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Tag: Mohammed Shami

  • India’ T20 World Cup 2024 Squad: Who Are The Confirmed Names? Who Are The Contenders Vying For A Spot? , cricket news

    India T20 World Cup 2024 Squad: India’s selection committee headed by Ajit Agarkar is going to have some sleepless nights ahead of the squad announcement for the T20 World Cup 2024. Except for a few names, one cannot for sure still say that this is going to. be the squad that will be in USA and West Indies for the mega event. There have been some outstanding performances in IPL 2024 which will make the job of the selectors even more tough. The tournament starts in June and the squad is likely to be announced by the start of May.

    Some of the names who are almost confirmed are veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and Kuldeep Yadav as the leading wrist spinner. Arshdeep Singh has had a good IPL so far, so he should too make the cut. But there are still nine spots up for grabs.

    Will Hardik Pandya get picked?

    Hardik Pandya, the batting all-rounder, is not in great form either with bat or ball which is a huge concern. However, if he is bowling and batting without any discomfort, Hardik should make the cut. Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh are two names who are fighting for one spot in India playing 11 at the World Cup. But selectors may opt to take both of them to WC as backups for each other. Shivam should easily make it as he can bowl too.

    Three-way battle really for keeper’s slot

    The fight is for the wicketkeeper’s slot. There are six contenders in the form of Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Jitesh Sharma, Sanju Samson and Dinesh Karthik. But the real battle mostly should be between Pant, Samson and Rahul. One or maybe two of them could be picked, depending upon what roles they are told to play.

    The bowling department: Tough fight among pacers

    Kuldeep should definitely be the first choice wrist spinner. But India will need another spinner, maybe a wrist or a finger spinner. It could be a battle between Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal who make the cut.

    Then came the pacers. Apart from Bumrah and Arshdeep, India will need 2 more pacers. These two names are very hard to pick. Delhi Capitals’ Khaleel Ahmed, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s T Natarajan, Punjab Kings’ Harshal Patel, and even Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar have become contenders for the spot.

    With no Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj completely out of form, India will have to make a bold choice. Mayank Yadav can be a surprise and bold pick but also a risky one. He has an X-factor which is his extreme pace. But he also lacks experience.

    India’s likely T20 World Cup 2024 squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant/Sanju Samson/KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Two more pacers and one spinner

  • Hardik Pandya roasted on social media for screaming at senior pro Mohammed Shami

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Hardik Pandya’s outburst at team-mate and senior India bowler Mohammed Shami, after the latter did not go all out to take a catch in Monday night’s game against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), has not gone down well with the all-rounder’s fans.

    At the DY Patil stadium on Monday, a measured half-century from captain Kane Williamson, after their bowlers had applied the brakes in the last five overs, sealed SRH’s eight-wicket win over Gujarat Titans.

    Dear Hardik, you are a terrible captain. Stop taking it out on your teammates, particularly someone as senior as Shami. #IPL #IPL2022 #GTvsSRH pic.twitter.com/9yoLpslco7
    — Bodhisattva #DalitLivesMatter (@insenroy) April 11, 2022
    After the bowlers had conceded 44 runs and taken three wickets in the last five overs to restrict Gujarat to 162/7, Williamson led the chase with patience and precision while making 57 off 46 balls, laced with two fours and four sixes. He found support from Abhishek Sharma (42) and Nicholas Pooran doing the finishing job with an unbeaten 34.

    It was in the 13th over being bowled by Pandya that the Titans skipper shouted at Shami after the latter apparently did not go all out to take a catch offered by Rahul Tripathi. Before that, SRH skipper Kane Williamson had hit Pandya for back-to-back maximums off the second and third ball of the over.

    The Titans had an opportunity to dismiss the New Zealander’s partner Tripathi off the last ball of the over when the 31-year-old batter’s upper cut went horribly wrong and flew towards deep third man.

    @hardikpandya7 shouting at the #mohammedshami is disgraceful what Shami has done for #Indianteam is commendable and #Hardik has not even done half of it. #shameful #HardikPandya
    — Wolf (@Wolf_Vickbaghel) April 11, 2022

    Hardik Pandya doesn’t deserve to be the Captain of any team one who doesn’t know how to speak to the team members and that too a senior player shouldn’t be the Captain you do not win all games Cricket is a gentleman game pls note @hardikpandya7
    — Idris Ahmad (@IdrisAhmad_47) April 11, 2022

    Just watch the Kane Williamson reaction when Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi & Markram dropped catches & compare it with Hardik Pandey reaction to dropped catch by Shami, Pandya was screaming at his senior partner Shami, that’s the difference between a Leader & a Captain #SRHvGT
    — Ykush_Tyagiᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠ (@Ykush_Tyagi) April 11, 2022
    Shami, posted in the deep, could have latched on to the catch had he moved forward. Instead, the veteran India pacer moved back a couple of steps and collected the ball on first bounce. Already clobbered for two sixes by Williamson in the over, Pandya vent his anger at Shami.

    A fan called Pandya a terrible skipper, tweeting, “Dear Hardik, you are a terrible captain. Stop taking it out on your teammates, particularly someone as senior as Shami,” while another fan wrote “@hardikpandya7 shouting at the #mohammedshami is disgraceful what Shami has done for #Indianteam is commendable and #Hardik has not even done half of it. #shameful #HardikPandya.”

    Another fan wrote, “Hardik Pandya doesn’t deserve to be the Captain of any team one who doesn’t know how to speak to the team members and that too a senior player shouldn’t be the Captain you do not win all games Cricket is a gentleman game pls note @hardikpandya7.”

  • Hardik Pandya roasted on social media for screaming at senior pro Mohammed Shami

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Hardik Pandya’s outburst at team-mate and senior India bowler Mohammed Shami, after the latter did not go all out to take a catch in Monday night’s game against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), has not gone down well with the all-rounder’s fans.

    At the DY Patil stadium on Monday, a measured half-century from captain Kane Williamson, after their bowlers had applied the brakes in the last five overs, sealed SRH’s eight-wicket win over Gujarat Titans.

    Dear Hardik, you are a terrible captain. Stop taking it out on your teammates, particularly someone as senior as Shami. #IPL #IPL2022 #GTvsSRH pic.twitter.com/9yoLpslco7
    — Bodhisattva #DalitLivesMatter (@insenroy) April 11, 2022
    After the bowlers had conceded 44 runs and taken three wickets in the last five overs to restrict Gujarat to 162/7, Williamson led the chase with patience and precision while making 57 off 46 balls, laced with two fours and four sixes. He found support from Abhishek Sharma (42) and Nicholas Pooran doing the finishing job with an unbeaten 34.

    It was in the 13th over being bowled by Pandya that the Titans skipper shouted at Shami after the latter apparently did not go all out to take a catch offered by Rahul Tripathi. Before that, SRH skipper Kane Williamson had hit Pandya for back-to-back maximums off the second and third ball of the over.

    The Titans had an opportunity to dismiss the New Zealander’s partner Tripathi off the last ball of the over when the 31-year-old batter’s upper cut went horribly wrong and flew towards deep third man.

    @hardikpandya7 shouting at the #mohammedshami is disgraceful what Shami has done for #Indianteam is commendable and #Hardik has not even done half of it. #shameful #HardikPandya
    — Wolf (@Wolf_Vickbaghel) April 11, 2022

    Hardik Pandya doesn’t deserve to be the Captain of any team one who doesn’t know how to speak to the team members and that too a senior player shouldn’t be the Captain you do not win all games Cricket is a gentleman game pls note @hardikpandya7
    — Idris Ahmad (@IdrisAhmad_47) April 11, 2022

    Just watch the Kane Williamson reaction when Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi & Markram dropped catches & compare it with Hardik Pandey reaction to dropped catch by Shami, Pandya was screaming at his senior partner Shami, that’s the difference between a Leader & a Captain #SRHvGT
    — Ykush_Tyagiᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠ (@Ykush_Tyagi) April 11, 2022
    Shami, posted in the deep, could have latched on to the catch had he moved forward. Instead, the veteran India pacer moved back a couple of steps and collected the ball on first bounce. Already clobbered for two sixes by Williamson in the over, Pandya vent his anger at Shami.

    A fan called Pandya a terrible skipper, tweeting, “Dear Hardik, you are a terrible captain. Stop taking it out on your teammates, particularly someone as senior as Shami,” while another fan wrote “@hardikpandya7 shouting at the #mohammedshami is disgraceful what Shami has done for #Indianteam is commendable and #Hardik has not even done half of it. #shameful #HardikPandya.”

    Another fan wrote, “Hardik Pandya doesn’t deserve to be the Captain of any team one who doesn’t know how to speak to the team members and that too a senior player shouldn’t be the Captain you do not win all games Cricket is a gentleman game pls note @hardikpandya7.”

    MUMBAI: Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Hardik Pandya’s outburst at team-mate and senior India bowler Mohammed Shami, after the latter did not go all out to take a catch in Monday night’s game against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), has not gone down well with the all-rounder’s fans.

    At the DY Patil stadium on Monday, a measured half-century from captain Kane Williamson, after their bowlers had applied the brakes in the last five overs, sealed SRH’s eight-wicket win over Gujarat Titans.

    Dear Hardik, you are a terrible captain. Stop taking it out on your teammates, particularly someone as senior as Shami. #IPL #IPL2022 #GTvsSRH pic.twitter.com/9yoLpslco7googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
    — Bodhisattva #DalitLivesMatter (@insenroy) April 11, 2022
    After the bowlers had conceded 44 runs and taken three wickets in the last five overs to restrict Gujarat to 162/7, Williamson led the chase with patience and precision while making 57 off 46 balls, laced with two fours and four sixes. He found support from Abhishek Sharma (42) and Nicholas Pooran doing the finishing job with an unbeaten 34.

    It was in the 13th over being bowled by Pandya that the Titans skipper shouted at Shami after the latter apparently did not go all out to take a catch offered by Rahul Tripathi. Before that, SRH skipper Kane Williamson had hit Pandya for back-to-back maximums off the second and third ball of the over.

    The Titans had an opportunity to dismiss the New Zealander’s partner Tripathi off the last ball of the over when the 31-year-old batter’s upper cut went horribly wrong and flew towards deep third man.

    @hardikpandya7 shouting at the #mohammedshami is disgraceful what Shami has done for #Indianteam is commendable and #Hardik has not even done half of it. #shameful #HardikPandya
    — Wolf (@Wolf_Vickbaghel) April 11, 2022

    Hardik Pandya doesn’t deserve to be the Captain of any team one who doesn’t know how to speak to the team members and that too a senior player shouldn’t be the Captain you do not win all games Cricket is a gentleman game pls note @hardikpandya7
    — Idris Ahmad (@IdrisAhmad_47) April 11, 2022

    Just watch the Kane Williamson reaction when Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi & Markram dropped catches & compare it with Hardik Pandey reaction to dropped catch by Shami, Pandya was screaming at his senior partner Shami, that’s the difference between a Leader & a Captain #SRHvGT
    — Ykush_Tyagiᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠ (@Ykush_Tyagi) April 11, 2022
    Shami, posted in the deep, could have latched on to the catch had he moved forward. Instead, the veteran India pacer moved back a couple of steps and collected the ball on first bounce. Already clobbered for two sixes by Williamson in the over, Pandya vent his anger at Shami.

    A fan called Pandya a terrible skipper, tweeting, “Dear Hardik, you are a terrible captain. Stop taking it out on your teammates, particularly someone as senior as Shami,” while another fan wrote “@hardikpandya7 shouting at the #mohammedshami is disgraceful what Shami has done for #Indianteam is commendable and #Hardik has not even done half of it. #shameful #HardikPandya.”

    Another fan wrote, “Hardik Pandya doesn’t deserve to be the Captain of any team one who doesn’t know how to speak to the team members and that too a senior player shouldn’t be the Captain you do not win all games Cricket is a gentleman game pls note @hardikpandya7.”

  • Facebook says quickly introduced measures to remove abusive comments against cricketer Shami

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Facebook on Monday said it quickly introduced measures to remove the abusive comments against Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami, who faced criticism on social media following the national team’s first-ever loss to Pakistan in World Cup history.

    The US-based company, which has itself been courting controversy over its handling of hate speech in India, said it will “continue to take action against those that violate its Community Standards”.

    “No one should have to experience abuse anywhere, and we don’t want it on our platforms. We quickly introduced measures to remove the comments that directed abuse at an Indian cricketer and we’ll continue to take action against those that violate our Community Standards,” a Facebook spokesperson said.

    The spokesperson also said the company has recently announced updates to its bullying and harassment policy that increases protection for all public figures.

    “Additionally, we have tools like Hidden Words that protect you from having to see bullying comments and abuse in your Direct Message requests, and Limits, which protects you when you experience or anticipate a rush of abusive comments and messages,” the spokesperson noted.

    Facebook’s rules do not allow attacks on people based on their protected characteristics, which includes race, religion, nationality or sexual orientation. This includes the use of emojis when used in a hateful context. Bullying and harassment is also not allowed on the platform.

    Facebook has also introduced a number of tools and features to help users, especially celebrities to manage unwanted or abusive interactions. While Shami has been one of India’s best fast bowlers in recent times and has performed well over the last five years, the trolls on social media linked his ordinary performance on Sunday night to his religion.

    There were also several people who offered support to the 31-year-old cricketer. Other Indian players were also trolled online after the crushing loss on Sunday. India lost their T20 World Cup opener by 10 wickets on Sunday with Shami emerging the most expensive bowler on the night, giving away 43 runs in 3.5 overs.

    Former and current India stars such as Sachin Tendulkar, along with some political bigwigs, extended their support to Shami.

  • Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami set up Punjab Kings’ five-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in dramatic finish

    By PTI

    SHARJAH: Young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi snared three wickets as Punjab Kings dished out a clinical bowling display to beat struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad by five runs in a low-scoring but entertaining Indian Premier League match here on Saturday.

    The 21-year-old Bishnoi (3/24) ran through the SRH middle order after veteran India pacer Mohammed Shami rocked the run chase early on by dismissing both David Warner (2) and captain Kane Williamson (1) cheaply in the first and third overs respectively.

    Punjab Kings leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi ran through the SRH middle order

    Chasing 126 for a win on a slow Sharjah Cricket Stadium track, SRH ended at 120 for 7 in 20 overs to end their hopes of making it to the play-offs.

    Punjab, however, kept their hopes alive as they grabbed the fifth place with 8 points from 10 matches.

    West Indian Jason Holder raised hopes of a dramatic win for SRH with a late onslaught of 47 off just 29 balls with the help of five sixes but in the end SRH were short by five runs.

    SRH needed 21 from the final two overs and Arshdeep Singh conceded just four runs from the penultimate over.

    Needing 17 runs from the final over bowled by Nathan Ellis, Holder hit a six in the second ball but SRH needed a six to tie the score and take the match to Super Over.

    But Holder, who had taken three wickets for 19 runs in the Punjab Kings innings, could score just one run from the final ball.

    SRH were 20 for 2 after Power Play and Bishnoi took the centre stage from then onwards as he removed the next three batsmen to stifle the SRH run chase.

    First, he had Manish Pandey (13) in the eighth over before dismissing Kedar Jadhav (12) and Abdul Samad (1).

    From 43 for 3 at the halfway mark, SRH were 60 for 5 in the 13th over.

    The arrival of Jason Holder at the crease gave some hopes to SRH as the West Indian hit two sixes to take 16 runs from the 16th over bowled by Nathan Ellis.

    SRH needed 35 from the final four overs and Wriddhiman Shah (31) was set at the other end but he got run out in the 17th over in a horrible mix-up.

    Earlier, Holder’s impressive spell of three wickets for 19 runs helped SRH restrict Punjab Kings to 125 for 7 after being sent in to bat.

    Punjab Kings batsmen struggled to get going on a slow wicket and failed to stitch any big partnership, the highest being the 30-run stand between Chris Gayle and Aiden Markram, who top-scored with a 32-ball 27, for the third wicket.

    Captain KL Rahul had scored 49 in the previous match but got dismissed early this time as he fell to Holder’s first ball for a run-a-ball 21 in the fifth over.

    The other opener Mayank Agarwal (5), who had scored 67 against Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday, was out four balls later as he sliced a Holder delivery to Kane Williamson at mid off.

    Punjab Kings were 29 for 2 after Power Play and could have been three wickets down the next over but David Warner dropped Markram off Khaleel Ahmed.

    The Mohali-based side were 55 for 2 at halfway mark.

    Chris Gayle shunned playing his trademark big-hitting shots but got dimissed for 14 off 17 balls off the bowling of Rashid Khan.

    Nicholas Pooran (8) followed his senior West Indian colleague to the dressing room the next over, while Markram’s promising innings ended in the 15th over while looking for big shots to accelerate the innings.

    Deepak Hooda (13) hit some lusty blows before substitute fielder J Suchith plucked the ball out of thin air in an outstanding fielding effort to dismiss the batsman.

    Punjab Kings took 14 runs from the final over bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar to end their innings at 125 for 7.

  • Punjab Kings players KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, Mayank Agarwal arrive in Dubai

    By ANI

    DUBAI: Punjab Kings players KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Mohammed Shami who were a part of the Indian squad for the Test series England landed in Dubai on Sunday for the second half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

    These three players will now undergo mandatory six-day quarantine and thereafter, the players will join the rest of the squad.

    Earlier, the Delhi Capitals players who were part of the Indian squad for the Test series against England landed in Dubai safely on Sunday for the second half of the IPL 2021. The players, including Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma, Axar Patel, Prithvi Shaw and Umesh Yadav, underwent Covid-19 tests upon arrival in Dubai.

    “The players will be serving a 6 day hard quarantine, as per IPL protocols, during which they will be tested thrice. Thereafter, the players will join the rest of the Delhi Capitals squad, who are already part of the bio-bubble,” said Delhi Capitals in its official statement.

    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed all franchises that every player coming in from the UK will have to undergo six days of hard quarantine before they can join the existing team bubbles in UAE for the resumption of the 2021 edition of the IPL.

    “The BCCI has informed us on Friday that every player coming in from UK to UAE will have to undergo six days of quarantine before they can join the team bubbles. Obviously the bubble to bubble transfer from UK to UAE no longer stands keeping in mind the current scenario,” the official said.

    With the final Test between India and England in Manchester cancelled, IPL franchises on Friday got in touch with charter companies to fly out their players from Manchester to UAE for the resumption of the cash-rich league.

    The 14th season, which was postponed in May this year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, will resume on September 19 in Dubai with a blockbuster clash between Chennai Super Kings and defending champions Mumbai Indians.

    The action will then shift to Abu Dhabi where Kolkata Knight Riders will square off against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Sharjah will host its first game on September 24 when Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Chennai Super Kings. In all, 13 matches will be held in Dubai, 10 in Sharjah, and 8 in Abu Dhabi.

    The board has come up with a 46-page health advisory that lays down all the pointers that everyone associated with the IPL needs to follow in order to ensure the smooth functioning of the league.

  • IPL 2021: Mohammed Shami’s lengths affected when he bowls in death overs, says Virender Sehwag

    By IANS
    CHENNAI: Fast bowler Mohammed Shami tends to lose his length while bowling in the death overs in T20s which makes him less effective as compared to Jasprit Bumrah, said former India batsman Virender Sehwag.

    Shami and Bumrah, often seen as spearheads of India’s pace battery, will face each other when their teams Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians face each other in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday.

    “I think that Bumrah will be the one to watch out for. He’s an experienced bowler and yorkers are generally harder for batsmen to hit and he bowls them often,” said Sehwag on Flipkart’s Power Play with Champions.

    “I think whenever Mohammed Shami bowls in the later overs of a match, it affects his yorkers and the lengths of his deliveries. Hence I feel that Bumrah will concede lesser runs in today’s game,” he further said.

    Shami has gone wicketless in his last two matches for Punjab Kings against SunRisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals respectively. He was hit to all corners of the park by Shikhar Dhawan in the match against DC and ended his spell with an economy of 13.25, having conceded a whopping 53 runs in four overs.

  • IPL 2021 SWOT analysis: Pace concerns addressed but do Punjab Kings have same depth in spin department?

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: With a new name and a stronger squad, Punjab Kings will be hoping for a change of fortunes this season after spending big money on addressing their death bowling concerns and beefing up a not-so-inspiring middle-order.

    Punjab Kings finished sixth last season but missed out on a play-off spot narrowly after bouncing back strongly with five wins on the trot.

    They lost games they should have won and if that controversial short run call did not go against them in their tournament-opener against Delhi Capitals, they would have ended up sneaking into the top-four.

    Lack of support to lead pacer Mohammed Shami and the big-hitting Glenn Maxwell not firing also hurt their chances, areas they feel they have addressed this season.

    Here is a look at the team that will open its campaign on April 12 against Rajasthan Royals in Mumbai.

    STRENGTHS:

    Punjab Kings have one of the strongest batting line-ups this season.

    They have a dangerous opening pairing in skipper KL Rahul, who won the ‘Orange Cap’ last season, and the ever-reliable Mayank Agarwal.

    Universe Boss Chris Gayle, who hammered 288 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 137.14 last year, is expected to start from game one this time after warming the bench in the initial part of the 2020 edition.

    Include flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman Nicholas Pooran to the mix and the top four seems sorted.

    They have also roped in the services of the world’s number one T20 batsman Dawid Malan, seen as Gayle’s back-up.

    After Maxwell’s expected departure, the middle-order has been strengthened with the arrival of all-rounder Moises Henriques and Tamil Nadu batsman Shahrukh Khan.

    Deepak Hooda has also proven he can strike the ball hard and is experienced enough to play the role of the finisher.

    In Fabian Allen, Punjab Kings have another overseas all-rounder option.

    The pace attack has boosted by the signing of Australian speedsters Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith, who had a sensational Big Bash campaign.

    Alongside Mohammad Shami and England’s Chris Jordan, the quartet makes for a formidable fast bowling unit.

    WEAKNESSES:

    Punjab Kings’ biggest weakness is the lack of quality spinners.

    They released off-spinner K Gowtham, who ended up becoming the most expensive buy ever at the latest auction.

    The likes of Murugan Ashwin and young Ravi Bishnoi, who impressed last season, will be expected to deliver.

    They have added Jalaj Saxena, who is a highly experienced domestic player and picked up 10 wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this year at an excellent economy rate of 6.26.

    But with no internationally successful players in the spin department, it remains the weakest link.

    The team also doesn’t have another India pacer of the caliber of Shami.

    OPPORTUNITIES:

    Punjab Kings are yet to win an IPL title.

    With most of their bases covered on paper, they seem like strong contenders this year.

    This season is the perfect opportunity for Rahul and his men to get their hands on their maiden title, having charted out a three-year plan under his leadership and coach Anil Kumble’s guidance.

    The league will also provide Rahul much-needed match practice ahead of the T20 World Cup.

    The generally calm and composed wicketkeeper-batsman looked out of sorts in the T20 series against England.

    THREATS:

    Shami, who fractured his wrist in Australia last year, has not played cricket in four months.

    With the national team’s workload management to be kept in mind in a busy year, it remains to be seen if he plays all league games.

    He had a memorable run last year with 20 wickets and the team’s success will a depend a lot on his performance.

    The Squad:

    KL Rahul (c/wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh, Prabsimran Singh, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Harpreet Brar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Darshan Nalkande, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Jhye Richardson, Shahrukh Khan, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen , Saurabh Kumar.

  • Gautam Gambhir Turns Nostalgic as Skipper Returns to Kolkata

    Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik will face a big test when a struggling KKR lock horns with a resurgent Delhi Daredevils, led by double title winning former KKR skipper Gambhir.

    After back-to-back defeats, Karthik-led KKR will be desperate for a revival, while Delhi will hope to continue their momentum after snapping a two-match losing streak in style against Mumbai Indians.

    Kolkata had made a winning start to their campaign against Royals Challenger Bangalore but successive defeats to Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the next two matches have put them in a spot of bother.

    Delhi, on the other hand, lost to Kings XI Punjab in their opener and then went down against Rajasthan Royals in a rain-hit match. But the Gambhir-led side bounced back in style against Mumbai with Jason Roy smashing an unbeaten 91 in his debut match for DD.

    DD’s Kolkata leg fixture means their Team India speedster Mohammed Shami is all set to return to his home town for the first time after his wife had accused him of infidelity and domestic abuse last month a controversy that had hogged the headlines.