Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya heaved a huge sigh of relief with a close nine-run win over Punjab Kings, stating that every player’s nerves got tested in Thursday’s IPL game. Young batting sensation Ashutosh Sharma’s 28-ball 61 was not enough as Punjab Kings, while chasing 193, were bowled out for 183 in 19.1 overs. The five-time champions MI registered only their third win out of seven games this season. Also Read: IPL 2024: MI skipper Hardik Pandya fined for slow over rate during PBKS match ‘A very good game’ “[It was a] very good game. Everyone’s nerves got tested. We spoke that the characters will be checked in this game. But [it is] natural [that] you [would] think you are ahead, but IPL has a tendency to show that oppositions can come back and how,” Pandya said. The MI skipper was full of praise for Ashutosh’s whirlwind knock, which kept Punjab in the hunt till the end. “Unbelievable, playing the way he did and hitting the ball off the middle. [It is] great for his future. We did speak in the timeout about it, not about how we look, we will keep fighting and make sure [that] we don’t bowl the soft balls. Batsmen played good shots but we were soft in certain overs,” Pandya said. ‘Want to make an impact early on’ The player of the match Jasprit Bumrah, who bowled a brilliant spell of 3-21 said it was a much closer game than he anticipated. “[It was a] much closer game than what we thought. [I] want to make an impact early on. In this format, ball swings for two overs, and you want to make use of that,” he said. Bumrah said the T20 format is cruel for bowlers and is tilted in favour of batters. “This format is a little difficult for the bowlers because the batsmanship is going over, plus the time restrictions and the Impact Player rule. What you can do is prepare your best and back yourself,” 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
20 April,2024 07:10 AM IST | Mullanpur | PTIMumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya has been fined Rs 12 lakh for his team maintaining a slow over-rate during their thrilling nine-run victory over Punjab Kings. Also Read: KL's gritty knock and de Kock's fifty helps LSG successfully chase target vs CSK “As it was his team’s first offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Pandya was fined Rs 12 lakh,” said an IPL statement on Friday. 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
20 April,2024 07:05 AM IST | Mullanpur | PTIAfter M.S Dhoni nailed the last bite by scoring 28 off nine deliveries, K.L Rahul (82) and Quinton de Kock's (54) masterclass during a 154-run opening wicket partnership helped Lucknow Super Giants beat Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in the highest successful run chase at Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Friday. Dhoni was shadow-batting in the dressing room with three bats next to him with Chennai Super Kings struggling to put up a big score. After 15 overs, CSK were 113/5, and with two left-hand batters out there: Jadeja and Moeen. Until this game, CSK had scored at 11.26 in the death overs and if they could get anywhere closer to that, they would be more than happy, especially to post something around 160. Earlier, given the chance to bat first Chennai got off to a poor start as Mohsin Khan from the Media End struck on the very first ball. He bowled a scrambled seam delivery to Rachin Ravindra and disturbed the stumps to make the crowd roar for him. A first-ball duck for Rachin and Mohsin bowled pretty tight for the rest of the over too to concede just three runs. CSK had just started to pick up pace after being 7/1 in two overs and were 29/1 after four. K.L. Rahul then made a bowling change and brought on Yash Thakur for Matt Henry (2-0-17-0) and he struck with his second ball to have the CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad for 17. And much to everyone's surprise, out outwalked Ravindra Jadeja at No. 4. And as soon as the Power-play ended, Krunal Pandya came in the attack and he started with a quiet one, just six runs from the over. Ajinkya Rahane on the other end was going well for CSK at 26 off 16 after the Power-play, despite battling a niggle in the last game in Mumbai, with four fours and a six already. After a quiet first over, Krunal got the wicket of Rahane, who was setting up nicely with 36 off 23 before swinging across the line for a ball that wasn't so short. The in-form Shivam Dube came out at No.5 and considering his ability to attack against spinner, Rahul was bound to take his prime spinner Pandya out of attack. Just to highlight, Dube had never got out to either Pandya or Ravi Bishnoi in his entire IPL career. It was hard to say which team was in front, and that was because LSG had removed a set batter, Rahane, after the Power-play, and Jadeja was knocking them at 27 off 18 as Dube was taking his time to tick along. LSG then brought on a fast bowler from one end - Yash Thakur - probably to bowl some short and quick ones to Dube. Also Read: 'Injuries don't define you': Mohammed Shami shares rehab update After bowling back-to-back spinners' overs against Jadeja and Dube, Rahul brought on pace from both ends. As soon as Marcus Stoinis came in, he bowled an innocuous-looking short delivery at 125.4 km/h, Dube went for the pull and top-edged for a skier which Rahul settled under just in time next to the pitch. Dube got out after scoring three runs from eight deliveries. Sameer Rizvi the new man at No. 6, came in as an Impact Sub for Rahane, who won't field in the chase. CSK were slowing down after the 12 overs and scored 89/4, with the last five overs bringing only 32/2. CSK were crumbling with five down in 13 overs and a strange wicket fell on Pandya’s ball with Sameer Rizvi dancing miles down the ground for Rahul to effect a stumping. Rizvi lasted all of five balls for just one run and hasn't impressed at all in his maiden IPL season. Dhoni was shadow-batting in the dressing room with three bats next to him. Moeen Ali joined Jadeja who was making CSK tick along. He was on 33 off 24. CSK were 93/5 after 13 overs. After 15 overs, CSK were 113/5, and with two left-hand batters out there: Jadeja and Moeen. Until this game, CSK had scored at 11.26 in the death overs and if they could get anywhere closer to that, they would be more than happy, especially to post something around 160. Bishnoi came back to bowl his last over of the spell which he later ended with the figure of 1-44 was taken down by Moeen Ali for three back-to-back sixes in the 18th over. Two on the leg side and one over long-off before he holed out to deep midwicket. But he departed after scoring 30 from 20 deliveries. CSK were 142 for 6 after 18 overs. In came Dhoni and kicked off with a one-bounce four through extra cover, a most un-Dhoni-like six over the keeper's head after walking across the stumps as Mohsin was bowling very wide of the crease. CSK were 157 for 6 after 19, with 15 from the 19th over. The 19-run last over from Yash Thakur propelled CSK to 176 for 6 after Dhoni powered his way for 16 runs in the last four deliveries after just three runs came from the first two. Jadeja remained unbeaten on 57 in 40 deliveries with Dhoni scoring 28 in just nine deliveries. For LSG, Pandya struck twice and Mohsin, Yash, Ravi and Stoinis claimed a wicket each. Chasing a modest target of 177, Lucknow openers Rahul and de Kock gave a good start and added 32 runs in the first four overs. After Deepak Chahar’s three-run first over, Tushar Deshpande was smashed for nine in the second over and LSG raced away to 32 runs in four overs. With the talk around Rahul’s strike rate in T20s especially in IPL, the LSG skipper raced to 34 off 20 with some classy strokes and led his team to 54 for no loss in the Power-play, along with de Kock, for their joint second-best Power-play score of the season. LSG and Rahul would have gained loads of confidence with plenty of strokes that he scored playing the aggressive role in the chase. He has belted out his mighty pulls, classy drives, and perfectly-timed pick-up shots to set up the chase nicely. Rahul was nicely placed on 46 off 27 and de Kock scored 34 off 27 balls after the end of nine overs. LSG were 84 for no loss after nine -- their best opening stand this IPL -- and they needed 93 off 66. Rahul was dealing with boundaries. He first played a cut shot past Jadeja to reach his fifty, off 31 balls. It was his 35th half-century in the IPL. Next ball, he sliced it just wide of point for another four, and that brought up LSG's 100. As many as 14 runs came off Jadeja's third over and CSK’s eleventh. LSG were 103 after 11 and need 74 off 54. Until this match, CSK were the stranglers of the middle overs in this IPL, something that they showed in their last game against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede. Their economy rate of 7.03 in the middle overs before this match was well below the next best -- Delhi Capitals' 8.04, and CSK had also taken 21 wickets in this phase, only behind DC's 22. Pathirana had done a lot of work in the middle overs to make that happen but on Friday, like the rest of the bowling attack, the Sri Lankan was not as effective. Rahul and de Kock cruised along for nearly 15 overs and CSK finally got a breakthrough as De Kock edged an off-cutter from Mustafizur Rahman behind to MS Dhoni for 54 off 43 and LSG were 134 for 1 after 15 overs. LSG needed 43 from 30 and Nicholas Pooran joined his captain and straightaway sent his second ball for a maximum off Pathirana’s delivery. In the very next over he smoked Rahman for back-to-back boundaries and then Rahul ended the over with the third boundary of the over as Rahman gave away 15 runs in his last over of the spell. He ended his spell with figures of 1-43. With 16 needed out of 18 deliveries, Jadeja guiding the backward point pulled out a screamer dicing to his left with a single-handed catch to dismiss Rahul on 82 off Pathirana’s delivery. In came Marcus Stoinis at No. 4 and with the help of 15 runs of Tushar Deshpande’s last over of the spell, LSG won the match by eight wickets and six deliveries remaining. This was the highest successful chase at Ekana Cricket Stadium breaking the previous record of Delhi Capitals, who chased down a total of 168 runs against Lucknow Super Giants. Brief scores:Chennai Super Kings 176/6 in 20 overs (Ravindra Jadeja 57 not out, Ajinkya Rahane 36; Krunal Pandya 2-16, Marcus Stoinis 1-7) lost to Lucknow Super Giants 180/2 in 19 overs (K.L. Rahul 82, Quinton de Kock 54; Matheesa Pathirana 1-19, Mustafizur Rahman 1-43) by eight wickets. 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
20 April,2024 07:00 AM IST | Lucknow | IANSVeteran Indian pacer Mohammed Shami on Friday shared the progress of his rehabilitation process post a surgery on his Achilles tendon, stressing his strong desire to return to the field at the earliest. Shami played through last year's ODI World Cup braving the pain, finishing the tournament as the highest wicket-taker with 24 scalps. But since the final against Australia, the 33-year-old has been completely sidelined with the injury. Eventually, he underwent the surgery in February. "Injuries don't define you, your comeback will. Can't wait to be back out there with my team!" Shami posted on his Instagram handle and it accompanied by a video which showed him in the midst of a procedure Since the World Cup, Shami has missed out playing against Australia in a T20I series, the tour to South Africa and home assignments against Afghanistan (T20I) and England (Test). Also Read: Big investments, disappointing returns The surgery on his ankle meant that Shami also could not feature in the IPL 2024 for Gujarat Titans for whom he has captured 48 wickets from 33 matches across 2022 and 2023. He missed the home T20I series against Australia following the ICC event, and he was ruled out of the entire South Africa tour. He also missed the Afghanistan series and is not participating in the ongoing Test series against England. The 33-year-old, who was not part of the Test series against England, last donned the Indian jersey in November 2023 during the ODI World Cup. With him missing the entire IPL, it's highly unlikely that Shami will feature in India's squad for the T20 World Cup in June. He was awarded the Arjuna Award for his exceptional show with the ball in the global showpiece. So far, the pacer has featured in 64 tests, 101 One-Day Internationals and 23 T20 International matches. (With agency inputs)
19 April,2024 08:40 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentIndia and Mumbai Indians (MI) batter Tilak Varma, in a heartwarming gesture following his side's win against the Punjab Kings (PBKS), gifted his batting gloves to two young budding cricketers who had come to watch the game. MI defeated PBKS by nine runs in a thrilling contest at Punjab's Mullanpur Stadium on Thursday. PBKS batter Ashutosh Sharma threatened to steal Suryakumar Yadav's spotlight and the match itself with a resilient half-century following a top-order collapse, but a run out in the final over helped MI walk away with two points. MI's official X (formerly Twitter) handle posted a video of Tilak giving his gloves to two young cricketers. "Scored 34* (18), took an important catch and this... Gave two budding cricketers a reason to believe in their dreams. Tilak Varma, #MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians #PBKSvMI | @TilakV9," tweeted MI. Scored 34* (18), took an important catch and this… Gave two budding cricketers a reason to believe in their dreams. Tilak Varma, 🙏👍🥹#MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians #PBKSvMI | @TilakV9 pic.twitter.com/nZIifQAcZh — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 19, 2024 In seven games, Tilak has scored 208 runs at an average of 41.60 and a strike rate of 154.07. He has scored one half-century this season, a knock of 64 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Also Read: 'If I could have played till the end...': KL Rahul on his 'regret' in WC final Coming to the match, fine knocks from Suryakumar Yadav (78), Rohit Sharma (36) and Tilak (34) took MI to 192/7 in their 20 overs. Harshal Patel (3/31) was the pick of the bowlers for PBKS. PBKS were 77/6 at one point, but Shashank Sharma (41), Ashutosh Sharma (64) and Harpreet Brar (21) threatened to steal the game from MI. However, they fell nine runs short and skittled out for 183. Jasprit Bumrah (3/21) was the pick of the bowlers for MI. MI are in seventh place with three wins and four losses in the points table and have six points. PBKS are in the ninth spot with two wins and five losses. (With agency inputs)
19 April,2024 07:31 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentEngland and Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter Jonny Bairstow revealed his top three T20 batters among the present crop in the world. Bairstow is currently representing PBKS in the ongoing IPL 2024, however, he has failed to showcase his top form in the tournament, scoring just 96 runs in six matches at an average of 16.00, with the best score of 42. Speaking in a video posted by ESPNCricinfo, Bairstow said that his current top three T20 batters are: Suryakumar Yadav (India and Mumbai Indians), Jos Buttler (England and Rajasthan Royals) and Heinrich Klaasen (South Africa and Sunrisers Hyderabad). Suryakumar has been the number one ranked T20I batter for quite a while. In 60 T20Is, he has scored 2,141 runs at an average of 45.55, with a strike rate of 171.55. He has scored four centuries and 17 fifties in T20Is. In the ongoing IPL, he has made 130 runs in four matches, with two half-centuries. Klaasen is also a highly sought-after player on the league cricket circuit. In six matches of the ongoing IPL season, he has scored 253 runs at an average of 63.25, with a strike rate of over 199. He has scored three half-centuries and is the seventh-highest run-getter in the season. Over last couple of years or so, he has replicated this form across various T20 leagues, like The Hundred in UK, SA20 in South Africa, Major League Cricket in the USA, etc, making him one of the best out there now. Also Read: 'If I could have played till the end...': KL Rahul on his 'regret' in WC final Buttler is in hot form during the IPL this season, having scored 250 runs in six matches at an average of 62.50, with two centuries. In 114 T20Is for England, he has made 2,927 runs at an average of 34.84, with a strike rate of 144.61, with a century and 22 fifties. In T20 cricket as a whole, Buttler has scored 11,396 runs in 409 matches at an average of 34.95, with eight centuries and 80 fifties. On the best bowlers he has faced in nets, he named South African legend Dale Steyn and current Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. Steyn is considered as one of the finest pacers of all time, having taken 699 wickets in 265 matches. On the other hand, Bumrah has taken 382 wickets in 187 international games. The India is also in top form during the ongoing IPL, sitting at the top of the wicket-taking charts with 13 scalps in seven games. Bairstow named his English teammate and pace spearhead, Jofra Archer, as someone he does not like facing in the nets. On the bowler who gave him sleepless nights, Bairstow mentioned Australian pace legend Mitchell Johnson, who has 590 wickets in 256 matches. Bairstow named Australian skipper Pat Cummins as a player who he wants to play for England during the Ashes, because of how he "bats, bowls and galvanises his team". Notably, Cummins managed to draw the Ashes series in the UK by 2-2 last year and retained the prestigious urn. On a spinner he would like to avoid facing, Bairstow wasted no time in naming Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, calling him "phenomenal.". Jadeja has taken 567 wickets in 335 international games. Currently, PBKS is in ninth place with two wins and five losses, giving them just four points. They will next play the Gujarat Titans (GT) at Mullanpur Stadium on Sunday. (With agency inputs)
19 April,2024 06:51 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentKL Rahul on Friday opened up on one of the biggest regrets of his cricketing career and his time with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise in IPL 2024. Speaking on a video on Ravichandran Ashwin's Youtube channel on Thursday, Rahul said that his regret was not being able to stick around on the crease for long and taking his team to a good score in the finals. "The World Cup final against Australia, I was stuck in the moment, whether to take down (Mitchell) Starc or just play him as it was reversing, bowling in tough angle - in that confusion, I ended up nicking it - if I could have played till the end, it could have been 30-plus runs & probably World Cup in our hands--that is what I regret.". Rahul said. In the final, India could score only 240 runs in their 50 overs after being put to bowl first by Australia, with KL (66), Virat Kohli (54) and Rohit Sharma (47) playing crucial innings. Australia was 47-3 at one point during the run-chase, but Travis Head's 137 took the Aussies to a six-wicket win in Ahmedabad. KL had a great tournament with the bat and gloves, though. His versatility while batting, glovework and DRS calls garnered him acclaim. In 10 innings, he scored 452 runs at an average of 75.33, with a century and two fifties. His best score was 102. KL also revealed to Ashwin what his conversations were with star batter Virat Kohli when he signed his IPL deal with RCB back in 2013. He said that playing for the franchise was always his dream, and it was a massive learning experience for him. "Virat was there (ITC Gardenia), coach Ray Jennings and other support staff were also there and Virat only said, 'Would you want to sign this contract and play for RCB?' I was like, 'Are you kidding? It was always my dream.' And then he said, 'I am just kidding. It is not an option, just sign this contract.' I signed and Virat said, 'It is going to be a crazy ride. You are going to enjoy a lot in the next couple of months.'" "The things that I learned (at RCB) in those two months--I mean, the amount of time it would have taken me to be the player by playing just Ranji Trophy would have probably taken it 7-8 seasons. During those two months in the IPL, I gained so much knowledge and experience and everything was fast-forwarded," he added. Also Read: Big investments, disappointing returns KL represented RCB in the 2013 and 2016 seasons, playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) from 2014-15, for Punjab Kings from 2018-2021 and for LSG from 2022 till now on. In 19 matches and 14 innings for RCB, he scored 468 runs at an average of 37.91, with a strike rate of 145.30. He scored four half-centuries, with the best score of 68*. The right-handed batter said that he would have liked to finish his IPL career with RCB after playing only for them, but the "beauty of IPL" took him to different teams. He also opened up on how excited he was to create a new team and culture with LSG when he was bought by the franchise in 2022. "I would have also loved to play for Bangalore. I had started there, I would have liked to finish there and that was there in my head. But the beauty of IPL is that you get to go into different teams with different players," said KL. "When the two new teams came in and I had an opportunity to go there, thats what excited me. To start a franchise from scratch. To create my own team, my own culture. It has been fun and hopefully I can finish there," he concluded. In 30 matches for LSG, KL has scored 1,094 runs at an average of 42.08, with two centuries and seven fifties. His best score is 103*. Currently, his team is at the fifth spot in the points table, with three wins, three losses and six points. (With agency inputs)
19 April,2024 05:26 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe first time Rishabh Pant made a public appearance at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, he walked on crutches, but when emotional Rishabh Pant walks as the captain of Delhi Capitals, he needs to bring his best game out to stop in-form Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2024. Delhi Capitals have had a mixed IPL 2024 season so far, but wins against Lucknow Supper Giants and Gujarat Titans have helped them secure sixth position on the table. Placed in the fourth position on the points table, Sunrisers Hyderabad is having a very impressive IPL 2024 campaign. So far, they have posted two of the highest-ever totals 277 and 287. Travis Head is scoring runs in an aggressive way followed by Abhishek Sharma in the powerplay. Head and Abhishek's intimidating strike rates of 199 and 197 respectively will pose a serious challenge for the pace trio of Ishant Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar. Also Read: IN PHOTOS | LSG vs CSK: Here's all you need to know Adding to the threat is Heinrich Klaasen also striking at 199, who is one of the best finishers in international cricket with a propensity to hit balls out of the stadium, which gives SRH's batting a scary look. But Kuldeep Yadav's (economy of 6.06) left-arm wrist spin could well prove to be a game changer and in Tristan Stubbs, Pant has got an ideal third spin option alongside Axar Patel (6.75). Pant, who is himself getting back to the top of his game, wouldn't mind if he could win the toss and opt to bat. But David Warner's knuckle injury is a concern. Jake Fraser-McGurk on the other hand, has impressed in his first two IPL 2024 outings. While SRH's batting has been top-notch on belters, their bowlers have suffered a lot on those tracks with only skipper Pat Cummins (7.87) having an economy rate of less than 8 runs per over, which is considered good in today's day and age of T20. However seasoned duo of Jaydev Unadkat (11.35) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (10.45), have both been average while spinners wrist spinner Mayank Markande (11.23) and left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed (ER 12.44) have been sent on a leather hunt. The best option for Pant would be to open the batting and go for the jugular against SRH, putting scoreboard pressure on the rampaging Orange Army. In case the Capitals have to chase, the idea would be to keep SRH down to 210-220 which would be chaseable against an attack which may not be able to hold its own on good batting tracks. Squads for the IPL 2024 match between DC and SRH: Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (c&wk), David Warner, Abishek Porel, Ricky Bhui, Yash Dhull, Shai Hope, Prithvi Shaw, Tristan Stubbs, Kumar Kushagra (wk), 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, Mitchell Marsh, Lalit Yadav, Jake Fraser-McGurk. Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins (c), Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Rahul Tripathi, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Sanvir Singh, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Agarwal, T. Natarajan, Anmolpreet Singh, Mayank Markande, Upendra Singh Yadav (wk), Umran Malik, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Travis Head, Jaydev Unadkat, Akash Singh, Jhathavedh Subramanyan. (With PTI Inputs)
19 April,2024 03:56 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFormer Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh lambasted Punjab Kings management for the decisions that they made against Mumbai Indians in the ongoing IPL 2024. MI made PBKS batter totter hard while chasing a target of 193. The pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Gerald Coetzee made short work of the PBKS opening batters and played a major role in reducing PBKS to 77/6. In the absence of designated skipper Shikhar Dhawan and opener Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran opened the inning for the hosts. After Punjab lost three wickets within the blink of an eye in their IPL 2024 encounter, Liam Livingstone was promoted in the order and sent in for the number four spot. The decision of PBKS management didn't go well with Harbhajan, as he slammed the management for their decisions. "What was the point of sending Sam Curran to open? Prabhsimran got out while trying to pull. I can understand that both players got out on not-so-dangerous deliveries. Then the delivery that got Rilee Rossouw out was sensational. But then you sent Livingstone as a batter who plays the role of finisher and whenever he is the captain, he goes on no. 6 because he plays the role of finisher," Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel. Also Read: Big investments, disappointing returns After top batters failed to leave their mark, the uncapped Indian duo of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma raised hopes of an unprecedented comeback. Shashank struck 41 off 25 deliveries, while Ashutosh took the game deep with his 61 off 28 deliveries. "We have to appreciate Shashank and Ashutosh. I want to understand how this management works. They send Livingstone up in the batting order and the players who are in form, Shashank are sent afterwards. You sent Harpreet Bhatia ahead of him. If you have brought him, then you should have waited. Shashank is in good form he has already produced match-winning performances. If Sahshank and Ashutosh were not there PBKS would have fallen before 100. Ashutosh is in form and he should be promoted to the batting order. You should give youngsters an opportunity," he added. Recapping the match, star speedster Jasprit Bumrah's (3/21) and Gerald Coetzee's (3/32) influential spells, along with a scintillating 78-run knock from Surya Kumar Yadav, helped the Mumbai Indians defeat the Punjab Kings by nine runs. MI survived an unprecedented Ashutosh (61 off 28) blitz after Suryakumar Yadav's 78 helped the visitors post 192/7. (With agency inputs)
19 April,2024 03:50 PM IST | Mohali | mid-day online correspondent
It has been four months since they led the way for Australia with two sizable deals but fortune appears to have turned its back on both Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in the ongoing IPL season. After sparking an intense bidding battle among top IPL franchises at a swish multi-purpose venue in Dubai last December, Starc fetched a handsome Rs 24.75 crore, with comrade Cummins the only other top name in the fray, having been acquired for Rs 20.5 crore. Besides Starc and Cummins, Daryl Mitchell, Harshal Patel, and Alzarri Joseph have encountered a lacklustre start to their campaign this season. If we assess their performances, it becomes evident that four out of the five most expensive players would fall into the lowest tier. Additionally, three others among the current top seven have only slightly improved but still remain below par compared to expectations. Surprisingly enough, however, Rilee Rossouw, Rovman Powell, and Shahrukh Khan have yet to make an appearance for their franchises, not even as ‘Impact Players’, in a single game, wonder why! Also Read: A tale of two loyalties The allure of potential and promise often overshadows the realities of performance, leading to inflated price tags for players who may not necessarily justify such investments through their on-field exploits. But with veterans Starc and Cummins in charge, who could have dared to object! Although, needless to say, while the IPL serves as a platform for showcasing talent on a global scale, the pressure to excel under the weight of astronomical price tags can prove to be a double-edged sword, stifling creativity while amplifying expectations to unattainable levels. While glimpses of brilliance are there for everyone to see, the inability to sustain peak performance levels over an extended period casts a shadow over players’ perceived value, doing more harm than good in this case. Cricket, in particular, demands consistency and resilience, virtues that seem to elude certain players despite their exorbitant price tags. This particular nature of success underscores the importance of not merely possessing talent, but harnessing it with discipline and determination to withstand the rigours of competitive T20 cricket. Also Read: The price of passion! The pressure of expectations looms large over IPL players who command staggering auction prices like the Aussie pair as they are tasked with justifying their worth through exemplary on-field displays. This way, the burden of proving one's mettle under the scrutiny of millions of fans and their own franchises can be overwhelming, often leading to a paralysis of performance rather than an amplification of potential. The difference between the soaring aspirations of fans and the stark realities of cricket can create a breeding ground for disillusionment, as players often find themselves caught in a perpetual cycle of striving to meet unattainable standards. In fact, the discrepancy between their auction prices and on-field performances epitomises the inherent complexities of everything that cricket truly is. While players like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni may thrive under the weight of expectation and deliver performances befitting their price tags, others falter in the face of insurmountable pressure, struggling to reconcile the chasm between perception and reality. In order to be able to bridge this divide requires a nuanced understanding of the many factors shaping a player’s on-field performance, from his form and fitness to the pressures of adaptation on a global platform. As the league continues to evolve, the quest for balance between aspiration and achievement will remain a perpetual endeavour, shaping the destiny of players and the league alike.
19 April,2024 03:08 PM IST | Mumbai | Srijanee MajumdarMumbai Indians' key batsman Suryakumar Yadav provided an update on his fitness after his heroic knock of 78 runs during the IPL 2024 match against Punjab Kings on Thursday. Yet again PBKS took the game to the final over and fell short to secure a win. During the IPL 2024 match against MI, Ashutosh Sharma displayed his skills and impressed everyone. After recovering from his ankle surgery, Suryakumar returned to action during the IPL 2024 match against Delhi Capitals. He underwent surgery for both his ankle and sports hernia. Due to his surgeries, he was ruled out of the Afghanistan series which was the final T20I series for India before the T20 World Cup 2024. After playing a crucial hand in PBKS's downfall, Surya opened up about his fitness and said during the mid-innings interview, "It is going really well, I am almost there I have started fielding I am also training well so slow and steady hoping that all 40 overs I will be on ground." Also Read: "Virat has set a benchmark and Rohit carried it": Rahul on Rohit-Kohli's captaincy So far playing in the IPL 2024, Suryakumar has registered two ducks and two fifties in four matches. "That teaches you there are ups and downs in life," Surya said while talking about his performance. Surya didn't resort to his typical slam-bang approach but took time before opening his arms. The explosive right-handed batter talked about his approach and if there were any special instructions from the management. "Nothing as much there was a talk going on. Last day we had a batters meeting that there will be a batter who will have to bat at least 15 to 17 overs because when we had a net session we felt that wicket will be a little difficult to get big runs on the board. But I just wanted to be myself. I took a little bit of more time today and after Rohit got out there had to be a batter who batted a little more I just continued the way I bat," Surya said. Recapping the match, star speedster Jasprit Bumrah (3/21) and Coetzee's (3/32) influential spells, along with a scintillating 78-run knock from Surya Kumar Yadav, helped the Mumbai Indians defeat the Punjab Kings by nine runs. MI survived an unprecedented Ashutosh (61 off 28) blitz after Suryakumar Yadav's 78 helped the visitors post 192/7. (With ANI Inputs)
19 April,2024 02:35 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
