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Tag: IPL

  • IPL: Eoin Morgan knows KKR got a long way to go before celebrations can start

    By PTI

    ABU DHABI: Swashbuckling all-rounder Andre Russell came in at number three against RCB on Monday. When asked whether this would often be the case, KKR skipper Eoin Morgan said, “No, I think it is open to interpretation.”

    “I think, given the way that we played and the position that we found ourselves in and the run-chase we had an opportunity to really affect our run-rate position, hence Russ (Russell) going up the order,” he explained.

    After bowling out RCB for a paltry 92, openers Venkatesh Iyer (41 not out) and Shubhman Gill (48) helped KKR cruise to a nine-wicket win with 10 overs to spare.

    Despite the big win, Morgan conceded that it was a challenge for his side to make the last four, as they are currently on the fifth spot with six points from eight games.

    “There is no doubt that it is going to be a challenge, but our main aim is turn up and try and play cricket like we have done today. I think if we do that, we give ourselves the best chance of progressing,” said the England limited overs skipper.

    “It is something that the franchise has done before and gone on to win the championship, so we take confidence from that but more so from our performance with the ball and the bat and in the field today.

    “Moving forward, if we continue to play in that manner, it makes us a dangerous side,” Morgan signed off. 

  • Eoin Morgan applauds Venkatesh Iyer, says KKR want to play ‘the Brendon McCullum’ way

    By PTI

    ABU DHABI: Lavishing praise on debutant Venkatesh Iyer, skipper Eoin Morgan said the Madhya Pradesh batsman’s unbeaten knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore signified the “aggressive” brand of cricket Kolkata Knight Riders aspire to play.

    After bowling out RCB for a paltry 92, openers Iyer (41 not out) and Shubhman Gill (48) helped KKR cruise to a nine-wicket win with 10 overs to spare.

    “I think Venky, the way he came in and played, was outstanding. Certainly, the brand of cricket we want to play. We have a lot of talent within our group,” Morgan said at the post-match press conference.

    “Playing the Brendon McCullum (way), that’s the aggressive nature in which we want to play.

    “Although he was very aggressive, he managed to play with drastic control throughout the innings and his opening partnership with Shubman Gill was beautiful to watch,” he added.

  • Clinical Kolkata Knight Riders outplay Royal Challengers Bangalore, win by nine wickets

    By PTI

    ABU DHABI: An authoritative Kolkata Knight Riders bossed Royal Challengers Bangalore from the beginning to the end to record a convincing nine-wicket win in their Indian Premier League match here on Monday.

    Showing serious intent after their mediocre outing in the first phase of the league earlier this year, the Knight Riders bowlers fired in unison to bundle out Royal Challengers Bangalore for a paltry 92.

    Then, the opening duo of Shubman Gill and debutant Venkatesh Iyer played some breathtaking shots and made light work of the chase of 93, completing the formality with as many as 10 overs to spare.

    The supremely-talented Gill got out for a 48 off 34 deliveries while Iyer, who could have been a successful management professional after finishing his MBA in finance and giving up a placement as a tax consultant, was looking good on a 27-ball 41 not out when the winning run was hit.

    The result will not just boost their morale immensely but also improve KKR’s net run rate going ahead.

    Opening the bowling, architect-turned-mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy (3/13) did the star turn with three wickets in an excellent four-over spell.

    Star all-rounder Andre Russell (3/9 in three overs) also bagged three wickets, including AB de Villiers’ golden duck, while there were two for Lockie Ferguson.

    Devdutt Padikkal was the highest scorer with 22 runs in a forgettable outing in skipper Virat Kohli’s 200th game for RCB.

    Bowling the day’s second over, right-arm medium pacer Prasidh Krishna dealt RCB a big blow when he had Virat Kohli trapped in front of wicket with his fourth delivery that jagged in and hit him above the knee-roll.

    Having completed a double century of matches for RCB, Kohli went for a review but the ball-tracking technology confirmed that it was going on to hit the stumps.

    This was immediately after Kohli sent a Krishna delivery in front of square on the off-side for a lovely four.

    New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson replaced Chakravarthy and the gifted Devdutt Padikkal smashed the pacer straight over his head to get things moving for RCB.

    Krishna bowled back-to-back no balls (one front foot and one beamer) in the next over and while debutant Srikar Bharat failed to break the shackles, Padikkal capitalised on the extra delivery with a boundary.

    KKR skipper Eoin Morgan made another bowling change by bringing in Sunil Narine and while the Trinidadian spinner could not get a breakthrough in his first over, Ferguson succeeded in his second when he had Padikkal caught behind when the batsman tried to play the ball fine past the keeper despite hardly getting any room to execute the ramp shot.

    Russell ended Bharat’s stay in the middle as the pressure mounted on the batsman.

    And then came the biggest blow for RCB when Russell bowled AB de Villiers for a first-ball duck with a top-notch yorker targeting the leg-stump.

    RCB were in all sorts of trouble at 52 for four in the ninth over and it became only worse for them with the departure of Glenn Maxwell, who brought his own downfall with a needless heave against Chakravarthy’s tossed-up delivery, and Wanindu Hasaranga, the team’s another debutant, getting out cheaply.

    Both the batsmen were dismissed off successive balls on a surface that was on the slower side, something that Kohli talked about after opting to bat at the toss.

  • RCB win toss, elect to bat against KKR in Virat Kohli’s 200th game

    By PTI

    ABU DHABI: Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat against Kolkata Knight Riders in their Indian Premier League match here on Monday.

    KS Bharat and Wanindu Hasaranga will make their debut for RCB, while Venkatesh Iyer is set to play his maiden IPL game for KKR.

    Kohli is playing in a landmark 200th match for RCB, a team that he has been a part of since the beginning of the lucrative league in 2008.

    “More special than the 200th game is this uniform: we promised that we would be playing for the Covid warriors, with these jerseys being auctioned for people,” Kohli said at the toss.

    The Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (capt), Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakravarthy, Prasidh Krishna.

    Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (capt), Devdutt Padikkal, Srikar Bharat, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, Sachin Baby, Kyle Jamieson, Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal.

  • IPL 2021: As senior player, my role is to keep other players calm, says Chris Morris

    By ANI

    DUBAI:: Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Chris Morris on Monday said as an experienced player, his role would be to keep all the players within the franchise calm as the side gears up to lock horns against Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season.

    Rajasthan Royals will resume their campaign in IPL 2021 on Tuesday as the side will lock horns against Punjab Kings at the Dubai International Stadium.

    “We have so many experienced players in the team, I will be at mid-off and mid-on, I’ll be having a chat with the bowlers. If we pick anything, we always relay that to captain Sanju. As a senior player, the role is to keep the players calm and I think there is pressure on players, you always need an idea,” said Morris during a webinar organised by Rajasthan Royals.

    “Yeah, I will be doing it anyway, whether the likes of Jos Buttler or Ben Stokes are available or not, I have been doing that my whole career. I will be helping Sanju. It is a part of the gig I suppose,” he added.

    Rajasthan Royals is currently at the fifth position in the IPL points table. The side would now look to spring a collection of wins to race ahead in the marathon for playoffs.

    “I think match-readiness is probably going to be an issue. Same as IPL last year in Dubai, guys took a couple of matches to get rustiness out of their bones. I think the fortunate thing for us is that people have been playing a lot of cricket, especially overseas players. I have been pre-season at home, I think match-fitness is always the best type of fitness,” said Morris.

    “I think a few guys will struggle to get that rustiness off. It is natural and it is going to happen. This is the nature of the beast with COVID-19. So, I think it will be the case initially, some guys have to shake off the rustiness but that is part and parcel of the game. You have to find a way and make it work,” he added.

    When Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson was asked about the X-factor in his side, he said: “Something secretive which we are keeping a surprise for the fans. You will get to know tomorrow when we play. You have to wait and watch.”

    “I think the first time it has happened, playing IPL for so many years so we have dealt with different challenges before. Earlier, the challenge was to come out of the COVID-19 times and play the IPL. This time we are keeping under a separate challenge, we played seven matches in India and now we have come here to play the rest of the tournament. We know how to tackle challenges as a team,” he added.

    Talking about whether Liam Livingstone can be used as a bowling option later in the season, Sanju said: “I think, yes maybe. It is very good to have a few people to have around who can chip in with some overs. Livingstone, Riyan Parag can do both the roles. We might see Liam bowl or we might not.” (ANI)

  • IPL 2021: Tournament only getting better, learning never stops for me, says Virat Kohli

    By ANI

    DUBAI:: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli has said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) is only getting better with each passion season and as a result, it is a big motivation for him to keep improving his game.

    RCB will resume their IPL 2021 campaign later today against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

    “The IPL is only getting better so what drives me is to keep getting better as a cricketer and individual. Getting a chance to play with world-class cricketers every year is a great learning curve for me. Sport finishes at some stage, but learning never stops and I totally look to keep stepping up and improving my game every year because the IPL is only getting better,” said Kohli in a video posted on the official YouTube channel of RCB.

    The match against KKR will be Kohli’s 200th game in the IPL. Talking about his journey with RCB, Kohli said: “Again, you think of these things, you look back at the journey and you feel grateful that you have been able to play for one franchise for so long. It is loyality that has been very special to me and it has been a very strong bond. Mutual respect and love, care, something that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

    When asked about the rivalry with KKR, Kohli said: “Like any side in the competition, KKR is a very strong side. We need to be at the top of our game, we have played well against them in the last couple of seasons and something we want to continue going ahead as well. We have some good memories and momentum but it does not mean we do not start with the same intent.”

    Kohli on Sunday had announced that he will step down as the captain of RCB after the completion of the 2021 edition of the IPL. Kohli, one of the most decorated players of the franchise, will continue to be part of the RCB squad.

    “It has been a great and inspiring journey, captaining a talented bunch of players in the RCB squad. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the RCB management, coaches, support staff, players, and the entire RCB family, who have been instrumental in the growth of the franchise over the years. It wasn’t an easy decision but one that has been well thought of and in the best interest of this wonderful franchise,” he said in an official statement.

    “The RCB family remains close to my heart as we continue to strive to achieve excellence. As I have mentioned previously in many occasions, I will only play for RCB until my retirement from the game of cricket,” he added.

  • Ruturaj Gaikwad and Dwayne Bravo got us more than what we expected: CSK skipper MS Dhoni

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Ruturaj Gaikwad and Dwayne Bravo “got us more than what we expected” after his team was reeling at 24 for four at one stage of its IPL match against Mumbai Indians here on Sunday.

    Gaikwad stroked his way to an unbeaten 88 while veteran Bravo, batting at number eight, smashed 23 off just 8 balls as CSK made 156 for six after opting to bat first.

    The total proved to be more than enough as CSK beat MI by 20 runs.

    “At 30 for 4, you want to put up a respectable score, I felt Rutu and Bravo got us more than what we expected. We thought of 140, to get close to 160 was tremendous,” Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

    “Rayudu got injured, so it was tough to come back from there but we batted sensibly and finished superbly. It was sensible for one batter to bat right through to the end.”

    Talking about the wicket, Dhoni said, “The wicket was two-paced, slightly slow to start off. Also it’s difficult if you’re batting lower down, if you don’t get a chance to see what is happening, you want to go hard.”

    Dhoni also said that Ambati Rayudu, who retired hurt after getting hit while batting, should be fine by the next match.

    Gaikwad was declared the Player of the Match and he said it was one of his better knocks.

    “Obviously one of my top innings until now, given the pressure we were in. I had to grind it out, bat till 10-12 overs, give myself time and push for 120-130, and then slowly 140-150 was possible. It was a matter of spending time in the middle,” he said.

    “Mahi bhai, everyone in the CSK management, once they back you, they don’t make you think anything but positive things. The Sri Lanka tour and preparation coming here helped a lot.”

    MI’s stand-in captain Kieron Pollard was also all praise for Gaikwad.

    “Ruturaj batted really well. In T20 cricket, if one person bats through he can hurt you. We didn’t finish off well with the ball. Losing by 20 runs you know those were the extra runs we conceded,” he said.

    He did not find any fault with the pitch but blamed poor batting for the defeat.

    “The surface was good, new ball had movement, our seamers got early wickets. Their batters tried to continue the momentum throughout, we didn’t do that.”

    “Even though they got 150-plus, as a batting team we could have gotten that. Losing three wickets was a cardinal sin for us. Given the circumstances, Saurabh (Tiwary, 50 not out) batted really well,” he said.

  • Virat Kohli to step down as RCB skipper after IPL 2021

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Virat Kohli will step down as captain of his IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore at the end of the ongoing season, the Indian batting maestro announced on Sunday, two days after deciding to quit national T20 captaincy following next month’s World Cup.

    The 32-year-old Kohli, one of the most decorated players of the franchise, will continue to be a part of the RCB squad.

    “This will be my last IPL as captain of RCB. I’ll continue to be an RCB player till I play my last IPL game. I thank all the RCB fans for believing in me and supporting me,” Kohli said in a statement issued by RCB.

    He added, “It has been a great and an inspiring journey, captaining a talented bunch of players in the RCB squad. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the RCB management, coaches, support staff, players, and the entire RCB family, who have been instrumental in the growth of the franchise over the years.

    “It wasn’t an easy decision but one that has been well thought of and in the best interest of this wonderful franchise.”

    Kohli of late hasn’t been at his peak as a batsman in Tests, a format which he adores.

    For close to two years now, Kohli hasn’t scored a long-form century and made 563 runs at 26.80 in 12 Tests during this period.

    While announcing his decision to quit national T20 captaincy, he had stated that he was taking the step to manage his workload better.”

  • Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 88 lifts Chennai Super Kings to 156/6 against Mumbai Indians

    By PTI

    DUBAI: The supremely-talented Ruturaj Gaikwad batted through the innings for an unbeaten 58-ball 88 to lift Chennai Super Kings from 7/3 to 156 for six against Mumbai Indians as the IPL-14 resumed here on Sunday.

    The late spark was provided by Dwayne Bravo (23 off 8 balls) as CSK recovered from a disastrous start to put up a fighting total.

    The 24-year-old Gaikwad added 81 runs for the fifth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja (26) to steady the ship after they lost skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the sixth over and the score was 24 for 4.

    Gaikwad smashed nine fours and three sixes, while Bravo hit three maximums.

    CSK lost four wickets in the power play, including the wickets of skipper Dhoni and the team’s seasoned run-getter Suresh Raina, as three top-order batsmen failed to open their account.

    The start was inauspicious for CSK as Trent Boult dismissed Faf du Plessis in the fifth ball of the very first over when the New Zealand pace spearhead had the veteran South African caught by the backward point fielder Adam Milne, who was standing very fine, after the batsman had shaped himself up to play the cut shot.

    One for one became two for two in the next over as Milne got Moeen Ali who slapped a slightly short ball straight to Saurabh Tiwary at cover.

    What didn’t help Moeen was that the ball seemed to stop as the England all-rounder went for his shot.

    More trouble was in store for CSK as the three-time winners lost the big wicket of Raina in the third over when the experienced left-handed batsman, who has helped the team win so many matches in the past, got out to an irresponsible shot when he miscued one while trying to attack the Kiwi seamer.

    Meanwhile, Ambati Rayudu retired hurt after taking a blow on his body to make matter worse for the Super Kings.

    If that was not enough, holders Mumbai Indians piled more misery on CSK by sending the veteran Dhoni back to the hut for a poor score.

    The World Cup-winning Indian captain timed his shot well but, to his shock, Boult completed a well-judged catch at deep square leg, capping a forgettable powerplay for the unit from Chennai.

    After that, Gaikwad and Jadeja put together invaluable runs by mixing caution with aggression to give their team a total to defend against a side that is missing two of their big players in regular skipper Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Hardik Pandya, whose seam-up bowling was missed when the Chennai duo was rebuilding their innings.

  • CSK skipper MS Dhoni wins toss, elects to bat against Mumbai Indians

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat against defending champions Mumbai Indians, who are being led by Kieron Pollard in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, as IPL action resumed here on Sunday.

    The IPL-14 was postponed after the coronavirus breached its bio-bubble in May.

    Dashing all-rounder Hardik Pandya is also missing the game for MI, making the way for Anmolpreet Singh’s debut.

    On Rohit’s absence, Pollard said, “He is okay, we will see him sooner rather than later. He is the captain of this ship. I am just standing in.”

    For CSK, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Dwayne Bravo and Josh Hazlewood are the four foreigners playing in the match.

    Teams:

    Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (C), Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Josh Hazlewood

    Mumbai Indians: Kieron Pollard (C),Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Anmolpreet Singh, Saurabh Tiwary, Krunal Pandya, Adam Milne, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult