News Analysis India

Tag: IPL

  • It will be difficult to win games if batsmen don’t perform: Rohit Sharma

    By PTI

    SHARJAH: Dejection writ large on his face, Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma on Saturday said they are not playing to their potential as the defeat against Delhi capitals made their road to IPL Play-offs tougher.

    The defending champions lost by four wickets against DC to stay in sixth place and they now need not only win their remaining two games but also hope for favourable results from other matches.

    Rohit counted himself among the batting failures this season as MI yet again settled for a below-par score of 129 for 7 and could not defend it.

    “If your batters aren’t going to post runs on the board, it will be difficult to win games. I personally accept that. We’re not able to execute in the middle, which is particularly disappointing,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

    “We are not playing to our potential. Hopefully in the next two games, we play the way we are known for.” Rohit said they knew that Sharjah “will be a difficult venue” and prepared in the best possible manner.

    “We watched a lot of matches, and it’s not the easiest venues to play and make a lot of runs. We were well prepared and we knew what we had to do,” he said.

    “I thought we didn’t bat well enough. We knew it wasn’t a 170-180 wicket, but we knew it was a 140 wicket. We just didn’t get the partnerships going.”

    Capitals captain Rishabh Pant conceded that it was a hard-fought victory.

    “In Sharjah, the wicket always plays differently. We were planning to bowl mostly the fast bowlers in the powerplay. Easier for the spinner in these tracks. I held back one over of Ashwin to keep him away from Pollard and Hardik.”

    “Avesh is the find of the season for us, but at Delhi Capitals, we learn from our mistakes and pick up. We have to solidify our batting.”

    He said (Marcus) Stoinis should be fine in a few days and that will be good for the team.

    “You can’t always go for it, but someone has to be aggressive in the powerplay.”

    Former DC captain Shreyas Iyer was a happy man, having played a crucial role in a successful chase with an unbeaten 33-run knock.

    “I felt really amazing to bat through and take my team through. It was a low scoring game. I backed myself and my instincts. I knew I would win the game for the team,” he said.

    His partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin came under pressure and Iyer was all praise for his senior teammate.

    “He (Ashwin) came in and was really positive. He wanted to take singles, and that went to the last two overs. He decided he would take the bowlers on during the last two overs,” he said.

    Iyer also said that his team has worked hard on transforming itself.

    “The transition in the last two years has happened. Since 2019, we have shifted that towards our team. We try to implement that within the dressing room. We try to be humble, and we try to ensure whoever’s day it is, he makes sure the team wins the game.”

    “Once we are in these close games, we have to finish them. Every two points matter. If we finish in the top two, we have that opportunity to play that one game and make the final,” he said.

  • We are still in competition: Mumbai bowling coach Shane Bond on play-off chances

    By PTI

    SHARJAH: Defending champions Mumbai Indians are currently in the bottom half of the IPL points table after seven losses from 12 matches but their bowling coach Shane Bond on Saturday said they are “still in the competition”.

    The five-time champions could only manage a modest 129/8 which Delhi Capitals chased down for a four-wicket win.

    “We are playing okay, we know that we are playing nowhere near our best, but we are still in the competition,” Bond said.

    “We’ll see what happens. We only had fine wins, but if we can get two wins under our belt and a few results go our way,” he said.

    They next face Rajasthan Royals at the same venue in three days.

    “I don’t think the plan will change too much. We’ve got a couple of areas we need to tidy up. We know we’re still in the competition, even though we lost today.”

    Sent in to bat, Mumbai struggled in the middle overs, managing just 21 runs with the loss of three wickets in five overs.

    “We thought if we got a score around 145 it would probably be a winning total which probably proved to be right.”

    “Look, the bowlers gave ourselves an opportunity to win the game, but I think Delhi played well in the middle, they took some chances and we knew that it was going to get tougher.”

    Bond praised Surya Kumar Yadav who looked to have regained his touch with a 26-ball 33 before being dismissed by Axar Patel.

    “He (Surya) just played how he normally he plays. He’s hitting the ball beautifully in training. He was getting that fluency and looked like the way he played last season, it’s just unfortunate that he’s getting out.”

    Delhi left-arm spinner Patel, who was adjudged man-of-the-match for his 3/21, said the plan for him was to bowl full against Surya.

    “I was bowling according to the batsmen’s strengths. Surya was mostly playing sweep and over the cover shots. So I was bowling him full. I was not being predictable and that was the gameplan I had with Rishabh,” said Patel.

    Chasing a small target of 130, Delhi also kept losing wickets but Shreyas Iyer (33 not out) and Ravichandran Ashwin (20 not out) helped the side chase it down in 19.1 overs.

    “The wicket is a bit slow and the ball is stopping a bit, it’s not coming on to bat as you expect. It’s hard to play big shots here,” Patel said.

    “We just wanted to take it deep and it was about playing in singles and doubles.”

    “We have seen how Sharjah wicket has fared. It was once again a 130-135 wicket and we had to bat accordingly. The way Iyer and Ashwin finished was great for us,” he concluded.

  • ‘Rutu Ka Raj’: Opener smashes hundred as CSK score 189 for 4 against Rajasthan

    By PTI

    ABU DHABI: Indian cricket’s Gen-Next star Ruturaj Gaikwad continued his red hot form with a magnificent century as Chennai Super Kings scored an imposing 189 for 4 against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League here on Saturday.

    Gaikwad struck as many as nine fours and five sixes in his 60-ball 101 not out to make a mockery of Royals’ bowling attack in their 12th round encounter.

    Some of his shots in the off-side region would be remembered for times to come.

    Ravindra Jadeja (32 not out off 15 balls) scythed trough the Royals attack at the back-end as CSK added 55 runs in only 3.4 overs.

    In fact, in the final over, Jadeja faced four deliveries, leaving Gaikwad with two deliveries and he pulled Mustafizur Rahman off the final delivery to complete the coveted landmark.

    For the Royals, leg-spinner Rahul Tewatia (3/39 in 4 overs) was the most successful bowler but his joy of getting three scalps was spoilt by Gaikwad with two back-to-back sixes — one over long-off and other into the sightscreen.

    The sixes over mid-wicket off left-arm seamers Akash Singh and Mustafizur were delightful as it landed at least 20 yards behind the ropes into the grass banks.

    The Punekar is not someone who is muscular but a “strong core” (according to him) and stable base allows him to maintain shape while going for the big shots as Royals found out on the day.

    The manner in which he came down the track and lofted seamer Chetan Sakariya for an inside-out one-bounce boundary made it look as if he was tackling a spinner with enough time at his disposal.

    There were a lot of boundaries in the arc between cover and mid-off region as his driving was majestic.

    Gaikwad’s sequence of scores since resumption of IPL is 88, 38, 30, 45 and now 101 not out.

    There hasn’t been a single failure so far and his partnerships with Faf du Plessis (25) has been the cornerstone of CSK’s good batting performance.

    That none of their retired stars like Suresh Raina, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu, all IPL heavyweights in their own rights, haven’t had much contribution with the bat, isn’t affecting them primarily because of du Plessis and Gaikwad’s power-packed starts.

    On Saturday, they added 47 for the first wicket while they had conjured up 71 against RCB, 74 against KKR and 75 against SunRisers Hyderabad.

  • If we learn to handle pressure better, we will be among top teams: Rahul

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Punjab Kings skipper K L Rahul says his team can make the IPL play-offs consistently if it learns to handle pressure better and not lose games from commanding positions.

    Punjab Kings, who tend to snatch defeat from jaws of victory, beat Kolkata Knight Riders here on Friday to keep their play-off hopes alive.

    “I’ll take the two points,” said Rahul at the post-match presentation when asked about his side being part of another tense finishes.

    KKR made 165 for seven and Punjab got home with three balls to spare.

    “We played it smartly. Realised it was a decent wicket and can’t experiment too much. We went slightly defensive with the ball. There wasn’t much spin and wanted to make the batters hit to the bigger side.”

    “With the bat also we’ve given clear roles to the players. Obviously we want to finish games. The win will give us confidence and hopefully we’ll build on it,” said Rahul who scored a match-winning 67.

    Rahul had to leave out spinner Harpreet Brar who has done well for the team.

    “These are things that kill me as a captain. Don’t want to leave out the Indian boys. With a heavy heart had to leave Harpreet out. Had to see what would be our best XI with Chris (Gayle) leaving the bubble.”

    He also praised Shahrukh Khan who finished the game for Punjab.

    “Shahrukh has been batting brilliantly in the nets. Saw how strong he is in the first phase. He’s asking a lot of questions and wanting to finish games.

    “Today he played proper cricket shots, got a few boundaries and we all know he can hit the ball a long way. He can finish games, has done it for Tamil Nadu.”

    Asked about the play-off changes, he added: “Often we’ve put too much pressure on ourselves. Everybody knows we are a far better team. Putting too much pressure on ourselves is not helping. Every game we’ve fought till the end.”

    “If we can handle pressure, we will be among the top teams,” he added.

    KKR skipper Eoin Morgan said fielding let them down.

    “Initially we didn’t field that well, we put catches down, myself early and other guys. It has cost us. When the game gets that tight towards the end, extra few wickets down would have helped us. Equally I thought we fought hard, batted really well and probably had a par score.”

    Talking about Rahul Tripathi’s catch of the Punjab skipper in the 19th over not being adjudged clean by the third unpire, Morgan said: “I thought in real time it was out.”

    “Obviously when you slow things down and analyse it. That the third umpire thought otherwise and his decision is made, that’s final and we need to get on with it.”

    “But it would have been nice if we had got that wicket. I think everyone that went out there found it difficult to get going initially, it was not an easy wicket to start on. But after having a strong 13-14 overs we didn’t capitalize on that platform.”

    Opener Venkatesh Iyer was among the runs again and has been the find of the season for KKR.

    “He’s a real find for us, has been with us the whole campaign and we have watched him in practice. Above all his attitude is fantastic for a guy that plays fearlessly as he does with the bat.”

    “He takes a lot of responsibility with the ball, Dre Russ leaves a huge gap in the all-rounder position for us but to have someone come in and contribute is really outstanding.”

    “We have played some great cricket in the second half and have some positives to take away from tonight as well. Two more games to go, we will fight hard and hopefully get a couple of good results and be in the Play-offs,” he added.

  • It means a lot, there was lot at stake: Dhoni after CSK enter playoffs

    By PTI

    SHARJAH: Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Thursday lauded his team for making a strong comeback following a dismal showing last season after it qualified for the IPL play-offs for the 11th time.

    CSK, the three-time former champions, had a disappointing outing last year when it failed to qualify for the play-offs for the first time ever.

    However, the Dhoni-led team made a remarkable turnaround this year as it became the first team to qualify for the knockout stage after beating SRH by six wickets here.

    “It means a lot, because the last time, we said we wanted to come back strong. We are known for that and there was a lot at stake,” Dhoni said in the post-match presentation.

    “You won’t always win games and a lot didn’t go our way last time, and it’s important not to make excuses and we have done that this year.”

    Crediting the team for the turnaround, Dhoni said: “The boys did well to keep the momentum going, and they’ve taken responsibilties to keep all departments of the game in balance so the players and the support staff get the credit.”

    Opting to bowl, CSK managed to restrict SRH to 134 for 7 on the slow Sharjah wicket.

    Dhoni said: “The bounce of the wicket was different – instead of knee height, it was shin height, and once the batsmen figured out that they have to hit straight, they succeeded.

    “The bowlers tried to swing it up front and got hit straight when then pitched it up too much, but then adjusted very well.”

    “I told the bowlers that they needed to exploit the conditions in today’s game. If the odd ball stopped early on, it started coming onto the bat later.”

    CSK has won all the four matches in the UAE leg and now sits comfortably at the top with 18 points.

    Opener Faf du Plessis, who scored 41, credited the balance of the team and its aggressive cricket for the turnaround this season.

    “Our batting line-up is long, we have guys coming in and batting aggressively all the time, so even if one takes wickets, they’ll be batters coming out to score runs. Moeen has been a good addition as a second spinner,” he said.

    “The balance I think is very good, that’s one reason for us doing well this season.”

    SRH skipper Kane Williamson admitted they just didn’t have enough runs on the board to put pressure on CSK.

    “Not quite enough runs. It wasn’t an easy surface and although we didn’t get enough we showed a fighting spirit in the last quarter with the ball,” he said.

    “We need 10-15 extra runs with the bat though and we need to make those small changes. After the powerplay we were 40-something and although you feel like you want more, it was a good start on that surface.”

    “You want to score a few more runs though, but we saw some nice contributions from the lower order We need to improve . This season has been a bit disjointed given that it was played in two halves, but we’ll look to grow and build some momentum.”

  • Another six from Dhoni, another CSK victory: ‘Men-in-yellow’ reaches IPL play-offs 

    By PTI

    SHARJAH: Chennai Super Kings produced a convincing performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad to maintain their remarkable consistency this season and sail into the Indian Premier League play-offs here on Thursday.

    The bowlers, led by Josh Hazlewood (3/24) and Dwayne Bravo (2/17), restricted SRH to 134 for seven after M S Dhoni opted to bowl first on a slow surface.

    Chasing the total, in-form openers Ruturaj Gaikwad (45 off 38) and Faf du Plessis (41 off 36) shared a sublime 75-run stand to give CSK an ideal start.

    A mini collapse in the middle overs made the chase interesting before CSK got the job done in 19.

    4 overs with Dhoni (14 not out off 11) hitting the winning six and bringing back memories of his heydays.

    The three-time former champions thus ended the chase, scoring 139 for four, for a convincing six-wicket win.

    With their fourth win in as many games since the tournament’s resumption, CSK showed not making the play-offs last season was just a blip in their successful IPL history.

    The Sharjah pitch, which produced high-scoring games last year, has been a complete contrast this season with its slow nature making stroke making difficult.

    Batting in the second innings got easier with the fast-rising Gaikwad displaying supreme skills.

    The confidence with which he played star SRH spinner Rashid Khan was most impressive.

    He charged down the track on Rashid’s second ball and dispatched it for a straight six.

    He also used his feet well against left-arm spinner Abhishek Sharma for another crisp boundary.

    Du Plessis too hit some cracking boundaries before falling to a tired shot.

    From a commanding 103 for one, CSK slumped to 108 for four, making the dressing room slightly nervous.

    However, Ambati Rayudu (17 not off 13) avoided a tense finish for his team with a six and four off Bhuvneswar Kumar in the 19th over.

    M S Dhoni remained unbeaten at the other end.

    Earlier, SRH innings never got the momentum it needed.

    Wriddhiman Saha played some delightful shots in his 46-ball 44 but the majority of the SRH batsmen struggled to get going.

    Saha’s two sixes off Deepak Chahar in third over were the highlight of his innings.

    The first one was a hoick over midwicket and the second one was more like a lofted straight drive that cleared the ropes comfortably.

    His opening partner Jason Roy fell cheaply, caught behind off Josh Hazlewood as he went for a wild slog.

    Skipper Kane Williamson struck two fours in his run-a-ball 11 before he was trapped in front by Dwayne Bravo with a full ball that swung away slightly to thud into the New Zealander’s pads.

    SRH were left reeling at 74 for four after a well-set Saha top-edged one off Ravindra Jadeja to be caught by Dhoni.

    SRH, who reached 97 for four in 15 overs, badly needed a final flourish in the last five overs.

    Abdul Samad (18 off 14) and Abhishek Sharma (18 off 13) hit a few sensational shots before Hazlewood removed them in the 17th over.

    CSK were brilliant in the death overs conceding only 37 runs.

  • Delhi Capitals owner backs Ashwin after spat with Morgan, Southee

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Delhi Capitals owner Parth Jindal has backed his team’s off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin over his confrontation with Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Eoin Morgan during an IPL game.

    The incident happened during Delhi Capitals’ innings when Ashwin and Rishabh Pant decided to take a run after the ball deflected off his partner’s body.

    The move did not go down well with KKR pacer Tim Southee and Morgan, who entered into an ugly spat with Ashwin.

    While throwing his weight behind Ashwin, Jindal reminded Morgan of the 2019 World Cup final, where England were awarded four runs for an overthrow after the ball ricocheted off Ben Stokes’ bat.

    “So when the ball ricochets off Ben Stokes for 4 additional runs which single handedly allows England to win the 50 over World Cup there are no issues? But when Ash takes an extra run the world goes crazy? #Hypocrisy at its best – fully behind you @ashwinravi99,” wrote Jindal on Twitter on Thursday.

    While Morgan was not pleased with the run, after dismissing Ashwin Southee had apparently rebuked the senior India star by saying, “That’s what happens when you cheat”.

    Ashwin was then seen charging towards Morgan and Southee, prompting Dinesh Karthik to intervene and douse the fire.

    In a series of tweets, Ashwin had earlier in the day made it clear that he would again run if the ball hit a fielder’s body and asked Morgan and Southee to not use “derogatory” words and lecture him on the spirit of the game by taking a moral high ground.

  • IPL 2021: Bio-bubble fatigue forces Chris Gayle to leave the tournament

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Star player Chris Gayle has decided to leave the IPL’s bio-secure environment due to “bubble fatigue”, his team Punjab Kings said on Thursday.

    Gayle had played two games for the team since IPL’s resumption and now wants to refresh before the T20 World Cup beginning next month.

    The West Indian flew into Dubai from another bio-bubble created for the CPL and staying in a protected environment has taken a toll on him like many other international players in COVID times.

    “Over the last few months, I have been a part of the CWI bubble, CPL bubble followed by the IPL bubble, and I wish to mentally recharge and refresh myself,” said Gayle in a statement issued by Punjab Kings.

    “I want to refocus on helping the West Indies in the T20 World Cup and would like to take a break in Dubai. My thanks to the Punjab Kings for giving me the time off. My wishes and hopes are with the squad always. All the very best for the games coming up.”

    Head coach Anil Kumble said the team respects his decision.

    “I’ve played against Chris and have coached him at Punjab Kings and all through the years I’ve known him he has always been an absolute professional and we as a team respect his decision and desire to prepare himself for the T20 World Cup,” said Kumble.

    CEO Satish Menon added, “Chris is a legend who has changed the game of T20 cricket, and we stand by his decision. He is a part of the Punjab Kings family, and his presence will be missed. We extend all support to him and wish him success.”

    Gayle is likely to remain in Dubai before joining the West Indies squad for the T20 World Cup.

  • Merely listening to Ricky Ponting’s dressing room speech gives you goosebumps: Avesh Khan

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: When Ricky Ponting speaks, all Avesh Khan does is listen to the former Australian captain with rapt attention.

    The Delhi Capitals fast bowler, who has taken 18 wickets from 11 games, has been in good form during this season and he feels that his head coach inputs on cricket as well as the mental aspect of the game, helped him evolve as a player.

    “It is my fourth year with Ricky sir and I can say that he has been a legendary player and an equally great coach. He talks about the mental aspect of the game. Just listening to him in the dressing room gives me goosebumps. He has an open mind and you can discuss anything you wish with him,” Avesh told PTI Bhasha in an interview.

    His toe-crushing yorkers has earned praise from none other than world’s fastest bowler Anrich Nortje, who wants to understand how he is so consistent with that kind of an effort ball.

    Well, Avesh revealed that his process of fine-tuning blockhole deliveries is no different from other speed merchants who also either keep a shoe or a handkerchief at the front-crease.

    “I always try to practice as much as yorkers at the nets. It is a wicket-taking delivery and one can bring perfection with practice only. I use a bottle or cone or even my shoe for that. When the ball hits the target, it enhances my confidence too,” said the Indore lad, who is enjoying a breakthrough season in IPL.

    “It is very important to land perfect yorkers in pressure situations at it is the only delivery which can save a bowler from getting punished by the batter. I always try to welcome the new batter with a perfectly executed yorker,” he added.

    Happy with his performance in the current IPL season Avesh is aiming to maintain this form to help Delhi Capitals winning their maiden title.

    “It has been a dream-like journey so far. I started playing Cricket as a hobby and was always very passionate about the game. When I used to play with a tennis ball in Indore , I had never thought of coming so far,’ said the former India U-19 pacer, who was in the reserves during the tour of England before a fracture cut short his tour. With Kagiso Rabada, Nortje and Avesh in their armoury, Delhi Capitals have one of the strongest fast bowling attacks in IPL 2021 and all three of them are eager to learn and feed from each other’s success.

    “I have been learning a lot from them. I keep asking them about the pitch, which bowl will work for a particular batter or what to bowl in a particular situation. Our focus remains on working as a unit , not on individual performances,” he said.

    He was first spotted by former cricketer Amay Khurasia , his mentor, at an MPCA trial at the age of 13.

    The Indore quick had been a regular feature in the India A sides.

    His Ranji coach Chandrakant Pandit also helped him to improve and till now he speaks to him before or after every match.

    He also sought advice from Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has always been an inspiration for small-town boys who have made it big in cricket.

    “Mahi bhai has inspired a lot of youngsters. I also wanted to play under his captaincy. I spoke to him after the match against CSK and he told me many things about the game which I will always follow,” said the pacer who also took Dhoni’s wicket in the previous match and called it ‘ dream wicket’.

  • BCCI secretary Jay Shah delighted with TV viewership in IPL 2021

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: BCCI secretary Jay Shah is overwhelmed with TV viewership in the ongoing Indian Premier League and thanked fans for their support to the tournament, which has witnessed a disruption earlier this year owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The IPL 2021 was postponed in May due to several COVID cases inside the tournament’s bio-bubble in India.

    The second leg of the event started in the UAE this month, and has seen a growing interest among fans, leading to an increase in viewership.

    “I am delighted to share that #IPL2021 continues to register significant growth in viewership. Chart with upwards trend: 380 million TV viewers (till match 35) 12 million more than 2020 at the same stage. Thank you, everyone. It will only get more exciting from here on @IPL @StarSportsIndia @BCCI,” Shah tweeted.

    The IPL is being telecast live on Star Sports in India.