Experienced all-rounder Jimmy Neesham kept his cool to defend six off the last ball to clinch a four-run victory for New Zealand on Thursday in the fourth T20I against Pakistan in Lahore. Also Read: MI haven’t been effective in shutting teams down: David Pakistan needed 18 off the last over in their chase of 179 but Neesham came out on top despite being hit for a boundary off the first ball, leaving a packed Gaddafi Stadium crowd heartbroken. Opener Tim Robinson hit a maiden half-century to lift New Zealand to 178-7 in 20 overs before pacer William O’Rourke claimed 3-27 to help restrict Pakistan to 174-8. Returning all-rounder Imad Wasim (22 not out) could only hit the last ball for a single as New Zealand took an unassailable 2-1 lead in the five-match series. 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
27 April,2024 07:25 AM IST | Lahore | AFPMumbai Indians have struggled to effectively halt opposing teams’ momentum once they start building it, which is something the five-time IPL champions must address going forward, feels batter Tim David. Also Read: Narine-Salt partnership powers KKR to 261-6 against PBKS “Someone like Booms [Jasprit Bumrah] has been winning games for us but we haven’t been effective enough in shutting teams down when they get going. That is a challenge going forward,” David said on the eve of MI’s match against Delhi Capitals here. “It was pretty obvious against RR that wasn’t the standard that we set ourselves to. That is the challenge for the playing group, we set the tone,” the Australian added. 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
27 April,2024 07:20 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIRiding on yet another rollicking start, Kolkata Knight Riders stormed to 261 for 6, the highest-ever IPL total at the Eden Gardens, to present Punjab Kings a tough chase on Friday. Phil Salt and Sunil Narine were in a murderous mood as always as the two added 138 off just 63 balls for the first wicket. Both made the most of reprieves to provide a fine launch pad. Narine, dropped at backward point by Harpreet Brar when on 16, and then overturning a leg-before decision via DRS when on 59, was caught at deep backward point while going for another big one. His 71 came off 32 deliveries and had nine fours and four sixes. Salt, let off on 34 and 35, came away with a 37-ball 75 that had six fours and six sixes. Also Read: IPL 2024: Rahul-Samson's fight for WC spot continues as LSG to clash with table-toppers RR With signs of dew midway through their innings and the prospect of bowling on a better pitch with a soaked ball, the Knights were seized by the urgency to present an ‘unassailable’ target for the visitors. Andre Russell, sent up the order, played a cameo of 24 off 12 with two fours and two sixes before being surprised by an Arshdeep Singh bouncer. His hurried hook went only as far as square-leg. One-drop Venkatesh Iyer hung around for a 23-ball 39 that had three fours and a couple of sixes while skipper Shreyas Iyer got 28 off 10 with three sixes and a four as the Knights went past their best at the Eden, a 232 against Mumbai Indians in 2019, and then past the previous Eden highest of 235, made by Chennai Super Kings against them last year. Stand-in skipper Sam Curran juggled his bowlers every now and then to no avail, but it was a surprise why he held back left-arm orthodox bowler Harpreet Brar till the 12th over. Mitchell Starc sat out after seven matches. Sri Lankan right-arm pacer Dushmantha Chameera replaced the left-arm Aussie quick to make his debut for the Knights on another hot and humid evening.
27 April,2024 07:15 AM IST | Kolkata | Arup ChatterjeeVery few teams have defeated Chennai Super Kings back-to-back in home and away matches. That feat was achieved by Lucknow Super Giants in their previous two games and their morale is sky-high. But their next assignment will not be easy as they face current table-toppers Rajasthan Royals at the Ekana Stadium tonight. RR are virtually into the playoffs as they have won seven of their eight games, while LSG are fourth, having won five of their eight ties. For them, the margin of error is very small since they have to win at least four of their remaining six games to secure a berth in the playoffs. There is another urgent matter for top players to focus on. The Indian team for the T20 World Cup is to be announced by month-end, thus, all the top contenders will be aiming to give their best to impress the national selectors before it’s too late. Interestingly, captains of both teams, Sanju Samson of RR and LSG’s KL Rahul are in contention for the second wicketkeeper’s slot, presuming that Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant is almost a certainty. There will, thus, be double pressure on Samson and Rahul to not only ensure that their respective teams do well, but also to maintain their own form and fitness. Also Read: IPL 2024: Aaron Finch defends Virat Kohli's 43-ball 51 runs knock vs SRH Time is also running out for LSG fast bowler Mayank Yadav, who had grabbed national attention by hurling the ball over 155 kmph and picking three wickets each against RCB and Punjab Kings. But unfortunately, he suffered a lower abdominal injury in the game against Gujarat Titans and has since missed four matches which has set him back as far as an Indian team berth is concerned. If he misses tonight’s game, it will be curtains for him and if he does play, he will have to get into the act immediately as it may well be his last chance. As for tonight’s match, there is no doubt that it’s going to be an exciting affair, with top-order batters of both teams in tremendous form. If Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Samson and Rovman Powell get going, no target will be safe. Same is the case with LSG. Quinton de Kock, Rahul, Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran can destroy any attack on their day. Both teams are lined up with in-form batters and the side that implement their plans well and hold their nerves will emerge victorious.
27 April,2024 07:10 AM IST | Lucknow | Santosh SuriFormer Australia opener Aaron Finch defended Virat Kohli’s innings after the star Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter scored a 43-ball 51 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), saying sometimes a set batter’s role is to take the game deeper, which somewhere limits the intent to hit boundaries. Kohli was quick in the Powerplay, scoring 23 off just 11 deliveries, but he laboured to score his next 28 runs off 32 balls due to some tight overs from T Natarajan and Shahbaz Ahmed. Also Read: IPL 2024: Bengaluru's all-round performance helps them secure season's second win Aaron Finch However, Rajat Patidar did not let RCB’s scoring rate drop. He came into the game with a strike-rate of 125 against pacers and 197 against spinners this season, and banked on his strength to score a 20-ball 50—the joint second-fastest fifty in RCB’s history, that powered Faf du Plessis’s side to 206 in 20 overs, and eventually winning the game by 35 runs. The former Australian skipper urged people not to deem Kohli’s innings slow as he was trying to build a partnership with Patidar after losing two wickets. “I think it is a combination of a few things here. Yes, he [Kohli] got off to an absolute flyer. But after the Powerplay, he dropped to 19 from 25. But one thing you have to keep in mind is that Patidar was going crazy at the other end. Sometimes your job as a set batter is to take the game a little bit deeper and get Patidar on strike as much as possible. That’s where the intent to hit boundaries goes out,” said Finch. 118.60Virat Kolhi’s strike-rate against SRH on Thursday 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
27 April,2024 07:05 AM IST | Hyderabad | IANSSkipper Faf du Plessis won the toss and the match swung in the hard-pressed Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) way, while the law of averages caught up with hosts Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday. RCB, who recorded their second win of the season from nine matches, beat SRH by 35 runs to end the hosts’ winning streak. The Pat Cummins-led side have five wins and three losses and are third on the points table. When the two sides met previously in Bangalore, SRH broke their own record to score 288-3. This time though RCB avenged that defeat in emphatic fashion with Rajat Patidar winning the Player of the Match award for his aggressive 50 off 20 balls. Also Read: IPL 2024, KKR vs PBKS: Bairstow's century, Shashank's stunning knock helps beat KKR by 8 wickets Close encounters The win came as a massive relief for the bottom-placed RCB and Du Plessis said his team have been showing signs of a fightback since the last two games. “We’ve been close for a while, but you need to win matches to get confidence as a group. Only thing that gives confidence is performances. We’ll sleep better tonight,” said Du Plessis, who was happy to see his batters scoring runs. “More guys are scoring runs now. In the first half of the tournament only Virat [Kohli] was scoring runs. Greeny [Cameron Green] scoring runs now will be massive for him,” said the South African, admitting frustration at losing matches on their home ground—the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. “It’s a difficult ground to bowl on. We have tried to find a recipe for it, but it’s tough.” Meanwhile, SRH coach Daniel Vettori admitted that his team faltered. The trio of Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen, who were ruthless in the previous four matches, endured a rare failure. Head was out in the first over, Abhishek in the fourth and Klaasen in the fifth. SRH’s Vettori rues tough loss Vettori felt 206 was a good score, but backed his players because of their past performances. “We also know it’s been set up by the openers, and today [Thursday], they had an off day, and that’s cricket, you have off days. We don’t expect them to perform in 14 games and unfortunately, we didn’t get the support in the middle stages. It’s a tough loss, but we understand that every team in the IPL can beat every team. There are no easy games at all,” said the New Zealander after his team managed just 171-8, chasing 207 for victory.
27 April,2024 07:00 AM IST | Hyderabad | N Jagannath DasPunjab Kings opening batsman Jonny Bairstow scored an unbeaten 108 runs in just 48 deliveries. His knock saw him strike 8 fours and 9 sixes. Followed by Shashank Singh who delivered another match-winning performance for PBKS. Facing just 28 balls, Shashank smashed unbeaten 68 runs including 2 fours and 8 sixes. Punjab Kings won the IPL 2024 match against Kolkata Knight Riders by eight wickets. Also Read: IPL 2024, KKR vs PBKS: Narine, Salt's gritty knocks propel Kolkata to 261 for 6 vs Punjab The IPL 2024 match between KKR and PBKS saw Punjab register the most successful run-chase in the T20 cricket of 262 runs. The match also witnessed the most number of sixes which is 42 in the history of the Indian Premier League. In the run-chase of 262 runs, PBKS opener Prabhsimran Singh gave an impressive start to the team as he scored 54 runs off just 20 deliveries, followed by, Bairstow's match-winning century and Shashank Singh's late heroics. Prabhsimran's knock was laced with 4 fours and 5 sixes. Rilee Rossouw coming in to bat at number three also played a fiery cameo. His 26-run knock came in 16 balls including 1 four and 2 sixes. While defending a target of 262 runs in the IPL 2024 match against PBKS, none of the KKR bowlers was able to put on an impactful show. Sunil Narine was the lone bowler to register a wicket. He dismissed Rossouw in his four overs and conceded 24 runs. All the other bowlers went wicketless in the 42nd fixture of the IPL 2024. Harshit Rana was the most expensive bowler from Kolkata's perspective. He conceded 61 runs in four overs without claiming any wickets. Narine, Phil Salt and Venkatesh Iyer were the standout performers with the willow. Also, captain Shreyas Iyer scored 28 runs off 10 balls including 1 four and 3 sixes. Punjab Kings will clash with Chennai Super Kings in their next IPL 2024 match on May 1.
26 April,2024 11:44 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentVenkatesh Iyer's late heroics of 39 runs helped the hosts put on a humongous total of 261 runs in the IPL 2024 match against the Punjab Kings. His 39-run knock came in 23 balls including 3 fours and 2 sixes. Punjab now need to chase the target of 262 runs in the IPL 2024 match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. Star batsman Rinku Singh departed early as he scored five runs off four balls including 1 four. Facing just three balls, Ramandeep Singh stayed unbeaten on the score of six runs. He struck one maximum in Harshal Patel's last over. Also Read: Krunal Pandya, wife Pankhuri blessed with a second child, names him Vayu Having needed to bat first after losing the toss, Kolkata Knight Riders opening batsmen Phil Salt and Sunil Narine showcased their batting prowess in the 42nd fixture of the IPL 2024. Facing 37 balls, Salt scored 75 runs including 6 fours and 6 sixes. Narine on the other hand, did not disappoint the home crowd as he blasted 71 runs in just 32 deliveries. His knock was laced with 9 fours and 4 sixes. Andre Russell, too accumulated 24 runs off 12 deliveries. He struck 2 sixes and 2 fours during his knock. Followed by captain Shreyas Iyer, who scored 28 runs in 10 balls including 1 four and 3 sixes. In the IPL 2024 match against KKR, Punjab Kings' bowlers failed to put on an impressive show with the willow. Lead pacers Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh conceded 52 runs and 45 runs, respectively in their four-over spell. Arshdeep claimed two wickets including Russell and captain Shreyas Iyer. Skipper Sam Curran was the most expensive bowler from Punjab's perspective. He conceded 60 runs and bagged one wicket in four overs. Spinner Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar were bashed for 21 and 33 runs, respectively. Chahar and Harshal Patel too registered one wicket each to their names. Shikhar Dhawan continued to miss another IPL 2024 match as he has not fully recovered from his injury.
26 April,2024 09:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentCricketer Krunal Pandya and his wife Pankhuri have been blessed with a baby boy. On Friday, Krunal took to Instagram and shared the post and also revealed the name of the boy, Vayu. "Vayu Krunal Pandya 21.04.24," Krunal's post read. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Krunal Himanshu Pandya (@krunalpandya_official) The first image saw Krunal holding his first child Kabir beside his wife Pankhuri held their newborn baby, Vayu. Cricket fraternity and fans congratulated the family in the comment section. Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: The race behind the stumps! "Congratulations (red heart emoji)," Experienced spinner Yuzvendra Chahal commented. "Many congratulations to both. Much love," seasoned wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik wrote. Krunal Pandya has been delivering crucial performances in the IPL 2024 for Lucknow Super Giants. He scripted history in the IPL 2024 as he bowled the most economical spell for LSG in the history of the Indian Premier League. The 33-year-old attained the milestone in the IPL 2024 match against Gujarat Titans at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. He bagged three wickets by conceding 11 runs in four overs with an economy of 2.75. He registered the wickets of Sai Sudarshan, BS Sharath and Darshan Nalkande. This is the most economical spell of four overs by an LSG bowler in IPL. Pandya broke his own record, having previously delivered a 2/11 in four overs spell against Punjab Kings back in 2022. Mark Wood, the English fast bowler, also delivered a four-over spell of 5/14 against Delhi Capitals last year. Krunal loves playing against GT it seems as numbers prove it. In five matches, he has taken six wickets against the franchise at an average of 17.66 and an economy rate of 5.3. He has also maintained a strike rate of 20 against GT. He has also scored 51 runs in five innings against GT at an average of 17.00, with the best score of 23*, often coming down the order. Overall this season, Krunal has picked five wickets in eight matches at an economy of 7.43. (With ANI Inputs)
26 April,2024 09:04 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFormer Indian star Yuvraj Singh said Suryakumar Yadav and pacer Jasprit Bumrah will be the key players for India in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. Yuvraj Singh played a crucial role in India's triumph in 2007 and also added that Suryakumar needs to have a good outing to win the cup for the second time and Bumrah needs to be at his best. "Suryakumar Yadav (is India's key player)," Yuvraj was quoted as saying by ICC." He added, "Because the way he plays, he can change the complexion of a game in 15 balls. And he is definitely a surety for India to win this T20 World Cup, Surya is going to be the key. Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: The race behind the stumps! "I think Jasprit Bumrah is also the key with the bowling and I would like to see a leg-spinner in the squad as well, like Yuzvendra Chahal as he has been bowling really well. "But being a batter, I would say Suryakumar Yadav (is the key player)." When asked about India's first-choice wicket-keeper for the T20 World Cup 2024, Yuvraj showed his faith in Dinesh Karthik but also said if he is not a part of the playing XI then there is no point picking him in the squad as Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson are also delivering well with the willow. "DK (Karthik) has been batting well, but the thing with DK is that the last time (2022) they picked him and the T20 WC was on he didn't get to play," Yuvraj noted. "If DK is not in your XI I don't think there is any point in picking him. There is Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and both guys are in great form and obviously they are younger. "I would like to see DK in the mix, but if he is not going to play then you would rather have someone who is younger and can make the difference." Yuvraj knows just how important Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are to India's fortunes in the T20 showpiece and refused to put an end date on when he thinks the duo should retire from international cricket. Instead, Yuvraj suggested that Rohit and Kohli should consider giving up on playing T20I cricket after the T20 World Cup and concentrate on other formats. "As you get older people start talking about your age and they forget about your form," Yuvraj stated. "These guys have been great players for India and they deserve to go (retire) when they want. I would like to see more younger players in the T20 format, because it gets the load off them (experienced players) playing 50-over (ODIs) and Test matches. After this (T20) World Cup I would like to see a lot of younger guys come into the team and make the T20 side for the next World Cup." Yuvraj picked Chennai Super Kings left-hander Shivam Dube as one player that he wants to see in the squad, thanks to his explosive batting. "I would like to see Shivam Dube in the squad," he said. He has been in and out of the (Indian) team, but this IPL he has been batting very well and he is someone who can be the game-changer. "There are a lot of other guys who have been playing for a while now, but I would like to see Shivam Dube in the mix," he added. (With PTI Inputs)
26 April,2024 05:00 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentDelhi Capitals will look to keep their winning momentum on against inconsistent Mumbai Indians when they clash against each other in the IPL 2024 match on Saturday. The Delhiites are having a rollercoaster IPL 2024 season as they have won four matches out of nine. Currently, Rishabh Pant-led Delhi Capitals are in the sixth position with eight points and the win against Mumbai Indians will boost their chances for the IPL 2024 playoffs. DC's biggest positive has undoubtedly been skipper Rishabh Pant's form, which appears to be improving with each game. He has looked sharp behind the stumps and seems to be batting with freedom. He was at his belligerent best during a match-winning unbeaten knock against Gujarat Titans on Wednesday. Struggling MI have won three matches out of eight games and are in the eighth position after facing defeat in the IPL 2024 match against Rajasthan Royals by nine wickets. Looking at Rishabh Pant's form there are chances that he can make up to India's squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 despite the competition with Sanju Samson, Dinesh Karthik and Ishan Kishan. Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: The race behind the stumps! In Jake Fraser-McGurk, DC has found a reliable top-order batsman who can make the most out of the powerplay. But more is expected from opening batsman Prithvi Shaw as he is used as an impact player. David Warner who missed the previous game might feature again in the playing XI as his replacement Shai Hope failed capitalise on the opportunity. Tristan Stubbs also proved his skills with the willow, while Axar Patel also scored crucial runs during the GT clash. While the spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar have bowled economically, DC's fast bowling unit needs to step up. Pace spearhead Anrich Nortje is having a forgettable season and has leaked runs at 13.36 which has been a major problem for Delhi. The likes of Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar and Ishant Sharma have been plagued by injuries leading to inconsistent runs. They were taken to the cleaners by MI batters, who piled on 234/5 earlier in the season. And DC would be wary of a similar performance. MI's resurgence this season began with a win against DC and the five-time champions would hope for an encore in the crucial clash. For Mumbai, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma have got runs but all of them have found form in patches. It's time for the likes of Tim David, Ishan Kishan and skipper Hardik Pandya to contribute in a big way and take some pressure off the top trio. While the batting department has occasionally looked good, the bowling remains a massive cause of concern.Jasprit Bumrah has expectedly been MI's standout bowler. He has led the attack with 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.37. However, new addition Gerald Coetzee has been inconsistent in his maiden IPL. Though he has an economy of 10.10, the South African pacer has accounted for 12 wickets in eight games.But barring the two seamers, Mumbai's bowling has disappointed. IPL 2024 Squads for DC vs MI: Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (c), David Warner, Abishek Porel, Ricky Bhui, Yash Dhull, Shai Hope, Prithvi Shaw, Tristan Stubbs, Kumar Kushagra, Swastik Chikara, Ishant Sharma, Jhye Richardson, Rasikh Dar Salam, Vicky Ostwal, Anrich Nortje, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Praveen Dubey, Khaleel Ahmed, Sumit Kumar, Axar Patel, Gulbadin Naib, Lalit Yadav, Jake Fraser-McGurk. Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David, Shreyas Gopal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Mohammad Nabi, Shams Mulani, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Thushara, Tilak Varma, Harvik Desai, Nehal Wadhera, Luke Wood. (With PTI Inputs)
26 April,2024 01:50 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
