Tag: IPL

  • Royal Challengers rout Punjab Kings to storm into final

    Royal Challengers rout Punjab Kings to storm into final

    Mohali (TIP)- Royal Challengers Bengaluru raced to their first Indian Premier League final since 2016 with an eight-wicket pounding of Punjab Kings in a lopsided Qualifier 1 here on Thursday, May 29. Punjab Kings’ ultra-aggressive approach backfired on the day as RCB skittled out the home team for 101 in 14.1 overs.
    RCB, who are yet to win the IPL despite reaching three finals (2009, 2011, 2016) since the league’s inception in 2008, gunned down the small target in 10 overs courtesy a belligerent fifty from opener Phil Salt (56 not out off 27). With a near perfect performance, RCB marched to the title clash scheduled in Ahmedabad on June 3.
    Punjab Kings, who reached the play-offs for the first time since 2014, will get another shot at reaching the final in Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad on June 1. The home team batters found it difficult to hit through the line but it seemed Salt was batting on a different surface, collecting boundaries for fun.
    He ended up smashing six fours and three sixes including a crisp pull off pacer Arshdeep Singh.
    The match ended prematurely when RCB skipper Rajat Patidar slog swept Musheer Khan for a maximum. Punjab Kings were blown away by RCB but Kyle Jamieson got the home crowd going for a brief period by bowling a stellar wicket maiden that included the wicket of Virat Kohli (12 off 12).
    Number three Mayank Agarwal was left clueless in the same over with Jamieson getting the ball to swing away.
    “We need to go back to the drawing board. We have lost the battle but not the war,” said Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer after a rather heavy loss.
    Earlier, the all-out attack strategy of the Punjab Kings contributed to their downfall after they were put in to bat. Their innings lasted just 14.1 overs. The RCB pace trio of Josh Hazlewood (3/21), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/17) and Yash Dayal (2/26) exploited the conditions well before leg-spinner Suyash Sharma (3/17) made it worse for the opposition.
    Punjab Kings’ steep slide began when in-form opener Priyansh Arya was caught at cover off Dayal as he couldn’t check his drive. His opening partner Prabhsimran Singh (18 off 10) followed him back into the dugout in the following over from Bhuvneshwar.
    Having collected two straight boundaries on the charge, Prabhimsran stepped out for a third swipe but Bhuvneshwar pulled his length back to induced the edge. Captain Shreyas Iyer, who has been central to the team’s success this season, went for a wild slog off Hazlewood on his third ball of the innings but was caught behind. The Australian pacer then sent back his country man Josh Inglis off a rising ball that the former could not control, creating a sense of panic in the dressing room.
    The batters continued to go for their shots to hasten Punjab Kings’s slide. Against leggie Suyash, the likes of Marcus Stoinis (26 off 17) and Shashank Singh went for the slog sweep but could not connect to the googly. Musheer Khan, making an unexpected IPL debut as an impact player with wickets falling in heap, too fell to a sweep off Suyash, who got his googly to turn sharply.
    Having put up a poor effort with the bat, Punjab Kings would take some confidence from their league stage outing against KKR when they defended 111 on a challenging surface here.

  • Parag’s 84, excellent death bowling help RR eke out 12-run win against Delhi

    Parag’s 84, excellent death bowling help RR eke out 12-run win against Delhi

    Jaipur (TIP)- Young Riyan Parag showed why he is considered a precocious talent as he struck a stunning 84 not out off 45 balls to set up a 12-run win for Rajasthan Royals against Delhi Capitals in their IPL match here on March 28. Sent in to bat, RR were reduced to 36/3 in the eighth over but the 22-year-old Parag single-handedly took the home side to 185/5 with a magnificent unbeaten knock studded with seven fours and six sixes. Parag, who was promoted to No. 4 by the team management this season and made 43 in the previous match, took 25 runs off veteran South African pacer Anrich Nortje with scores of 4, 4, 6, 4, 6, 1 in the final over to hit his highest T20 score. Parag shared 54 and 52 runs with Ravichandran Ashwin (29) and Dhruv Jurel (20), respectively, after RR made a shaky start.
    “Riyan Parag has been a big name in the last few years. Wherever I go, people ask me about him. There is something very special he can give to Indian cricket,” RR captain Sanju Samson said. Chasing 186 for a win, DC could only manage 173/5 in 20 overs though South African youngster Tristan Stubbs (44 not out off 23 balls) kept them in the hunt till the final over from which they needed 17 runs. Avesh Khan conceded just four runs to help RR win their second consecutive match. South African pacer Nandre Burger and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took two wickets apiece to also contribute in the RR win.
    “Definitely disappointed. The best thing to do is to learn from it. The bowlers did well through the 15-16 overs. But the batters did well at the death, hopefully we do better in the next game,” DC skipper Rishabh Pant, who scored 28 off 26, said.
    RCB batting coach backs Maxwell
    Bengaluru: Glenn Maxwell has played just six balls across two matches to make three runs in this IPL but Royal Challengers Bengaluru batting coach Neil McKenzie today expected the Australian all-rounder to hit his straps soon. Maxwell fell for a first-ball duck against Chennai Super Kings, while a return to Chinnaswamy Stadium, a favourite hunting place of his, too did not offer any respite as he was dismissed for three against Punjab Kings. “You know, that’s cricket. It’s up and down. It’s only two games. We know with Maxie, he’s going to win us a couple of games. He has made a slower start to the tournament but we know that he’s going to win games for us later on in the tournament,” McKenzie said on the eve of RCB’s game against Kolkata Knight Riders.

  • Pant fit to keep wickets in IPL, Shami ruled out

    Pant fit to keep wickets in IPL, Shami ruled out

    NEW DELHI (TIP)- Rishabh Pant has been cleared to keep wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) beginning next month but pace bowler Mohammed Shami will miss the T20 tournament following heel surgery, the country’s cricket board (BCCI) has said. India wicketkeeper Pant was involved in a near-fatal car crash in December 2022 that required him to undergo multiple surgeries and kept him out of the 50-over World Cup on home soil last year.
    The Delhi Capitals’ captain was initially expected to play purely as a batter in the 10-team IPL, which begins in Chennai on March 22. “After undergoing an extensive 14-month rehab and recovery process … Rishabh Pant has now been declared fit as a wicketkeeper-batter for the upcoming IPL 2024,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a statement.
    A strong showing in the IPL could earn the 26-year-old a place in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup in June. Shami, who missed India’s recent home series against England and underwent surgery, is a doubt for the World Cup. He is not expected to be back before September this year. “The fast bowler successfully underwent surgery on February 26th, 2024, for his right heel problem. He is currently being monitored by the BCCI medical team and is ruled out of the upcoming IPL 2024,” the BCCI statement read. Fellow seam bowler Prasidh Krishna has also been ruled out of the IPL with a quadriceps tendon injury.
    There is, however, no update on KL Rahul, who hasn’t played since the first Test against England in January.
    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla expressed happiness at star Indian player Rishabh Pant being declared fit to play as a wicketkeeper-batter in Indian Premier League (IPL) starting from March 22 and expressed hope that the attacking left-hander will perform well.
    Shukla said, “Rishabh Pant has been declared fit for batting and wicketkeeping. He was injured in an accident. BCCI provided all possible help to him and now he is coming back on the ground. It is a matter of happiness for us since he is a great player. We hope he will perform very well in the future. The selectors will take a call on the T20 World Cup team and Rishabh’s place in it, as of now he is fit for IPL and we are happy about it.”
    BCCI took to their official X account and stated that after taking part in an extensive 14-month recovery process Pant has been given the green signal to take part in IPL 2024.
    “After undergoing an extensive 14-month rehab and recovery process, following a life-threatening road mishap on December 30, 2022, @RishabhPant17 has now been declared fit as a wicketkeeper batter for the upcoming #TATA@IPL 2024,” BCCI wrote.

  • Hardik Pandya replaces Rohit Sharma as MI captain, franchise loses 400k followers in 1 hour

    Hardik Pandya replaces Rohit Sharma as MI captain, franchise loses 400k followers in 1 hour

    Mumbai (TIP)- Mumbai Indians lost 400,000 followers on Twitter an hour within an hour of announcing Hardik Pandya as their new captain ahead of the Indian Premier League 2024 season. Pandya was announced as the new captain of the side on December 15. The former Gujarat Titans captain would be taking over from legendary Rohit Sharma, who has five IPL titles to his name.
    Sharma had been at the helm of Mumbai Indians since 2013 and won a record number of titles – 5, which was equaled by Mahendra Singh Dhon in IPL 2023. Sharma, who has not played T20Is for India since 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final loss against India will not be leading his franchise from IPL 2024. The India captain took a break from cricket after India’s heartbreaking loss in the final of World Cup 2023 and is set to return in the 2-match Test series against South Africa, which starts on 26 December.
    “It is part of legacy building and staying true to the MI philosophy of being future-ready. Mumbai Indians have always been blessed with exceptional leadership right from Sachin to Harbhajan and Ricky to Rohit, who while contributing to the immediate success have always had an eye on strengthening the team for the future. It is in keeping with this philosophy that Hardik Pandya will assume captaincy of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season,” Mahela Jayawardene, Global Head of Performance, Mumbai Indians said.
    Hardik Pandya, who debuted in the IPL for Mumbai Indians returns to the franchise after 2 years of captaining Gujarat Titans. Pandya led Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in their debut season, where they beat Rajasthan Royals in the final of IPL 2022. Hardik Pandya was named the player of the match in the final, after he picked up 3 wickets and scored 34 runs. Pandya did well with the franchise in 2023 as well, leading them to the final, where they lost to MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings in a last-ball thriller.

  • Yashasvi Jaiswal scripts history, slams fastest half-century in IPL

    Yashasvi Jaiswal scripts history, slams fastest half-century in IPL

    Kolkata- Rajasthan Royals (RR) explosive batter Yashasvi Jaiswal on Thursday produced an exhibition in power-hitting to script history, becoming the first player to slam the fastest half-century in Indian Premier League (IPL).
    Jaiswal achieved this feat in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. Jaiswal slammed the half-century in just 13 balls to script his incredible milestone to his name. KL Rahul (14), Pat Cummins (14), Yusuf Pathan (15) and Sunil Narine (15) are the other three players to have achieved the milestone.
    The milestone was previously held by KL Rahul and Pat Cummins who had scored a 50 in 14 balls. Yusuf Pathan was third on the list with a 50 in 15 balls.
    Coming to the match, Jaiswal started the run chase for the RR with a flying start as he single-handedly slammed Nitish Rana for 26 runs in the first over of the innings. Earlier in the match, Yuzvendra Chahal delivered a fine performance to bag four wickets, conceding just 25 runs in his 4 overs spell. Chahal and Trent Boult’s blistering spells helped Rajasthan Royals (RR) restrict Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to 149/8 in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match here at Eden Gardens on Thursday.
    On a day KKR’s batters struggled to time the ball, the 21-year-old Jaiswal showed the way by bringing up fastest fifty in the history of the IPL in just 13 balls, bettering the previous record held by KL Rahul and Pat Cummins (14 balls each). Jaiswal remained two runs shy of a century (98 not out from 47 balls), a knock studded with 12 fours and five sixes as RR cantered to victory 13.1 overs. Samson gave fine support to the southpaw (48 not out from 29 balls) as the duo shared an unbroken match-winning partnership of 121 runs off just 69 balls.

  • IPL 2023 : KKR keep themselves in the hunt as SRH’s fortunes dip

    IPL 2023 : KKR keep themselves in the hunt as SRH’s fortunes dip

    Hyderabad (TIP)– The self-destructing batters let Sunrisers Hyderabad down again to hand Kolkata Knight Riders a much-needed five-run win in the IPL here on May 4.
    Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh came up with a fruitful 61-run partnership to help Kolkata post 171/9 and then their bowlers, especially Shardul Thakur (2/23) and Vaibhav Arora (2/32), helped the two-time IPL champions limit Hyderabad to 166/8 in 20 overs.
    Varun Chakravarthy bowled a brilliant last over to eke out a win for his team.
    Kolkata earned their fourth victory of the season and are now on eight points, while Hyderabad, who remained stranded on six points, suffered a huge blow to their chances of making the playoffs. It was a hard-fought for Kolkata, given that Hyderabad’s South African pair of skipper Aiden Markram (41 off 40 balls) and Heinrich Klaasen (36 off 20 balls) had at one point looked to take the match away with their 70-run partnership.
    Brief scores: KKR: 171/9 in 20 overs (Rinku 46, Rana 42; Jansen 2/24); SRH: 166/8 in 20 overs (Markram 41; Thakur 2/23).
    Top spot at stake as RR take on GT
    Jaipur: Gujarat Titans will be eager to better their underwhelming batting display when they take on an inconsistent Rajasthan Royals in the IPL here tomorrow. Both teams are coming off losses and will look to get back to winning ways. Gujarat are perched atop the points table with 12 points despite their five-run loss to Delhi Capitals, while Rajasthan are fourth with 10 points. The Sanju Samson-led side has ample talent but has been unable to hold on to their winning run recently. They have lost three games and won as many in their last six fixtures. In their last match against Mumbai Indians, their bowling department failed to defend 212. Pace spearhead Trent Boult, all-rounder Jason Holder, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Sen all bled runs. However, Rajasthan can take some solace from the fact that they emerged victorious earlier in the season against Gujarat. Source: PTI

  • IPL: All-round show helps KKR thrash RCB by 81 runs

    IPL: All-round show helps KKR thrash RCB by 81 runs

    KOLKATA (TIP)- Shardul Thakur smashed a counter-attacking half-century before the spinners played their part to perfection as Kolkata Knight Riders made a memorable homecoming with an 81-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL here on Thursday, April 6. KKR found themselves tottering for 89/5 before Thakur led a superb recovery with his 29-ball 68 to power his team to 204/7 after RCB opted to bowl.

    Coming in at No 7, Thakur hammered the joint-fastest fifty of the season off 20 balls and shared an entertaining 103-run wicket partnership off 47 balls with Rinku Singh (46 off 33).

    In reply, RCB failed to last the distance and folded up for 123 in 17.4 overs with the trio of Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine and debutant Suyash Sharma sharing eight wickets between themselves. It was KKR’s first win of the season. Thakur also took one wicket in his all-round show in KKR’s first home match after almost four years.

    RCB were going great guns at 44 no loss in 25 balls in pursuit of the big chase before the Sunil Narine triggered the collapse, foxing Virat Kohli (21; 18b) with a beauty in his 150th IPL match. Chakravarthy then gave a double blow dismissing Glenn Maxwell (5) and Harshal Patel (0) in three balls before ending with splendid figures of 3.4-0-15-4. Thereafter, it was 19-year-old leg-spinner Suyash Sharma (4-0-30-3) who made a dream debut after being included as an impact player in place of Venkatesh Iyer.

    The long-haired mystery spinner got two wickets in one over to have KKR reeling at 86/8.

    Suyash got his maiden wicket when he deceived Anju Rawat (1) with a tossed up delivery and in space of three balls, he grabbed the prized-scalp of Dinesh Karthik (9) with a fuller delivery. Fresh from his 82 not out against Mumbai Indians, Kohli teed off in style, scoring a boundary off the first ball of the innings against Umesh Yadav.

    At 42 for no loss, the RCB opening duo looked set for another easy chase when Narine triggered the collapse, cleaning up Kohli with a beauty. The star Indian completely missed the line as the ball sharply turned in to knock his stumps. Earlier, David Willey (4-1-16-2) and Karn Sharma (3-0-26-2) took wickets off successive deliveries in powerplay and middle overs respectively to give RCB the initial edge.

    But RCB frittered away the start with Rahmanullah Gurbaz first taking the charge against a wayward Akash Deep en route to his 44-ball 57, his maiden IPL fifty. It turned from bad to worse for KKR when a reverse-sweeping Nitish Rana (1) got out following a good review from RCB in the very first ball after powerplay.

    KKR looked in trouble at 47/3 but Gurbaz led the charge against the ‘local’ Bengal pacer Akash Deep, pulling him for a six before collecting back-to-back boundaries.

  • Gujarat Titans complete dream debut with IPL title

    Gujarat Titans complete dream debut with IPL title

    Ahmedabad (TIP)- Nobody gave them a chance but Gujarat Titans, bucking all pre-tournament predictions, surprised everyone by lifting the Indian Premier League title in a dream maiden season after a seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in the final here on May 29. Gujarat’s highly-rated bowling attack, led by skipper Hardik Pandya (3/17) himself, limited a formidable Rajasthan Royals batting unit to 130 for nine after losing the toss.
    Shubman Gill and David Miller remained unbeaten on 45 and 32, respectively, to complete an emphatic win for their team. It should have been a comfortable chase but Rajasthan bowled their hearts out to make it an interesting final. As they showed all season, Gujarat remained calm in tough situations to finish the chase in 18.1 overs.
    Not many gave Gujarat a chance in their first season especially after a mixed auction where they waited till the end to secure the services of wicketkeepers Wriddhiman Saha and Matthew Wade.
    It was not a team studded with star players but Hardik impressed with his leadership and got the best out of his colleagues. His performance with bat and ball also contributed immensely to the team’s triumph besides the ability to bounce back from any situation through the brilliance of Miller and Rahul Tewatia. After posting an underwhelming total, Rajasthan had to produce a special effort with the ball to get back in the game.
    The pace duo of Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna were brilliant in the powerplay, reducing Gujarat to 31 for two with Wriddhiman Saha (5) and Matthew Wade (8) back in the dugout.
    Krishna got one to seam back in from good length to breach Saha’s defence and crash into the stumps.
    Boult, who also bowled a maiden over in his tidy spell, removed Wade. Gujarat would have been three down in the powerplay if Yuzvendra Chahal held on to a simple catch of Gill off Boult in the first over of the innings.
    Hardik and Gill struggled to get the boundaries but never felt extreme pressure as the asking rate remained very much in control. R Ashwin was introduced in the 12th over and Hardik (34 off 30) decided to go after him, collecting a four and six off successive balls to bring up the 50-run stand with Gill and take Gujarat to 77 for two in 12 overs. The skipper fell to a brilliant leg break from Chahal but Gill and Miller got the job done in the end. The entire stadium, housing more than a lakh people, erupted when Gill hit the winning six. Source: PTI

  • IPL: Patidar’s 112 not out guides RCB to 14-run win over LSG

    IPL: Patidar’s 112 not out guides RCB to 14-run win over LSG

    Kolkata  (TIP)- Rajat Patidar owned the big stage with a magnificent hundred as Royal Challengers Bangalore beat debutants Lucknow Super Giants by 14 runs in the IPL Eliminator here on Wednesday, May 25.

    RCB will now take on Rajasthan Royals, losers of first qualifiers, in qualifier 2, while Lucknow’s journey ended following the defeat here. Invited to bat, Patidar, the 28-year-old from Madhya Pradesh, produced an innings for the ages as he towered over his more illustrious colleagues with an unbeaten 54-ball 112-run knock that had as many as 12 fours and 7 maximums to power RCB to a huge 207 for 4.

    In reply, skipper KL Rahul slammed a 58-ball 79 to keep Lucknow in the hunt but Josh Hazlewood (3/43) dealt a twin blow in the penultimate over as LSG finished at 193 for 6.

    Gujarat Titans skipper Pandya hails ‘match-winner’ Miller after reaching final

    Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya said David Miller’s quality was never in doubt after the South African powered them to the Indian Premier League final in their debut season with victory against the Rajasthan Royals on Tuesda, May 24. Miller struck a blistering 38-ball 68 and shared an unbeaten 106-run stand with Pandya (40) to help Gujarat chase down a formidable 189 with seven wickets in hand.

    “A lot of people counted David Miller out but for us he was always a match-winner from the time we bought him at the auction,” said Pandya.

    “What he did today we always expected from him. But for us it was important to give him the importance, give him that love and give him the clarity as to what we expect from him.” Miller, who managed just 124 runs from nine games for Rajasthan last season, smashed three successive sixes off Prasidh Krishna in the final over to seal the match in style and send Gujarat to the final on their home ground in Ahmedabad.

    “I am generally proud of the way he has lifted his game,” said Pandya, adding that he was proud to play with Miller.

              Source: Agencies

  • IPL: Punjab Kings demolish RCB by 54 runs

    IPL: Punjab Kings demolish RCB by 54 runs

    Mumbai  (TIP)- Punjab Kings buried Royal Challengers Bangalore under a deluge of runs as they kept their playoff hopes alive with 54-run victory, riding on superb half-centuries from Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone in an IPL match here on May 13. 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.    Source: PTI

  • IPL 2022- De Kock shines as Lucknow Super Giants beat Delhi Capitals by six wickets

    IPL 2022- De Kock shines as Lucknow Super Giants beat Delhi Capitals by six wickets

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

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

    De Kock was at his destructive best as he shared a 73-run stand with opening partner Rahul (24 off 25). After Rahul’s fall, his team needed 76 off the last 10 overs. De Kock, who hit nine fours and two sixes, put the team on the cusp of victory with his second 50-plus score of the tournament.

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

    David Warner (4 off 12), returning to the franchise where he made his IPL debut back in 2009, struggled in his first innings of the season. Brief scores: Delhi Capitals: 149/3 (Shaw 61, Pant 39*, Khan 36*; Bishnoi 2/22); Lucknow Super Giants: 155/4 in 19.4 overs (de Kock 80; Kuldeep 2/31).

    Nortje hurls himself out

    A target of 150 amid dew was going to need a miracle or a meltdown to defend, but DC did put in a few quiet overs at the start. On came their retained speedster Anrich Nortje for his first match in five months since the T20 World Cup, and Quinton de Kock burst to life against his compatriot.

    A slap past extra cover followed by two lovely straight drives and topped up by a pick-up six produced a 19-run over, and LSG were on their way.

    By the time Nortje came back in the 14th, de Kock had gone past fifty and the ball was wet. Nortje ripped two beamers in two overs, one each at de Kock and Deepak Hooda. The first one was fended for six over short third man, the second one took Nortje out of the attack. Kuldeep Yadav came on to finish Nortje’s over, and after copping a couple of fours, succeeded in luring de Kock to step out and slice a heave to short third man on 80 off 52.

    Different game after QDK

    Like with DC in the wake of Shaw, LSG lost steam after de Kock’s departure. Even with a mere 28 needed off 24 balls, the re-minted pairing of Krunal Pandya and Hooda struggled against the changes of pace and full lengths of Shardul Thakur and Mustafizur Rahman for a couple of overs.

  • Australian cricket legend Shane Warne passes away at 52

    Australian cricket legend Shane Warne passes away at 52

    NEW YORK (TIP): Australia’s legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne passed away in the early hours of Saturday in Koh Samui, Thailand, according to Fox News. He was 52. The report said, “Shane was found unresponsive in his villa and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be revived.” “The family requests privacy at this time and will provide further details in due course,” the statement added.

    Shane Warne’s international career spanned 15 years and saw him take 708 Test wickets – No. 2 in the list of Test wicket-takers.

    An iconic name in international cricket, Warne, since making his debut in 1992, played 145 Tests for Australia, picking up 708 wickets with his leg-spin. In his 194 ODI appearances, Warne snared 293 scalps.

    Warne, who made his Test debut against India at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground, was named as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Century for his unparalleled achievements in a 15-year career between 1992 and 2007.

    In 2013, he was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. He helped Australia win the World Cup in 1999 and took more wickets than any other bowler in Ashes cricket, the tally standing at 195. He later played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and other Twenty20 competitions before retiring from all international cricket in 2013 but continued to be involved in the game as a broadcaster.

    A flamboyant personality both on and off the field, Warne also found success as a commentator and was considered among the sharpest analysts of the game. Warne has passed away on a day when Australian cricket was in mourning after the death of watchkeeping legend Rod Marsh. Warne  had condoled Marsh’s  demise in a tweet this morning. “Sad to hear the news that Rod Marsh has passed. He was a legend of our great game & an inspiration to so many young boys & girls. Rod cared deeply about cricket & gave so much-especially to Australia & England players. Sending lots & lots of love to Ros & the family. RIP mate,” Warne  had posted.

    (With inputs from PTI)

  • IPL to start on March 26, only 40% crowd to be allowed in Maharashtra stadiums

    IPL to start on March 26, only 40% crowd to be allowed in Maharashtra stadiums

    The 10-team Indian Premier League will start in Mumbai on March 26 and end on May 29 with around 40 percent crowd being allowed at the start of the tournament. “The IPL will start on Saturday, March 26,” IPL chairman Brijesh Patel told PTI after the governing council meeting on Thursday, Feb 24.

    With two new teams Lucknow Super giants and Gujarat Titans added to the roster, there will be 74 matches that will be played at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium and Brabourne Stadium along with Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil ground and Gahunje Stadium in Pune.

    “Spectators will be allowed as per guidelines set by the Maharashtra government and to start with, it will be 40 percent. If the Covid situation remains under control and cases decline, it might be full house at the business end,” a source said.

    There has been no decision with regards to play-offs but Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium is likely to host the final.                 Source: PTI

  • Future uncertain as postponed IPL seeks a window

    It was supposed to be an IPL that would fetch BCCI bigger sponsorships than ever before, beating the virulence of the virus and the pessimism surrounding it. In 2020, when IPL went to the UAE, the cricket board had lost title sponsors Vivo, filled the slot with value halved, barely retained three official partners and had to make do with an approximate sponsorship of R400 crore. This year, Vivo was back, BCCI had five official partners and was expected to make a record R700 crore plus from sponsorships. Add the massive R3,270 crore annual broadcast deal and this was to be a bumper IPL despite the pandemic.

    But with the virus creeping inside the IPL bio-bubble and the season postponed midway, there is a fear now that almost half of the R4,000 crore BCCI would have made may never come into its kitty. The franchises that share 40 % of these proceeds will take a proportionate hit, and player salaries will be halved.

    Unless the Indian board finds an alternative window this year. “We will take a call later if we can find a window to complete IPL,” is all its chairman Brijesh Patel said, a day after the league was put off after more positives.

    Finding another three weeks to complete the league in a year India hosts the T20 World Cup would be much tougher. With boards still figuring out ways to stage cricket by creating bio-bubbles, IPL had emerged the most lucrative property for players looking to make up losses from the absence of cricket. Once the T20 World Cup was postponed, every cricket board made way.

                    Source: HT

  • Shikhar Dhawan takes back Orange Cap, Prithvi Shaw rises to third position

    Shikhar Dhawan takes back Orange Cap, Prithvi Shaw rises to third position

    Shikhar Dhawan returned to the top of the Orange Cap table after scoring 46 in Delhi Capitals’ (DC) seven-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Dhawan took 47 balls to score his 46 but played the perfect foil to his opening partner Prithvi Shaw, who scored 82 off 41 balls. The pair shared an opening partnership of 132 runs in 14 overs, putting DC in control in their chase of a target of  155. Dhawan’s tally for the season stands at 311 while second-placed Faf du Plessis of Chennai Super Kings is on 270. Shaw, meanwhile, entered the top three of the Orange Cap standings, with his total run tally of 270 putting him one run ahead of Punjab Kings captain KL Rahul.

  • Weekly Horoscope (November 9 – November 15, 2020)

    Shree Ganeshaya Namah

    Contact at +918141234275 for all kinds of astrological queries

    Aries: Ganesha says let me start with a quote that is relevant in this
    context. ‘We cannot solve all our problems with the same thinking we
    used when we created them,’ said Albert Einstein. You have created
    several problems for yourself by thinking in circles. Now you are
    trying to get out of the spot with the same reasoning. It won’t work.
    You will have to reinvent yourself and look for out-of-the-box
    solutions.
    Taurus: You realize that you have to get down to the hard slog, and
    this period grounds you. You have the knowledge. Now you tweak it with
    some imagination and get about solving your problems. There is money
    to be made, and work calls. There is a lot pending, and deadlines loom
    large. There are altercations, temper tantrums and mood swings. But
    you get through all the mundane challenges of life and strike it rich.
    Ganesha holds your hand.

    Gemini: There is fire in your belly with the force pushing you. You
    are a different person now. You see a goal and you go all out to get
    there. You realize this and there is no stopping you. You bushwhack
    the opposition and steam ahead like an Indian locomotive from the
    Perambur coach factory. There are ego drives, passions, and hard work.
    You impress with your drive, determination and daredevilry. Ganesha is
    thrilled.

    Cancer: You started in a torpor, undid all the rust around you, and
    then screeched ahead of the opposition. You had a late start, but then
    caught up with the opposition and left them behind by a distance. You
    scorch the tarmac and end up trumps. You follow the advice of Steve
    Jobs in an address to Stanford University: ‘Don’t be trapped by dogma
    – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.

    Leo: You are moving powerfully ahead, and secretly too. You have a
    point to prove and nothing will stop you. You take short cuts and may
    be tempted to use unethical methods to get to your goals. You believe
    that the end justifies the means. There could be brushes with the law
    and unwarranted altercations. Passions touch raw heights. There could
    be several dalliances of the flesh and the heart.

    Virgo: This is a trying period. You come up against several roadblocks
    and challenges. You widen your social circle and meet up with people
    you would not normally associate with in the everyday run of life.
    There are maudlin moments too, and you take a back seat and watch the
    world go by. Your go searching for a guru, look for salvation in
    mantra, tantra and yantra and spend time in old-age homes or looking
    after street children or even stray animals.

    Libra: You are steadfast, and zooming ahead. You like the fragrance of
    greenbacks and succumb to its lure. There are money and honey, awards
    and accolades. Those in jobs get promotions and new perks. Freelancers
    widen their base. There is success and you are pleased. You prepare a
    nest egg for the family. There is also new love. Those in committed
    relationships bond ethereally. Singles play the field. Ganesha
    watches.

    Scorpio: You are on steady ground and power away. You are like a
    batsman in the slog overs of the IPL simply feasting on the bowling,
    even if it is the best attach in the world. On the work front, you go
    through all details and job descriptions with a magnifying glass. You
    cannot be conned. In cricketing terms, you cannot be stumped. Family
    life is steady and children bring joy. You have found firm ground and
    do your best to hold on to it. Ganesha is happy.

    Sagittarius: You are turbo-charged and powering away. There is fire in
    your belly. There could be international travel. You make money but
    also spend it with consummate ease. There are several affairs of the
    heart but you are simply unable to hold on to one, for a variety of
    reasons. You know that you have the same number of hours per day that
    Leonardo da Vince, Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein and others who
    made a success of their lives had.

    Capricorn: ‘Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes
    character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving,’ said
    Dale Carnegie. You are in an emotional phase. You take to the arts,
    take time off and visit art galleries, amusement parks, or go for a
    long walk through the woods. You want to get away from it all and come
    back refreshed and rejuvenated. The rat race is getting to you.

    Aquarius: Your mind is everywhere. It doesn’t lodge itself in one
    house; it occupies them all. You could be networking furiously. You
    ensure that there are food and fire for the mind, but, I am afraid, in
    the mood you are in, the body may be neglected. There are maudlin
    moments and you may escape in indulgences. Money slips through your
    fingers, along with old friendships. New vistas open up and you are
    reinvented.

    Pisces: Your mind is still the knave. It is the joker in the pack of
    cards. It is a drunken monkey short-circuiting your best intentions.
    Often, the influences of period can spill over to the next. Your mind
    wanders like a puppy that has lost its leash. You are in the swamp,
    neck-deep in the boggy mud. Faced with unfamiliar terrain, you get
    into a shell like a crab and retreat into your inner world. Money
    continues to slip through your hands as your inner turbulence drives
    you nuts. Ganesha holds your hand.

     

    Shree Ganeshaya Namah
    Birthday Horoscope
    November 9 – November 15, 2020

    Contact at +918141234275 for all kinds of astrological queries

    Nov 9: Ganesha says mental powers are acute. Actions are decisive.
    People enjoy bringing intellectual and physical skills into play. If
    these energies aren’t sufficiently channeled, they veer into
    criticism and bickering.

    Nov 10: A spirit of generosity fuels an easy, fun, maybe lucrative
    give-and-take. At any rate, it’s possible for everyone to have a good
    time and get what he or she needs or wants.

    Nov 11: Travel, writing, publishing, academic goals are all favored by
    lunar patterns. Your interest in people, places, and things at a
    distance proves rewarding. But keep your eye on the details.

    Nov 12: Conflicting considerations and clashing egos could make it hard
    to do anything in concert with a group. You’ll probably find you get
    more done working on your own and depending on others less.

    Nov 13: Fact-finding missions are apt to be successful. Without fail,
    call upon whatever expertise you need during this frame of
    availability.

    Nov 14: Interesting and resourceful friends are ready to help and to
    share in good times. You’ll likely receive more than one invitation to
    mix and mingle.

    Nov 15: Time and energy are prone to being wasted in lofty, idealistic,
    but basically misguided and wasteful pursuits. Stay realistic and
    grounded

     

  • ED summons Shah Rukh for FEMA violation

    ED summons Shah Rukh for FEMA violation

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued notices to actor Shah Rukh Khan and his wife, Gauri Khan, for alleged violations in Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to the tune of Rs 73.6 crore and asked them to appear before it on August 23.

    Actor Juhi Chawla is also being probed in this case.

    SRK had appeared before the law enforcement agency in 2011 and 2015 to record his statement. The ED had sent a show-cause notice to Khan, Gauri, and Chawla in March.

    What is the forex case?

    • ? SRK formed a start-up Knight Riders Sports Pvt. Ltd (KRSPL) in 2008 to acquire IPL franchise rights of cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders. He owned 10,000 shares initially.
    • ? The entire shareholding of KRSPL was with Red Chillies and Gauri Khan. After the success of IPL, about two crore additional shares were issued by KRSPL, of which 50 lakh shares were issued to a Mauritius based company owned by actor Juhi Chawla’s husband Jay Mehta, The Sea Island Investment Ltd (TSIIL), at Rs 10 per share, and 40 lakh shares were issued to Chawla. Khan owns 1.1 crore shares.
    • ? Chawla later transferred her 40 lakh shares to TSIIL at Rs 10 per share as against a much higher market value. Thus, TSIIL owns 90 lakh shares at par value while the actual cost of share at the time of issue/sale was between Rs 86 and Rs 99 per share.
    • ? The ED alleged that Khan undervalued his shares, which cost a forex loss of Rs 73.6 crore to the government.
  • SEHWAG TOP NAME FOR INDIA

    SEHWAG TOP NAME FOR INDIA

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Former cricketer Virender Sehwag on Friday became the most notable applicant for the Indian cricket team’s chief coach’s post, which would be technically vacant when Anil Kumble’s term comes to an end after the Champions Trophy. While Kumble is an automatic entry into the process, the others in the fray are Australian Tom Moody and Englishman Richard Pybus, who has coached Pakistan earlier.

    The two Indians among applicants are former fast bowler Dodda Ganesh and former India A coach Lalchand Rajput. Moody and Rajput had applied for the chief coach’s job last year also but it was Kumble, who got the nod. However, the entry of Sehwag — considered one among India’s greatest-ever game changers — makes the battle for the position very interesting.

    One of India’s biggest match-winners and a part of two- time World Cup winning team, Sehwag played 104 Tests and 251 ODIs for India scoring 8,586 and 8,273 runs respectively.

    While he doesn’t have any prior coaching experience apart from mentoring IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab recently, it was the BCCI top brass that convinced him to apply for the post.

    It’s the same kind of scenario when Ravi Shastri seemed all set to be retained as coach and Kumble was asked to throw his hat in the ring at the eleventh hour. The BCCI joint secretary Amitabh Chaudhary today on record denied any rift between Kumble and captain Virat Kohli.

    However, the fact that a player of Sehwag’s stature has applied gives enough indication that everything is not right in the Indian dressing room.

    Sehwag will only apply when he knows that he is a serious contender for the top job. It will be interesting if Kumble finally appears for the interview knowing that Sehwag had applied for the post.

    However many in BCCI feel that Sehwag,who is also a social media sensation, may demand an astronomical salary and then Moody, who gave a good presentation last time also, could come into the fray.

    Source: PTI

  • KARTHIK IN FOR INJURED PANDEY IN CT SQUAD

    KARTHIK IN FOR INJURED PANDEY IN CT SQUAD

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Senior Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik on May 18 earned a recall to the Indian team for the upcoming Champions Trophy after Manish Pandey was ruled out due to a side strain.

    Karthik was one of the five stand-byes for the Champions Trophy and has been rewarded for his stupendous form in domestic cricket last season.

    Karthik, who will soon be celebrating his 32nd birthday, scored 607 runs during Tamil Nadu’s victorious Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign, including a century in the final. His average was 86-plus and scored his runs at a strike rate of over 100.

    He also scored 704 runs in the Ranji Trophy and another 361 runs in IPL-10, capping off a consistent domestic season. He last played for India against Afghanistan in the 2014 Asia Cup in Bangladesh.

    Having played 23 Tests and 71 ODIs for India, Karthik pipped another glovesman, Rishabh Pant, who was also among the reserves.

    Incidentally, Karthik was a part of the Indian team which won the Champions Trophy in 2013. Pandey had suffered a side strain during one of Kolkata Knight Riders’ training sessions and was replaced by Ishank Jaggi for their Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.

    Source: PTI

  • MUMBAI INDIANS HAVE HISTORY, KKR MOMENTUM

    MUMBAI INDIANS HAVE HISTORY, KKR MOMENTUM

    Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)?will hold a bit of an advantage going into the Indian Premier League (IPL) qualifier 2 match against Mumbai Indians

    BENGALURU (TIP): Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) came back to winning ways in style on May 17 (Wednesday) as they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by seven wickets in a rain-curtailed Indian Premier League eliminator match. But now they face a stern test as they lock horns with Mumbai Indians (MI)?in Qualifier 2 for a berth in the final. Mumbai Indians come into the clash, having lost Qualifier 1 to Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) but will take heart from the fact that they have a 15-5 record against their opposition in IPL history. Even in this season, they had won both the group stage matches against Kolkata Knight Riders; the last with a second string side at the Eden Gardens.

    Kolkata Knight Riders, however, will hold a bit of an advantage as they go into the crunch game on Friday as their tie against Sunrisers Hyderabad has boosted their morale and given them an indication of how the M Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch will behave.

    While the loss against Rising Pune Supergiant was a one-off poor performance by Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders can actually use the situation to their benefit if they stick to a certain plan and play keeping the conditions in mind.

    However, Kolkata Knight Riders need to bring some stability in their batting. They let go of a top-two spot when they threw away their wickets while chasing a modest total against Mumbai Indians in their last group game.

    They seemed to have hardly learnt anything as they repeated the act against Sunrisers Hyderabad during their eliminator clash. They have a solid bowling unit that has been delivering for quite some time now but against Mumbai Indians, the batsmen need to bring on their best and put up a decent total for the bowlers to defend.

    Umesh Yadav, Trent Boult and Nathan Coulter-Nile were extremely impressive on Wednesday and are expected to deliver yet another brilliant performance in the knockout tie.

    On the other hand, Mumbai Indians will have to approach the game in an extremely cautious manner. They can’t take KKR lightly despite their terrific record against them. They might be tempted to make changes following the loss to Rising Pune Supergiant but it may not be a good idea.

    Another area where Kolkata Knight Riders have been shoddy of late is their inability to finish off games. Even while chasing a paltry total of 48 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, they were three wickets down for just 12 runs at one stage. With the likes of Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga in the side — all quality death over specialists — Mumbai Indians can cash in heavily if the KKR middle or lower order fails to score quick runs.

    It should be a riveting encounter between the two sides, both of whom two-time champions.

    Although Mumbai Indians won both their games against the Knights this season, the results could have easily gone the other way. In the first match, it was the individual brilliance of Nitish Rana that made the difference and in the second, KKR threw their wickets away.

    Source: HT

     

  • OZ TRIES TO LURE ITS STAR PLAYERS OUT OF IPL

    OZ TRIES TO LURE ITS STAR PLAYERS OUT OF IPL

    OZ TRIES TO LURE ITS STAR PLAYERS

    OUT OF IPL

    SYDNEY: (TIP): Cricket Australia (CA) has made an attempt to lure away its key players from the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) by offering them multi-year central contracts. The Australian players normally get a one-year contract.

    The offer, made to Test captain Steve Smith, vicecaptain
    David Warner and fast bowlers Mitchell
    Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, however,
    got a lukewarm response from the players.

    Howard, CA’s executive general manager of team performance, made the approaches at a time when the governing body and the Australian Cricketers’ Association are in the midst of a dispute over new pay deals for the players.

    The offer, made to Test captain Steve Smith, vice captain David Warner and fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, however, got a lukewarm response from the players. The report said the terms of the multi-year deals, discussed informally with Howard, were regarded as underwhelming by the players — the only incentive for missing IPL being the security of a three-year contract.

    It is believed if CA has to succeed in its move, it has to come up with big cash incentives since Smith and Warner, who captain their IPL franchises, collect more than $1 million a year from the T20 league. Besides, their earning capacity is set to rise sharply following the new IPL broadcast deal. Warner’s retainer with CA is estimated to be worth $2 million but he could earn as much as $10 million in IPL alone over the next three years.

    In view of the hectic international schedule in 2019, which includes an Ashes series and the World Cup, CA apparently want to ensure their players remain fit and have sufficient break to recover before the gruelling international season starts after April and May.

    Source: Agencies

     

  • KINGS XI PUNJAB PIP MUMBAI INDIANS TO STAY IN IPL HUNT

    KINGS XI PUNJAB PIP MUMBAI INDIANS TO STAY IN IPL HUNT

    KINGS XI PUNJAB PIP MUMBAI INDIANS TO STAY IN IPL HUNT

    Wriddhiman Saha’s unbeaten 55-ball 93 powered Kings XI Punjab to 230/3 against Mumbai Indians in an IPL – Indian Premier League 2017 encounter. In reply, MI could score 223/6 in 20 overs.

    MUMBAI (TIP): In a game that swung from one side to the other, Kings XI Punjab came up trumps to record a thrilling seven run win over Mumbai Indians on May 11 (Thursday) and keep their hopes of qualifying for the 2017 IPL playoffs alive.

    Mumbai Indians needed 17 off the final over bowled by Mohit Sharma, and 10 off the last four deliveries. The chances of the former champions reaching the target were good with Kieron Pollard, who had hit a six off the second ball, at the crease. However, Mohit Sharma once again showed his skill at bowling in the death overs as he kept his cool to keep the Trinidadian all-rounder at bay.

    Kings XI Punjab scored a 2017 IPL record 230/3 and restricted Mumbai Indians to 223 for six.

    Wriddhiman Saha struck 11 fours and three sixes in his 55-ball knock of 93, Mumbai Indians vs
    Kings XI Punjab, IPL 2017, Mumbai, May 11.      Photo: BCCI

    STAYING IN TOUCH

    Kings XI Punjab moved to 14 points after the victory at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, just one point behind defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad, who play their last match against Gujarat Lions in Kanpur. Kings XI Punjab’s last match is on Sunday against Rising Pune Supergiant.

    Pollard (50no) would have been disappointed with his effort as at one point, with the help of Hardik Pandya (30) and Karn Sharma (19), had put them on the verge of victory.

    Chasing 231 set by Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians got off to a flying start but lost their way after the powerplay overs and then saw their top-four batsman return to the pavilion with the score at 121 in the 13th over.

    Lendl Simmons (59) and Parthiv Patel (38) gave Mumbai Indians a rollicking start as they started their chase of the season’s highest total. Patel was the first to go but the turning point of the match came in the 10th over when Martin Guptill took a brilliant one handed catch to dismiss Simmons, who was trying to hit another over the boundary, this time off Glenn Maxwell.

    Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma (5) for the fifth time this season fell to a leg-spinner when he holed out at long on off the bowling of Rahul Tewatia while off-colour Nitish Rana (12) followed him soon after.

    SAHA’S HEROICS

    Wriddhiman Saha mixed caution with aggression to score an unbeaten 53-ball 93 and help Kings XI Punjab post the highest score of 2017 IPL.

    Kings XI Punjab scored 230 to overtake the 214 scored by Delhi Daredevils while chasing against Gujarat Lions earlier in the month. The wicketkeeper-batman was the glue the kept the Kings XI Punjab innings together. He shared 50-plus partnerships with Martin Guptill (36), Glenn Maxwell (47) and Shaun Marsh (25) to help Kings XI Punjab post a mammoth total. He stayed at the wicket till the last ball, hitting 11 boundaries and three sixes. While others around him went hammer and tongs, he was given the role of anchoring the innings. While he didn’t boast the same range of shots like his partners, he played to his strengths, playing with a straight bat and taking the occasional risk to go over the top.

    Source: HT

     

  • PANT AND SAMSON BRING BRUTAL END TO LIONS’ CAMPAIGN

    PANT AND SAMSON BRING BRUTAL END TO LIONS’ CAMPAIGN

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Only once had a team chased more than 209 to win an IPL match and yet Delhi Daredevils made such short work of the target that by the last five overs, the required rate was less than a run a ball. This incredible situation was the result of local boy Rishabh Pant (97 off 43) and Sanju Samson’s (61 off 31) blitzkriegs. At one stage, the two batsmen together struck four successive deliveries for sixes. In all, there were 31 hits over the boundary line – a record for this tournament – and 20 of them came off the bat of the Daredevils as they raced to their target with 15 balls to spare and forced the Gujarat Lions out of the playoffs.

    Earlier, impressive spells from Kagiso Rabada and Pat Cummins had turned the momentum after Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik struck rapid fifties, restricting Lions despite their having raced to 158 in their first 14 overs.

    The Daredevils have a new tradition: they’d dropped at least one catch in each of their last two games. Today, they dropped three. Each of the reprieved batsman – Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa – had gone on to score 70 or more and Raina followed suit tonight. He was on 2 when Shreyas Iyer spilled a dolly at first slip off Rabada’s bowling. He was on 40 when Marlon Samuels couldn’t hold on to a flick aimed straight at him at midwicket.

    Eventually, the latest beneficiary of the Daredevils Goodwill List finished with 77 off 43 balls.

    At the other end, Karthik had not given Daredevils the slightest chance. He struck at a quicker rate than Raina as the pair counterpunched in response to being 10 for 2 by the second over to put on the Lions’ highest partnership (133) in the IPL.

    It was around this time, though, that Daredevils began learning an important lesson: when the batsman gives you a chance, convert it. Rabada caught Raina short at the non-strikers with a direct hit from backward point. Next over, Karthik fell to one of the catches of the season – Corey Anderson leaping backwards with an outstretched left hand at mid-off, before executing the perfect tumble to hold on. For good measure, Pant pouched a skier to dismiss Aaron Finch in the penultimate over.

    After their successful chase in the last game, Nair revealed the plan had been to play like a young side – hit hard and have fun. And it was the youngest of them all who masterminded this chase. Pant’s first scoring shot was a six on the up over cover, a sign that dew was making its presence felt, and of a batsman enforcing home advantage.

    So when Raina decided that Pant’s Delhi team-mate Pradeep Sangwan would bowl the next over, he was asking for trouble. Pant welcomed Sangwan with 16 off the first three balls and the Daredevils had breached 50 inside the fifth over. James Faulkner conceding five runs to end the Powerplay would be the last instance of the Lions being in the game. The next six overs went for 90 runs; each over contained at least one six, the 11th went for three. When Samson – who hit seven sixes and no fours – was dismissed by Jadeja in the 14th over, Pant responded with a six and a four to bring the asking rate below run-a-ball. It was perhaps the perfect T20 innings. The only way it could have been better was if he had scored the three runs required to become IPL’s youngest centurion.

    When Pant was caught behind for 97, Raina, knowing he will not play an IPL playoff match for the first time in 10 years, still came up and hugged the young man. It seemed like the handing of a baton, the IPL’s pre-eminent batsman heralding a new hero.

  • JOS BUTTLER’S BRUTAL 77 NEGATES HASHIM AMLA’S CLASSY CENTURY

    JOS BUTTLER’S BRUTAL 77 NEGATES HASHIM AMLA’S CLASSY CENTURY

    INDORE (TIP): Jos Buttler scored his maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) half-century to provide the perfect start to Mumbai Indians’ run chase against Kings XI Punjab at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Thursday.

    The England international reached the milestone in 24 balls with the help of seven fours and two sixes. He ultimately stopped at 77 off 37 balls, with the help of three more sixes.

    Buttler’s brutal knock meant that Hashim?Amla’s maiden IPL century for Kings XI Punjab went in vain, as Mumbai Indians won the match by eight wickets. Buttler was involved in a 85-run second wicket stand with Nitish Rana (62*). The latter stayed unbeaten as MI chased won KXIP’s 199-run target in just 15.3 overs.

    Chasing a mammoth total, Mumbai Indians needed a good start and Buttler was well up to the task. He slammed a massive six over mid-wicket in the very first over and then, scored a boundary off a defensive push in the next over.

    The onslaught did not stop as the 26-year-old English player looked extremely comfortable against the Kings XI Punjab pacers and in the third over, he pummeled Sandeep Singh for a four and a six. His innings, however, was not perfect as he miscued a shot in the next over but substitute fielder David Miller was unable to hold on to the catch and the ball went for yet another boundary.

    It proved to be a costly miss for the hosts as Buttler made them pay with three boundaries in the fifth over. He hit the first two balls through the mid-off region and then adjusted brilliantly to a slower delivery from Mohit Sharma to smear it through extra cover.

    Buttler continued to play his natural game even after losing his partner – Parthiv Patel -and he finally brought up his half century with a single off Axar Patel.

  • ONCE THE LEADER, MS DHONI FEELS BATTING BLUES

    ONCE THE LEADER, MS DHONI FEELS BATTING BLUES

    Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been more in focus than his team Rising Pune Supergiant in this Indian Premier League. And that should be the case ahead of the clash against Gujarat Lions at the SCA Stadium on Friday too.

    Dhoni was stripped of captaincy by RPS and is struggling with the bat as he faces Gujarat Lions in the next match

    Nothing seems to be going right for the champion cricketer at the moment. While it all started with RPS owners replacing India’s greatest captain with Steven Smith for the 10thedition of the T20 tournament, the spotlight is on the Ranchi superstar’s poor run with the bat.

    One hoped with the burden of captaincy off his shoulders, a vintage Dhoni would take IPL by storm. However, that hasn’t been the case so far. With scores of 12 not out, 5 and 11 in his first three games, Dhoni, 35, seems nowhere close to his best. Although Dhoni has been active with field placements from behind the wicket, it’s his power-hitting that Smith would have banked on.

    In the first match against Mumbai Indians, the situation was tailor-made for Dhoni, with 13 runs required off the final over. The job was ultimately done by Smith, who hit two sixes to finish off the game, as Dhoni found it difficult to even connect.

    In Pune’s last match against Delhi Daredevils, which Smith missed due to an upset stomach, Dhoni was expected to take on more batting responsibility. The opportunity was lost again.

    It isn’t Dhoni’s form alone that is a concern. It has also a lot to do with building the right environment to bring the best out of the players.

    The build up to IPL 10 hasn’t been ideal for Dhoni. Controversy erupted when RPS owner Sanjiv Goenka declared that he was sacked as skipper of his team.

    After the emphatic win in the opener against Mumbai Indians, tweets by Goenka’s brother Harsh seemed to pit Dhoni against Smith, upsetting fans of the double World Cup-winning skipper.

    Dhoni’s wife Sakshi posted a photograph sporting a Chennai Super Kings helmet and jersey and came out in support of her beleaguered husband with a strong response to Harsh Goenka’s tweets.

    One major reason Chennai Super Kings under Dhoni enjoyed great IPL success, before it was suspended for two years, was because the skipper was a master finisher.

    It is often said write off a champion at your peril. With Dhoni’s finishing abilities on the wane, his task has become more challenging than ever at No 5. Pune could consider promoting Dhoni ahead of England allrounder Ben Stokes, who can still finish matches by batting at No 5.

    The dip in form in IPL 10 seems sudden. Before the league, Dhoni scored 330 runs in eight matches for Jharkhand in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy.