News Analysis India

Tag: IPL

  • AB de Villiers is best in the business towards backend of an innings: RCB coach Simon Katich

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head coach Simon Katich was all praise for AB de Villiers, saying that the Proteas star is the best in the business when it comes to batting towards the backend of an innings.

    Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers’ knocks of 78 and 76 were backed up a spirited bowling performance as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 38 runs on Sunday here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

    “Boys were magnificent today, we had a tough start but the way he fought back with that partnership between Glenn Maxwell and Devdutt Padikkal got us into a position there from where we could get the score we got. At 9/2, no one would have thought we would score above 200. Maxwell and Padikkal deserve a lot of credit for setting up the platform and then AB, that was special knock as well,” said Katich in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of RCB.

    “In terms of T20 batting, we were treated to two masterclasses from Maxwell and ABD. Young Padikkal’s innings should not go unmentioned because that partnership between him and Maxwell gave us momentum in the innings and it put pressure on KKR,” he added.

    Earlier, RCB might have been 9/2 in the second over, but Maxwell and de Villiers’ knocks of 78 and 76 ensured that the side posts a total of 204/4 in the allotted twenty overs.

    Along with Maxwell and de Villiers, Devdutt Padikkal and Kyle Jamieson also played knocks of 25 and 11 respectively. For KKR, Varun Chakravarthy returned with two wickets.

    “We know that ABD is the best in the business in the backend and we have seen here in Chennai, a lot of teams have struggled at the backend and that is something we have done really well in these three games on the back of him and Maxwell. That can be the difference between winning and losing games,” said Katich.

    RCB will next take on Rajasthan Royals on Thursday here at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

  • Enjoy playing with Glenn Maxwell, we both want to have an impact: RCB batsman AB de Villiers

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsman AB de Villiers has said that he enjoys playing with Glenn Maxwell as both of them are similar kind of players who always want to leave an impact in the game.

    Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers’ knocks of 78 and 76 were backed up a spirited bowling performance as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 38 runs on Sunday here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

    “I have worked really hard in the last few months. I did not expect to be playing really good cricket at the moment but I am very happy, I always give my best shot when I play for RCB. It was a very hot day, we lost couple of wickets early but I am very happy that we came through. I laid out a good foundation and then their leg-spinner (Varun Chakravarthy) came on, I sensed he was bowling defensively and I realised that was my moment. When Russell came on, he was stuck with wide deliveries, I opened up and it put him under pressure,” AB de Villiers told Yuzvendra Chahal in a video posted on the official website of IPL.

    “When I came out to bat, I realised Maxwell was tired and he told me that he does not want to run much. To be honest, we enjoy playing together. We are similar players with a lot of energy and we love having an impact for the team. When I came out to bat, the thought was to get a base together and get a partnership going. I knew if we get a partnership, we will sense a weakness somewhere which we did,” he added.

    Andre Russell played a knock of 31 runs for KKR, but in the end, RCB managed to hold on to record their third victory in a row this season. This is the first time that RCB has managed to win their first three games in an IPL season.

    Earlier, RCB might have been 9/2 in the second over, but Maxwell and de Villiers’ knocks of 78 and 76 ensured that the side posts a total of 204/4 in the allotted twenty overs.

    Along with Maxwell and de Villiers, Devdutt Padikkal and Kyle Jamieson also played knocks of 25 and 11 respectively. For KKR, Varun Chakravarthy returned with two wickets.

  • IPL 2021: Batting second at Wankhede easier because of dew, says Shikhar Dhawan

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: After playing a match-winning knock of 92 runs against Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Delhi Capitals’ opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan said that batting second at the Wankhede Stadium becomes easier because of the dew.

    Mayank Agarwal’s masterclass had put Punjab Kings on course to victory but Dhawan’s ferocious knock took the game away from the KL Rahul-led side and Delhi Capitals registered an easy win at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.

    Mayank’s (69) sensational knock and a final over cameo by Shahrukh Khan (15) had propelled Punjab Kings to put an impressive 195 for four. In response, Dhawan’s (92) innings and Marcus Stoinis’ (27) onslaught helped Delhi Capitals get over the line with six wickets in hand and 10 balls to spare.

    “The bounce is true at the Wankhede surface and the ball comes onto the bat. Especially in the second innings, it becomes a lot easier to bat here because of the dew. For my batting style, I enjoy using pace on the ball and against spinners, it is not turning so I can hit my shots,” Dhawan told spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on a video posted on the official website of the IPL.

    When asked about sweeping the pacers, Dhawan said: “Once I know that the opposition bowlers are bowling yorkers or wide yorkers, they have set up the field where it is hard to find a boundary on the offside, I try to use the pace and I enjoy doing that. I enjoy playing that cheeky shots, be it sweeps and I practice that in the nets as well.”

    Earlier, Mayank and Rahul played knocks of 69 and 61 respectively as Punjab Kings posted a total of 195/4 in the allotted twenty overs. For Punjab Kings, Deepak Hooda and Shahrukh Khan remained unbeaten on 22 and 15. For Delhi Capitals, Chris Woakes, Lukman Meriwala, Kagiso Rabada, and Avesh Khan took one wicket each.

    Delhi Capitals will next take on Mumbai Indians on Tuesday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

    Talking about the Chennai wicket, Dhawan said: “It is a nice challenge, what I am seeing on TV is that it is turning a bit in Chennai, I am already preparing for it.” 

  • IPL 2021: Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul propel Punjab Kings to 195/4 against Delhi Capitals

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Mayank Agarwal and captain KL Rahul stitched a century-run opening stand to guide Punjab Kings to a challenging 195 for four against Delhi Capitals in the IPL here on Sunday. Agarwal made 69 off 36 balls, while Rahul scored 61 off 51 deliveries as Punjab made a flying start to their innings.

    Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant’s decision to bowl after winning the toss backfired as the opening duo of Agarwal and Rahul took the attack to the opposition bowlers from the onset, hitting boundaries and sixes at will.

    While Agarwal was the aggressor of the two initially, Rahul upped the ante after a relatively sedate start. Agarwal and Rahul adopted an aggressive approach against debutant Lukeman Meriwala and Kagiso Rabada, taking their team to 94 for no loss in 10 overs.

    Agarwal was looking dangerous during his 36-ball knock and ended up hitting seven boundaries and four hits over the fence. But DC dismissed both the batsmen in quick succession to make a comeback into the match.

    While Agarwal was the first to depart, slicing a Meriwala delivery straight to Shikhar Dhawan at sweeper cover in the 13th over, Rahul handed a simple catch to Marcus Stonis at midwicket off Rabada. Rahul’s knock was laced with seven boundaries and two sixes.

    Big-hitting Chris Gayle (11) failed to make a mark, perishing soon in search of a maximum. Nicholas Pooran (9) failed yet again but Deepak Hooda (22 not out off 13) and Shahrukh Khan (15 not out off five) provided the much needed big hits towards the end.

    For Delhi Capitals, Ravichandran Ashwin (0/28) was economical, while Avesh Khan (1/33), Meriwala (1/32), Chris Woakes (1/42) and Rabada (1/43) picked up a wicket each.

    Teams:

    Delhi Capitals: Prithivi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Steve Smith, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Marcus Stoinis, Lalit Yadav, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan, Lukeman Meriwala

    Punjab Kings: Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul (c & wk), Chris Gayle, Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Shahrukh Khan, Jhye Richardson, Jalaj Saxena, Mohammed Shami, Riley Meredith, Arshdeep Singh

  • AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell power RCB to 204/4 against KKR

    By PTI
    CHENNAI: AB de Villiers’ master class and Glenn Maxwell’s counter-attacking half-century propelled Royal Challengers Bangalore to an imposing 204 for four against Kolkata Knight Riders in their IPL match, here on Sunday.

    RCB scored 56 runs in the last three overs, including 21 in the final six deliveries, to set KKR a stiff target after electing to bat.

    De Villiers blazed away to 76 off 34 balls with the help of nine fours and three sixes, while Maxwell made 78 off 49.

    The Australian too hit nine boundaries and three sixes.

    The Knight Riders were off to a brilliant start with leg-break bowler Varun Chakravarthy leaving RCB in early trouble at 9/2 with the big wickets of skipper Virat Kohli (5) and Rajat Patidar (1) in the second over.

    Opening the bowling for KKR, veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh bowled a tight line and length to stifle the RCB batsmen in his first two overs.

    After Chakravarthy lured Kohli to go over cover with a tossed-up delivery that drifted away from the right-hander, Rahul Tripathi pulled off a sensational catch running back from extra-cover.

    The top batsman was nowhere close to the ball.

    Chakravarthy then went through the defence of Patidar with one that darted back on landing.

    Mixing aggression with caution, Maxwell and Devdutt Padikkal (25) revived the RCB innings after the early blows at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

    While the young Indian seemed content playing the second fiddle, the swashbuckling Australian counter-attacked in fine fashion and played the big shots with consummate ease.

    The in-form Maxwell upped the ante when he cleared his front leg to plonk Shakib Al Hasan over long-on for his first maximum in the sixth over.

    The one bowled by Shakib turned out to be a productive over for RCB as they got 17 runs off it.

    After reaching 45 for two at the end of the six powerplay overs, Maxwell shifted gears and raced to his half-century in just 28 balls.

    Even Chakravarthy, who was on fire some time ago, was not spared by Maxwell as he smashed him for a six and four off successive balls.

    Prasidh Krishna ended the third-wicket partnership of 86 runs by sending back Padikkal, which signalled the arrival of De Villiers in the middle.

    Joining forces, the dazzling duo of Maxwell and De Villiers did not allow the KKR bowlers to settle into any sort of rhythm until premier pacer Pat Cummins ended their 53-run association.

    After that, the show belonged to De Villiers as he toyed with KKR bowlers.

  • Glenn Maxwell might just end up being player of IPL 2021: Former England skipper Michael Vaughan

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Former England skipper Michael Vaughan feels Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell might end up as the player of the tournament in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

    Maxwell might have a bad season last year in the 13th edition of the IPL but the Royal Challengers Banglore (RCB) batsman has been in sensational form.

    In Chennai, where most of the batsmen have struggled to get going, Maxwell has come out firing on all cylinders. In the ongoing match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Varun Chakravarthy had put RCB on the back foot with two wickets in the second over but Maxwell fired a sensational half-century to put the Virat Kohli-led side on top.

    “Love watching @Gmaxi_32Bat. He might just end up being the player of the tournament .. slightly under the radar in the same team as @imVkohli& @ABdeVilliers17!!! @RCBTweets looking the strongest I have seen them … #IPL2021,” Vaughan tweeted.

    Kohli and Rajat Patidar both went for a single-digit score but the Australian all-rounder made sure RCB were right on track after the early blows.

    Maxwell is also the leading run-scorer in the ongoing tournament and has been a standout performer for RCB in this year’s IPL.

    Earlier, RCB won the toss and opted to bat against KKR here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

    RCB made one change to their lineup as the side brought in Rajat in place of Daniel Christian. On the other hand, KKR did not make any change to their playing XI from the last game.

    RCB has won both its opening two games this season while KKR have managed to win one game and lose another.

  • We showed great character against SRH: Mumbai Indians Director of Cricket Operations Zaheer Khan

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians Director of Cricket Operations Zaheer Khan lauded the side after registering their second consecutive win in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and said the players showed great character against SunRisers Hyderabad.

    Mumbai defeated Hyderabad by 13 runs on Saturday. Pacer Trent Boult and spinner Rahul Chahar both picked three wickets each as Mumbai Indians registered an easy win over SRH on Saturday.

    Mumbai Indians had scored 150/5, thanks to Kieron Pollard’s two sixes on the last two balls. In response, SRH was bundled out for 137 despite a flying start given by Jonny Bairstow.

    “We all know the value of that and even though we didn’t start well with the ball, the way you guys showed character, in staying the fight, was important. We showed that. That is the biggest takeaway from this game. It does not matter how other teams are coming at us. We are going to find a way of coming back. That is something which is very heartening to see from our outside. So, continue with that,” Zaheer said in a video posted by Mumbai Indians on their official Twitter handle.

    “Boulty it was great yorkers. You have been working on it consciously. And Bumrah, you have been special all along man. Continue with the work you have been doing. Chahar, it is not one or two games it is a season and that’s what we have been talking about, continue with that,” he added.

    Former India pacer further talked about the challenging playing conditions in Chennai and said this leg is the toughest.

    “We did speak about this leg being the toughest leg. We knew that it was not going to be easy and three matches down we have two wins under our belt. And I think that is what matters. It is just about working on that belief,” Zaheer said.

    “We did speak about getting together, backing each other finding a way of winning games of cricket in a tough venue and I am very happy to see that. The fight which everyone is talking about, everyone is seeing that is commendable. Just keep believing in that keep enjoying the processes. Quinton-Rohit provided a great start and it was a great finish by Pollard on this track,” he added.

    Zaheer further said the team is already looking a champion side.”When I am looking around in this group, the team is looking a champion team. That is how we will keep going in this season. Enjoy every bit of it. You guys deserve it,”

    Defending champions Mumbai Indians will next take on Delhi Capitals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday.

  • Tackling dew is one of the major factors: Delhi Capitals pacer Anrich Nortje

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Ahead of the game against Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals pacer Anrich Nortje said that tackling the dew will be one of the challenges at the Wankhede pitch in Mumbai.

    South African pacer joined the team bubble on Friday after three Covid-19 negative test results. The pacer had got a false COVID-19 positive result which saw him having to stay in quarantine for longer even as teammate Kagiso Rabada came out and was a part of the game against Rajasthan Royals.

    “Yeah, it is very good. Tired of the room, 10 days was quite a lot for me but it was nice to get out. Nice to sweat a bit and run around a bit and bowl a bit,” Nortje said in a video posted on DC’s official Twitter handle.

    When asked about the knowledge of Mumbai conditions he said, “No, we definitely don’t know but I think we can just assess as quickly as possible and understand what not to do and what we have to do. I think generally the dew has played a big role so hopefully, we can sort of try and be ahead of the dew. And what we have to do when it does come and when it’s not there. I think that’s probably one of the major factors besides the actual wicket.”

    The pacer further said that the team displayed all-round performance in the first two games of the campaign. Delhi could not get over the line against Rajasthan Royals after winning the opening clash comfortably by seven wickets against Chennai Super Kings.

    “We definitely did well in both the games. Unfortunately, we could not get a bigger score in the second game but we did well to sort of get to where we got and also to try and restrict them to that score. In general, I think we’ve really had a good all-round performance so far and hopefully, we can just step it up in one or two departments every time,” the pacer said.

    Talking about the bowling combinations Nortje said, “I definitely think we have got a great combination, we have got some great bowlers as well. Obviously, missing Shreyas unfortunately but we definitely have great combinations and it’s just about picking the right team on the right wicket or conditions. So, definitely have a lot of options especially I’m going to speak about the bowlers.”

    Delhi Capitals will take on Punjab Kings later in the day.

  • Trying to get guys to free up in our side: Kolkata Knight Riders coach Brendon McCullum

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach Brendon McCullum on Sunday said that as the coach of the franchise, he is trying to get all the players in his side to free up a bit and fully express themselves.

    His remarks came ahead of the start of KKR’s game against Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

    “Coaching has been good. Obviously that century in IPL’s first ever game was a long time ago and my playing days are long done. Grateful for the opportunities I have had and some of the memories I have been able to create. It is the next stage of my life, as a coach, and it has been good. Trying to get the guys to free up a bit, giving them some of the experiences that I have had. It is a group of diverse cultures and the aim is to create a common goal,” McCullum told host broadcaster Star Sports.

    “One of the things of batting on this pitch is to stay in the present. It means that the assessment of what you need to do at that point becomes easier. I try and instill belief in the guys. We have largely had the same set of players we had last year with some minor additions. They all get on well together, with each other and the support staff. We also ensured that the players spent time with their loved ones prior to the tournament because in these times, they will need that support. Bubble life can be tough,” he added.

    Kohli-led RCB won the toss and opted to bat against KKR. RCB made one change to their lineup as the side brought in Rajat Patidar in place of Daniel Christian. On the other hand, KKR did not make any change to their playing XI from the last game.

    RCB has won both its opening two games this season while KKR has managed to win one game and lose another.

    KKR Playing XI: Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan, Shakib Al Hasan, Dinesh Karthik, Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Harbhajan Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Prasidh Krishna.

    RCB Playing XI: Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli (c), Shahbaz Ahmed, AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, Kyle Jamieson, Rajat Patidar, Washington Sundar, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal.

  • Royal Challengers Bangalore win toss, opt to bat against Kolkata Knight Riders

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Sunday won the toss and opted to bat against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

    At the time of the toss, RCB skipper Kohli said: “We will bat first, the pitch will become slower and slower as the game goes on, but this surface looks better, want to put up a decent total player. We are playing three overseas players – Dan Christian misses out, Rajat Patidar is in. We just want to do a professional job, do the process right, take one game at a time and enjoy -keep calm under pressure.”

    RCB made one change to their lineup as the side brought in Rajat Patidar in place of Daniel Christian. On the other hand, KKR did not make any change to their playing XI from the last game.

    RCB has won both its opening two games this season while KKR has managed to win one game and lose another.

    KKR Playing XI: Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan, Shakib Al Hasan, Dinesh Karthik, Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Harbhajan Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Prasidh Krishna

    RCB Playing XI: Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli (c), Shahbaz Ahmed, AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, Kyle Jamieson, Rajat Patidar, Washington Sundar, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal