About 17 years after etching their name in cricketing annals as the pioneers of T20 glory, India embarks on a fervent quest to end their decade-long drought of an ICC trophy. While the hosts and reigning champions, Australia, commence their campaign as marginal favourites, the likes of former victors England and West Indies are anticipated to traverse deep into the tournament. Nevertheless, towering expectations perennially envelop the Indian contingent, currently perched atop the global rankings. With this lofty aspiration in mind, Mid-Day meticulously devises a comprehensive five-point blueprint ensuring India’s success in the World Cup. Strategic batting blitz In a lineup boasting the likes of Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Virat Kohli, renowned for their methodical approach, the onus falls upon initiating an early offensive surge to consistently post formidable totals in the World Cup. The batsman-friendly pitches of the Caribbean necessitate a swift start, demanding a substantial haul of 50 to 60 runs within the powerplay. Despite Rohit's relatively subdued T20 powerplay strike rate, as seen in this IPL, it becomes imperative for either him or youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal to seize the initiative from the outset. Dynamic middle-order resilience Suryakumar Yadav, currently hailed as one of the most prolific T20 batters, has rightly assumed the mantle of cricket's quintessential 360-degree shotmaker. Yadav's staggering T20I statistics, encompassing 2141 runs at a remarkable average of 45.55 and a blistering strike rate of 171.55, underscore his pivotal role in the lineup. Given his ability to accelerate from the outset, he emerges as a potent asset, challenging the conventional batting order, perhaps even displacing the venerable Virat Kohli at number 3. Also Read: KL Rahul vs Sanjiv Goenka row: ‘There is no harm in being respectful’ Addressing the death bowling dilemma With the absence of Mohammed Shami, India confronts a conspicuous void in their death-bowling artillery, arguably the most glaring chink in the team's armour. Jasprit Bumrah, having amassed an impressive tally of 74 T20I wickets, accompanied by a commendable economy rate of 6.55, emerges as the primary choice. Harnessing the X-factor Hardik Pandya, hailed for his game-changing prowess, epitomises India's quintessential X-factor, a decisive catalyst in high-pressure games. Although he has not been quite effective with the ball yet in IPL, his resurgence as a bowling asset after a protracted hiatus significantly bolsters the team's balance, particularly alleviating the burden on skipper Sharma. Nevertheless, it remains imperative to exercise caution, refraining from overburdening Pandya, especially on the bowling front. Given India's extensive repertoire, the Baroda all-rounder’s workload must be managed prudently, ensuring his readiness to deliver impactful performances when called upon. Strategic spin selection With as many as four spinners at their disposal, India confronts a strategic conundrum owing to the prevailing pitch conditions. While Ravindra Jadeja boasts a wealth of big-game experience and superior statistics in T20Is, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav emerge as potentially decisive assets, despite their relative shortcomings in batting. The inclusion of Axar Patel could mean India will have their batting depth extended further. The selection between the four seasoned spinners hinges on practical considerations, such as form and the opposition's composition, necessitating astute decision-making based on prevailing circumstances.
16 May,2024 11:25 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentSandeep Lamichhane, the globally recognised cricketer from Nepal, has been acquitted of rape charges by Patan High Court in Nepal and is now available to play all forms of domestic and international matches, country’s cricket board said in a press release on Wednesday. Also Read: Injured Rabada’s IPL exit may not affect WC preparation The 23-year-old faced eight years of imprisonment and half a million rupee fine handed over by a district court after being found guilty of rape in 2022. Leg-spinner Lamichhane has so far played 51 ODIs and 52 T20Is for Nepal with 112 and 98 wickets to his credit. 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
16 May,2024 07:42 AM IST | Kathmandu | PTISouth Africa pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada has returned home from the Indian Premier League due to a lower limb soft tissue infection, the country’s cricket board said on Wednesday. Rabada represented Punjab Kings in the IPL, taking 11 wickets in as many games. Also Read: Arshad could be a real handful: LSG’s Langer “The 28-year-old consulted a specialist on arrival in South Africa and is being closely monitored by the Cricket South Africa medical team,” said CSA in a statement. CSA also said the injury is unlikely to impact Rabada’s preparation for the T20 World Cup next month. 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
16 May,2024 07:40 AM IST | Johannesburg | PTIWhen Delhi Capitals reduced Lucknow Super Giants to 134-7 in the 15th over, it looked like an early end was in sight at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. But left-arm fast-bowling all-rounder Arshad Khan threatened to take the game away with an unbeaten 58 off 33 deliveries. Also Read: Pak have mental block over playing India in WC: Misbah “Arshad is a very, very good cricketer. He swung the ball early, is a good fielder and to be able to bat like that, he’s a very good package. He’s got huge potential and showed some of that tonight. When he becomes more consistent, particularly with his bowling, he could be a real handful and a very good all-round cricketer,” said LSG head coach Langer in a press conference. 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
16 May,2024 07:37 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSFormer Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq believes his country will find it difficult to edge past India when the two sides clash in next month’s T20 World Cup as there seems to be a “mental block” when it comes to playing the arch-rivals in ICC events. Also Read: WI legends and cricket bodies pledge support to team, WC India and Pakistan will clash on June 9 in New York in arguably the most awaited league stage match of the T20 World Cup that begins on June 1 in the Americas. India have lost to Pakistan just once [in 2021] in seven T20 World Cup matches. “You call it Pakistan’s jinx or mental block when it comes to playing India in World Cups. Pakistan will need to do a lot because this is a very skilled Indian team with a powerful bowling line-up and two good spinners,” Misbah said on Star Sports Press Room on Wednesday. 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
16 May,2024 07:34 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIThe Caribbean is trying its best to showcase their organisation skills by putting up a grand show for next month’s T20 World Cup. To achieve their objective, there was a symposium organised recently involving great names like Sir Clive Lloyd, Sir Vivian Richards, Desmond Haynes, Gordon Greenidge, Joel Garner, Wesley Hall among others. Also Read: Ponting, Langer in discussion for Team India's new head coach Brian Lara and Courtney Walsh joined the meeting via video call. The heads of all cricket associations and presidents of 14 islands were also present. They vowed that the organisation of the event which they co-host with USA, would be top-class and the cricket team should be supported all the way to do well. West Indies won the 2012 and 2016 editions of the T20 World Cup under Darren Sammy. Former skipper Lloyd, who also has two World Cup triumphs to his name (1975 and 1979 ODI silverware), said: “No one can predict a winner. Personally, I want the team to play our brand of cricket and reach at least the semi-final. It’s anybody’s game after that.” 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
16 May,2024 07:31 AM IST | Mumbai | Debasish DattaThe BCCI is looking for a new head coach for the men’s team as Rahul Dravid’s stint will come to an end after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup, and if he wishes to continue, he would have to re-apply for the position, which the veteran has been reportedly denying so far. Also Read: IPL 2024: Punjab's ball show restricts RR to 144 runs Former Australia cricketer and Lucknow Super Giants head coach Justin Langer is in the fray for the position along with others including Stephen Fleming, Gautam Gambhir and Ashish Nehra. According to sources, Ponting had a meeting with BCCI secretary Jay Shah and chief selector Ajit Agarkar in the first week of the month for the coaching position. 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
16 May,2024 07:28 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSDespite a well-tuned 48 from local hero Riyan Parag, Rajasthan Royals struggled against an array of accurate bowlers on a rather slow pitch, meandering to a sub-par 144 for nine against Punjab Kings here on Wednesday. R Ashwin (28, 19b, 3x4, 1x6) and Parag (48, 34, 6x4) tried to accelerate during their 50-run stand for the fourth wicket, but it could only bring in a temporary momentum for RR, who have already qualified for the Playoffs. Also Read: IPL 2024: SRH to take on bottom-placed GT at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium Punjab skipper Sam Curran (2-24 in three overs), Rahul Chahar (2-26 in four overs), Harshal Patel (2-28 in four overs) and Nathan Ellis (1-24 in four overs) were all on target. At the time of going to press, RR were 55-4 in nine overs. Earlier, Sanju Samson (18), who went past 500-run in a season for the first time in his IPL career, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (18, 23b) stitched 36 runs for the second wicket but took six overs for it. Eventually, Samson, who tried a hopping cut off pacer Ellis, gave a simple catch to Chahar at point in the seventh over. Apart from conquering those little peaks the RR batters failed to slip into the top gear consistently. 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
16 May,2024 07:21 AM IST | Guwahati | PTIIt is advantage Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as they host bottom-ranked Gujarat Titans (GT) in the first of the last two home matches at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here. A win on Thursday would assure SRH of a Playoff berth. The IPL-17 league phase ends this Sunday. Being well led by Pat Cummins, SRH play Punjab Kings in a 3.30 pm match in their last league tie on Sunday. With seven wins and five losses, SRH have 14 points, but the spectacular 10-wicket win in 9.4 overs over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) boosted their net run-rate tremendously. Now, they need to remain calm and clinical in the remaining two matches to sign off their league phase in style. In top gear The left-handed opening duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma have been devastating, mastering the art of getting into top gear from the first over itself. The other day, a frustrated LSG skipper KL Rahul was lost for words over the carnage. Also Read: Team India head coach: Is BCCI's head coach application call a mere formality or genuine opportunity? GT skipper Shubman Gill Their sixes are hit mainly in cow corner, between deep midwicket and long-on region. With incredible big-hitting skills, Abhishek has already struck 35 sixes, the highest this season, while Head has 31 sixes to his name. At the same time, the Aussie has walloped 61 fours. Abhishek, who has grown in stature, and Head, who has instilled fear in the bowlers, have strike-rates of over 200. Head, who predicted a bright future for his Punjab partner, said they complement each other. Clearly, when the openers are in a mood, the opposition bowlers don’t have any answer. SRH had good wins at home and then sneaked a couple of away victories. That put them in a good position. Now they give themselves the best chance for a place in the Top 4. After a few days of rest, a fresh and energised SRH would look to continue their eye-catching performances on the field. Apart from Head and Abhishek, others like Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Reddy and Abdul Samad have chipped in usefully with the willow. Sometimes, SRH’s batting shows have overshadowed their bowling performances, particularly by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who choked LSG in the last match. “Bhuvi has been a champion for a long time and rewards have come to him,’’ said Simon Helmot, the SRH assistant coach. The fielding has been excellent too, with players like Nitish coming in for praise from the coach. Nice to be refreshed: Helmot Helmot said that it was nice to have a big break. They are a refreshed team. “Having a week’s rest in the IPL is a bonus. We never had this big break [before]. It is nice to be refreshed.” But they run into in-form GT openers Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan, who hit centuries against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Ahmedabad. Battered and bruised this season, a wounded GT, who play their last league match, have nothing at stake, but could put a spoke in SRH’s wheels. The SRH coach said GT are a tough side, but that they will continue to play with an aggressive mindset. “We have played smart cricket so far. They have excellent bowlers like Rash [Rashid Khan]. But we will make sure we will play our best cricket against the Titans.” GT skipper Gill said it has been up and down this season as a team: “It was a matter of luck in a few matches where we lost a couple of matches. The margin was very thin. But our fielding let us down in key moments.’’ GT are ready for the SRH challenge today and will play with the same intensity they played against CSK. “The strategy is to bat first and put more runs. The Hyderabad crowd loves it and it is one of the noisiest stadiums,” said Helmot. 164No of runs put on by Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma off just 58 balls for the opening wicket against LSG last week
16 May,2024 07:15 AM IST | Hyderabad | N Jagannath Das
In the ever-churning world of cricket, prophecies often precede patience. The recent announcement by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding the opening of applications for the position of Team India head coach has sparked a whirlwind of speculation and anticipation among fans and pundits alike. Even before the announcement was broadcasted, the ceaseless hum of conjecture had already begun to reverberate across social media platforms. The impending climax of Rahul Dravid's tenure as the incumbent Team India head coach, slated to conclude after the forthcoming T20 World Cup, has only fueled the fervour surrounding his successor's identity. Jay Shah, the BCCI Secretary, has unequivocally stated that Dravid will not be granted an automatic extension akin to his previous reappointment post the ODI World Cup. Interestingly, murmurs from the Indian camp have suggested a certain hesitancy towards prolonging his tenure, signalling a potential passing of the torch. Amid this backdrop of transition, the question that looms large in the collective consciousness of cricket enthusiasts is: who will assume the mantle of leadership in Indian cricket? While speculation runs rife, a few voices have dared to put forward potential answers. Notably, fervent fans on various digital platforms, including X, have fervently touted the candidacy of former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman as the frontrunner for the coveted role of India's next head coach. The buzz surrounding Laxman's purported candidacy reached a crescendo on Tuesday, a mere day after the BCCI's call for applications resonated through all corners of Indian cricket. 🚨 News 🚨The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) invites applications for the position of Head Coach (Senior Men)Read More 🔽 #TeamIndiahttps://t.co/5GNlQwgWu0 pic.twitter.com/KY0WKXnrsK — BCCI (@BCCI) May 13, 2024 Although official disclosures regarding prospective applicants remain conspicuously absent, the odds may be in Laxman's favour, should he throw his hat into the ring. Notably, Laxman's credentials boast a rich tapestry of experience and acumen, having ably served as the stand-in head coach of Team India during Dravid's intermittent sabbaticals last year. His stewardship of the young Indian contingent, captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad, to a historic gold medal triumph at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games only underscores his adeptness at the helm. Also Read: KL Rahul vs Sanjiv Goenka row: ‘There is no harm in being respectful’ Don't worry they never applied and vvs Laxman will be head coach 😂😂 — अभि (@abhi7781_) May 15, 2024 Moreover, his current incumbency as the head of the esteemed National Cricket Academy (NCA) may serve as a potent ace up his sleeve. His intimate familiarity with the inner workings and strategic blueprint of Indian cricket, coupled with his close-knit associations with the current crop of Team India players in his capacity as the head of cricketing affairs at the NCA, renders him a promising candidate poised to seamlessly assimilate into the role of India's head coach. All these random news just to announce VVS Laxman as next head coach. Classic BCCI move 😂 https://t.co/xViHku7hQp — KS 🔰🔴 (@ks_mufc) May 15, 2024 However, several reports suggest that he may encounter stiff competition from a cadre of overseas applicants vying for the position. Shah's assertion over BCCI's willingness to appoint a foreign coach, notwithstanding the lineage of former Indian cricketers who have served as India’s coach in recent memory, underscores the cutthroat competition of the selection process. But who knows that BCCI frauds are using fake pr team for public reactions and at last they will announce vvs laxman as a head coach 😭😭😭😭😭 — lord kunal (@kunalJC183) May 14, 2024 Whether Laxman emerges triumphant amid the competitive melee or cedes the spotlight to an outsider remains a mystery. But the stage is set for the dawn of a new era in Indian cricket, guided by the steady hand of a visionary coach poised to inscribe his indelible mark on and off the 22 yards. You think Fleming or any other foreigner will get this role. BCCI will appoint VVS Laxman as the next coach eventually. Filling Google form is just a formality. — SM | Million Dollar Minds (@MlnDollarMinds) May 14, 2024
15 May,2024 06:00 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentDelhi Capitals' Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly feels Rishabh Pant is an instinctive captain and his leadership skills will refine with time and experience. The dashing wicket-keeper batter returned to competitive cricket after a painstakingly long rehab following a horrific car crash in December 2022. The 26-year-old resumed his duties as the Delhi Capitals captain in IPL 2024. "Pant is a young captain, he'll learn with time. The way he returned from injury to play a full season; we had our doubts during the off season," Ganguly told JioCinema. "Indian players are crucial, especially since the TATA IPL shifted to 10 teams. I am very happy for him that he returned to play so well over a full season. He has all my well wishes for whatever is next," Ganguly added. Pant has time and again showcased his astute captaincy during the IPL, while he has also erred in his decisions a few times. "With time, he'll become a better captain. Nobody is a great captain from day one, but he is an instinctual captain, he makes decisions on the ground. With more time, he'll get better." Also Read: IPL 2024: Sixes galore! IPL's 17th edition breaks all-time sixes record DC ended their IPL 2024 league stage with seven wins and seven losses. Although they are still alive in the playoffs race as they have a mathematical chance, but in all probability they have all but played their last game this season. The likes of pacers Mukesh Kumar and Rasikh Dar Salam rose to the occasion a few times this season and Ganguly was lavish in his praise for the duo. "You've seen Rasikh's development over time. The more matches he played, the better he got. It's not easy to bowl on the Delhi wicket. This wicket is great, and the ground isn't that big, so I think for any bowler, it isn't easy to bowl here. Rasikh has improved a lot. "Mukesh has been our best bowler this season. He bowls all the difficult overs, whether at the start or at the death. There has been no match this season where we didn't need his bowling in the death," he said. "We knew that conceding sixes would lead to more losses, so he has consistently delivered there. Our Indian bowlers have been great this season." (With agency inputs)
15 May,2024 03:04 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
