News Analysis India

Tag: IPL

  • IPL gives India more finishing options in Dinesh Karthik and Rahul Tewatia

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: IPL form can’t be the sole criteria for a national call-up but Dinesh Karthik and Rahul Tewatia with their stellar shows as finishers for their respective franchises have certainly made a strong case for themselves in the coming months leading up to the T20 World Cup.

    The ICC event in Australia is still more than four months away but the selectors and team management will soon have to decide on their core group of players, starting with the five match home series against South Africa next month.

    The finisher’s job is only gaining significance in the power-packed modern game and the Indian team is definitely in need of players who can go ballistic from ball one.

    In the absence of Hardik Pandya due to fitness issues, the Indian team management tried out Deepak Hooda and Venkatesh Iyer in the middle-order post World Cup debacle last year but they haven’t yet found closure as far as their search is concerned.

    Hardik, who has done well in the IPL in what has been his comeback competition, too has thrown himself back into national contention.

    However, Hooda and Hardik have been batting higher up in the order for their respective IPL teams but are expected to play lower down for the national team.

    Venkatesh has had a tough second year in the IPL and has gone down in the pecking order of finishers.

    With Ravindra Jadeja being the only established finisher in the Indian team, IPL performers like Karthik and Tewatia sensed an opportunity and have made full use of it.

    Tewatia has built a reputation of winning games from improbable situations while Karthik, who had made his India debut way back in 2004, has shown insatiable hunger to make another comeback.

    Former India chief selector MSK Prasad feels both Karthik and Tewatia must be tried in the series against South Africa beginning on June 9 besides calling for Hardik’s return.

    “Hardik, Jaddu, Karthik and Tewatia are my top four for the finisher’s role. DK and Tewatia has been brilliant in this IPL and Hardik has made a good comeback. The World Cup is still some time away but the likes of DK and Tewatia should get their opportunity.

    “If you look at DK, he has consistently done well for India in the T20 format, Nidahas Trophy being the highlight,” Prasad told PTI.

    On Hardik, he said: “He will be one of your main players in Australia where the T20 World Cup is. But I also want to see him bowling regularly. We will need his all-round skills Down Under.”

    Hardik has not been bowling for Gujarat Titans in every game but has bowled closed to 20 overs during the course of the season besides getting crucial runs at number four.

    Prasad’s former colleague in the erstwhile selection committee, Sarandeep Singh, said the Baroda all-rounder has to bowl regularly to be in the scheme of things.

    “He can’t just play as a batter in the side. You lose out on a crucial bowling option that way. DK can be given a go but can he play only as a batter with Rishabh donning the gloves, I am not so sure about it. But he has certainly made a case and he has got all the experience.

    “He also has the ability to change his role if wickets fall in a heap. Tewatia too has done well in the IPL but I doubt if he could replicate his form in Indian conditions in Australia. The bowlers are likely to bounce him out I feel,” said the former India spinner.

    Tewatia had received an India call up last year but failed a fitness test.

    He added that Venkatesh should be persisted even if he is having an ordinary IPL.

    Among other players who should be tried in other roles against South Africa including young pacer Umran Malik, reckons Prasad.

    “Shami and Bumrah are your frontline pacers but you also need a bowler who can regularly clock 150 kmph. Umran has been doing that. It is also heartening to see Kuldeep and Chahal doing well for their IPL and should be back bowling together for India,” said Prasad.

    NEW DELHI: IPL form can’t be the sole criteria for a national call-up but Dinesh Karthik and Rahul Tewatia with their stellar shows as finishers for their respective franchises have certainly made a strong case for themselves in the coming months leading up to the T20 World Cup.

    The ICC event in Australia is still more than four months away but the selectors and team management will soon have to decide on their core group of players, starting with the five match home series against South Africa next month.

    The finisher’s job is only gaining significance in the power-packed modern game and the Indian team is definitely in need of players who can go ballistic from ball one.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    In the absence of Hardik Pandya due to fitness issues, the Indian team management tried out Deepak Hooda and Venkatesh Iyer in the middle-order post World Cup debacle last year but they haven’t yet found closure as far as their search is concerned.

    Hardik, who has done well in the IPL in what has been his comeback competition, too has thrown himself back into national contention.

    However, Hooda and Hardik have been batting higher up in the order for their respective IPL teams but are expected to play lower down for the national team.

    Venkatesh has had a tough second year in the IPL and has gone down in the pecking order of finishers.

    With Ravindra Jadeja being the only established finisher in the Indian team, IPL performers like Karthik and Tewatia sensed an opportunity and have made full use of it.

    Tewatia has built a reputation of winning games from improbable situations while Karthik, who had made his India debut way back in 2004, has shown insatiable hunger to make another comeback.

    Former India chief selector MSK Prasad feels both Karthik and Tewatia must be tried in the series against South Africa beginning on June 9 besides calling for Hardik’s return.

    “Hardik, Jaddu, Karthik and Tewatia are my top four for the finisher’s role. DK and Tewatia has been brilliant in this IPL and Hardik has made a good comeback. The World Cup is still some time away but the likes of DK and Tewatia should get their opportunity.

    “If you look at DK, he has consistently done well for India in the T20 format, Nidahas Trophy being the highlight,” Prasad told PTI.

    On Hardik, he said: “He will be one of your main players in Australia where the T20 World Cup is. But I also want to see him bowling regularly. We will need his all-round skills Down Under.”

    Hardik has not been bowling for Gujarat Titans in every game but has bowled closed to 20 overs during the course of the season besides getting crucial runs at number four.

    Prasad’s former colleague in the erstwhile selection committee, Sarandeep Singh, said the Baroda all-rounder has to bowl regularly to be in the scheme of things.

    “He can’t just play as a batter in the side. You lose out on a crucial bowling option that way. DK can be given a go but can he play only as a batter with Rishabh donning the gloves, I am not so sure about it. But he has certainly made a case and he has got all the experience.

    “He also has the ability to change his role if wickets fall in a heap. Tewatia too has done well in the IPL but I doubt if he could replicate his form in Indian conditions in Australia. The bowlers are likely to bounce him out I feel,” said the former India spinner.

    Tewatia had received an India call up last year but failed a fitness test.

    He added that Venkatesh should be persisted even if he is having an ordinary IPL.

    Among other players who should be tried in other roles against South Africa including young pacer Umran Malik, reckons Prasad.

    “Shami and Bumrah are your frontline pacers but you also need a bowler who can regularly clock 150 kmph. Umran has been doing that. It is also heartening to see Kuldeep and Chahal doing well for their IPL and should be back bowling together for India,” said Prasad.

  • Was told by Rajasthan in the start that I would be used up the order: Ravichandran Ashwin

    By IANS

    NAVI MUMBAI: In IPL 2022, Rajasthan Royals have brought in a funky experiment: – promote Ravichandran Ashwin in the batting order and use him as a pinch hitter so that the line-up gets elongated.

    On Wednesday, against Delhi Capitals, Ashwin was brought out at number three and despite being stuck twice in the innings, got his maiden IPL fifty in 38 balls though Rajasthan lost by eight wickets at DY Patil Stadium.

    “No, there’s no license (on pinch hitter role) that has been given. Starting from the season, it was communicated properly to me that I would be used up the order. We had a few practice games as well where I opened, and I have kind of enjoyed it.”

    “Have worked a lot on my batting, so it’s nice to see whatever it’s been worked on translates on the field. Pretty good feel about the knock today, nevertheless it didn’t come in a winning cause,” said Ashwin on his pinch-hitter role in post-match virtual press conference.

    From 107/2 in 14 overs, Rajasthan had a meltdown in the last six overs, making just 53 runs while losing four wickets to be 160/6 at the end of their innings. With no Shimron Hetmyer to give the finishing kick, Rajasthan couldn’t get the desired end from Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag and Rassie van der Dussen.

    “There were no switch offs in that phase. I think Hetmyer has gone home for the birth of his child so Rassie came in place for him. Hettie has been giving us the finishes in most of the games. A finisher is always worth the weight in gold.”

    Ashwin felt Rajasthan didn’t have luck on their side during the match, right from toss to defending 160. “I thought even the toss was pretty crucial today because the wicket was a touch tacky today. Had we had some luck and taken the catches, the game would have taken a different course. But these things do happen and the back end of the tournament is always pressure. Hopefully we can turn it on and string in a couple of wins together.”

    Explaining further about the tacky nature of the pitch at DY Patil Stadium and the difficulties it caused to Rajasthan, Ashwin said, “Today the pitch wasn’t quite the easiest so there was communication around that. Obviously, the communication to keep going out to play for a few more overs and set it up keeps coming in. Most often than not, if you find yourself hitting the 100-run mark by the 13th over, you end up getting to 180, that’s generally the kind of algorithm that works.”

    “Today was again we hit the 100-mark on a quite tough pitch while batting first, I think just maybe 15-20 runs short at the end. But like I said you never really know unless both sides have played. We have made a good fist of these sorts of low-scoring games in the past but today, the wickets, catches; nothing really went our way in the second half. It was not our day.”

  • Was told by Rajasthan in the start that I would be used up the order: Ravichandran Ashwin

    By IANS

    NAVI MUMBAI: In IPL 2022, Rajasthan Royals have brought in a funky experiment: – promote Ravichandran Ashwin in the batting order and use him as a pinch hitter so that the line-up gets elongated.

    On Wednesday, against Delhi Capitals, Ashwin was brought out at number three and despite being stuck twice in the innings, got his maiden IPL fifty in 38 balls though Rajasthan lost by eight wickets at DY Patil Stadium.

    “No, there’s no license (on pinch hitter role) that has been given. Starting from the season, it was communicated properly to me that I would be used up the order. We had a few practice games as well where I opened, and I have kind of enjoyed it.”

    “Have worked a lot on my batting, so it’s nice to see whatever it’s been worked on translates on the field. Pretty good feel about the knock today, nevertheless it didn’t come in a winning cause,” said Ashwin on his pinch-hitter role in post-match virtual press conference.

    From 107/2 in 14 overs, Rajasthan had a meltdown in the last six overs, making just 53 runs while losing four wickets to be 160/6 at the end of their innings. With no Shimron Hetmyer to give the finishing kick, Rajasthan couldn’t get the desired end from Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag and Rassie van der Dussen.

    “There were no switch offs in that phase. I think Hetmyer has gone home for the birth of his child so Rassie came in place for him. Hettie has been giving us the finishes in most of the games. A finisher is always worth the weight in gold.”

    Ashwin felt Rajasthan didn’t have luck on their side during the match, right from toss to defending 160. “I thought even the toss was pretty crucial today because the wicket was a touch tacky today. Had we had some luck and taken the catches, the game would have taken a different course. But these things do happen and the back end of the tournament is always pressure. Hopefully we can turn it on and string in a couple of wins together.”

    Explaining further about the tacky nature of the pitch at DY Patil Stadium and the difficulties it caused to Rajasthan, Ashwin said, “Today the pitch wasn’t quite the easiest so there was communication around that. Obviously, the communication to keep going out to play for a few more overs and set it up keeps coming in. Most often than not, if you find yourself hitting the 100-run mark by the 13th over, you end up getting to 180, that’s generally the kind of algorithm that works.”

    “Today was again we hit the 100-mark on a quite tough pitch while batting first, I think just maybe 15-20 runs short at the end. But like I said you never really know unless both sides have played. We have made a good fist of these sorts of low-scoring games in the past but today, the wickets, catches; nothing really went our way in the second half. It was not our day.”

    NAVI MUMBAI: In IPL 2022, Rajasthan Royals have brought in a funky experiment: – promote Ravichandran Ashwin in the batting order and use him as a pinch hitter so that the line-up gets elongated.

    On Wednesday, against Delhi Capitals, Ashwin was brought out at number three and despite being stuck twice in the innings, got his maiden IPL fifty in 38 balls though Rajasthan lost by eight wickets at DY Patil Stadium.

    “No, there’s no license (on pinch hitter role) that has been given. Starting from the season, it was communicated properly to me that I would be used up the order. We had a few practice games as well where I opened, and I have kind of enjoyed it.”googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “Have worked a lot on my batting, so it’s nice to see whatever it’s been worked on translates on the field. Pretty good feel about the knock today, nevertheless it didn’t come in a winning cause,” said Ashwin on his pinch-hitter role in post-match virtual press conference.

    From 107/2 in 14 overs, Rajasthan had a meltdown in the last six overs, making just 53 runs while losing four wickets to be 160/6 at the end of their innings. With no Shimron Hetmyer to give the finishing kick, Rajasthan couldn’t get the desired end from Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag and Rassie van der Dussen.

    “There were no switch offs in that phase. I think Hetmyer has gone home for the birth of his child so Rassie came in place for him. Hettie has been giving us the finishes in most of the games. A finisher is always worth the weight in gold.”

    Ashwin felt Rajasthan didn’t have luck on their side during the match, right from toss to defending 160. “I thought even the toss was pretty crucial today because the wicket was a touch tacky today. Had we had some luck and taken the catches, the game would have taken a different course. But these things do happen and the back end of the tournament is always pressure. Hopefully we can turn it on and string in a couple of wins together.”

    Explaining further about the tacky nature of the pitch at DY Patil Stadium and the difficulties it caused to Rajasthan, Ashwin said, “Today the pitch wasn’t quite the easiest so there was communication around that. Obviously, the communication to keep going out to play for a few more overs and set it up keeps coming in. Most often than not, if you find yourself hitting the 100-run mark by the 13th over, you end up getting to 180, that’s generally the kind of algorithm that works.”

    “Today was again we hit the 100-mark on a quite tough pitch while batting first, I think just maybe 15-20 runs short at the end. But like I said you never really know unless both sides have played. We have made a good fist of these sorts of low-scoring games in the past but today, the wickets, catches; nothing really went our way in the second half. It was not our day.”

  • Ravichandran Ashwin’s bizarre batting stance triggers a memes fest on social media

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin once again hogged the headlines with his bizarre batting stance against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Wednesday at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai.

    Ashwin was promoted after Rajasthan lost their best batter Jos Buttler, who is the ‘Orange Cap’ holder of the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) with three centuries.

    Ashwin’s promotion to three as a pinch hitter began to work well when he carted a brace of fours off Shardul Thakur; a neat whip over mid-wicket was followed by a crisp punch through extra cover. Ashwin further took a four with a cut through point and followed it up by dancing down the pitch to hit a six off Axar Patel in the final over of the powerplay.

    But as much as, Ashwin’s batting is not in the news, more than that his ‘stance’ is being discussed in social media platforms. The 35-year-old pulled off the funny-looking stance while facing left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. The batter might have taken the stance in order to disturb the bowler’s concentration.

    One social media user wrote on Twitter, “We have an answer to Kedar Jadhav’s floor bowling.”

    After reaching his maiden IPL fifty in 37 balls, Ashwin miscued to mid-off but did his job to perfection. Padikkal continued to take runs off Marsh, taking successive fours – with a tickle through fine leg and slice over in-field at short third man.

    Ashwin has been in discussion many times for his ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking on cricket field. In 2019, he was in the news due to Mankad’s dismissal of Jos Buttler. In this season too, he was the first batsman to be ‘retired out’ during the game against Lucknow Super Giants.

    Ashwin, who was batting at 28 off 23 balls, was retired out by the Royals with youngster Riyan Parag succeeding him in the batting order. The incident sparked discussions on social media with many fans and former cricketers expressing varied opinions on the same.

    MUMBAI: Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin once again hogged the headlines with his bizarre batting stance against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Wednesday at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai.

    Ashwin was promoted after Rajasthan lost their best batter Jos Buttler, who is the ‘Orange Cap’ holder of the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) with three centuries.

    Ashwin’s promotion to three as a pinch hitter began to work well when he carted a brace of fours off Shardul Thakur; a neat whip over mid-wicket was followed by a crisp punch through extra cover. Ashwin further took a four with a cut through point and followed it up by dancing down the pitch to hit a six off Axar Patel in the final over of the powerplay.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    But as much as, Ashwin’s batting is not in the news, more than that his ‘stance’ is being discussed in social media platforms. The 35-year-old pulled off the funny-looking stance while facing left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. The batter might have taken the stance in order to disturb the bowler’s concentration.

    One social media user wrote on Twitter, “We have an answer to Kedar Jadhav’s floor bowling.”

    After reaching his maiden IPL fifty in 37 balls, Ashwin miscued to mid-off but did his job to perfection. Padikkal continued to take runs off Marsh, taking successive fours – with a tickle through fine leg and slice over in-field at short third man.

    Ashwin has been in discussion many times for his ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking on cricket field. In 2019, he was in the news due to Mankad’s dismissal of Jos Buttler. In this season too, he was the first batsman to be ‘retired out’ during the game against Lucknow Super Giants.

    Ashwin, who was batting at 28 off 23 balls, was retired out by the Royals with youngster Riyan Parag succeeding him in the batting order. The incident sparked discussions on social media with many fans and former cricketers expressing varied opinions on the same.

  • Ravichandran Ashwin’s bizarre batting stance triggers a memes fest on social media

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin once again hogged the headlines with his bizarre batting stance against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Wednesday at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai.

    Ashwin was promoted after Rajasthan lost their best batter Jos Buttler, who is the ‘Orange Cap’ holder of the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) with three centuries.

    Ashwin’s promotion to three as a pinch hitter began to work well when he carted a brace of fours off Shardul Thakur; a neat whip over mid-wicket was followed by a crisp punch through extra cover. Ashwin further took a four with a cut through point and followed it up by dancing down the pitch to hit a six off Axar Patel in the final over of the powerplay.

    But as much as, Ashwin’s batting is not in the news, more than that his ‘stance’ is being discussed in social media platforms. The 35-year-old pulled off the funny-looking stance while facing left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. The batter might have taken the stance in order to disturb the bowler’s concentration.

    One social media user wrote on Twitter, “We have an answer to Kedar Jadhav’s floor bowling.”

    After reaching his maiden IPL fifty in 37 balls, Ashwin miscued to mid-off but did his job to perfection. Padikkal continued to take runs off Marsh, taking successive fours – with a tickle through fine leg and slice over in-field at short third man.

    Ashwin has been in discussion many times for his ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking on cricket field. In 2019, he was in the news due to Mankad’s dismissal of Jos Buttler. In this season too, he was the first batsman to be ‘retired out’ during the game against Lucknow Super Giants.

    Ashwin, who was batting at 28 off 23 balls, was retired out by the Royals with youngster Riyan Parag succeeding him in the batting order. The incident sparked discussions on social media with many fans and former cricketers expressing varied opinions on the same.

  • CSK’s decision to send Shivam Dube higher in order for batting is working well for him: Sunil Gavaskar

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: Chennai Super Kings’ young India all-rounder Shivam Dube has been garnering a lot of praise for hitting big sixes whenever he has sent in to bat higher in the batting order in the IPL 2022.

    In the 9 games he has played, the talented left-handed batter from Mumbai has scored 279 runs at a strike rate of 160.34.

    Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has lauded Dube for his hitting those big sixes and claimed the team management’s decision to send him higher in the batting order is helping the southpaw play long and impactful knocks.

    ‘His strength is his balance. He stands tall and hits the ball straight. He’s a better striker of the ball and a more consistent striker of the ball (this season). That’s the secret of him picking up the balance. The moment you try and move your foot a little too far across, you’ll lose your balance and shape. And most importantly, he’s getting the responsibility of batting higher up the order which means he’s getting more overs to bat. Earlier, he used to bat down the order for his previous franchises, he could only play five-six overs, you can’t score too many runs when you get to play only five-six overs,’ Gavaskar said on Cricket Live on Star Sports.

    Former England cricketer Graeme Swann while referring to Dube’s unbeaten 95 off 46 balls against RCB, said the left-handed India batter took the responsibility of a senior player and scored heavily.

    ‘Despite being a junior player, Shivam Dube took up the senior’s role and batted responsibly. One of the straight sixes he hit in the game against RCB (where he smashed 95*), that was one of the easiest sixes I have seen in cricket. 102 meters over the sightscreens, it was ridiculous,’ Swann said.

    MUMBAI: Chennai Super Kings’ young India all-rounder Shivam Dube has been garnering a lot of praise for hitting big sixes whenever he has sent in to bat higher in the batting order in the IPL 2022.

    In the 9 games he has played, the talented left-handed batter from Mumbai has scored 279 runs at a strike rate of 160.34.

    Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has lauded Dube for his hitting those big sixes and claimed the team management’s decision to send him higher in the batting order is helping the southpaw play long and impactful knocks.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    ‘His strength is his balance. He stands tall and hits the ball straight. He’s a better striker of the ball and a more consistent striker of the ball (this season). That’s the secret of him picking up the balance. The moment you try and move your foot a little too far across, you’ll lose your balance and shape. And most importantly, he’s getting the responsibility of batting higher up the order which means he’s getting more overs to bat. Earlier, he used to bat down the order for his previous franchises, he could only play five-six overs, you can’t score too many runs when you get to play only five-six overs,’ Gavaskar said on Cricket Live on Star Sports.

    Former England cricketer Graeme Swann while referring to Dube’s unbeaten 95 off 46 balls against RCB, said the left-handed India batter took the responsibility of a senior player and scored heavily.

    ‘Despite being a junior player, Shivam Dube took up the senior’s role and batted responsibly. One of the straight sixes he hit in the game against RCB (where he smashed 95*), that was one of the easiest sixes I have seen in cricket. 102 meters over the sightscreens, it was ridiculous,’ Swann said.

  • CSK’s decision to send Shivam Dube higher in order for batting is working well for him: Sunil Gavaskar

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: Chennai Super Kings’ young India all-rounder Shivam Dube has been garnering a lot of praise for hitting big sixes whenever he has sent in to bat higher in the batting order in the IPL 2022.

    In the 9 games he has played, the talented left-handed batter from Mumbai has scored 279 runs at a strike rate of 160.34.

    Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has lauded Dube for his hitting those big sixes and claimed the team management’s decision to send him higher in the batting order is helping the southpaw play long and impactful knocks.

    ‘His strength is his balance. He stands tall and hits the ball straight. He’s a better striker of the ball and a more consistent striker of the ball (this season). That’s the secret of him picking up the balance. The moment you try and move your foot a little too far across, you’ll lose your balance and shape. And most importantly, he’s getting the responsibility of batting higher up the order which means he’s getting more overs to bat. Earlier, he used to bat down the order for his previous franchises, he could only play five-six overs, you can’t score too many runs when you get to play only five-six overs,’ Gavaskar said on Cricket Live on Star Sports.

    Former England cricketer Graeme Swann while referring to Dube’s unbeaten 95 off 46 balls against RCB, said the left-handed India batter took the responsibility of a senior player and scored heavily.

    ‘Despite being a junior player, Shivam Dube took up the senior’s role and batted responsibly. One of the straight sixes he hit in the game against RCB (where he smashed 95*), that was one of the easiest sixes I have seen in cricket. 102 meters over the sightscreens, it was ridiculous,’ Swann said.

  • Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Mumbai’s mystery spinner, still has miles to go in his cricketing journey

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: He bowls everything in spin with his left-arm. When IPL 2022 began, Kumar Kartikeya Singh was a net bowler for Mumbai Indians. But an injury to Mohammad Arshad Khan meant he was drafted into the main squad and made his debut mid-season against Rajasthan Royals with an impressive 1/19.

    Since then, Kartikeya has impressed everyone with his skills and has seen his life turn around in a few short weeks. From Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, to toiling in Delhi, moving to Madhya Pradesh for cricketing opportunities and excelling in the biggest stage of his life while donning the Mumbai Indians jersey, Kartikeya’s run in IPL has been pretty eventful. But the 24-year-old’s yearning for cricket came through his father.

    “He was watching a match on TV, I was very young then, and Virender Sehwag was batting. I didn’t know much about cricket then. I saw that my dad enjoyed watching cricket so my interest in the sport developed, and I thought I should also play it,” shared Kartikeya in a video posted by the franchise on their social media handles.

    The pursuit of cricket took Kartikeya on a long journey, which demanded a move to Delhi for better opportunities. “The first year in Delhi was a long struggle. Then I met Sanjay Bharadwaj sir there. He saw me bowl only one ball. And as soon as he saw that he said, he told me, ‘You do one thing, stay here with me. I will take care of whatever you need’.”

    “Sir has taken care of me like I’m his own son. I stayed with him for six years. He took care of every single cricketing expense. I was playing in Delhi at that time. I performed too, but in the trials, I didn’t get selected. Then sir told me, ‘You should go to Madhya Pradesh’. I reached Shahdol and played trial matches and practice matches there, and for the first time, I got selected in the Under-23 side, as a standby.”

    The move to Madhya Pradesh began to bear fruit as Kartikeya moved from U23 to senior cricket. “Then next year, my name was listed for a Ranji Trophy trial match. I did well there and got to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. I called my father for the first time in six years. When he spoke to me, he was very happy but didn’t show it. He told me that it’s good I’ve played at this level, but life can take me ahead too, and there’s lots more to do. He hung up the phone after saying this.”

    Kartikeya’s father, a police officer, didn’t display much emotions that time. But when he made his debut for Mumbai Indians, the smile which he had seen as a kid came back. “I told my dad that I’m playing the match, so he told his entire battalion that, and they put a projector for everyone to see (match against Rajasthan Royals).”

    “When I took my first wicket, they all gave a standing ovation and hugged my dad. When he shared that video with me after the game, it was a completely different joy for me because I saw my father having the same joy that I had seen in childhood and when I just started playing.”

    Before his IPL debut, Kartikeya experienced joy on rubbing shoulders alongside stalwarts of the game. “When I came, the first person I saw was Rohit bhaiyya. I couldn’t take my eyes off him! It was the first time I was seeing someone in the flesh, who earlier I had seen only on TV! Then I saw Sachin sir, face to face.”

    “Mumbai Indians have supported me a lot. Rahul (Sanghvi) sir, Bondy (Shane Bond) sir, Mahela sir, Zaheer sir… everyone spoke to me about bowling patterns, what can be done where, how to plan your bowling.”

    “When I entered the ground, and it was time for me to bowl, Rohit bhaiyya handed me the ball, and told me I would be bowling the next over. He told me to bowl ‘bindaas’ (without worries). ‘I’ll take care of everything. You just focus on bowling.’”

    It has been well-documented that Kartikeya hasn’t been home in nine years to fulfil the promise made to himself of coming back only after he had achieved something. Going home after an impressive IPL 2022 would have been perfect. But Kartikeya has got his focus on the next mission after IPL 2022:- to turn out for Madhya Pradesh, who have qualified for Ranji Trophy knockouts.

    “When I left home, I thought I’d return only after having accomplished something. After the IPL gets over, the MP team needs me, because the Ranji Trophy knockouts will be there. So I’ll play those first and only then return home. I’ll be going home after nine years so I’m quite excited to see what my parents’ reaction will be.”

    Focusing on bowling is what Kartikeya wants to do to excel in future. As his father said to him, “You’ve got this jersey now (the Mumbai Indians one), and now you have to focus on the future.”

    MUMBAI: He bowls everything in spin with his left-arm. When IPL 2022 began, Kumar Kartikeya Singh was a net bowler for Mumbai Indians. But an injury to Mohammad Arshad Khan meant he was drafted into the main squad and made his debut mid-season against Rajasthan Royals with an impressive 1/19.

    Since then, Kartikeya has impressed everyone with his skills and has seen his life turn around in a few short weeks. From Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, to toiling in Delhi, moving to Madhya Pradesh for cricketing opportunities and excelling in the biggest stage of his life while donning the Mumbai Indians jersey, Kartikeya’s run in IPL has been pretty eventful. But the 24-year-old’s yearning for cricket came through his father.

    “He was watching a match on TV, I was very young then, and Virender Sehwag was batting. I didn’t know much about cricket then. I saw that my dad enjoyed watching cricket so my interest in the sport developed, and I thought I should also play it,” shared Kartikeya in a video posted by the franchise on their social media handles.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The pursuit of cricket took Kartikeya on a long journey, which demanded a move to Delhi for better opportunities. “The first year in Delhi was a long struggle. Then I met Sanjay Bharadwaj sir there. He saw me bowl only one ball. And as soon as he saw that he said, he told me, ‘You do one thing, stay here with me. I will take care of whatever you need’.”

    “Sir has taken care of me like I’m his own son. I stayed with him for six years. He took care of every single cricketing expense. I was playing in Delhi at that time. I performed too, but in the trials, I didn’t get selected. Then sir told me, ‘You should go to Madhya Pradesh’. I reached Shahdol and played trial matches and practice matches there, and for the first time, I got selected in the Under-23 side, as a standby.”

    The move to Madhya Pradesh began to bear fruit as Kartikeya moved from U23 to senior cricket. “Then next year, my name was listed for a Ranji Trophy trial match. I did well there and got to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. I called my father for the first time in six years. When he spoke to me, he was very happy but didn’t show it. He told me that it’s good I’ve played at this level, but life can take me ahead too, and there’s lots more to do. He hung up the phone after saying this.”

    Kartikeya’s father, a police officer, didn’t display much emotions that time. But when he made his debut for Mumbai Indians, the smile which he had seen as a kid came back. “I told my dad that I’m playing the match, so he told his entire battalion that, and they put a projector for everyone to see (match against Rajasthan Royals).”

    “When I took my first wicket, they all gave a standing ovation and hugged my dad. When he shared that video with me after the game, it was a completely different joy for me because I saw my father having the same joy that I had seen in childhood and when I just started playing.”

    Before his IPL debut, Kartikeya experienced joy on rubbing shoulders alongside stalwarts of the game. “When I came, the first person I saw was Rohit bhaiyya. I couldn’t take my eyes off him! It was the first time I was seeing someone in the flesh, who earlier I had seen only on TV! Then I saw Sachin sir, face to face.”

    “Mumbai Indians have supported me a lot. Rahul (Sanghvi) sir, Bondy (Shane Bond) sir, Mahela sir, Zaheer sir… everyone spoke to me about bowling patterns, what can be done where, how to plan your bowling.”

    “When I entered the ground, and it was time for me to bowl, Rohit bhaiyya handed me the ball, and told me I would be bowling the next over. He told me to bowl ‘bindaas’ (without worries). ‘I’ll take care of everything. You just focus on bowling.’”

    It has been well-documented that Kartikeya hasn’t been home in nine years to fulfil the promise made to himself of coming back only after he had achieved something. Going home after an impressive IPL 2022 would have been perfect. But Kartikeya has got his focus on the next mission after IPL 2022:- to turn out for Madhya Pradesh, who have qualified for Ranji Trophy knockouts.

    “When I left home, I thought I’d return only after having accomplished something. After the IPL gets over, the MP team needs me, because the Ranji Trophy knockouts will be there. So I’ll play those first and only then return home. I’ll be going home after nine years so I’m quite excited to see what my parents’ reaction will be.”

    Focusing on bowling is what Kartikeya wants to do to excel in future. As his father said to him, “You’ve got this jersey now (the Mumbai Indians one), and now you have to focus on the future.”

  • Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Mumbai’s mystery spinner, still has miles to go in his cricketing journey

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: He bowls everything in spin with his left-arm. When IPL 2022 began, Kumar Kartikeya Singh was a net bowler for Mumbai Indians. But an injury to Mohammad Arshad Khan meant he was drafted into the main squad and made his debut mid-season against Rajasthan Royals with an impressive 1/19.

    Since then, Kartikeya has impressed everyone with his skills and has seen his life turn around in a few short weeks. From Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, to toiling in Delhi, moving to Madhya Pradesh for cricketing opportunities and excelling in the biggest stage of his life while donning the Mumbai Indians jersey, Kartikeya’s run in IPL has been pretty eventful. But the 24-year-old’s yearning for cricket came through his father.

    “He was watching a match on TV, I was very young then, and Virender Sehwag was batting. I didn’t know much about cricket then. I saw that my dad enjoyed watching cricket so my interest in the sport developed, and I thought I should also play it,” shared Kartikeya in a video posted by the franchise on their social media handles.

    The pursuit of cricket took Kartikeya on a long journey, which demanded a move to Delhi for better opportunities. “The first year in Delhi was a long struggle. Then I met Sanjay Bharadwaj sir there. He saw me bowl only one ball. And as soon as he saw that he said, he told me, ‘You do one thing, stay here with me. I will take care of whatever you need’.”

    “Sir has taken care of me like I’m his own son. I stayed with him for six years. He took care of every single cricketing expense. I was playing in Delhi at that time. I performed too, but in the trials, I didn’t get selected. Then sir told me, ‘You should go to Madhya Pradesh’. I reached Shahdol and played trial matches and practice matches there, and for the first time, I got selected in the Under-23 side, as a standby.”

    The move to Madhya Pradesh began to bear fruit as Kartikeya moved from U23 to senior cricket. “Then next year, my name was listed for a Ranji Trophy trial match. I did well there and got to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. I called my father for the first time in six years. When he spoke to me, he was very happy but didn’t show it. He told me that it’s good I’ve played at this level, but life can take me ahead too, and there’s lots more to do. He hung up the phone after saying this.”

    Kartikeya’s father, a police officer, didn’t display much emotions that time. But when he made his debut for Mumbai Indians, the smile which he had seen as a kid came back. “I told my dad that I’m playing the match, so he told his entire battalion that, and they put a projector for everyone to see (match against Rajasthan Royals).”

    “When I took my first wicket, they all gave a standing ovation and hugged my dad. When he shared that video with me after the game, it was a completely different joy for me because I saw my father having the same joy that I had seen in childhood and when I just started playing.”

    Before his IPL debut, Kartikeya experienced joy on rubbing shoulders alongside stalwarts of the game. “When I came, the first person I saw was Rohit bhaiyya. I couldn’t take my eyes off him! It was the first time I was seeing someone in the flesh, who earlier I had seen only on TV! Then I saw Sachin sir, face to face.”

    “Mumbai Indians have supported me a lot. Rahul (Sanghvi) sir, Bondy (Shane Bond) sir, Mahela sir, Zaheer sir… everyone spoke to me about bowling patterns, what can be done where, how to plan your bowling.”

    “When I entered the ground, and it was time for me to bowl, Rohit bhaiyya handed me the ball, and told me I would be bowling the next over. He told me to bowl ‘bindaas’ (without worries). ‘I’ll take care of everything. You just focus on bowling.’”

    It has been well-documented that Kartikeya hasn’t been home in nine years to fulfil the promise made to himself of coming back only after he had achieved something. Going home after an impressive IPL 2022 would have been perfect. But Kartikeya has got his focus on the next mission after IPL 2022:- to turn out for Madhya Pradesh, who have qualified for Ranji Trophy knockouts.

    “When I left home, I thought I’d return only after having accomplished something. After the IPL gets over, the MP team needs me, because the Ranji Trophy knockouts will be there. So I’ll play those first and only then return home. I’ll be going home after nine years so I’m quite excited to see what my parents’ reaction will be.”

    Focusing on bowling is what Kartikeya wants to do to excel in future. As his father said to him, “You’ve got this jersey now (the Mumbai Indians one), and now you have to focus on the future.”

  • Struggling Virat Kohli mutes TV to silence critics

    By AFP

    NEW DELHI: Out-of-form Virat Kohli says that he has a sure-fire way of drowning out his growing number of critics — he just mutes the television.

    The 33-year-old former India skipper has endured an extended batting slump for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League and fell for his third golden duck of the season on Sunday.

    Commentators have said that the usually prolific batsman looks “overcooked” and needs a break, but in a mostly light-hearted video on Bangalore’s website Kohli said that he has learnt to drown out those who criticise him.

    “They can’t be in my shoes, they can’t feel what I feel, they can’t live my life, they can’t live those moments,” Kohli said of analysts attempting to write him off.

    “How do you cut out the noise? You either mute the TV or don’t listen to or pay attention to what people are saying. I do both of these things.”

    After his latest golden duck, when he flicked the opening delivery of the match to Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson, Kohli walked off with a wry smile.

    The host of the video joked that Kohli has two ducks, a reference to how the batsman got out twice in a row to first balls earlier this season.

    “It hasn’t happened to me ever in my career, I think. I have seen everything now. It’s been so long, I have seen everything in this game,” Kohli said with a grin.

    Kohli has now failed to score a century in more than 100 matches in all formats.

    He has managed just 216 runs from 12 games in the IPL this season, scoring one half-century.

    Still hoping to win a maiden IPL trophy with Bangalore, the team he captained between 2013 and 2021, Kohli spoke fondly about South African great and former IPL teammate AB de Villiers.

    “Miss him a lot. I speak to him regularly, quite regularly,” said Kohli.

    “He keeps messaging me… we stay in touch, he is very keenly obviously watching RCB and hopefully here next year in some capacity.”

    South Africa’s Faf du Plessis took over as Bangalore captain this season and they are currently fourth in the 10-team Twenty20 tournament and in the running for a playoff spot.

    NEW DELHI: Out-of-form Virat Kohli says that he has a sure-fire way of drowning out his growing number of critics — he just mutes the television.

    The 33-year-old former India skipper has endured an extended batting slump for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League and fell for his third golden duck of the season on Sunday.

    Commentators have said that the usually prolific batsman looks “overcooked” and needs a break, but in a mostly light-hearted video on Bangalore’s website Kohli said that he has learnt to drown out those who criticise him.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “They can’t be in my shoes, they can’t feel what I feel, they can’t live my life, they can’t live those moments,” Kohli said of analysts attempting to write him off.

    “How do you cut out the noise? You either mute the TV or don’t listen to or pay attention to what people are saying. I do both of these things.”

    After his latest golden duck, when he flicked the opening delivery of the match to Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson, Kohli walked off with a wry smile.

    The host of the video joked that Kohli has two ducks, a reference to how the batsman got out twice in a row to first balls earlier this season.

    “It hasn’t happened to me ever in my career, I think. I have seen everything now. It’s been so long, I have seen everything in this game,” Kohli said with a grin.

    Kohli has now failed to score a century in more than 100 matches in all formats.

    He has managed just 216 runs from 12 games in the IPL this season, scoring one half-century.

    Still hoping to win a maiden IPL trophy with Bangalore, the team he captained between 2013 and 2021, Kohli spoke fondly about South African great and former IPL teammate AB de Villiers.

    “Miss him a lot. I speak to him regularly, quite regularly,” said Kohli.

    “He keeps messaging me… we stay in touch, he is very keenly obviously watching RCB and hopefully here next year in some capacity.”

    South Africa’s Faf du Plessis took over as Bangalore captain this season and they are currently fourth in the 10-team Twenty20 tournament and in the running for a playoff spot.