News Analysis India

Tag: RCB

  • Harshal Patel and Glenn Maxwell help RCB snap three-match losing streak, beat CSK by 13 runs

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: The whistles are beginning to disappear for the good this season for Chennai Super Kings. Forget where they were before their game against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium in Pune, Chennai were still with a genuine chance of making it to the playoffs, provided they won all their remaining five matches.

    It was too much to expect from a side that has seldom appeared to click as a unit. But with the pitches beginning to get slower, thanks to the wear and tear, the conditions were getting tailor-made for Chennai to orchestrate a comeback like no other. Which is why, the 13-run defeat against Bangalore on Wednesday, was a real stinker for the defending champions.

    The pitch was there to their liking. And after winning the toss, never mind their batting unit has blown hot and cold this season, Dhoni was bold enough to ask Bangalore to bat first because he thought Chennai have the skill-set to bat first as well as chase. On such pitches, Dhoni knows how to marshal his bowling resources with spinners becoming his trump card. It is his Plan A when he leads his team out in MA Chidambaram stadium.

    With the surface in Pune resembling a lot to Chepauk, Dhoni used the spinners judiciously. Although he introduced both Maheesh Theekshana and Ravindra Jadeja in the powerplay, the only surprise was he didn’t open with one. And after Bangalore had raced to 57/0 in the powerplay, it was the spinners including Moeen Ali, who brought Chennai back into the game. Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli perished to Ali’s off-spin, while Theekshana took care of Mahipal Lomror, Wandindu Hasaranga and Shahbaz Ahmed. The trio conceded only 75 runs in the 12 overs between them and accounted for five wickets.

    On such pitches, more than what the spinners deliver, it is how the rest of the bowling unit compliments them that tends to decide the outcome. For a team that is without its strike bowler throughout the season and Dwayne Bravo, the inexperience in the pace department once again proved too costly.

    Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh, Dwaine Pretorius didn’t complete their quota of four overs, and between them conceded 93 in only eight overs as Bangalore targeted Chennai’s weak link. Be it Du Plessis and Kohli at the top or Dinesh Karthik at the death, they went after Chennai’s quicks and took Bangalore to 173/8.

    And despite Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway providing Chennai with a solid start with 54-run stand in 6.4 overs, Bangalore turned the screws through Glen Maxwell.

    The Australian accounted for the wickets of Robin Uthappa and Amabati Rayudu to break Chennai’s back in the middle. And though Conway anchored the chase, scoring his second successive fifty, the rest of the batting unit which includes Moeen, Jadeja and Dhoni failed once again as Bangalore got back to winning ways after three successive defeats.

    With the defeat, the road ahead for Chennai is nearing a dead-end. Though they are not yet completely knocked out yet, they need a lot of things to go their way to progress into the play-offs. But before all of it happens, Chennai should start winning matches.

    Brief Scores: RCB 173/8 in 20 overs (Lomror  42, Du Plessis 38; Theekshana 3/27) beat CSK 193/9 in 20 overs (Conway 56, Harshal 3/35)

  • Harshal Patel and Glenn Maxwell help RCB snap three-match losing streak, beat CSK by 13 runs

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: The whistles are beginning to disappear for the good this season for Chennai Super Kings. Forget where they were before their game against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium in Pune, Chennai were still with a genuine chance of making it to the playoffs, provided they won all their remaining five matches.

    It was too much to expect from a side that has seldom appeared to click as a unit. But with the pitches beginning to get slower, thanks to the wear and tear, the conditions were getting tailor-made for Chennai to orchestrate a comeback like no other. Which is why, the 13-run defeat against Bangalore on Wednesday, was a real stinker for the defending champions.

    The pitch was there to their liking. And after winning the toss, never mind their batting unit has blown hot and cold this season, Dhoni was bold enough to ask Bangalore to bat first because he thought Chennai have the skill-set to bat first as well as chase. On such pitches, Dhoni knows how to marshal his bowling resources with spinners becoming his trump card. It is his Plan A when he leads his team out in MA Chidambaram stadium.

    With the surface in Pune resembling a lot to Chepauk, Dhoni used the spinners judiciously. Although he introduced both Maheesh Theekshana and Ravindra Jadeja in the powerplay, the only surprise was he didn’t open with one. And after Bangalore had raced to 57/0 in the powerplay, it was the spinners including Moeen Ali, who brought Chennai back into the game. Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli perished to Ali’s off-spin, while Theekshana took care of Mahipal Lomror, Wandindu Hasaranga and Shahbaz Ahmed. The trio conceded only 75 runs in the 12 overs between them and accounted for five wickets.

    On such pitches, more than what the spinners deliver, it is how the rest of the bowling unit compliments them that tends to decide the outcome. For a team that is without its strike bowler throughout the season and Dwayne Bravo, the inexperience in the pace department once again proved too costly.

    Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh, Dwaine Pretorius didn’t complete their quota of four overs, and between them conceded 93 in only eight overs as Bangalore targeted Chennai’s weak link. Be it Du Plessis and Kohli at the top or Dinesh Karthik at the death, they went after Chennai’s quicks and took Bangalore to 173/8.

    And despite Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway providing Chennai with a solid start with 54-run stand in 6.4 overs, Bangalore turned the screws through Glen Maxwell.

    The Australian accounted for the wickets of Robin Uthappa and Amabati Rayudu to break Chennai’s back in the middle. And though Conway anchored the chase, scoring his second successive fifty, the rest of the batting unit which includes Moeen, Jadeja and Dhoni failed once again as Bangalore got back to winning ways after three successive defeats.

    With the defeat, the road ahead for Chennai is nearing a dead-end. Though they are not yet completely knocked out yet, they need a lot of things to go their way to progress into the play-offs. But before all of it happens, Chennai should start winning matches.

    Brief Scores: RCB 173/8 in 20 overs (Lomror  42, Du Plessis 38; Theekshana 3/27) beat CSK 193/9 in 20 overs (Conway 56, Harshal 3/35)

    CHENNAI: The whistles are beginning to disappear for the good this season for Chennai Super Kings. Forget where they were before their game against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium in Pune, Chennai were still with a genuine chance of making it to the playoffs, provided they won all their remaining five matches.

    It was too much to expect from a side that has seldom appeared to click as a unit. But with the pitches beginning to get slower, thanks to the wear and tear, the conditions were getting tailor-made for Chennai to orchestrate a comeback like no other. Which is why, the 13-run defeat against Bangalore on Wednesday, was a real stinker for the defending champions.

    The pitch was there to their liking. And after winning the toss, never mind their batting unit has blown hot and cold this season, Dhoni was bold enough to ask Bangalore to bat first because he thought Chennai have the skill-set to bat first as well as chase. On such pitches, Dhoni knows how to marshal his bowling resources with spinners becoming his trump card. It is his Plan A when he leads his team out in MA Chidambaram stadium.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    With the surface in Pune resembling a lot to Chepauk, Dhoni used the spinners judiciously. Although he introduced both Maheesh Theekshana and Ravindra Jadeja in the powerplay, the only surprise was he didn’t open with one. And after Bangalore had raced to 57/0 in the powerplay, it was the spinners including Moeen Ali, who brought Chennai back into the game. Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli perished to Ali’s off-spin, while Theekshana took care of Mahipal Lomror, Wandindu Hasaranga and Shahbaz Ahmed. The trio conceded only 75 runs in the 12 overs between them and accounted for five wickets.

    On such pitches, more than what the spinners deliver, it is how the rest of the bowling unit compliments them that tends to decide the outcome. For a team that is without its strike bowler throughout the season and Dwayne Bravo, the inexperience in the pace department once again proved too costly.

    Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh, Dwaine Pretorius didn’t complete their quota of four overs, and between them conceded 93 in only eight overs as Bangalore targeted Chennai’s weak link. Be it Du Plessis and Kohli at the top or Dinesh Karthik at the death, they went after Chennai’s quicks and took Bangalore to 173/8.

    And despite Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway providing Chennai with a solid start with 54-run stand in 6.4 overs, Bangalore turned the screws through Glen Maxwell.

    The Australian accounted for the wickets of Robin Uthappa and Amabati Rayudu to break Chennai’s back in the middle. And though Conway anchored the chase, scoring his second successive fifty, the rest of the batting unit which includes Moeen, Jadeja and Dhoni failed once again as Bangalore got back to winning ways after three successive defeats.

    With the defeat, the road ahead for Chennai is nearing a dead-end. Though they are not yet completely knocked out yet, they need a lot of things to go their way to progress into the play-offs. But before all of it happens, Chennai should start winning matches.

    Brief Scores: RCB 173/8 in 20 overs (Lomror  42, Du Plessis 38; Theekshana 3/27) beat CSK 193/9 in 20 overs (Conway 56, Harshal 3/35)

  • Mike Hesson feels RCB is ticking along nicely as team after victory over LSG

    By ANI

    MUMBAI: After registering an 18-run win over Lucknow Super Giants, Royal Challengers Bangalore Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson said on Tuesday that the side is ticking along nicely and will continue to strive for improvement.

    Captain Faf Du Plessis regained form to hit a quick-fire 96 off just 64 deliveries and pacer Josh Hazelwood’s spell of 4/25 helped RCB gain an 18-run win against Lucknow Super Giants at the DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday.

    “We are ticking along pretty nicely as a team. Anuj and Faf have had three fifty-run partnerships that have been important for us. We have also had to bat in challenging conditions at times when we lost the toss and struggled to get underway. Faf came really good today and took the pressure off us when we lost early wickets. We are ticking along nicely but we will continue to try striving for improvement,” said Hesson in a post-match press conference.

    Hesson said that the side was pretty fortunate to get LSG captain’s KL Rahul’s wicket, who got dismissed by Harshal Patel for 30 in the eighth over of the game.

    “I would like to say that it was a pre-planned move, but it was not. We have had difficulties getting rid of KL Rahul. We were very happy to get that dismissal. Before that, we had made enough pressure from the scoring point of view,” he added.

    On Siraj not bowling during the death overs, Hesson said that the side has the flexibility to pick and choose as per the opposition and who is doing at a particular moment in time.

    “It is the beauty of our side that we have three very good death bowlers in Siraj, Hazelwood, and Siraj. Often they cover the final five overs. Today we felt that Siraj was doing a nice job. He got us a wicket, which is important. He was able to bowl nicely to the new batter. Ideally, we do not want two bowlers bowling the final over at the back-end, but today they did it. They did an excellent job,” added the Director of Cricket Operations for RCB.

    Coming to the match, put to bat first by LSG, RCB posted 181/6 in their 20 overs, largely powered by Plessis’s brilliant 96, well supported by brief but impactful innings from Shahbaz Ahmed (26) and Maxwell (23). For LSG, solid knocks from Krunal Pandya (42), KL Rahul (30), and Marcus Stoinis (24) kept the scoreboard ticking and hopes alive amid the consistent falling of wickets, but Hazelwood had the last laugh with his 4/25, who with Harshal Patel (2/47) ensured that the Giants fell 18-runs short of their fifth run in the tournament.

    RCB are at the second spot in the points table with 10 points and will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 23. On the other hand, LSG is at the fourth spot in the table and will take on Mumbai Indians on April 24.

  • Mike Hesson feels RCB is ticking along nicely as team after victory over LSG

    By ANI

    MUMBAI: After registering an 18-run win over Lucknow Super Giants, Royal Challengers Bangalore Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson said on Tuesday that the side is ticking along nicely and will continue to strive for improvement.

    Captain Faf Du Plessis regained form to hit a quick-fire 96 off just 64 deliveries and pacer Josh Hazelwood’s spell of 4/25 helped RCB gain an 18-run win against Lucknow Super Giants at the DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday.

    “We are ticking along pretty nicely as a team. Anuj and Faf have had three fifty-run partnerships that have been important for us. We have also had to bat in challenging conditions at times when we lost the toss and struggled to get underway. Faf came really good today and took the pressure off us when we lost early wickets. We are ticking along nicely but we will continue to try striving for improvement,” said Hesson in a post-match press conference.

    Hesson said that the side was pretty fortunate to get LSG captain’s KL Rahul’s wicket, who got dismissed by Harshal Patel for 30 in the eighth over of the game.

    “I would like to say that it was a pre-planned move, but it was not. We have had difficulties getting rid of KL Rahul. We were very happy to get that dismissal. Before that, we had made enough pressure from the scoring point of view,” he added.

    On Siraj not bowling during the death overs, Hesson said that the side has the flexibility to pick and choose as per the opposition and who is doing at a particular moment in time.

    “It is the beauty of our side that we have three very good death bowlers in Siraj, Hazelwood, and Siraj. Often they cover the final five overs. Today we felt that Siraj was doing a nice job. He got us a wicket, which is important. He was able to bowl nicely to the new batter. Ideally, we do not want two bowlers bowling the final over at the back-end, but today they did it. They did an excellent job,” added the Director of Cricket Operations for RCB.

    Coming to the match, put to bat first by LSG, RCB posted 181/6 in their 20 overs, largely powered by Plessis’s brilliant 96, well supported by brief but impactful innings from Shahbaz Ahmed (26) and Maxwell (23). For LSG, solid knocks from Krunal Pandya (42), KL Rahul (30), and Marcus Stoinis (24) kept the scoreboard ticking and hopes alive amid the consistent falling of wickets, but Hazelwood had the last laugh with his 4/25, who with Harshal Patel (2/47) ensured that the Giants fell 18-runs short of their fifth run in the tournament.

    RCB are at the second spot in the points table with 10 points and will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 23. On the other hand, LSG is at the fourth spot in the table and will take on Mumbai Indians on April 24.

    MUMBAI: After registering an 18-run win over Lucknow Super Giants, Royal Challengers Bangalore Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson said on Tuesday that the side is ticking along nicely and will continue to strive for improvement.

    Captain Faf Du Plessis regained form to hit a quick-fire 96 off just 64 deliveries and pacer Josh Hazelwood’s spell of 4/25 helped RCB gain an 18-run win against Lucknow Super Giants at the DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday.

    “We are ticking along pretty nicely as a team. Anuj and Faf have had three fifty-run partnerships that have been important for us. We have also had to bat in challenging conditions at times when we lost the toss and struggled to get underway. Faf came really good today and took the pressure off us when we lost early wickets. We are ticking along nicely but we will continue to try striving for improvement,” said Hesson in a post-match press conference.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Hesson said that the side was pretty fortunate to get LSG captain’s KL Rahul’s wicket, who got dismissed by Harshal Patel for 30 in the eighth over of the game.

    “I would like to say that it was a pre-planned move, but it was not. We have had difficulties getting rid of KL Rahul. We were very happy to get that dismissal. Before that, we had made enough pressure from the scoring point of view,” he added.

    On Siraj not bowling during the death overs, Hesson said that the side has the flexibility to pick and choose as per the opposition and who is doing at a particular moment in time.

    “It is the beauty of our side that we have three very good death bowlers in Siraj, Hazelwood, and Siraj. Often they cover the final five overs. Today we felt that Siraj was doing a nice job. He got us a wicket, which is important. He was able to bowl nicely to the new batter. Ideally, we do not want two bowlers bowling the final over at the back-end, but today they did it. They did an excellent job,” added the Director of Cricket Operations for RCB.

    Coming to the match, put to bat first by LSG, RCB posted 181/6 in their 20 overs, largely powered by Plessis’s brilliant 96, well supported by brief but impactful innings from Shahbaz Ahmed (26) and Maxwell (23). For LSG, solid knocks from Krunal Pandya (42), KL Rahul (30), and Marcus Stoinis (24) kept the scoreboard ticking and hopes alive amid the consistent falling of wickets, but Hazelwood had the last laugh with his 4/25, who with Harshal Patel (2/47) ensured that the Giants fell 18-runs short of their fifth run in the tournament.

    RCB are at the second spot in the points table with 10 points and will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 23. On the other hand, LSG is at the fourth spot in the table and will take on Mumbai Indians on April 24.

  • Will Dinesh Karthik’s RCB showing revive his India T20 World Cup dreams?

    By IANS

    NAVI MUMBAI: Dinesh Karthik’s role as a finisher for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) could pitchfork the 36-year-old wicketkeeper-batter into India reckoning as the team under Rohit Sharma looks to rebuild for the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.

    Former England captain Nick Knight said as much when he commented that he sees in Karthik a cricketer who can perform the job of a finisher in this year’s T20 World Cup if he continues to finish matches for his Bengaluru franchise in IPL 2022.

    In IPL 2022, Karthik has been a critical finisher for RCB, making 131 runs and averaging the same number with a strike-rate of 218.33, especially in matches against Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals.

    Though Bangalore fell short of the chase by 23 runs against Chennai Super Kings at the DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday, they were still in reckoning to hunt down 217 despite losing eight wickets, thanks to Dinesh Karthik’s quick-fire 34 off 14 balls, laced with two fours and three sixes at a strike-rate of 242.86.

    But his dismissal in the 18th over off Dwayne Bravo effectively sealed the fate of the match for Chennai. Karthik, who has made many comebacks to the Indian side since his debut in 2004, last played international cricket during the 2019 Men’s Cricket World Cup and has been out of the set-up post India’s exit from the semifinals of the mega event.

    “DK is a fantastic fella. He did work with us during the English summer (India’s Tour of England in 2021). As someone who knows him, I’m really feasting and enjoying on what he is doing. The one thing we came across when he met him was how much he loves the game. I think he is 36 and he’s not thinking about retirement. He is absolutely loving every minute. If he can keep finishing games like this, there might be a role for him at the World T20,” Knight was quoted as saying by cricket.com.

    Knight feels if CSK had got a low score, many wouldn’t have talked about the bowling performance of Sri Lanka off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana. Picked by Rs 70 lakh in the IPL Mega Auction in February this year, Theekshana finally got his moment to shine in IPL 2022 by picking 4/33 in his four overs.

    Theekshana proved to be a vital factor in derailing Bangalore’s chase of 217 by taking out openers Faf du Plessis and Anuj Rawat in power-play. He then came back in the later stages to dismiss Shahbaz Ahmed and Suyash Prabhudessai to keep Chennai on course for a 23-run win.

    “It was a fantastic night for him. If CSK were blown away for 130, 140 or may be 150, we won’t be talking about Theekshana. Nothing to take away from the spinners, but the dismissals mystery spinners get is when the batsmen are coming at you, under pressure.”

    “Last game he bowled four overs with no wickets and he didn’t bowl any good or any worse today. When you don’t have runs on the board, it’s not so straight forward for these guys. It’s the same with Jadeja. It’s the game situation that brings spinners in a bit more,” observed Knight, a former left-handed batter.

    Theekshana’s early strikes along with left-arm pacer Mukesh Choudhary and captain Ravindra Jadeja taking out Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell respectively meant Bangalore never had the strong foundation to chase 217 successfully, something which Knight firmly believed in.

    “On a surface like today (Tuesday), I thought the conditions were even. The powerplay was crucial and one of your top four has to set that up (chasing 200 plus) and guys in the middle can pick that up. That was the problem for RCB.”

  • Will Dinesh Karthik’s RCB showing revive his India T20 World Cup dreams?

    By IANS

    NAVI MUMBAI: Dinesh Karthik’s role as a finisher for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) could pitchfork the 36-year-old wicketkeeper-batter into India reckoning as the team under Rohit Sharma looks to rebuild for the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.

    Former England captain Nick Knight said as much when he commented that he sees in Karthik a cricketer who can perform the job of a finisher in this year’s T20 World Cup if he continues to finish matches for his Bengaluru franchise in IPL 2022.

    In IPL 2022, Karthik has been a critical finisher for RCB, making 131 runs and averaging the same number with a strike-rate of 218.33, especially in matches against Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals.

    Though Bangalore fell short of the chase by 23 runs against Chennai Super Kings at the DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday, they were still in reckoning to hunt down 217 despite losing eight wickets, thanks to Dinesh Karthik’s quick-fire 34 off 14 balls, laced with two fours and three sixes at a strike-rate of 242.86.

    But his dismissal in the 18th over off Dwayne Bravo effectively sealed the fate of the match for Chennai. Karthik, who has made many comebacks to the Indian side since his debut in 2004, last played international cricket during the 2019 Men’s Cricket World Cup and has been out of the set-up post India’s exit from the semifinals of the mega event.

    “DK is a fantastic fella. He did work with us during the English summer (India’s Tour of England in 2021). As someone who knows him, I’m really feasting and enjoying on what he is doing. The one thing we came across when he met him was how much he loves the game. I think he is 36 and he’s not thinking about retirement. He is absolutely loving every minute. If he can keep finishing games like this, there might be a role for him at the World T20,” Knight was quoted as saying by cricket.com.

    Knight feels if CSK had got a low score, many wouldn’t have talked about the bowling performance of Sri Lanka off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana. Picked by Rs 70 lakh in the IPL Mega Auction in February this year, Theekshana finally got his moment to shine in IPL 2022 by picking 4/33 in his four overs.

    Theekshana proved to be a vital factor in derailing Bangalore’s chase of 217 by taking out openers Faf du Plessis and Anuj Rawat in power-play. He then came back in the later stages to dismiss Shahbaz Ahmed and Suyash Prabhudessai to keep Chennai on course for a 23-run win.

    “It was a fantastic night for him. If CSK were blown away for 130, 140 or may be 150, we won’t be talking about Theekshana. Nothing to take away from the spinners, but the dismissals mystery spinners get is when the batsmen are coming at you, under pressure.”

    “Last game he bowled four overs with no wickets and he didn’t bowl any good or any worse today. When you don’t have runs on the board, it’s not so straight forward for these guys. It’s the same with Jadeja. It’s the game situation that brings spinners in a bit more,” observed Knight, a former left-handed batter.

    Theekshana’s early strikes along with left-arm pacer Mukesh Choudhary and captain Ravindra Jadeja taking out Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell respectively meant Bangalore never had the strong foundation to chase 217 successfully, something which Knight firmly believed in.

    “On a surface like today (Tuesday), I thought the conditions were even. The powerplay was crucial and one of your top four has to set that up (chasing 200 plus) and guys in the middle can pick that up. That was the problem for RCB.”

    NAVI MUMBAI: Dinesh Karthik’s role as a finisher for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) could pitchfork the 36-year-old wicketkeeper-batter into India reckoning as the team under Rohit Sharma looks to rebuild for the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.

    Former England captain Nick Knight said as much when he commented that he sees in Karthik a cricketer who can perform the job of a finisher in this year’s T20 World Cup if he continues to finish matches for his Bengaluru franchise in IPL 2022.

    In IPL 2022, Karthik has been a critical finisher for RCB, making 131 runs and averaging the same number with a strike-rate of 218.33, especially in matches against Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Though Bangalore fell short of the chase by 23 runs against Chennai Super Kings at the DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday, they were still in reckoning to hunt down 217 despite losing eight wickets, thanks to Dinesh Karthik’s quick-fire 34 off 14 balls, laced with two fours and three sixes at a strike-rate of 242.86.

    But his dismissal in the 18th over off Dwayne Bravo effectively sealed the fate of the match for Chennai. Karthik, who has made many comebacks to the Indian side since his debut in 2004, last played international cricket during the 2019 Men’s Cricket World Cup and has been out of the set-up post India’s exit from the semifinals of the mega event.

    “DK is a fantastic fella. He did work with us during the English summer (India’s Tour of England in 2021). As someone who knows him, I’m really feasting and enjoying on what he is doing. The one thing we came across when he met him was how much he loves the game. I think he is 36 and he’s not thinking about retirement. He is absolutely loving every minute. If he can keep finishing games like this, there might be a role for him at the World T20,” Knight was quoted as saying by cricket.com.

    Knight feels if CSK had got a low score, many wouldn’t have talked about the bowling performance of Sri Lanka off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana. Picked by Rs 70 lakh in the IPL Mega Auction in February this year, Theekshana finally got his moment to shine in IPL 2022 by picking 4/33 in his four overs.

    Theekshana proved to be a vital factor in derailing Bangalore’s chase of 217 by taking out openers Faf du Plessis and Anuj Rawat in power-play. He then came back in the later stages to dismiss Shahbaz Ahmed and Suyash Prabhudessai to keep Chennai on course for a 23-run win.

    “It was a fantastic night for him. If CSK were blown away for 130, 140 or may be 150, we won’t be talking about Theekshana. Nothing to take away from the spinners, but the dismissals mystery spinners get is when the batsmen are coming at you, under pressure.”

    “Last game he bowled four overs with no wickets and he didn’t bowl any good or any worse today. When you don’t have runs on the board, it’s not so straight forward for these guys. It’s the same with Jadeja. It’s the game situation that brings spinners in a bit more,” observed Knight, a former left-handed batter.

    Theekshana’s early strikes along with left-arm pacer Mukesh Choudhary and captain Ravindra Jadeja taking out Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell respectively meant Bangalore never had the strong foundation to chase 217 successfully, something which Knight firmly believed in.

    “On a surface like today (Tuesday), I thought the conditions were even. The powerplay was crucial and one of your top four has to set that up (chasing 200 plus) and guys in the middle can pick that up. That was the problem for RCB.”

  • How the absence of Harshal Patel rocked RCB’s boat in ‘Southern Derby’

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: Calling right-arm pace bowler Harshal Patel an integral part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) setup would be an understatement, given the kind of solidity he brings to the bowling line-up.

    The 31-year-old’s absence from the Faf du Plessis-led side on Tuesday due to bereavement in his family was one of the key reasons for RCB conceding 216 runs to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the ‘Southern Derby’ and then losing the high-scoring match by 23 runs.

    Du Plessis was at his wits’ end trying to explain how a star-studded side, which was on a three-match winning streak, went down to a team that had been searching for a winning formula in IPL 2022.

    The former South African skipper attributed the defeat to the absence of Patel, who had to leave the IPL bio-bubble after getting the news of his sister’s demise.

    “You see the value of Harshal (Patel), and what he offers. He has the ability to stop the game. We missed that (against CSK); we had a similar tone to the bowling. We lacked the variety we needed in our attack. Hopefully we can have him soon again,” said du Plessis.

    De Plessis said that bowlers started well but then the onslaught of Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa took the game beyond RCB’s reach. Dube slammed an unbeaten 95, while Uthappa scored 88, and together they sewed together a stand of 165 runs to put the match beyond RCB’s reach.

    “First 7-8 overs were pretty good, then there was a period from 8-14 where (Shivam) Dube took the spinners on. That period, whatever we tried didn’t work. In order to chase down such a big score, you need one of the first four to set the foundation. We didn’t have that. CSK used their spinners well on a pitch that had some grip. The way we came back was credit to the depth,” said du Plessis.

    It was an off day in office for the RCB bowlers as they failed to find their stride. Despite Australian pace bowler Josh Hazlewood’s decent figures and Wanindu Hasaranga’s late brace, the CSK had enough on the board already.

    Speaking about debutant Suyash Prabhudessai, who scored 34 off 18 in the chase, du Plessis said, “Impressed with the way Prabhudessai played the way he did on debut,”.

    RCB will be up against the Delhi Capitals in their next game on April 16.

  • How the absence of Harshal Patel rocked RCB’s boat in ‘Southern Derby’

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: Calling right-arm pace bowler Harshal Patel an integral part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) setup would be an understatement, given the kind of solidity he brings to the bowling line-up.

    The 31-year-old’s absence from the Faf du Plessis-led side on Tuesday due to bereavement in his family was one of the key reasons for RCB conceding 216 runs to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the ‘Southern Derby’ and then losing the high-scoring match by 23 runs.

    Du Plessis was at his wits’ end trying to explain how a star-studded side, which was on a three-match winning streak, went down to a team that had been searching for a winning formula in IPL 2022.

    The former South African skipper attributed the defeat to the absence of Patel, who had to leave the IPL bio-bubble after getting the news of his sister’s demise.

    “You see the value of Harshal (Patel), and what he offers. He has the ability to stop the game. We missed that (against CSK); we had a similar tone to the bowling. We lacked the variety we needed in our attack. Hopefully we can have him soon again,” said du Plessis.

    De Plessis said that bowlers started well but then the onslaught of Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa took the game beyond RCB’s reach. Dube slammed an unbeaten 95, while Uthappa scored 88, and together they sewed together a stand of 165 runs to put the match beyond RCB’s reach.

    “First 7-8 overs were pretty good, then there was a period from 8-14 where (Shivam) Dube took the spinners on. That period, whatever we tried didn’t work. In order to chase down such a big score, you need one of the first four to set the foundation. We didn’t have that. CSK used their spinners well on a pitch that had some grip. The way we came back was credit to the depth,” said du Plessis.

    It was an off day in office for the RCB bowlers as they failed to find their stride. Despite Australian pace bowler Josh Hazlewood’s decent figures and Wanindu Hasaranga’s late brace, the CSK had enough on the board already.

    Speaking about debutant Suyash Prabhudessai, who scored 34 off 18 in the chase, du Plessis said, “Impressed with the way Prabhudessai played the way he did on debut,”.

    RCB will be up against the Delhi Capitals in their next game on April 16.

    MUMBAI: Calling right-arm pace bowler Harshal Patel an integral part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) setup would be an understatement, given the kind of solidity he brings to the bowling line-up.

    The 31-year-old’s absence from the Faf du Plessis-led side on Tuesday due to bereavement in his family was one of the key reasons for RCB conceding 216 runs to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the ‘Southern Derby’ and then losing the high-scoring match by 23 runs.

    Du Plessis was at his wits’ end trying to explain how a star-studded side, which was on a three-match winning streak, went down to a team that had been searching for a winning formula in IPL 2022.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The former South African skipper attributed the defeat to the absence of Patel, who had to leave the IPL bio-bubble after getting the news of his sister’s demise.

    “You see the value of Harshal (Patel), and what he offers. He has the ability to stop the game. We missed that (against CSK); we had a similar tone to the bowling. We lacked the variety we needed in our attack. Hopefully we can have him soon again,” said du Plessis.

    De Plessis said that bowlers started well but then the onslaught of Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa took the game beyond RCB’s reach. Dube slammed an unbeaten 95, while Uthappa scored 88, and together they sewed together a stand of 165 runs to put the match beyond RCB’s reach.

    “First 7-8 overs were pretty good, then there was a period from 8-14 where (Shivam) Dube took the spinners on. That period, whatever we tried didn’t work. In order to chase down such a big score, you need one of the first four to set the foundation. We didn’t have that. CSK used their spinners well on a pitch that had some grip. The way we came back was credit to the depth,” said du Plessis.

    It was an off day in office for the RCB bowlers as they failed to find their stride. Despite Australian pace bowler Josh Hazlewood’s decent figures and Wanindu Hasaranga’s late brace, the CSK had enough on the board already.

    Speaking about debutant Suyash Prabhudessai, who scored 34 off 18 in the chase, du Plessis said, “Impressed with the way Prabhudessai played the way he did on debut,”.

    RCB will be up against the Delhi Capitals in their next game on April 16.

  • RCB batter Virat Kohli interacts with CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad after thrilling IPL 2022 clash

    By ANI

    NAVI MUMBAI: Cricket fans on Tuesday witnessed a heartfelt moment when Royal Challengers Bangalore batter Virat Kohli, interacted with Chennai Super Kings opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, after the IPL 2022 clash, here at Dr DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai.

    CSK opener Gaikwad, who was the Orange Cap holder in IPL 2021, with a total of 635 runs, has not been in a promising form this year. In 5 matches of IPL 2022, Gaikwad has been able to concede only 35 runs.

    After the match ended in CSK’s favour, as they registered their first win of IPL 2022, Kohli was interacting with and motivating Gaikwad. The moment soon garnered a lot of praise on social media, as everyone was left flattered by Kohli’s gesture.

    Coming to the match, brilliant knocks by Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa were backed by courageous bowling performance as Chennai Super Kings completed a comfortable 23 runs victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in their IPL 2022 match on Tuesday.

    Robin Uthappa played his IPL career-best inning of 88 while Shivam Dube smashed a thrilling 95* as the pair stitched a mammoth partnership of 165 runs to help CSK reach the highest total of the IPL 2022 — 216/4. Among bowlers, Maheesh Theekshana was the star for CSK as he scalped four wickets while their skipper Ravindra Jadeja took three to completely dismantle the chase of RCB.

    This is CSK’s first win after five matches in the IPL 2022 while for RCB this is their only second defeat.

  • RCB batter Virat Kohli interacts with CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad after thrilling IPL 2022 clash

    By ANI

    NAVI MUMBAI: Cricket fans on Tuesday witnessed a heartfelt moment when Royal Challengers Bangalore batter Virat Kohli, interacted with Chennai Super Kings opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, after the IPL 2022 clash, here at Dr DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai.

    CSK opener Gaikwad, who was the Orange Cap holder in IPL 2021, with a total of 635 runs, has not been in a promising form this year. In 5 matches of IPL 2022, Gaikwad has been able to concede only 35 runs.

    After the match ended in CSK’s favour, as they registered their first win of IPL 2022, Kohli was interacting with and motivating Gaikwad. The moment soon garnered a lot of praise on social media, as everyone was left flattered by Kohli’s gesture.

    Coming to the match, brilliant knocks by Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa were backed by courageous bowling performance as Chennai Super Kings completed a comfortable 23 runs victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in their IPL 2022 match on Tuesday.

    Robin Uthappa played his IPL career-best inning of 88 while Shivam Dube smashed a thrilling 95* as the pair stitched a mammoth partnership of 165 runs to help CSK reach the highest total of the IPL 2022 — 216/4. Among bowlers, Maheesh Theekshana was the star for CSK as he scalped four wickets while their skipper Ravindra Jadeja took three to completely dismantle the chase of RCB.

    This is CSK’s first win after five matches in the IPL 2022 while for RCB this is their only second defeat.

    NAVI MUMBAI: Cricket fans on Tuesday witnessed a heartfelt moment when Royal Challengers Bangalore batter Virat Kohli, interacted with Chennai Super Kings opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, after the IPL 2022 clash, here at Dr DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai.

    CSK opener Gaikwad, who was the Orange Cap holder in IPL 2021, with a total of 635 runs, has not been in a promising form this year. In 5 matches of IPL 2022, Gaikwad has been able to concede only 35 runs.

    After the match ended in CSK’s favour, as they registered their first win of IPL 2022, Kohli was interacting with and motivating Gaikwad. The moment soon garnered a lot of praise on social media, as everyone was left flattered by Kohli’s gesture.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Coming to the match, brilliant knocks by Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa were backed by courageous bowling performance as Chennai Super Kings completed a comfortable 23 runs victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in their IPL 2022 match on Tuesday.

    Robin Uthappa played his IPL career-best inning of 88 while Shivam Dube smashed a thrilling 95* as the pair stitched a mammoth partnership of 165 runs to help CSK reach the highest total of the IPL 2022 — 216/4. Among bowlers, Maheesh Theekshana was the star for CSK as he scalped four wickets while their skipper Ravindra Jadeja took three to completely dismantle the chase of RCB.

    This is CSK’s first win after five matches in the IPL 2022 while for RCB this is their only second defeat.