Friday, March 31, 2023

People were foolish not to back Virat Kohli, says Kevin Pietersen

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen on Friday said that “people were foolish not to back” Virat Kohli after the Delhi cricketer notched up his 75th international century during the Ahmedabad Test against Australia earlier in March.

Pietersen went on to laud Kohli, saying that the former India captain was “passionate and abrasive” about his game.

“Virat, I’ve known for a very long time. The way that he plays the game. So passionate, so abrasive, so emotional. I think Covid hurt him.
I said it to him. “Just chill, dude, it’s Covid, you’re an entertainer. You cannot play with three people and their dog watching you play cricket”, Pieterson wrote on his blog for Betway.

Virat Kohli had endured a tough time in the first half of 2022, before notching up his 71st international ton during an Asia Cup T20 game against Afghanistan in September last year. And against Australia in Ahmedabad earlier in March, he registered his first Test century since November 2019.

Meanwhile, Pietersen also wished the players taking part in Australia a ‘best of luck’, recalling his discussions with AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli.

“All the best players know, they block out their two months of the year, that’s when they’re going to go and do their service. There’s a lot of pressure. I remember speaking to De Villiers and Kohli about this three or four years ago. They say it’s like the Champions League. These guys are turning up knowing this is not just a free ride to go and earn a quick buck. They really have to perform,” added the 42-year-old.

The IPL 2023 begins with a contest between defending champions Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

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IPL 2023: MI skipper Rohit Sharma misses captains' photoshoot due to being unwell

Ahead of the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), captains from all the other nine teams except Mumbai Indians’ skipper Rohit Sharma came together for the pre-IPL captains’ meet and photoshoot on Thursday, 30 March 2023.

While fans are totally excited to watch their favourite teams get on the field, they were also too quick to notice the MI captain’s absence. Reacting to the picture shared from the customary photoshoot taken at the Narendra Modi Stadium on the Indian Premier League’s official Twitter account, fans were left wondering on Rohit Sharma’s absence. According to a report, Rohit Sharma was unwell, and thus, he gave the IPL captains’ photoshoot a miss.

According to a report published in The Times of India, Sharma is unwell due to which he couldn’t travel to Ahmedabad to join his counterparts and therefore was absent from the meeting and photo session. Though the reason behind what made him unwell is not yet known. The report further also ruled out the possibility of Rohit Sharma missing MI’s IPL 2023 opening match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday, 2 April 2023 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Take a look at the picture:

Speculations about Rohit Sharma being on rest this season

Notably, the speculations came at a time when reports of Sharma being on rest for a few games due to workload management has surfaced. It is also said that Suryakumar Yadav will be acting as the stand-in captain in Rohit’s absence. In the meantime, Rohit recently took part in MI’s pre-season press conference where he along with coach Mark Boucher where the two were seen dodging the question about Rohit being on rest for a few IPL games during this season.

“Hopefully, he will get into some good sort of form and I hope he doesn’t want to rest. But yeah, we all adapt to different situations. If I can get the best out of him as a captain and player, that will be great. If it means he wants to rest 1 or 2 games, then I will do that. Absolutely, no problem,” Boucher said.

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IPL 2023: Rajasthan Royals have one more prediction as IPL 2023 champions in their favour

The series of speculations on who’ll grab the cup this IPL season have started pouring in ahead of the tournament opener on Friday. Defending champions Gujrat Titans take on four times winners Chennai Super Kings later Friday to set off IPL 2023.

Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting, however, believes none of these two will make the final this year.

In an episode of ICC Review, he was asked to pick up his favorites besides his own side, Delhi Capitals. And he chose the Rajasthan Royals.

IPL 2023 Factbox: Everything you need to know about Rajasthan Royals

Ponting seemed very impressed by the side’s pick for the squad last season and how they have built on that this year.

“Obviously Gujarat (Titans) last year were amazing, a brand new team and were able to win the tournament. The other finalist last year, Rajasthan Royals, I think have got a really, really good squad. And we said that last year, immediately after the auction, we were pretty impressed with what they were able to do and put a good squad together. They’ve only built on that again this year. I think Rajasthan will be there, thereabouts.”

“It’s a hard game to judge and a hard game to understand who’s going to win. Who stands up in the moment will generally win more often than not. But if I’m looking at the squads, Rajasthan has got a good squad as anybody,” he said.

IPL 2023 RR preview: Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals look to go one step further in bid for second title

Rajasthan Royals, the winner of the IPL’s inaugural season in 2008, have only managed to make it to the final only once ever since; last year when Gujrat Titans defeated them to win the trophy in their debut season.

Led by Sanju Samson, the Royals are poised to pick up their campaign right where they left it last year.

They will start their season on 2 April with a match against the 2016 winners Sunrisers Hyderabad.

This is not the first prediction made in the favour of the Royals.

Earlier, former captain of England Michael Vaughan had also picked them as the favorites going into the tournament.

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IPL Fan Parks return after three years, set to cover 45 cities

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 will see the return of the IPL Fan Parks after a gap of three years. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) started the concept in 2015 to spread the game to different parts of the country and the IPL 2023 will see a comeback of the same.

IPL 2023: A look at injuries, innovations and more

The IPL Fan Parks will be spread across 45 cities – Surat, Madurai, Kota, Hubli, Dehradun to name a few – and over 20 States and 2 Union Territories this season. It promises to offer an exciting and entertaining community-viewing experience for cricket fans across various regions of the country. Every weekend – throughout the duration of the tournament – there will be five fan parks.

The 16th season of the IPL will kickstart with a blockbuster clash between the defending champions Gujarat Titans and the four-time winners Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium – the largest cricket stadium in the world – on March 31 and the same day will witness the first fan park of the season in Madurai. The fans will get the opportunity to witness the IPL 2023 Final, to be played on May 28, 2023, from as many as five Fan Parks across Jammu, Jamshedpur, Palakkad, Jorhat and Bhopal.

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IPL 2023: Why is no one talking about Sunrisers Hyderabad?

With a purse of Rs 42.25 crore ahead of the mini-auction in December last year, the Sunrisers Hyderabad were the busiest team on the table as they pressed the ‘reset’ button after a disappointing couple of seasons. The franchise’s decision to spend the big bucks on Kane Williamson (Rs 14 crore) and Abdul Samad (Rs 4 crore) ahead of the mega auction did raise eyebrows and the move clearly backfired as they failed to put together a solid squad for the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League and finished a disappointing eighth. The 2021 season was even worse as they ended at the bottom of the table and clearly looked a unit short on planning and execution.

IPL 2023: SRH preview and strongest playing XI

Two seasons and a brilliant mini-auction later, the team now wears a formidable look as it has assembled a quality squad featuring plenty of match-winners. The Sunrisers are not enjoying the pre-season attention they should and could well turn out to be the side that sneaks its way to the top of the table this year. With a fine blend of uncapped Indian players and international stars, SRH have all bases covered and certainly have what it takes to get their hands on the IPL trophy for the second time.

The batting order wears a dangerous look and enjoys a lot of depth, spin has a lot of variety and seam bowling has plenty of pace and accuracy. In Aiden Markram, they have a skipper who doesn’t have any previous baggage and recent highs in the SA20 and the international arena will only help.

Fire at the top

In Mayank Agarwal and Abhishek Sharma, SRH have a solid left-right opening combination. Out of the Indian team, Agarwal went through the domestic grind with Karnataka this season and did rediscover his mojo. The right-hander would want to use this IPL season to knock on the selectors’ door again. The door which he had broken down with bucket loads of runs for Karnataka before making his India debut. For Sharma, it’s time to translate potential into consistent performances. Rated very highly, the elegant southpaw has shown flashes of brilliance during his odd IPL knock and it’s now time he takes the next step with a bumper season. The Punjab youngster is a handy left-arm spinner too and brings a lot to the table.

If Agarwal and Sharma won’t get you, the next man definitely will. Rahul Tripathi has been impressive in the IPL for his intent and he made a seamless transition to the international arena with similar performances for the Indian cricket team in the shortest format. The three batters lend a very dangerous look to SRH’s top order and will pose plenty of problems for opposition captains.

Fire and ice in the middle, with needed depth

Markram, for most of the previous season, didn’t get enough support from the other end as the SRH middle-order continued to blow hot and cold. The franchise tried plenty of uncapped Indian players – Priyam Garg, Abdul Samad – and international stars like Nicholas Pooran in the past but the returns were far from consistent. This year, however, Markram will have England’s T20 sensation Harry Brook and compatriot Heinrich Klassen for company.

Following them will be the very useful Washington Sundar who is a very underrated batter and has the game to excel in any format. Even if SRH have to bench Klassen to beef up the overseas bowling option, Upendra Yadav, the other wicketkeeper in the squad, is a very promising batter and has already made it to India A squad. The team also has the likes of Samad, Samarth Vyas and Anmolpreet Singh in the squad and all three can hit the ball a fair distance with utmost ease.

Spin to win

For years, Rashid Khan was the leader of the pack with his wicket-taking abilities and control during difficult periods of the game. Ever since he moved to Gujarat Titans, the SRH attack has lacked the spin bite and the franchise has tried to address that with the inclusion of Adil Rashid and Mayank Markande. Rashid is a skillful bowler in the format and did really well for England during their title run at the 2022 T20 World Cup. Sundar will shoulder spin-bowling responsibilities with Rashid and Markram also has the option of using himself and Sharma.

If the surfaces encourage spin, there’s a Mayank Dagar in the squad too. The left-armer has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit for Himachal Pradesh, can hit meaty blows lower down the order and is a gun fielder.

Pace, swing and accuracy

SRH have a pace attack which wears a very complete look. Led by the experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar, it has penetration with the new ball, Umran Malik’s raw pace in the middle overs and T Natarajan’s accuracy at the death. The likes of Kartik Tyagi, Marco Jansen and Fazalhaq Farooqi lend more variety to this line-up and will allow the captain to have all bases covered for different tracks.

Not many teams manage to get the auction their way and now that SRH have, they would hope the players play to their potential and help the franchise return to winning ways.

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IPL 2023: Sanjay Manjrekar 'not a fan of players resting' during tournament

New Delhi: The 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which will kickstart on Friday, is surrounded with lots of questions related to players’ fitness and workload management in light of the World Test Championship (WTC).

The World Test Championship final will take place in merely weeks after the IPL on 7 June in London and the ODI World Cup is also scheduled for October-November later this year. The IPL final will take place on 28 May.

Ahead of the tournament, Indian captain Rohit Sharma emphasised on the need for workload management for Indian team players.

Rohit Sharma’s concerns have embroiled a controversy ahead of the upcoming IPL season 16. Following the loss against Australia in ODI series, Rohit Sharma had made requests to the franchise to manage the workload of the Indian team players.

Former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar has disagreed with Sharma’s request on “workload management”.

“IPL’s success is largely dependent on players’ fitness, and that everyone plays to their best potential. Fans love this tournament, it’s quite popular,” Manjrekar told ESPNCricinfo.

“So, I’m not a fan of players resting during the IPL so that they can play the World Cup. Because, see, the players can get injured even during international matches. Anything can happen.

“There should be no restrictions on players in IPL. Owners spend money on them and they should have the freedom to use a player as much as they want. IPL should be given a special status in that regard,” he added.

Head coach Rahul Dravid has also raised concerns about the short duration between IPL and WTC.

Previously, in an interview, Rohit had mentioned that six teams would be out of the race by 21 May. For India, Siraj and Shami’s sake, he will hope that Gujarat Titans and RCB are two of those six teams.

The Indian captain Rohit Sharma also stressed that the players are all “adults”. “If they feel it’s getting a little too much, they can always talk about it and have a break in one or two games. I doubt if that will happen.”

Indian Premier League, season 16, will commence on Friday with 10 teams battling for the T20 title.

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Thursday, March 30, 2023

Yuzvendra Chahal tries Malayalam comedy with Kerala boy Sanju Samson

Known for his funny reels, cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal has now enacted a comedy scene from the 1991 Malayalam movie ‘Kankettu’. With him also is the Malayali boy Sanju Samson, the captain of Rajasthan Royals.

Chahal plays ‘Keeleri Achu’, enacted by Mamukkoya in the movie, while Samson is Raju, enacted by Jayaram.

With close to 5000 likes, the video is going viral on Twitter.

Talking about the upcoming season, the Royals start their 2023 campaign against 2016 champion Sunrisers Hyderabad.

After making it to the final in 2022, for the first time in fourteen years since winning the inaugural season of the tournament in 2008, the Royals lost to the Hardik Pandya-led Gujrat Titans in the summit clash.

After coming this close to the trophy, the Royals would like to pick up right from where they left it the last season. They have, besides 2008 and 2022, made it to the playoffs only three times; 2013, 2015 and 2018.

IPL Factbox | Everything you need to know about RR ahead of 2023 season

Their current side has a balanced mix of experience and youth with the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

With an aggressive opening pair of Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal and big-hitter like skipper Samson, the Royals’ batting lineup appears very formidable.

Jaiswal is just coming from a productive domestic season with Mumbai. Last year he accumulated 266 runs from nine innings at a strike rate of 141.48 at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. At the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he had an even better run. He scored 396 runs from six innings at an average of 79.20.

IPL 2023 RR preview: Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals look to go one step further in bid for second title

Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer and Riyan Parag add more teeth to their batting lineup.

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GT vs CSK, IPL 2023 Live Streaming: When and where to watch IPL match on TV and online

The IPL 2023 will start with the match between defending champions Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings on Friday 31 March. The inaugural match of the IPL 2023 is slated to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Gujarat made a roaring entry into the tournament last year, lifting the trophy in their very first appearance. CSK, on the other hand, failed to bring out their iconic form in the previous season. The Yellow franchise finished at the ninth spot in the points table, only above Mumbai Indians.

IPL 2023: All you need to know

Hardik Pandya will continue to lead the Gujarat Titans. The franchise has retained the majority of their players while also signing some prominent faces at the mini-auction including Kane Williamson, Shivam Mavi, Odean Smith, Joshua Little, KS Bharat and Mohit Sharma. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni will serve as the CSK captain with Ben Stokes and Ravindra Jadeja making a deadly all-rounder combination. However, they will miss the service of newly-bought Kyle Jamieson, who has been ruled out of the entire campaign due to injury.

Head-to-head records:

Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings have squared off twice beforehand. The Hardik Pandya-led side emerged victorious on both occasions, which came in the IPL 2022.

Weather report: 

The weather at the Narendra Modi Stadium is predicted to be sunny on 31 March. Hence, the rain will not play a spoilsport during the IPL match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings. The wind speed is expected to be around 12-17 km/h during the 20-over game. The temperature could hover around 22 degrees Celsius to 33 degrees Celsius and the humidity is likely to be around 48-57 percent.

Ahead of Friday’s IPL 2023 match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings, here is all you need to know:

When will IPL 2023 match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings will be played?

The IPL 2023 match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings will take place on 31 March, Friday.

Where will the IPL 2023 match between Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings be played?

The IPL 2023 match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

What time will the IPL 2023 match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings start?

The IPL 2023 match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings will begin at 7:30 PM IST on Friday. Toss will take place at 7 PM IST.

Which TV channels will broadcast Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings IPL 2023 match?

Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings match will be televised on the Star Sports Network in India.

How to watch the live streaming of the Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings IPL 2023 match?

Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings match will be streamed live on the Jio Cinema app and website in India.

Full squads:

Gujarat Titans: Hardik Pandya (c), Shubman Gill, David Miller, Abhinav Manohar, Sai Sudharsan, Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Vijay Shankar, Mohammed Shami, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Pradeep Sangwan, Darshan Nalkande, Jayant Yadav, R. Sai Kishore, Noor Ahmad, Kane Williamson, Odean Smith, KS Bharat, Shivam Mavi, Urvil Patel, Joshua Little, Mohit Sharma.

Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (c), Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Subhranshu Senapati, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Tushar Deshpande, Mukesh Chowdhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Deepak Chahar, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Ajinkya Rahane, Ben Stokes, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Sisanda Magala, Ajay Mandal, Bhagath Varma.

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IPL 2023 MI preview: Mumbai Indians could expect another difficult season

MI IPL 2023 Preview: Mumbai Indians are the only team to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy five times but had a horrific outing the last time around, finishing 10th in the 10-team table. Generally, when MI fails to qualify for playoffs, they go on to win the title the next season. They failed to reach the knockouts in 2016 and 2018 and won the title in 2017 and 2019. Their journey since winning back-to-back titles in 2020, however, have only gone downhill. They finished fifth in 2021 among eight teams and followed it up with their worst season in 2022; winning just four out of 14 games.

The mighty Mumbai are in the middle of a transition with the addition of young players like Tim David, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs and Cameron Green this season. So some sort of blip was expected but what made the matter worse for them last season was a collective failure of the top players.

Kieron Pollard, who has retired now, scored just 144 runs in 11 matches, while the captain Rohit Sharma accumulated mere 268 runs with no fifties, his worst season ever. Rohit last got over 400 runs in 2019.

Rohit with his enviable record will continue to captain MI and hope to return to top form, but things are surely set to get messy in deciding the best playing XI as Jasprit Bumrah is set to miss the entire IPL 2023 with a back injury. Jhye Richardson is also out.

Jofra Archer will strengthen their pace bowling setup but do they have an Indian fast bowler to complement the English cricketer? Probably not and that will bring in Australian left-armer Jason Behrendorff into the equation, forcing MI to put hard-hitting Brevis and Stubbs on the bench.

Clearly, they will be forced to compromise on their batting.

While Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav were decent last season, MI coach Mark Boucher will hope for a lot more from his core players this season, besides hoping for a great debut from all-rounder Green, the second most expensive player in IPL history, to help the team solve the fast bowling conundrum.

Another thing that can help Mumbai is the return of the home-and-away format and the comforts of the Wankhede Stadium. The last time the league was played in its most usual format, MI won the title.

A side still in transition and still not entirely sure of their strongest XI, Mumbai Indians are expected to do better than last season, but winning the title will be a task too difficult.

Past performances:

Strongest possible XI:

Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Cameron Green, Jofra Archer, Jason Behrendorff, Kumar Kartikeya, Hrithik Shokeen

Squad:

Rohit Sharma (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Tim David, Dewald Brevis, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Vishnu Vinod, Cameron Green, Arjun Tendulkar, Ramandeep Singh, Shams Mulani, Nehal Wadhera, Hrithik Shokeen, Arshad Khan, Duan Jansen, Piyush Chawla, Kumar Kartikeya, Raghav Goyal, Jofra Archer, Jason Behrendorff, Akash Madhwal

Schedule:

2 April: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians, Bengaluru

8 April: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai

11 April: Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians, Delhi

16 April: Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight

18 April: Sunrisers Hyderabad v Mumbai Indians, Hyderabad

22 April: Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings, Mumbai

25 April: Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians, Ahmedabad

20 April: Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai

3 May: Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Mohali

6 May: Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Chennai

9 May: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai

12 May: Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Titans, Mumbai

16 May: Lucknow Super Giants vs Mumbai Indians, Lucknow

21 May: Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai

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IPL 2023 opening ceremony: Time, venue, performers, live streaming information for 31 March event

IPL 2023 will kick off on 31 March with a grand opening ceremony before the first match between defending champions Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings. The 16th season of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) will be played across 12 venues with the Narendra Modi Stadium hosting the opener as well as the final on 28 May.

The two-month-long league will return to its customary home-and-away schedule in India for the first time since 2019. Each of the 10 teams will play a total of 14 games and have been divided into two groups. Group A includes – Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals in Group A while Group B has Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Here are all the details regarding the IPL 2023 opening ceremony:

Date and time:

The opening ceremony for the IPL 2023 will be held ahead of the inaugural match on 31 March. The opening ceremony will begin at 6 PM IST, ahead of the Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings match at 7.30 PM IST.

Venue:

The IPL 2023 opening ceremony of the 16th edition will be held at the world’s largest cricket stadium – Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

How to book tickets:

The tickets for IPL 2023 matches can be purchased from the Book My Show and Paytm Insider apps and websites. Notably, the ticket-booking window for the opening ceremony and inaugural match has already been open. The ticket price through Paytm Insider is set between Rs 800 and Rs 20,000.

Performers:

The IPL 2023 opening ceremony will include performances from singing sensation Arijit Singh and Bollywood actresses Rashmika Mandanna and Tamannaah Bhatia.

Telecast and live streaming:

The opening ceremony of the cash-rich league will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network. The live streaming of the event will also be available on the Jio Cinema app and website.

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IPL: McCullum’s 158 not out to Tewatia's stunning knock vs PBKS, top 10 moments from 2008 to 2022

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to welcome its 16th season. The two-month-long campaign, which is nothing short of a festive extravaganza, will kickstart with an eagerly awaited clash between defending champions Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings. Since its inauguration in 2008, the cash-rich league has gifted a number of golden memories to cricket enthusiasts over the years. While the tournament is still a few days away, let’s take a look at some of such memorable moments in the Indian Premier League (IPL):

Brendon McCullum’s 158* against RCB (2008)

Brendon McCullum gave an unforgettable start to the Indian Premier League. The former New Zealand batter, who represented Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural IPL season, notched up the only 150-plus score of the edition in the very first encounter against Royal Challengers Bangalore. During his unbeaten 158-run knock, which took just 73 balls, McCullum smashed 10 boundaries and 13 maximums. Courtesy of his swashbuckling batting, KKR posted a mammoth 220 runs on the board and eventually won the match by a huge margin of 140 runs.

AB de Villiers’ 23 in an over vs Dale Steyn (2012)

Dale Steyn might rank among the most lethal pacers the IPL has ever witnessed. But his former South African teammate AB de Villers handed him a nightmarish memory in the 2012 season. Steyn, who was part of the now-defunct Deccan Chargers, conceded as many as 23 runs in a single over during a group-league match against RCB. De Villiers lit up the M Chinnaswamy Stadium with two fours and two sixes in the 18th over, helping his side to chase down a massive 182-run target.

Watch the video here

Chris Gayle’s 175* vs Pune Warriors India (2013)

Chris Gayle, an RCB legend, altered the equation of T20 cricket when he played an unbeaten 175-run knock against Pune Warriors India in the 2013 IPL. The Caribbean big hitter took just 30 balls to breach the three-digit mark, recording the fastest ton in the tournament. It was nothing short of a legendary innings as Gayle hit 13 boundaries and 17 crowd-catchers during his 66-ball innings.

Adam Gilchrist turns bowler (2013)

Adam Gilchrist, during his spell with Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), decided to roll his arms in a 2013 match against Mumbai Indians. Coming in to bowl the final over, the Australian wicketkeeper got rid of Harbhajan Singh in his first delivery, which concluded Mumbai’s innings. Harbhajan went for a biggie but ended up being caught at the long-on region by Gurkeeraj Singh, gifting Gilchrist the only wicket of his cricket career.

Most impressive run chase in IPL history (2014)

Mumbai Indians – the most successful team of the IPL – recorded the most dominating victory in the tournament history in a group fixture against Rajasthan Royals in 2014. Stepping on to chase a more-than-decent total of 190 runs, the Paltans reached the required target in just 14.4 overs. Corey Anderson was mostly responsible for the destruction as the Kiwi all-rounder smashed an unbeaten 95 off only 44 balls. His innings was decorated with 9 fours and 6 maximums.

Watch the video here

Virat Kohli’s century with injured hand (2016)

Virat Kohli is still awaiting his maiden IPL title. But, the star Indian batter has taken the tournament by storm with several worth-remembering knocks. Kohli kicked off the 2016 season in red-hot form but picked up an unfortunate injury during RCB’s match against KKR. He required 9 stitches on his left hand. Disregarding the pain, Kohli returned to the field only after 48 hours and played a centurion knock against Punjab Kings, scoring 113 off 50 deliveries.

Chennai Super Kings’ comeback title win (2018)

Chennai Super Kings –  the second-most successful franchise of the IPL – remained out of the tournament for two seasons. The Yellow army, led by legendary captain MS Dhoni, however, made a roaring comeback in the 2018 IPL. They finished second in the group league and got the better of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the playoffs. In the title bout, CSK again defeated Hyderabad and took home their third IPL trophy.

Alzarri Joseph records best figures in IPL history (2019)

Alzarri Joseph’s entry into the IPL was nothing but a fairytale. The West Indies pacer joined Mumbai Indians as a replacement for injured Adam Milne. Joseph wrapped his very first against Sunrisers Hyderabad with an impressive figure of 6/12, which is still the best spell in the history of the tournament.

Watch the video here

Rahul Tewatia stuns Punjab Kings (2020)

Rajasthan Royals holds the record for the most successful run-chase of IPL thanks to the heroics of Rahul Tewatia. Coming in to chase a mammoth 224 against Punjab Kings, Tewatia pulled off a slower start, scoring 8 runs off his first 19 balls. In the next 12 deliveries, the Haryana-born batter went on to smash 45 runs, helping his side gun down the massive target.

Watch the video here

Lockie Ferguson clocks the fastest delivery of IPL (2022)

Gujarat Titans scripted history by lifting the IPL title in their maiden appearance last season and Lockie Ferguson was certainly one of their standout performers. The Kiwi pacer, apart from taking 12 wickets, hit the headlines for clocking the fastest delivery of the tournament’s history. In the summit battle against Rajasthan Royals, Ferguson bowled a toe-crusher to Jos Buttler in the first over with the speedometer reading 97.7 mph.

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IPL 2023: Rohit Sharma should bat at No 4 for Mumbai Indians, says Anil Kumble

Rohit Sharma will complete 10 years as Mumbai Indians captain with the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. The Mumbai batter, who took over the captaincy in 2013, has won a record five IPL titles with the franchise.

IPL 2023: All you need to know

Former India cricketers, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan and Aakash Chopra, who will be appearing as experts on JioCinema during IPL 2023, got together to dissect Rohit’s impact on MI and expectations from the India captain.

Anil Kumble served as a mentor on the 2013 Mumbai Indians squad in Sharma’s first season as captain of the franchise. He shared his insights on Sharma’s leadership style and confidence.

“He was not afraid to say what he had to say. He had plenty of experience around him and he reached out to them as well but then but took his own decisions. That’s what you want from a captain,” Kumble said on JioCinema’s Insiders Preview show.

IPL 2023: Everything you need to know about Mumbai Indians

Kumble also spoke about him leading a new team in 2017 and said, “2017 was a new team and the kind of captaincy we saw from him in terms of defending low scores, that’s when your true leadership comes out.”

Zaheer Khan emphasized on how a captain’s role is the most important and said, “The captain’s role is of utmost importance, the way he is thinking and taking decisions in crucial stages in a cool manner and the right decisions, and if it doesn’t go your way, how he is handling the situation. It is a long tournament and every game’s performance can have an impact in the next game. Rohit has the ability and personality to absorb pressure very well. The way he communicates in a cool way, not just with players but also in press conferences, I think that is his biggest strength.”

IPL 2023: MI helped me showcase myself in a different avatar, says Rohit

Mumbai Indians have enjoyed tremendous success under Rohit’s leadership. That doesn’t mean he is any less lethal with the bat. Kumble however wants to see Sharma bat at number four, “Especially with the current MI team, you need that experience in the middle order. There are some wonderful batters that MI possesses, but I think someone like Rohit Sharma in the middle, controlling seven to fifteen overs is extremely critical.”

Aakash Chopra also broke down the impact Sharma has while batting and said, “When Rohit is batting, he does it beautifully and he’ll keep doing it. He’s doing it for India, for the Mumbai Indians. When he bats, he’s in a different league altogether,” said Chopra before posing an interesting question for Mumbai’s batting strategy this season.

“As a result of that, people keep debating what’s best for Rohit. What is the place where you can get the best out of Rohit? He can open and easily score a century over 20 overs. The question arises, what’s best for Mumbai? As Anil bhai said, he may be more useful to the team batting at number four. It’s a toss-up between what’s best for Rohit and what’s best for Mumbai.”

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Wednesday, March 29, 2023

IPL 2023 CSK preview: After horrid season, Chennai Super Kings look for revival helped by 'Whistle Podu Army'

CSK IPL 2023 Preview: With return of the home-and-away format in the Indian Premier League, no team would be more pleased to have home fixtures than Chennai Super Kings. Despite the noise that Wankhede Stadium or M Chinnaswamy Stadium can generate, it cannot match up to the frenzy of Chepauk.

And they would desperately need all the fan support from ‘Whistle Podu Army’ especially after how the 2022 season transpired. The second-most successful franchise in IPL history, the ones who clinched the title in the 2021 season, dropped to ninth a year later. They only finished second from the bottom due to a better net run rate than Mumbai Indians.

IPL 2023 | Everything you need to know about Chennai Super Kings

The loud Chennai crowd will get a much-awaited taste of CSK on 3 April against Lucknow Super Giants. But their campaign gets underway on 31 March against reigning IPL champions Gujarat Titans which is where MS Dhoni & Co’s carefully assembled squad will be put to their first test.

Ahead of the IPL auction, Dwayne Bravo and Robin Uthappa announced their retirements. CSK, meanwhile, released Chris Jordan, Adam Milne, KM Asif, N Jagadeesan, C Hari Nishanth, and Bhagath Verma.

At the auction, they signed Ben Stokes, Kyle Jamieson, Nishant Sindh, Ajinkya Rahane, and Shaik Rasheed.

Even before the season gets underway, CSK have been struck by injuries. Jamieson has been ruled out of the tournament with a stress fracture and has been replaced by Sisanda Magala. Mukesh Choudhary, who impressed in 2022, is unlikely to start the season.

Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana and Maheesh Theekshana will miss the first three matches for their tour of New Zealand. Stokes, their big money signing, is unlikely to bowl in the early stages. But the England star’s batting and finishing abilities could be lethal enough to take CSK to wins.

For Chennai, the strength lies in the batting depth. They are expected to open with Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad with Stokes, Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube and skipper Dhoni all finding space in the middle to lower order.

The challenge is in the bowling department. The seam options are led by Deepak Chahar and his return could be pivotal to CSK’s chances this season. With Jadeja, Moeen, Mitchell Santner and Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Dhoni has quite a few bowling options but it is tough to call how consistent they can be.

Watch: MS Dhoni gets boisterous reception by CSK fans during practice session

Beyond the batting and bowling, another aspect that would occupy CSK think tank and even MS Dhoni’s mind is finding a suitable replacement for himself going forward. Jadeja was given the nod last year but it proved to be a task too big. For a team that has been led by one man for this long, finding an ideal candidate is proving to be an ordeal. But it is an ordeal that they need solutions for.

CSK Best Possible XI

Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ben Stokes, Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni, Deepak Chahar, Maheesh Theekshana, Mukesh Choudhary

CSK Squad

MS Dhoni (c), Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Subhranshu Senapati, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Tushar Deshpande, Mukesh Chowdhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Deepak Chahar, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Ajinkya Rahane, Ben Stokes, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Sisanda Magala, Ajay Mandal, Bhagath Varma.

CSK Schedule

Match 1: March 31, 2023 – Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings, Ahmedabad (7:30PM IST)

Match 2: April 3, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants, Chennai (7:30PM IST)

Match 3: April 8, 2023 – Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai (7:30PM IST)

Match 4: April 12, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, Chennai (7:30PM IST)

Match 5: April 17, 2023: – RCB vs Chennai Super Kings, Bengaluru (7:30PM IST)

Match 6: April 21, 2023: – Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai (7:30PM IST)

Match 7: April 23, 2023: – Kolkata Knight RIders vs Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata (7:30PM IST)

Match 8: April 27, 2023 – Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, Jaipur (7:30PM IST)

Match 9: April 30, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings, Chennai (3:30PM IST)

Match 10: May 4, 2023 – Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow (3:30PM IST)

Match 11: May 6, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Chennai (3:30PM IST)

Match 12: May 10, 2023: – Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Chennai (7:30PM IST)

Match 13: May 14, 2023: – Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai (7:30PM IST)

Match 14: May 20, 2023: – Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings, Delhi (3:30PM IST)

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IPL 2023: Captaining Dhoni was great experience but also very daunting, says Steve Smith

Steve Smith, who had the opportunity to captain the legendary MS Dhoni while playing for the Rising Pune Supergiant in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017, has said that the whole experience was “very daunting”. Chennai Super Kings were suspended for the 2017 and 2017 seasons on corruption charges and Dhoni played for the Pune team in those two years.

IPL 2023: All you need to know

While he captained the franchise in the first season, Smith was made the skipper the next season.

“When I got the call to say that they wanted me to captain, it was a little bit daunting. But that season, MSD was just wonderful. You know, he helped in any way that he could and, he’s a terrific guy,” Smith said on Star Sports.

“It was a great experience being able to captain him, but also very daunting as well.”

IPL 2023: CSK factbox

The Australia batter will be making his debut as a commentator on Star Sports in IPL 2023.

On what he has learnt from Dhoni, Smith said: “I think just the calmness that MS shows, we saw it throughout his career, just how calm he was. It didn’t look like he was flustered by any emotions or anything like that.

IPL 2023: All that is new this season

“And that’s certainly something that I’ve taken in not just in that season, but just watching him go about his business in the prior years, just how calm and relaxed he was. And you know, at times I can get quite agitated and things like that.

“So you know, I have to try and keep myself as calm and as sort of levelheaded as I can. And yeah, that’s certainly something that I learned off of MS.”

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IPL 2023 LSG preview: Lucknow Super Giants have batting firepower but death bowling is a concern

LSG IPL 2023 Preview: Not many would have expected Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to qualify for the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs last season in their debut year. IPL 2022 was a rather unpredictable one, an edition that even produced the most unique results (with Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians finishing ninth and 10th respectively).

In IPL 2022, LSG narrowly missed out on the top two spot, missing out to Rajasthan Royals (RR), as both teams ended on 18 points from 14 games. Rajasthan Royals, however, had a superior NRR of +0.298, compared to LSG’s +0.251, and had Lucknow finished in the top two, they, like any team finishing in the top two, would have got an extra shot at making the final.

Also read: Lucknow Super Giants factbox

However, LSG faltered in the playoffs, but not without giving a fight. They were set a target of 208 by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), but even then, crucial contributions from KL Rahul (79) and Deepak Hooda (45) were just not enough, with LSG falling short by 14 runs.

LSG, though, went on to acquire as many as 10 players at the IPL 2023 player auction in Kochi last December, with West Indian Nicholas Pooran being their biggest buy at Rs 16 crore.

Apart from Pooran, LSG went on to acquire fellow West Indian Romario Shepherd, Australia’s Daniel Sams, Afghanistan’s Naveen-ul-Haq, Jaydev Unadkat among a few others.

Mark Wood also returns to the LSG setup, after missing the entirety of IPL 2022 with an injury.

Let’s now take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of the Lucknow franchise:

Strengths

The biggest strength for Lucknow Super Giants is their firepower in batting. Two of their three batters (KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock and Deepak Hooda) finished in the top run-getters list in IPL 2022, and apart from the trio, LSG have some big-hitting options in Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran.

And while Jaydev Unadkat may have just played five matches for MI last season, he has had an exceptional domestic season with Saurashtra, while also making a Team India comeback. Unadkat bagged the most wickets (19) in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, while scalping 26 wickets off just four matches in the Ranji Trophy. The 32-year-old also had a decent Syed Mushtaq Ali campaign, where he picked nine wickets from seven games.

Form is certainly in Unadkat’s favour, and he will certainly fit straight into the LSG playing XI, with a hope of getting more game time.

Weaknesses

Death bowling is a concern for Lucknow Super Giants ahead of IPL 2023. Mohsin Khan was one of the standout bowlers for LSG in IPL 2022, and he was effective in both powerplay and the death overs. However, Mohsin is set to miss the majority of the season with LSG due to a shoulder injury.

Last season, LSG had the worst economy in the last five overs (11.1), and Mohsin Khan was the only bowler with a reasonable economy rate (8.60) at that stage.

There are the likes of Mark Wood, Romario Shepherd and Daniel Sams, but this trio does not have much experience playing in the IPL, and that may come as a setback for LSG.

However, pacer Naveen-ul-Haq’s variations might come in handy for LSG. In all T20s, Naveen has scalped 71 wickets in 100 innings, while bowling in the death overs, with an economy of 8.87. But, the 23-year-old is yet to be tested in the IPL, which is a different ball game altogether.

Past performances

Probable XI

KL Rahul (Captain), Quinton de Kock (Wicketkeeper), Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Jaydev Unadkat, Mark Wood/Naveen-ul-Haq.

Squad

KL Rahul (c), Avesh Khan, Ayush Badoni, Quinton de Kock, K Gowtham, Deepak Hooda, Prerak Mankad, Kyle Mayers, Amit Mishra, Naveen-ul-Haq, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Daniel Sams, Karan Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Marcus Stoinis, Swapnil Singh, Jaydev Unadkat, Manan Vohra, Mark Wood, Mayank Yadav, Yash Thakur, Yudhvir Singh, Mohsin Khan (awaiting fitness clearance)

Schedule:

1 April: vs Delhi Capitals in Lucknow (7.30 pm)

3 April: vs Chennai Super Kings in Chennai (7.30 pm)

7 April: vs Sunrisers Hyderabad in Lucknow (7.30 pm)

10 April: vs Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru (7.30 pm)

15 April: vs Punjab Kings in Lucknow (7.30 pm)

19 April: vs Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur (7.30 pm)

22 April: vs Gujarat Titans in Lucknow (3.30 pm)

28 April: vs Punjab Kings in Mohali (7.30 pm)

1 May: vs Royal Challengers Bangalore in Lucknow (7.30 pm)

4 May: vs Chennai Super Kings in Lucknow (3.30 pm)

7 May: vs Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad (3.30 pm)

13 May: vs Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad (3.30 pm)

16 May: vs Mumbai Indians in Lucknow (7.30 pm)

20 May: vs Kolkata Knight Riders in Kolkata (7.30 pm)

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IPL 2023: Joe Root 'excited' to be a part of the tournament

England star Joe Root is set to make his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut in the upcoming season, playing for Rajasthan Royals. The former England captain was bought for Rs 1 crore in the auctions by RR.

IPL 2023: All you need to know

One of the best batters going around, Root is excited to live the IPL experience.

“I’m really excited, it’s an experience that you can’t replicate anywhere else in the world. I’ve never experienced it before so it’s all going to be very new to me, which, for an experienced player that’s played a lot of international cricket, is really exciting,” Root said.

“I’ve heard a lot of things. And I’m really looking forward to living it now. It’s gonna be a very special year with the fact that the Royals are coming back to Jaipur and connecting with the fans and the city again. We’re looking forward to embracing that atmosphere and being a part of it,” said the right-hander.

IPL 2023: All that is new this season

Talking about his new team, the 32-year-old said: “It’s a real family environment. Everyone seems to want to create that feel around things that it’s more than just performances on the field. It’s been a very warm welcome from the very first call, they said they were delighted to get me in the auction and I’m really looking forward to catching up further down the line.”

“I’ve been here for a couple of days and feel very much a part of things already. I think it’s a really nice environment to play cricket and I’m looking forward to it. I am being extremely well looked after and eventually that helps me excel on the field,” he added.

Sharing his thoughts on the Royals’ team, Root said; “Last year was an exceptional year for the franchise and I’ve always enjoyed watching Sanju (Samson) play. I think he’s a hell of a talent and seems to keep growing every year as a player and as a leader.”

Speaking of a player who he’s excited to see play, Root quoted: “Riyan Parag. He played some important innings last year at a very young age, but I think he is quite mature as a player. I’m looking forward to watching and learning from these guys and seeing how they go about practice and how they think about the game.”

“Ashwin is another name I’m really excited about. He’s definitely a match winner, and it’s great to get the opportunity to work with these guys up close, watch them go about things, learn from them and hopefully spend some treasured memories with them as well,” added Root.

IPL stats: Batting and bowling records in tournament

The stylish batter also spoke about how he is working on his being prepared for the format. He said, “I’m just trying to be as consistent as I can be. You can always work on things slowly and in the background but ultimately you are trying to make sure that your strengths are as good as they possibly can be. And that you know you’re switched on and ready for any situation and scenario that you find yourself in and you have that clarity under pressure.”

Sending a message to all the Rajasthan Royals’ fans, Joe Root said, “I’ll try and be me as much as I can and try to be unpredictable for bowlers. I am sure I will smile and enjoy it, and wi

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IPL stats: Batting and bowling records in tournament

The Indian Premier League is set to enthrall fans once more from 31 March, when MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings face off against defending champions Gujarat Titans. Cricket fans are gearing up for the high-stakes tournament with great excitement. Amid all the craze about the IPL 2023, cricket enthusiasts are eager to watch if their favourite players might break some records. As the date for the IPL 2023 draws nearer, let’s look at the best of the best as far as the tournament records are concerned:
Batting records
Most runs:

None other than India legend Virat Kohli tops the list, with 6,624 runs to his name in 223 games. The former Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper has slammed 5 tons and 44 half-centuries in the tournament.Most fours:

Shikhar Dhawan leads the table in this regard. The new Punjab Kings skipper, who will be looking to lead his team to their maiden title in the cash-rich league, has slammed 701 fours in 206 matches. Former India skipper Virat Kohli is a distant second, with 578 boundaries to his name.

Most sixes:

Chris Gayle may have not played in the Indian Premier League for a while, but the West Indies hitter remains far ahead of any other cricketer in the tally. The ‘Universe Boss’ has 357 maximums to his name.

Highest individual score:

Chris Gayle once again tops the list with an unbeaten 175-run knock. The former Royal Challengers Bangalore batter had achieved the milestone in 2013 against the Pune Warriors. In his 66-ball knock, Gayle smashed 13 boundaries and 17 maximums.

Fastest century:

IPL and Chris Gayle seem synonymous with each other, considering the number of records the aggressive hitter has created in the tournament over the years. In the RCB vs Pune Warriors fixture in 2013, Gayle slammed a ton in just 30 deliveries. His record-breaking knock also helped Royal Challengers Bangalore achieve the milestone for the most sixes by an IPL team in an innings (21).Most centuries:

The ‘Universe Boss’ has something of a record-creating streak at the IPL. The West Indies legend has six centuries in the tournament. Virat Kohli comes second with five tons to his name.

Most half-centuries:

With 54 fifty’s to his name, Delhi Capitals’ David Warner occupies the spot on the list.
Best strike rate:

Kolkata Knight Riders star Andre Russell has the best strike rate in the IPL. The West Indies all-rounder has played in 98 fixtures, scoring 2,035 runs at a strike rate of 177.88.Bowling stats

Most wickets:

Former Chennai Super Kings bowler Dwayne Bravo has the lead in the tally. The all-rounder has 183 wickets in 161 games.

Most hat-tricks:

Amit Mishra from Delhi Capitals is the only player with three hat-tricks to his name.  The spinner picked up his first three-wicket haul for Delhi Daredevils in the inaugural edition. In 2011, Mishra got his second hat-trick playing for the Deccan Chargers. In 2013, he repeated the feat for Sunrisers Hyderabad.Best economy rate:

Gujarat Titans’ Rashid Khan is the most economical bowler in the Indian Premier League. The Afghan all-rounder has an economy rate of 6.38 in 92 matches. Rashid Khan also has 112 wickets to his name.

Best bowling figures:

Alzarri Joseph’s six-wicket haul against Sunrisers Hyderabad was a night to remember. The pacer, who made his debut for Mumbai Indians in 2019, scalped 6 wickets for 12 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in his maiden appearance.



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Say what! Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan's Tiger Vs Pathaan to go on floors on this date

YRF’s Spy Universe has turned out to be a massive spinner with films like Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai, War and Pathaan emerging box office blockbusters. While Tiger 3 is arriving this Diwali and talks of Pathaan 2 and War 2 are going on, the biggest film of the franchise Tiger Vs Pathaan feature two megastars Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan is set to roll from January next year.

According to Bollywood Hungama, a trade source said, “YRF isn’t talking about this project just yet because they have grand plans to announce it in a massive way but a lot of work has already started on Tiger vs Pathaan. We are expecting the film to start rolling in January 2024. Aditya Chopra is going to keep all details under wraps because this is the biggest Bollywood film that the industry has attempted to make in a long, long time. It is not every day that you get India’s biggest superstars SRK and Salman in one film!”

While Salman Khan’s cameo in Pathaan made theatre halls in the stadium, SRK will show his charm in his special appearance in Tiger 3. But watching these two megastars as main leads in Tiger Vs Pathaan will be a visual extravaganza for the cinegoers.

Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan will be next seen in Jawan, which also features Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi in prominent roles. The actioner is directed by Atlee, who previously helmed Tamil blockbusters like Theri, Mersal and Bigil.

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Tuesday, March 28, 2023

IPL 2023 PBKS preview: Punjab aim to shake off image of perennial underachievers in 16th season

PBKS IPL 2023 Preview: One of the eight original teams in the Indian Premier League, the Punjab Kings, or Kings XI Punjab before the 2021 season, have over the years made an name for themselves as the perennial underachievers. And it’s for good reason that PBKS have this impression, which they will desperately be looking to shake off heading into the 16th season of the IPL.

Punjab, after all, have made the playoffs just twice in the history of the tournament, in the inaugural edition in 2008 where they lost to Chennai Super Kings, and in 2014, their only appearance in an IPL final till date where they lost to the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Since the highs of the runner-up finish in 2014, Punjab have finished at the bottom of the table twice and have finished sixth in each of the last four editions (with the 2022 tournament being a 10-team affair).

A possible reason as to why PBKS has underwhelmed in the last eight seasons could be the lack of a solid core, a central tenet in team sport. Another reason could be leadership-related, with Punjab having frequently changed captains — Shikhar Dhawan is their 14th skipper in 16 editions. Also, the last time Punjab had the same captain for more than two seasons was Adam Gilchrist between 2011 and 2013.

In Dhawan, however, Punjab have a tried-and-tested leader, someone who has been leading the Indian team in the absence of the Virat Kohlis and Rohit Sharmas in recent years, someone who knows how to get the best out of his side, especially younger players. And given Dhawan was their leading run-scorer in the last season with 460 runs at an average of 38.33, the veteran southpaw will hope to lead from the front this season.

IPL 2023 Factbox | Everything you need to know about PBKS

Punjab had created a new record in the player auction in December by shelling out more than Rs 18 crore for England all-rounder Sam Curran, making him the most expensive player of all time in the league. Curran, who debuted with PBKS in 2019 before representing Chennai Super Kings in 2020 and 2021, is expected to play a major role this season and will hope to prove his money’s worth.

Besides Curran, focus will also be on Liam Livingstone, an explosive middle-order option who played every game last season for the Kings, collecting 437 runs at an average of 36.42 at a mind-boggling strike-rate of 182.08.

Another individual who could help Punjab end their nine-year wait for a playoffs appearance is Zimbabwean Sikandar Raza, who was an absolute steal at the auction as he was purchased at his base price of Rs 50 lakh. Raza, like Curran, had a terrific run in the T20 World Cup Down Under and also played an all-round role in Lahore Qalandars’s path to title victory in the 2023 edition of the Pakistan Super League.

But a major worry for the Kings will be the absence of Jonny Bairstow, who is yet to recover from the foot injury that he suffered while playing golf last year. The Englishman has proved to quite handy, whether batting in the top three or in the middle, striking at over 140 in each of the last two seasons of the IPL, and substituting him will be no mean feat even though Australia’s Matthew Short, his replacement in the squad this season, finished the second-highest run-scorer in the Big Bash League in January, scoring 458 runs at an average and strike rate of 35.23 and 144.47 respectively, including a century.

Past performances:

Possible XI:

Shikhar Dhawan, Matthew Short, Raj Bawa, Liam Livingstone, M Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh, Vidwath Kaverappa, Rahul Chahar

Squad:

Shikhar Dhawan (c), Matthew Short, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Sikandar Raza, Raj Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Baltej Singh, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, Mohit Rathee

Schedule:

1 April — vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Mohali (3:30 PM)

5 April — vs Rajasthan Royals, Guwahati (7:30 PM)

9 April — vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Hyderabad (7:30 PM)

13 April — vs Gujarat Titans, Mohali (7:30 PM )

15 April — vs Lucknow Super Giants, Lucknow (7:30 PM)

20 April — vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mohali (3:30 PM )

22 April — vs Mumbai Indians, Mumbai (7:30 PM)

28 April — vs Lucknow Super Giants, Mohali (7:30 PM)

30 April — vs Chennai Super Kings, Chennai (3:30 PM)

3 May — vs Mumbai Indians, Mohali (7:30 PM)

8 May — vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Kolkata (7:30 PM)

13 May — vs Delhi Capitals, Delhi (7:30 PM)

17 May — vs Delhi Capitals, Dharamsala (7:30 PM)

19 May — vs Rajasthan Royals, Dharamsala (7:30 PM)

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