IPL 2016, RPS vs RCB: Harsha Bhogle takes a dig at Mahendra Singh Dhoni after uncharacteristic knock

Right through the tournament, the senior commentator has offered insights for followers of the game on social media and newspaper columns.
On Friday, Bhogle took at dig at Rising Pune Supergiants skipper MS Dhoni after he was dismissed for 41 off 38 balls.
Dhoni walked in to bat after Steve Smith's dismissal but was unable to finish the match for his side.
The wicketkeeper-batsman started off slowly and lost his wicket when it was time to go for the big hits.

MUST READ

Taking to social micro-blogging site Twitter, Bhogle wrote, "180+ run chase. 41 (38) can't win it for you. Some days it might come off but most days it won't from there."

180+ run chase. 41 (38) can't win it for you. Some days it might come off but most days it won't from there

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 22, 2016

Bhogle's serious cricket observation, was seen through the prism of the recent controversy involving him by most of his followers.
It is believed that Dhoni was unhappy with an Indian commentator during the ICC WT20. This was evident when he endorsed Amitabh Bachchan's remarks after India's 1-run win over Bangladesh.
While Bhogle's name was never mentioned, his sacking by the BCCI meant something was not right.

Source--zeenews.india

Read More

Virat Kohli: Facets which define the supreme rise of star Indian batsman

Chaitan Papnai Real Picture

‘Miracles don’t happen; you have to make your own miracle,’ thus Virat Kohli and others sold India's World Twenty20 dreams in a promotional video. It's a different matter that it failed to come to fruition. But the tag line seems apt for the top-order Indian batsman, who has made it a habit of taking his team out of trouble more often than not.
His unbeaten match-winning knock against a formidable Australian bowling line-up, in a virtual quarter-final clash of the World T20, was one such act. The dynamic cricketer has done this so many times in the past that his fans now expect such performances every time he steps on to the field.
With the help of his sheer hardwork and strong will, the Delhi batsman has taken his game to another level. His miraculous 55* against Pakistan and 82* against Australia and a splendid 89* against eventual champions West Indies in WT20, illustrates how well he reads the game.

It seems as if he has started to meander his aggression in the right direction. His sheer chutzpah and ability to take up the challenge head-on make him a dangerous batsman.
Here are the five factors that make Virat Kohli a superstar in the gentleman’s game.
Conventional style: In the slam-bang version of the game, where most of the batsmen try cheeky shots to score runs at a rapid pace, Kohli has a knack of playing with the straight bat and hitting conventional shots. His ability to find gaps and hit boundaries at will, even when the ball is not coming on to the bat, puts the opposition bowlers and skippers under immense pressure. England’s Joe Root and Kohli are possibly the only two batsmen in contemporary cricket who can snatch the game away even while playing proper copy book shots in the shortest format. Art of finding gaps with ease and playing in the ‘V’ makes their batting look even more beautiful.
Fitness: It is certainly an important part in the life of a sportsperson, but in the Indian cricket team, Kohli is a fitness freak, who religiously hits the gym to strengthen his body. That’s the reason he is one of the best fielders in the Indian team and an outstanding runner between the wickets. His sprints in WT20, especially against Australia and West Indies were a treat to watch. The way he ran between the wickets and put the fielding units under constant pressure shows how fitness can help you push your limits and achieve the target with ease.
Finisher: At a time when many are of the view that an ageing Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s has lost his mojo to finish off the games, run-machine Kohli seems to have taken up the role for the Indian team. His record while chasing has always been exceptional, but the way he has been finishing games of late for Team India has proved that he has taken his game to next level. The big-match player is emerging as a new finisher for his side. Considering the fact that he is not a big hitter of the ball, his ability to pace innings to perfection while chasing – irrespective of the target, big or small – forces the opposition to doff their hats to the stylish cricketer.
Consistency: This is the hallmark of his batting and that’s the reason the 27-year-old has been the mainstay of Indian cricket team for the last half-a-decade or so, in all forms of the game. Even with so many big-hitters and dangerous batsmen in world cricket, Kohli has managed to make a special place for himself. In limited-overs cricket, he has a stupendous average of over 50 (in ODIs & T20Is), with 25 tons and 52 half-centuries. In Test cricket, his average is a shade above 44, with 11 hundreds and 12 fifties under his belt. More than anything else, his stature is growing with every passing match.
New facet of his personality: Kohli is known for his flamboyance and on-field antics, but of late, he has shown a new side of his personality. He praised tainted Pakistani pacer Mohammad Amir openly for his memorable spell against India in the Asia Cup T20. In fact, he then went a step further to gift him a bat ahead of the high-profile cash against the arch-rivals in the WT20. His demeanor has changed significantly over the years. Now one can easily feel the tranquility in his personality, which was missing earlier. He bats more purposefully now, which is certainly a good sign for the future of Indian cricket.
Barring the forgettable England tour, the Delhi-lad has hardly disappointed with the willow. The way he has been batting, he is not just destined to break many cricket records in the near future but to become an icon of young cricketers as well

Source-zeenews.india.

Read More

Inzamam-ul-Haq takes heavy paycut for Pakistan coaching job: Report

Zee Media Bureau

Follow @ZeeNewsSports

New Delhi: In order to become the next coach of the Pakistan cricket team, former cricketer Inzamam-ul-Haq has agreed to take a heavy pay cut.

MUST READ

Inzamam-ul-Haq quits as Afghanistan coach to become Pakistan chief selector

According to a report in The Indian Express, Inzy took a hefty pay cut of 4 lakh rupees from existing monthly salary of 12 lakh that he drew from Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).
Earlier, the Pakistani legend resigned after almost eight months before the expiry of his contract with the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
According to a statement ACB, Inzamam resigned from his post considering his national obligations, pointing towards upheaval in Pakistan cricket.

MUST READ

ICC World T20: There are no security concerns in India, says Inzamam ul Haq

The statement by ACB further added that Inzamam has hailed the professional co-operation of the Afghan team and cricket board, khaama. com reported on Sunday.
ACB also added that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shahryar Khan spoke regarding Inzamam’s resignation as Afghanistan cricket head coach had requested Shafiqullah Stanikzai to cooperate in this regard.
Under Inzamam, Afghanistan had a decent outing at the ICC World Twenty20, where they defeated West Indies, who went on to win their second title.
Source-- zeenews.india.

Read More

Indian Premier League, Match 13: Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Preview

Follow @ZeeNewsSports

Mohali: Having notched up their first victory against Pune Supergiants, an upbeat Kings XI Punjab face the all-round might of two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League cricket tournament encounter, here on Tuesday.

MUST READ

Watch: When KXIP's Mitchell Johnson showed his football skills against Gujarat Lions

While KKR have four points from three games with two wins under their belt, Kings XI opened their account with a six-wicket win against Pune yesterday.
On paper, KKR are overwhelming favourites against Punjab with a more balanced outfit but reputations count for little in the shortest format as most of the contests are won on the day.
Expect an interesting battle between KKR's much vaunted batting line-up against KXIP's bowling which has looked disciplined during their last match against Pune on a two-paced wicket.

MUST READ

So there could be some intriguing smaller battle within the battles. How Gambhir tackles Mohit Sharma's slower deliveries or how Sandeep Sharma can stop Andre Russell from hitting those towering sixes.
It will also be a challenge for KXIP spinners like Axar Patel as KKR is one side which has quality batsmen against slow bowlers.
For Knight Riders, the best part about their journey since Gambhir taking over in 2011 is the amount of consistency that they have shown over the years.
Not only have they won the title twice in 2012 and 2014 but more importantly have stuck with their core group of players in thick and thin during these years.
Skipper Gambhir, opener Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine have all settled down in their respective roles in the past few years giving them a dangerous look despite the absence of a huge star in the ranks of a Kohli, Dhoni or AB de Villiers.
They have been more or less clinical in their two wins against Daredevils at home and Sunrisers in an away game. The loss against Mumbai Indians could be attributed more to Rohit Sharma's individual brilliance backed up nicely by Jos Buttler's pyrotechnics.

MUST READ

IPL 2016: Probably we should have got 200 runs, says KKR's Manish Pandey after MI loss

The best part about KKR's campaign so far has been Gambhir's form as he is on top of the run-getters' table with 192 runs at a healthy strike-rate of 125.49. He has been playing the role of sheet anchor to perfection as has forged a good opening partnership with Robin Uthappa.
Uthappa's 81 runs in three matches may not look big in terms of volume but in both the wins, his contributions have been 35 and 38.
While it may not actually be a cause of worry, the nine-wicket win against Daredevils and eight-wicket win against Sunrisers but KKR's middle-order has not been put to test during the three matches that they have played.
However with a three-pronged spin attack of Narine, Piyush Chawla and Shakib Al Hasan, KKR can put the KXIP batting to test which has not been very consistent in their three matches so far.
Apart from these three, KKR also have veteran chinaman bowler Brad Hogg, who has also done well in the two matches that he has played.
The pace duties are expected to be shared between Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav and Russell.
In KXIP team, Manan Vohra, who has scored 38, 32 and 51 in the three matches, the others have not lived upto the expectations. Glenn Maxwell's 14-ball-32 did help in their win against Pune Supergiants but Maxwell has had a struggle on Indian pitches since the start of the World T20.
The big shots have not come off as frequently as he would have expected. The worrying factor for KXIP is Maxwell's 34 runs in 3 matches and skipper David Miller's 31 in 3 games.
That has put the team under lot of pressure with another seasoned campaigner Shaun Marsh scoring only 17 in 2 games.
But in the three games, the shining light for KXIP has been their two pacers Sandeep Sharma (4 wickets) and Mohit Sharma (3 wickets), especially Mohit, who is also coming back from an injury. They have had decent economy rates of 5.55 and 6.57 respectively in the three matches so far.
He has shown the ability to mix and match his deliveries, varying the pace effectively during death overs. Sandeep has also bowled in good areas.
The problem area for KXIP in their bowling has been spinners Axar Patel and Pardeep Sahu, both of whom have leaked runs in the three matches that they have played. KXIP will certainly look at trying out someone in place of Sahu -- may be mystery spinner KC Cariappa or India discard all-rounder Gurkeerat Singh Mann.
Teams (from):
Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautham Gambhir (capt), Piyush Chawla, John Hastings, Brad Hogg, Jason Holder, Sheldon Jackson, Kuldeep Yadav, Chris Lynn, Manan Sharma, Morne Morkel, Colin Munro, Sunil Narine, Manish Pandey, Yusaf Pathan, Ankit Rajput, Andre Russell, Rajgopal Satish, Shakib Al Hasan, Jaydev Unadkat, Robin Uthappa, Suryakumar Yadav and Umesh Yadav.
Kings XI Punjab: Kings XI Punjab: David Miller (Capt.), Kyle Abbott, Murali Vijay, Manan Vohra, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Anureet Singh, Axar Patel, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Pardeep Sahu, Sandeep Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Marcus Stoinis, Swapnil Singh, Armaan Jaffer, Farhaan Behardien, KC Cariappa, Rishi Dhawan, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Nikhil Naik, Shardul Thakur.
Match Starts at 8 pm.
Source- zeenews.india.

Read More

Know the Premier League Teams, post-draft

The Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League 2016 will be starting from April 22nd. This is the most prestigious cricket league of Bangladesh, with 12 clubs participating in it for the ultimate glory.  The Players' Draft was held and here are the teams after the draft.

Prime Bank Cricket Club

Sabbir Rahman, Taibur Rahman Parvez, Md. Nazmul Islam Apu, Rubel Hossain, Yasir Ali Rabbi, Monir Hossain Khan, Shenaz Ahmed, Md. Azim, Jony Talukdar, Yasir Arafat Mishu, Nurul Hasan Sohan (retained), Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury (retained)


Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club

Nasir Hossain, Farhad Reza, Rakibul Hasan (Jnr.), Al-Amin Hossain, Rahatul Ferdous, Imtiaz Hossain Tanna, Sahagir Hossain Pavel, Md. Ziaur Rahman, Md. Zakaria Masud, Rony Talukder (retained), Sanjamul Islam (retained)


Dhaka Abahani Ltd

Tamim Iqbal Khan, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Taski Ahmed, Saklain Sajib, Abul Hasan Raju, Avishek Mitra, Jubair Hossain Likhon, Taposh Baishay, Amitav Kumar Noyon, Abu Bakker Siddique, Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Kumar Das (retained), Mosaddek Hossain (retained)


Kalabagan Cricket Academy

Irfan Sukkur, Bishonath Haldar, Mayshukur Rahman, Abu Jayed Chowdhury, Abu Jayed Chowdhury Rahi, Ad. Abdul Halim, Prosonjit Das, Nur Hossain Munna, Taposh Ghosh, Rifat Pradhan, Didar Hossain Imran, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (retained), Md. Mahmudul Hasan Leemon (retained)


Mohammedan Sporting Club

Mushfiqur Rahim, Saikat Ali, Ezaz Ahmed, Nayeem Islam (jnr.), Enamul Haque (jnr.), Nazmul Hossain Milon, Shuvashish Roy Chowdhury, Hamidul Islam Himel, Habibur Rahman Jony, Nazmul Hossain, Sayed Golam Kibria, Mustafizur Rahman, Nayeem Islam (retained), Mr Ariful Haque (retained)


Legends of Rupganj

Soumya Sarker, Taijul Islam, Asif Ahmed Ratul, Abu Haider Rony, Zunaed Siddique, Alauddin Babu, Mizanur Rahman, Mehede Hasan Rana, Nahidul Islam, Sajjadul Haque Ripon, Murad Khan, Shaheen Hossain, Mithun Ali, Jahurul Islam (retained), Khandokar Musharraf Hossain (retained)


Victoria Sporting Club

Mominul Haque, Dhiman Ghosh, Al-Amin (jnr.), Abdul Majid, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Fazle Rabbi Mahmud, Anamul Haque, Jubair Ahmed, Dollar Mahmud, Mahamdul Haque Setu, Humayan Kabir Shahin, Nadif Chowdhury (retained), Sohrawardi Shuvo (retained)


Brothers Union

Imrul Kayes, Md. Zakir Hasan, Shahriar Nafees Ahmed, Mohammad Shahid, Nabil Samad, Ahmed Sadikur Rahman, Sanjit Saha Dip, Tushar Imran, Nur Alam Saddam, Nafees Iqbal Khan, Rumman Ahmed, Sheikh Najmul Hossain, Asif Hassan (retained), Iftekhar Sazzad Rony (retained)


Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club Ltd

Mahmudullah Riyad, Marshall Ayub, Moktar Ali, Joyraz Sheikh, Shafiul Islam, Nazmus Sadat, Zabid Hossain, Rasel Al Mamun, Mahbubul Karim Mithu, Abdur Rahman Rony, Shohag Gazi (retained), Arafat Sunny (retained)

Kalabagan Krira Chakra

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Md. Sharifullah, Md. Sadman Isam Anik, Md. Tanvir Haider Khan, Mehrab Hossain (jnr.), Nihad Uz Zaman, Md. Jashimuddin, Dewan Sabbir Ahmed, Md. Hasanuzzaman, Robiul Islam Shiblu, Shoriful Islam, Abdur Razzak (retained), Tasamul Haque Rubel (retained)


Cricket Coaching School

Nasum Ahmed, Saeed Sarkar, Rajin Saleh, Amit Majumdar, Saleh Ahmed Shawon Gazi, Salman Hossain Emon, Refatuzzaman Ovi, Ali Ahmed Manik, Mehrab Hossain Joshi, Md. Saif Hassan (retained), Md. Saifuddin (retained)


Gazi Group Cricketers

Anamul Haque Bijoy, Shamsur Rahman Shuvo, Mehedi Hasan, Mohammad Sharif, Md. Farhad Hossain, Delwar Hossain, Mr. Furkan, Abu Sayeem Chowdhury, Nasir Uddin Faruque, Sajedul Islam, Imamul Mustakin Russell, Alok Kapali (retained), Mohammad Elias (retained)
source-ww.tigercricke

Read More

The ‘switch-story’ with Colin Munro

The Eden Gardens is lit up and the Kolkata Knight Riders are going full throttle in their practice session. In one corner Andre Russell and Yusuf Pathan are giving the white ball a sound thrashing. Coach Jacques Kallis is keeping a keen watch over the nets and alongside him is New Zealand’s Colin Munro. He is having a chat with his ‘cricketing idol’, someone he admired growing up as a young kid in South Africa. “He is one of my biggest cricketing idols. In my opinion he is probably the world’s best all-rounder and the best cricketer the world has ever seen,” Munro says as we take a seat beside the boundary ropes.

He goes on to talk about Kallis with a glint in his eye and in the same breath says, “My intention is to become an all-rounder, not just a batsman who can bowl a couple of overs here and there. I want to be a fine all-rounder and I am working on it really hard. I have had some good interactions with Jacques about playing in different situations and going about my routines. Sometimes I can just go to the nets and have a bit of a slog and feel happy. Sometimes it is about going out there with a specific target that you want to work on. It is nice to have him behind the nets and give me inputs.”

Munro realizes he has walked into the IPL with a reputation of being a big-hitter. After all, he has the record for the second-fastest fifty in international cricket (second only to Yuvraj Singh); against Sri Lanka at Eden Park in Auckland early in January this year he scored a half-century that came off just 14 balls. “I have always had hard-hitting abilities because I don’t have the greatest technique to hang around for too long. I have to try and score my runs really quickly,” he says with a reassuring smile. “But I am working on hitting the ball in different areas and to be able to soak up pressure,” he quickly adds. “You don’t have to always hit the ball over the ropes. I am working really hard to try and build an innings which is something I did during a couple of T20 World Cup games.”

The T20 World Cup saw Munro’s inventive and daring stroke-play. His reverse smash for a six against India and the switch cut and a switch dab against Australia and Pakistan got everyone talking. Not that he hadn’t done it in the past in a few games back home where bowlers have been completely dumb founded by his ability to execute the switch hit to perfection. “The first time I saw someone play the switch hit was in an India-Australia game. I saw David Warner playing it in SCG where he just turned around and hit R Ashwin over long on (for the right-hander) for a six. I also saw Kevin Pietersen executing it a few times to good effect. That is when I thought why not I give it a go. I just stumbled across it in a club game as well where I was finding it hard to get the spinner away. He brought up his fielder at point and I thought why not I just turn around and hit it right-handed? It worked and since then it has been a shot that I have progressed on.”

But is it all planned in his head before going for the switch hit or is it pure instinct? “It is a hundred percent pre-meditation,” pat comes the reply. “It is a shot that I am looking to hit for a six. If it is not there to be hit and it is outside of my eye line then I can play it for a late cut or try and keep along the ground if it is a very short ball. Against someone that is really quick, I would probably put it away but it depends a lot on the wicket. If it is a really good wicket then I wouldn’t play it as often. If it is a slow turning wicket where it is hard to rotate the strike then I would use the switch hit as a boundary option. You want the ball coming on to your bat a little bit so you can just hit through the line. I am also working on a switch hit that will help keep the ball along the ground and doesn’t get me out often. It is a work in progress and we will see how it goes.”

Munro felt his fondness to play hockey helped him in executing the switch hit to good effect. “Hockey plays a big part in my power game. It helps my switch hit and when it comes to sweeping the ball. The natural hand-eye coordination in hockey helps me with my batting. It helps me to get my hands to the ball a lot quicker as well. It is about getting really low to the ground and in hockey you are horizontal the whole time in terms of getting the stick down to your ground and having a steady motion whether you are passing or taking a stroke to strike a goal. It is all in one motion.”

Though happy to play the switch hit, Munro wants to keep his options open and not go big on improving just one aspect of his game. “I don’t practice it often at the nets. Obviously you want to evolve your game once you come to India and learn to play with the straight bat first and hit the ball down the ground and be open to other options. The switch hit is always there but against wrist spinners I want to get into good positions and look nice and solid. I want to rotate the strike, understand the pace of the wicket and look to hit over the ropes.”

As we continue to talk about hard-hitting batsmen around the world, Munro flips back the years and speaks about how he wants to hit the ball like the former South African all-rounder Lance Klusener. “Lance Klusener was right up there when it came to hitting the ball hard. He could just stand still and hit the ball straight and hard. He didn’t move his feet a heck of a lot but he could hit them really hard. It is just about standing still and trusting the preparations that you have done leading into your game and getting your hands through the ball as hard as you can. He was a big hitting left-hander and bowled good medium pace with nice change up deliveries. I want to model my bowling on those lines.”

Talking about his current contemporaries he says, “Chris Gayle has to be there. When he hits sixes they just don’t go over the ropes, they go into the second or third tier of the stands. Then you have Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell and Carlos Brathwaite who can hit the ball soaring into the stands. Most of the West Indian boys are big and strong and can hit them far. I don’t think you need to be big and strong to hit sixes but it definitely helps. To hit the ball continuously over 90 meters being strong definitely helps. There are plenty of guys who hit the ball hard like Corey Anderson and Jos Buttler. You have guys who hit the ball hard, but you also have guys who can time the ball really well as well. By all means I am not the biggest or the hardest hitter of the cricket ball,” he chuckles.

Munro believes over the years he has developed as a player and is beginning to come to terms with his own game. He wants to make the most of this IPL experience and use it to nurture his game and become a better cricketer. “In the past I would just go out there, whack it and get a good 20 or 30 and be happy with myself. But I think I have progressed to be a better player than that. For me to be successful I need to bat for longer which means I don’t take those risks early on. I want to build an innings and capitalise on it. Ideally on a good wicket, I would want to generate a healthy strike-rate early on in the innings. It is about reading situations and playing on merit.

“It is good to be alongside some great guys in the KKR setup. I am also getting some help from Gautam Gambhir who is one of the best players of spin in the world. I am trying to pick his brain on boundary options and the way he can play off the backfoot to cut into gaps and rotate the strike. I am trying to develop some different slower balls as well and it is a work in progress along with Wasim Akram.”
source-iplt20

Read More

Long wait over, Rajkot set to roll out red carpet for maiden IPL game

As Gujarat Lions captain Suresh Raina got up to join his teammates for the training session after addressing a pre-match conference, he was mobbed from all corners with cameras being thrust into his face. As the locals surrounded him for selfies and photos, Raina calmly addressed every request before returning back to the field. Similar scenes greeted Dale Steyn when he made his way out from the Rajkot Airport. The team staff had to form a security cover to ensure a safe passage.

Outside the team hotel, large groups of fans wait endlessly in scorching heat for one glimpse of the superstars. A five-run victory over Kings XI Punjab two days ago at the latter’s den has given Gujarat a perfect launch pad and expectations have soared.

With the Lions set to play their maiden home game against Rising Pune Supergiants, Rajkot has been bathed in colours of yellow and orange. The beautiful Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, which has hosted three international games (two ODIs & one T20I), is all set to welcome the IPL jamboree. “It’s (a special occasion) for everyone. Gujarat never had an IPL team in the first eight years. We are looking forward to playing for Gujarat,” said Raina with excitement.

While the team has a bevy of international stars in Dwayne Bravo, Brendon McCullum, Dale Steyn and Aussies James Faulkner and Aaron Finch, it is the all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who holds a special place in the hearts of the cricket-crazy fans.
Set to tie the knot soon, crowd favourite Jadeja is not merely a star attraction, but a vital cog in Gujarat’s line-up. The team-management relies on him for clues and first-hand information about the conditions. On the eve of the match, he was dispatching the balls into the stands. “He is an important player for India and for us in the IPL. He can bat, bowl and give you good runouts. He has good brains to read the game. He bats as per situation at No.7. He is a local boy and he has a lot of information about the wicket and local conditions. He is a key member and one of the first members to take feedback from,” explained coach Heath Streak.

Though the buzz has centered around Gujarat Lions, Streak is well aware that playing at home won’t make them overwhelming favourites. MS Dhoni’s RPS have the firepower to dash Gujarat’s party on Thursday night and Streak’s role would be to ensure Gujarat remains focused.
“It is good to have a winning start as it boosts your confidence. We have got really good experienced players in all the departments, and they will be keen to put up a good performance for the Gujaratis. In IPL, every game is a hard game and you can’t get carried away,” he said.

The first home game will pit Raina and Jadeja against former franchise mates Ravichandran Ashwin and Dhoni. With both teams having enough knowledge of each other’s strength, Raina said ideally the pressure would be on RPS, but Dhoni’s presence balances the equation.
“They will be also playing their first game against us, so it is the same for both the teams. We will play positively against them. This is our first game in Gujarat, so home support will be there.

“Pressure will be there on the opposition, but MS is the type of captain who has earned respect everywhere. We too have some players who are respected everywhere, so it is going to be quite an interesting game.”

Raina added that despite the team being together for only about a week, they have started gelling. “Heath (Streak) has played many matches for Zimbabwe in India, so he knows what it takes to motivate Indian youngsters. Then when you have so many seniors like Baz (McCullum), DJ Bravo, (Dwayne) Smith, James Faulkner, you have a lot to learn in the dressing room. How to enjoy and have fun together. That makes you perfect. Coaches give us the platform to express ourselves and be calm. That’s the key to T20 success.”
source-iplt20

Read More

Preview: M6 - GL vs RPS

Match 6 of VIVO IPL 2016 will feature a clash between the two new franchises to join the most exciting cricket league in the world.

Gujarat Lions, who started their IPL campaign with a win over Kings XI Punjab on Monday, will play host to the MS Dhoni-led Rising Pune Supergiants, who themselves were impressive in their maiden IPL outing when they defeated the defending champions Mumbai Indians.

Suresh Raina’s decision-making, Dwayne Bravo’s match-changing over in which he dismissed the deadly duo of David Miller and Glenn Maxwell, and Aaron Finch’s powerful strikes at the top of the chase were the highlights of Gujarat Lions’ victory. MS Dhoni’s midas touch which brought him a wicket almost every time he made a bowling change and Ajinkya Rahane’s serene batting were the highlights of RPS’ maiden IPL win.

When

14 April 2016, 2000 Hrs IST

Where

Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot

Weather

Temperature: Max 32°c, Min 28°c
Humidity: Max 55%
Wind: 18kmph

The Protagonists

The Gujarat Lions and Rising Pune Supergiants both have several destructive batsmen in their ranks. While GL have Brendon McCullum, Aaron Finch and Suresh Raina in their top three, RPS have the finesse of Ajinkya Rahane, and the might of Faf du Plessis, Kevin Pietersen and MS Dhoni in their top four. Given how destructive each of those batsmen are, chances are the fate of the match will be decided by the performance of one or two of those individuals. Keep an eye on Ravindra Jadeja too, for he will be playing an IPL match in front of his home crowd for the very first time.

On the bowling front, GL possibly have an edge over RPS, thanks to the presence of Dwayne Bravo – the highest wicket-taker in the T20 format, and James Faulkner, who is some kind of a limited overs specialist.

Trivia

The SCA Stadium in Rajkot will become the 32nd venue overall and the 21st Indian venue to host an Indian Premier League match.

In the ten Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches played at the SCA Stadium in the 2013-14 season, seven were won by the team chasing. The team batting first scored 170 in five of those ten matches.

The Rising Pune Supergiants captain MS Dhoni needs 14 more runs to become the seventh batsmen to reach the 3000-IPL-runs milestone. His opposite number sits atop the list of top run-getters in the IPL, with 3719 runs.

In the only T20 International played at the SCA Stadium in Rajkot, Australia scored 201-7 batting first, after which India chased down the runs to win by six wickets, with two balls remaining.

What Next

Gujarat Lions will head to Mumbai to clash with the defending champions Mumbai Indians on April 16. The MS Dhoni-led Rising Pune Supergiants will be seen in action the following day – on April 17 – when they compete against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali
source-iplt20

Read More

When Rohit lit up Eden - yet again!

An earthquake measuring 6.9 in magnitude hit Myanmar on Wednesday evening that triggered a few tremors in parts of Kolkata. The tremors were felt in the Eden Gardens as well by a section of the media before the start of the game. On a sporting note, tremors of a different kind were to be experienced later by the Kolkata Knight Riders on the cricket field, courtesy some fine hitting from the Mumbai Indians batsmen who creamed a run-chase of 188 with finesse.

At the helm of it was, no prizes for guessing - Rohit Sharma, who sure has fond memories of the Eden Gardens. Time and again he has said that there is just something very positive about this ground that eggs him to put up his best bat forward. Wednesday night against KKR was no different. There were shots that were pure joy to watch.

A flick for six, some glorious drives through the covers and that straight bat with the elbow high up in line with the eye - it was classic Rohit Sharma on display. The nineteenth over that Andre Russell bowled was a treat to watch in particular as Rohit completely dismantled the bowler thrashing four boundaries in that over. And, just like that it was the final nail in the coffin - it was Game, Set and Match Mumbai Indians. Captain leading from the front, two vital points, some stellar performances and the smiles were back in the Mumbai Indians dugout. Here’s man of the moment Rohit Sharma taking IPLT20.com through the run-chase and talking about his love for his second home - the Eden Gardens.

A win after the loss in the first game; this has to be a satisfying victory isn’t it?

It is a satisfying victory. The win was important and we have been talking about it a lot and today was a perfect day. Getting those two points was very crucial. We have worked really hard for this. We wanted to do well in Mumbai as well but things didn’t go accordingly. I always believe that this team has got a lot of potential and we came and proved it here today. We will happily take these two points with us to Mumbai.

The opening pair put up 50 runs in five overs, just the kind of start that the team needed?

When you are chasing big scores like that, you have to understand and plan your innings with your partner. Myself and Parthiv Patel talked about it at the start of the innings and we got off to a good start in the power play. As soon as we lost Parthiv, Hardik Pandya tried to rotate the strike but he couldn’t unfortunately. But Mitchell McClenaghan and Jos Buttler changed the course of the game.

A perfect performance from you as well, just the kind of innings you would want to play going ahead in the tournament?

Absolutely! It is important that someone from the top three bats as deep as possible and today it was me. Once I got to a decent start, I made sure that I was there as long as possible. There is nothing like starting off well and then finishing it off for your team. It is more pleasing when you do that. What I did pretty well was that I planned my innings and my shot selection was pretty good. I have played a lot of cricket here and I understand the wicket really well. I know what my scoring shots are here and where I can get runs. I planned it all well and it worked for me.

And obviously, your Eden Gardens romance continues. You sure know how to play here in particular, don’t you?

I understand how to score runs here. The outfield here is fast and you have to just time the ball really well; that is all you have to do when you are playing at the Eden Gardens. You don’t need to over hit it and sometimes when you do that you tend to lose shape and there are chances of you getting out. I select my shots and the bowlers I have to target. It works well for me here but I know that it won’t happen always. As long as it keeps happening it is good and I am going to take it no matter what.

Tell us about the thought process behind Mitchell McClenaghan’s promotion at number four.

It was Ricky Ponting’s idea. He is the one sitting in the dugout and having those ideas going around. He sent us a message inside asking if sending Mitch was a right move. I said, why not - they have two chinaman bowlers bowling who were at most times bowling googlies. We wanted to just upset their rhythm and we did it perfectly.

Also Jos Buttler coming into his own should augur well going ahead in the tournament.

Jos is going to be a very important member of our team going ahead. He is going to be a key factor for us. I thought he batted brilliantly. He got us that momentum we were looking for. Scoring 41 in 22 balls was some effort. We know that he is that kind of a player and he has done it for England many times. Today was a perfect day - he came and smashed it all round the park. I look forward to performances like those from him in the future as well.

Going forward, what are the areas that you would be looking to work on?

Going ahead I would expect the same kind of performance although there is room for improvement in the bowling department. We have to understand that taking wickets is very important in this format. We didn’t do that and that is the reason why we had to chase such a steep target. The Kolkata Knight Riders batted really well and looked like getting 200 at one point. Our bowlers bowled well at the death and got back us into the game.

A special feeling to put up a match-winning performance in front of Sachin Tendulkar, who was present in the Mumbai Indians dugout?

Sachin Tendulkar is vital as far as Mumbai Indians is concerned. His presence gives us the kind of motivation we need. He is someone who is always there to help, share his thoughts and advice people if needed. He congratulated me after the game and I am sure he was happy to see us win the game more than anything else.
source-.iplt20

Read More

Quick Stats: M5 - KKR vs MI

2 Number of captains to aggregate 2500 runs in IPL. Gautam Gambhir joined MS Dhoni, who has scored 2986 runs as captain.

7 Number of batsmen to aggregate 1,000 runs at a particular ground in IPL. Gautam Gambhir has now scored 1,023 runs at Eden Gardens. Chris Gayle- with 1,326 runs at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangaluru- tops the list.

10 Number of times Harbhajan Singh has caught a batsman off his own bowling in IPL – most such dismissals for any bowler. Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard are second with six caught & bowled.

12 Number of times Kolkata Knight Riders have lost to Mumbai Indians in IPL. This equals the record of most losses against a particular team in IPL. Royal Challengers Bangalore also have 12 losses against Chennai Super Kings. Chennai Super Kings on the other hand have lost to Mumbai Indians 12 times.

27 Number of times Gautam Gambhir has scored 50 or more in an IPL match- most for any batsman. David Warner and Suresh Raina have 26 such scores (later in the match Rohit Sharma also joined Warner and Raina).

55.86 Rohit Sharma’s average in IPL matches at Eden Gardens.

80% Mumbai Indians’ win-percentage at Eden Gardens (8 wins out of 10) – best for any side playing more than one match here.

84* Rohit Sharma’s score – highest for any Mumbai Indians captain in a chase in IPL. Sachin Tendulkar had made 72 against Chennai Super Kings at Mumbai Brabourne in 2010.

188 Mumbai Indians’ total – there has been only one higher successful chase at Eden Gardens in 49 matches. Kings XI Punjab had made 204 for two in 2010.
source--.iplt20

Read More

Preview: M7 - DD vs KXIP

Match 7 of the VIVO IPL 2016 will feature the Delhi Daredevils playing host to Kings XI Punjab. Both teams are yet to open their account this season. While DD were decimated in their opening match against the Kolkata Knight Riders, KXIP took no points from their home match against debutants Gujarat Lions.

The Delhi Daredevils will need a huge improvement in their performance from the opening game. The batsmen fielded by the team, especially in the top five, were largely youngsters who have impressed in recent times and have earned their place in the XI. They will need to apply better and be better in their shot selection and one can expect this will have been addressed by coach Paddy Upton and mentor Rahul Dravid.

KXIP were good in parts in their opening game. The openers set up the innings very nicely, before the team lost the wickets of the dangerous David Miller and Glenn Maxwell in the same over. The team will be particularly disappointed about their bowling performance in the opening match; despite having set a target of 162, the team couldn’t defend the target, with the opposition running away with the match in 17.4 overs. The KXIP management could face a selection dilemma ahead of the match; if according to reports, Shaun Marsh has recovered from the bug that rendered him unavailable for the opening clash, it will interesting to see if he is picked in place of Marcus Stoinis.

When

15 April 2016, 2000 Hrs IST

Where
Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi

Weather
Temperature: Max 35°c, Min 31°c
Humidity: Max 27%
Wind: 13kmph

The Protagonists

Quinton de Kock is the only international cricketer in the Delhi Daredevils top five. The South African left-hander has been hitting the ball well recently; he was South Africa’s top run-getter in the recently-concluded World T20 and was named by the ICC in the Team of the Tournament. He will need to cause pile on the runs along with Shreyas Iyer, who was in scintillating form in this season’s Ranji Trophy. It will be interesting to see if DD propel Shreyas back to the top of the order – where he had plenty of success last season. Among the bowlers, DD will expect skipper Zaheer Khan and Amit Mishra to tie down the opposition batsmen. Given the history of the conditions in Delhi, one could also expect the team to bring in the South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir, possibly at the expense of Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Murali Vijay timed the ball very well in KXIP’s match against the Gujarat Lions. The Tamil Nadu batsmen is among few batsmen around who has the talent, temperament and skills to succeed in longer version of the game as well as in T20s – all this without taking any undue risks. David Miller and Glenn Maxwell can cause plenty of damage in very little time and hence they will be important characters in KXIP’s batting plans. On the bowling front, KXIP lack experienced international spinners in their ranks, and hence they will rely heavily on the likes of Mitchell Johnson and Chris Morris to provide them breakthroughs.

Trivia

Among the six teams who have been in the IPL from before this season, Delhi Daredevils is the only team to have lost more matches than they have won at HQ. Off the 44 matches DD have played at the Feroz Shah Kotla, they have won only 16, giving them a success rate of 37.2.

In the last 18 IPL matches played at the Feroz Shah Kotla, starting with the 2013 seasons, teams chasing down targets have been extremely successful, winning 13 matches. The average first innings total in those 18 matches was 153.
source--.iplt20

Read More

Daredevils geared to go all out against KXIP: Amit Mishra

The Delhi Daredevils have been training at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground for the past few days in an effort to turnaround their fortunes. The Zaheer Khan-led side, which lost their first game of the tournament to the Kolkata Knight Riders, will be taking on Kings XI Punjab in their first game at home.

Under the watchful eyes of mentor Rahul Dravid and coach Paddy Upton, the Daredevils have been honing their skills in the sweltering Delhi heat. Keen to get a win under their belt, the team will be looking to take the opposition head-on in Friday’s clash. Speaking to the media ahead of the match, DD leg-spinner Amit Mishra said, “We will have a positive approach. The preparations are going well. We have been working hard at the nets. We are confident and we want to do well. We are going to go all out with an aggressive approach.”

Speaking about his own preparation while looking forward to the season, he said, “My effort would be to remain in the top 10 wicket-takers list this season. Daredevils didn't do well in the last two years and we want to finish in the top four. We are looking to start that journey from here in Delhi. We have been working hard and you can see that in the net sessions.”

Speaking about the young DD team, he elaborated, “This team has a lot of good players. We have some big hitters in Carlos (Brathwaite). Sanju (Samson) is there in the middle-order along with Karun Nair and Rishabh Pant. We have players who have been doing well in the domestic circuit. We need to click as a unit. We have a good team composition and we have been discussing and working on how to come up with the results we want.”

While preparing for various situations they will encounter in a match, the players are being guided by the mentor, coach and assistant coaches. The sessions are being monitored carefully while the players work on their skills diligently. Speaking about Dravid’s inputs during these sessions, Mishra said, “Rahul Dravid is a great player and respected by all. He shares his experiences and tells the batsmen what shots to play while keeping their styles and what suit their style of play. He tells the bowlers to go for the wickets, be positive and not worry about going for runs.”

Having done the hard yards over the past few days, it will be time for the Delhi Daredevils to put their plans to action and execute them well when they come up against David Miller’s side on March 15. 

source--.iplt20

Read More

Match Report: M6 - GL vs RPS

The Gujarat Lions notched up their second win in two games in VIVO IPL 2016 after they defeated Rising Pune Supergiants by 7 wickets on Thursday. The win was a special occasion for Suresh Raina and co., for it was the team’s first outing at their home ground - the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot, and also propelled them to the top of the standings.

Set to chase 164 for their first home win, the Lions were off to an explosive start, with both openers Aaron Finch and Brendon McCullum dealing in boundaries in their 85-run association. When they were separated in the ninth over, the opening pair had brought the required run rate, which was 8.20 at the start of the innings, to a more manageable 6.77.

Finch, who struck 74 in the Lions opening match, brought up his second half-century of the season when he slammed 50 from 36 balls. The Australian was cautious against RP Singh and R Ashwin, but took on the other bowlers; he scored 15 from 10 off Ishant, 16 from 8 off the leg-spinner Ashwin and 12 from 5 off Bhatia. He was dismissed in the ninth over when an attempted sweep was pouched by Ishant Sharma patrolling the fence.

Shortly after Finch was dismissed, McCullum took the cudgels and hit the off-spinner Ashwin for a four and six off consecutive deliveries. The Kiwi batsman was dismissed shortly after, for 49 from 31 balls and aided with three fours and as many sixes.

Suresh Raina creamed one boundary through cover in his run-a-ball 24 before he was stumped off the bowling of the leg-spinner. Bravo (22) and Jadeja (4) thereafter completed the job, steering their team past the finish line in the 19th over.

For RPS, the off-spinner Ashwin bowled his four overs for 26 but couldn’t pick up a wicket; he should have had the wicket of McCullum, but Dhoni missed a straightforward stumping opportunity. The leg-spinner Ashwin finished with figures of 2-31, while Ishant (1-39) was the only other wicket-taker.

Earlier in the evening, after MS Dhoni won the toss and decided his team would bat first, the Rising Pune Supergiants were steady off the blocks. Ajinkya Rahane and Faf du Plessis helped the visitors to 23 after three overs, when the former was foxed in the air by the leg-spinner Pravin Tambe and trapped in front of the stumps.

Kevin Pietersen, who walked out to bat at three, stamped his authority almost from the word go; his first aggressive stroke was a whip to midwicket, after which he welcomed Dwayne Bravo with a pull six. After the sixth over, which was bowled by Bravo, RPS had raced to 57 for 1. The duo kept the foot on the pedal for the next two overs from which they realized 19 runs.

However, between overs 9 and 14, the hosts pulled things back splendidly, conceding only 37 runs, while also picking up the wicket of a well-set Pietersen (37 from 31 balls). The second-wicket pair added 86 for the Supergiants.

du Plessis, who brought up his half-century off 33 balls, hit Pravin Tambe for a four and a six off consecutive deliveries, but was stumped as he charged down the ground in search of a third big hit; he made 69 from 43 balls before his dismissal in the 16th over.

Ravindra Jadeja bowled two splendid overs – the 17th and 19th of the innings – in which he gave away only four runs while also picking up the wickets of Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh, while the 18th over bowled by Bravo only saw five runs being scored.

In the final over of the innings, MS Dhoni imposed himself, winning the battle against his ex-teammate Bravo; apart from sprinting like a hare to pick up three twos, he also hit two fours and a six. He remained unbeaten on 22 from 10 balls, and RPS finished their innings with a competitive 163-5.

Jadeja, who bowled 14 dot balls, was the pick of the hosts bowlers, returning with figures of 2 for 18 from his four overs. Praveen Kumar bowled two quiet overs at the start but didn’t get to bowl his complete quota. Tambe (2-33) and Bravo (1-43) were the other wicket-takers for the home side.

source--iplt20

Read More