravid once again showed the dogged defence of his playing days.

Attacking brand of cricket. ================= "As a group, we wanted to play a certain brand of cricket and we were trying to play a slightly more positive and attacking brand of cricket right from beginning and we knew when you try and do that, it is not always going to come off. But we are certainly clear about the kind of cricket we want to play," he said.

Even Big Bash stats needs to be looked at before World T20 ===================================== Dravid is known to rely a lot on data analysis and he would love to gather information on playing conditions and oppositions before the tournament-proper.

"Lot of our boys have played in Australia and we certainly will be having conversations with them on what kind of tactics and strategies work," he said.

"In terms of data and analysis, we will look at all games being played in Australia and obviously they are international games, there is Big Bash and I mean we will do all our research and background things that happens in terms of analysis.

"And of course, we don't have a series against them (Australia in Australia), so we can't change that. I guess we have to make do with two weeks we have in the lead up to the World Cup and make best use of it." This will be a different England Test side ========================= Rahul Dravid loved playing Test cricket in England and loves coaching a Test team. He reckons that the one-off 'fifth Test' against the hosts will be a different proposition from last year when the team under Virat Kohli led 2-1 before Covid-19 cases in India camp forced the cancellation of the final game.

"England are playing well at the moment and it is going to be a bit different from last year when England were probably a little bit on backfoot. They have played some good games and we have a pretty good side as well," Dravid said, referring to Ben Stokes' side's series win against New Zealand.

"Loved playing Test cricket, love watching it and love coaching in Test cricket and so you know, looking forward to it," he concluded. 

Also Read : Bhuvneshwar was special through the series: Mark Boucher

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) 20th June might be the most significant date in Indian Test cricket history. Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly all made their Test debuts on this day and all three went on to achieve incredible things for Indian cricket, especially in the longest format of the game. Dravid and Ganguly made their debuts at Lords on 20th June 1996 in the 2nd Test match against England. Kohli made his debut on 20th June 2011 in the 1st Test against West Indies at Kingston. 

Sourav Ganguly couldn't have asked for a better debut. The then Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin won the toss and put England into bat first. Ganguly acted as the 5th bowler and picked up two very important wickets. In the second innings, he came into bat at number 3 and scored an incredible 131 off 301 balls hitting 20 fours. In the 3rd innings, Ganguly was once again given the ball and he picked up another wicket. The match ended up being a draw as India didn't get a chance to bat in the 2nd innings. 

Sourav Ganguly went on to captain the sides for a number of years where he got some memorable wins. He is widely credited for revolutionising the Indian team and the players he developed went on to become legends of Indian cricket. He also scored 16 hundreds and India never lost any match when Ganguly got a ton. Dravid also had a very good debut as he scored 95 off 267 balls hitting 6 boundaries, going on to become one of the greatest red ball batters of all time. He scored 13288 at an average of 52.3 getting 36 centuries and also captaining India for a brief time where he was successful. 

Virat Kohli's debut wasn't too successful for him as 4(10) and 15(54) in the match. India won the match against West Indies and coincidentally the man of the match was Rahul Dravid. Kohli went on to become one of the best players in Test cricket history. He also became an extremely successful captain who is often credited for keeping Test cricket alive. At the beginning of his career, Kohli wasn't seen as a proper Test player but he has changed that by scoring 8043 at an average of 49.96 including 27 centuries.

All 3 of these legends have played over a hundred Test matches. They have all captained the Indian team in legendary Test series. Ganguly led the Indian team that tied the series in Australia. Dravid led India to a Test series win in England after 21 years. Virat Kohli led India to a Test series win in Australia for the first time ever in 2018. 20th June holds a lot of significance in Indian cricket history and cricket history in general. Dravid is now carrying his legacy as the coach of the Indian team while Sourav Ganguly is the president of the BCCI. Virat Kohli is still going strong playing all three formats consistently.

Also read: 'Bandon me dum tha' reminisces India's historic win over Australia

Bengaluru, Jun 20 (Cricket News) South Africa head coach Mark Boucher termed India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s performance in the series as “special” while ruing the absence of Aiden Markram, who he feels could have made a lot of difference for the Proteas over the course of the five T20Is.

Bhuvneshwar, who now only plays white-ball cricket, got six wickets in four completed games and gave away only 85 runs in 14 overs at an economy rate which was just a shade above six runs per over.

"Bhuvi was special in this whole series as we came up against some quality bowling. He put us under pressure in Powerplays and barring one game (Delhi), where we got off to a good start, they have dominated us with both ball and bat in Powerplays," Boucher said after the series ended in 2-2 despite Proteas going 2-0 up at the onset.

However, losing Markram due to COVID-19 at the start of the series had a huge impact, felt the former glovesman.

"It was tough losing Aiden Markram even before we started the first game. We wanted to play six batters with Aiden being our sixth option and we couldn’t do that,” Boucher added.

The long IPL did make the players tired and that also had an effect on the final outcome, he said.

"We didn’t play our best cricket and it was quite tough on our IPL players to stay throughout the whole IPL and then come to India back-to-back as well," he explained.

"Guys are little bit tired as well. So they will all enjoy the break and (having learnt a) lot of lessons in World Cup year. And see, if we can plug a few gaps going into Australia albeit in different conditions." While stars like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah were rested for the series, Boucher lauded the depth of the Indian cricket system created by the IPL.

“I know there weren’t a lot of top (India) players over here but the depth that Indian cricket has at the moment largely due to the IPL, they can take lot of confidence as well." "You just cant walk up in India and expect to win a series as well. So, we played a couple of good games and two bad games and there are a couple of reasons for that, but you can’t get too much into it," he added.

However in Australian conditions, South Africa will have a different gameplan.

"Plans will change in Australia and we are aware of that. We tried a few options in these conditions and saw if they worked or not.

"And I think, we asked a few questions and we got some good answers." Boucher made no bones about the fact that South Africa need to improve upon their Powerplay batting.

"We struggled to get going in few of the games and we speak about it after every game and may be see how we can change our mindset and intent, specially after third game, when we went after with the intent we needed," he said.

"And our bowling at certain stages was very good and at certain stages, we looked rusty and sort of understand that couple of guys coming into the series after IPL and may be a bit tired," he signed off. 

Also Read : Takeaways from the epic tied between India and South Africa

News Source : PTI

(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) Six captains leading Indian teams across formats in a span of eight months isn't something that head coach Rahul Dravid had planned but he isn't complaining as it provides an opportunity to create more leaders within the group.

Since Dravid took over in November after the T20 World Cup, India have had Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya (set to lead in Ireland) as national captains due to the COVID-19 related bubble breaks, simultaneous series held in countries, and injury-induced breaks.

"It's been challenging as well, we have got six captains in the last eight months, which actually wasn't the plan when I started, but it's the nature of the number of games we are playing," Dravid told Star Sports before the start of the fifth match.

The 'Wall' accepted that that the times are such that one has to accept the situation.

"It's the nature of COVID, so I have had to work with quite a few people. It has been great fun. A lot of other guys have got an opportunity to lead, we have got opportunities to create more leaders in the group," he looked at the positive side of the things.

The endeavour has been to get better in every aspect although losing the Test and ODI series in South Africa was disappointing.

"We have constantly strived to get better, we have tried a lot of different people. In the last eight months, touring South Africa was a bit of a disappointment in terms of Test cricket," he said.

Dravid is happy with the bowling talent that has emerged thanks to the IPL.

"Our white ball cricket has been good though, shows the character of the team. It was incredible to see the fast bowling talent we have (during the IPL), especially with few of the bowlers clocking such speed.

"A lot of youngsters got an opportunity to showcase their skills, and a lot of them came good, those are really good signs for Indian cricket, exciting times ahead," he sounded confident. 

Also Read : South Africa opt to field against India in series decider


 

(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?

(Cricket news) It has been over two years since India won the Border Gavaskar trophy against Australia. India's victory in the Test series is still fresh in the minds of everyone who witnessed the series, especially Indian fans. Voot have released  a 4-part docu series which will take the fans on a trip down memory lane. The series not only highlights what people already know but also gives a rare insight on some incidents which went under the radar.

Popular actor Jimmy Shergill is the narrator while Neeraj Pandey is popular for directing the movie MS Dhoni: the untold story is the director. Journalists Peter Lalor and coach Paddy Upton voiced their opinions on what transpired throughout the series. The pair tried to break down why certain things happened and how it affected the end result. Upton who has spent time as the Mental Conditioning and Strategic Leadership Coach of the Indian National cricket team said things about the Indian mentality of performing best when backed against the wall. He also compared the behavior of this Indian side to the history of India in war where they don't attack first but when attacked they always reply with full power.

Journalist Bharat Sudarshan offered his insights on what he saw and observed throughout the series. He narrated one particular incident where he saw Rishabh Pant practicing with pain while talking to himself. Tim Paine and Pat Cummins talked about their mindset in certain situations. Paine talked about how he was irritated and angered that Indian players broke the quarantine rules. He also said that he was frustrated by Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari's antics in the Sydney Test match where they used the same chest pads and wasted time. The then Australian captain also said that the frustration was the reason for his behavior. 

Cummins talked about his bowling performances throughout the series. He also said that bowling bouncers to other bowlers is a part and parcel of the game. Ajinkya Rahane talked how running out Virat Kohli haunted him for the rest of the game. He also talked about certain key decisions he made through the series and also the atmosphere in the dressing room. Cheteshwar Pujara highlighted his battle with Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazelwood. He also talked about his mindset in the last two Tests and how he endured several body blows. 

Ravichandran Ashwin was witty and funny in describing several incidents. He talked about his game plan against Steve Smith and also his innings at the SCG. He gave an insight into his injury struggles and how he thought that the series was his last chance to prove himself. Hanuma Vihari also talked about the innings at SCG and his injury struggles. Mohammed Siraj touched upon his father's death just before the series, the racism he faced and his performance with the ball. Rishabh Pant talked about his disappointment after being dropped in the first Test. He later explained his mindset while playing with pain and the reason he played attacking cricket. 

Washington Sundar talked about his role as a net bowler to eventually being given his Test cap at the Gabba. Every Indian player interviewed praised Ajinkya Rahane's captaincy and also talked about the impact of Virat Kohli's departure. The series will take the fans on a trip down the memory lane and certain moments are bound to give one goosebumps.

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

(Cricket news) According to various reports KL Rahul has been ruled out of the Edgbaston Test against England. Rahul got injured in training before the T20I series against South Africa and was subsequently ruled out of it. He has now failed to recover in time for the Test and is now on his way to Germany to complete his recovery. Rahul's absence is a massive blow to the team and the batter himself. There has been no official announcement from BCCI and hence it is unclear whether a replacement will be sent to England.

The news is absolutely devastating for KL Rahul, whose Test career had been miraculously recovered. Rahul had a stint as India's first choice Test opener but was dropped after a run of bad performances. He was later brought back into the side as a middle order batter in the 2020/21 border gavaskar trophy. When India had all the middle order batters injured, Rahul was supposed to step in but he too got injured in the nets. When he returned to the Test side for the England tour, a bit of luck went his way. Shubman Gill who was the first choice opener back then got injured. He was supposed to be replaced by Mayank Agarwal but the opener suffered concussion after being hit on the helmet in the nets. 

Rahul who was preparing as a middle order batter was asked to open the batting once again. Along with Rohit Sharma he formed an excellent opening pair that performed exceedingly well.  Rahul scored a match-winning century at Lords which earned him a player of the match award. Rahul then went on to score a century in South Africa and also captained the side in Virat Kohli's absence. Now with this injury he might have given a chance to Shubman Gill to try and reclaim his spot. Mayank Agarwal is not a part of the team due to his inconsistencies but he will be a candidate to replace Rahul as India have only two openers in the squad now.

As for the Indian team, they had a very strong opening combination in Rahul and Rohit, one which had success in English conditions. Shubman Gill had an incredible start to his Test career in Australia but since then has dipped in form. Now he has an incredible opportunity to try and regain his spot as Rohit Sharma's opening partner even though his future may be in the middle order. There will also be extra pressure on Rohit Sharma to sort of take control whenever he opens the batting with Gill.

Also read: India look to level series and complete comeback against South Africa

(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.

Also read: Tottenham Hotspur agree €29m deal with Brighton for Yves Bissouma

New Delhi, Jun 15 (Cricket News) Senior opener KL Rahul is all set to miss the 'fifth' Test against England in Birmingham next month as he is unlikely to recover from a groin injury that forced him out of the ongoing T20I series against South Africa.

In another development, Hardik Pandya is likely to captain the white-ball squad in England as Rishabh Pant, who is currently leading the T20 side, will join the Indian Test squad in UK only after the South Africa series.

"Rahul has not recovered from his groin injury. The Test squad members are assembling in Mumbai today and will fly out midnight. Rahul is not travelling with the team. He will take some more time to recover although he might appear in a fitness test during weekend. Chances of recovery aren't looking bright," a BCCI official privy to development told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

All the players, except Pant, are leaving for England early Thursday for the July 1-5 contest, notable being skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.

It is understood that since there is only one Test match, which is a spill-over from the 2021 series, the selectors are still not thinking about KL Rahul's replacement as of now.

"You have Shubman Gill, who has opened in most of his Test matches. Else, Cheteshwar Pujara can also open the batting, in case there is any fitness issues for any of the two openers. It was a 17-member squad and 16 will be going. So that's not a problem," the source added.

Hardik in line for captaincy in Ireland --------------------------------------- It has been decided that Pant will not be playing the two T20 Internationals against Ireland and hence Hardik, who is his deputy for the South Africa series, is expected to lead the side.

"While there is Dinesh Karthik, who is the senior-most player in the squad along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, it was Hardik, who was Pant's designated deputy and hence favourite to lead," the official added.

In Pant's absence, India have two keepers in Ishan Kishan and Karthik in the squad.

There won't be too many changes to the squad that is currently playing against South Africa and hence chances of Mohsin Khan or Rahul Tripathi look dim. 

Also Read : England seal series after incredible day 5 run chase vs New Zealand

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Jun 15 (Cricket News) India opener Ishan Kishan climbed up 68 places to grab the seventh spot among batters, while the bowling duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal also made gains in the latest ICC T20 rankings released on Wednesday.

Kishan,who has been one of India's consistent performers in the ongoing T20I home series against South Africa, aggregating 164 runs in three matches including two half-centuries, has made a massive jump to enter the top 10 among T20 batters.

The 23-year-old is the lone Indian batter in the top 10 with KL Rahul occupying the 14 spot.

Skipper Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer have dropped a place each to 16th and 17th spots respectively, while Virat Kohli has slid two places to 21st.

Among bowlers, Bhuvneshwar is up seven places to 11th while leg-spinner Chahal has climbed up four places to 26th.

Australia's Josh Hazlewood has regained his number one spot among T20 bowlers, while Maheesh Theekshana of Sri Lanka is up 16 places to eighth in the list.

In the Test rankings, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has moved a spot to third, behind compatriot Ravichandran Ashwin, who remains static on number two.

Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin, however, continue to occupy the top two spots in the all rounders' list.

Rohit and Kohli retained their seventh and 10 spots respectively among batters while England's Joe Root is back at the top after smashing a second successive century in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship series against New Zealand.

Root, who had reached within striking distance of Marnus Labuschagne after the first Test, has wrested back the top spot from the Australia batter, whom he now leads by five rating points.

Root is on 897 points after his knock of 176 in the first innings of the Nottingham Test, 20 less than his highest of 917 points.

Root first grabbed the number one position in August 2015 and was last at the top in December 2021 before Labuschagne leapfrogged him. He has been No.1 in Tests for 163 days so far.

Steve Smith (1,506 days), Kohli (469 days) and Kane Williamson (245 days) are the others to have had substantial vigils at the top in recent years.

Root's compatriots, player-of-the-match Jonny Bairstow and captain Ben Stokes have also had major gains.

Bairstow's 92-ball 136 that led England's last day chase for an eventual five-wicket win, has moved up 13 places to 39th position while Stokes' 75 not out has taken him from 27th to 22nd position.

Ollie Pope (up 22 places to 53rd) and Alex Lees (up 26 places to 86th) have also moved up the rankings for batters while seam bowler Matthew Potts has advanced 18 places to 59th after picking up three wickets in the match.

For New Zealand, Daryl Mitchell's scores of 190 and 62 not out have lifted him 33 places to a career-best 17th position while Tom Blundell's first innings century has helped him move up four places to 31st position.

Devon Conway's innings of 46 and 52 saw him inch up one slot to 23rd. Fast bowler Trent Boult is up four places to ninth. 

Also Read : Bowlers and openers shine as India keep series alive with 48-run win

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. 

Also read: Ranji Trophy SF: Mumbai have slight upper hand against Uttar Pradesh

Visakhapatnam, Jun 15 (Cricket News) South Africa's batting crumbled under pressure in the third T20I against India but skipper Temba Bavuma said it would be "foolish" to change their approach after just one loss in the five-match series.

Chasing 180 to win, South Africa had a slow start as they could manage only 15 runs in the first three overs but Bavuma said it "has always been our tactic as a team." "First two overs we always have a look and then we try to get some momentum going into the innings and set it up for our big power players," he said during the post-match press conference after his team suffered a crushing 48-run loss to India.

"That is a strategy that has worked for us and I would be a bit foolish to change our approach after just one loss," he added.

The Proteas had dominated the spinners in the first two matches but the duo of Yuzvendra Chahal (3/20) and Axar Patel (1/28) produced a scintillating show to stifle the visitors after being introduced early in the innings by skipper Rishabh Pant on Tuesday.

"I think their spinners put us under pressure and we were not able to absorb and put back the pressure as we did in the first two games. The conditions suited their spinners. Kudos to their spinners for exploiting the conditions to their favour," he said.

"They bowled quite well, their captain got their spinners early into the game which I think made a big difference versus us. Our spinners came later on and that is a trick we missed out there on the field.

"With the batting, we were not able to get any partnership going, or any momentum going. In the first two games, we batted really well but today it was an off day for the batters." The Indian side is missing big players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and KL Rahul but Bavuma said it doesn't make the hosts a weak team.

"I don't think it is a weak team, these are guys who performed exceedingly well in their domestic competition and IPL. These are quality players. For us, we knew we had to play well and that is what we have done in the first two games.

"Today they were much better, that is something we have to expect. I don't think you were expecting that we will just come here and win the series 5-0 because all the big names are not there. This is a good Indian team in my opinion." South Africa's openers have struggled and the skipper, who bats at the top, said losing Quinton de Kock to injury has affected the team.

"Look, Quinton is a big player at the top of the order but unfortunately we don't have him at our disposal, he is injured. We have Reeza (Hendricks) as a backup option and we have full faith in backing him. This is the squad we have built over the last two years.

"Obviously when a team loses, there are many areas that we can point out. Like I said at the start of the innings, we are looking to get stability but with Quinton not available, we are not able to get that stability.

Talking about his own performance he said; "I am a guy who partners up with Quinton at the top. I think the guys understand my role within the team." "Players play around me. They need someone to keep tight at the other end. That is not going to change, I feel it has been successful for us and we will get going with it." 

Also Read : IPL to have a two-and-a-half month window in ICC's next FTP cycle: Jay Shah

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. 

Also read: I want to represent India and lift the World Cup - Jasmer Dhankhar

(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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(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) A penchant for leading by example mingles with intent and positivity to make IPL title-winning skipper Hardik Pandya a strong contender for Indian captaincy in near future, reckons spin great Harbhajan Singh.

The 28-year-old all-rounder is being tipped as a future India captain after leading unfancied Gujarat Titans to victory in their maiden season in the world's most lucrative T20 league.

"One of the biggest revelations in this year's IPL was the advent of Hardik Pandya as the skipper of the Gujarat Titans and the way he led the team from the front to win the coveted title is definitely praiseworthy.

"His intent and positive captaincy are signs that he can lead Team India in the future," Harbhajan told PTI in an interview.

It was the culmination of an extraordinary season that began with experts refusing to put their money on the franchise after questioning its purchases in the player auction.

Their flamboyant skipper, however, had other ideas as, after having surprised everyone with his precise decision-making and field placements, took three wickets and scored 34 runs against Rajasthan Royals in the final, which was attended by a crowd of over one lakh in the world's biggest cricket stadium in Motera.

As the discussion turned to Virat Kohli, the former spinner with 417 Test and 269 ODI wickets said that his slump is temporary and the batting maestro would make a resounding comeback very soon.

"Kohli is a kind of cricketer who always gives his best when he is out there in the middle. Given the quality of cricket he has delivered to us over the years, I am extremely confident that he would make a comeback soon. He has always been an achiever," stated the legendary spinner.

For the five-match T20I series against South Africa, the Indian team management is relying on a number of youngsters who have performed brilliantly in this year's IPL.

Harbhajan said this is a great opportunity for the likes of Rututaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh to impress in the international arena ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Australia in October-November.

"It's a golden opportunity for these youngsters to do something special ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup later this year. The team management has injected the young blood into the squad against South Africa this time, and they have every potential to make it big before the flagship event," he said.

Harbhajan, who became the first Indian to take a hat-trick in Tests against Australia in 2001, said he is keenly looking forward to Yuzvendra Chahal's performance against the South Africans in the T20 series.

Chahal's excellent outing in IPL-15 earned him the Purple Cap -- reserved for the tournament's highest wicket-taker.

"Yuzvendra Chahal is currently in the form of his life, thanks to his amazing show in the IPL, that earned him 27 wickets, the most by any bowler this season.

"What sets Chahal apart from the rest is how he has evolved as a top-notch spinner over the years and never compromised on the line and length, which is very important for a spinner.

"Therefore, he will definitely play a pivotal role in this T20 series against South Africa," Harbhajan said during the interview which was facilitated by Fanatic Sports, one of leading sports travel and hospitality firms.

Asked about Dinesh Karthik's incredible resurgence, Harbhajan hailed the 37-year-old veteran as a fighter, whose never-say-die-attitude has led to his comeback to the Indian side.

"Dinesh Karthik, the kind of cricketer he is, and at this stage of his career, he is just trying to prove to himself that he is still good enough to represent the Indian colours.

"His determination, attitude, and most importantly, the fact that he believes, he has still got a lot to give to the Indian cricket team, are definitely laudable and he has definitely set a precedent by doing that," Harbhajan remarked. 

Also Read : India eye world record in 1st T20I against South Africa

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 4 (Cricket News) South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma says the upcoming T20 series against India will be an opportunity for him to identify players for specific roles for the World Cup, which will be held in Australia later this year. The South African T20 side last competed in November at the World Cup in Sharjah and with the next World event slated to begin in October, Bavuma is keen to marshal his troops.

"The conditions in India don't accurately simulate conditions in Australia. In saying that, there's still a lot of benefit from playing. Any type of competitive cricket will be good for us," Bavuma said during a virtual media interaction.

"We'll be using these games really to familiarise ourselves again with how we go about playing cricket. Getting that right language that we speak amongst ourselves, really getting guys understanding what their roles are within the team." The visitors will also be fielding a few new faces in a bid to find an able opening partner for Quinton de Kock.

"We've got a couple of new faces within the T20 space. Opportunities will be given to those guys to see what role they can play and what value they can add to the team." The Indian team will be without many senior cricketers but Bavuma expects the rubber to be very competitive. With India's major stars like skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah rested for the series, the hosts are being led by KL Rahul and will feature some new faces including pacers Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh.

"It's obviously a new-look Indian side. A lot of guys who have done well in the recent IPL have been given opportunities. From us as a team we wouldn't be looking at it any differently," Bavuma replied to PTI's query.

"We don't really see it as taking on a ‘B’ side. We have played against the Indian T20 side. So, going into the game, we'll still be as motivated as ever. The competitiveness will be there," he added.

The South African white-ball skipper feels the Indian team in recent times has had players who go hard and play aggressive cricket.

"The attitude, the mindset of the Indian team, in the last couple of years, has changed. It's guys who play cricket hard, who play very competitively. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are not there but the Indian fighting spirit will still be there.

"We don't expect them to take it easy on us. We don't expect it to be easy on us. We still expect it to be tough, and we'll be approaching it in that manner." Asked about areas they would like to improve Bavuma said. "That's (batting) a thing we'd like to solidify. More specifically at the top." "If I look at our bowling there is a bit more of solidity and clarity. With these games we'll be trying to find those combinations, or particularly for who partners up with Quinton upfront." "One, two or number three position are probably where we'd like to get a lot more clarity. But I think everything else will kind of will continue as is. Our middle order is our middle order, we've got a nice set of all rounders is more particularly at the top.

"In terms of the series, we are looking to win but also achieve all the other objectives as well." Indian spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav head to the series after a stellar display in the IPL and Bavuma is hopeful the SA experienced batters are able to navigate them.

"It will be a challenge. We’ve played against them a couple of times, and one hopes that we have a better understanding of conditions here in India. The guys are individually speaking about them. They have the individual ways of approaching spin and how they can be successful.

"For the younger guys, it'll be important how the others share that knowledge.

"The way that we played slow bowling over the last 18 months or so as a group gives us a lot of confidence and belief that we can dominate spin bowling and different types of bowling." South Africa are set to take on India in five T20Is, starting from June 9 to 19.

Also Read : ICC chair warns of reduction in volume of Test cricket in future

News Source : PTI

Johannesburg, Jun 1 (Cricket News) Backing David Miller to carry his confidence from the IPL to the away series against India, South Africa white-ball skipper Temba Bavuma said he is open to having a conversation with the southpaw regarding his batting position in the national T20 team.

Miller enjoyed a fabulous IPL season with the bat where he was a vital cog in the Gujarat Titans team that went on to win the title in its maiden season.

"It's always nice to see guys in form. A guy like David lifting the trophy with the Gujarat Titans - the confidence that he will bring into the team, we look forward to that," Bavuma told reporters at the pre-departure press conference on Tuesday ahead of the series against India.

"David has performed exceedingly well at the IPL and I'm sure that will do a world of good for his confidence and whatever feelings of insecurity that might be there.

"The conversations that I have had with David, he has never expressed those types of feelings to me. David is still an integral member within our team and we trust his performances will continue well into the future," he added.

The big-hitting Miller has struggled to score runs in the limited overs format with the national team in the past few years.

But batting mostly at number five, as opposed to his usual six with South Africa, in the IPL this season, Miller scored 481 runs with the best average in the competition of 68.71 at a strike rate of 143.

"In terms of him batting a bit longer, that has always been the conversation over the years when David has done well. He understands where he fits in within the team.

"If he feels he can add more value in a different position, a conversation can be had in that regard.

"There is no way we are going to stifle him or restrict David in any manner. That's how we try to treat all the players. We try to set them up in positions where they can succeed and make strong plays for the team." Talking about another South African Dewald Brevis who had a decent outing in the IPL for the Mumbai Indians, Bavuma said the youngster should be given "time and the space to hone his game" before being pushed into international cricket.

"In all fairness to him, he hasn't played a first-class game. In terms of expectation but also allowing the boy to grow within his game, it would be fair to allow him to play a couple of first-class games where he can really get an understanding of his game," he said.

"It will be a lot of pressure to throw him into the international set up and expect him to make plays. He will be treated like any other exciting young prospect that comes onto the scene.

"He should be given time and the space to hone his game within the system and ease into the international side of things." South Africa are set to take on India in five T20Is, starting from June 9 to 19.

The hosts will be without several key players. While regular skipper Rohit Sharma and senior players Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested for the five-match series, Deepak Chahar, Ravindra Jadeja and Suryakumar Yadav have been ruled out because of injuries.

But Bavuma still expects it to be a competitive series.

"Even though India are resting their main players, it will still be a competitive series. The guys in that squad can walk into the Indian team." 

Also Read : Hardik Pandya's incredible debut season as captain in the IPL

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, May 31 (Cricket News) The Indian cricket team will assemble here on June 5 ahead of the five-match T20 series against South Africa.

The first match of the series begins here on June 9 and South Africa will arrive here on June 2.

There will be no crowd restrictions and there will be no bio-bubble for the series though players will be tested regularly for COVID-19.

The other venues are Cuttack (June 12), Visakhapatnam (June 14), Rajkot (June 17) and Bengaluru (June 19).

"The Indian team will assemble here on June 5 while the South Africans land in Delhi on June 2," DDCA joint secretary Rajan Manchanda told PTI.

The Indian cricketers are in the middle of a much needed break post a two-month long IPL.

K L Rahul will lead the Indian team in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma who has been rested for the series alongside other all format players, including Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah. 

Also Read : India's got Talent: IPL unearths next gen of fast bowlers, potential captain

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, May 30 (Cricket News) Former England skipper Michael Vaughan has hailed Hardik Pandya as a future India captain after he led first-timers Gujarat Titans to an IPL title win.

Hardik led from the front with a three-wicket haul and a crucial 34 as Gujarat defeated former champions Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets to lift the 2022 IPL trophy on Sunday.

"Fantastic achievement for a new franchise... If India need a captain in a couple of years I wouldn't look past @hardikpandya7... Well done Gujurat .. #IPL2022," Vaughan tweeted.

Rohit Sharma is currently the Indian captain across formats, having taken over from Virat Kohli.

The 28-year-old's leadership skills was lauded by former and current players, including former India captain Sunil Gavaskar and GT team mentor Gary Kirsten.

Hardik, who has amassed 487 runs and taken 8 wickets, was simply sensational in the final as Gujarat limited a formidable Rajasthan Royals batting unit to 130 for nine.

He also scored a crucial 34 before Shubman Gill and David Miller remained unbeaten on 45 and 32 to take the team home in 18.1 overs. 

Also Read : Wanted to be flag-bearer of how my team would function, says 'Captain' Hardik

News Source : PTI

Pune, May 28 (Cricket News) Velocity captain Deepti Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl in the Women's T20 Challenge final against Supernovas here on Saturday.

Supernovas made two changes with Mansi Joshi and Rashi Kanojiya coming in place of Meghna Singh and Venkateshappa Chandu.

Velocity fielded the same team.

Teams: Supernovas: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Priya Punia, Deandra Dottin, Harleen Deol, Taniya Bhatia (w), Sune Luus, Pooja Vastrakar, Alana King, Sophie Ecclestone, Mansi Joshi, Rashi Kanojiya.

Velocity: Deepti Sharma (c), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia (w), Kiran Navgire, Laura Wolvaardt, Sneh Rana, Radha Yadav, Simran Bahadur, Kate Cross, Natthakan Chantham, Ayabonga Khaka. 

Also Read : Brett Lee says Virat Kohli can take a break from cricket

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) After a 15 year wait the RR fans can finally celebrate going into their second final and believe that they can go on to win the trophy for the late Shane Warne. On the other hand, Gujarat Titans in their first season have exceeded all their expectations and reached their maiden final, they will play in front of the home crowd where almost 1 lakh people will witness the biggest ever final.

For RR they have been riding on Josh Buttler and Yuzvendra Chahal’s brilliance, both have been the lynch pin for their franchise. Yesterday, RR was in a spot of bother but up stepped Josh Butler to score his fourth hundred of the tournament and equaling Virat Kohli’s record of 4 hundreds in a season. Although he is quite far from Virat Kohli’s unbelievable 973 runs in 2016, this season for Butler will go down in the history books for RR. The same can be said for Chahal, who has already picked up the most wickets by leg spinner with 26 wickets. He along with Ashwin have formed a deadly bowling partnership as when they tend to pick three wickets or more, they have gone on to win all the games. In the seam department, Prasidh Krishna brilliantly bounced after David Miller took him to the raptors and produced a match winning spell of 3-22 in the last match while on the other hand Trent Boult bowls the perfect line and length which makes it difficult for the batters to get going.

GT has been the surprise package this season. Before the start of the IPL all the experts and former players didn’t give them a slightest chance to reach the final but their team spirit and togetherness have brought them this far. Along with that, Hardik Pandya has led his team brilliantly and has instilled a never say die attitude in them. GT have won 7 matches in the last over this season which indicates their attitude. Miller who is now in the middle of his best IPL season has amassed a total of 449 runs at a strike rate of 141.19 at an average of 64.14 and has established himself as the backbone of the Gujarat Titans middle order. 

At the top of the order, Shubam Gill and Wriddhiman Saha have formed a very stable partnership, which builds a foundation for the middle order batters to finish the job as this season, Saha has scored the most runs in the powerplay. In the bowling department, Shami has led the bowling from the front and has guided them brilliantly. Rashid Khan will be the key against Josh Buttler as their battle will be one to watch out for.

Pitch and weather report: The Narendra Modi Stadium pitch is often a good scoring venue for batters as the outfield tends to be quick. The bowlers have to hit the right length and line to stop the batters from scoring freely. The temperature is going to hover around 38 degrees as no rain is expected tomorrow, dew factor may come into play in the second innings.

Interesting facts:

• Prasidh Krishna requires 2 wickets to reach 50 wickets in the tournament. 
• Yuzvendra Chahal needs two wickets to surpass Amit Mishra (166) and become the third-highest wicket-taker in IPL history
• Hardik Pandya needs to take four wickets to reach 50 wickets in the IPL
• Mohammed Shami (98) is two wickets away from reaching the landmark of 100 wickets in the tournament.
• Alzarri Joseph needs two wickets to get to 50 wickets in T20 cricket
• R Ashwin (156) needs to take one wicket to overtake Piyush Chawla as the second-leading wicket-taker spinner in the IPL.

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

Probable XI for GT:

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

Probable XI for RR:

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

New Delhi, May 28 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli has made "more mistakes in one IPL season" than he has in his entire 14-year international career, feels Virender Sehwag, who is seeing "different version" of the former India captain than what one is normally used to.

Kohli, who hasn't scored an international hundred for more than two-and-half years, is enduring his worst slump, having scored 341 runs in 16 IPL games at a below-par average of 22.73 and two half-centuries. In fact, he opened the innings in most games.

"This is not the Virat Kohli that we know. This is a different Virat Kohli playing this season. Otherwise the number of mistakes that he has committed this season, he hasn't done it in his entire career," Sehwag told Cricbuzz.

Sehwag, one of India's greatest match-winners during his prime, however empathised with Kohli as he feels that India's No.1 batter has got out in all possible manners in his desperate bid to try out different tactics.

"It can happen when you are not scoring runs. You try looking at various options to get out of bad patch and that leads you to getting dismissed in various ways. This season, Kohli has been out in all possible ways that one can think of," the man with 17,000 plus international runs across formats, added.

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

"When you are out of form, then you have tendency of trying to middle each and every delivery. A batter thinks, if I can middle the ball, I will gain more confidence.

"However Virat did leave a lot of deliveries in that first over (from Trent Boult) but this is what happens when you are out of form. You tend to chase the deliveries wide outside the off-stump. You start following each of them. So when you have luck going your way, even in bad form, you will not edge it but here this didn't happen," the former opener explained.

What did catch Sehwag's attention was his indecisive poke at the delivery.

"The delivery that he got out to -- it had pace and bounce. So he could have either left it or may be just go hard at it. Who knows, it might have flown over keeper's head but what he did was give simple catch practice. It was as if he was giving catching practice like we do for the slip fielders during net session," he analysed.

Sehwag didn't mince words when he said that Kohli did disappoint his millions of fans as one expects stars to own the big stage.

"He has certainly disappointed everyone. We all expect that in a big game, the big player will perform, he disappointed not only himself but also his legion of fans and the RCB fans," Sehwag added.

In fact, former keeper Parthiv Patel raised a pertinent point about Kohli not having the cut shot in his repertoire, which at times comes in handy during lean patches.

"On a bouncy track, one needs to play the cut shot. But Virat never plays the cut shot, that's not his technique. So the delivery that got him out, a very similar delivery was also bowled to Rajat Patidar, who slashed hard and it went over fielder's head for four runs," Parthiv said. 

Also Read : Sanju has been exceptional as player and skipper, says Sangakkara

News Source : PTI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

News Source : PTI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, May 27 (Cricket News) If Rishabh Pant wants to get his name etched in record books forever, he should strive to play 100 Test matches for the country, one of India's greatest long format match-winners Virender Sehwag said on Friday.

Sehwag, the country's only cricketer to have struck two triple hundreds in Test cricket, is among the 11 Indians to have played 100 plus Tests and scored over 8500 runs.

Pant, who has an enviable record being the only Indian keeper to have scored Test hundreds in Australia, England and South Africa, has played 30 Tests and scored 1920 runs so far at an average of 40.85.

"If he (Pant) goes on to play 100+ Tests, his name would be etched in the history books forever. Only 11 Indian cricketers have achieved this feat, and everyone can recall those 11 names," Sehwag said on 'Sports18' while making it clear that white-ball exploits are not for posterity.

The instant gratification of matches won in T20Is and ODIs are fine but in the long run, people only remember what you have done in a white jersey, said the 'Nawab of Najafgarh'.

"Why does Virat Kohli emphasise so much on playing Tests? He knows that if he plays 100-150 or even 200 Tests, he will be immortalised in the record books," Sehwag said. 

Also Read : Babar can become the first batter to be ranked No.1 batter in all formats: Karthik

News Source : PTI

Dubai, May 27 (Cricket News) Veteran India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik reckons Babar Azam will soon become the top-ranked batter across formats, adding that Pakistan skipper is reaping the benefits of the subtle changes made in his batting technique.

The 27-year-old, who has been a consistent campaigner across all three formats, currently holds the top spot among batters in T20Is as well as ODIs and Karthik is confident Babar can become the first player in the history of the sport to be ranked No.1 across all three formats.

"One-hundred per cent (he is capable of achieving the No.1 ranking in all three formats). He (Babar) is a high-quality player who is at the peak of his batting prowess and he has got some Test matches coming up," Karthik said on The ICC Review.

"He has been phenomenal in all three formats of the game and he has done well in different batting positions too. I think he has the potential. He has got all the following of Pakistan helping him in abundance to go on and do special things for his country," he added.

The seasoned wicketkeeper-batter feels Babar has tweaked his batting technique recently which has helped the right-hander become a better player and his timing of the ball is now on par with all modern-day batters.

"The two things that struck me when I watched him bat is his balance and his striking point when he plays a ball.

"Whether it is on the front foot or the back foot, his ability to strike the ball more often than not under his eyes, has been phenomenal.

"He strikes the ball at the point where it is optimum power for where the ball is pitched and that makes him a very special player." In the longest format of the game, Babar is ranked fifth in the world, behind Australia's Marnus Labuschagne and the 'Big Four' of India's Virat Kohli, England's Joe Root, Australia's Steve Smith and New Zealand's Kane Williamson.

"It is a very strong 'Fab Four' that we are talking about and they have obviously been there for much longer, but there is no doubt that Babar has all the credentials and he is going to make it a 'Fab Five'." "There is no doubt he is there or thereabout ... he is a very special player." Karthik believes Babar will continue to develop further as he learns how to adapt to different conditions that players face when playing away from home.

"When you play international cricket, you have got to keep changing a little bit here and there to keep improving your technique,” he said.

"Sometimes just by one per cent (improvement), you can go on and achieve success in that particular tour you are on, so I think he has definitely tweaked his technique a bit here and there over a period of time." 

Also Read : RCB look to reach their second final as they take on RR in Qualifier 2

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) For RCB fans, their team are just two matches away from finally saying “Ee sala cup Namde”. Perhaps RCB can now dream of winning some silverware after a 15 year wait in the IPL? They certainly have all the momentum going into Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals. On the other hand RR need to find some extra motivation to beat this spirited RCB team as Josh Butler and Yuzvendra Chahal need to lead this team from the front.

RCB suddenly looks like a formidable side with the top three batters in exceptional form. Incidentally, this season, the three times Rajat Patidar has come out to bat after an RCB opener has been dismissed for no score, he has gone on to make a huge score. In the last match, he played one of the knocks of the season as he single-handedly took the game away from LSG. Dinesh Karthik and Glenn Maxwell have added the finishing touches to the foundation that top order batters have made. In the bowling department, Hasaranga will be the key as he has accounted for Samson's wicket five times and has given away a mere 18 runs. In the seam department, Josh Hazelwood will have fresh memories of conceding 64 runs but since then he has corrected his line and length which has resulted in a bunch of wickets. Harshal Patel was brilliant last as he kept his cool and calmly took his side home, he is again expected to do the same thing this match.

RR's last match came undone because of some David Miller magic as they too are seeking only their second ever final in their history of the franchise. Jos Buttler would once again be the player in the RR camp as this season he hasn't just aggregated the most runs this season but has hit the most sixes in the tournament with 39 sixes. Sanju Samson has been in good form lately while Shimron Hetmyer had been the main destroyer of the bowling attacks in the slog overs, in the first half of the season as he has found runs hard to come by in the second half of the IPL scoring just 77 runs in his last six innings. 

In the bowling department, the spin duo of Yuzi Chahal and Ashwin didn’t pick a single wicket against GT as subsequently the RR's spinners whenever they have bagged three or more wickets in an innings, they have gone on to win on eight occasions in this season's IPL. Prasidh Krishna provides the side with a hit the deck option bowler while Trent Boult gives them the left-arm angle. However, Prasidh needs to bounce back after getting hit for three sixes against Killer Miller.

Pitch and weather report: The Eden Gardens pitch has been a batters delight as there have two high scoring games. The ground has six red soil and five black soil pitches. So the nature of the pitch will come down to the characteristics of the soil. The temperature is going to hover around 29 degrees as it seems like the storm has passed Kolkata and we can expect no rain today.

Interesting facts:

• RCB have conceded a record 137 sixes
• RR have hit the most number of sixes - 123
• Karthik has been dismissed thrice in ten outings by Chahal and averages just 12.66 against him in T20s.
• Jos Buttler is two sixes away from completing 350 sixes in T20 cricket
•  Harshal Patel needs to take three wickets to reach 100 wickets in the IPL.

Also read: Trailblazers beat Velocity by 16 runs in Women's T20 Challenge

Probable XI for RCB:

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

Probable XI for RR:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) After being knocked out in the Eliminator for 2 consecutive seasons, Royal Challengers Bangalore have finally overcome the hurdle to reach the Qualifier 2. RCB defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 14 runs and there is a singular reason why and that is Rajat Patidar. The Madhya Pradesh batter scored an unbeaten 112 off just 54 balls to guide RCB to a first innings total of 207 runs. RCB ended up defending the total as LSG fell 14 runs short.

After losing the toss, RCB were put into bat first. Their innings got off to a disastrous start as skipper Faf du Plessis was dismissed for a golden duck by Mohsin Khan. Rajat Patidar came in at a very difficult time and started positively. Wickets kept falling at the other end but Patidar kept on playing some exquisite strokes. He anchored the RCB innings perfectly while Dinesh Karthik provided a great finishing touch. Patidar hit 12 fours and 7 sixes in his stellar innings. He became the first uncapped player to score a ton in an IPL playoff game. Virat Kohli after the game said, "I've seen many impact innings and many innings under pressure for a long time, but I haven't seen many better innings than Rajat Patidar's knock".

The knock is even more special considering the context that Rajat Patidar went unsold at the mega auction. Even with a base price of INR 20 Lakh, Patidar found no buyers. He was later roped in by RCB as a replacement for the injured Luvnith Sisodia. After giving a few chances to Anuj Rawat, Patidar came in to bat at number 3 which allowed Virat Kohli to open the batting. He registered the scores of 16(16), 52(32), 21(15), 48(36) & 26(21) to cement his place in the side. David Miller has a similar story as he also went unsold in the first round of the auction before being picked by Gujarat Titans in the 2nd round INR 3 Cr. Miller, just like Patidar played a match-winning knock to lead his side to a win in Qualifier 1. RCB will now face Rajasthan Royals in the Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Also read: Hits and misses from India's squad for the 5th Test against England

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

News Source : PTI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

News Source : PTI

Dubai, May 25 (Cricket News) Bangladesh's Liton Das and Sri Lankan veteran Angelo Mathews have made valuable gains in the ICC Men's Test Rankings after fine performances in the drawn first match while there has been no movement in latest top-10 list issued by the world body.

In the batter's list, Marnus Labuschagne maintained his pole position while India captain Rohit Sharma and his predecessor Virat Kohli remained static at eighth and 10th place respectively.

Similarly in bowling, Pat Cummins (901 points) has a 51-point lead over his nearest rival Ravichandran Ashwin, who is followed by countryman Jasprit Bumrah.

India's Ravindra Jadeja also remained on top of the all-rounders' table.

With only Sri Lanka and Bangladesh engaged in a WTC series, it was inevitable that players from those two nations earned points.

Wicketkeeper-batter Liton has moved up three places to 17th after notching 88 in Bangladesh’s only innings, while Player of the Match Mathews' knock of 199 in the first innings has lifted him five places to 21st among batters in the list led by Australia’s Labuschagne.

Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal are other Bangladesh batters to advance in the latest weekly rankings update after scoring centuries that took Bangladesh to a total of 465.

Mushfiqur, who notched 105, is up four places to 25th, while Tamim has gained six places to reach 27th position following his innings of 133.

In the rankings for bowlers, Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has inched up one place to 29th after finishing with four wickets in the match, while off-spinner Nayeem Hasan's career-best figures of six for 105 in the first innings see him progress nine places to 53rd.

Sri Lanka medium-fast bowler Kasun Rajitha has moved from 75th to 61st after taking four wickets and Asitha Fernando is now in the top 100 of the list led by Australia captain Cummins. 

Also Read : You've got to swallow your ego sometimes and hang in there: Buttler on jittery start against GT

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) 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

Johannesburg, May 24 (Cricket News) The legendary AB de Villiers said he will "definitely" return to the IPL next year as part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad, but he is not sure in what capacity.

De Villiers had been a big part of RCB family before he retired from all forms of cricket last year.

De Villiers' former skipper and teammate Virat Kohli had earlier this month said that he was hopeful the South African great will be back at the RCB in a new role next year.

"I am glad to hear Virat confirmed it. To be honest, we haven't decided on anything yet. I will definitely be around IPL next year. I am not sure in what capacity but I am missing getting back there," De Villiers told VUSport.

"I have a heard a little bird tweeting, saying that there might be some games in Bangalore. So I would love to return to my second hometown and watch the full capacity stadium there at the Chinnaswamy again. I would love to return, I am looking forward to it." De villiers has scored 5162 runs, including three hundreds and 40 fifties, at an average of 39.71 for RCB. 

Also Read : This is my most special comeback as lot of people had given up on me: Dinesh Karthik

News Source : PTI

(Football news) The Indian team was on the verge of creating history the last time they were in England. The men in blue were leading the Test series 2-1 with one game to go but unfortunately the match had to be postponed due to a Covid outbreak in the Indian camp. Now India is ready to go back to finish the job. BCCI has announced the 17-member squad for the match.

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, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Prasidh Krishna

Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Hanuma Vihari, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav were always going to be in the squad. It was already confirmed that KS Bharat will be trusted as a 2nd choice wicket keeper in the squad. Out of all these players only KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant are in the squad for the T20I series against South Africa.  

Shardul Thakur returns to the squad after being rested for the Sri Lanka series. Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped from the squad due to poor form but is now back. After being unsold in the IPL mega auction, the batter went on to score a lot of runs in county cricket which has massively worked in his favour. Whether he is put straight back into the XI will be very interesting to see. Priyank Panchal, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav and Saurabh Kumar who were a part of the Sri Lanka series have been dropped. 

The two notable absentees are Mayank Agarwal and Axar Patel. After scoring a match winning hundred against New Zealand, Agarwal had underperformed against South Africa and Sri Lanka. The only sensible reason why Axar Patel has been dropped would be the conditions. The management looks to be pretty clear that Axar won't be playing even if there are multiple injuries. Ajinkya Rahane who was also dropped from the squad with Pujara ruled out any possibility of a return as he suffered an injury during the IPL. There is still no place for Ishant Sharma in the squad.

Prasidh Krishna gets his maiden call-up into the red ball side. After being a net bowler for the series last year, the seamer has had an incredible year. His performances in the IPL, Ranji Trophy along with his man of the series show against West Indies in the ODIs has given him a much deserved call-up. Even though he will be behind Shami, Bumrah, Siraj, Umesh and Shardul in the pecking order it should be a good experience for him. Prasidh is considered to be a big part of India's Test team future and this is the first step.

Also read: Takeaways from India's squad for T20I series against South Africa

(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 22 (Cricket News) "Thank you, Mumbai, we will remember this one," said Virat Kohli after Royal Challengers Bangalore sneeked into the playoffs following Mumbai Indians' thrilling five-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in their last game of the IPL here.

On Saturday, MI chased down a victory target of 160 in 19.1 overs to knockout Delhi from the competition and paved the way for RCB's entry as the fourth and final team in the knockout stage.

"It was unbelievable. The emotions in the changing room were unbelievable. Thank you, Mumbai, we will remember this one," Kohli said in a release.

RCB had defeated table-toppers Gujarat Titans by eight wickets in their final league match to keep their hopes alive for a playoff, which depended on the clash between DC and MI.

Delhi needed to win the match to make it to the playoffs but they came a cropper against bottom-placed MI.

RCB skipper Faf Du Plessis said the entire team watched the match together and was cheering each and every move made by the Mumbai team.

"It was so good, I think first of all it was really nice to see that everyone was here from the start of the game, so we watched it together," he said.

"We were all shouting for every wicket that Mumbai got and then when they are chasing every boundary. It's good for everyone to watch together and then the celebration towards the end was awesome to be a part of." RCB will now take on third-placed Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator at Edens Gardens on May 25.

"The last game we played we felt almost like we played our best game of cricket of this campaign so far and that is how you want to enter the knockout stages, so we needed someone to do us a favour and Mumbai did that for us, we are very thankful for that," Du Plessis said.

"Obviously now the work starts again, and we get our work mode back on." RCB has never ever won the IPL and allrounder Glenn Maxwell feels the team is very close to achieving that dream.

"Amazing result for us tonight. There is just one small step in us going further, we are that close to making history for RCB in this tournament. We needed another team, but from now on it's all us." 

Also Read : No doubt in my mind that Pant is right choice for captaincy: Ponting

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, May 21 (Cricket News) Emerging stars like Umran Malik and Mohsin Khan could be rewarded for their IPL performances while old-horses Shikhar Dhawan and Dinesh Karthik are likely to return to the T20 set up when the India squad is picked for the home series against South Africa on Sunday. All-rounder Hardik Pandya, who has not played for India since the T20 World Cup last year, has shown form and fitness in the IPL and is set to be included in the squad for the five-game series beginning June 9.

He is finally back to bowling regularly, which was critical in his national comeback bid.

After a two-month long IPL and with the Test team due to depart for England on June 15, some of the all-format players including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah could be rested for the home series.

A similar squad is also expected to be picked for the two T20s in Ireland later in June.

If that is the case, the captaincy responsibility could go to either Dhawan, who led in Sri Lanka last year, or Hardik who has impressed as a leader in his debut season for Gujarat Titans.

The IPL continues to unearth future stars and this season has been no different. While Umran impressed with his raw pace for the Sunrisers, left-arm pacer Mohsin, has stood out both for his speed and accuracy.

As his Lucknow Super Giants skipper K L Rahul said left-arm pacers are always in demand at the highest level, Mohsin could get his big break on Sunday.

Another left-arm pacer in the reckoning is Arshdeep Singh, who once again had a good season for Punjab. He had one of the best economy rates in the death overs and displayed the ability of landing yorkers at will, which is always welcome in an unforgiving format like the T20. In the batting department, Tilak Verma showed a lot of promise in his maiden IPL season and might get a look in for the South Africa series, considering his Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma, who is also the India captain, had reserved high praise for the left-hander.

The likes of Deepak Hooda and Venkatesh Iyer were tried in the middle-order over the West Indies and Sri Lanka series and it remains to be seen, if either of them retains his place or selectors give preference to IPL form.

Dinesh Karthik, who has made a strong case for the finisher's role with his exploits for RCB, is also expected to make his umpteenth comeback in the Indian team.

Rahul Tewatia, who has finished games for Gujarat from improbable situations this season, can also be given an opportunity in that position.

The form of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav has also attracted a lot of attention, potentially making way for the return of 'Kulcha'.

It is still early days in a T20 World Cup year but the South Africa series should give the team management enough idea to decide its core group of players for the ICC event Down Under in October-November. 

Akso Read : CSK were not good enough to win close games: Fleming

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Former Australian international Nathan Hauritz has been announced as Cricket Ireland’s new Spin Bowling Coach. The 40 year old has played international cricket for Australia from 2002 to 2011, playing 17 Tests, 58 ODIs and 3 T20Is during his international career, taking 128 wickets across all formats. Domestically, Hauritz played for Queensland and New South Wales in First-class cricket, and featured for Brisbane Heat, Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League.

Moving into coaching after retirement, Hauritz has been the Spin Bowling Coach for Queensland Fire and Brisbane Heat since 2020. Hauritz’ role with Cricket Ireland will involve working with the senior men’s and women’s squads, as well as the pathway system.

Speaking from Brisbane after accepting the role, Hauritz said: “The opportunity was too good to not even think about. I love discussing spin bowling from all facets, and to be able to do that in an international environment while travelling the world, how could you not want to do it.

“My particular interest as a coach is the tactical and mental side of spin bowling. When you play at the top level of cricket your game is generally in a pretty sound space, but more often than not it comes down to how you perform on the day that needs the most work. I believe my career and experience will help me communicate with, and support the development of, our current groups of spinners. It’s an incredibly exciting time to be part of cricket in Ireland.”

How familiar is he with Irish cricket?

“Social media and livestreaming these days has made it easier to follow teams and games around the world. You can get a good sense of how the domestic competitions work particularly. But I also fondly remember playing a tour game for Australia against Ireland at Clontarf back in 2010. We were actually in a spot of bother in that game - we were under the pump early from the Irish openers. One of our old Norths mates, Alex Cusack, played for Ireland that day, so that was a fun experience. I was lucky enough to take a couple wickets and we won the game. But the main thing that sticks in my mind was that it was an amazing atmosphere.”

Richard Holdsworth, High Performance Director at Cricket Ireland, said “We’re delighted that Nathan will be joining the high performance staff and look forward to getting him over here to start working with our spin groups. Filling this role now completes our elite coaching restructure and provides what we believe is a great coaching and support team around our performance squads.

“Not only will Nathan’s skills and experience be invaluable to our spinners in both the men’s and women’s squads, but he will also be looking at the next generation coming through the pathway system.”

Hauritz will join the Irish set-up in August, subject to a work permit.

Also read: Virat Kohli returns to form at almost the perfect time

Mumbai, May 20 (Cricket News) Delhi Capitals will have their fortune in their own hands as they aim to pull all stops against season's favourite whipping boys Mumbai Indians in what will be a virtual IPL "quarter-final" clash for Rishabh Pant's men.

While DC have everything to play for, MI will like to cap off the season on a winning note although it would count for little for the five-time champions, who suffered due to poor auction strategy.

In case of Mumbai Indians, the only area of interest is whether legendary Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun finally gets a game after having warmed the bench for 27 straight games across two seasons.

Skipper Rohit Sharma has indicated that they would blood some new faces in the final game. So far 22 players have played in 13 games.

The equation is as simple as it can get for the Capitals (+0.255) as they simply need to beat Mumbai Indians to pip Royal Challengers Bangalore (-0.253) on better net run-rate.

While MI have endured their worst season this time, Capitals have been guilty of inconsistency with seven wins and six defeats in their 13 games.

In fact, it was their victory over RCB in the previous game that ensured back-to-back full points for them.

There have been days when Capitals have been extra-ordinary, with a David Warner (427 runs) or Mitchell Marsh (251 runs) or Rovman Powell (207 runs) upping the ante in batting. Spinners Kuldeep Yadav (20 wickets, 8.45), Axar Patel (6 wickets, 7.37) and Lalit Yadav (4 wickets, 8.33) have also done a decent job with the ball in a number of games.

However there are two areas where Capitals have floundered this season. One has been the pace department which has blown hot 'n' cold throughout, save Khaleel Ahmed (16 wickets at 8.08). Shardul Thakur despite his 13 wickets has conceded runs at more than nine runs per over.

And second and more importantly is skipper Pant's (301 runs) inability to convert some of his good starts into big scores.

What has worked for DC towards the business end is Marsh's batting form and his two half-centuries which has gone a long way in keeping them alive.

Mustafizur Rahaman (8 wickets at 7.62) was fantastic in the games that he played but the combination requirement has prevented Ricky Ponting from playing him in more games.

However what will ease a bit of pressure off Ponting ahead of a high-stakes game is Sarfaraz Khan's form as an opener.

After Prithvi Shaw was indisposed due to a bout of typhoid (he is still recuperating), Ponting used Kona Bharat and it didn't work out well for the team.

Finally, Sarfaraz did look the part with a 16-ball-32 in the penultimate game and Ponting is unlikely to tinker with the combination unless Shaw is fully fit.

As far as MI is concerned, the less the said about this season, better it is for them.

Save NT Tilak Varma's emergence as a stylish batter, who could be the next MI legend alongside Tim David, who has taken over the mantle from Kieron Pollard, there is not much to write home about.

Skipper Rohit would certainly like this ordeal to get over and get some much-needed rest before the next tour of England.

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

Delhi Capitals: Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (C), 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. 

Also Read : Virat Kohli returns to form at almost the perfect time

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Yesterday in the IPL, Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Gujarat Titans by 8 wickets with 8 balls to spare. The match was a must win for RCB to keep their playoff hopes alive. They still need Mumbai Indians to beat Delhi Capitals in order to book their place in the Eliminator. Even though things are not in their hands, a win against the table toppers was needed and they delivered it impressively. The biggest takeaway from the match was the innings of Virat Kohli which won the Player of the Match award.

RCB had to chase 169 runs in the 2nd innings when Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis walked out to bat. The pair had a partnership of 115 runs before du Plessis was dismissed. Kohli scored 73 off 54 balls to lead RCB to victory in what was a much awaited big knock from the former Indian captain. The innings included 8 boundaries and 2 maximums along with classic Kohli quick singles and doubles. Normal service was resumed as Kohli played an invaluable knock to get his team over the line in a must win match. He did have his fair share of luck during the innings but at the same time he also played some exquisite strokes. The batter was very emotive throughout the innings which looked like the Kohli of old. 

Virat Kohli couldn't have picked a better match to get back amongst the runs. The innings comes almost at a perfect time even if it turns out to be RCB's last game. Indian cricket fans will be absolutely pleased to see Kohli scoring big runs again. India have T20 series against South Africa and Ireland where all format players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja are likely to be rested. The big game is the remaining Test against England which is the series decider and could also play a big part in the World Test Championship standings. Team India needs the absolute best of Virat Kohli in that match. This particular innings even if it is in the IPL will be a massive confidence booster for him.

RCB will be asking MI for a massive favour which is certainly well within the realms of possibility. If RCB do end up qualifying then Virat Kohli will certainly be very crucial. Kohli hasn't had a very good IPL season or a good cricketing year in general. The high standards that he has set for himself means that a minor slip in form is made into a big issue. Now that Kohli has played the innings that has the potential to turn things around, he will have to keep going. Now that he is not captain of any team, his bat will have to do all the talking.

Also read: Jofra Archer to miss Test match versus India after stress fracture rules him out of English summer

Mumbai, May 20 (Cricket News) A prolonged bad patch can really dent someone's confidence and it is only human that Virat Kohli also desperately sought some luck which hasn't gone his way of late, said Royal Challengers Bangalore Director of Cricket Mike Hesson.

Kohli finally showed glimpses of his old self with a chiselled 73 in a successful run-chase which kept RCB in the equation for a play-off berth.

After having found 13 different ways to get dismissed, Kohli had some rub of the green going his way and it was because he never stopped working hard, opined Hesson.

"The fact that he (Virat) was working so hard in the nets and trying to find rhythm away from the playing games, away from the contest, allowed him to keep that confidence up," Hesson said at post-match post-conference.

But having been dismissed cheaply in 12 out of 13 games, it is only human to feel a bit of pressure, feels Hesson.

"But no doubt when you go through a patch like that - he is only human, you know then you do start to just having doubts and wonder when your luck is going to turn. So look, a little-bit of luck tonight but he's certainly earned it throughout this IPL," Hesson said.

While RCB are on the edge and might lose out on a top four spot if Delhi Capitals happen to beat Mumbai Indians on Saturday, Hesson was delighted with Kohli's performance.

"Look, I am absolutely delighted. Just shows like, (in) any team if you get the top-order firing and (have) a player like Virat, then it makes the rest of the chase a lot easier.

"And obviously chasing scores here has not been our forte so far in this IPL. We have been able to defend scores, but haven't been able to chase," Hesson explained why it had been a tough ride for the RCB.

"We know Virat is the chase-master and he set the tone again today. It was a crucial game for us and the big players stood up. We know when Virat is in that frame of mind, good luck (to the opposition), because he can take the game away from anyone," he added.

Before the game against Gujarat, Kohli was going through a lean phase, but Hesson said there was no set pattern for his dismissals. "It started in Pune and then from that point on, he got run-out a couple of times. Obviously, the one that went off the hip – he (Virat) pretty much found each and every way to get out. So he is right there, there certainly wasn't a pattern to those dismissals," elaborated Hesson. 

Also Read : Kohli, du Plessis shine as RCB beat GT by 8 wickets to stay alive in play-off race

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, May 19 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli returned to form with a 54-ball 73 as Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Gujarat Titans by eight wickets in their final league match to stay alive in the IPL play-off race here on Thursday.

Chasing 169, Kohli, who struck eight boundaries and two sixes, and captain Faf du Plessis (44) laid the foundation with a 115-run stand. Glenn Maxwell (40 not out off 18) provided the finishing touches as RCB romped home with eight balls remaining.

Earlier, skipper Hardik Pandya hit a unbeaten 62 to help GT post 168 for 5. Besides Hardik, David Miller (34) and Wriddhiman Saha (31) also made useful contributions with the bat.

Brief Scores: Gujarat Titans: 168 for 5 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 62 not out; Josh Hazzlewood 2/39).

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 170 for 2 in 19.2 overs (Virat Kohli 73; Glenn Maxwell 40 not out; Rashid Khan 2/32). 

Also Read : Hardik's fifty takes Gujarat Titans to 168/5 (Indian Premier League)

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, May 19 (Cricket News) Skipper Hardik Pandya hit a unbeaten half-century to help Gujarat Titans post 168 for 5 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their final Indian Premier League round-robin match here on Thursday.

Hardik made unbeaten 62 off 47 balls and decorated his innings with four boundaries and three sixes after opting to bat.

Besides Hardik, David Miller (34) and Wriddhiman Saha (31) also made useful contributions with the bat.

Josh Hazzlewood (2/39) picked up two wickets for RCB.

Brief Scores: Gujarat Titans: 168 for 5 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 62 not out; Josh Hazzlewood 2/39). 

Also Read : I'm actually in the happiest phase of my life, says out-of-form Virat Kohli

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, May 19 (Cricket News) In a declaration that is not commensurate with his current form, Virat Kohli says he is "actually" going through the "happiest phase" of his life, when he is not receptive to either success or failure.

He is "not finding any self-worth or value" in what he is doing on the field now, a far cry from the man known for his intensity and passion, things that made him a cricket icon, besides his incredible range of shots with the bat in his pomp.

Kohli has not scored a hundred in competitive cricket for nearly three years and current edition of IPL happens to be his worst.

"I'm actually in the happiest phase of my life. I am not finding any self-worth or value in what I do on the field. I'm way past that phase. This is a phase of evolution for me," Kohli told Star Sports.

The former India skipper, who also gave up captaincy at Royal Challengers Bangalore last year, is enduring his worst run with the bat, leaving his millions of fans concerned.

He has had a disappointing IPL-15 so far with the bat having managed only one half-century in 13 matches for RCB. Kohli has bagged three golden ducks already this season and has managed just 200 runs at an average and strike rate that fail to define a player of his calibre.

At the same time though, the 33-year-old refuses to believe that the drive is not there.

"... Not to say that I don't have the same drive, my drive will never die down. The day my drive goes away, I'll not be playing this game.

"But to understand that some things are not controllable, the only controllable you have are things that you can work towards, which is working hard on the field and in life as well and from that point of view, I feel that I am in the most balanced space that I have ever been and I am happy with who I am and how I am leading my life." For Kohli, on-field success or failure is increasingly becoming irrelevant.

"I am not finding any source of encouragement or disappointment by what happens on the field.

"So, this has not been about myself, this is about the fact that I have not contributed to my team's cause as much as I would have wanted to or I pride myself to, and that is something that always disappoints me, not what I do as an individual.

"It's because I don't want to let my team down." Kohli's remarks are not in consonance with how the cricket world -- including his million fans -- is feeling for quite sometime now.

The lack of runs from the modern great has been a cause of concern for fans and experts, with few including former India head coach Ravi Shastri imploring the cricketer to take a break from the game.

Regarded as one of the most prolific batters in modern day cricket, Kohli's last century in international cricket came way back in 2019. Since then, he has mostly struggled, and his failure to inspire his teams to title triumphs culminated in him stepping down from RCB and India's T20 captaincy and losing the post in the Test team.

Speaking about his transition from a captain to a player, Kohli said, "To be honest, it's different. I won't say it's hard because it's something that you're involved in regularly.

"So, the good thing is that my relationship with Faf (current RCB skipper Faf du Plessis) has always been good. We also have a leadership group in the team where we all share our inputs.

"Even on the field, when Faf is on the outfield and I am inside, I make sure to look after the fielding angles and the placement, so he's given me the liberty to adjust wherever I feel that there's a need, but always keeping him in the loop obviously.

"So, it's been a different way to look at the game, but because I've done it so much in the past, it's not something that I don't know how to do." 

Also Read : Jofra Archer to miss Test match versus India after stress fracture rules him out of English summer

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) After KKR’s loss yesterday the fight for the last place is now between RCB and DC. With 14 points to their name, RCB will be aiming to defeat table-toppers GT comprehensively in their final game of the league phase to give themselves the best chance of progressing into the playoffs. But if they lose, it would be an exit door for the franchise as they have a negative NRR of -.323. Even if RCB emerge victorious they won’t be guaranteed a place in the top 4 considering their poor net run rate.

RCB’s main concern this season has been the topsy turvy form of Virat Kohli as he needs to score runs at the top of the order if RCB are to win big against the table topper Gujarat. RCB may need one of their big three Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell to play a match winning innings. The other silver lining is that Rajat Patidar is making the number three spot his own with useful contributions and Mahipal Lormor is also making useful contributions with the bat this season. Dinesh Karthik will again be the key batsman heading into the match, a lot will rest on his shoulder to finish the innings for RCB. On a positive note, Wanindu Hasaranga has bagged 23 wickets so far and is subsequently the second highest wicket taker this season. In the pace department Josh Hazelwood needs to bounce back after ending up with sorry figures of 0 for 64 from four overs as Johnny Bairstow went on a six-hitting spree against him, on the other hand, Siraj has conceded 85 runs in his last seven overs in this IPL as he needs to improve his death bowling.

GT have already qualified for the playoffs and will try some different combinations and permutation before playing the first qualifier in Kolkata. Wriddhiman Saha has provided them with much needed impetus in the Powerplay over the last few games while Shubman Gill has compiled over 400 runs this season as their opening combination has been one of the main reasons for their success. One of the worries for the side is the form of their skipper Hardik Pandya, who has scored only 56 runs in his last six matches after his blistering start to the season. In the bowling department, Rashid Khan is finally getting back to his deadly best as he has  picked up seven wickets in his last three matches. GT's seamers have been brilliant this season with the new ball, taking 25 wickets in the PowerPlay this season, Shami alone has taken 11 wickets in the powerplay. Rashid Khan vs Dinesh Karthik will be an interesting battle as Rashid has dislodged Karthik three times and given away only 30 runs off 28 balls.

Pitch and weather report: The Wankhede pitch has been a high scoring venue this season like we saw in the last match, SRH vs MI. The decks at the Wankhede have tended to offer spongy bounce through the course of the tournament and batters find it difficult to bat early on. The temperature is going to hover around 30 degrees with no chance of rain as dew may play a factor in the second innings.

Interesting facts:

• GT seamers have the best death overs economy rate  in IPL 2022.
• RCB and GT are undefeated at the Wankhede Stadium this season with 
• Titans have hit the fewest sixes (59) in this year's IPL  but the most fours (210).
• Saha has a strike rate of 138.40 in the powerplay this season.
• Mohammed Shami has dismissed Kohli five times in 60 balls and conceded only 80 runs.
• Rahul Tewatia has hit Harshal Patel for 40 runs off 21 balls without getting dismissed
• Maxwell has the highest strike rate (200.00) against spinners
• Virat Kohli needs one catch to reach 150 catches in T20 cricket.
• Mohammad Shami requires three wickets to reach 100 wickets in the IPL

Also read: LSG pull-off last ball thriller after de Kock's sensational hundred

Probable XI for RCB:

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

Probable XI for GT:

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

Mumbai, May 18 (Cricket News) Runaway leaders Gujarat Titans would look to continue their winning momentum ahead of the play-offs while Royal Challengers Bangalore need a big victory to keep their last-four stage hopes alive when the two teams face each other in their final IPL league match here on Thursday.

Newcomers GT have so far had a dream opening season as they are already assured of a top spot in the standings with 20 points from 13 games.

RCB, on the other hand, have had a mixed bag this season, registering seven wins and six losses to occupy the fifth spot with 14 points from 13 matches.

But what could hurt RCB is their net run rate of -0.323. A win against GT would move them to 16 points but that might not be enough as they also need a few favourable results going their way.

Delhi Capitals, who are currently at fourth spot, can also secure 16 points if they beat Mumbai Indians in their last match and they have a much better net run rate than RCB at +0.255.

With back-to-back wins, RCB had the momentum going their way but that fizzled out after a big 54-run loss to Punjab Kings in their last match.

Virat Kohli's woeful run continued as he managed just 20 in the last match but the stage is set for the former India captain to play an impact knock to make a turnaround in his form and the fortunes of RCB.

Skipper Faf du Plessis, Mahipal Lomror and Dinesh Karthik would also be looking to play a big knock after their bats remained silent in the last few games.

Glenn Maxwell and Rajat Patidar have been getting starts but failed to convert them into big scores.

On the bowling front, Harshal Patel and Wanindu Hasaranga have been brilliant for RCB. In fact, when all other bowlers were taken to task by Punjab batters in their last match, the duo bowled decent spells and in the process picked up four and two wickets respectively.

RCB, however, would be concerned over the form of Josh Hazzlewood and Mohammed Siraj as they leaked runs against Punjab.

But du Plessis would be hoping for one complete performance from his side to keep RCB in the hunt.

GT, on the other hand, are the side to beat in this IPL. Even if they lose on Thursday, the Hardik Pandya-led side will finish at the top, which means it will get two chances to reach the final.

For GT, the key to success in their inaugural season has been the team effort.

GT's batting department has witnessed some inspirational performances from the likes of Wriddhiman Saha, Shubman Gill, David Miller, skipper Pandya and Rahul Tewatia.

The batting unit has been complemented superbly by a lethal bowling attack led by experienced Mohammed Shami and has the likes of young Yash Dayal, Lockie Fergusson and Alzarri Joseph.

GT's spin department is being led by none other than Afghan star Rashid Khan, who has got much-needed support from R Sai Kishore.

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.

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, Siddharth Kaul.

Match starts at 7:30 PM. 

Also Read : India will produce champions the day parents give more emphasis on sports: Kapil

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, May 17 (Cricket News) Legendary cricketers Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers have become the first two players to be inducted into the Royal Challengers Bangalore's Hall of Fame.

Former RCB skipper Virat Kohli made the announcement about the inductions of his two dear mates.

"AB has truly changed the game of cricket with his innovation, brilliance, and sportsmanship which truly defines the RCB Play Bold philosophy," Kohli said in a statement posted on the franchise's website.

"It's truly special for me to be doing this for both of you. We saw videos of how you have changed the way the IPL has been played over the years. Two people who have had a huge impact in IPL being where it is today; and RCB being where it is today," he added.

While South African great de Villiers had been an integral part of RCB from 2011 to 2021, dashing left-handed batter Gayle from West Indies was with the franchise for six years.

De Villiers, who had joined the induction virtually, gave an emotional message to everyone in the team camp.

"To the RCB boys sitting there, what an amazing privilege. Quite emotional to be honest," he said.

"Virat, thanks for the kind words. Mike (Hesson), Nikhil, everyone from the franchise who set this up, it's a really special touch. We had some amazing times together as a team, and the sun has moved on for Chris and I now, but we're still very much part of the family and will always be.

"So yes, thank you very much for the very special touch. Faf and the guys sitting there, Virat and the guys that know me really well for many years know how special stuff like this is to me. You guys know how much of an amazing journey I had during the IPL, especially with my RCB family, and how it changed my life. So, huge privilege to be part of this. I don't have enough words to thank you for this touch." West Indies batting stalwart Gayle, who has played for RCB from 2011 to 2017, said: "I want to thank the RCB family for the opportunity, for everything. It's been really special to me as well. And to be inducted is something fantastic, and I will always keep RCB close to my heart.

"I share a lot of memories with some special players, some special coaches as well. It’s been really, really fantastic. And to Virat, thank you for the kind words as well, fantastic sharing the dressing room with you guys as well." 

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

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 13 (Cricket News) Punjab Kings buried Royal Challengers Bangalore under a deluge of runs as they kept their play-off hopes alive with 54-run victory, riding on superb half-centuries from Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone in an IPL match here on Friday.

Bairstow (66 off 29 balls) and Livingstone (70 off 42 balls) propelled Punjab Kings to 209 for 9 in a must-win game and the scoreboard was always going to be telling as RCB were restricted to 155 for 9 in 20 overs.

While Punjab remain in the mix with 12 points from as many games, the margin of victory considerably improved their net run-rate to +0.210 and RCB despite having 14 points from 13 games are at a -0.323.

RCB will have to win their final game and move to 16 points but also now need to have some rub of the green with a few favourable results going their way.

It was another day and another failure for Virat Kohli (20), who got a faint under-edge tickle on his gloves before it hit his thigh pad and bobbed up to short fine leg off a Kagiso Rabada (4-0-21-3) delivery.

Rabada was literally unplayable on the day as he worked good pace and hit the ideal fuller length for better part of his spell.

Rishi Dhawan (4-0-36-2), perhaps the weakest link in Punjab attack, then made up for his lack of pace by hitting immaculate length as Faf du Plessis edged one to Jitesh Sharma behind stumps and Mahipal Lomror's rasping pull shot was taken by Shikhar Dhawan.

Rajat Patidar (26) and Glenn Maxwell (35) did add 64 runs but they were never in the game with both departing in quick succession.

And when Dinesh Karthik (11) was snuffed out by the brilliant Arshdeep Singh (4-0-27-1) with a wide yorker and a catch by short third-man on the circle, RCB fizzled out in a jiffy.

Earlier, Bairstow's opening blitzkrieg found its ideal match in Livingstone's finishing carnage.

While Bairstow laid the foundation with a 29-ball-66, Livingstone was equally good in his 42-ball-70 as the RCB bowlers had a day which they would like to forget in a hurry.

Bairstow, who was rusty during the earlier phase of the tournament, was back in his element with as many as seven sixes and four boundaries during a knock where he literally went hell for leather.

Such was his dominance that by the time six overs of Powerplay ended, Bairstow had hit seven towering sixes and Shikhar Dhawan (21 off 15 balls) rubbed salt to the wound with another one which made it eight in all.

Punjab Kings, which had set the template of blazing Powerplay starts, got 83 in six overs with Glenn Maxwell (1/17 in 2 overs), Josh Hazlewood (0/64 in 4 overs) and Mohammed Siraj (0/36 in 2 overs) being treated with utter disdain.

While Maxwell did manage to get Dhawan, both Hazlewood and Siraj were guilty of bowling short on a pitch offering true bounce. Bairstow effortlessly pulled and flicked them into the stands and by the time, deliveries pitched up, they landed in the stands as well. It only helped that the boundary on one side was 66 metres only, which is a dream for any power-hitter.

Siraj had a forgettable first spell where he was hit for four sixes, while Hazlewood in his first over had gone for 22. The Australian had his worst IPL figures ever.

However post Powerplay, once Wanindu Hasaranga (2/15 in 4 overs) and Shahbaz Ahmed (1/40 in 4 overs) started operating, RCB stemmed the flow of runs with some tight wicket-to-wicket bowling.

Bengal left-arm spinner Shahbaz was rewarded for his tight lines as Bairstow finally mistimed one and Siraj did well to pouch the skier.

After 83 in the first six, there was a drastic dip in scoring as 22 came in between 7th and 10th overs.

Both Hasaranga and Shahbaz bowled wide outside the off-stump not letting Livingstone and Agarwal to charge down the track.

Still the Englishman managed a couple of sixes and a reverse swept boundary to continue his good form in the competition and then muscled into the stands towards the fag end even as Harshal Patel (4/34 in 4 overs) was exceptional at the death.

His fifty came off 35 balls and by the time he was out, he had four out of those 14 sixes in the Punjab innings. 

Also Read : Bairstow, Livingstone power Punjab to 209 for 9 against Royal Challengers Bangalore

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, May 13 (Cricket News) The responsibility of leadership has considerably mellowed down an otherwise fiery Hardik Pandya, which has been the key recipe for Gujarat Titans' first-season success in the ongoing IPL, feels senior pacer Mohammed Shami.

Shami has played a lot of international cricket alongside Pandya and has always found the flamboyant all-rounder to have wore his heart on his sleeve but in his first season as an IPL captain, he has been able to keep his emotions under check.

"After he (Hardik) became captain, he has become more normal, his reactions have been tempered (mellowed). I have advised him to control his emotions on the field because the entire world watches cricket," Shami told mediapersons on Friday.

"It is very important as a leader to be sensible, understand situations and he has performed that role to perfection," the veteran fats bowler added.

Titans are already in play-offs with 18 points from 12 games and Shami does give Hardik a lot of points for his captaincy.

"He has kept the team together. I have witnessed a lot of changes in him as a captain in comparison to a player," said Shami, one of the star performers for GT with 16 wickets from 12 games.

Having played under Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the national team along with multiple captains in different IPL teams, Shami knows that each one has his unique style.

"Every captain has different temperament. Mahi (Dhoni) bhai was quiet, Virat was aggressive, Rohit leads according to match situations, so understanding Hardik's mindset is not a rocket science." Shami has been the highest wicket-taker GT with 16 scalps so far.

"As far as my performance is concerned, whenever I was given the white ball, I always tried to put in my 100 per cent. Not just this season, if you look at the last four seasons then you can see nobody (in teams that he played) took more wickets than me," said Shami.

"Whenever I am entrusted with responsibility I have always tried to live up to that. I have always tried to perform my role to the 100 per cent of my capability." Not a big fan of raw pace, says the veteran ------------------------------------------------ Shami is pleased to witness the emergence of young Indian fast bowlers from this IPL but said someone like Umran Malik needs to add swing and accuracy to his pace to become successful in T20 cricket.

"For any country, it is pleasing to see youngsters bowling with pace and swing. If you get to see good talent then you don't remain in question mark. There is more clarity then. The most important thing is experience, so the need is to make them play more matches, help them in spending more time with seniors.

"Pace is there but if you are asking my personal opinion I am not a big pace fan. If you are bowling 140 kmph and moving the ball both sides then it's enough to get a batter out. He (Umran) will need some time to get mature because along with pace you need accuracy," he said.

"In T20 everything depends on swing and length because nobody fears pace now-a-days. If you can swing it at good pace with perfect line and length, then you have chances to survive in this fast-paced game." Mantra for Titans' success ----------------------------- Asked about the mantra behind GT's success in their debut season, Shami said: "We have made a good bonding in the team from the start. In every match we played as a group. We have put on combined performance. We have worked as a team in the tournament. Everyone contributed a little bit and hope this continues." The premier pacer also lavished praise on former teammate-turned-coach Ashish Nehra for keeping the GT unit together.

"As a coach you need to be chill, it is important to deal the team as a family, there are plenty of responsibilities and he (Nehra) has done a remarkable job," Shami said.

GT will play Chennai Super Kings in their penultimate league game here on Sunday. 

Also Read : Cummins' IPL stint over, leaves for home to recover from hip injury

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) A win for RCB would virtually guarantee them a place in the playoffs as they breach the magical 16 point mark for qualification. The equation for PBKS is pretty simple, they need to win their remaining games if they want to qualify for the playoffs.

PBKS have won 5 matches this season and seem to be paddling through a familiar storyline, with the team turning out to be inconsistent. To make matters worse, their NRR of -.231 isn't impressive either. In the batting department, Johnny Bairstow finally found form after being promoted to the top order as captain Mayank Agarwal continues his struggles with the bat, in the lower order Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma are playing the finisher roles in the team as their are masking Shahrukh Khan's modest form. In the bowling department, they have picked the second-fewest wickets in the middle overs of the innings and have the worst economy rate in the middle overs also. Once again they have to heavily depend upon Kagiso Rabada and Rahul Chahar to strike crucial blows. Rabada has dismissed his former South African skipper Du Plessis thrice in T20 cricket.

RCB are a win away from virtually sealing their place in the top four but Faf Du Plessis and co will be worried about their poor net run rate which leaves them with less room to work with. The last 4 out of the 5 batters scored 30’s and helped them reach a mammoth total. One of the key players in the past few games has been Rajat Patidar, who was brought in belatedly as a replacement player but has been a revelation at the no 3 spot. Dinesh Karthik continued his fine form this season and will again be the key player against PBKS as he will be assigned with the job to finish the innings. In the bowling department, Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga will be the key as Mayank Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan have been dismissed four times each against spin while Bairstow has fallen twice to spin in IPL 2022. Hasaranga also dismissed Mayank at the start of the tournament. 

Pitch and weather report: The Brabourne Stadium pitch has been on the slower side as batting becomes difficult with the older ball but the last match played on this venue was on 6th May as we can expect a new pitch for this game. Spinners will play a crucial role in the match. The temperature is going to hover around 30 degrees with no chance of rain as dew might play a factor in the second innings.

Interesting facts:

• Karthik, Livingstone, Rajapaksa and Jitesh have the highest strike rates for the first 10 balls faced, in IPL 2022
• Faf du Plessis has scored 702 runs in 13 innings against the PBKS
• Arshdeep has given away just five sixes off the 38 overs he has bowled this season, the least for a bowler this season
• Kohli has been dismissed in the first 15 balls on eight occasions in IPL 2022
• Rabada has taken 18 wickets which is  the most by a pacer in IPL 2022
• Virat Kohli needs  one more run to become the first player to 6500 runs in the IPL
• Mayank Agarwal needs seven more runs to reach 1500 runs for PBKS in the IPL. 

Also read: CSK's fast bowling stock will be strengthened next season, hints Dhoni

Probable XI for PBKS:

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

Probably XI for RCB:

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

Mumbai, May 12 (Cricket News) Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have found much-needed momentum towards the business end of IPL, will back themselves to ride past an inconsistent Punjab Kings and get closer to a play-off spot here on Friday.

Having put up complete performances in their last two games, RCB seemed to have figured out their best combination. Barring Virat Kohli, all of their batters are in top form with uncapped Rajat Patidar and Mahipal Lomror complementing seasoned pros like skipper Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik, who has been among the best finishers in the tournament alongside Gujarat's Rahul Tewatia.

The bowling packs a punch too in the presence of in-form pacers Josh Hazlewood and the ever-reliable Harshal Patel. Mohammad Siraj has not been at his best but trust him to deliver when the team wants it the most.

Maxwell has been handy with his off-spin, both in powerplay and middle overs, while Wanindu Hasaranga is among the leading wicket-takers in the tournament with 21 scalps including a five-wicket haul.

"What we are trying to get better as a team is making sure that one of those top-four creates a bit of a base. We have got some really strong hitters at the back. "The games where we didn't do so well, there was a big cluster of wickets in the powerplay. Obviously need some stability but at the same time you gonna make sure you don't go into defensive mode," said du Plessis after the massive win over SRH.

Kohli, who is in the middle of his worst IPL season, is due for an impact knock and that could come against Punjab. A win on Friday would take RCB to 16 points though 18 seems to be a safe number for a play-off berth.

Punjab, who have three games left, need to win all to have a shot at the top-four finish. They had started their campaign with a win over RCB and are on 10 points with five wins and six losses.

The fact that they have not been able to win two games in a row sums up their inconsistent run. Shikhar Dhawan and Bhanuka Rajapaksa have delivered at the top, so has Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma in finishing the innings. Jonny Bairstow finally got runs after being promoted to open the innings alongside Dhawan.

Skipper Mayank Agarwal, who has moved himself down the order, needs to lead from the front.

On the bowling front, Sandeep Sharma has been tidy but could do with some wickets in the powerplay. Lead pacer Kagiso Rabada has done well to take 18 wickets but has gone for close to 9 runs per over.

Arshdeep Singh has been brilliant, especially in the death overs, and has impressed many with his ability to land yorkers at will.

Despite a solid squad at their disposal, Punjab have flattered to deceive and they must raise their game before it is too late yet again.

Teams (From): 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, Siddharth Kaul.

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

Match starts 7:30PM IST. 

Also Read : It was communicated to me properly that I will be used higher up in batting order: Ashwin

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, May 11 (Cricket News) High price-tag does create an unimaginable pressure and that's the reason why IPL auction's costliest buy Ishan Kishan was advised by current India captain Rohit Sharma and his predecessor Virat Kohli not to lose sleep over something which is not under his control.

Mumbai Indians re-bought Ishan from the auction at a staggering price of Rs 15.25 crore but so far, there hasn't been return on investment with the Jharkhand dasher accumulating only 321 runs.

Kishan agreed that price-tag pressure does play on one's mind for a first few days but his Team Indian seniors have specifically told him not to fret too much on the issue.

"Price tag pressure will remain for a few days but then one feels the pressure then it's always good to speak to the seniors and share your worries," Ishan said ahead of MI's match against Chennai Super Kings.

"So many seniors like Rohit (Sharma), Virat bhai (Virat Kohli) and Hardik bhai (Pandya) said I should not think about the price tag, because this is not something I have asked for.

"If someone has believed (in me), they have done it (bid that amount)." At the highest level, one can't think too much about these things as the focus is on trying to guide the side to victory.

"Instead of thinking about price-tag, it is important how I think about improving my game and be in that zone. It helped that I spoke to the seniors as they all have been through that phase and could relate with what I wa feeling." He does feel a touch lighter after his conversations with Rohit and Virat.

"Now I feel light and price-tag is secondary now. It's immaterial if you are sold for a base price of Rs 1 crore or for a premium bid of Rs 15.25 core. What is important is to help your team win and also help others in achieving that goal." Captain, coach asked me to play my natural game ---------------------------------------------------- Ishan said that skipper Rohit and head coach Mahela Jayawardene asked him to play his natural game.

"The captain and the coach asked me to play my (natural) game. Everyone has roles in the team and for me it was giving good starts and if I am set, then I have to try not to get out in 30s and 40s and convert them into big scores," said the left-handed batter. 

Also Read : Mumbai Indians to play for pride, Chennai Super Kings survival

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New Delhi, May 11 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli is hopeful that his friend and South African superstar AB de Villiers will be back at the Royal Challengers Bangalore in a new role next year.

De Villiers had been a big part of RCB family before he retired from all forms of cricket last year.

"I miss him a lot. I talk to him regularly. He was in the US recently with his family watching golf... He is keenly observing RCB and hopefully he will be here next year in some capacity," Kohli said during a light-hearted chat posted on RCB's Twitter handle.

Kohli is enduring one of the worst phases of his career, having scored 216 runs in 12 matches in the IPL with just one fifty.

He has also been dismissed for three golden ducks this season.

"It has never happend to me ever in my career I think, so I just smiled. I felt like I have seen everything that the game has to show," Kohli said.

His poor form has raised concerns with Ian Bishop pointing out Kohli's inability to score fluently in the IPL this season. The former West Indies pacer also said that it was a matter of concern that he is getting out to different types of bowlers. However, Kohli said he doesn't pay heed to opinions and keeps critics at bay.

"They can't be in my shoes, they can't be in my shoes, they can't feel what I feel, they can't live those moment," the former India skipper said.

"You said how you cut the noise, you either mute the TV or don't pay attention to what people are saying and I do both of these things." With Kohli stepping down from RCB captaincy, Faf du Plessis took over the reins and Kohli said he always enjoyed mutual respect for each other.

"Me and faf have always gotten along really well even before he was captain of South Africa. Faf is a guy who is sure of himself and he has full authority on the field," he said.

"He tells me sometimes, if I mention things, that he doesn't want to do that, which I respect a lot. That only makes you gain respect for the person you are playing under." 

Also Read : Want to have focus and concentration levels of Pujara: Rizwan

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(Cricket news) Jasprit Bumrah on Monday registered the best bowling figures of the season as he dismantled Kolkata Knight Riders by picking up 5/10. Unfortunately for him, Mumbai Indians couldn't chase down the target of 166 and ended up losing by 52 runs. Mumbai Indians are already out of contention for the playoff places but Bumrah's performance was long overdue and is a big positive for the Indian team. The spell was also the 4th best bowling figures in the history of the IPL.

One of the biggest worries during this edition of the IPL is the performance of some of the stalwarts of Indian cricket. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are really struggling with the bat this season which is definitely worrying. Rishabh Pant is not having a great season either while the biggest disappointment has been Ravindra Jadeja. MS Dhoni handed the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja but after a disastrous start, Jadeja resigned as the skipper. The all-rounders personal performance was getting affected and it hasn't been great this season.

Jasprit Bumrah is India's strike bowler but this season, he has struggled a little. Mumbai's bowling attack hasn't been great which is why opposition players have been extra cautious of Jasprit Bumrah. The seamer has failed to get many wickets but hasn't leaked runs. Now that he is back among the wickets it is incredible news for the Indian side who are heavily reliant on him. Bumrah is likely to be rested for the next white ball series at the very least to keep him fresh for what is going to be a hectic end to the season. Bumrah's form is very crucial for the Indian side and it will be disastrous if the pacer loses his confidence.
 

Also read: Cheteshwar Pujara is knocking on the Indian selectors doors

Bengaluru, May 9 (Cricket News) About 150-odd cricketers from North East and other Ranji Plate teams, camping at the National Cricket Academy, got a pleasant surprise when India's football captain Sunil Chhetri dropped in after being invited by the BCCI.

North Eastern states got their first-class status as recently as three seasons back and football is still the most popular sport in the region and the likes of Bhaichung Bhutia and Chhetri are any day bigger icons compared to current star cricketers in states like Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.

The aim of NCA was to ensure that even cricketers from the region could connect with someone who enjoys an iconic status in the region and can narrate his own success story in club and international arena.

Chhetri, one of the top scorers among active players in international football alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, did have his share of fun, taking part in fielding drills.

Chhetri, who is a close friend of former India captain Virat Kohli, did impress one and all with his smooth pick-up and throw during a fielding session as the campers watched in awe.

"He had a delightful fielding competition and shared some learnings from his own incredible journey in football with boys from north east and plate teams," BCCI tweeted.

Later Chhetri joined NCA head VVS Laxman for a one-on-one session with the cricketers, who are having a skills training session at the NCA.

"It was a fantastic session as cricketers got to know from an icon in Indian sport as to what kind of hard work and sacrifice is required to reach the top," a BCCI official privy to development told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

"This initiative by BCCI will give young and budding talents equal opportunity to hone their skills and represent India across formats. NE has enormous potential in sports and the board will keep no stone unturned to ensure that we are able to tap the best talent for the country," BCCI secretary Jay Shah had tweeted few days back. 

Also Read : Cheteshwar Pujara is knocking on the Indian selectors doors

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Mumbai, May 8 (Cricket News) Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Tom Moody is not worried about pace sensation Umran Malik's sudden lean patch and said his side were doing their best to ensure the youngster learn from experience.

Though he has grabbed 15 wickets from eight matches, Malik has returned wicketless in the last three matches with the batters opting for a counter-attacking approach against him.

In the match against RCB here on Sunday, Malik leaked 20 runs in his first over as Faf du Plessis and Rajat Patidar went into attacking mode against him.

"It's a real learning experience for him. Looking at the volume of cricket that he has had is very, very minimal really," Moody said after SRH lost by 67 runs.

"So this run of games in a row for him is something that he's not used to. He's not used to playing this regular cricket, the high intensity of the cricket that IPL brings.

"He's on a very steep learning curve. Over the last couple of outings, there's no question that he has not got it right. We are doing our best to support and guide him to learn from these experiences," Moody said.

Faf du Plessis and Rajat Patidar gave RCB a strong start after they lost Virat Kohli in the very first ball and then Dinesh Karthik made full use of his drop catch to play a superb cameo of 30 not out from eight balls to prop up the total to 192/3.

"It's the small margins that we didn't capitalise on. We should not have been chasing the total that we ended up chasing.

"We dropped two key catches, which cost us. When you miss those small margins, it does make it very difficult for your batting group to go out there and chase a total which is 20-25 runs more than it should have been.

"Then we had a run-out in the very first over and it put us on the backfoot. it did make that run chase even more daunting," he said.

Natarajan, Sundar set for comeback =================== Left-arm seamer T Natarajan, who is Sunrisers' leading wicket-taker, was once again sorely missed as their spinner Washington Sundar also was ruled out.

With their next match slated after five days, Moody hoped the duo will be available for selection against Kolkata Knight Riders (on May 14).

"Washy, we are hoping, should be available for selection come our next game. Nattu, we are also hoping that he'll be available for that match as well.

"We have a few days in between and both of them will be engaged in training. Hopefully they will feel confident and we'll feel confident to select them," Moody signed off. 

Also Read : If we make play-offs great but if we don't it's not end of world: Dhoni

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Mumbai, May 6 (Cricket News) Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh wants to see young speedster Umran Malik in the Indian team and partner pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia later this year.

The 22-year-old Malik, who's playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing Indian Premier League has been bowing consistently over the 150 kmph mark.

Malik, who has picked 15 wickets so far, has bowled the fastest delivery -- 157 kmph -- in the current IPL.

“He (Umran Malik) is my favourite, I want to see him in the Indian team because what a bowler he is,” Harbhajan told reporters here on Friday.

Harbhajan was speaking after ‘DreamSetGo’ became the Official Travel Agent of the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.

“Tell me any one bowler who bowls more than 150 (kmph) and is not playing for the country. So, I think it is a great thing and he will inspire many youngsters to take up this game, where he has come from and what he is doing in IPL, he has been unbelievable,” he added.

Harbhajan said if he was in the national selection committee, he would have drafted the Jammu pacer into the Indian team.

“And I don’t know whether he will be selected or not but if I was part of selection committee, I would have given a go ahead. Umran Malik should partner Jasprit Bumrah when India plays in Australia (for T20 World Cup),” said the former off-spinner.

“I am sure he (Umran) will also learn, he's a promising cricketer and I hope he gets selected and plays for India.” Harbhajan said the 22-year-old Malik's age should not be a factor while considering him for the national team.

“When Sachin (Tendulkar) played for India, he was very young. Of course, he was Sachin Tendulkar, but that’s okay, ‘aise hi player bante hai’ (players are made like this).

“When I played my first Test, I was 17 and half, but if you keep on thinking that he is a kid, then time will run out. When he is bowling at his best, he should be playing. Forget what his age is, when someone is performing well and is fit enough, they should walk in,” said Harbhajan.

Backs Kohli, Rohit to come good before T20 World Cup ================================== Saying that going through a lean patch is part and parcel of a player’s career, Harbhajan backed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to roar back to form much before the T20 World Cup to be held in October-November.

“Of course, they are champion players, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, they are champion, world-class players, I am hopeful that they will get back to form much before the (T20) World Cup.

“This (lean patch) is a part and parcel of the game, everyone goes through this and I am sure they will come out of it and they will become ever stronger and better players out of this (phase),” added Harbhajan.

Backs ‘Kulcha’ to be part of Indian team for T20 WC ================================ Harbhajan also backed the spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal to board the flight to Australia for T20 World Cup.

“I certainly believe that you have to bring ‘Kulcha’ back. Kuldeep and Yuzvendra, I think they have been brilliant for Team India. When they played together, they took wickets in middle overs, whether it was T20s, ODIs or any format,” he said.

“I don’t know why they (selectors) break that partnership which was going well for India. It will be great to see them bowling in Australia, where grounds are big and they both are quality bowlers,” he signed off. 

Also Read : Ben Stokes smashes County Championship record with 17 sixes in an innings

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New Delhi, May 5 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli has not been able to score fluently in the IPL this season and it is a matter of concern that he is getting out to different types of bowlers, observed former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop.

Kohli has managed just 175 runs with a top score of 58 at a strike rate of just 111.09, which is the third lowest among batters with at least 150 runs this season.

On Wednesday, Kohli was cleaned up by Mooen Ali after a laboured 30 off 33 balls and Bishop said he is concerned about Kohli's struggles against spin, especially off-spin.

"For a while, for 10 or 15 runs, he wasn't even going at a run-a-ball, or he was just going at a run-a-ball," Bishop said on ESPNcricinfo's 'T20 Time Out'.

"He didn't get ahead, and there wasn't much intent. He hit one (six) over extra-cover off the seamer, and that was when he just went ahead to a run-a-ball and then he came back.

"This is something we've been seeing with Virat, not just this season. Even last season, I remember, and even sometimes internationally, he'll fly out - he didn't fly out tonight - and then he'll slow down again. So, I'm concerned." Overall, Kohli played 16 dot balls against Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday.

"If you're not getting ahead of the rate and going at a run-a-ball, you need to bat deep into the innings," he said.

"And he isn't going deep into the innings either. So those deliveries don't come back to you. Even if RCB won, that wasn't an innings, even given the difficulties of the pitch, that you could say caused a match-winning total." Pointing out Kohli's struggles against spinners, Bishop said: "Roston Chase got him out in the West Indies series (at home in February), we saw him getting out to the off-spinner in Test matches. So, I'm concerned about ... and I'm a Kohli fan.

"I tune in to watch cricket when Kohli's at his best, so it isn't criticism but an observation that I am concerned that a number of types of bowlers are getting him out and he's not getting ahead of the rate." Kohli was out to a Ali delivery that was tossed up outside the off stump and turned past the inside edge to disturb his woods.

Making his observations, former New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori said: "I can think of the likes of a R Ashwin or a Harbhajan (Singh) bowling really quickly to him in the powerplay and him just looking for singles, and potentially not dominating them. But this is different.

"This is Moeen Ali trying to spin the ball, wide of off stump and I feel like I can see that dismissal a few times in Test matches.

"And that is a huge amount of credit to Moeen Ali and his style of bowling - the fact that he was able to hit those areas with a little bit of drift, then that quick spin. So, this type of bowling seems to have troubled him (Kohli) a little bit as of now," he added. 

Also Read : I'm not concerned: CSK coach Fleming on Jadeja's poor form

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Pune, May 4 (Cricket News) Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni pulled up his batters for their poor shot selection after suffering a 13-run loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore, which pushed the defending champions to the brink of elimination.

Invited to bat, RCB posted 173 for 8 and then returned to restrict CSK to 160 for 8 in their stipulated 20 overs on Wednesday.

"We did well to restrict them to 170-odd runs. We had to get off to a good start, everything was up to the mark and what let us down was the batsmanship," Dhoni said after the match.

CSK were 54 for no loss in 6.3 overs but they kept losing wickets to eventually fall shot of the target.

It was CSK's seventh loss of the season.

"When you are chasing you know what is required and at times you have to curb your instinct and see what really the situation is demanding rather than playing your shots," Dhoni said. "The shot selection could have been better towards the end. We had a good start and had wickets in hand, the surface kept getting better but we lost wickets at regular intervals.

"We can look back at some of the shots, if we take care of those things.. chasing is about calculations and batting first is more about instinct. Ultimately as a batter or bowler you are in the middle and you have to decide." Winning captain Faf du Plessis said his team was in need of this win after three successive losses.

"We definitely needed that. We put up a decent total. We are moving in the right direction. We have been very good in the bowling department," he said.

"I thought 165 would be nice to get.The fielding was amazing. Some great catching and good bowling indeed." He said his team will have to "keep improving in the batting department." "We want one of the top four to bat through.

RCB's Harshal Patel was adjudged the Man of the Match for his three for 35.

"I think in the first over, the slower balls I tried to bowl it into the wicket but it kind of floated on to the bat. I have been trying to improve my sequencing," he said.

A death over specialist, Patel said it is important "to be aware of the conditions and then what the batter is trying to do." With this win, RCB moved to the fourth position in overall standing. 

Also Read : RCB register 13-run win, push Chennai Super Kings to the brink of elimination

News Source : PTI

Pune, May 4 (Cricket News) Chennai Super Kings were pushed to the brink of elimination after losing their seventh match by 13 runs to Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL here on Wednesday.

Invited to bat, RCB rode on Mahipal Lomror's 27-ball 42 and useful contributions from Virat Kohli (30), Faf de Plessis (38), Rajat Patidar (21 off 15 balls) and Dinesh Karthik (26 off 17 balls) to post 173 for 8.

CSK were then restricted to 160 for 8 in 20 overs, despite a fifty by Devon Conway (56) at the top.

For CSK, Maheesh Theekshana (3/27) took three wickets in the 19th over, while a fit-again Mooen Ali (2/28) scalped two wickets and Dwaine Pretorius (1/42) snapped one.

While, Glenn Maxwell (2/22) and Harshal Patel (3/35) took two wickets to emerge as the best bowlers for RCB.

Brief Scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore: 173 for 8 in 20 overs (Mahipal Lomror 42; Maheesh Theekshana 3/27, Mooen Ali 2/28). Chennai Super Kings: 160 for 8 in 20 overs (Devon Conway 56; Harshal Patel 3/35, Glenn Maxwell 2/22). 

Also Read : Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spinners restrict RCB to 173/8

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Pune, May 4 (Cricket News) Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bowl against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League here on Wednesday.

CSK have replaced Mitchell Santner with Moeen Ali, while RCB are fielding the same playing XI from their previous game.

Teams: Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis(c), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik(w), Mahipal Lomror, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood.

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwaine Pretorius, Simarjeet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary, Maheesh Theekshana. 

Also Read : Will Rohit, Rahul, Virat be India's top-3 going into T20 World Cup?

News Source : PTI

Pune, May 4 (Cricket News) The Chennai Super Kings spin duo of Moeen Ali and Maheesh Theekshana spun a web around Royal Challengers Bangalore batters to restrict them to 173 for 8 in the Indian Premier League here on Wednesday.

The CSK spinners made full use of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to bowl first as a fit-again Ali (2/28) and Theekshana (3/27) shared five wickets between them.

While Ali rattled the top-order getting rid of the opening pair of Virat Kohli (30 off 33) and Faf Du Plessis (38 off 22), Theekshana snapped three wickets in the penultimate over.

Dwaine Pretorius (1/42) was the other wicket taker for CSK.

Mahipal Lamror was the top-scorer as he smashed a 27-ball 42 while Dinesh Karthik (26 not out off 17) hit some lusty blows towards the end to help RCB go past the 170-run mark.

Kohli and du Plessis (38 off 22) batted with authority as the two veterans pummelled the inexperienced pace duo of Mukesh Choudhary (0/30) and Simarjeet Singh (0/21) in the Powerplay.

The opening pair extracted 57 runs in the first six overs, RCB's highest Powerplay total this season.

With the uncapped talent going for runs aplenty, skipper MS Dhoni introduced spin, which slowed down the proceedings for RCB.

With the pitch offering turn and bounce, England off-spinner Ali, who returned to the side after an ankle injury, broke the dangerous partnership as du Plessis found Ravindra Jadeja at deep midwicket in the eighth over.

A horrible mix up between Kohli and new-man Glenn Maxwell (3) spelt the end of the big-hitting Australian's short stay in the middle. It was the fourth time that Kohli was involved in a run-out this season.

The CSK bowlers did a tremendous job after an expensive start.

RCB was trying to recover from the twin blows, when Ali bowled a brilliant delivery.

He pitched the ball up outside off, inviting Kohli for the drive. However, the ball turned past the inside edge and clattered the stumps, the former Indian skipper's struggles against Ali's spin continued.

Lamror and Rajat Patidar (21) then shared a quick 44-run stand but Dhoni re-introduced pace in the form of Pretorius and the South African struck in his very first delivery, getting rid of Patidar.

Lamror was dropped on 33 by Jadeja, but the batter couldn't capitalise on the reprieve as he became Theekshana's first victim in the 19th over The Sri Lankan then went on to dismiss compatriot Wanindu Hasaranga and Shahbaz Ahmed. 

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Pune, May 4 (Cricket News) Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bowl against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League here on Wednesday.

CSK have replaced Mitchell Santner with Moeen Ali, while RCB are fielding the same playing XI from their previous game.

Teams: Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis(c), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik(w), Mahipal Lomror, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood.

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwaine Pretorius, Simarjeet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary, Maheesh Theekshana. 

Also Read : Will Rohit, Rahul, Virat be India's top-3 going into T20 World Cup?

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, May 4 (Cricket News) Their current form may not inspire confidence but skipper Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli will be indispensable in the Indian team during the T20 World Cup in Australia but a change in their batting order may be considered for the benefit of the side, say experts.

While IPL is an indicator of current form but the national selection committee under Chetan Sharma at this point is not even remotely harbouring any such thoughts, at least not for the time being.

However, one point that is being debated is whether skipper Rohit, his deputy Rahul and team's premier batter Kohli will occupy the top three slots in the batting order at the mega event, set to be played in Australia in October-November.

In the last World T20, their batting order didn't yield favourable results and the approach of the top three was mildly criticised as all of them employed pretty similar styles of first settling down and then going for attack.

Rohit since then has changed his approach and has been seen going hammer and tongs although big runs have eluded the India and MI captain. Rohit certainly would like to better his 155 runs from 9 games at a strike-rate of 123.

Kohli's woeful form has continued for way too long now and 186 runs in 10 games at a lowly strike-rate of 116 is neither indicative of former skipper's quality nor his calibre.

Rahul is playing the role of an anchor for LSG and with 451 runs at an average of 145, he has been in a league of his own.

However there is a worrying piece of statistic which skipper Rohit and coach Rahul Dravid will have to address before Team India hits road with some 15-odd T20Is lined up before World Cup.

The trio hasn't exactly set the Powerplay (first six overs) on fire.

Sample this.

In 10 games so far, Rahul has played 55 dots in Powerplay overs and has compiled a total of 141 off 126 balls in these overs across games with a strike-rate of 111.90. In those games in PP overs, he has hit 15 fours and four sixes.

Rohit in this period has played 56 dots in powerplays in 9 games, scoring 136 off 104 balls at 130.76 strike-rate.

In case of Kohli, he has batted in Powerplay in seven games and has played 16 dot balls but scored 61 runs in 55 balls during the period.

The numbers show that all three are taking their time in the first six overs and perhaps even all three are playing, at least one -- preferably Rahul can come down the batting order and allow a bit of rejig around Rohit and Virat.

So what do the experts think about the trio's batting order? Former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad and his colleague Devang Gandhi had slightly divergent views while analyst former India keeper Deep Dasgupta had a completely different take.

"These three are indispensable if fit. There is no way that you can leave anyone of them for the World T20. But yes, if I look at numbers, I might just try someone like Shikhar Dhawan at the opening slot and check Rahul out at No.4. He has a T20 hundred in Manchester some years back in middle-order, so why not," Prasad told PTI.

"But yes, I want Virat to take a significant break and before the Asia Cup, he should be fresh, up and running," Prasad said.

For Gandhi, in a big tournament like the T20 World Cup, he isn't too keen on experimentation and doesn't want to rock the boat.

"These are your proven performers and when they play for India, it is completely different from the roles they have for their franchises. Also when we talk about changes, we should know who are the replacements? Are they good enough and better than those three in pressure scenario during a Pakistan game? You need to factor in," Gandhi said.

For Dasgupta, T20 by nature is a game that warrants a different philosophy and guiding principles.

"In Tests or ODIs, we normally find players, check them out and accordingly assign roles to them. In T20, you need to do the reverse. You first decide roles and then fit in players.

"They can still play the trio as number 1, 2 and 3 but there has to be specific role which they should be told long before the tournament," Dasgupta said.

Asked in case, a change is required, Dasgupta feels that Dhawan or Prithvi Shaw should be kept in the set-up and may be tried out if necessary. 

Also Read : Coaches feel Sai Sudharsan has talent to go places

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, May 4 (Cricket News) IPL's all-time leading scorer, Virat Kohli, feels playing in the lucrative league for 14 years has made him realise that there is not just one template to succeed in the game in which he has attained superstar status.

It also helped him add a different dimension to his "understanding of the game", the former India captain said.

Seeking to regain his touch after battling a prolonged slump in form, Kohli has so far accumulated nearly 6500 runs in the IPL, having played for Royal Challengers Bangalore from its inaugural edition in 2008.

On IPL's impact on his life, Kohli said on 'Inside RCB' show on Star Sports, "I think outside of playing for India, IPL gave me the platform to show my capabilities, compete against the best in the world and share knowledge with them.

"I think that was the most important thing that added a different dimension to my understanding of the game. This helped me move ahead in a very progressive manner.

"I was picking brains of people that probably I wouldn't have come across otherwise on things like how to play in different conditions and what mind-set they have.

"You know, people have different ways to succeed so it can't be just one template. So I used to be so excited and grateful for the opportunity to pick their brains and just learn from them day in and day out and that's for me has been the standout feature of IPL." Apart from his sedate fifty in the last game against Gujarat Titans and a knock of 48 earlier in the tournament versus Mumbai Indians, Kohli has mostly struggled for runs this season.

The batting maestro has so far scored 186 runs in 10 matches at a below-par average of 20.67.

Kohli is the only player who has been with the same franchise from the very beginning of the IPL.

On his loyalty towards RCB (even though he still hasn't won a trophy for them in the IPL), Kohli said, "To be very honest I thought about it. Yes, I won't shy away from it and I have been approached many times as well to come into the auction somehow, put my name there and stuff.

"And then I thought about it, I was like at the end of the day everyone has X numbers of years that they live and then you die and life moves on. There would have been many great people who won trophies but no one addresses you like that. No one addresses you in the room like 'Oh he's an IPL champion or he's a World Cup champion.

"It's like if you are a good person, people like you, if you're a bad guy, they just stay away from you and eventually that's what life is all about." Kohli was just 18 when he first played for RCB in 2008. Appointed the franchise's captain in 2011, Kohli enjoyed his best season in 2016 when he amassed a whopping 973 runs, the most by a player in a single edition of the IPL. An IPL trophy, though, continues to elude Kohli, who played in the finals of 2009 and 2016 editions.

"For me the understanding that the loyalty with RCB like how I follow my life is far greater for me than the fact that five people in the room will say oh finally you win the IPL with whoever xyz. You feel good for five minutes but then sixth minute you could be miserable with some other issues in the life. So it is not the end of the world for me.

"What this franchise has given me in terms of opportunities in the first three years and believed in me that is the most special thing because as I said there are many teams who had the opportunity, but they didn't back me, they didn't believe in me.

"So now when I am successful and I shouldn't fall to the opinion of people saying 'but' the IPL. This was the case with me till 2018 England tour happened. For four years of my life, I was doing well everywhere in the world, the only thing was 'but England'.

"So there are always going to be 'but', you literally can't live your life like that and I just carry out doing my own things and I actually honestly don't even bother about a third person beyond myself and Anushka discussing things.

"For me nothing else or no one else's opinion matters at all." 

Also Read : Resurgent CSK take on RCB in classic battle in match no 49

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) With five wins and five losses, RCB’s 2022 IPL season has been a mirror image of some of their past seasons, they are not being able to find that level of consistency that is required for them to qualify for the playoffs. On the other hand CSK are going through a change in their set up as MS Dhoni is back at the helm leading his side again as they have to treat every match as a do or die match, if they are to qualify for the playoffs.

CSK have found a glimmer of hope in the last couple of matches as the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway have found form. Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad stitched a massive opening stand of 182 which meant that CSK's tried and tested template of building a platform in the Powerplay with 'anchor-batters' and then pressing the accelerator in death overs. In the bowling department as left-arm pace bowler, Mukesh Chowdhary has mixed up his short deliveries and also generated a hint of swing up front and now has 11 wickets in this year's tournament. For CSK, Ravindra Jadeja will be the key man as he has accounted for the wickets of Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik and Virat Kohli 7, 3 and 3 times respectively in the IPL. In the last match, Ravindra Jadeja bowled in tandem with Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana in the middle overs and conceded only 15 runs from his 18 balls against Sunrisers which could be crucial to stop the free flowing RCB batters.

RCB are in a spot of bother after a very good start to the season as Faf Du Plessis’ side risk losing out a spot in the top 4. RCB are in the middle of the table, having gone winless in the last 14 days. Their bowling is the only respite in the team as the likes of Wanindu Hasaranga, Josh Hazlewood and Mohammed Siraj are among the wickets, but their batting needs to improve. Captain Faf du Plessis has not found his magic touch of last season with 184 of his 278 runs coming in just two innings other than that he has been dismissed for single-digits but for the RCB as well as Indian fans, the biggest positive in the last match was that Virat Kohli was back amongst the runs. Harshal Patel will be the key the man as he has found some success against the likes of MS Dhoni (dismissed him twice) and Ambati Rayudu (dismissed him five times) in the IPL

Pitch and weather report: The MCA Pune pitch has offered some bounce early on but if batter can negate the early swing, then batting becomes easy like we saw in the last match. CSK and SRH combined to score 391 runs in the last match played here. The temperature is going to hover around 29 degrees as dew won’t play a factor in the second innings because of the less humidity. 

Interesting facts:

• Jadeja is the leading wicket-taker against RCB in the history of IPL with 26 scalps in 29 games.
• Dhoni has hit 46 sixes against Royal Challengers
• Faf du Plessis has been dismissed by pacers eight times in his ten matches this IPL.
• Kohli has scored 949 runs against CSK  in the IPL, the most against an opposition for him
• This season both the half centuries hit by Ruturaj Gaikwad have been at his home ground in Pune.
• RCB have been the best bowling side in the middle overs in this IPL - 34 wickets at an average of 18.53

Also read: Punjab Kings beat Gujarat Titans by 8 wickets (IPL)

Probable XI for CSK:

1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Moeen Ali/Dwayne Bravo/Mitchell Santner, 8 Dwaine Pretorius, 9 Mahesh Theekshana, 10 Simarjeet Singh, 11 Mukesh Choudhary

Probable XI for RCB:

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

Pune, May 3 (Cricket News) Chennai Super Kings' fragile bowling vis-a-vis Royal Challengers Bengaluru's struggling batting line-up put the sides on an even keel as the two heavyweights face-off in an important mid-table clash of the IPL here on Wednesday.

In cricket, when two strong and equally performing teams have a match-up, it promises a great contest but when two sides with specific weak-links are pitted against each other it makes the contest all the more exhilarating.

Sample this. In 10 games that RCB has played so far, only six half-centuries have been recorded and out of them two belongs to skipper Faf du Plessis, which is a testimony to below-par batting show in the tourney.

In nine games that CSK have played so far, there hasn't been a single bowler (pacers and spinners), who has bowled at an economy rate of less than 7.50 runs an over. The best economy rate is of Mahesh Theeksana (7.54) while Dwayne Bravo (14 wickets) and Mukesh Choudhary (11 wickets) have had poor economy rates of 8.73 and 9.82 runs per over average.

The match also becomes an enticing one as Virat Kohli has finally found some some form going his way and Mahendra Singh Dhoni is back in the saddle and would do everything under his control to plot the downfall of India's best batter.

Dhoni's return as CSK skipper replacing an out-of-sorts and more so bereft of ideas Ravindra Jadeja, proved beneficial as they outscored a formidable Sunrisers Hyderabad, keeping their campaign alive with six points from nine games.

While RCB are still on fifth place with 10 points from as many games, they seemed to have lost a bit of momentum with three back-to-back defeats primarily due to shoddy batting shows.

They have been all-out for season's lowest score --68 -- and have also failed to chase a modest target of 145 in another game.

Even in their last game versus Gujarat Titans, Kohli's 58 off 53 balls was one of the reasons that RCB failed to score more than 170, which was below-par on a good batting track.

In Kohli (186 runs in 10 games) and skipper Du Plessis (278 from 9 games), RCB have one of the scariest of opening pairs but it hasn't really translated into big performances.

In case of Kohli, his form of late has been so bad that one can't really blame him for taking his time to score runs.

However, nearly nine of the 20 overs consumed for 58 runs will never be considered as a performance that can help the team.

Young Rajat Patidar, after a below-par last season, has shown some spark but the likes of Dinesh Karthik (218 from 10 games) and Glenn Maxwell (157 from 7 games) perhaps will need to do more than what they are currently contributing.

Especially Karthik, whose form has tapered since he closed in a few chases earlier in the tournament.

On Wednesday, RCB will face a bowling line-up which isn't an intimidating one with rookie Choudhary or Simarjeet Singh, still trying to find feet in an elite league and the most experienced spinner Ravindra Jadeja having completely lost form due to leadership burden, which he was forced to relinquish.

In such a backdrop, whoever wins will only add to the 'mid-table muddle' as most teams between six to 10 poitnts are clubbed together making it an interesting next four weeks.

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

Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (Captain), Ravindra Jadeja Moeen Ali, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dwayne Bravo, 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.

Match Starts at 7:30 pm IST. 

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

News Source : PTI

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

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

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

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

Interesting facts:

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

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

Probable XI for KKR:

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

Probable XI for RR:

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

Mumbai, Apr 30 (Cricket News) Gujarat Titans extended their dominance at the top of the table with a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League here on Saturday and inched closer towards clinching a play-off spot in their inception year.

After failing multiple times, Virat Kohli finally came out out of a prolonged slump in form by registering his first IPL fifty in 14 matches, including nine this season, as Royal Challengers Bangalore posted a challenging 170 for six.

In reply, Rahul Tewatia (43 not out) and David Miller (39 not out) did the job for GT after the table toppers were struggling at 95 for four in the 13th over. With 16 points which has been the magic mark, Titans are well on course towards a top-two finish at the end of league stage.

On the day, Kohli made 58 off 53 balls before walking back to the dugout amid a standing ovation at the Wankhede Stadium.

Rajat Patidar blasted a 32-ball 52 -- his maiden IPL fifty -- while Glenn Maxwell blazed away to 33 in 18 deliveries to prop up RCB The returning Pradeep Sangwan was excellent with the ball, finishing with figures of 2/19, while Rashid Khan gave away just 29 runs in his four over to check the flow of runs in the middle overs.

GT were off to a sound start with Wriddhiman Saha (31) and Shubman Gill (29) putting on 51 runs before Wanindu Hasaranga effected the first breakthrough by removing the former.

Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed had Shubman Gill trapped in front of the wicket. GT skipper Hardik Pandya (3) once again got out cheaply, falling to Shahbaz.

Sai Sudharsan chipped in with a 14-ball 20 before Hasaranga picked up his second wicket, the batter caught by substitute keeper Anuj Rawat as Dinesh Karthik did not take to the field.

Sudharsan's dismissal left RT at 95 for four with the innings entering the 14th over.

Needing 71 from six overs, David Miller hit Hasaranga for a six and four to collect 13 runs, and then, two boundaries by Rahul Tewatia and four off a leg bye got GT 15 runs from a Mohammed Siraj over.

Harashl Patel bowled an economical 17th over before Tewatia flicked Josh Hazlewood for a six over fine-leg. Two more fours followed in the same over as GT closed in on yet another win.

Earlier, Mohammed Shami pulled out twice in his run up, the false starts leaving the umpire annoyed, before the seasoned India seamer beat Kohli with his late movement.

Out in the middle was a batting maestro battling a lean patch but it didn't quite look like that really when the former India captain played Shami for two lovely boundaries -- one down the ground past mid-of and the second a flick square of the wicket on the leg-side.

RCB's top-order woes continued, though, as left-arm seamer Sangwan marked his return to the league with the wicket of rival skipper Faf du Plessis in his very first over.

Fresh from his invaluable half-century in the previous game, Wriddhiman Saha had no problem holding on to du Plessis' thick outside edge after the bowler had set him up.

Alzarri Joseph was introduced, and he saw Kohli play a classic cover drive and then pull a short one over the mid-wicket region for a boundary.

In came Lockie Ferguson and the New Zealand pacer's low full toss was smashed over long-on by Kohli, who followed that up with a four towards backyard point.

Even as Kohli was getting into the groove, Patidar was gaining in confidence, thanks to the flurry of confident strokes that flowed from his willow during their 99-run association.

Alzarri bowled one short and Patidar pulled him over deep mid-wicket for a six and found a four in the next ball to close in on his maiden IPL fifty. He got there soon, reaching the landmark in only 29 balls with a four off Ferguson.

There was a bigger roar at the ground just before that as Kohli reached his half-century in 45 balls.

Patidar took the risks and largely succeeded, helping Kohli to settle down and get som runs under his belt.

Sangwan got his second of the match when Patidar top-edged the seamer, and Kohli too failed to convert his fifty into a bigger score as a Shami delivery made its way through, even as the batter tried to make room and play it through cover. 

Also Read : Pace sensation Umran Malik in focus as SRH play struggling CSK

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Apr 30 (Cricket News) Coming out of a prolonged slump in form, Virat Kohli carved out his first IPL fifty in 14 matches, including nine this season, as Royal Challengers Bangalore posted a challenging 170 for six against Gujarat Titans here on Saturday.

Kohli made 58 off 53 balls before walking back to the dugout amid a standing ovation at the Wankhede Stadium.

Rajat Patidar blasted a 32-ball 52 -- his maiden IPL fifty -- while Glenn Maxwell blazed away to 33 in 18 deliveries to help RCB reach a challenging score.

The returning Pradeep Sangwan was excellent with the ball, finishing with figures of 2/19, while Rashid Khan gave away just 29 runs in his four over to check the flow of runs in the middle overs.

Mohammed Shami pulled out twice in his run up, the false starts leaving the umpire annoyed, before the seasoned India seamer beat Kohli with his late movement.

Out in the middle was a batting maestro battling a lean patch but it didn't quite look like that really when the former India captain played Shami for two lovely boundaries -- one down the ground past mid-of and the second a flick square of the wicket on the leg-side.

RCB's top-order woes continued, though, as left-arm seamer Sangwan marked his return to the league with the wicket of rival skipper Faf du Plessis in his very first over.

Fresh from his invaluable half-century in the previous game, Wriddhiman Saha had no problem holding on to du Plessis' thick outside edge after the bowler had set him up.

Alzarri Joseph was introduced, and he saw Kohli play a classic cover drive and then pull a short one over the mid-wicket region for a boundary.

In came Lockie Ferguson and the New Zealand pacer's low full toss was smashed over long-on by Kohli, who followed that up with a four towards backyard point.

Even as Kohli was getting into the groove, Patidar was gaining in confidence, thanks to the flurry of confident strokes that flowed from his willow.

Alzarri bowled one short and Patidar pulled him over deep mid-wicket for a six and found a four in the next ball to close in on his maiden IPL fifty. He got there soon, reaching the landmark in only 29 balls with a four off Ferguson.

There was a bigger roar at the ground just before that as Kohli reached his half-century in 45 balls.

Patidar took the risks and largely succeeded, helping Kohli to settle down and get som runs under his belt.

Sangwan got his second of the match when Patidar top-edged the seamer, and Kohli too failed to convert his fifty into a bigger score as a Shami delivery made its way through, even as the batter tried to make room and play it through cover.

Maxwell employed every shot in his book, including the switch hit, to prop up RCB after the end of the 99-run association between Kohli and Patidar. 

Also Read : Pujara slams third hundred in County Championship in as many games

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Apr 30 (Cricket News) Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to bat against Gujarat Titans in an Indian Premier League match here on Saturday.

RCB has made one change with Suyash Prabhudessai making way for all-rounder Mahipal Lomror.

Yash Dayal and Abhinav Manohar miss out for the Titans as medium pacer Pradeep Sangwan and batter Sai Sudarshan come in.

Teams: Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis(c), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik(wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Mahipal Lomror, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood.

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha(wk), Hardik Pandya(c), Sai Sudharsan, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Pradeep Sangwan, Alzarri Joseph, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami. 

Also Read : Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) record 20-run win as Punjab fluff run chase

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Ben Stokes has been named as the new Test captain of England. Joe Root left the role after 5 years of leading the team which was the beginning of the transition that England's red ball set up needs. A new coach is also set to be appointed very soon and Gary Kirsten is being mentioned as a strong candidate. Ben Stokes has a massive target ahead of him and the process is expected to be a long one.

Ben Stokes showed his commitment to the Test side by choosing not to participate in the IPL. He clearly mentioned that he felt that the Test team would benefit by him playing county cricket rather than the IPL. Stokes will have to manage the workload of being an all-rounder along with the captaincy which will be a very big challenge. Having said that, Stokes has all the quality to do it at the highest level for years to come. At the age of 30 he is in his cricketing prime and at the peak of his powers. Having someone like Joe Root in the squad to help him out will be a massive benefit for him. If Gary Kirsten does become the coach then Stokes' job becomes much easier. Kirsten with all his experience will have a clear idea of what to do in any given situation.

Reports say that Stokes want's Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad back in the squad. The pair was dropped from the side for the West Indies tour despite bowling well in the Ashes. The decision will definitely be a controversial one and is likely to divide people. As long as the Durham all-rounder has a clear idea and blueprint of what he wants to do the move should benefit the team. The ECB will also have to play a role to make England a good Test team again with changes in selection policies and county tournaments.

Ben Stokes' first Test as captain will be against New Zealand. After the 3 match series against the Kiwis, England have the last Test against India which they need to win in order to draw the series. Coincidentally India will also have a different captain in Rohit Sharma after Virat Kohli stepped down earlier this year. These 4 Tests will be very crucial for Ben Stokes and England but not so much from the results point of view. Even if England lose all 4 Tests after playing some good cricket then there won't be too many complaints as they are clearly in a rebuilding process.

Also read: Umran Malik's raw and lightning pace is lighting the IPL on fire

Mumbai, Apr 29 (Cricket News) Batting stalwart Virat Kohli's wretched form would once again come under scrutiny when Royal Challengers Bangalore face table-toppers Gujarat Titans in an Indian Indian Premier League match here on Saturday.

Kohli has scored a mere 128 runs in nine matches for RCB this season with 48 being his highest score. His promotion to opening slot in RCB's previous match after scoring back-to-back ducks too did not yield results as he was out for 9.

Kohli's form has been one of the reasons for the inconsistent show of RCB who are currently at fifth spot with five wins from nine matches.

The Bengaluru-based team, though, is hoping that the former India captain would return to form soon with captain Faf du Plessis backing him after their last match. On the other hand, the Titans have been the side to watch this IPL. Whatever they have touched have turned to gold with unlikely match winners emerging every time they were in trouble.

With seven wins from eight matches and on a five-match winning steak, the Titans are the clear favourites to win Saturday's match. If they do that, they will virtually book a play-off berth.

In their previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Titans were struggling in a stiff chase of 196 but Rashid Khan, known more for his leg-spin exploits, and proven finisher Rahul Tewatia struck four sixes in the last over to steal the match from their opponents.

The Titans have shown that if their top-order fails, there is assurance that the lower order can bail the team out, though captain Hardik Pandya was hoping that his side's luck does not run out later in the tournament.

For the Titans, Pandya has been the top scorer with 305 runs from seven matches and under his "relaxed" approach the team seems to be flourishing. He will once again be the top man to get the runs, along with the likes of Shubman Gill, David Miller and Wriddhiman Saha.

It is not that RCB do not have the batting depth but the problem for them is that they have not fired as a team on many occasions. Besides, Kohli's struggle, Australian Glenn Maxwell has blown hot and cold so far with just 124 runs from six matches and with one half century.

Only captain Faf du Plessis, Dinesh Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmed have done well so far and they have to once again take the responsibility of scoring the bulk of runs against a balanced bowling attack of the Titans.

It can be an interesting match-up in the bowling front as both sides have some of the best performers this season.

Mohammed Shami has been the best bowler for the Titans with 13 wickets and with fast bowler Lockie Ferguson and premier leg-spinner Rashid Khan -- though he went wicketless for 45 runs in the previous match -- in their ranks, the Titans have a lethal bowling attack which can decimate any opposition.

RCB also have firepower in bowling in death-over specialist Harshal Patel, who has taken 12 wickets so far, the equally successful Sri Lankan Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva (13 wickets) and along with quality pacers like Mohammed Siraj and Josh Hazlewood, they can stop the Titans' batters on their tracks.

If they do that, and the maestro Kohli clicks with the bat, it can be anybody's game on Saturday.

The Teams (From): 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, Siddharth Kaul.

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

Match starts at 3:30pm. 

Also Read : It's been difficult to set up right combination, shouldn't be conservative with bat: KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Apr 28 (Cricket News) The legendary Sunil Gavaskar has pitched for young pace sensation Umran Malik's inclusion in the Indian team for the upcoming England tour following his stunning five-wicket haul against Gujarat Titans in the IPL here.

The 22-year-old Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer from Jammu produced one of the most fiery spells of fast bowling in the IPL history, snapping five wickets for 25 runs on Wednesday night.

But his breathtaking effort went in vain as Rashid Khan (31 not out off 11 balls) and Rahul Tewatia (40 not out in 21 balls) scored 56 from the last four overs, including 22 from the final six deliveries, to take the Titans home in a last-ball thriller.

"The next for him, I think is the Indian team," former India skipper Gavaskar said during his commentary after the game.

"He might not play in the XI because India have got Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav. So, he might not play.

"But just travelling with the group, travelling with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, sharing the dressing room with them... just look what is going to happen to him!" The young pace sensation has been clocking in excess of 150 kph consistently throughout the season and has picked up 15 wickets in eight matches at 15.93 average.

Introduced into the attack as late as the eighth over, Malik bowled devastatingly quick deliveries to scythe through the Gujarat Titans top-order, becoming the first IPL bowler to pick up all the first five wickets of an innings.

He rattled Shubman Gill's off stump for his first wicket, before removing Hardik Pandya with a combination of pace and bounce.

Next, he produced a perfect 153 kmph thunderbolt yorker to smash the wickets of Wriddhiman Saha, before cleaning up both David Miller and Abhinav Manohar to sign off with a five-for.

India's tour of England starts in June with the visitors playing the final Test of the five-match series, which was abandoned last year due to COVID-19, from July 1 to 5, before embarking on a three-match T20 series and playing as many ODIs.

India will begin the UK tour with two T20Is against Ireland in Dublin, starting June 26. 

Also Read : Rashid and Tewatia power GT's stunning win, SRH lose despite Umran heroics

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Royal Challengers Bangalore in all these years has never managed to win the IPL. Despite being one of the top teams consistently, RCB has never gone all the way and won the silverware. Traditionally, Bangalore is always known for being a batter dominated side who is often let down by its bowlers but this time it seems to be the other way around. The bowlers have performed very well for RCB this season but the batting has been well below standard. The absence of AB de Villiers after all these years can clearly be seen but there are other factors as well.

RCB unsurprisingly retained Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell before the auction. They signed Faf du Plessis to become the new captain and opener. Dinesh Karthik was brought in to be the designated finisher for the team and he has been excellent so far this season. Despite having a strong core group, RCB have been disappointing as a batting unit this season. The management backed Anuj Rawat for as long as they could but dropped him in the last game. Shabaz Ahmed has been good in patches but hasn't played a big innings yet. Suyasb Prabhudesai has also been underwhelming.

Maxwell hasn't got going so far this season with just 1 fifty in 6 matches. Du Plessis has played a couple of very good knocks but hasn't been able to replicate his form from last season. Virat Kohli is a different story altogether as he is in his worst ever period form wise. The former Indian captain has scored only 128 runs in 9 games with the highest score of 48. With Kohli it always feels like a big knock is around the corner but it has been a while since a big knock. The big worry amongst all cricket lovers is whether Kohli will actually come back or not. He played the first 8 games batting at number 3. After two golden ducks, Kohli was promoted to open the innings. This could have been the magic but it wasn't as his struggles continued.

Now RCB have done everything they can to change personnel wise and it might be time for a little bit of an attitude change. RCB got all out on 68 while batting first against Sunrisers Hyderabad and in the very next day were bowled out at 115 while chasing 145 against Rajasthan Royals. Virat Kohli needs to rediscover his form while others also need to take more responsibility. Mahipal Lamror, who has been sitting on the bench, is a candidate to come in the side.

Also read: League leaders GT take on SRH in a top of the table match

Pune, Apr 26 (Cricket News) Batting stalwart Virat Kohli has been horribly out of form in this IPL but he got the backing of his Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis, who on Tuesday said "great players go through phases like this".

Kohli was promoted to the top of the order against Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday after scoring back-to-back ducks but that move also did not yield the desired result as the former India captain was out for nine. RCB lost the match by 29 runs.

"We tried changing the batting line-up today and we feel that they can try playing positively," du Plessis said when asked about a struggling Kohli being sent to bat as an opener along with him.

"(Kohli) Can't go into a shell. Great players go through phases like this and we wanted to get him in the game straightaway so that he doesn't sit in the sidelines and think about the game. It's a game of confidence." Kohli, who hasn't scored a hundred in any format for more than three years now, had got out to first ball ducks in successive games before Tuesday's match with a familiar pattern of dismissals outside the off-stump.

Du Plessis, however, admitted that his top-order batters are lacking in consistency and his side will haver to fix the problem sooner than later.

"The top order is a trick we need to fix. You need someone in the top four to bat through and we haven't done that consistently," he said.

"It's pretty similar to the previous game. If you hit the deck hard in the first few overs, it is hard to get away. The dropped chance cost us," said the former South Africa captain.

Royals captain Sanju Samson said his side's run chase was "looking dicey" after 15 overs but they won the match thanks to Riyan Parag, who hit 56 not out off just 31 balls.

"We have been backing him (Parag) and he came in and showed the world how explosive he can be," Samson said.

"We were 10-15 runs short with no dew and the wicket turning a bit. We were waiting for the back end of the batting order to go out and win matches. Almost everyone has put up a match-winning performance until now." He said the chat before Royals' run chase was about putting pressure on the opposition as it is tough for batters to change gears.

"In this kind of conditions, it was a matter of putting pressure. We do make a couple of changes here and there based on the opponents and conditions.

"But it is important to give clarity to people who are being dropped. Credit to Karun (Nair) to accept and understand that we needed (Daryll) Mitchell's one over today and he can come in later." Player of the match Parag said, "A little bit of satisfaction. The Royals have backed me for the last three years and I am paying off bit by bit. I love pressure and try to showcase my abilities and do my best.

"During the timeout, we agreed on 140 to be a good score and we tried that and worked well in the end," said Parag, who also took four catches.

"Hasaranga's second over to me, I wanted to target him but had to curtail it because we lost wickets and then go after Hazlewood and Harshal." 

Also Read : Was confident of hitting six sixes against RR but umpire's decision is final, says Powell

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(Cricket news) RCB will hope that this time they put up a better performance and forget about the horror show they produced last match against SRH. It also left them with the worst Net-Run-Rate among the teams around them - a factor that could prove decisive in the run-in. On the other hand , RR have been banking heavily on their two star players in Jos Butler and Yuzvendra Chahal to win them matches.

RCB endured one of their heaviest defeats against SRH last time out and will be hoping that they will bounce back from that crushing defeat. In terms of batting the RCB management will be hoping that Virat Kohli finds his batting mojo back after two back to back ducks as Anuj Rawat hasn't quite set the batting charts on fire for his new team, and is in danger of losing his place. The one thing that has been their recipe to success is their lower middle order which has flourished in pressure situations and often bailed their team out from the clutches of defeat. The battle between Dinesh Karthik and Chahal will be one to watch as the leg spinner has dismissed him thrice in nine innings, with Karthik scoring at a strike rate of only 83. In terms of bowling, Wanindu Hasaranga will be the key as he has dismissed Sanju Samson four times in five innings and will be an obvious plan of attack against the Royals captain.

For RR in the batting department it has been the Jos Butler show, he has scored 491 runs in 7 matches including 3 centuries, at this rate he is well on course to break Virat Kohli’s historical 2016 season where he scored 4 hundreds and scored over 900+ runs. Shimron Hetmyer and Sanju Samson have also been in good form as they have been finishing the innings really well. In the bowling department, despite having Yuzvendra Chahal in flying form, the Royals have conceded 192, 210 and 207 in their last three games, which could be a cause of concern for the RR management. We saw in the last match how Marco Jansen caused havoc in the RCB batting lineup, the same way RR can throw Trent Boult and Obed McCoy to poke at their opposition's insecurities. 

Pitch and weather report: The MCA Pune pitch has been brilliant for batting but the venue will be used after a long time as this might just restart the trend of winning the toss and bowling first. Pacers will get some assistance in the powerplay and the spinners will play a massive role in the middle overs. The temperature is going to hover around 28 degrees as there is no chance of rain.

Interesting facts:

• Wanindu Hasaranga has completed his full quota of overs only once in the last four matches
• Buttler is 58 runs ahead of where Kohli was in the 2016 season when he scored the record-setting 973 runs.
• Among batters with more than 200 runs in the league, only Dinesh Karthik (200) and Liam Livingstone (182.26) have a higher strike-rate than Shimron Hetmyer 179.20
• Faf du Plessis' teams have won 70% of matches where he has made 30 or more.

Also read: Punjab Kings PBKS beat Chennai Super Kings by 11 runs

Probable XI for RCB:

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

Probable XI for RR:

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

New Delhi, Apr 25 (Cricket News) The BCCI in all likelihood will do away with bio-bubbles from the upcoming five-match T20 series against South Africa, keeping in mind the mental well-being of cricketers.

Bio-bubbles became a part of the lives of cricketers with almost all the series (home and away) played in strict bio-secure environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The T20 series will be played across five venues -- Delhi, Cuttack, Vizag, Rajkot, Bengaluru -- between June 9 and 19.

The IPL, which is also being played in a bio-bubble for the safety of the players and the officials, will end on May 29 and the BCCI does not want its players to move to another confined stay just after the conclusion of the league.

"If all goes well and things remain in control like it is right now, there will be no bio-bubbles and hard quarantine during the home series against South Africa," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

"Then we are going to Ireland and England and there won't be any bio-bubble in those countries too." The board is aware that bubble life is not sustainable for long period as staying confined to restricted areas can severely affect the players' mental health.

"Some players have got periodic breaks but if you look at the bigger picture, living in bio-bubble one series after another and now two months of IPL is simply exhausting for the players," he said.

In UK, there are no bio-bubbles as of now for any sporting activity and hence the Indian team is expected to have a free environment in the country where they would play one Test and six white-ball games in a space of three weeks.

However it is understood that the players will be tested at regular intervals to ensure there are no positive cases within the group.

Workload management post IPL ---------------------------------- An effective workload management program is being prepared so that all the stars including skipper Rohit Sharma, senior batters Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, keeper Rishabh Pant, pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami , spinner Ravindra Jadeja get adequate rest before jetting off to UK.

"There are five T20 Internationals between June 9 to 19 in five cities. Obviously, all the players won't be playing all the games. Some might be given total rest and some might play a few games.

"If these guys aren't given systemic breaks, it will only harm them. But obviously, the duration of break will be decided by selectors after talking to head coach (Rahul Dravid)," the source added.

It will be interesting to see if Hardik Pandya -- whose comeback is just a matter of time -- will picked for the Proteas series at home just after a gruelling IPL season or directly fielded in the T20I series in Ireland. 

Also Read : Rahul hits second IPL ton to guide LSG to 36-run win over MI

News Source : PTI

Pune, Apr 25 (Cricket News) Royal Challengers Bangalore will be aiming to halt the Jos Buttler juggernaut when they take on Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League here on Tuesday.

Attention will be on Virat Kohli as well following his second consecutive first ball duck in the competition.

RCB would be hoping their star batter to be back among the runs besides a much improved performance by the batting unit after a shocker in the previous game.

While the Challengers come into the match on the back of a demoralising nine-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan have had two successive wins and are one of the in-form teams this season.

While the focus would be on Kohli, RCB have also power-hitters in captain Faf Du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik and Shahbaaz Ahmed, who can be destructive on their day and if they fire in unison, the RR attack would have a tough time.

Du Plessis, the highest run-scorer for his team, has blown hot and cold with the willow but remains a vital cog for the team.

Karthik too with his hitting abilities is playing the finisher’s role to near perfection.

They are up against Rajasthan’s varied attack, led by Trent Boult, who has troubled Kohli in the past with the delivery that comes in.

Prasidh Krishna and the spin duo of wily Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal can also pose problems for the RCB batters. Chahal, with 18 wickets so far, can turn the game on its head.

And ditto for Ashwin, who can be the opposition's nemesis on his day. Add to it the four overs by Obed McCoy; Rajasthan have a decent attack.

For Rajasthan, opener Jos Buttler has been in sublime form, having already hammered three hundreds this season.

Opener Devdutt Padikkal and skipper Sanju Samson have also been toying with opposition attacks and are among the runs. And so is Shimon Hetymar, who can compound the bowling team’s woes with his brutal onslaught.

RR would be hoping that the top order delivers once again at the MCA Stadium, which has witnessed high-scoring games.

The weak links in Rajasthan’s batting are Karun Nair and Riyan Parag and the duo would need to step up and deliver.

For RCB, they have the best death bowler in Harshal Patel, but he would need support from Mohammed Siraj and Josh Hazlewood.

The four overs by Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who has eleven wickets, could also change the match’s fate.

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

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Shubham Garwal, Dhruv Jurel, Kuldip Yadav, Kuldeep Sen, Tejas Baroka, Anunay Singh, KC Kariappa, Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Rassie Van der Dussen, Nathan Coulter Nile, Jimmy Neesham, Daryl Mitchell, Karun Nair, Obed McCoy, Navdeep Saini, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Shimron Hetmyer, Devdutt Padikkal, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Match starts at 7.30 PM. 

Also Read : We haven't batted well enough in tournament, more responsibility needs to be taken: Rohit Sharma

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Apr 23 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli's wretched form continued as he was again dismissed outside the off-stump off the very first delivery he faced with Royal Challengers Bangalore huffing and puffing their way to a meagre 68 all out in their IPL match against Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Saturday.

This was the sixth lowest total in the history of IPL.

The Sunrisers pace attack led by Marco Jansen (3/25 in 4 overs) and ably supported by Umran Malik (1/19 in 4 overs) and T Natarajan (3/10 in 3 overs) left the star-studded RCB line-up rattled with pace, swing and seam.

In case of Jansen, it was seam movement off the pitch with a few that were angled across, some that held its line while Natarajan got some movement in the air and Malik was unleashing his thunderbolts at upward of 150 clicks.

In between, left-arm spinner Jagadeesha Suchith (2/12) was also unrelenting as RCB never got elbow room to get some momentum going their way.

There couldn't have been a quicker end to a contest as Jansen removed Faf du Plessis (5), Kohli (0) and Anuj Rawat (0) off second, third and final delivery of the second over to make it 8 for 3.

It soon became 20 for 4 when Natarajan got Glenn Maxwell (12) caught brilliantly by skipper Kane Williamson at mid-off. The other player to reach double figure was Suyash Prabhudesai (15).

But, it is Kohli's dismissal that would certainly deflate his legion of fans as his problems outside the off-stump seems to have resurfaced.

Jansen did pose problems for Kohli during the South Africa Test series few months back and again bowled the ideal Test match length, full and getting the ball to either shape in or hold its line.

In the last match against Lucknow, it was the backward point that was in operation and Kohli's propensity to jab at deliveries on off-stump channel with hard hands caused his undoing with Aiden Markram snapping it in second slip.

There was not much resistance from the other batters and once Dinesh Karthik (7) was caught down leg-side off Suchith trying to sweep, it was all over for RCB.

Once it was 47 for 6 after nine overs, the lower order looked mortally scared facing the fast and furious Umran as it seemed as if the ball was hitting the bat rather than the other way round.

Natarajan also kept up the pressure, snuffing out the wickets as veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar wrapping up the innings. 

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

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(Cricket news) Rajasthan Royals defeated Delhi Capitals 15 runs in a thrilling and controversial encounter. The last over of the match was nothing short of chaotic with the captain calling the players back and DC coach Pravin Ambre ran onto the field to argue with the umpire. Rishabh Pant had won the toss and elected to bowl first as both teams were unchanged. 

The first innings couldn't have gone more perfectly for Rajasthan Royals as they were 222/2 after their 20 overs. Jos Buttler's dream run continued as he scored 116 off 65 balls. The innings containing 9 fours and 9 sixes was his 3rd ton of the IPL season. He is now 1 century away from matching Virat Kohli's record of 4 centuries in an IPL campaign. Devdutt Padikkal provided excellent support with his 35 ball 54 hitting 7 fours and 2 sixes. Skipper Sanju Samson smashed 5 fours and 3 sixes as he scored 46 off 19 balls. Khaleel Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman were the wicket takers as all the bowlers were expensive. DC were abysmal on the field as they dropped a few catches and there were a few midfields as well.

Chasing 223 DC got off to a good start as David Warner scored 28 off 14 balls and Prithvi Shaw got a 27 ball 47. Rishabh Pant played a good knock of 44 off 24 balls which consisted of 4 fours and 2 sixes. Lalit Yadav scored 37 off 24 balls while Rovman Powell hit 5 sixes towards the end to take the game deep. Ravichandran Ashwin picked up two wickets while Yuzvendra Chahal and Obed McCoy got a scalp each. Prasidh Krishna was the pick of the bowlers and got 3/22. DC needed 36 off 12 balls when Krishna bowled a wicket maiden over which ended up being the match winning over. 

There was a lot of controversy in the final over where DC required 36 to win. Powell hit 3 consecutive sixes and the 3rd of which was a waist high full toss which wasn't given as a no ball. The batters demanded a no ball and the DC bench became agitated. After the umpire didn't signal a no ball, DC captain Rishabh Pant looked to be signalling to his players to walk off the ground before being stopped by assistant coach Shane Watson. Coach Pravin Amre then walked on the field to speak to the umpires but the decision didn't change and RR ended up winning the match.

Also read: Unacademy launches 10 new lessons to Cricket with Sachin segment

Mumbai, Apr 22 (Cricket News) Umran Malik's raw pace and Bhuvneshwar Kumar's consistency will be put to test against Dinesh Karthik's explosive batting and the finesse of Faf du Plessis when Sunrisers Hyderabad clash with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, here on Saturday.

Malik has caught everyone's attention with his fiery deliveries this season. His tearway pace has even troubled established batters such as Shreyas Iyer.

Alongside senior teammate Bhuvneshwar, the 22-year-old formed a match-winning partnership to defeat Punjab Kings by seven-wickets in their previous outing.

Sunrisers, who are targeting a top-4 position, also have yorker-specialist T Natarajan and South African Marco Jansen in their ranks. Jansen has also been able to tease batters with his angles and variations.

But the seasoned Du Plessis and Karthik have pummelled the best in the business.

The new RCB skipper roared back to form with a fine 96 as he anchored his team's innings after the top order once again collapsed against Lucknow Super Giants.

However, the veteran South African batter missed out on a much deserved maiden IPL hundred in the 18-run win on Tuesday.

On the other hand, Karthik is enjoying one of his best seasons in the league. The wicketkeeper batter has taken the centre stage with his heroics for RCB.

With scores of 32 not out, 14 not out, 44 not out, 7 not out, 34, 66 not out and 13 not out in seven innings, Karthik has seemingly been the best finisher this season.

But apart from the duo, the RCB batters will have their task cut out against Sunrisers, who have momentum on their side after winning four games on the trot.

All eyes will once again be on Virat Kohli, who would be eager to get out of the rut of low scores.

Opener Anuj Rawat, who apart from a 66 against Mumbai Indians, has failed to capitalise on the opportunity provided to him, S Prabhudessai and Glenn Maxwell too will be hoping to provide substantial contributions with the bat.

Their bowling unit, however, is their strong suite, which was not the case in the previous seasons.

Josh Hazlewood has quickly become an irreplaceable piece in the RCB set up. The Australian quick has managed to dominate opposition batters with his consistent line and lengths.

In Hazlewood, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj and Wanindu Hasarnaga, RCB have four match-winners, while Maxwell and Shahbaz Ahmed have also played their part well. They will be up against a SRH batting unit where every batter has taken the responsibility to take their side over the line.

Promoting Abhishek Sharma to the opener's spot has done wonders for the youngster, who has been fabulous at the top, providing SRH aggressive starts.

Skipper Kane Williamson is also back among runs while Rahul Tripathi has shown he too can win matches with the bat when he struck a 37-ball 71 against KKR.

And if the top order fails, the duo of South African Aiden Markaram and swashbuckling Nicholas Pooran are there to finish off matches or set huge targets.

A win for Sunrisers will elevate them to the top-4 while a victory for RCB will help them grab the top spot.

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

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj, Faf du Plessis, 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, Siddharth Kaul.

Match starts at 7:30pm. 

Also Read : Like old times, Dhoni scripts thrilling last ball win for Chennai Super Kings

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Apr 21 (Cricket News) Yuzvendra Chahal's bagful of tricks will meet its perfect match in Kuldeep Yadav's guile as the two wrist spinners are expected to dictate the narrative when Rajasthan Royals clash with Delhi Capitals in an IPL match, on Friday.

With current 'Orange Cap' holder in Jos Buttler (375 runs) and 'Purple Cap' holder Chahal (17 wickets) in their ranks, Royals are a team that is looking pretty formidable at the moment even with a dysfunctional middle-order, save Shimron Hetmyer.

On the other hand, resurgent Capitals are battling the agony that comes with a mini COVID-19 outbreak in the camp but are still trying to put their best foot forward to stay afloat.

In this backdrop, the two wrist-spinners, who are currently dominating the bowling charts will be itching to show their wares with Kuldeep (13 wickets at No. 2) expected to pose some questions for in-form Buttler in case there is a match-up.

For Delhi, Kuldeep along with Axar Patel and Lalit Yadav would like to stem the run-flow but stopping Buttler will be on top of their agenda on a Wankhede track that is expected to be good for batting.

For Chahal, how he varies the pace against a rampaging David Warner or the ever-attacking Prithvi Shaw and skipper Rishabh Pant will be a delight for the fans.

In the past five years, life has come to a full circle for 'Kul-Cha' who were the 'taste' of the nation between 2017 and 2019 when wrist spinners were in vogue during the Ravi Shastri-Virat Kohli era.

While Chahal got a body blow after being dropped from the last T20 World Cup squad and was sporadically picked in white ball formats, Kuldeep also lost his way.

He got very little support from either erstwhile national team management or his previous IPL team (KKR) and also endured a career-threatening knee injury.

But now the smile is back and so is the guile. The left-arm wrist spinner's googly -- the one that turns away from right-hander -- is back and so is the conventional left-arm leg-break which comes into the right-hander.

However in these kind of games, the support cast becomes more important as they can create those little game-changing moments that impact the final outcome of the game.

Mustafizur Rahaman's cutters and Khaleel Ahmed's clever change of pace could also trouble the likes of Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag.

Similarly, if Trent Boult gets one to tail in first-up, Shaw's response and technique will be tested in earnest.

But Royals have now got a calm death bowler in West Indies' Obed McCoy, who was brilliant while bowling the final over against KKR.

McCoy, who made his IPL debut in the last game, is tall and looked like using his height to a good advantage to create awkward angles and length for the Delhi batters.

If middle-order non-performance is an issue for Royals, the DC doesn't seem to have found the second Indian batter in that middle-order slot apart from skipper Pant, who can take the bowling apart.

Mandeep Singh was a massive failure against genuine quick bowling but Sarfaraz Khan is trying to play himself in.

Rovman Powell till now has failed to show his destructive self and these are the players, who need to push the envelope when it comes to maintaining the momentum.

Teams (From): Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Shubham Garwal, Dhruv Jurel, Kuldip Yadav, Kuldeep Sen, Tejas Baroka, Anunay Singh, KC Kariappa, Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Rassie Van der Dussen, Nathan Coulter Nile, Jimmy Neesham, Daryl Mitchell, Karun Nair, Obed McCoy, Navdeep Saini, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Shimron Hetmyer, Devdutt Padikkal, Prasidh Krishna and Yuzvendra Chahal.

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 and KS Bharat.

Match Starts at 7:30pm. 

Also Read : Struggling MI take on defending Champions CSK in match no 33

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 18 runs to reach 2nd position on the points table. After winning the toss KL Rahul elected to bowl first, making it the 31st time in as many games that the toss winning captain elected to bowl first. Both the teams were unchanged from their respective last games.

RCB had a very rocky start as they were 7/2 after 1 over as Virat Kohli was dismissed for a golden duck. Captain Faf du Plessis anchored the innings with his 64 ball 96. The former Proteas skipper paced his innings beautifully as he started slow and then exploded towards the end. He hit 11 fours and 2 sixes to take RCB to the total of 181/6. Glenn Maxwell provided decent support with 23 off 11 balls including 3 boundaries and a maximum. Shabaz Ahmed has developed a great habit of bailing RCB out of pressure situations and he did it once again by scoring 26 off 22 balls. Dushmanta Chameera got the ball rolling with 2 wickets in the first over. Jason Holder picked up 2 wickets while Krunal Pandya also got a scalp.

Chasing 182, LSG fell 18 runs short as RCB kept picking wickets at regular intervals. KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis played decent cameos but no one could play the big innings. Krunal Pandya was promoted to number 4 and did decently well as he scored 42 off 28 balls. The all-rounder hit 5 fours and 2 sixes as he sent a message that his ability with the willow can be utilised more. Josh Hazelwood was the pick of the bowlers with his 4/25 in 4 overs. Mohammed Siraj and Glenn Maxwell picked up a wicket each. Harshal Patel on the other hand despite leaking 47 runs got 2 wickets. RCB never let LSG build a partnership which is why it was pretty comfortable for them in the end.

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

Navi Mumbai, Apr 19 (Cricket News) Royal Challengers Bangalore rode on skipper Faf du Plessis' breezy 96 and Josh Hazlewood's brilliant bowling to inflict an 18-run defeat on Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL here on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old du Plessis roared back to form after a string of low scores with a 64-ball knock to help RCB post 181 for six after being sent into bat.

Pace spearhead Hazlewood (4/25) then picked two wickets upfront and two at the fag end as RCB restricted LSG to 163 for eight to register their fifth win of the season.

Both Hazlewood and du Plessis' brilliant individual performances, though, may be a bit overshadowed by the chatter around the two ball sequence leading to Marcus Stoinis' wicket in which a wide outside off wasn't called followed by him shuffling way too much in the next delivery and playing on.

Nevertheless, RCB are now second in the points table while LSG slumped to fourth.

Opening the innings, du Plessis, who failed to put up a big score since his sensational 88 in RCB's first game of the season, anchored the innings to perfection and got out only on the penultimate ball of the final over.

Hazlewood rocked LSG's chase early on as he bowled a fine opening spell. Using the bounce and movement on offer, he accounted for the dangerous Quinton de Kock (3) and Manish Pandey (6) in quick time.

The Australian quick, who was consistent with his line and length, bowled a frugal spell, giving away just 25 runs.

LSG skipper KL Rahul made his way back to the dug out soon after Pandey as a delivery down the leg-side kissed his bat and RCB opted to review it. UltraEdge showed a spike and RCB got their massive breakthrough, thanks to the brilliant review.

While Krunal Pandya (42) was scoring runs at a good rate, he looked uncomfortable against Glenn Maxwell, and eventually fell to the Australian.

LSG weren't able to string substantial partnerships together. Deepak Hooda (13), Stoinis (24) and Ayush Badoni (13) were guilty of wasting their starts.

Harshal Patel (2/47) picked up two wickets while Mohammed Siraj (1/31) and Maxwell (1/11) accounted for a batter each.

Earlier, du Plessis had 11 boundaries and two sixes, playing shots all around the DY Patil Stadium.

The Super Giants invited RCB to bat and the bowlers managed to strike at regular intervals but had no answers for the former South African captain.

Sri Lankan right-arm pacer Dushmantha Chameer (2/31 off 3) bowled a fruitful first over for LSG, snaring the wickets of opener Anuj Rawat (4) and Virat Kohli (0), whose struggles with the bat continued as he got out for a first-ball duck.

Maxwell (23) looked to continue his explosive run in the IPL. The Australian played a counter-attacking innings as he slammed Chameera for two fours and a six in the third over.

The all-rounder, however, went down after a quick cameo while playing his favourite shot -- the switch hit -- as LSG took control of the match again.

Maxwell went for the reverse sweep off a Krunal Pandya (1/29) delivery but failed to middle it, with a diving Jason Holder completing the catch as RCB slipped to 44/3.

Young Suyash Prabhudessai (10) followed a couple of overs later, even as du Plessis ensured RCB continued scoring at a healthy rate.

Alongside Shahbaz Ahmed (26), du Plessis added 70 runs for the fifth wicket, with the former playing the perfect second fiddle.

The veteran batter switched gears in the slog overs with Dinesh Karthik (13 not out), who himself is in imperious form, by his side. Together they took RCB beyond the 180-run mark. Du plessis came close to scoring his maiden IPL century but was dismissed by Holder with one ball left in the innings. 

Also Read : Virat Kohli is overcooked, needs a break: Ravi Shastri

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Apr 20 (Cricket News) Batting stalwart Virat Kohli is mentally "overcooked" and needs to take a break from cricket in order to serve the country for at least another six-seven years, feels ex-India coach Ravi Shastri.

Kohli has been going through a lean patch with just two 40-plus scores to show in last seven innings for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the current IPL season.

The 33-year-old from Delhi, who hasn't scored a century in the last 100 matches across formats, had stepped down from T20 captaincy both for India and RCB and also quit Test leadership, while he was removed from ODI skipper's role.

Shastri feels the likes of Kohli needs to be handled with care and empathy amid the COVID-19 restrictions which has confined players inside bio-bubbles.

"I am going straight to the main guy here. Virat Kohli is overcooked. If anyone needs a break, it's him," Shastri told Star Sports.

"Whether it's 2 months or a month-and-a-half, whether it's after England or before England. He needs a break because he has got 6-7 years of cricket left in him and you don't want to lose that with a fried brain." Kohli was out for a duck on Tuesday night as RCB rode on Faf du Plessis' 96 to claim a 18-run win over Lucknow Super Giants.

"When I was coach at the time when this first started, the first thing I said is 'you have to show empathy to the guys'.

"If you're going to be forceful, there is a very thin line there, from a guy losing the plot as opposed to him hanging in there and giving his best. So you have to be extremely careful." Shastri said there might be one or two players in world cricket going through the same problem which needs to be addressed upfront.

Echoing the same sentiment, former England captain Kevin Pietersen said Kohli should take time away from the game as well as social media to rejuvenate himself.

"...the guy has had so much to deal with, from marriage to baby to media scrutiny and all on his personal life. He is the biggest star on show," he said.

"Virat Kohli needs to say 'cricket boots, for six months, I will see you later'. Turn off social media, go and get re-energised.

"When the stadiums are full again, you guarantee him a spot in that side for the next 12, 24 or 36 months. Tell him 'you're our guy, we know you'll deliver for us'." Pietersen said Kohli "is going to find it very hard to continue delivering now as his brain is completely fried". 

Also Read : Skipper Faf du Plessis guides RCB to 181/6 against LSG

News Source : PTI

Navi Mumbai, Apr 19 (Cricket News) Skipper Faf du Plessis roared back to form after a string of low scores with a breezy 96 to steer Royal Challengers Bangalore to 181 for six against Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League here on Tuesday.

Opening the innings, du Plessis, who failed to put up a big score since his sensational 88 in RCB's first game of the season, anchored the innings to perfection and got out only on the penultimate ball of the final over.

The former Proteas captain had 11 boundaries and two sixes in his 64-ball innings, playing shots all around the DY Patil Stadium.

The Super Giants invited RCB to bat and the bowlers managed to strike at regular intervals but had no answers for du Plessis.

Sri Lankan right-arm pacer Dushmantha Chameer (2/31 off 3) bowled a fruitful first over for LSG, snaring the wickets of opener Anuj Rawat (4) and Virat Kohli (0), whose struggles with the bat continued as he got out for a first-ball duck.

Glenn Maxwell (23) looked to continue his explosive run in the IPL. The Australian played a counter-attacking innings as he slammed Chameera for two fours and a six in the third over.

The all-rounder, however, went down after a quick cameo while playing his favourite shot -- the switch hit -- as LSG took control of the match again.

Maxwell went for the reverse sweep off a Krunal Pandya (1/29) delivery but failed to middle it, with a diving Jason Holder completing the catch as RCB slipped to 44/3.

Young Suyash Prabhudessai (10) followed a couple of overs later, even as du Plessis ensured RCB continued scoring at a healthy rate.

Alongside Shahbaz Ahmed (26), du Plessis added 70 runs for the fifth wicket, with the former playing the perfect second fiddle.

The veteran batter switched gears in the slog overs with Dinesh Karthik (13 not out), who himself is in imperious form, by his side. Together they took RCB beyond the 180-run mark. Du plessis came close to scoring his maiden IPL century but was dismissed by Holder with one ball left in the innings. 

Also Read : Lucknow Super Giants win toss, ask Royal Challengers Bangalore to bat

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.
 

Mumbai, Apr 16 (Cricket News) Dinesh Karthik continued his red-hot form, slamming an unbeaten 66 after Glenn Maxwell produced a blistering half-century, to lift Royal Challengers Bangalore to 189 for five against Delhi Capitals in their Indian Premier League match here on Saturday.

Karthik blazed away to 66 in just 34 balls, while Maxwell hit seven fours and two sixes in his 55 off 34 deliveries.

The Capitals' bowlers performed as a well-oiled unit initially with Shardul Thakur (1/27), Khaleel Ahmed (1/36), Axar Patel (1/29) and Kuldeep Yadav (1/46) doing well but bled runs in the slog overs as Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmed (32 not out) added 74 in the last five.

Karthik, who has been revelling in his role as a finisher this season, hit five fours and as many sixes in his sensational knock.

DC made full use of the coin landing in their favour as they put pressure on RCB early on with tight fielding and good bowling.

The Delhi bowlers managed to snare two wickets in the powerplay overs while giving away 40 runs.

Thakur produced a beautiful inswinger that curled into Anju Rawat (0) to give Delhi the early breakthrough. Khaleel Ahmed then made it two as he accounted for the dangerous Faf du Plessis.

Lalit Yadav effected Virat Kohli's run out with a brilliant direct hit to compound RCB's woes.

It was then that Maxwell took the onus upon himself as he pummelled Kuldeep Yadav for 23 runs in the ninth over. The all-rounder hit top gear as he smashed the ball to the fence twice and over it a couple of times.

His half-century came soon after as he continued to hit the Delhi bowlers all round the park.

However, Kuldeep extracted his revenge a few overs later as the ball caught the Australian's bat's toe and Lalit Yadav completed the regulation catch.

With Maxwell gone, Karthik and Shahbaz joined forces. The wicketkeeper made batting look effortless as he cracked four boundaries and two maximum off Mustafizur to plunder 28 runs off the 18th over and bring his fifty in style. 

Also Read : Delhi Capitals opt to bowl against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Apr 16 (Cricket News) Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant won the toss and opted to bowl against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League here on Saturday.

Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh made his debut for the Capitals, coming in place of Sarfaraz Khan.

Harshal Patel returned to the RCB playing XI, replacing Akash Deep.

Teams: Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant(wk/c), Rovman Powell, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman, Khaleel Ahmed.

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

Also Read : Former India coach Ravi Shastri backs Royal Challengers Bangalore to make playoffs

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Apr 16 (Cricket News) Former India coach Ravi Shastri is backing Royal Challengers Bangalore to make the playoffs of the ongoing IPL, having played some good cricket under new skipper Faf du Plessis.

After kicking off their campaign with a loss to Punjab Kings, three-time runners-up RCB bounced back to defeat Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals.

"I believe we will see a new champion this season. Royal Challengers Bangalore are on a roll in this IPL and they are definitely going to make it to the playoffs," Shastri told Star Sports.

"They are getting hotter and hotter as the tournament is progressing. They are looking in a good space. They are getting better and better with every game." Shastri further said the team's new captain Du Plessis, former skipper Virat Kohli and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell are going to play an important role this season.

"Virat has been doing well, Glenn Maxwell is back with the side, and we all know how destructive he can be with the bat.

"He's capable of taking the spinners to the cleaners and will be important from RCB's perspective as the tournament progresses. And then, Faf being their leader is a big bonus for them," Shastri added.

Their three-match winning streak, though, was halted by Chennai Super Kings in the last game. 

Also Read : Skipper KL Rahul smashes century to power LSG to 199 for 4 against MI

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Apr 15 (Cricket News) Every interaction with the late Shane Warne was a learning experience, according to India and RCB batter Virat Kohli, who felt the spin legend always had constructive conversations.

One of the all-time greats of the game, Warne died at the age of 52 due to a suspected heart attack in Thailand on March 4.

"I have tried to copy his actions at some stage or the other. That's the impact he had on the game of cricket, and he was an amazing human being as well. I had a chance to speak to him quite a bit off the field as well," Kohli said on RCB Bold Diaries.

"He was always positive and none of his conversations were random. It was always constructive, that you can learn from and spoke very passionately about Test cricket and cricket in general, he just loved the game." The Australian was a spin wizard who made the world fall in love with his craft. He is credited with reviving the art of leg-spin bowling. He took 708 wickets from 145 Tests, in an illustrious career spanning 15 years.

Warne's death came as a shock not just to the cricket community but beyond.

"It was a shock to everyone, but we can just smile and look back at his cricketing career, his achievements, and his life, he lived the way he wanted to live.

"He is probably the most confident personality that I have met, I am grateful that I have got to know him a little bit off the field as well," Kohli added.

For compatriot Glenn Maxwell, Warne was a "hero" growing up, who changed the perception of spin bowling.

"I had a lot of heroes when I was growing up watching people play, not necessarily just from cricket but from other sports as well, Shane Warne was certainly one of them.

"He revolutionised the game, he changed the perception of spin bowling around the world. All of a sudden, after he came on the scene, every team needed to have a leg-spinner to be a successful team," Maxwell said.

"I suppose the person that he was away from the field was probably more inspiring to me." 

Also Read : MI in rebuilding mode, you will see great players coming out in few years: Suryakumar Yadav

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Joe Root has today stepped down as England Men's Test Captain. Root holds the record for the most number of matches and wins as England Men's Test Captain. His 27 victories put him ahead of Michael Vaughan (26), Sir Alastair Cook, and Sir Andrew Strauss (24 each).

After being appointed as Sir Alastair Cook's successor in 2017, Root led the side to a number of famous series victories, including a 4-1 home series win over India in 2018 and a 3-1 triumph away to South Africa in 2020. In 2018 he became the first England Men's Captain to win a Test series in Sri Lanka since 2001, a feat he went on to repeat with a 2-0 victory in Sri Lanka in 2021.

He is already England’s second highest Test run scorer of all time behind only Cook and scored 14 centuries as Captain. His tally of 5,295 runs as skipper is the highest by any England Captain and puts him 5th in the all-time list behind only Graeme Smith, Alan Border, Ricky Ponting and Virat Kohli.

Joe Root said, “After returning from the Caribbean tour and having time to reflect, I have decided to step down as England Men’s Test Captain. It has been the most challenging decision I have had to make in my career but having discussed this with my family and those closest to me; I know the timing is right.

"I am immensely proud to have captained my country and will look back on the past five years with enormous pride. It has been an honour to have done the job and to have been a custodian of what is the pinnacle of English cricket. I have loved leading my country, but recently it's hit home how much of a toll it has taken on me and the impact it has had on me away from the game.

"I want to take this opportunity to thank my family, Carrie, Alfred and Bella, who have lived it all with me and been incredible pillars of love and support throughout. All of the players, coaches and support staff that have helped me during my tenure. It has been a great privilege to have been with them on this journey.

"I would also like to thank all the England supporters for their unwavering support. We are lucky to have the best fans in the world, and wherever we play, that positivity is something we always cherish and admire, which is a huge drive for all of us out there.

"I am excited to continue representing the Three Lions and producing performances that will enable the team to succeed. I look forward to helping the next Captain, my teammates and coaches in whatever way I can."

Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive Officer said, “Joe has been an exceptional role model during his tenure, balancing the demands of Test captaincy whilst continuing to shine brilliantly through his own personal performances. He has led by example, and that has resulted in more Men's Test wins than any other England Captain, alongside a number of famous series home and away victories.

“Joe’s leadership qualities were exemplified by how he led the team through some of the most difficult and uncertain times we have known, playing during the pandemic all over the world, which speaks volumes for him as a leader and as a person.

“I know that every single person who has played or worked under Joe’s captaincy will speak of his integrity and humility as a person, as much as his determination and example as a leader.

“Off the field, Joe has been no different. It has been a privilege and a huge pleasure to have worked with him in his capacity as our Men's Test Captain, and I know he’ll continue to drive English cricket forward as a senior player, offering his wealth of experience and advice to support his successor.”

Also read: MI in rebuilding mode, you will see great players coming out in few years: Suryakumar Yadav

Mumbai, Apr 15 (Cricket News) Their winning streak halted by the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bangalore will hope Harshal Patel returns to the playing XI and contribute in bringing their campaign back on track when they face Delhi Capitals in an IPL match here on Saturday.

RCB were flying high with three successive wins before Chennai Super Kings outwitted them by 23 runs in their last outing.

It was absence of Harshal which hurt the team as skipper Faf du Plessis looked out of options to control the rampaging duo of Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa, who took the bowlers to the cleaners as CSK posted a huge total on board.

Known for his variations and death bowling skills, Harshal is a vital cog in RCB's wheels and Du Plessis had admitted that the team missed his services after he left the bio-bubble on Sunday following the death of his cousin.

"You see the value of Harshal, and what he offers. He has the ability to stop the game. We missed that tonight, we had a similar tone to the bowling. We lacked the variety we needed in our attack. Hopefully, we can have him soon again," du Plessis had said after their loss to CSK.

The 31-year-old from Haryana, who had taken 32 wickets in the 2021 edition, has emerged as one of the best T20 bowlers with his variations, which include off-cutters and slower ones, bowled with variable arm speed.

This season too, Harshal has snapped six wickets from four games at an economy of just 5.50 and remains the go-to-man for du Plessis whenever the going gets tough.

Among others, pace duo of Mohammad Siraj and Akash Deep has been taken for runs, while Wanindu Hasaranga claimed two wickets but he bled 35 in three overs in the last match.

Spin duo of Glenn Maxwell and Shahbaz too was blown away and skipper Du Plessis will expect a better show from his bowlers on Saturday.

In batting, Du Plessis and young left-hander Anuj Rawat have given the team good starts, while Dinesh Karthik has played the role of the finisher well. Engineer-turned cricketer Shahbaz Ahmed too has impressed with his batting so far.

Former skipper Virat Kohli has blown hot and cold with two 40 plus scores but lacked consistency.

The Capitals, on the other hand, are heading into the match after a massive 44-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders.

With two back-to-back fifties, opener Prithvi Shaw has been in sensational form, while seasoned Australian opener David Warner has provided the team solidity at the top as he provided the fireworks to set DC's massive win over KKR.

The number three spot, however, remains a concern with none of the batter tried by the team able to grab the chance. Skipper Rishabh Pant too will expect more runs from his batting.

Spinner Kuldeep Yadav has emerged as their top bowler with 10 wickets so far, while pacer Khaleel Ahmed too has taken seven scalps in three games.

South African Anrich Nortje, who looked rusty in his only outing, also remains an option, while Delhi also have plenty of bowling all-rounders such as Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur and Lalit Yadav to count on.

However, Rovman Powell has looked subdued so far and DC would expect more from him.

With four out of five matches ending in a win for the team batting second, toss might also be a key factor at the Wankhade stadium.

Teams (From): 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.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj, Faf du Plessis, 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, Siddharth Kaul.

Match starts at 7.30 PM. 

Also Read : Mumbai Indians in search of perfect eleven as they take on powerful Lucknow Super Giants

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Apr 14 (Cricket News) Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has picked Virat Kohli as the best batter among the 'big five' in Test cricket, preferring to not read much into the Indian maestro's failure to score a hundred since November 2019.

As per Watson's list, the former India captain has pipped the likes of Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, Joe Root and Babar Azam.

"In Test match cricket, I am always going to say Virat Kohli," Watson said when asked by Isa Guha who he thought is the best Test batter in the world, in his latest episode of the ICC Review.

"It's nearly superhuman, what he is able to do because he has such high intensity every time he goes out to play," Watson added.

While Kohli has slipped to 10th on the ICC rankings, the Indian great continues to hold a remarkable Test batting record. He has scored 27 Test centuries and 28 half-centuries and currently has a Test batting average of just under 50.

The world's current No.1 Test batter Marnus Labuschagne, who has played 26 Test matches and averages 54.31, would have increased the 'big 'five' to a 'big six', but was left out of the debate for this topic due to a 40-Test minimum criteria, the ICC said in a report on its official website.

Regarding Pakistan skipper Babar, who he has kept at number two, Watson noted, "Babar Azam is playing incredibly well.

"(It's great) to be able to see how he has adapted his game to really move his game to Test cricket as well.

"Babar Azam would probably be No.2 at the moment." Babar is currently ranked the fifth best batter in the world and appears to be on the rise if his recent performances against Australia are anything to go by. He stroked a superb 196 during the second Test in Karachi and finished the series with a total of 390 runs.

About Watson's third best batter Smith, he said the Australian star "has just started to come off a little bit." "It looks like Smith has really started to play for time a little bit more and is not putting as much pressure on the bowlers as he did when was at his absolute best. For me, Steve has dropped down that list a little bit." Smith is second on the ICC rankings, with only Australian team-mate Labuschagne ranked ahead of him.

About Williamson, who Watson considers the world's fourth best at the moment, the Australian said, "Kane knows his game inside out and knows how to put pressure on bowlers in any conditions." While Williamson has played just two Test matches in the last 12 months, he remains ranked as the third best batter. The Kiwi veteran has 24 Test centuries to his name and may still have plenty of cricket left in him if he can overcome his injury issues.

Coming to his fifth best batter Root, Watson said, "Joe Root recently scored a hundred but he has had a bit of time along the lines of Steve Smith where he hasn't been able to nail the big scores like he has done in the past." "It's incredible how these world-class batters just go through waves where instead of scoring those big hundreds, get the 70s-80s, but still have an impact on the game but are not able to really maintain that really high standard of getting those big runs as they have done in the past," Watson added.

Also Read : Will India's chances be affected at the T20 WC if Chahar is injured?

News Source : PTI

Kolkata, Apr 13 (Cricket News) In 2008, when Tim Southee was making waves in competitive cricket as a 19-year-old, Umesh Yadav had only started considering a career in the sport.

Nearly a decade and a half later, Southee, a year younger and 366 international wickets ahead of Umesh, is so impressed with his Kolkata Knight Riders teammate's bowling in IPL-15, that the New Zealander is backing him to wear the India jersey again in the shortest format, having last played a T20I more than three years ago.

"I'm a fan of Umesh, he is a tremendous bowler. I was fortunate enough to share the new ball with him a few times when we both played at RCB," Southee said in an interview to PTI.

"The way he's been managed suits Umesh's style of bowling. If he keeps performing the way he's been doing I can't see why he would not do well for India in T20 cricket." Maintaining a great line and length, the 34-year-old Umesh has been very effective for KKR this season, giving crucial breakthroughs in the powerplays. He has taken 10 wickets from five matches so far, at an economy of 6.60 while bowling the highest number of dot balls (62).

His scalps include those of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma inside the powerplay, while against Punjab Kings, he delivered a magical double-wicket maiden in the middle overs to skittle them out for 137.

In the auction, Umesh was bought by KKR at his base price or Rs 2 crore.

Credit goes to KKR think tank ================== Giving credit to the team's think tank for bringing the best out of Umesh, the 33-year-old Kiwi said the side has benefitted from it.

"The way the KKR has used him has been outstanding. (Head coach) Brendon (McCullum) and (captain) Shreyas (Iyer) have used him obviously as an attacking weapon with the new ball, maximising his strengths with the new ball and coming back in the middle overs to try and pick up wickets make the phase a bit easier.

"He's had a strong start to the tournament. To open the bowling with some of the great bowlers, and someone who you don't usually get to deal with, that's the beauty of this tournament. you are able to open the bowling with the very fine Indian fast bowler." With premier Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins leading the pace attack, and Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy handling the spin department, KKR have their bases covered in the bowling department, Southee said.

"It's really exciting. You look at the experience and the pace that the three have and then we throw in the exciting talents of the young Indian bowlers who we have in our side.

"On top of that you have got two of the great mystery spinners of the game so I think as a bowling attack that covers all the bases.

"It's great to be a part of such a great lineup. You got the experience of Sunil Narine, Pat and Umesh and then throw in some exciting young Indian talents, it's great to be around." Impressed with young pace duo ==================== Southee also praised the young pace duo of Rasikh Salam and Ashok Sharma.

The 22-year-old Kashmir pacer, Rasikh made his debut for the franchise against his former team Mumbai Indians and was tidy against the explosive duo of Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan, returning with figures of 0/18 from his three overs.

"Rasikh Salam who played his first game the other day is just a very skilful bowler and can swing the ball both ways. Then there's Ashok (Sharma).

"It's always an eye-opener when you come to India and see these young Indian talented guys. They are asking some tough questions which are great to see," Southee concluded.

Also Read : Mumbai Indians opt to field against Punjab Kings, Tymal Mills back in playing XI

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Winless Mumbai Indians take on the mighty Punjab Kings as the men from Mumbai will look to get their season back on track. MI are building a team for the future as players like Tilak Verma and Dewald Brevis are just 18 and are already facing the best bowlers in the world. It will take time but for them they need to take it one match at a time and hopefully get a victory which can kick start their season.

For MI, Rohit Sharma is on the verge of making history, he is 25 runs short of reaching 10,000 runs in T20 cricket. He will be the second Indian after Virat Kohli and seventh overall player to reach the landmark. However, Rohit Sharma is going through his worst phase of form in his MI career as he is enduring his second-longest run without an IPL fifty (12 innings) since moving to Mumbai in 2011. MI’s bowling over the years have been their strong suit but this season there bowlers have been all over the place, not bowling the correct line and length as there is too much pressure on Jasprit Bumrah to take wickets. With plenty of right-handed batters in the PBKS set-up, there could be a case to bring in Fabian Allen to partner alongside Murugan Ashwin and go with two proper spinners in the team.

PBKS will still have nightmares over their last ball defeat against the Gujarat Titans as Mayank Agarwal and co will hope for a different outcome. The Mayank Agarwal-led side have had their fair share of moments of brilliance and faltered with equal ease, not too different from their performances in the past season. Most of their worries have come in the bowling department as the bowlers as a collective unit are not clicking. Kagiso Rabada is the leader in the bowling department but he too has been sub par this season, Odeon Smith on the other hand has been exceptional with the bat but in terms of bowling he's been hit all around the park. The PBKS management might look to drop Smith and play an unknown quality in Benny Howell. With four right handers in the top six, Rahul Chahar becomes a key figure in the line as he could come in handy in the middle overs. PBKS hopes will again rest on Liam Livingstone who is currently in the form of his life. 

Pitch and weather report:  The weather is expected to be slightly hot as the temperature is going to hover around 30 degrees Celsius with low humidity, which could mean that dew shouldn't play as big a role. The Pune pitch has been a high scoring venue but slower ballers get assistance from the pitch because the pitch is a two paced wicket.

Interesting facts:

• Mumbai and Kings have the worst economy rates in the IPL conceding 9.41 and 9.13 rpo
• Since IPL 2017, Kieron Pollard has the highest strike rate (219) and the second-highest average (100.70) against the kings
• Kings have a run rate (10) in the powerplay and have only been scoring at 10.57 per over in the backend overs, which is the third-worst out of all teams.
• Shikhar Dhawan is 89 runs away from completing 6000 runs in IPL 
• Ishan Kishan will make his 50th appearance for MI
• Pollard is 4 catches away from becoming the second man after Suresh Raina to take 100 catches in the IPL

Also read: CSK bounce from 4 consecutive defeats with a win against RCB

Probable XI for MI:

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

Probable XI for PBKS:

1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Mayank Agarwal (capt), 3 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Jitesh Sharma, 6 Shahrukh Khan, 7 Odean Smith/Benny Howell, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Rahul Chahar, 10 Vaibhav Arora, 11 Arshdeep Singh
 

(Football news) After 4 consecutive defeats Chennai Super Kings bounced back with an incredible 23 run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore. Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to bat first before announcing two changes as Suyash Prabhudesai and Josh Hazelwood replaced David Willey and Harshal Patel while CSK were unchanged.

Batting first, CSK got a mammoth total of 216 in their 20 overs. The 165 run partnership between Robin Uthappa and Shivam Dube was absolutely mesmerizing to watch. Uthappa scored 88 off 50, hitting 4 fours and 9 sixes while Dube scored an unbeaten 95 off 46 including 5 boundaries and 8 maximums. The pair displayed some brilliant hitting especially against the RCB spinners. Wanindu Hasaranga picked up two wickets while Josh Hazelwood got a scalp. RCB replaced a pure bowler with a batter which cost them dearly. Dube is in terrific form this season and is proving to be a bargain buy. Robin Uthappa with all his experience could be key in turning CSK's fortune around. Ruturaj Gaikwad finally got a start even though it was just 17 runs. He played a couple good shots and could build on that in the coming matches.

Faf du Plessis, Anuj Rawat and Virat Kohli were dismissed very cheaply. Glenn Maxwell, Suyash Prabhudesai, Shabaz Ahmed and Dinesh Karthik played good cameos but couldn't convert them into big innings. Mahesh Theekshana took 4 wickets for 34 runs and stamped CSK's authority on the game. Skipper Ravindra Jadeja also bowled well as he finished with the figures of 3/39. The all-rounder picked up crucial wickets when partnerships were building. Mukesh Choudhary and Dwayne Bravo chipped in with a wicket each as RCB finished the innings at 193/9. The win pretty much keeps CSK in the contest as they have finally opened their account.

Also read: Batters have stopped taking risks against me: Rashid Khan

Navi Mumbai, Apr 12 (Cricket News) Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa's scintillating strokeplay was complemented by a stellar performance from the spinners as Chennai Super Kings notched up a 23-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore to open their account in the 15th IPL here on Tuesday.

Invited to bat, Dube (95 not out) and Uthappa (88 off 50 balls) conjured up commanding unbeaten half-centuries, smashing 17 sixes and 9 fours between them en route to a 165-run stand -- the overall highest for the third wicket and the highest of this season -- to take CSK to an imposing 216 for 4.

In reply, RCB was restricted to 193 for nine, with young spinner Maheesh Theekshana (4/33) and skipper Ravindra Jadeja (3/39) running riot with seven wickets between them in CSK's 200th IPL game.

With this win, the defending champions finally snapped their four match losing streak, while for Bangalore, it was just their second loss in five matches.

Chasing an improbable 217, RCB lost skipper Faf du Plessis (8), who became Theekshana's first victim and star-batter Virat Kohli (1), who was removed by Mukesh Choudhary, inside the first five overs.

In-form Anuj Rawat (12) too fell inside the power-play after being trapped in front of the wicket by Theekshana.

The 21-year-old spinner from Sri Lanka, who was picked for Rs 70 lakh in the mega auction, then cleaned up debutant Suyash Prabhudessai (34) and Shahbaz Ahmed (41), who tried to take the game deep with their quick 60-run stand off 33 balls.

Theekshana castled Prabhudessai, after the ball beat the inside edge and crashed into the middle stump and then used the carrom ball to dismiss Ahmed and cap off a match-winning spell under the lights.

Dinesh Karthik did create a scare with his 14-ball 34, but that was too little and too late as CSK heaved a sigh of relief with their first points on the board.

At the start, Dube and Uthappa feasted on the RCB attack, smashing scintillating half-centuries.

Earlier, invited to bat, Uthappa and Dube showed their six hitting prowess as they rallied the innings after CSK was reeling at 36 for 2.

While Uthappa's knock was studded with nine sixes and four boundaries, Dube also hit eight sixes and five fours in his unbeaten 46-ball knock.

Both Dube and Uthappa posted their highest IPL scores to set up the match for defending champions CSK, who are reeling from four straight losses and are still looking for their first win this season.

Uthappa took time to settle and fetched his first boundary only in the fifth over, a cut shot off Mohammed Siraj (0/37), before clobbering Akash Deep (0/58) for his first maximum in the next over.

Uthappa and Dube then upped the ante as they hammered a boundary each off Deep and then the lanky left-handed batter launched into Glenn Maxwell (0/29) for his first six over long-on.

The carnage started from the 11th over as the duo went hammer and tongs and CSK cruised to 133 for 2 in the 15th over, with 73 runs coming in the five overs.

Dube was brutal on Wanindu Hasaranga (2/35), who bled 13 runs, in the 11th over.

Uthappa and Dube spared no bowler with the former striking three sixes off Maxwell in the 13th over as CSK amassed 19 runs.

Continuing the onslaught, the duo punished Deep in the 15th over, as it was raining boundaries and sixes here.

Uthappa stepped up the attack after his fifty and launched into Siraj, hitting him for two sixes and a four in the 17th over, where 18 runs came.

Deep again faced Dube's brunt, conceding two sixes and a boundary in the 18th over, as 200 looked imminent. Deep bled 24 runs in the 18th over.

Uthappa missed a deserving hundred as he fell in the penultimate over which yielded 14 runs and then Dube compounded the bowling team's woes by hitting two sixes in the final over to finish the innings in style.

CSK lost Ruturaj Gaikwad (17) and Moeen Ali (3) cheaply. But then it was the Uthappa and Dube show.

RCB badly missed the services of Harshal Patel, who had left the bio-bubble following the death of his sister on Saturday.

The RCB players wore black armbands in the match to show solidarity with Patel and his family. 

Also Read : RCB opt to bowl against CSK; Hazlewood, rookie Suyash inducted in playing XI

News Source : PTI

Navi Mumbai, Apr 12 (Cricket News) Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Faf du Plessis won the toss and opted to field against Chennai Super Kings in an IPL match on Tuesday.

CSK fielded an unchanged side, while Suyash Prabhudesai makes his IPL debut in place of Harshal Patel for RCB, who also brought in Josh Hazlewood in place of England speedster David Willey.

Teams: Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis(c), Anuj Rawat, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik(w), Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj, Suyash Prabhudessai, Akash Deep Chennai Super Kings: Ravindra Jadeja(c), Robin Uthappa, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni(w), Dwayne Bravo, Chris Jordan, Maheesh Theekshana, Mukesh Choudhary. 

Also Read : Batters have stopped taking risks against me: Rashid Khan

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Royal Challengers Bangalore are on roll this season, having won three matches in a row and have a chance to go to the top of the table. On the other hand, Chennai Super Kings are struggling to find any sort of momentum as Ravindra Jadeja is finding captaincy a tad difficult as they are looking to get that elusive victory which will hopefully kick start their season.

For CSK something needs to click in this year's IPL, last season’s orange cap winner Ruturaj Gaikwad is struggling to find his form this season. For Chennai, the opening partnership hasn't clicked, batting through the middle has been very mediocre, the ability to take wickets in the powerplay is missing and the spinners have lacked wicket-taking edge, so all in all the need of the hour is a collective lift in form. The injury to Deepak Chahar was a big blow to them as they don’t have another experienced fast bowler who can take wickets at regular intervals. The big story line going into the match would be the match-up of Ravindra Jadeja vs Glenn Maxwell who has dismissed him 6 times in 50 deliveries.

RCB will be without Harshal in the game against captain du Plessis' former side, as he left the bubble due to the demise of his sister. It is not known yet when he will return. In order for him to play again he will have to undergo a three-day quarantine. RCB have most of their bases covered as last match even out form Anuj Rawat scored a brilliant 70 runs which helped his side get their third consecutive victory. David Willey early on gives them a favorable match-up against Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is yet to survive past the PowerPlay and has shown susceptibility against left-arm pace. The RCB middle order will play a crucial role when it comes to chasing big totals as all three batsmen (Dinesh Karthik, Glenn Maxwell and Shabaz Ahmed) are in good form. 

Pitch and weather report: DY Patil pitches have been the most unpredictable as we have seen high scoring as well as low encounters in this venue. One thing is a given, that dew will play a major part in the second half of the innings so the trend of winning the toss and bowling first will continue. The temperature is going to hover around 33 degrees with no possibility of rain.

Interesting facts:

• Virat Kohli is 52 runs off getting to 1000 runs against CSK
• Ravindra Jadeja has picked 23 wickets in 28 matches against RCB
• In the absence of Deepak Chahar, CSK have managed to pick just one PowerPlay this season
• Moeen has been dismissed twice by Glenn Maxwell  in four innings and averages just 5.5 against him with a strike rate of 73.
• Dhoni has scored 51 off the 28 balls against Mohammed Siraj and is yet to be dismissed by the pacer.
• Dinesh Karthik has a strike rate of 155 and 159 against Dwayne Bravo and Jadeja but he has been dismissed three times each by them

Also read: Williamson and bowlers guide SRH to comfortable victory over GT

Probable XI for CSK:

1 Robin Uthappa, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Shivam Dube 6 Ravindra Jadeja (capt), 7 MS Dhoni (wk), 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Dwaine Pretorius 10 Chris Jordan, 11 Mukesh Choudhary/Tushar Deshpande

Probable XI for RCB:

1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Anuj Rawat, 3 Virat Kohli 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Shahbaz Ahmed, 7 David Willey, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Siddarth Kaul, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Akash Deep
 

Navi Mumbai, Apr 11 (Cricket News) Defending champions Chennai Super Kings would need to lift themselves after a nightmarish start to the season and play a "complete" game when they take on a high-flying Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL here on Tuesday.

In words of head coach Stephen Fleming, the team's self-belief is shaken after four losses in a row.

The four-time champions haven't played the cricket they are known for under skipper Ravindra Jadeja, who has not been able to lead from the front.

The seniors in the team including ‘Thala’ Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo need to step up in this crisis situation.

CSK have only posted one 200 plus score so far while scoring sub-par totals in the other three games.

The CSK batters will have to face a potent RCB bowling attack including the likes of spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, David Willey and Mohammed Siraj.

Young Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has had a miserable season so far, will need to step up and deliver and also all-rounders Moeen Ali and Shivam Dube will have to take more responsibility.

Fleming admitted that the side is facing two-fold problems -- unavailability of Deepak Chahar due to injury and and a below-par show in all departments.

"There has been issues of player availability and we have been pretty much below par in all departments -- batting, bowling and fielding. We have been distant second in all games and we need to improve in all departments - that's pretty much it," Fleming had said summing up his team’s show.

A buoyant RCB, however, are ticking all the boxes.

Opener Anuj Rawat, who hit his maiden IPL fifty, came to the party against Mumbai Indians, while Virat Kohli also got much needed runs.

Skipper Faf Du Plessis can take any attack to cleaners and the top-three too are in good form.

Dinesh Karthik is the firing finisher for RCB and engineer-turned cricketer Shahbaz Ahmed has also impressed with his batting so far.

Apart from veteran Dwayne Bravo, CSK bowlers have been way off the mark.

They need to get the bowling combination right having tried many options.

Another key weak-link is Mukesh Choudhary, who has been leaking runs. Unless CSK find the right combination, RCB would be expected to run away with the game.

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

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj, Faf du Plessis, 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, Siddharth Kaul.

Match starts at 7.30 PM 

Also Read : Ashwin's 'retired out' was a team decision: RR skipper Samson

News Source : PTI