News Analysis India

Tag: IPL

  • Hope my last game is in Chennai: Dhoni gives hint of retiring from IPL  

    By Express News Service

    CHENNAI: With a full-fledged player auction lined up at the end of the ongoing IPL, MS Dhoni has hinted at continuing with the Chennai Super Kings at least for another season.

    No other captain has won more matches than Dhoni in the IPL and he also has three trophies to show and in the ongoing edition, Chennai have already made it to the play-offs.

    However, over the past couple of seasons, Dhoni’s performance with the bat has been nowhere close to what it was during his heydays.

    Dhoni is now 40-year-old and there were questions whether this season could be his last as he had already retired from international cricket in 2020.

    On Tuesday, speaking at India Cements 75 not out — organisation’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations — Dhoni in a virtual conference, said: “When it comes to farewell, you can always come and see me play for CSK. You will still get the opportunity to bid me farewell. Hopefully, we will come to Chennai and I will play my last game there and meet all the fans.”

    In the one-hour live event hosted on the franchise’s YouTube channel, apart from Dhoni, CSK players Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir also took part. Also part of the virtual interaction was N Srinivasan, vice-chairman and MD India Cements. 

  • Mumbai Indians opt to field against Rajasthan Royals in must-win game

    By PTI

    SHARJAH: Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss opted to field against Rajasthan Royals in a must-win IPL game for both teams here on Tuesday.

    For MI, Ishan Kishan replaced Quinton de Kock at the top of the order while all-rounder Jimmy Neesham has come in place of out-of-form Krunal Pandya.

    For Royals, left-arm pacer Kuldip Yadav will make his IPL debut.

    He has replaced Akash Singh while leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal replaced wrist spinner Mayank Markande.

    Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (C), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Saurabh Tiwary, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Jimmy Neesham, Jayant Yadav, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult.

    Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (C), Evin Lewis, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube, Glenn Phillips, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Kuldip Yadav, Mayank Markande, Mustafizur Rahman and Chetan Sakariya.

  • Neesham, Coulter-Nile blow away Royals, who managed only 90/9 in must-win game

    By PTI

    SHARJAH: Jimmy Neesham and Nathan Coulter-Nile hit the ideal length on a tacky strip as Mumbai Indians’ disciplined bowling attack choked Rajasthan Royals to a meagre 90 for 9 in a do-or-die Indian Premier League match here on Tuesday.

    It is the lowest T20 total by a team batting first at Sharjah.

    Rohit Sharma was spot-on in deciding to bowl first and Neesham (3/12), playing his first game of the UAE leg, took the pace off his deliveries on a Sharjah track where the ball wasn’t coming onto the bat.

    Coulter-Nile (4-0-14-4) was equally effective with his change-ups and hitting the hard-lengths more often than not en route one of his best IPL spells.

    Neesham and Coulter-Nile cumulatively gave away only 26 runs between them in eight overs and also got a whopping seven wickets, which threw Royals out of contest.

    Jasprit Bumrah (2/14) was menacing as ever with crucial wickets as it was one of MI’s closest to perfect bowling performance.

    Royals were blown away in a space of four overs as they slumped from 41 for 1 in the last over of Powerplay to 50 for 5 by the time the first 10 was about to end.

    There was no looking back for MI from that position.

    The in-form Sanju Samson (3) tried to slash hard without reaching to the pitch of the delivery as Jayant Yadav at point took a diving catch.

    Shivam Dube after the CSK heroics tried to reach at a fuller delivery on ‘fifth stump” and dragged it back while Rahul Tewatia (12 off 20 balls) in the midst of a horrendous season, tried to pull a short ball that came late and took the edge into keeper’s hands.

    Neesham’s induction in place of Krunal Pandya, who has been a regular feature for a good five years now, proved to be a master-stroke as he didn’t give enough pace to manoeuvre and also bowled wicket-to wicket, not experimenting much.

    Evin Lewis (24 off 19 balls) once again started in rollicking fashion but the course of Royals innings was changed when talented Yashasvi Jaiswal (12) failed to ride the bounce off a Coulter-Nile delivery to be caught behind.

    Once Bumrah got rid of Lewis with an angular delivery, rest of the Royals batters fell like a pack of cards.

  • Neesham, Coulter-Nile knock Royals out of IPL as MI live to fight another day

    By PTI

    SHARJAH: Jimmy Neesham and Nathan Coulter-Nile bowled exceptionally well to keep Mumbai Indians alive and kicking as they outclassed Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets in a low-scoring Indian Premier League match, here on Tuesday.

    New Zealander Neesham (3/12) and Aussie Coulter-Nile (4/14) snapped seven wickets for only 26 runs in eight overs between them to choke Rajasthan for a meagre 90 for 9.

    The five-time champions then knocked off the runs in 8.2 overs to go up to 12 points and more importantly improve their net run-rate to -0.048.

    This was also the biggest victory for MI in terms of balls left (70).

    Ishan Kishan (50 not out) got some much-needed confidence during the short chase as MI knocked Royals out of IPL from the league stage itself yet again as they flattered to deceive.

    The Royals did not have many quality Indian players except Yashasvi Jaiswal.

    Kishan, who has endured wretched form during the better part of the UAE leg, hit five fours and three sixes.

    Fittingly, he finished it with a maximum.

    MI will now meet Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday, another must-win game but they would also want Kolkata Knight Riders (12 points, NRR +0.294) to lose their last match against Royals on Thursday.

    In case KKR win and move up to 14 points, MI on the last day would know how much they require to get past Shah Rukh Khan-owned team’s net run-rate.

    On the day, Neesham and Coulter-Nile hit the ideal length on a tacky strip as they choked Royals to the lowest T20 total by any team batting first at Sharjah.

    Rohit Sharma was spot-on in deciding to bowl first and Neesham (3/12), playing his first game of the UAE leg, took the pace off his deliveries on a Sharjah track where the ball wasn’t coming onto the bat.

    Coulter-Nile (4-0-14-4) was equally effective with his change-ups and hitting the hard-lengths more often than not en route one of his best IPL spells.

    Neesham and Coulter-Nile cumulatively gave away only 26 runs between them in eight overs and also got a whopping seven wickets, which threw Royals out of contest.

    Jasprit Bumrah (2/14) was menacing as ever with crucial wickets as it was one of MI’s closest to perfect bowling performance.

    Royals were blown away in a space of four overs as they slumped from 41 for 1 in the last over of Powerplay to 50 for 5 by the time the first 10 was about to end.

    There was no looking back for MI from that position.

    The in-form Sanju Samson (3) tried to slash hard without reaching to the pitch of the delivery as Jayant Yadav at point took a diving catch.

    Shivam Dube after the CSK heroics tried to reach at a fuller delivery on ‘fifth stump” and dragged it back while Rahul Tewatia (12 off 20 balls) in the midst of a horrendous season, tried to pull a short ball that came late and took the edge into keeper’s hands.

    Neesham’s induction in place of Krunal Pandya, who has been a regular feature for a good five years now, proved to be a master-stroke as he didn’t give enough pace to manoeuvre and also bowled wicket-to wicket, not experimenting much.

    Evin Lewis (24 off 19 balls) once again started in rollicking fashion but the course of Royals innings was changed when talented Yashasvi Jaiswal (12) failed to ride the bounce off a Coulter-Nile delivery to be caught behind.

    Once Bumrah got rid of Lewis with an angular delivery, rest of the Royals batters fell like a pack of cards.

  • I’ll be back stronger, says injured CSK all-rounder Sam Curran

    By ANI

    DUBAI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Sam Curran has been ruled out of IPL 2021 and the upcoming T20 World Cup due to a lower back injury. But the English player has promised to come back stronger.

    “Unfortunately I have received a gutting news that I will, unfortunately, be missing the remainder of the IPL season and the World Cup. Extremely gutted…absolutely loved my time with Chennai this season,” CSK website quoted Curran as saying.

    “The boys are doing extremely well. It hasn’t really sunk in yet but I’m leaving with the team in a fantastic space. The boys are playing really good cricket. I want to be supporting them from where I am in the next few days. Once it’s all sunk in, I’ll definitely be supporting the team and I’m sure they can go all the way and lift the trophy.

    “Just want to say a massive thank you to all the Chennai Super Kings fans, I’ve absolutely loved all your support in the last two seasons I’ve been playing. It won’t be long until I’m back running, bowling and batting in front of all you guys. I’ll be back stronger, until then stay safe. Cheers guys,” he added.

    Talking about Curran’s injury, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan said: “It’s really unfortunate that Curran won’t be available for the rest of the season due to a lower back injury. We wish him a speedy recovery and I’m sure he will emerge stronger from this. BCCI has been informed about the injury.”

    Curran, 23, has played 24 Tests, 11 ODIs and 16 T20Is for England. He was a part of the England Test squad that played India in England prior to the IPL.

    For England, Curran’s brother, Tom, has been drafted into the squad for the T20 World Cup.

    In addition, Surrey’s Reece Topley has been added as a travelling reserve. Topley will join the England party in due course. The England players and management not part of the IPL arrived at their Muscat base on Tuesday and will remain in Oman until October 16 before moving to Dubai for the start of the tournament.

  • Poor contributions by Indian players has let Mumbai Indians down: Ex-England cricketer Mark Butcher

    By IANS

    LONDON: Former England cricketer Mark Butcher feels that the lacklustre performance of Indian players, unlike the previous editions, has let down the defending champions Mumbai Indians in the ongoing IPL 2021.

    Mumbai’s batting has been off-colour and it’s the reason behind their slide this season. The key Indian players like captain Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Panday, and Krunal Panday have failed to take responsibility and post big totals.

    Mumbai Indians, who are currently in the seventh position in the points table, face Rajasthan Royals — placed just one place above them, on Tuesday evening in Sharjah. The Rohit-led Mumbai Indians came into this match with a defeat against Delhi Capitals while Rajasthan Royals stunned Chennai Super Kings in their last clash.

    “If all your eyes are turning towards Quinton de Kock at the top and if all eyes are turning towards Trent Boult as a wicket-taker in the powerplay, th’n you’ve got a problem. Mumbai Indians’ success has been built around the fact that they’haven’t looked to overseas players to win the tournament. They have great overseas players, but the Indian players have come to the party and done the job,” said Butcher on Crick’t.com’s show Man vs Machine.

    “Rohit Sharma hasn’t made the ‘uns you’d expect him to make.’Yes, he’s a brilliant captain.’Yes, he’ll probably become India’s T20I captain in the near future. But they need runs from him. Ishan Kishan has found himself out of the team, such has been his form. Contribution from Indian players is just as important, in fact, more important when it comes to winning IPL and qualifying than anything else,” he added.

    In the past, Mumbai have qualified for the playoffs and won titles after being in improbable positions and the former England batsman feels the defending champions have what it takes to pull a rabbit out of the hat once again.

    “They have pulled rabbits out of their hat’ before. It’s in the feature of their success in the IPL. Their fans would be confident that they can beat these two teams – Rajasthan Royals — they took them down in April,” said Butcher.

    “They would also think Sunrisers are there for the taki’g as well. It’s simply a case of concentrating on the job in your hands. No point worrying about ifs and buts. Win this one and the next one. Get two points on the board and then worry about the net run-rate,” he added.

  • Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan’s shot selection has not been exactly correct: Sunil Gavaskar

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians batsmen Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan have failed to rise to the challenge in the second leg of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League in the UAE. Not only has their form hurt MI, but also questions have been raised on whether they deserve to be a part of India’s T20 World Cup squad for the showpiece event.

    Speaking on Star Sports show Cricket Connected, legend Sunil Gavaskar said: “I think it looks to me like, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan have just relaxed a little bit after getting the India cap. They might not have, but some of the shots they are playing — it looks like they are trying to play these big shots just because they are India players.

    “Sometimes what happens is, you gotta give yourself a little bit of time, and you gotta get your shot selection right. And I think that is where they have missed this time around, where their shot selection has not been exactly correct, and that’s why they’ve got out cheaply.”

    Throwing light on all-rounder Hardik Pandya not bowling in the IPL, the former India skipper said it is a big blow not just for the franchise, but also for the national team.

    “Hardik Pandya, not bowling is a big blow, not just for Mumbai Indians, but for India as well, because he was taken in the team as an all-rounder. And if you are in the team, batting at No.6 or No.7, and you’re not able to bowl, then it makes it difficult for the captain. He doesn’t get the flexibility and option, that is so required for somebody batting at No.6 or 7 like an all-rounder.”

    The Indian national selectors on September 8 picked the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup to be hosted by the BCCI in UAE and Oman. In a surprise move, R Ashwin was included in the team which will begin its campaign in the showpiece event against arch-rivals Pakistan. Ashwin had last played a T20I against West Indies in July 2017. Yuzvendra Chahal missed out while MS Dhoni will be the mentor of the team.

    Interestingly, RCB spinner Chahal has had a brilliant outing in UAE and has been one of the top bowlers in the second leg of the IPL.

  • Had a good chat with MS Dhoni, he gave me lot of confidence: Delhi Capitals batter Ripal Patel

    By ANI

    DUBAI: Delhi Capitals moved to the top of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 table after securing a three-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Monday.

    The Delhi Capitals bowlers restricted Chennai Super Kings to 136/5 in their 20 overs before the Delhi batsmen wrapped up the chase in 19.4 overs.

    Middle-order batsman Ripal Patel, who made his IPL debut against the Chennai Super Kings, was thrilled about the fact that MS Dhoni saw him bat from behind the stumps.

    “It was a different feeling altogether to see Mahi bhai behind the stumps when I took guard. It felt really good that Mahi bhai was watching me play. I started playing cricket watching Mahi bhai and I am looking to become a finisher like him. After the game, I asked him how he finishes every match, how he thinks on the field and what goes on in his mind while chasing a score. We had a good chat and he gave me a lot of confidence,” said Ripal in an official DC release.

    When asked about his emotions when he received the Delhi Capitals cap before the game, he said: “I was really happy when I received my cap from Mishy bhai. It didn’t feel like it was my first match. I felt really good going into the match. I just looked to back myself and enjoy every part of the game.”

    The 26-year-old, who scored 18 runs off 20 balls in the match, said that he looked to take his time at the crease, “When I went into bat (at 71/3), we needed to score at a run-a-ball pace. I aimed to finish the match for the team. Shikhar bhai told me to take my time at the crease, so I took my time and enjoyed my batting.”

    Ripal also enjoyed watching Kagiso Rabada finish the match with a boundary in the last over. “It was very important for us to win the match. It was a crunch situation when we needed 2 runs from 3 balls. We were looking for a couple of runs and it was great to see Rabada hit a boundary. I was disappointed that I didn’t finish the match, but it was great that the team won the match and reached 20 points,” he said. (ANI)

  • Family congratulates SRH pacer Umran Malik after excellent show in debut game against KKR

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: SunRisers Hyderabad pace sensation Umran Malik was in tears as his family congratulated him on an excellent debut in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday night. The Jammu and Kashmir cricketer’s family also wished him luck for the upcoming games.

    “Umran, congratulations to you for getting a chance to play in the IPL. I keep praying for you, my prayers are always with you. Just keep performing well,” his mother said in a video posted by SRH on Twitter.

    “Umran, you have got an opportunity to play in the IPL. Our prayers are always with you. We hope you are happy, wherever you are. Entire Jammu and Kashmir is happy for you,” his father said.

    Sharing his joy, Umran’s brother said: “Congratulations you are getting a chance to play in the IPL. Everyone is proud of you, we are eagerly waiting to see you on television. Best of luck brother.”

    His sister said she was proud of his effort in the opening game. “Congratulations Umran for getting a chance to play in the IPL. I pray that you give your 100 per cent and make us feel proud,” she said.

    Umran impressed one and all with his quick pace to rattle the opposition batters on Sunday night. Umar, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir, clocked two deliveries over 150 kmph on the speed gun and his fastest ball was 151.03. As a result, he is now the only Indian in the top ten for this season to deliver the fastest balls.

    The 21-year-old clocked a delivery at 146 kmph speed in his very first over, and he then entered 150s twice on the speed gun.

    In fact, SRH skipper Kane Williamson had also praised him and said: “We’ve been facing him in the nets, and it’s something quite special. He’s got a lot of pace, he runs in and goes hard. He racked up some fast speeds as well, which is pretty special. What a talent!”

  • Umpire’s decision should not be difference between winning and losing: Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar

    By ANI

    DUBAI: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has criticised the standard of umpiring in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season, saying that the decisions taken by the umpires should not make the difference between winning and losing.

    In the final over of the innings in the match between Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Monday, the second delivery bowled by Dwayne Bravo landed miles outside off and it did not even hit the pitch. The TV umpire had ruled it as wide and everyone was shocked to see the delivery not being termed as a no-ball.

    “That was clearly a no-ball. We’ve had a couple of decisions from TV umpires, which in these circumstances can make the difference between winning and losing, and that shouldn’t happen,” said Gavaskar while commentating for Star Sports during the match.

    “These kinds of decisions should not change the game. It’s a good thing Delhi won because that could have changed the game,” he added.

    However, the umpire’s decision was indeed right and Ravichandran Ashwin’s reading of the MCC laws cleared the air on how the on-field official’s call was bang on.

    “In case, people are wondering, if the ball pitches outside the pitch it is supposed to be a no-ball and if it pitches behind the stumps, it is a wide. That is the clarification,” Ashwin told teammate Shimron Hetmyer in a video posted on iplt20.com.

    Hetmyer played an unbeaten knock of 28 runs off just 18 balls to help Delhi Capitals defeat CSK by three wickets with two balls to spare. With this win, Rishabh Pant-led outfit moved to the top of the points table with 20 points from 13 games.