News Analysis India

Tag: IPL

  • Chennai Super Kings’s yellow jersey is pride that I have cherished all my life: Suresh Raina

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Left-handed batsman Suresh Raina might have missed the IPL 2020 edition due to personal reasons, but he made a stunning comeback in the IPL 2021 season as he played a knock of 54 runs off just 36 balls against Delhi Capitals on Saturday.

    CSK might have lost the match against Delhi Capitals by seven wickets here at the Wankhede Stadium, but the fans were delighted as they got to see their ‘Chinna Thala’ Raina back.

    “It feels amazing to be back with MS Dhoni and the Chennai Super Kings. It is always good to contribute to a side that has done so much for the players, who have done so much for every person. It is always good to be back and wear this yellow colour, it’s a pride that I have cherished all my life,” Raina said in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of CSK on Sunday.

    “A bit disappointed to lose the game, it could have been better, but like I said it is always to come back and do the Whistle Podu! It could have been better if we would have scored 15-20 runs more but I think we bowled better in the middle overs, in the next few days we will have a few good practice sessions where can we learn what to do better,” he added.

    Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw played knocks of 85 and 72 respectively to help Delhi Capitals chase down the target of 189 runs, set by the Dhoni-led team. The victory must have been very special for Rishabh Pant as it was his first game as Delhi Capitals’ captain.

    Earlier, Suresh Raina smashed a sensational fifty in his comeback game before Sam Curran’s masterclass in the death overs powered CSK to 188/7 in their 20 overs.

    After the game, Dhoni said that “a lot depended on dew” before praising his side’s batsmen for taking the team’s score to 188.

    “A lot depended on dew, and that factor played on our mind from the start and that’s why we wanted to get as many runs as possible. The batters did a good job to reach 188 because it was tacky until dew settled in 50 minutes later. We could have bowled slightly better, and if batters are hitting you over the fields, that’s fair enough,” Dhoni told hosts broadcasters Star Sports after the match.

    “The execution of the bowlers was poor and there were boundary balls that they bowled, but the bowlers will learn and apply that in the future games. The opposition has half an hour in a 7:30 start when the pitch is really tacky and the ball stops a bit, so we need to get 15-20 runs extra to be safe. If we get dew consistently, then 200 will be a must on a pitch like this. Their (Delhi) bowlers bowled a great line when it was stopping and seaming a bit, and the openers got really good balls in which they got out and that can happen in a game like this,” he added.

    CSK will now play against Punjab Kings at Wankhede Stadium on April 16.

  • Crucial to give individual or opening partners enough time: Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Ahead of their opening clash against Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson said that the side will look for a “bit of stability” in the opening department after trying five combinations at the top-order in the last season.

    Ben Stokes is most likely to retain his place at the top after a stellar last edition while opening for the side. Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal are also in the squad to pair up with Stokes for the opening.

    “Actually, it depends, me and Sanga will be trying to give the best combination for the team. From my point of view, it is crucial to give an individual or opening partners enough time in the tournament. So, a bit of stability will be seen in the tournament and the rest is dependent upon how we go ahead,” Samson said in a virtual press conference on Sunday.

    When asked about the team’s approach this season, Samson said, “Nothing much has to be changed, I truly believe in my own players and all supporting staff. It is all about trusting yourself and going there and expressing yourself.”

    He further said that the franchise will carry on the attacking playing style as it is the demand of the 20-over game.

    “This format demands that kind of attitude. We like to believe that everyone is thinking with the almost same mindset so the players’ mindset is almost the same to go out and play some good cricket and enjoy their fearless attitude. That is what we stick to and that is what this tournament demands. So, we keep it that way,” Samson added.

    Rajasthan Royals will lock horns against Punjab Kings here at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.

  • Dinesh Karthik offers huge amount of support to me: Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Eoin Morgan

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Eoin Morgan has said that Dinesh Karthik is a vital cog in the franchise’s set up and he provides a great deal of support to him.

    KKR will play their first match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 edition against the SunRisers Hyderabad later today at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

    “DK offers a lot with the bat and behind the stumps. He has been in fine form, and he is always one of those players who if you watch him train and particularly bat, he times the ball beautifully and hits the ball further than most of the guys. He offers a huge amount of support to me on the pitch and off the field as well. Very grateful that he is in good form and in our team,” Morgan told kkr.in.

    In the players’ auction held in February this year, KKR bought Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib-Al-Hasan for Rs 3.2 crore and he would add another spin option to the KKR lineup.

    Speaking about Shakib’s acquisition, Morgan said: “Given that we have a bit more travel this year and we go from venue to venue, it’s important to have strength and depth in the squad. Shakib Al Hasan gives us a different dynamic in the team. Given that we play at different venues where the conditions change quite a lot, you have a spin bowling all-rounder who had success in international cricket and IPL at different stages. If called upon, he can definitely deliver.”

    Champions in 2012 and 2014, the boys in Purple and Gold will be gunning for their third title as they gear up for the upcoming edition of the tournament.

    Speaking about Sunil Narine, Morgan said: “The IPL is such a competitive tournament with the smallest of margins that can make a big difference, particularly in the playoff stages. For me, when I was a young kid coming through as a professional and looking to guys who had either won things or had a different attitude regardless of the situation of the game, they would always have a positive body language, or they would always be doing something to affect the game. Shakib and Sunil are no different.”

    “In big moments of the game, particularly last year, you would throw Sunil the ball or you would get him in with the bat because he has been in that situation over and over again; he believes in himself and in the team to go and get through and win that situation,” he added.

    Last year, KKR failed to qualify for the playoffs as the side finished at the fifth place in the points table.

  • Playing for India has added to my confidence, says Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Prasidh Krishna

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Prasidh Krishna has said that his confidence got a major boost after he made his ODI debut for India last month.

    KKR will play their first match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 edition against the SunRisers Hyderabad later today at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

    Prasidh had made his debut in the three-match ODI series against England last month. The pacer also went on to take four wickets in his debut match as he helped Virat Kohli-led India to register a improbable win. “It’s been two weeks that I played three games for India and now back in KKR, practising and waiting to play. All I realise is time has been flying and it’s going to fly no matter what you do. But on the hindisight, it’s been a great experience to have made my debut for India. It’s a dream come true for any cricketer. In terms of the praise I have been getting, it only adds to my confidence levels and I look forward to taking it ahead from here,” Krishna told kkr.in.

    “At the beginning of the match where I made my debut, there was a bit of pressure situation. But Virat and the other seniors told me to always be on the front foot, and it worked well. We made a comeback, and we won. So yes, that’s one lesson I have learnt – about being positive no matter what the situation is,” he added.

    Last year, KKR failed to qualify for the playoffs as the side finished at the fifth place in the points table.

    Prasidh Krishna has so far played 24 matches in the IPL, managing to take 18 wickets at an economy rate of 9.33.

  • Speak to Ricky Ponting about tactics and strategies as a batsman: Delhi Capitals star Prithvi Shaw

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Delhi Capitals got off to a fantastic start in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 with a seven-wicket win over the Chennai Super Kings here at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. Opening batsman Prithvi Shaw was in the thick of things as he blasted his way to 38-ball 72-run innings, helping his team chase down a target of 189 runs with 8 balls to spare.

    “Very happy with the way I batted. Everyone executed whatever we practiced in the last few days. It was brilliant to see everyone contributing to the team. The opening stand which we got was very crucial for us. Chasing 190 odd is not easy without a good start. It was a great win for us; however, I should have stayed in the middle until the end. So, if I have to rate my innings out of 10, I will give an 8 to myself,” Shaw said in the Delhi Capitals release.

    The 21-year-old, who scored a whopping 827 runs in 8 matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, spoke about how he got back into form before the IPL 2021.

    “I made some small changes in my batting before the IPL. I just wanted to minimise all the mistakes I was making, and I worked hard. I practiced for two weeks with Strength and Conditioning Coach Rajinikanth Sivagnanam sir and Pravin Amre sir before the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Then I just played my natural game with a few changes in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.”

    The opening batsman expressed that he worked out his technical errors with Rajinikanth Sivagnanam and Pravin Amre and speaks to the head coach Ricky Ponting more about tactics as a batsman.

    “With Ricky, I generally speak to him about tactics and strategies as a batsman. He has played so much of cricket and he has got the experience which he can share with us and he does especially with the youngsters. I am really enjoying working with him,” Shaw said.

    When asked about the newly appointed skipper Rishabh Pant’s captaincy, he said, “We really miss Shreyas Iyer, and he led the team very well. However, Rishabh Pant is very smart. He is fearless and enjoys the game. He’s very entertaining on the field and is very cool and calm as a Captain. He’s doing a fantastic job for the team.”

    Shaw, who was very happy with the team’s performance in their first match of the season, had a special message for the Delhi Capitals fans.

    “All the fans have given us so much of love. The fans were still caring for me even when I wasn’t doing well before the Vijay Hazare Trophy so I would like to thank everyone and ask them to keep supporting me and the Delhi team for this IPL,” he said.

    Delhi Capitals will next take on Rajasthan Royals here at the Wankhede Stadium on April 15.

  • Boys trained hard and prepared well, says SRH skipper David Warner ahead of KKR clash

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Ahead of their match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper David Warner said that the boys have trained hard and they are ready for the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League.

    Warner-led side had won five out of their last six games to qualify for the playoffs in the 13th edition of the tournament and the team will be looking to carry forward the momentum in this year’s IPL.

    “Really excited to get out, we had a practice session and the boys are ready to go…. they trained hard and prepared well. Had two good practice games. We are ready to come out and light it up hopefully,” Warner said in a video posted by SRH on Twitter.

    “We know our supporters through social media and they are extremely supportive, I wish they could come but I know they are supporting us 100 per cent and we appreciate their support. Hopefully, we can entertain you by winning some games,” he added.

    on Saturday, England batsman Jason Roy arrived in Chennai for the IPL. Roy was signed by SRH ahead of the tournament as a replacement for Mitchell Marsh. The Australia all-rounder made himself unavailable for the entire season owing to personal reasons.

    Roy will remain in seven days of quarantine as per BCCI’s SOPs before joining the squad.

    Over the years, SRH has depended heavily on skipper Warner and he has consistently delivered. With 548 runs in the 13th edition, the captain once again led the Hyderabad unit’s charge. And it will be a delight for the SRH team management that opening partner Jonny Bairstow has also been in tremendous form.

    When it comes to the bowling department, Warner has one of the best line-ups at his disposal. While Bhuvneshwar is back and showed his prowess in the recently concluded series against England, T Natarajan stole the show in the last edition and was rewarded with a national call-up. Not to forget Sandeep Sharma’s swing bowling and Rashid Khan’s spin.

  • After getting dropped during Australia tour, I worked hard on myself: Delhi Capitals batsman Prithvi Shaw

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Delhi Capitals batsman Prithvi Shaw said he worked hard on himself with coach Pravin Amre after returning from a “disappointing” Australia tour and the hard work can be seen in the batting style of the opener in the recent tournaments.

    Shaw played the first Test of the Australia series but the scores of 0 and 4 paved his way out of the team. The 21-year-old focused on his technique and came back strong. He amassed over 800 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, becoming the first cricketer in history to do so.

    In this season’s opening clash for Delhi Capitals against Chennai Super Kings, Shaw continued his form and played a knock of 72 off 38 balls studded with three sixes and nine fours. Shaw and his partner Shikhar Dhawan put on 138 runs for the opening wicket in a chase of 189 which enabled them to defeat CSK comfortably by seven wickets.

    “Feeling good. Everyone contributed and it was a good start (to the season). The wicket was good to bat on in the second innings and we executed quite well. From Australia when I was dropped I was working from there itself, coming back and across early, so I practised before going to Vijay Hazare with Pravin Amre and worked on that. I had a good plan before going into that tournament, so it is working quite well,” Shaw said after the match

    “I don’t want to think about it (being dropped from the Indian side) because it was a disappointing moment for me but I have to move on and if something is wrong with my batting or technique, I have to improve and I am working hard on myself,” he added.

    Dhawan also said that Shaw carried on his form from Vijay Hazare.

    “I really enjoyed my batting. Was enjoying the way I was hitting the ball. Prithvi was batting really well. He carried on with his form from Vijay Hazare. It was important to get off to a good start because we were chasing a big total,” Dhawan said.

    The left-handed batsman played a knock of 85 runs was studded with two sixes and 10 fours. He played shots all around the park and troubled CSK bowlers with his clever batting.

    “I have to innovate a few shots and I enjoy taking up challenges. I was playing the ball close to the body. The wicket was a little sticky. I knew my game plan. It is tremendous to watch Prithvi. He played some effortless shots. So good and so happy for him as he didn’t have a good IPL last time around. I liked the Moeen Ali catch the most,” he added.

  • Lungi Ngidi, Jason Behrendorff to miss game against Punjab Kings, confirms CSK coach Stephen Fleming

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed that pacer Lungi Ngidi and Jason Behrendorff will not be available for the side in the next game against Punjab Kings.

    “Ngidi won’t be available. He won’t be arriving for the next game. So losing Josh Hazlewood, which was the plan to have him available for these games is a blow simply as an option up front. Ngidi will be arriving soon. Behrendorff would be following that. [Bowling] it’s an area that we are probably short on. But we still look at the Indian bowlers and we have international bowler Sam Curran,” Fleming said in a post-match press conference.

    CSK suffered a seven-wicket loss against Delhi Capitals in their first match of the campaign on Saturday. Fleming backed the batters for guiding to a total of 188 despite losing the openers early in the game.

    Suresh Raina (54) smashed a sensational fifty in his comeback game before Sam Curran’s (34) masterclass in the death overs powered CSK to 188/7 in their 20 overs.

    “It wasn’t bad when you lose wickets a little bit early and still manages to get to 188, that’s pretty good going. So, the intent with the bat was pretty good. The conditions changed, dew and a little bit of rain made things difficult in the second innings. They played really well but 190 on this ground is still reasonably competitive we just needed to bowl better,” he said.

    CSK coach heaped praises on Raina and said his form is a positive side for the side.

    “It’s really good, considering the cricket and where he has come from. It was an outstanding innings. We put Moeen Ali up as an aggressor and also used Suresh’s aggressive role to get to play some cricket and find some form. But after playing 2-3 shots, he really got going. It’s a really positive sign for us. I liked the way we turned it on after losing wickets when the wicket was tacky. We just weren’t able to create chances with the ball, which is really disappointing,” Fleming said.

    On playing the first five matches at the same venue due to the Covid-19, Fleming feels that it is going to give a better understanding of the conditions to the side.

    “We will learn a lot from being here for another 4 games. But don’t underestimate how much it takes to change the philosophy of the team. We are very much a Chennai-based side,” Fleming said.

    “We saw Mumbai struggle to a degree in Chennai the other night. They have got a challenge on how to change their tactics in Chennai and our tactics have to be a little bit better with the ball in Mumbai. So, it’s one of the quirks of this competition in this Covid-19 age and we just have to find a way. It’s going to be high-scoring games in Mumbai and toss might play a big part,” he added.

    CSK will next take on Punjab Kings at Wankhede Stadium on April 16.

  • Delhi Capitals batsman Shikhar Dhawan impressed by Rishabh Pant’s calmness on captaincy debut

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Delhi Capitals experienced opener Shikhar Dhawan was mighty impressed with Rishabh Pant’s leadership qualities, saying the youngster led the team in a calm and composed manner in his first match as captain and will only get better with time.

    Pant was thrust into captaincy after regular skipper Shreyas Iyer sustained a shoulder injury during the recent ODI series against England and was ruled out of the tournament.

    The 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman made a memorable start to his captaincy stint as he led DC to a convincing seven-wicket win over three-time champions Chennai Super Kings in their opening match of the IPL 2021 here on Saturday.

    “He (Rishabh Pant) did quite well. First of all, glad that he won the toss. It was a bit of a sticky wicket, so it was good for us to bat second. He kept his calm and kept on motivating the boys,” Dhawan said during the post-match press conference.

    “He made good changes as well. It was his first match (as captain), so I am sure it is only going to get refined from here. He has just started and with experience, I am sure, he is only going to get better.

    “The best thing about Rishabh Pant is that he stays calm. His presence of mind is quite there, which is very very good.”

    Asked if he gives his advice to Pant as a senior player, Dhawan said: “…of course, I give my advice to him. The youngsters, whenever they come to me to ask for batting tips or mindset things, I always share my knowledge with them.”

    Dhawan smashed a 54-ball 85 studded with 10 fours and two maximums and alongwith Prithvi Shaw (72) shared a 138-run opening stand as Delhi chased down 189 with eight balls to spare.

    Asked about his sweep shots against the pacers, Dhawan said: “I started practising it at the nets and then introduced it in the game. We have to play according to the field set. I knew Chennai keeps square leg and fine leg inside the 30-yard circle and keep covers behind for me.

    “I knew their bowling plans, that they will bowl more yorkers to me. So just tried to use their pace and put the ball over the square leg.”

    Dhawan was dropped after the first T20I against England in the recent-concluded series but made a comeback in the ODIs, scoring 98 and 67 in the first and third games.

    Asked if he had made changes in his approach, Dhawan said: “There is no change in my approach or anything. I have been playing like this for a long time now. If you have watched me batting last IPL or even before that I have batted with a good strike-rate.

    “I am happy how I am going, been much more consistent and of course I will look to improve where ever I can and I am enjoying my game.

    “I’m refining my skills and playing aggressive cricket and I will continue with this mindset and you will see me playing with the same way and this version of the game demands that,” he added.

    The 35-year-old said the team will look to carry the momentum in the coming matches.

    “I am happy it was a good performance. It was a good start for us, the whole team did well, Prithvi batted well and bowlers bowled well. Now we have to keep refining it and maintain it, that is the aim,” he said.

    Delhi will next play Rajasthan Royals on April 15 in Mumbai.

  • Made small changes in my technique, minimized mistakes: Delhi Capitals batsman Prithvi Shaw

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: A minor change in technique coupled with focus on cutting down on silly mistakes has been Prithvi Shaw’s recipe for success after a poor run of form that found him out of national team during the England series.

    The 21-year-old on Saturday blasted his way to a 38-ball 72-run innings as Delhi Capitals chased down a winning target of 189 against CSK with more than an over to spare.

    “I made some small changes in my batting before the IPL. I just wanted to minimize all the mistakes I was making, and I worked hard,” said Shaw in a release on Sunday.

    The change that he referred to was positioning of his back-lift.

    Earlier, his bat would come down at an angle from the gully region, causing problems with the incoming deliveries but after working with Amre, the back-lift is more straightened reducing the gap between bat and pad.

    Last year, Shaw was dropped from DC’s playing XI after a string of low scores in UAE and also omitted from India’s Test squad after scoring 0 and 4 in the first Test in Adelaide.

    After working on his technique, Shaw returned to amass a whopping 827 runs in 8 matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

    “I practised for two weeks with Strength & Conditioning Coach Rajinikanth Sivagnanam sir and Pravin Amre sir before the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Then I just played my natural game with a few changes in the Vijay Hazare Trophy,” he said.

    Shaw shared a 138-run opening stand with Shikhar Dhawan (85) before being dismissed by Dwayne Bravo in the 14th over.

    “Very happy with the way I batted…the opening stand which we got was very crucial for us. Chasing 190 odd is not easy without a good start,” he said.

    “It was a great win for us; however, I should’ve stayed in the middle until the end. So, if I have to rate my innings out of 10, I will give an 8 to myself.”

    Talking about DC head coach Ricky Ponting, Shaw said: “With Ricky, I generally speak to him about tactics and strategies as a batsman.

    “He has played so much of cricket and he has got the experience which he can share with us and he does especially with the youngsters. I am really enjoying working with him.”

    Asked about skipper Rishabh Pant, who replaced an injured Shreyas Iyer ahead of this season, Shaw said: “We really miss Shreyas Iyer, and he led the team very well. However, Rishabh Pant is very smart. He is fearless and enjoys the game. He’s very entertaining on the field and is very cool and calm as a captain. He’s doing a fantastic job for the team.”Delhi will next play Rajasthan Royals on April 15 in Mumbai.