Tag: cricket news

13Apr By source belowNo Comments

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IPL 2025: Effortless, exquisite and effective – the story of Abhishek Sharma’s monstrous 141

That the 24-year-old wasn’t averse to breaking out of his comfort zone despite coming into this game after a bout of fever only made it better. | Photo Credit: K.V.S. Giri/The Hindu When a prized racehorse drops back to an uneasily common canter, discomfort reverberates through the stable. Abhishek Sharma’s sluggish start in the ongoing season of the IPL wasn’t too different. With just 51 runs from his first five games, Abhishek’s stutters scarily derailed the ‘Travishek’ juggernaut and, by extension, poked holes in the aura of invincibility around SRH in the PowerPlay. Naturally, when the day came for Abhishek to hit back, he did so with a ruthless calmness, barging into the record books along the way. Wit...

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13Apr By source belowNo Comments

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DC vs MI Toss LIVE Update, IPL 2025: Will coin flip favour Axar Patel’s Delhi or Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai today?

DC vs MI Toss Live Update IPl 2025:  Delhi Capitals will host Mumbai Indians in their first home game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday evening. With the Delhi venue aiding high-scoring games over the last few years, both sides will be aiming to go out all guns blazing, with the toss not playing as major a factor as it can at other venues. DC vs MI LIVE Toss Update IPl 2025 match at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi Toss: To be held at 7 PM IST. Story continues below this ad DC in Delhi in IPL 2024 Delhi Capitals nearly took the toss out of the equation at the Kotla last year when they won all four games where they lost the toss. Furthermore, all the wins came defending targets with their only defeat in Delhi coming in a chase after losing the toss. Toss won at ho...

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11Apr By source belowNo Comments

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Can a derailed SRH put things back on track?

A common thread between Adam Gilchrist and David Warner, apart from being Australians, is they have captained a Hyderabad-based franchise to IPL title in their second season. Another Australian, Pat Cummins, is also in his second season as Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper. It had all looked promising at the start—the hyper-aggressive brand of batting, and the reinforcements in the auction, all pointed towards another excellent season. But last Sunday, against Gujarat Titans, the stands were half-empty with still quite a bit of game remaining. That was SRH’s fourth consecutive loss in a row. The ballistic Travishek combo, which was the key behind SRH winning most of their games last season, is yet to fire this season. Nitish Kumar Reddy after his promising last season and heroics in Australia in...

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11Apr By source belowNo Comments

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How KL Rahul’s splendid 93 not out steered DC to second spot in IPL table

KL Rahul returns to his home ground in Bengaluru in sensational style, smashing an unbeaten 53-ball 93 to dig his side out of a hole.Starting from Smriti Mandhana and Co in the Women’s Premier League, to two matches into the Indian Premier League season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru haven’t yet won a match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. After a former player in Mohammed Siraj ran through them in the previous fixture when Gujarat Titans won, it was another one of their own in KL Rahul on Thursday as Delhi Capitals won their fourth straight game, chasing down 164 in 17.5 overs. The result meant that DC continued their perfect start to the season with four wins in four, while RCB lose both their first two matches at home. KL Rahul masterclass After he hit the winning six, KL Rahul took his helm...

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10Apr By source belowNo Comments

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‘Felt strange being on other side against RR but I was even more desperate for win’: Jos Buttler

Gujarat Titans’ Jos Buttler who plied his trade for the Rajasthan Royals since the 2018 season before getting released by the franchise before the 2025 IPL mega auctions, said it felt strange to be on the opposite side to the Royals but it made him even more desperate to win the match on Wednesday. “It did feel a bit strange being on the other side against Rajasthan Royals. But to be honest, I was even more desperate for the win today. I think it was an excellent team performance. I’m really enjoying the new challenge. I’ve been batting at No. 3 for England recently, so it’s not unfamiliar. It helps that I’m coming in behind two fantastic openers who usually lay a strong platform. If there’s any swing, they deal with it, and I get to walk in once the ball stops moving, which is quite nice,...

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10Apr By source belowNo Comments

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‘Frustrating and disappointing’: Shadab Khan on allegations of being favoured by father-in-law Saqlain Mushtaq

Pakistan allrounder Shadab Khan said that he was frustrated with repeated allegations thrown around about him being favoured due to his father-in-law Saqlain Mushtaq’s influence. Saqlain, who is one of the five mentors appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last year, was also the head coach of the national team at one point and works at the National Cricket Academy. “It is frustrating and disappointing to hear such things because my career is nearly seven years long. I have given some good performances since debuting for Pakistan. Yes I am learning a lot from Saqlain Mushtaq because of his strong cricket coaching background. But it does not mean he is doing me favours,” Shadab told the media in Rawalpindi. “It hurts when the connection with Saqlain Mushtaq is repeatedly brought up....

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10Apr By source belowNo Comments

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‘England is the only way forward’: Harry Brook to skip all T20 franchise leagues after being named white-ball captain

Only days after he was named as the successor to Jos Buttler as England men’s white-ball cricket captain, Harry Brook has vowed that he will skip from all franchise league commitments for the near future. Brook, who was signed up by the Delhi Capitals for the IPL 2025 season at Rs 6.25 Crore in the mega auction last November, pulled out of the T20 extravaganza following England’s Champions Trophy exit. Brook, who had also pulled out of last year’s IPL due to the passing of his grandmother, said he wanted to focus on his upcoming international commitments with England. The new BCCI rule also meant that Brook is banned from entering the IPL until 2027. “England is the way forward for me and franchise cricket can almost take a step back for a little while,” Brook told the BBC. Story con...

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9Apr By source belowNo Comments

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Kerala cricket team to face Oman national side in five One-Day games, Azharuddeen named captain

After a fruitful 2024-25 domestic season where they featured in their maiden Ranji Trophy final, the Kerala cricket team will begin their preparatory leg for the forthcoming season with an overseas tour to Oman to take on the ICC-ranked national team. The Kerala Cricket Association on Wednesday announced a 16-member side that will feature in the practice matches in Oman. The team will take on the national team in five 50-over matches. In the absence of Sanju Samson and Sachin Baby due to their IPL commitments with the Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad, respectively, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammed Azharuddeen was named the skipper of the Kerala team after his prolific Ranji Trophy season. Ranji Trophy performers Salman Nizar, Nidheesh MD, Basil NP, Ahmed Imran and Eden Apple Tom were a...

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8Apr By source belowNo Comments

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PBKS vs CSK Toss LIVE Updates, IPL 2025: Will coin flip favour Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab or Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Chennai today?

PBKS vs CSK Toss LIVE Updates, IPL 2025: After suffering a blip at home in their first outing at the Mullanpur Stadium, Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings will aim to bounce back when they meet an under-fire Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday evening. PBKS were outgunned by Rajasthan Royals who recently set the highest score at the venue, scaling the 200-run mark for the first time. The toss could thus play a crucial factor at a venue not known for staggeringly high scores. Mullanpur can test the power-hitting capabilities of both sides tonight with CSK particularly found wanting in that aspect this season. PBKS vs CSK Toss updates, IPL 2025 match at Mullanpur Stadium Here’s how the Toss played its part last year for PBKS at the Mullanpur Stadium: Story continues below this ad PBKS a...

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7Apr By source belowNo Comments

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‘It’s a real honour’: Harry Brook named England white ball captain

Harry Brook, who recently pulled out of the 2025 Indian Premier League to concentrate on his country’s matches, was on Monday appointed England’s white-ball captain, replacing Jos Buttler, who had stepped down after the Three Lions’ disastrous Champions Trophy campaign. The 26-year-old made his debut in 2022 and has been a key part of England’s white-ball set-up since, spending the past year as the vice-captain in both ODIs and T20Is. He also led England in the ODI series against Australia last September in Buttler’s absence. “It’s a real honour to be named England’s white-ball captain. Ever since I was a kid playing cricket at Burley in Wharfedale, I dreamed of representing Yorkshire, playing for England, and maybe one day leading the team. To now be given that chance means a great deal ...

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3Apr By source belowNo Comments

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KKR vs SRH Toss updates, IPL 2025: Will coin flip favour Ajinkya Rahane’s Kolkata or Pat Cummins’ Hyderabad at Eden Gardens today?

KKR vs SRH Toss updates, IPL 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders will play Sunrisers Hyderabad in their second home game at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata this season on Thursday evening. While the two teams dominated the league with the bat en route to the final last season, teams have caught up with their scoring rates quite early on this time. With partly brittle batting orders being susceptible to total collapses, KKR and SRH have had slightly shaky starts to their campaign, even as their tenacity cannot be questioned. IPL 2025, KKR vs SRH LIVE Cricket Score Online: Watch Here Kolkata have historically dominated Sunrisers throughout the years, winning twice as many matches as the Orange Army across 28 IPL meetings.  The theme is no different at the Eden Gardens either, with KKR leading the head-t...

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1Apr By source belowNo Comments

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IPL 2025: Punjab Kings show swagger with all-round display against lacklustre Lucknow Super Giants

Punjab Kings bowlers get regular wickets on the red-soil pitch before Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer and Nehal Wadhera muscle through the chase for a routine eight-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants.After a lot of talk about the tournament being loaded in favour of the batsmen, Punjab Kings bowlers capitalised on the red-soil pitch at the Ekana Stadium, which had a reasonable amount of grass cover and offered something for the bowlers. With an easy subsequent chase, Shreyas Iyer’s side stormed to an eight-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday. Wickets at the right time The varied strengths of Punjab’s bowling line-up, and skipper Iyer’s utilisation of the resources at his disposal, allowed his team to take crucial wickets at the right time, choking the home team’s line-up ...

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1Apr By source belowNo Comments

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Stokes “working butt off” to regain fitness: Durham coach Campbell

England Test captain Ben Stokes might miss the next few rounds of the county season, but according to his county coach Ryan Campbell, the rehabbing Stokes is “working is butt off” to regain his optimal fitness for the busy Test season, which includes a five-Test series at home against India and the Ashes tour to Australia. Stokes tore his hamstring, for the second time in five months, just before Christmas in New Zealand. But he has returned to England to join his Durham teammates in the pre-season. Campbell elaborated on his preparations: “What we know about Stokesy is that he’s here nearly every single day working his butt off. The guy had hamstring surgery and was, the next day, lifting weights, which I couldn’t believe. He sets the bar, wherever he is.” He was spotted doing sprints at ...

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31Mar By source belowNo Comments

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‘It looked like he had that zip and late swing’: Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya lauds debutant Ashwani Kumar’s match-winning performance vs KKR

Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya lavished praise on debutant Ashwani Kumar for his 4-wicket haul against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede on Monday. Pandya revealed that he decided to go with Ashwani after witnessing him in action in a practice game where he had zip and late swing, adding that he thought the 23-year-old had a pretty different action. “This wicket just offered a bit more and we thought Ashwani can come in and bowl the way he bowled. First of all, it’s all because of the scouts. All MI scouts have gone all the places and picked these young kids. We played a practice game and it looked like he had that zip and late swing, had a different action and plus he is a leftie. The way he took that wicket of Russell was a very crucial wicket,” Hardik said ...

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31Mar By source belowNo Comments

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‘It was an incredible knock of the highest standard’: Kane Williamson lauds Nitish Rana for 81-run innings vs Chennai Super Kings

New Zealand batter Kane Williamson lauded Nitish Rana’s batting in the Sunday’s match against Chennai Super Kings, calling it a knock of the highest standard. The former Kiwi skipper also praised the fielding of Rajasthan Royals, saying that it was big factor in the Royals’ 6-run win over the 5-time champions CSK. “Nitish is an excellent player of spin, but he got his innings started against the seam, using the pace well. He accessed the areas behind square nicely and perhaps came in at No. 3 due to the left-hand, right-hand combination. It was an incredible knock of the highest standard, and I think that’s key for him moving forward in this tournament,” Williamson said. “Rajasthan Royals have several other talented batters, but today, Nitish was the match-winner. That said, in a game like...

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31Mar By source belowNo Comments

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Rajasthan Royals ring more alarm bells for Chennai Super Kings

A romantic ending glimmered in the Guwahati skies. The probability of MS Dhoni turning the clock back and finishing the game with vintage swagger lurked. Needing 20 off the final over, Dhoni in pugnacious mood with 16 from 10 balls, nervous excitement soaked the stadium and the minds of the audience. But in pure anticlimax, he perished in the first legal ball of the over. Despite the strikes of Jamie Overton, Chennai Super Kings fell six runs short of Rajasthan Royals’ score of 182, thus handing out their opponents the first win of the season. Hangman Hasaranga Wanindu Hararanga exudes a monkish calm in the direst of situations. Where lesser-willed men sense danger, he sniffs an opportunity; when the tide seems to turn against him, he merely decides to change the course of the current hims...

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30Mar By source belowNo Comments

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Prasidh Krishna, Sai Sudharsan sparkle as Gujarat Titans roll over Mumbai Indians on black-soil Ahmedabad pitch

Gujarat Titans’ choice to pick a blacksoil sluggish track for the game paid off as Mumbai Indians couldn’t adapt, and lost steam in the chase.Gujarat Titans’ assistant coach Parthiv Patel mentioned during the first innings that it was a deliberate choice from his team to choose a black-soil pitch in Ahmedabad that is on the slower side where the ball can stop a touch as Mumbai Indians, he felt, were more used to red-soil tracks. With the ball not coming on, Mumbai would struggle more than their team. He was proved right as the wheels came off the chase in the second half as the 197-run target proved 36 runs beyond them. Prasidh sparkles The timeout at the end of the eight over of the chase triggered rather interesting scenes. MI were 69 for 2. Unsurprisingly, GT coach Ashish Nehra was out ...

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29Mar By source belowNo Comments

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‘He should have batted ahead of Ashwin’: Shane Watson on MS Dhoni coming out at No. 9 vs RCB

Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson batted for Mahendra Singh Dhoni to be promoted up the batting order for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). This was after CSK suffered a heavy 50-run defeat against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Chepauk on Friday with Dhoni coming in to bat at number 9 with Ravichandran Ashwin sent before him. The former CSK captain would play a vintage 16-ball 30 but the match was already out of CSK’s hands by then. “This is exactly what CSK fans come to see — 30 off 16 deliveries from Dhoni. I would have absolutely loved to see him come up the order. In my opinion, he should have batted ahead of Ashwin,” Watson said. “Given the game situation, Dhoni could have played like this for another 15 balls. Over the last couple of years, he has consistently shown tha...

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27Mar By source belowNo Comments

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Ruturaj Gaikwad rates RCB match as second most looked forward to, for CSK

Ahead of his team’s clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has said that the south side derby was the second-most anticipated face off after Mumbai Indians. Gaikwad was speaking exclusively on JioStar’s “Star Nahi Far” program and spoke of his bond with fellow captain Rajat Patidar with whom he is friends. “Really looking forward to playing against RCB, especially with Rajat (Patidar) as the new captain. Immediately when they announced Rajat as the captain, I messaged him and wished him good luck. We have been friends for a while now, we know each other really well, and obviously, RCB has been one of the strongest teams. They have done really well every year now,” Gaikwad said. The two teams with the most passionate fan bases and talismans in...

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26Mar By source belowNo Comments

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IPL 2025: Uncapped, unfazed – How Priyansh Arya made a strong early impression for PBKS on debut

It’s early stages in the 18th season of Indian Premier League, but a strong early trend that has emerged is how uncapped Indian players have made their presence felt. One of those who have caught the eye is Punjab Kings’ Priyansh Arya. The 24-year-old from Delhi came in for special praise from PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting after their side’s 11-run win in a high-scoring contest in Ahmedabad on Tuesday against Gujarat Titans. “I reckon we set the tone with a guy playing in his first IPL game… Priyansh, the way he started today,” Ponting said in his dressing room debrief speech. Priyansh, taking strike on his debut against a star-studded bowling lineup, scored a brisk 23-ball 47 with seven fours (the most on the night) and two sixes. In fact, Ponting had identified Priyansh as a player to wa...

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26Mar By source belowNo Comments

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‘They are super confident’: Marcus Stoinis praises India’s cricketing depth

Australia’s Marcus Stoinis returned to the Punjab Kings after almost a decade and said he was excited to work with head coach Ricky Ponting. He also praised the young Indian batters like Priyansh Arya who has put the league on notice with his performance in Tuesday’s match against Gujarat Titans. Arya made a blistering 47 off 23 deliveries with his innings going a long way in helping the Punjab Kings post a massive 243 against the Titans. “There’s great depth here (in Indian cricket)_. There always has been. And I think they’re getting the chance to show their skills on a world stage. They are super confident. They’ve had almost the advantage of growing up with IPL, being under pressure from early stages in their career. It’s brilliant to see how fearless they are with their cricket and es...

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26Mar By source belowNo Comments

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Why an in-form Shreyas Iyer is one of the most dangerous T20 batsmen

Synopsis: Shreyas Iyer led his new franchise from the front in another run-fest as Impact Player Vijaykumar Vyshak made the decisive contribution in Punjab Kings win over Gujarat Titans.The IPL continued to be a run-frenzy as a target of 244 was threatened before Gujarat Titans fell short by 11 runs against Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium at Motera on Tuesday. With all 10 teams having been in action once, there have already been six scores over 200, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru well on course to breach that mark in the season-opener before overhauling a score of 174 with 22 balls to spare. Leading from the frontShreyas Iyer was peeved that he didn’t get enough credit when Kolkata Knight Riders won the IPL title last year, with the coaching staff – most notably Gautam Gambhir ...

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25Mar By source belowNo Comments

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IPL, DC vs LSG: Ashutosh Sharma secures win for Delhi from the jaws of defeat

Ashutosh Sharma’s unbeaten 66 overshadows the pyrotechnics of Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran as Delhi Capitals sneak home by 1 wicket against Lucknow Super Giants.Impact Player Ashutosh Sharma played an innings to remember to take Delhi Capitals to a thrilling one-wicket over Lucknow Super Giants. Chasing 210 for victory, Ashutosh was at one stage 20 off 20 deliveries as the asking rate mounted. But despite running out of partners, he scored his next 46 runs off just 11 deliveries to take Delhi home at Vizag with three balls to spare. It was a night when Ashutosh proved that his power-hitting exploits of last season with Punjab Kings wasn’t a fluke. If anything, each of his five boundaries and as many sixes, with the game on the line, showed how much he has matured as a batsman who can...

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24Mar By source belowNo Comments

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CSK vs MI: Super Kings return to familiar ploy as trio of tweakers take down Mumbai

Chennai Super Kings’ plan to fall back on the spin formula works as Noor Ahmad’s 4/18 chokes Mumbai Indians on way to 4-wicket winWith Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Rahul Tripathi in the squad, Chennai had a decision to make regarding their openers. With Tripathi mostly batting at No.3 in the past, it looked Rachin and Ruturaj Gaikwad would be the opening pair. But coming out for the chase of 156, Chennai sprung a surprise, as Tripathi walked out with Rachin – the pair were the preferred choice in the practice matches with Gaikwad dropped to No 3. It was a bold call, for the right-hander is known to get off the blocks slowly. Coming out in the second over after Tripathi’s dismissal, it was Gaikwad who took the limelight with his crisp shots as Rachin struggled with his timing. Sto...

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22Mar By source belowNo Comments

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Saliva or not, IPL will remain ‘six fest’ if ground realities don’t change

It is that time of the year when bowlers have second thoughts about their career choice. If IPL can give false confidence to batsmen about their abilities, it can also shatter the conviction of bowlers, get them social media abuse and give lifelong trauma. This season the BCCI has allowed bowlers, cricket’s marginalized lot, to use saliva to shine the ball and in case of heavy dew in the second innings provide them a dry old ball. Thanks but no thanks, that’s too little, too late. This can’t be the antidote to cure the bat-ball imbalance in white-ball cricket. Last season, IPL saw an unprecedented 1260 sixes hit by batsmen with varying skill sets. There was one every 13 balls. The season before that, pacer Yash Dayal, on a lifeless Ahmedabad track, was hit for five sixes in an over by Rink...

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21Mar By source belowNo Comments

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KKR fans kickstart IPL season with ‘bewafa sonam’ banter over Phil Salt in rival jersey

‘Hey Phil, how are things on the other side?’ went the Twitter post accompanying a short practice clip of a ball from the Kolkata Knight Riders being flung towards where Royal Challengers Bengaluru were practicing. It was picked specifically by Phil Salt, a former Knight and now RCB muscle, and he used his bat to send it soaring back to the opposite side where KKR trained. The 10-second clip, as Venkatesh Iyer, still a Knight, had no pretensions to absolute cinema, and was in fact not even reeled to any background music. With ambient training day sound, and no real attempt at making it dramatic, it wasn’t gunning for anything much. Except it has set the tone for the season’s theme where former regulars are viewed by fanbases as players who have moved on to the other side. Plenty of ‘Sonam ...

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