Captain 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 | PTIAfter defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered their first home loss this season against Lucknow Super Giant’s (LSG), skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad said that excess dew played its part as it took the defending champions’ “spinners out of the game”. Gaikwad scored an unbeaten 108 and Shivam Dube smashed a fierce 27-ball 66, striking three fours and seven as CSK posted a total of 210-4. However, Marcus Stoinis, who scored a magnificent 63-ball 124 not out, including 13 fours and six maximums, guided LSG to victory. “Tough pill to swallow. But good game of cricket. LSG played really well in the back end. We had the game in control till the 13th-14th over, but hats off to Stoinis. He played brilliantly,” Gaikwad said. Also Read: Stoinis' century helps Lucknow beat Chennai by 6 wickets “Dew played a part. I feel there was a huge amount of dew and it took our spinners out of the game. If there was no dew, definitely, we could have controlled the middle phase and taken the game deeper. But these are part of the game. Still a long way to go in the tournament,” 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 06:22 AM IST | Chennai | PTIGujarat Titans (GT) pacer Mohit Sharma on Wednesday recorded the worst figure in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history. During the match against Delhi Capitals (DC) in the ongoing tournament at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, he conceded 73 runs to record the worst spell in IPL history in his four overs after receiving a hammering in the 20th over of 31 runs. Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant and batter Tristan Stubbs hammered 31 off Mohit's last over as the bowler returned with a figure of 4-0-73-0. Mohit is only the second bowler to register this record before this the unwanted record was previously held by Basil Thampi. Rishabh pant has sealed hi spot for T20 wcup - 88*(43)vs GT.- 55(25) vs KKR.- 51(32) vs CSK.- 41(24) vs LSG. 🔥 Rishabh Pant played with Mohit Sharma today pic.twitter.com/XKQYcgPaGt — ICT Fan (@Delphy06) April 24, 2024 Thampi registered this unwanted record while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad, conceding 70 runs off four overs against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2018. While talking about the match, Rishabh Pant's carnage, Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs' onslaught powered Delhi Capitals (DC) to 224/4 against Titans. Also Read: Waist-level conundrum Axar's hard-hitting knock of 66 runs off 43 balls while Pant's brutal bashing of 88 runs in 43 and Tristan Stubbs' blitz cameo of 26 in 7 deliveries helped Delhi recover from the early shocks. Meanwhile, Pant became the second-highest player with the most 50-plus scores for DC in the history of the league, having kept his blistering form intact as he brought up his third half-century of the ongoing season with a six at long-on in just 34 balls against Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. This marked his 19th 50-plus score for DC, his tally bettered by veteran opener David Warner who has 24 50-plus scores for the franchise. Shikhar Dhawan is on the number third spot with 18 50-plus scores for DC while, Shreyas Iyer and former India opener Virender Sehwag are level with 16 fifty-plus scores for the franchise. (With agency inputs)
24 April,2024 10:37 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
On Sunday, KKR’s Harshit Rana found an unexpected ally in umpire Vinod Seshan. In-form Virat Kohli, who was in full flow with the bat, was caught unaware by a deceiving high-full toss that did not rise as predicted. Paceman Rana successfully enticed him into making the RCB opener offer a rather miscued shot back to him and boom, wicket! Seshan, who was standing at square leg at the time, signalled to his counterpart Akshay Totre at the non-striker’s end that the ball was aimed below the waist. TV umpire Michael Gough declared Kohli out after replays suggested the trajectory of the ball dipped inches below his waist, much to the chagrin of both Kohli and opening partner Faf du Plessis. The drama did not help Bengaluru in their chase as bottom-placed Bengaluru in the 10-team table slumped to their seventh loss in eight matches. Their endeavour would have been considerably simplified had the slower delivery of the third over been deemed a no-ball. This would have left them with an in-form opening pair at the crease. Subsequently, a protracted interruption ensued following the delivery, marked by both Kohli and Du Plessis on the field contesting the decision. The delivery was replayed several times on the big screen only to be adjudged as being a legal delivery, with Kohli storming towards the umpires with an air of furious determination as the RCB camp looked on in disbelief. Subsequently, Kohli incurred a fine equivalent to 50 per cent of his match fee as his conduct underwent thorough scrutiny in light of the penalty. "It was crazy. Rules are rules, Virat and myself in that space thought the ball was higher than his waist," skipper Du Plessis said at the post-match press conference. "You always find one team happy and the other not so with such decisions." Also Read: Cheerleading is not everyone’s cup of tea To eliminate subjectivity in assessing no-balls above waist height, the IPL has implemented new technology to gauge the height of deliveries as they pass the batsman at the crease. This measurement is then compared against the predetermined height from the toe to the waist of the batter in an upright stance. If the ball's height exceeds the recorded waist height of the batter, it's deemed a no-ball, otherwise, it is considered a fair delivery. In this instance, the anticipated path of the delivery would have positioned it 0.12 metres below Kohli's waist had he been standing upright within his crease. Offering a valuable analysis of the dismissal, the Hawk-Eye technology revealed that Kohli's dismissal stemmed from his positioning outside the crease. While the ball's height at the moment of impact exceeded waist level, its trajectory suggested that had he stayed within his crease, it would not have surpassed his waist height. That is to say, if Kohli had stayed within the crease, the ball would have passed him at a height of 0.92 metres above the ground. Prior measurements had established Kohli's waist height at 1.04 metres. Had he not stepped outside, the ball would have passed below his waist, rendering it a legitimate delivery. "Virat was indeed out as per the official rule book. The rule states that for a delivery to be considered a no ball, the ball must be at waist height as it crosses the stepping crease," Star Sports posted on X. "In Kohli's situation, while the ball was at waist height when he encountered it, as it crossed the stepping crease, it was below waist height, making it a fair delivery basis the official rule." “Feels like we may have got away with one there. It’s new to the game; maybe in 12 months, there’ll be a review to find out whether it’s working or not. From a player’s point of view, any time you are using data and technology, it’s good for the game,” said KKR opener Phil Salt, who stood near the unfolding drama. It is a tad ironic how technology aims to eliminate human frailties, yet frequently attracts notice through controversies despite the strides made in technological advancements.
24 April,2024 09:20 PM IST | Mumbai | Srijanee MajumdarSpin legend Anil Kumble, who achieved stratospheric heights in cricket in national colours while also plying his trade in the Indian Premier League (IPL), shared memories from the time when he was signed on to feature for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by former owner Vijay Mallya in the 2008 auction. In the inaugural IPL auction, Kumble went under the hammer after he was not included in the initial list of icon players. Batting talisman and present India head coach, Rahul Dravid, featured in the list of the RCB's icon players, ahead of Kumble, who was nicknamed 'Jumbo' during his playing days. Kumble, who holds the record for scalping all ten wickets in a single innings in Test cricket alongside England's Jim Laker and New Zealand's Ejaz Patel, was picked up by the RCB at his base price after Mallya insisted at the auction that 'nobody' was to touch him as "he's my Bangalore boy". "Yeah I mean it was one of those things where I was the captain of India in the Test and for some reason I was not a part of the icon list so I was a part of the auction. Which I obviously didn't participate in but my name was in the auction list. I remember somebody telling me that as soon as my name came up it is not how it is like now when my name came up Mr Vijay Mallya just stood up and said he's my Bangalore boy. Nobody is touching him and that was the end of any other bid coming. I think that was the base price that I was bought at and there was no auction dynamics that you see today. So that was what I was told there were no because the owner just stood up and said no way, no way he is going anywhere else other than Bangalore," Kumble said during a heart-to-heart chat with Ravichandran Ashwin on the latter's YouTube channel. Also Read: Waist-level conundrum During his three-year stint with RCB, Kumble made 42 appearances for the Bengaluru franchise, picking up 45 wickets at an average of 23.51 and an economy of 6.58. For the better part of his career, Kumble predominantly featured in Test and ODI formats, as T20Is came into the cricketing currency during the latter stages of his career. On the challenges he faced in changing his approach from the longest format of cricket to the shortest format, ahead of the inaugural IPL season, Kumble recalled, "For me, it was quite a challenge to get my mind around to bowl just four overs because the time that I started playing I needed four overs to warm up. The body required that kind of overs to bowl 55 to 60 overs in a Test match on an average and to come back to think that if you end up bowling 60 overs you would be done with the tournament. It was not easy for me to change that mindset. But it became very evident that the best way to approach my four overs would be try and choose the most challenging ones. That's how you probably get more into the game rather than just thinking that bowl four overs, end your spell and then wait for the batters to do their job." In the second season of the cash-rich domestic league, the RCB made it to the final but fell at the final hurdle against the Deccan Chargers, a Hyderabad-based franchise that no longer features in the IPL. (With agency inputs)
24 April,2024 09:08 PM IST | Bengaluru | mid-day online correspondentFormer Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan expressed his concerns about Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper and Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya's form, saying that the decline in his hitting ability is a 'big worry on a larger picture'. MI's inconsistent run under Hardik's captaincy continued as they registered a nine-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Monday. The all-rounder's disappointing run in IPL 2024 continued as he could score only 10 runs in 10 balls and conceded 21 runs in two overs that he bowled. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Pathan wrote, "Hardik Pandya's hitting ability is going down. That's a big worry on the larger picture. At the Wankhede he is different but on pitches where there is little help is what is worrisome for him." Dealing with boos and trolling from the audience due to his controversial move back to the Blue and Gold franchise as a captain replacing the five-time IPL winning skipper Rohit Sharma, his performances have not helped him at all in winning the audiences hearts. In eight matches, he has scored 151 runs at an average of 21.57 and a strike rate of 142.45. His best score is 39. Only seven sixes have come out of his bat this season. He has been largely ineffective with the ball too, taking just four wickets at an average of 46.50 and a strike rate of 25.50, with the best figures of 2/43. Hardik Pandya’s hitting ability is going down. That’s a big worry on a larger picture. At the wankhede he is different but on pitches where there is little help is what is worrisome for him. — Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) April 22, 2024 Since taking over the captaincy of Gujarat Titans, who he guided to a title win in their debut season in 2022 and a runners-up spot in 2023, Hardik took more of an anchor approach as a batter. His strike rate in two seasons with GT was around 131 and 136 respectively, which marked a huge decline from his best years in MI. In 2017, he struck at around 156 for MI, then at 133.33 in 2018, then 191.43 in 2019 and 178.98 in 2020. Coming to the match, Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to bat first. MI was 20/3 at one point. Then it was Tilak, who had a 32-run partnership with Mohammed Nabi (23 in 17 balls, with two fours and a six) and a 99-run stand with Nehal Wadhera (49 in 24 balls, with three fours and a six). It took MI to 179/9 in their 20 overs. Also Read: Waist-level conundrum Sandeep Sharma (5/18) was the top bowler for Rajasthan and got a memorable five-wicket haul. Trent Boult also took 2/32 in his four overs. Avesh Khan got one wicket. Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal also got a wicket and became the first player to get to 200 IPL wickets. In the run-chase, Jaiswal struck his second IPL century, scoring 104* in 60 balls, with nine fours and seven sixes. Knocks from Jos Buttler (35 in 25 balls, with six fours) and skipper Sanju (38 in 28 balls, with two fours and two sixes) guided RR to a nine-wicket win. Jaiswal took home the 'Player of the Match' award. RR is at the top of the points table with seven wins and a loss, giving them 14 points. MI is in the seventh spot with three wins, five losses and six points. (With agency inputs)
24 April,2024 06:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
