India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed on Thursday that there were no concerns whatsoever within the selection panel over Virat Kohli’s strike-rate when they got down to pick the team for next month’s T20 World Cup. “Experience matters a lot, there was never any talk [among the selectors] regarding Virat’s strike-rate. There’s no point over-thinking,” Agarkar said at a press conference at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. While opening the innings for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in this IPL, Kohli has amassed 500 runs in 10 games at a strike-rate 147.49. He was India’s top run-getter (296 in six games) at the 2022 T20 World Cup in UAE. “We have not been discussing his [Kohli] strike-rate. There’s a difference between IPL and international cricket. You need experience. We have got enough balance and power in the team. You try and take the positives from what is happening in the IPL. The pressure of a World Cup is different,” remarked Agarkar. Though MI’s Rohit (315 runs in 10 IPL games), Kohli and RR’s Yashasvi Jaiswal (249 runs in nine games) are opening the innings for their respective IPL teams, Rohit made it clear that the Indian team management has not decided who will open in the tournament that will be held in the US and West Indies. Also Read: Pacer Chahar’s injury doesn’t look good: Coach Fleming India begin their campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York followed by the marquee clash against Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue. India will then play USA and Canada on June 12 and 15 respectively. When asked why hard-hitting batsman Rinku Singh was not considered, Agarkar admitted it was a tough call: “It’s probably the toughest thing that we have had to discuss, frankly. He [Rinku] has done nothing wrong, nor has Shubman Gill for that matter. Again, it’s just the [team] combination. Like Rohit said, we are not quite sure what conditions we’ll get, so we wanted to have enough options.” When mid-day asked the India captain how he will use Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube as bowling options, Rohit gave the impression that their chief role will be with the bat: “The bowlers with some kind of skill sets have good chances of success in this format. If we need Shivam to bowl a few overs, he will bowl a few overs. Same with Hardik. He’s been bowling regularly in the IPL whenever required. He has played all [IPL] games, so fitness-wise, there’s no issue.” On what caused the exclusion of KL Rahul, the chief selector said: “KL is a terrific player. We were looking at someone who bats in the middle [order]. At the moment, he [KL] is batting at the top. Sanju [Samson], we like to believe has the ability to come down the order, if need be. Rishabh [Pant] is batting down the order for DC [Delhi Capitals]. It’s about the slots we needed [to fill]. We felt these two are better and have spent more time down the order which might be needed at the World Cup.” One of the main aspects of criticism over the latest selection is the fact that there are four spinners—Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal —in the squad. Rohit responded to that, saying, “I don’t want to go too much into detail on it. I definitely wanted four spinners. We have played a lot of cricket there [WI]. We know what the conditions are like. The matches start at 10 or 10.30 in the morning, so there is a bit of a technical aspect involved in this. Maybe in the first press conference I do in the West Indies, I’ll give more details on this. I’m not going to say it in public now, but I’ll definitely say it there. I wanted four spinners for sure,” Rohit added.
03 May,2024 07:43 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureChennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming admitted that seamer Deepak Chahar’s latest injury “doesn’t look good”, but he is hoping for a positive report from the franchise’s medical team ahead of the business phase of the IPL. Although Fleming did not divulge any details on Chahar’s new injury, the 31-year-old seamer was seen pulling off his run-up in just the second ball of Punjab Kings chase here on Wednesday night. It could be a possible hamstring injury as, after having a chat with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and the physio, Chahar walked off ground holding his hamstring and did not bowl further in the match. Also Read: Skipper Gaikwad says its all due to dew! Chahar’s career has been marred by injuries in the last couple of years, costing him a permanent spot in the Indian team. “Yeah, the travelogue is pretty busy. There’s a lot of ins and outs. So, Chahar doesn’t look good,” said Fleming. “The initial feeling wasn’t great. So, I’m hoping for a more positive report when the physio and the doctor have a look.” Chahar’s injury somewhat forced Gaikwad to bring in Shivam Dube for an over, who has mainly been used as a batter this season. But Dube went for 14 in the only over he bowled, and Fleming admitted that with the Impact Player rule, Dube is not suited for the role in the IPL and will have his chances in proper conditions. 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
03 May,2024 07:41 AM IST | Chennai | PTIA dominant India grabbed an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match women’s T20I series as they pummelled Bangladesh by seven wickets in the third match here on Thursday. After their skipper Harmanpreet Kaur opted to field first looking at the cloud cover and a mild breeze, India’s bowlers dished out another disciplined performance to restrict Bangladesh to 117-8. Also Read: Virat’s strike-rate was struck off! India achieved the target with nine balls to spare. India openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma put on 91 runs in just 12.1 overs. Shafali got out after a 38-ball 51, hitting eight fours, while Mandhana found form as she struck 47 off 42 balls with five boundaries and a six. Ritu Moni took a blinder off her bowling to dismiss Shafali while Nahida Akter accounted for Mandhana. But the damage was done. Earlier, Dilara Akter began well for Bangladesh with 39 off 25 balls before the Indian bowlers came back strongly. 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
03 May,2024 07:30 AM IST | Bangladesh | PTIThough Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are enjoying the second spot with 12 points after nine games, the team’s assistant coach, Abhishek Nayar admitted that his team are still not safe with five games left. “Just in terms of points, we have seen teams that have been at the bottom of the table doing really well against the table-toppers. It’s very hard to say this is going to be safe and this is enough. I think the more the merrier for any team,” Nayar said during the pre-match press conference at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. Also Read: IPL 2024: Will Rinku Singh be able to put on a show vs MI at Wankhede? However, Nayar, who has led Mumbai in first-class cricket, added that every team want to beat the hosts at Wankhede. “Whether it is Ranji Trophy or the IPL, everyone wants to beat Mumbai,” Nayar remarked. Nayar, meanwhile, lavished praise on KKR skipper Shreyar Iyer, who was not considered in the Rohit Sharma-led Team India for the upcoming T20 World Cup. “His [Iyer] mindset is to score runs, whether he plays the IPL, the Ranji Trophy or for India. It [the T20 World Cup snub] has affected him, but kudos to him for the way he has handled it. I can imagine a lot of people are reacting very differently than he has. “He is one of the mentally strongest people I have ever known, just in terms of how he has accepted certain things that have happened with him,” Nayar said.
03 May,2024 07:28 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureThere are no prizes for guessing which captain will be under more pressure tonight when Mumbai Indians (MI) take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium. MI down in points The hosts are languishing at the bottom half of the points table with six points, while Kolkata Knight Riders have double that quantity in their kitty. One side are led by a player (Hardik Pandya) who has been much vilified while his rival captain (Shreyas Iyer) has nothing to lose now that he is not part of India’s T20 World Cup squad. Also Read: IPL 2024: Head, Reddy's gritty knocks propel SRH to 201 runs vs RR Romario Shepherd during Mumbai Indians’s practice session at Wankhede yesterday. Pic/Atul Kamble All-rounder Romario Shepherd, who helped MI to beat Delhi Capitals by 29 runs with a 10-ball 39 not out at the same ground last month, wants his team to give their best to see off, KKR. “Hopefully, we can get all the wickets because we see how dangerous those two guys [Phil Salt and Sunil Narine] can be. They are very, very dangerous and can hit the ball for six anywhere in the park. Our bowlers have to be on the A game because these guys put pressure on from ball one,” Shepherd said during the pre-match press conference on Thursday. Salt can be tasty again KKR’s opening pair of Salt (392 runs in nine games) and Narine (372) are in fine form and may pose a big challenge for the MI attack led by Jasprit Bumrah. Mumbai boy Iyer (251 runs) who is very familiar with the Wankhede pitch and outfield, will also be a major threat along with Andre Russell (179 runs). The KKR team has a player who could well be smarting from his T20 World Cup exclusion—Rinku Singh. Mumbai had better watch out. Phil Salt of Kolkata Knight Riders in the nets at Wankhede yesterday. Pic/Atul Kamble For MI, only Tilak Varma and Rohit Sharma have scored 300-plus runs in this edition. T20 World Cup team-bound Suryakumar Yadav and skipper Pandya have managed 197 and 176 runs respectively. But if speedsters Bumrah and Gerald Coetzee, who have claimed 14 and 13 wickets respectively in the tournament, perform as per expectations, Kolkata could be at the receiving end.
03 May,2024 07:23 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayurePromising Andhra all-rounder Nitish Reddy stole the show in the first session as he lifted Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to 201-3 against table-toppers Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday. There was a touch of power, class and timing in Reddy’s eye-catching 42-ball 76 not out (3x4. 8x6). “I backed myself,’’ he said after his innings. There was a huge roar from the crowd when SRH skipper Pat Cummins won the toss, but there was pin-drop silence when RR captured two wickets by the end of the Powerplay. SRH openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma (12) could not get off to their now-familiar blazing starts as seasoned left-arm seamer Trent Boult and off-spinner R Ashwin did not give them the liberty to swing their bats freely in the first four overs. Early collapse A desperate Abhishek succumbed to Avesh Khan’s first ball and then Anmolpreet Singh fell to wily swing bowler Sandeep Sharma’s first delivery in the next over. SRH could manage only 37 in the first six. Also Read: IPL 2024, SRH vs RR: Jaiswal, Parag's fifties in vain as Bhuvneshwar helps Hyderabad win by one run Pushed to the wall, the hosts struggled to reach 50 off 9.3 overs before Head hit two sixes and a four off Yuzvendra Chahal. Showing some amazing flair, Reddy then carted two sixes and two fours off Chahal as the leg-spinner had an off day, conceding as many as 21 runs in his third over. Nitish hit clean and hard to get five sixes, including one off the miserly Sandeep, before he got to his second half-century of the season. At the time of going to press, RR were 100-2 in 10 overs. Earlier, the impressive Reddy dominated the third wicket stand of 96 runs with Head (44-ball 58), who preferred to play second fiddle to his junior partner. The Aussie, who had a lucky reprieve off the first ball of the day when his cut shot burst through Riyan Parag’s hands at backward point, was again fortunate when a Samson throw caught him napping with his bat in the air, but the third umpire came to his rescue. However, Head went for a wild shot and was bowled as Avesh picked his second wicket. Reddy, who has a good bat swing, was relentless though. He hit Ashwin for two more sixes after which Heinrich Klaasen slammed Chahal for two successive sixes. The leg-spinner finished with his most expensive IPL figures of 4-0-62-0. Klaasen’s quickfire knock Klaasen’s blitzkrieg and Reddy punished the RR bowlers in their 32-ball 70-run stand to give SRH a challenging 201. Klaasen (42 not out off 19 balls) has clobbered 31 sixes this IPL. Brief scores SRH 201-3 in 20 overs (N Reddy 76*, T Head 58, H Klaasen 42*; A Khan 2-39) v RR (scores incomplete)
03 May,2024 07:16 AM IST | Hyderabad | N Jagannath DasThe absence of two frontline bowlers, Matheesha Pathirana and Tushar Deshpande, and copious amount of dew at the Chepauk Stadium hurt Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their seven-wicket defeat against Punjab Kings here on Wednesday, reckoned skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (62). CSK could only muster a below-par 162-7. Gaikwad made a handsome 62, but other batters struggled against accurate spin bowling by Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar. Two major changes CSK had to make two changes for the match as their Sri Lankan pacer Pathirana was nursing a niggle and Deshpande was unwell. Replacements Richard Gleeson and Shardul Thakur failed to impress as heavy dew set in during Punjab’s chase. “It is a real problem [not having Pathirana and Deshpande]. There are phases where you want to get a wicket, and you have only two bowlers, plus the spinners are out of the question because of the dew. Can’t do much,” Gaikwad rued. Also Read: IPL 2024 | "Whether its Ranji or IPL, everyone wants to beat Mumbai": Nayar The skipper added that the dew compounded CSK’s problem as they tried to restrict the Punjab batters. “It’s very difficult. Even in the last game, we were quite surprised that we would win by that much margin. “This [dew] is something we can’t control. We can slightly bat better in the first innings. In the last two games, we tried our best to get 200-210. It was tough to get 180 on this pitch,” he said. Gaikwad said another 50-60 runs would have made the difference. “50-60 runs short to be honest. When we were batting first, the pitch wasn’t great, plus the dew as well [in the second innings].” Toss pressure The skipper also rued his luck with the toss, saying despite trying his best, he couldn’t find the right formula to call it right. “I have practised [toss] a lot. I am winning in the practice, but not winning in the match. What to do. I am really under pressure at the toss, not at the game,” said Gaikwad. Punjab’s stand-in skipper Sam Curran who played a crucial role with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 26, said beating CSK at their home turf was always a great feeling. “Anytime you come to Chennai and get two points, it is a huge feeling. Last year also we lost all our home games and won the away games. We are getting a hint of the formulas.”
03 May,2024 07:15 AM IST | Chennai | PTISunrisers Hyderabad star pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar showcased his exceptional skills with the ball and defended 13 runs in the final over of the IPL 2024 match against Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The pacer bagged three wickets by conceding 41 runs in four overs. RR's Rovman Powell tried his best but failed to take the team home. Sunrisers Hyderabad won the IPL 2024 match against Rajasthan Royals by one run.Having needed to chase a target of 202 runs in the IPL 2024 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals opening batsman Jos Buttler departed on a duck on the very first ball of his innings, followed by captain Sanju Samson who returned to the pavilion after getting bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar for zero run. Later, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and in-form batsman Riyan Parag stood strong in the middle. The young duo fearlessly showcased their skills against SRH. Jaiswal scored 67 runs in 40 balls before getting bowled by T. Natarajan. The left-hander's knock was laced with 7 fours and 2 sixes. Parag on the other hand, smashed 77 runs off 49 deliveries including 8 fours and 4 sixes. Also Read: IPL 2024, SRH vs RR: Reddy's gritty knock and Klaasen's fiery cameo powers Hyderabad to 201 Captain Pat Cummins and T. Natarajan claimed two wickets each to their names. Pacer Marco Jansen was the most expensive bowler from Hyderabad's perspective. Jansen conceded 44 runs without any wickets in his four-over spell. Jaydev Unadkat, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed were unable to register any wickets in the IPL 2024 match against RR. Coming to the first innings of the IPL 2024 match between SRH and RR, Hyderabad opener Travis Head accumulated 58 runs in 44 balls including 6 fours and 3 sixes. Nitish Kumar Reddy played an unbeaten knock of 76 runs. His innings came in 42 balls including 3 fours and 8 sixes. Star batsman Heinrich Klaasen too played a fiery cameo of 42 runs off just 19 deliveries. During his knock, he smashed 3 fours and 3 sixes. Pacer Avesh Khan bagged two wickets for 39, followed by Sandeep Sharma who registered one wicket for 31 runs. Star spinner YuzvendRA Chahal was the most expensive bowler from Rajasthan's perspective. He leaked 62 runs without any wickets. Lead pacer Trent Boult and premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin too went wicketless in the IPL 2024 match against SRH.
02 May,2024 11:34 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentNitish Kumar Reddy's fiery knock of 76 runs off just 42 deliveries helped Sunrisers Hyderabad to post a total of 201 runs in the IPL 2024 match against Rajasthan Royals. His knock was laced with 3 fours and 8 sixes. Reddy's gritty knock and Klaasen's fiery cameo power Hyderabad to 201 SRH star batsman Heinrich Klaasen showcased extraordinary strokes in the IPL 2024 match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium against RR. Facing 19 balls, he smashed 42 runs including 3 fours and 3 sixes. Also Read: IN PHOTOS: Team India captain Rohit Sharma, Ajit Agarkar visit BCCI office in Mumbai Having won the toss, Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins elected to bat first in the IPL 2024 match against Rajasthan Royals. Openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma started off very slow. Abhishek scored 12 runs before nicking it into the hands of Dhruv Jurel in pacer Avesh Khan's over. Despite losing the early wicket, Head continued to stand strong in the middle and accumulated 58 runs in 44 balls. He registered 6 fours and 3 sixes. Coming in to bat at number three, Anmolpreet Singh failed to put on a show with the willow. He departed after scoring just five runs. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Head's partnership was a sigh of relief for SRH. Later after Head's dismissal, Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen took the responsibility of their innings. The duo entertained the crowd with their power-filled sixes. No Rajasthan bowler was able to stop runs in the IPL 2024 match against SRH. Star spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was the most expensive bowler from RR's perspective. The spinner went wicketless and conceded 62 runs in four overs. Avesh Khan claimed two wickets and Sandeep Sharma was the other bowler to secure a wicket. Sandeep completed his quota of four overs in which he was smashed for 31 runs and also registered one wicket. Lead pacer Trent Boult and premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin went wicketless during the IPL 2024 match against SRH.
02 May,2024 09:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFollowing the performances of Virat Kohli in the IPL 2024, former South African batsman AB de Villiers slammed the "data-driven" pundits for criticising the Indian stalwart for his strike rate outside powerplay. In the ongoing IPL 2024, Kohli is having a great run for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The veteran has already scored 500 runs at a strike rate of 147 and an average of 77. So far, he is in second place in the ongoing league's list of top scorers. Kohli is also criticised for his inability to take charge against spinner which de Villiers disagrees. De Villiers termed Kohli as one of the best players to have played the game, saying it was not wise for data-driven pundits to comment on the stalwart. "Virat Kohli catching criticism about his strike rate it's been going on for too long and I am sort of fed up with that now. I am frustrated to say the least. This guy is one of the best players to have ever played the game of cricket. He is incredible in the IPL, he plays a certain role for RCB," the South African said on his YouTube channel. Also Read: Pakistan brings back Haris Rauf ahead of Ireland, England T20I series "I have pretty much enough of data-driven pundits who keep criticising this man (Kohli) when you don't have the knowledge of the game. How many games you played? How many IPL hundreds you scored? "All the people who talk about strike rates and not playing spin well are the ones talking about this stuff. For me, it's about winning the games for the team and there is a reason why you have done it for 15 years, you have done this day in and day out, you have won games for your teams." De Villiers feel Kohli has nothing to prove to anyone, and should just concentrate on his game. "I am quite sure that if you haven't been been in that situation yourself, to sit and talk about the game, it's not quite the same thing. For me, people can talk about their assumptions day in and day out but those who have done day in and day out, they know what's happening and it's a kind of muscle memory for me now. "His strike rate, by the way, this season is even better than the record-breaking season he had not so long ago (2016 season). So, I don't know where the criticism is coming from. He is batting like a dream at the moment," he said. De Villiers' support came after Kohli had lashed out at his critics following his 44-ball unbeaten 70 in RCB's nine-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad in their previous game. The former South African batter, however, feels Kohli is best suited at the No.3 position for RCB. "Virat has successfully batted with a proven formula that has brought victories for the team. The rest of the squad including the coach and captain need to strategise around Virat's successful approach. Personally, I still believe Virat is best suited for number three in the batting order. "Though he loves opening and has an incredible record doing so, batting him at three would optimise this team's lineup with Will Jacks and Faf (du Plessis) opening. Putting Virat at three would give the openers the best opportunity to get off to a fast start," he added. (With PTI Inputs)
02 May,2024 04:48 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPakistan selectors on Thursday dropped leg-spinner Usama Mir ahead of the T20 series in Ireland and England. Pacer Haris Rauf has received a call up ahead of the series. PCB selectors Muhammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq, and Wahab Riaz while interacting with the media said that the squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 won't be picked based on the performances against Ireland and England. The "Green Shirts" will clash with Ireland for the three-match series which is set to kick start on May 10. Later, Pakistan will lock horns with England for four T20I matches. The series against Englishmen will start on May 22. There are a few fitness issues with Muhammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf, Azam Khan and Irfan Khan Niazi but there has been a significant improvement in their fitness and we are confident they will play in the coming matches, Wahab said. Following the series, Wahab also answered the reason for recalling pacer Hasan Ali. Also Read: IN PHOTOS | IPL 2024, SRH vs RR: Players to watch out for! "If Haris is fit and performs well in coming matches he is our first choice. He has started bowling but if he doesn't come through we have Hasan Ali", said Wahab Riaz. Pacer Haris Rauf was out of action since February when he got unfit during the Pakistan Super League. Razzaq said that leg-spinner Usama has been dropped since Pakistan already has Shadab Khan and Abrar Ahmed in the squad. Yousuf insisted that the recent 2-2 result in the T20 series against a depleted New Zealand outfit was not a bad one. It is true that New Zealand were missing some main players but it is also for the first time that we also fully implemented the rotation policy by trying out new players in the series, he said. Yousuf also said that they were pushing the players to be more innovative in playing their shots and admitted that some players came up short on that front. Look unless we are not ready to accept failure and move our batters will never be ready to adopt innovative stroke play, he said. Wahab Riaz also mentioned that he spoke to newly appointed head coach Gary Kirsten and they all agreed that they need to remove the feeling of insecurity and fear of failure from players' minds. Our aim is to give them an environment where they can give their best and play fearlessly. Wahab also said that selecting the playing eleven would remain the domain of the captain and the selectors would not interfere in that area.The selectors also defended Babar Azam's ability as a captain. No one is a born captain but from what we saw in the NZ series there was an improvement in his leadership and we are hopeful he will become better and he has captaincy experience. We want to remain on the same page with him, Razzaq said. Squad: Babar Azam (Captain), Muhammad Rizwan, Azam Khan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Irfan Khan Niazi, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Muhammad Amir, Imad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Abbas Afridi and Agha Ali Salman. (With PTI Inputs)
02 May,2024 04:28 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
