After Delhi Capitals triumph over Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru's hopes of sealing a place in the playoffs is slim in the ongoing IPL 2024, however, there is still a chance for RCB to swing fortune to their side in the remaining six games. RCB are currently at the bottom of the table with two points in eight matches and a negative run rate of 1.046. In order to make a bid for a spot in the final four, RCB need to win their remaining six matches which includes their clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. If they stand victorious in the rest of the games, their points tally will read 14 and the remaining results need to fall in their favour which would help them prevail in the knockout stages with a better Net Run Rate (NRR). Also Read: World T20: Rahul vs Sanju, Avesh vs Bishnoi & Axar, Pandya's form under scrutiny If the top-3 teams according to the current points table Rajasthan Royals go on to win four of their remaining six, while Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad win five of their remaining seven matches, then they will finish on 22, 20 and 20 points respectively. In such a scenario, it will be possible that RCB, with 14 points, will finish fourth with the other teams ending the group stage with 12 or less than that. In a highly unlikely scenario, RCB could also finish in the third spot, but for that to happen the top three teams in the group stage would need to win just a single match in their remaining six matches. Mathematically, RCB are still in contention to make the cut for the knockout stage but they would need to switch through gears and win their remaining six games with a good margin to improve their NRR. RCB will play their IPL 2024 remaining games against SRH, twice against GT, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings. (With agency inputs)
25 April,2024 06:31 PM IST | Hyderabad | mid-day online correspondentThe ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has proven to be nothing short of extraordinary. With 200-plus totals being posted regularly, records being broken every single day and nail-biting thrillers, the current season could very well go on to bring a paradigm shift in the way T20 cricket is played. The IPL 2024 has put the spotlight on some great international and Indian talent, both capped and uncapped. They might not have the star power, high price tags and aura associated with superstars like Virat Kohli, Pat Cummins, MS Dhoni, Glenn Maxwell, Rohit Sharma etc, but they have delivered impactful performances. These are the 'Light on Pocket, High on Impact' players that make this league the phenomenon it is. Here are some players who have made an impact despite their low price tag: Jake Fraser McGurk (Delhi Capitals for Rs 50 lakh) The freshest and most inexperienced entry on this list perhaps. This 22-year-old Australia batter could very well become the country's next destructive hitter and carry on what David Warner and Glenn Maxwell had done all these years. In four matches, McGurk has scored 163 runs at an average of 40.75 and a strike rate of over 211. He has scored two half-centuries, with the best score of 65. His fifty in 15 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) is the fastest for the franchise. Tristan Stubbs (Delhi Capitals for Rs 50 lakh) Stubbs is a much-hyped-up name in the South African cricket circuit. Despite slightly underwhelming returns for Proteas so far, a lot is spoken about his all-round talent of bowling spin, hitting big sixes, being an absolute gun fielder and an occasional wicketkeeper. At 50 lakh, Stubbs has been a steal for DC, scoring 225 runs at an average of 56.25 and a strike rate of 192.30, with two half-centuries. His best score was a knock of 71* in 25 balls against Mumbai Indians (MI), which consisted of three fours and seven sixes. He also took two wickets against Gujarat Titans in a low-scoring clash and saved five runs in the second encounter between both sides on Thursday, which DC won by four runs while defending 225 runs. Also Read: World T20: Rahul vs Sanju, Avesh vs Bishnoi & Axar, Pandya's form under scrutiny Phil Salt (Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 1.5 crore) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) got hold of this number two ranked T20I batter for such a low price as a replacement player for Jason Roy and he has been prolific at the top since match one. His opening partnership with Sunil Narine has paid rich dividends and laid a foundation for Andre Russell, Rinku Singh and others to swing their bats freely. In seven matches, he has scored 249 runs at an average of 41.50 and a strike rate of 169.38, with two half-centuries. His best score is 89*. He has been prolific at Eden Gardens, which is KKR's home, scoring 201 runs in four games at an average of 67 with two half-centuries. Gerald Coetzee (Mumbai Indians for Rs 5 crore) After impressing with a 20-wicket Cricket World Cup campaign last year in India, Coetzee was snapped by MI for Rs 5 crores. One can see the shades of the legendary Dale Steyn in his pace, intensity and aggressive celebrations following a wicket. Coetzee is the joint second-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2024, with 12 scalps in eight games at an average of 24.00 and a strike rate of 14.25 an economy rate of 10.10. His best figures of 4/34 came against Delhi Capitals. Ashutosh Sharma (Punjab Kings for Rs 20 lakh) The 25-year-old batter from Madhya Pradesh has been a blessing to his franchise in his debut season, acing the run-chases and soaking in the pressure like a seasoned veteran. In five matches, he has made 159 runs at an average of 39.75, with a strike rate of over 189.28 and a half-century, a knock of 59 against MI during a tense run-chase of 193 against MI, where he took PBKS to the brink of win after a top-order collapse. His dismissal made such an impact that the team fell short by nine runs. Shashank Singh (Punjab Kings for Rs 20 lakh) Once an 'accidental buy' for PBKS during the last year's auction due to a mix-up involving another player from Bengal with the same name, Shashank could have 'accidentally' become the strongest and best investment they have made this season as far as Indian talent is concerned. His knock of 61* in 29 balls, consisting of some delightful shot-making, guided PBKS to a tense run-chase of 200 runs against GT and his subsequent performances have helped him create hype for himself. In eight matches, he has scored 195 runs at an average of 48.75 and a strike rate of 168.10, with a half-century. Travis Head (Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 6.8 crore) The man who starred in Australia's ICC World Test Championship and ICC Cricket World Cup title wins against India was bought by SRH for just Rs 6.8 crores. Though he missed one game, Head was put into playing eleven as an opener and from then on, started the chapter in IPL 2024 where 200-plus runs are being smashed for fun and powerplay records have been shattered. Head has played format-defining knocks for SRH, which have caused debates about the future of T20 cricket. Even a 10-run-rate innings appears slow in front of the destruction this Aussie causes at the top with Indian uncapped opener Abhishek Sharma. In six matches, Head has scored 324 runs at an average of 54.00 and a strike rate of 216.00. He has scored a century and two fifties, with the best score of 102. The arrival of 'Travball' to SRH has turned them into heavy favourites and popular title contenders, putting aside the inconsistency and dullness of the past few seasons. Shahbaz Ahmed (Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 2.4 crores) The Bengal all-rounder was bought from Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for Rs 2.4 crores. Though the price tag might not be very high for this Indian domestic veteran, his performances have been high on impact. In five innings, he has made 129 runs at an average of 43.00 and a strike rate of over 161, with a half-century, and a knock of 59* against his former franchise RCB. It is his quickfire cameos that have pushed SRH to 220-plus totals this season. He has also taken three wickets. (With agency inputs)
25 April,2024 05:43 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentKL Rahul is believed to be slightly ahead of Sanju Samson in the race for second wicketkeeper's slot even as Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya's indifferent batting form remains a worry for the national selection panel which is expected to announce the 15-member squad for the World T20 in Americas by the end of this month. The other bone of contention in drafting the final squad could be the choice of an extra bowler. It remains to be seen whether an extra pace bowler in Avesh Khan will be accommodated or whether the choice would be between Lucknow Super Giants leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi and Delhi Capitals all-rounder Axar Patel considering the low and slow tracks in the West Indies. It is understood that skipper Rohit Sharma is likely to have a meeting with chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar to discuss the outline of the team. With the ICC setting a May 1 deadline for the announcement of 15-member squads for World T20, the BCCI is expected to reveal the names anytime between the end of this week or the beginning of next week. Pandya has so far bowled 17 overs out of a possible 32 in eight games for MI. As a designated finisher, he has hit only seven sixes in these games, which is below par by every measure. The free-flowing bat-swing is completely missing in the 150 odd runs that he has scored in the tournament so far at a strike-rate of 142. However, Pandya can be called a 'TINA' option (There Is No Alternative) for the selectors as Shivam Dube, who is also expected to board the New York bound flight, isn't bowling either. Also in terms of skill and pace, Dube the bowler isn't anywhere close to Pandya but his current batting form (22 sixes in eight games) can't be ignored either. It can be safely concluded that Rishabh Pant, who is now third among the top run-getters in the competition with 342 at a strike rate of 161, has sealed his place as the team's No. 1 keeper-batter and also as a designated finisher. The fight is pretty intense for the second keeper's slot and despite KL Rahul (302 at 141 SR) not batting in the middle-order, his range of strokes might just help him pip Samson (314 at SR 152). Also Read: Waist-level conundrum Samson might again have to be content with being a stand-by inclusion like last year's 50 over World Cup. The five bowlers, who have all but sealed their places are Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. However save Bumrah and Kuldeep, the other Indian bowlers haven't been in great form during IPL and hence the choice of an extra bowler becomes very important. It will be a three-way fight between Rajasthan Royals' pacer Avesh, Delhi Capitals left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Axar and Lucknow Super Giants leg-spinner Bishnoi. Avesh, who has improved a lot as far as his death bowling is concerned, has eight wickets from as many matches with an economy rate of 9.41 while Bishnoi has only taken five wickets but on flat tracks, his economy of 8.47 can be considered impressive. Axar, who has seven scalps from nine games but is bowling at an rate of just above 7, would be a brilliant choice too taking the conditions into consideration. Add to it, his batting prowess, scoring runs at a strike of 132, and also the fact that he is a very good all-round fielder. (With agency inputs)
25 April,2024 05:41 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentRoyal Challengers Bengaluru will be playing their 250th Indian Premier League game when they take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday. This completes a huge milestone of their journey, which has seen a lot of ups and downs and the creation of some of the biggest league superstars and a loyal fanbase, despite not clinching a title yet. RCB is in desperate need of a win, having lost six successive games so far. They are at the bottom of the points table with a win and seven losses, giving them only two points. SRH is in the third spot with five wins and two losses, giving them ten points. In 249 matches so far, RCB has won 117 and lost 128. Four games have ended with no results. Their win percentage is 46.18 per cent. RCB has been a three-time IPL finalist in 2009, 2011 and 2016. However, they have not lifted the trophy even once, losing by six runs to Deccan Chargers in 2009, losing by 58 runs to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 2011 edition and by eight runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2016. Other than these finals, RCB has made it to the final four stage of the tournament five more times in 2010, 2015, 2020, 2021 and 2022. Talismanic batter Virat Kohli is the franchise's leading run-scorer with 7,642 runs at an average of 38.01 and a strike rate of over 130, with eight centuries and 52 fifties. His best score is 113*. Virat has been with the franchise since IPL's inception in 2008. Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who played for the franchise from 2014-21, is the leading wicket-taker for RCB, with 139 wickets in 113 matches. Mohammed Siraj is the current highest wicket-taker for the franchise among players still associated with the team, with 73 scalps in 80 games. Also Read: World T20: Rahul vs Sanju, Avesh vs Bishnoi & Axar, Pandya's form under scrutiny Over the years, despite winning no IPL titles, RCB has managed to give fans a lot to remember. Be it the rescue acts and 360-degree hitting by South African legend AB de Villiers (4,491 runs in 156 matches at an average of 41.20 at a strike rate of over 158 with two centuries and 37 fifties), brute six-hitting by West Indies great Chris Gayle (3,163 runs in 85 matches at an average of 43.32, with a strike rate of over 152 with five centuries and 19 fifties), including his unbeaten 175* in 66 balls against Pune Warriors India back in 2013 and Virat Kohli's record-breaking season in 2016, in which he scored 973 runs at an average of above 81 and strike rate above 152 with four centuries and seven fifties and won the 'Orange Cap'. By smashing 263 against PWI in 2013, the team till the start of this season held the record of highest total in IPL history, until Sunrisers Hyderabad broke it twice by registering totals of 277 and 287, the latter against RCB recently. It also holds the record for the lowest IPL total, being bundled out for 49 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2017. The dynamic trio of Kohli, De Villiers and Gayle brought to the franchise a lot of fandom in the 2010s. The legacy of this trio is now carried forward in 2020s by Kohli, Glenn (Maxwell) and Faf (Du Plessis), known as the 'KGF' among fans. Skipper Faf has scored 1,437 runs in 38 matches at an average of 39.91 and a strike rate of over 143 with 13 fifties, while Maxwell has made 1,246 runs in 48 matches at an average of 30.39 and a strike rate of over 158, with 12 fifties. Other than these aforementioned stars, big players like Rahul Dravid, Mark Boucher, Kevin Pietersen, Ross Taylor, Anil Kumble, KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, Yuvraj Singh, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Dale Steyn, Zaheer Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga and Mitchell Starc, etc have worn the team's colours. Ahead of the game, RCB all-rounder Will Jacks talked about his side's batting unit, which underperformed to an extent this season. Jacks said that the batters will look to play with the same freedom as their recent game, in which they valiantly scored 262 against SRH's 287 and 221 to KKR's 222. "I think as a batting group, we may have lost the last two games but we scored 262 in a tough chase and then the other night 220 again. We know we've got the high scores in us. We have been playing with the freedom of chasing a high score. You know you have no option but to go after. We will be looking to continue that and play with the same freedom as if we were chasing a 220-plus score," he said. (With agency inputs)
25 April,2024 05:11 PM IST | Hyderabad | mid-day online correspondentFormer South Africa cricketer AB de Villiers commented on Mumbai Indians' performance in the IPL 2024 and said that everything is going wrong for Hardik Pandya's men in the ongoing season. While speaking on his official YouTube channel, De Villiers said that the Mumbai-based franchise needs to win their next five out of six matches. He added that MI are still the best team in the history of IPL. "They just don't seem to be holding onto anything. Everything is going wrong. But they are still in it and probably need to win five out of their last six games. They have done this before and it's just about gelling together. Possibly on paper the best team in the IPL," De Villiers said. In their previous match of the IPL 2024, MI suffered a nine-wicket loss against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Monday. Recapping the match between MI and RR, Mumbai won the toss and decided to bat first. Tilak Varma (65) and Nehal Wadhera (49) were the only two standout batters for the Mumbai-based franchise in the first inning. Varma and Wadhera's knock powered MI to 179/9. Also Read: World T20: Rahul vs Sanju, Avesh vs Bishnoi & Axar, Pandya's form under scrutiny Sandeep Sharma led the Royals' bowling attack after he picked up five wickets in his four-over spell and gave just 18 runs. Meanwhile, Trent Boult bagged 2 wickets. During the run chase, Yashasvi Jaiswal (104) guided the hosts to their 7th win of the season as they beat MI by 9 wickets. Piyush Chawla was the only wicket-taker for the visitors. Currently, Mumbai Indians stand in eighth place on the IPL 2024 standings with six points after winning three of eight matches with a net run rate of -0.292. In their upcoming tournament match, MI will take on Delhi Capitals (DC) on Saturday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Mumbai Indians Squad: Rohit Sharma, Tim David, Ishan Kishan, Vishnu Vinod, Nehal Wadhera, Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Piyush Chawla, Shreyas Gopal, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammad Nabi, Shams Mulani, Hardik Pandya (C), Romario Shepherd, Tilak Varma, Jasprit Bumrah, Gerald Coetzee, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Thushara, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Luke Wood, Kwena Maphaka. (
25 April,2024 04:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentCaptain Rishabh Pant enthralled the home crowd by slamming an unbeaten 88 off 43 balls, while Axar Patel hit a 43-ball 66 and impact player Rasikh Salam picked a three-fer as Delhi Capitals edged Gujarat Titans by four runs in a thrilling run-fest to secure their fourth win of the tournament at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday. After Pant and Axar fifties, along with Tristan Stubbs’ unbeaten 26 lift DC to a mammoth 224/4, GT were quick in their run-scoring, thanks to 65 from B Sai Sudarshan, followed by 55 from David Miller. But DC triumphed in the end to get those crucial two points in a proper run-fest. GT had the upper hand after electing to bowl first, thanks to Sandeep Warrier’s triple strikes in power-play and leave DC in trouble. But Pant and Axar took their time, before launching a stunning onslaught against spinners to form a decisive 113-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Axar made his promotion to number three count by hitting five fours and four sixes in his eye-catchy knock at a strike-rate of 153.49. Pant, after being scratchy in his 44 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, was at his magnificent best in hitting eight sixes and five fours at a strike-rate of 204.6. Also Read: Skipper Gaikwad feels dew took CSK spinners out of game The duo being phenomenal with the bat meant GT spinners were rendered ineffective in middle overs and the visitors’ bowlers were promptly taken for cleaners in the death overs. Moreover, Warrier didn’t bowl out his final over, as DC took 97 runs in their final five overs. Prithvi Shaw and Jake Fraser-McGurk hit six delightful boundaries as DC reached 34/0 in three overs. But Warrier bounced back in the fourth over after conceding 12 runs in his opening over. The fast-bowler first had Fraser-McGurk flicking off the bottom edge to deep square leg, followed by getting Shaw to mistime a pull, with Noor Ahmad running in from deep square leg to take a diving catch. Warrier got his third power-play wicket when Shai Hope sliced away from his body and was caught at backward point, as DC ended the six-over phase with 44/3. Axar got a move on by crashing a drive off Omarzai, before nailing a slog-sweep for six on a Rashid Khan googly. He and Pant took a pulled four each off Rashid’s short balls, followed by the latter slog-sweeping Noor Ahmad for a four and six each. Axar continued to thrive against spinners – driving and cutting with ease for his boundaries, while Pant feasted on Mohit Sharma’s short balls by pulling and slicing to take a brace of fours. Axar lofted a drive off Shahrukh Khan for six, before reaching his fifty in 37 balls with a pulled four off Rashid. Pant was delightful in the 16th over against Mohit - whipping off his pads and thumping a slower ball over long-off for a brace of sixes, before bringing up the century of the fourth-wicket stand. Axar then hammered Noor for back-to-back sixes in the 17th over before holing out to long-on to fall for a 43-ball 66. Pant got his fifty in 34 balls by lofting a full-toss from Mohit over long-on for six, and was met with a grand applause from the crowd. GT brought in R Sai Kishore’s left-arm spin in the 19th over to counter right-handed Tristan Stubbs. But the batter creamed the drives twice in the gap between extra-cover and long-off, followed by clubbing the spinner for two mammoth sixes over long-on in the 22-run over. In the last over, Pant managed to clear long-on for six and sliced a four despite losing balance against Mohit. He cut loose with his pull, loft and swivel fetching him maximums on last three balls of the innings to take 31 runs off the final over. In chasing 225, Shubman Gill fell early in his 100th IPL game after mistiming the loft to mid-on off Anrich Nortje. Wriddhiman Saha and Sudharsan hit ten boundaries between themselves in the remainder of power-play, including taking 17 runs off Khaleel Ahmed in the third over. Sudarshan had some luck on his side, after being dropped on 17 by Axar at mid-on on Rasikh’s bowling, as GT ended power-play at 67/1. Sudarshan was neat in cutting and glancing Axar for consecutive fours. But Kuldeep Yadav struck as Saha slashed hard and Axar jumped in the nick of time to pluck the catch out of thin air. Sudarshan completed his fifty in 29 balls, but saw GT go from 94/1 to 98/3 as Axar had Omarzai caught by Fraser-McGurk rushing in and diving forward from deep mid-wicket to complete a sensational catch. Sudarshan and Miller would hit a boundary each, before the former holed out to long-off against Rasikh. Rasikh then took out Shahrukh Khan, as Pant took a sharp catch after standing up to the stumps, followed by him taking Rahul Tewatia’s catch on Kuldeep’s last ball. With 73 runs needed off 24 balls, Miller feasted on Nortje’s short and full balls by hitting a four and three sixes before reaching his fifty in 21 balls with a brace as 24 runs came off the 17th over. After Rashid was dropped by Abishek Porel on first ball of the 18th over, Miller glanced Mukesh for four, before clipping straight to deep backward square leg and fall for a 23-ball 55. With 37 runs needed off 12 balls, Rashid worked Rasikh for a boundary and Stubbs even saved a six of him, followed by Kishore keeping match alive with consecutive sixes, before being castled by the pacer. The equation came down to 19 runs in the final over, and Rashid began by whipping Mukesh for a four in the gap between long-on and mid-wicket. When the pacer pitched it wide, Rashid was quick to slash over extra cover for a boundary. After two dot balls, Rashid lofted a six over long-off. With three runs needed off the last ball, Rashid hit off a yorker, but the ball went one bounce to long-off, as DC held their nerve to get a tight win. Brief Scores: Delhi Capitals 224/4 in 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 88 not out; Axar Patel 66; Sandeep Warrier 3-15) beat Gujarat Titans 220/8 in 20 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 65, David Miller 55; Rasikh Salam 3-44, Kuldeep Yadav 2-29) by four runs This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 April,2024 06:46 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSThere is stiff competition for two wicketkeeper-batsman’s slots in Team India for June’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in USA and West Indies. As many as six ’keepers—Rishabh Pant (342 after nine IPL games) while Sanju Samson (314 runs), KL Rahul (302), Dinesh Karthik (251), Ishan Kishan (192) and Jitesh Sharma (128), who have figured in eight games, are staking a claim to make India’s squad. Former India wicketkeepers Nayan Mongia and Sameer Dighe reckoned it’s a big headache for the Ajit Agarkar-led national selection committee considering the dominating performances of the wicketkeepers who are no mugs with the bat. DC captain Rishabh Pant appeals for a LBW against GT in Ahmedabad recently. Pic/AFP Mongia, 54, who represented the country in the 1996 and 1999 ODI World Cups, wants Delhi Capitals skipper Pant to keep wickets if he is fully fit for the big challenge. “If Rishabh is fit, I will go with him. I don’t know how much mentally and physically he is ready to play at a higher level, so it is up to the selectors and team management to decide. Also Read: Waist-level conundrum “My back-up plan will be Samson [Rajasthan Royals captain], because he can play as an opener, at No. 3 and middle-order. He too has been doing exceptionally well,” Mongia told mid-day from Baroda on Wednesday. This will be Pant’s first ICC tournament since his accident in December 2022. Mongia felt Rahul is only useful as an opener and that could go against him when selectors finalise the names. “Rahul finding a place in the team depends on who opens. If the team management goes ahead with Virat [Kohli] and Rohit [Sharma] as openers, then he [Rahul] will find it difficult, because Samson can open too. Rahul cannot play in the middle-order in T20 cricket,” Mongia added. Mumbai-based Dighe, 55, who represented India in six Tests and 23 ODIs, felt the selectors should pick a ’keeper-batsman on the basis of current form. “I think any two from Rahul, Samson, Kishan and Jitesh will make it to the World Cup squad,” said Dighe. When asked about Pant’s chances, Mumbai’s 1999-2000 Ranji Trophy-winning captain said: “Eventually, selection part is about trust and backing. I personally feel these [four] guys can deliver.“
25 April,2024 06:42 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureThis year’s IPL is past the half-way mark and what has caught everyone’s imagination is the power and six-hitting ability of the Sunrisers Hyderabad batters, particularly the trio of Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen. They are brutal. SRH have hit 99 sixes from seven matches and thrice the Pat Cummins-led team have posted 250-plus totals, twice going past the tournament’s highest totals—scoring 277-3 against Mumbai Indians and 287-3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. All eyes will be on the marauding SRH batters when they face bottom-placed RCB at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday. With five wins in seven matches, the home team have soared to the third spot. A proud Cummins has said the other franchises are scared of their batting prowess. Playing here after a gap of 20 days, SRH will look for their third successive win at home. Head, Abhishek key for SRH Head and Abhishek have been the key to SRH’s explosive starts as by the end of the Powerplay, they have been registering a lightning strike rate. For instance, in their last match against Delhi Capitals, the Aussie-Indian left-handed pair raised 50 in 2.4 overs and 125 in six overs in their total of 266-7. SRH coach Daniel Vettori praised the openers. “It is a bit contagious. The two have been fantastic. they complement each other,” he said. Daniel Vettori Upcoming Andhra all-rounder Nitish Reddy, hard-hitting Abdul Samad and Shahbaz Ahmed have joined the party with their cameos. Also Read: Waist-level conundrum For RCB captain Faf du Plessis, it could be another big headache to shackle the rampaging SRH batters. He has already got a taste of that in Bangalore. They come, dismantle the attack and demolish their morale before setting up a huge target. Therefore, the RCB captain will think twice before inviting the hosts to bat first. SRH bowlers on song Vettori said his bowlers have done an exceptional job. They have held their nerves, especially when the teams have come hard on them in the frenetic run-chases. Cummins and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the experienced duo, have been magnificent with their canny bowling. As Bhuvi mentioned, left-arm seamer T Natarajan has gone unnoticed with his deadly yorkers. He took four wickets against DC. Although the SRH batters have held the centrestage, it will be the turn of Virat Kohli fans, who will come in massive numbers, to flaunt the popular No. 18 jersey. The Kohli factor has resulted in a huge demand for tickets. The Orange Cap-holder has been the one-man army for RCB, but other batters have put up a poor show barring the 37-year-old Dinesh Karthik, who has been on song this season and has staked his claim for yet another comeback into the Indian team. RCB slumped to their seventh defeat when they lost to KKR by one run on Sunday. A full-house stadium will look for a run-riot. According to Vettori, the match will be played on the same pitch on which SRH scored 277-3 against MI. “We are expecting a high-scoring game,” Vettori said.
25 April,2024 06:39 AM IST | Hyderabad | N Jagannath DasChennai Super Kings (CSK) are not looking for a “quick fix” to their issues in the batting department and head coach Stephen Fleming is ready to give the likes of Daryl Mitchell time to get settled in the top three after their fourth loss in eight games. CSK have been juggling batters in the top three throughout the season. On Tuesday against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Ajinkya Rahane and Ruturaj Gaikwad came to open while Mitchell was promoted to No. 3 from 5. In the previous game, Gaikwad pushed himself down to No. 3. Following their dramatic loss to LSG at home, Fleming said they need to get their batting combinations right. “It’s a mixture of trying to find that [combination] and also form. We’re a little bit uncomfortable with some areas, so we’re trying to find not a quick fix, but the right combination where players are going to contribute for the back end of this tournament,” said Fleming after first loss of the season at home. Also Read: Waist-level conundrum Mitchell, who was bought for R14 crore, has totalled 146 runs in seven innings. Fleming insisted that No. 3 is the ideal spot for the fellow New Zealander. “There’s a lot of pressure, obviously. Getting up the order is more comfortable for him. Me putting him down the order in the hitting role wasn’t his best position. “So, we’ve looked to rectify that and get him up the order where he has had his best performances internationally. That might take a little time, but the top three need to contribute the majority of runs.” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 April,2024 06:39 AM IST | Chennai | PTIJake Fraser-McGurk went unsold at auction but the young Australian was snapped up by Delhi Capitals as an injury replacement and has become one of the stories of the current IPL. The fearless 22-year-old batsman still has plenty to learn though and told AFP he is soaking up every bit of information he can from David Warner, his idol and now a teammate in the Indian capital. “Having him here and knowing him quite well, we have got a nice connection, got a beautiful friendship,” Fraser-McGurk said of the 37-year-old opener, one of Australia’s finest-ever batsmen. Delhi head coach and Australia great Ricky Ponting this week described Fraser-McGurk as “a serious talent”, and there are flashes of the young Warner with his attacking approach. He joined Delhi as an injury replacement for South African paceman Lungi Ngidi. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 April,2024 06:34 AM IST | New Delhi | AFPDespite missing out on Cricket Australia’s central contract for the 2024-25 season, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis wants to use the impact hundred against CSK as a leverage to extend his white-ball career beyond the upcoming T20 World Cup. “On the playing front, obviously, I want to make sure that I’m there and that’s also why it’s so lucky for us and for me particularly to have this competition [IPL], that’s why I love it so much,” he said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 April,2024 06:28 AM IST | Chennai | PTIADVERTISEMENT
