Harshit Rana’s stunning last over paves way for KKR towards victory

Kolkata Knight Riders defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad by four runs in a closely contested match on Saturday at Eden Gardens with to a masterful last over from Harshit Rana. 
He not only saved runs in the last over but he was also the most successful bowler for KKR, he bagged 3 crucial wickets and put KKR into the drivers seat. 

The post KKR vs SRH, IPL 2024: Kolkata Knight Riders defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad in a last ball thriller appeared first on Cricket Country.

The six-down Kolkata Knight Riders scored a huge total of 208 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens thanks to Andre Russell’s unceasing output and Rinku Singh’s excellent assistance at the other end. Russell took on every SRH bowlers to go to the dry cleaners with ease. T Natarajan claimed three wickets and emerged as the most efficient bowler for the SRH. Pat Cummins, the skipper of Sunrisers Hyderabad, had earlier won the toss and chose to bowl against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Another milestone that came in with his fantastic knock was that Russell became the fastest player to hit 200 sixes in the Indian Premier League.

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Marsh was the first to go down in wickets. After hitting two fours and two sixes in each of his 20 runs off 12 balls, he was removed by Harshal Patel in the fourth over of the match.

The team’s next player, a great wicketkeeper-batter from the West Indies, contributed a brief but vital innings. Throughout his inning, the right-hand hitter hit two boundaries and two sixes in addition to scoring 33 runs off of 25 balls.

DC skipper Rishabh Pant, making a comeback after missing the last season due to injuries from a life-threatening car accident in December 2022, managed only 18 runs, including two boundaries, in the match.

Axar Patel, a key all-rounder for India, played a vital role, scoring 21 runs off 13 balls with two fours and a six.

The visitors made a strategic substitution, bringing in Porel for Ricky Bhui. Porel’s unbeaten 32 off just 10 balls, featuring four boundaries and two sixes, proved to be a game-changer.

Arshdeep Singh and Harshal Patel led the bowling attack for the hosts, taking two wickets each in their four-over spells, conceding 28 and 47 runs, respectively. Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet, and Rahul Chahar also contributed with one wicket each.

The post IPL 2024: Abhishek Porel’s 4,6,4,4,6 in a over leaves everyone stunned- WATCH appeared first on Cricket Country.

Abhishek Porel, batting at number nine, led the way for DC with an undefeated 32 off only 10 balls, helping the team to a total that Punjab could not match on a field devoid of demons.

The Punjab Kings started their chase well, reaching 34 in three overs as Shikhar Dhawan (22 off 16 balls) attempted a charge down the wicket but failed, allowing Ishant Sharma to disrupt his middle stump.

Effect Sub Ishant squared up Prabhsimran, who came in at number three, with a pitch that was just the right length, leaving the hitter stunned. In response, Prabhsimran hit a boundary past mid-off, demonstrating his aggressive purpose.

As Jonny Bairstow, having scored two fours in three balls, was attempting to secure runs, he found himself unfortunate as Ishant managed to just touch a Prabhsimran drive before it struck the stumps at the non-striker’s end, leading to Bairstow being run out despite his diving effort, having backed up too far and unable to beat the ball.

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Prabhsimran, who had contributed 27 runs off 17 balls, alleviated pressure by hitting two consecutive fours off Khaleel Ahmed but eventually succumbed to Kuldeep Yadav’s googly after stabilizing Punjab’s innings. Kuldeep further strengthened his grip on the match by dismissing Jitesh Sharma, leaving Punjab in a precarious position at 100 for four in the 12th over.

Earlier, the aggressive Australian opening pair of David Warner (29 off 21 balls) and Mitchell Marsh (20 off 12 balls) immediately put Punjab under pressure with their boundary-laden innings. Marsh capitalized on a loose delivery from Sam Curran for the first boundary of the day and then confidently dispatched another loose ball for a four, setting the tone for Delhi Capitals’ innings.

Warner, not to be outdone, showcased his stroke play by hitting a six off left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh and followed it up with a boundary through the cover-point region. Despite the introduction of Kagiso Rabada into the attack, Marsh continued his onslaught with a towering six over deep backward square leg off Arshdeep.

Although Marsh fell to Arshdeep after a well-struck drive, Warner remained undeterred, attacking Rabada for a boundary through mid-off and executing a scoop shot for a maximum over fine leg.

Harpreet Brar’s economical over briefly slowed down the run flow, but Shai Hope initiated a 14-run over against Rahul Chahar with a six and a four.

Harshal Patel struck a crucial blow by dismissing Warner in his first over, bringing Rishabh Pant to the crease amidst cheers from the crowd, acknowledging his resilience after surviving a car accident in December 2022.

Pant managed to find the fence twice before his dismissal, which appeared relatively soft, off Harshal.

Meanwhile, Rabada accounted for Hope, and Chahar removed Tristan Stubbs as Delhi’s innings stumbled to 128/6 by the 16th over.

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On his captaincy debut, Gaikwad was pretty successful, particularly with his bowling selections after RCB had gotten off to a fast start led by Faf du Plessis. After RCB chose to bat first, a scorching 41-run partnership left Chennai in ruins. However, the hosts quickly recovered, with Mustafizur Rahman taking two wickets in the powerplay’s final over and Deepak Chahar taking another in the next over to reduce the Royals to only three down for 42 runs.

At the conclusion of the ninth over of the strategic time-out, Gaikwad was observed engaging in a protracted conversation with Dhoni, presumably in search of guidance on how to go with the remaining half of the innings.

But the RCB came back, putting up a 174-run target thanks to a 95-run sixth-wicket partnership between Anuj Rawat and Dinesh Karthik. Following the conclusion of the first innings, a social media video featuring Dhoni actively laying the pitch during the RCB’s batting innings ignited a discussion on whether Gaikwad was only an on-paper captain.

Former India cricketer and CSK player Subramaniam Badrinath reckoned the same as well as he took to social media and wrote: “I think MS Dhoni is still the fielding captain”

Chennai Super Kings emerged as the winners of opening match as they defeated RCB by six wickets.

The post IPL 2024: Debate sparked after Dhoni sets the field despite Ruturaj Gaikwad being the captain in CSK vs RCB match appeared first on Cricket Country.

Excerpts:

Parthiv Patel opines about the match between CSK and RCB

“We couldn’t have asked for a better start to the tournament. Looking at the pitch, it may be a bit slow, but we always see the IPL get off to a blockbuster start. The biggest takeaways for me from tonight’s game will be how Virat Kohli bats and the position at which MS Dhoni plays.”

Suresh Raina lays down expectations from Legend MS Dhoni

“The best thing is that he’s looking fit. He looks to be in good form and is batting well. But, I would want to see him bat higher in the order. The whole world wants to see him bat for five overs and not the last two overs. When he comes to the crease, he’ll take some time to settle down and you’ll see his helicopter sixes after that. He went through an operation, he will not be captaining, so this will be a big IPL for him. He would be hoping that CSK can maintain a champion’s mindset. That will happen when Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and Daryl Mitchell set the tone. So, they have to tick a lot of boxes.”

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Parthiv Patel talks about Virat Kohli’s Comeback

“When the stage is big, Kohli delivers. His intensity is so high that he does not need to look for motivation. He has almost 1,000 runs against CSK in the IPL, and he has batted at different positions. So, I think he’ll open and score his runs. But what will matter is the strike rate that he maintains. That’s from the point of view of the T20 World Cup. Because in the Indian team we have Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal opening the innings. Will Kohli bat for India as an opener or at No. 3 is a question that has to be answered.”

Suresh Raina mentions about Kohli can be the probable opener in the match

“I think he’ll open the innings with Faf du Plessis. They have batsmen below them who can strike the ball well. On a wicket like this, we’ll see him run a lot of singles. His form will be very important in the context of the T20 World Cup because the wickets in the West Indies are slow. He won’t be short on motivation especially after Smriti Mandhana and her team have lifted the WPL trophy!”

Chances of RCB beating CSK

“I think RCB have the team to beat CSK. Also, whichever team plays against CSK will say that Ruturaj is now the captain, not Dhoni, so there’s the psychological factor as well. The heat of Chennai has a different feeling, but the Dhoni wave is different. So, a lot will depend on Ruturaj’s body language.”

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Earlier this month, Minz was involved in a bike accident. Even while his father told PTI that the injury wasn’t significant and that he only had minor bruises, it appears that GT opted not to take the chance and has now purchased a replacement. Sharath plays as a batsman and wicketkeeper for Karnataka in domestic cricket. In addition to playing in 43 List A games, 20 First-Class matches, and 28 T20s, he has scored 328 runs in T20 cricket. At ₹20 lakhs, which is his base pay, he will join GT.

In the meantime, RR had held Zampa before the auction the previous year. However, his manager informed ESPNcricinfo on Thursday that he would not be playing in the 2024 Indian Premier League because of personal issues. In six IPL 2023 appearances, Zampa claimed eight wickets at a strike rate of 23.50 and an economy rate of 8.54, with statistics of 3/22 in a victory over CSK at home.

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Tanush Kotian, who was instrumental in Mumbai’s 42nd Ranji Trophy championship campaign, has taken Zampa’s spot. In 23 T20s, 26 First Class, and 19 List A matches, he has played for Mumbai. At a base pay of ₹20 lakhs, he joined RR.

The post GT’s Robin Minz Out of IPL 2024 Due to Bike Accident; Tanush Kotian Joins RR as Replacement for Zampa appeared first on Cricket Country.

When will the CSK vs RCB, IPL 2024 match be played?

The CSK vs RCB, IPL 2024 match will be played on Friday, March 22.

Where will the CSK vs RCB, IPL 2024 match be played?

The CSK vs RCB, IPL 2024 match will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

What time will the CSK vs RCB, IPL 2024 match start?

The CSK vs RCB, IPL 2024 match will start at 8 PM IST (Toss at 7:30 PM IST).

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Which TV channels will telecast the CSK vs RCB, IPL 2024 match?

The CSK vs RCB, IPL 2024 match will be telecasted on the Star Sports Network.

Where to follow the live streaming of the CSK vs RCB, IPL 2024 match?

The CSK vs RCB, IPL 2024 match will be streamed live on Jio Cinema for free.

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As Dhoni announced the news, head coach of the Chennai Super Kings, Stephen Fleming, described the moments in the dressing room.

“(When Dhoni broke the news) there were a lot of emotions. A whole lot of tears. There wasn’t a dry eye in the dressing room. Everyone was moved. Last time (when CSK changed the captain) we weren’t as prepared for MS to move and for a change in leadership,” Fleming said.

“There was also a round of congratulations to Ruturaj. He isn’t the most vocal person, but he has qualities to lead us in the right direction.”

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Dhoni stepped down from his position as captain of CSK two years prior, afterwhich Ravindra Jadeja had taken over. This is not the first time he has done so. However, that decision backfired, as Dhoni was asked to return to captain the team midway through the campaign. But Fleming anticipates a different tale this time.

“Well, the big thing about a couple of years ago was that we probably weren’t ready for MS to move aside,” Fleming said. “And what that did was probably shake us as a leadership group or coaches into looking at the possibility when he does go. And up until that stage, it was almost unthinkable, but it sowed the seed. So, we’ve worked pretty hard on making sure that any mistakes that were made during then aren’t made again. And that the leadership isn’t a secret.”

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Ponting mentioned about how Pant has made a commendable progess in a short span of time and now he is giving his hundred percent to gain the trust back in his body inorder to perform well.

“He (Pant) has probably batted more in the last week than he has ever batted leading into most of the IPLs. I think from his point of view, he wants to get a bit of trust back in his body again,” said Ponting on the skipper’s approach at the pre-season camp. “He has been putting himself through a few different paces and playing all the shots that he plays. He has been great, and more importantly, he has got a smile on his face, which is what all we love to see,” said Ponting

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Pant’s enthusiasm and energy creates a positive team environment

Sourav Ganguly also came in to opine about Pant and his dedication towards the game, his exceptional road towards recovery stunned everyone

“We all love his infectious attitude and smile around the group. Although he is still young in age, he has actually played a lot of cricket. He sets an example, he has a lot of energy and that’s why other people tend to follow.”

“He is not the conservative type of batter, so you expect that character in his captaincy. Nobody comes as a ready-made captain. You learn as you go and I think captaincy is by instinct. I’m looking forward to watching him during the tournament,” said Ganguly.

He further mentioned that the cricketer had experienced an emotional roller coaster while he was healing.

“I’m surprised with the improvements he has made. Hopefully, it’s a good season for him because he has gone through a lot emotionally. It’s never easy when you go through that sort of injury,” Ganguly said.

“It will be great to see him back not just for the Delhi Capitals, but for the Delhi Ranji team and for India as well because he is a special talent, a special player,”he further concluded

The post ‘I’m surprised with the improvements he has made’: Ricky Ponting Reflects on Rishabh Pant’s Remarkable Progress Since Fatal Accident appeared first on Cricket Country.