Lucknow Super Giants along with Gujarat Titans were one of the two new teams added to IPL 2022. While Gujarat won the IPL title this year, Lucknow made it to the playoffs and managed to create an impact in their debut season.

Team mentor Gautam Gambhir spoke about the management making sure they assembled a good squad of players which they did. KL Rahul was then named the captain of the franchise and he managed to take them to the playoffs. However, on the flip side, they failed to win a single game against the other three teams that made the playoffs.

They have a few areas to work on ahead of the next IPL season. Not losing games from winning situations is something they need to focus on next season. There were a few positives for them this year and we take a look at three most valuable players from LSG in IPL 2022.

IPL 2022: 3 Most Valuable Players Of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

Quinton de Kock

De Kock made an immediate impact playing for a brand new team in his IPL career. He ended the season as LSG’s second-highest run-scorer and with the highest individual score this year. Mumbai let go off de Kock and Lucknow snapped him up at the auction. The move turned out to be a masterstroke and his partnership with KL Rahul up at the top worked wonders for his team.

Also Read: IPL 2022: Rating Performance Of All Captains Out Of 10

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The five-time IPL winners suffered one of their worst campaigns in the history of the tournament losing the first eight matches on the trot.

Rohit Sharma and his men became the first team that bowed out of IPL 2022 owing to their dismal performance.

MI outplayed rivals CSK by five wickets to end their hopes of making the cut for the playoffs.

Senior players like skipper Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Kieron Pollard being out of form was the biggest concern for MI this season, where they had plenty of youngsters coming in.

Jasprit was also under fire in the major part of the tournament, picking just five wickets in the first 10 matches. 

Let us look at the three best clashes of Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2022.

IPL 2022: 3 Most Memorable Encounters Of The Season For Mumbai Indians (MI)

MI vs RR (April 2, Navi Mumbai)

Mumbai Indians won their first game of the season after registering a victory against Rajasthan Royals by five wickets in the second leg.

Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma led the charge with the bat and rescued MI out of trouble as they successfully chased down the target of 159.

Chasing 159, MI were 22/0 in two overs before skipper Rohit Sharma’s top-edge was caught by Daryl Mitchell, off Ravi Ashwin’s bowling.

Ishan Kishan put pressure on the bowlers with his aggressive blows but the opener mistimed a pull-shot, which was caught by Samson. MI were 41-2 at the end of 6 overs.

Suryakumar Yadav counter-attacked and struck three fours to get going. Tilak Varma was also off the mark with a six straight down the ground.

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India player Suryakumar Yadav has uncovered the entire story behind his long gaze with Virat Kohli during a match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2020, saying that the previous RCB skipper was going all out in sledging the opponents that evening.

It was the 48th match of the season, played in Abu Dhabi, and batting first, RCB had posted 164/6. MI, in reply, lost two early wickets however Suryakumar’s fifty restored MI and put the pursuit on course. There was a period in play when Suryakumar hit the ball to Kohli, who got it, approached the MI hitter, and gave him a long gaze.

Virat Kohli’s Sledging Was On Another Level: Suryakumar Yadav Remembers Clash Against RCB In 2020

Nonetheless, Kohli’s ploy of getting under Suryakumar’s skin didn’t function as the MI player played a shining knock of 79 off 43 balls and took MI over the line to dominate the game by five wickets. Surya has spoken about this episode in the past also however none was as detailed as the one he has shared at this point.

“That’s his style. His energy level on the ground is always different. And that game was extremely important for both teams so Virat’s sledging was on another level in that match. I was focused on myself, like ‘boss, you cannot lose focus and have to win the match at any cost’. The ball went to him and he made that action from there and it was very instinctive,” Suryakumar told actor, television, and cricket presenter Gaurav Kapur on his famous YouTube Show Breakfast with Champions’.

I Was Scared The Way Kohli Walked Towards Me: Suryakumar Yadav

During the instance, while Suryakumar did well to keep his poise and not answer Kohli, the batter reviews that he was in a manner scared by seeing Kohli strolling at him and sharing a long eye-to-eye connection. Suryakumar added that given the significance of the match, it was significant for him not to forget about the circumstance and try to avoid panicking.

“I remember I was chewing gum and inside my heartbeat is racing knowing that he is walking at me. He isn’t saying anything, I wasn’t saying anything. I was saying to myself ‘no matter what happens, do not say a word. It’s a matter of 10 seconds. After this, a new over will begin. This won’t last long. So the situation passed. I then saw him right after the match,” mentioned Suryakumar.

Suryakumar proceeded to have a fine season for MI, scoring 480 runs with the assistance of four half-centuries as Mumbai Indians lifted the title that year for a record fifth time defeating Delhi Capitals in the finals.

Also Read: Ramiz Raja Opts Not To Resign On Advice Of High-Profile Personality

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With the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022) season less than a week, away, Delhi Capitals’ head coach Ricky Ponting has shown full faith in his squad and has urged that in a year or two they will have a powerful squad capable enough to challenge for the title. The Delhi Capitals have some of the fearsome players around the world with the addition of David Warner, Mitchell Marsh and captain Rishabh Pant (retained).

The former Australia captain believes that his team has all the ingredients to be successful and will be a force to reckon with in a year or two.

Ricky Ponting Looking To Go Big In Upcoming IPL

”We have really got a good squad this year, but in a couple of years with some of the young guys we have bought up; we can develop them and have a really powerful squad in a year or two,” the Delhi Capitals head coach said while speaking to DCTV.

The former World Cup-winner also highlighted the importance of having experienced campaigners like Pant, Axar Patel and Anrich Nortje who have been around the squad. Delhi have a good mixture of young players and experienced players in the form of Warner, Pant alongside India U-19 captain Yash Dhull and Prithvi Shaw.

“Axar has been here for a long time now, Rishabh has been the captain of the squad and Nortje has been here for a couple of years. They need to understand their roles and responsibilities in the team.”

“The part of the coaching is to, empower the players that you need to empower and get the best out of them. If we can do that as a coaching collective and coaching group and make sure that the job is done for the team,” the 47-year-old added.

The Delhi who haven’t won the competition in the history of IPL will face record five-time champions Mumbai Indians in their opening contest on Sunday (March 27). This year with Covid-19 restrictions, the IPL season will be played in Mumbai and Pune for the league phase while the location for Play-offs remains undecided.

Delhi Capitals IPL 2022 squad in full: Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Axar Patel, Prithvi Shaw, Anrich Nortje, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Shardul Thakur, Mustafizur Rahman, Kuldeep Yadav, Ashwin Hebbar, Abhishek Sharma, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, KS Bharat, Mandeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Chetan Sakariya, Lalit Yadav, Ripal Patel, Yash Dhull, Rovman Powell, Pravin Dubey, Lungi Ngidi, Vicky Ostwal, Sarfaraz Khan.

Also Read: IPL 2022: MS Dhoni Is Definitely The Secret For CSK’s Success – Nikhil Chopra

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The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the most popular cricket tournaments, not only in India but around the world. 

Since IPL’s inception in the year 2008, the T20 match series has witnessed several record-breaking performances. A number of interesting records have been created since the start of the tournament.

Most fans believe that the 13th season of IPL in 2020 was one of the most unique seasons of the tournament. Many unique records were created in IPL 2020. In fact, every IPL franchise created a new record under its name. 

Here is a look at some unforgettable records created by different individuals and IPL franchises during IPL 2020.

1. Highest Run-chase by Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals pulled off an incredible run-chase against Kings XI Punjab. The record was previously held by the same team. 

Kings Punjab set a target of 224 runs for the Rajasthan Royals. This target seemed like an impossible feat to achieve.

Team Rajasthan Royals pleasantly surprised everyone by hitting 226 runs in just 19.3 overs. They emerged victorious, breaking their own record after 12 years. 

2. Two Super Overs in the Same Match

A Super Over is an additional over when each team bats for one moreover after the match ends in a tie. The team that scores higher runs in the Super Over is declared the winner. 

Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians ended up playing twin super overs in the same match. Both these teams had been a part of a super over against other teams. However, nobody could have imagined that 2 super overs would take place in the same match. 

3. Chennai Super Kings failed to qualify for Playoffs

Historically, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) qualified for the playoffs a maximum number of times. However, this changed in IPL 2020 as they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time. 

Chennai Super Kings is considered a very successful team under the able captainship of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. However, IPL 2020 did not seem to go in their favor. 

The poor performance of CSK bowlers and batsmen were identified as the key reason for the setback. They won just 6 matches, which was the lowest by CSK in IPL tournaments.

4. Mohammed Siraj’s back to back wicket maiden

Mohammed Siraj of Royal Challenge Bangalore bowled back-to-back wicket maidens and finished with a fantastic spell of 4-2-8-3. 

Subsequently, in this match RCB bowled out Kolkata Knight Riders for 84 runs and won the match in just 13.3 overs.

Siraj became the first bowler in the history of the IPL tournament to bowl a back-to-back wicket maiden.

5. IPL had a Record Viewership

IPL 2020 reached a record viewership of more than 400 million. 

This means that almost half of all Indian TV viewers watched the IPL at one point or another.

The viewership numbers of the 2020 IPL tournament were also record-high due to the fact that many Indians were in lockdown or had very little to do during those peak Covid-19 months.

The high IPL 2020 viewership numbers also had an impact on other areas. For example, there were more people than ever using online cricket betting sites during the tournament, according to MyBetting.in.

Many betting beginners tried their hand at online betting in India during IPL 2020, as betting platforms provided a new and interesting way to engage with the sport.

So it’s safe to say that the IPL 2020 was a record-breaking tournament in more than a few different areas!

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Indian middle-order batsman Suryakumar Yadav who represents Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) talking about his ‘Main Hoon Naa (I am there) celebration after the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 game against Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has said that he didn’t plan that celebration and everything “happened instinctively”.

Suryakumar Yadav who has been retained by Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction, played a sensational knock for the franchise in the Indian Premier League 2020 game against RCB in Abu Dhabi.

He smashed unbeaten 79 runs and after taking the team over the finish line he made a gesture which suggested “Don’t worry; I am there”.

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Meanwhile, speaking with cricket presenter Vikram Sathaye, Suryakumar said that his family says that his knock against RCB was one of his best knocks. He said: “My family says it is one of the best knocks I have played in recent past. During the tournament, everyone was telling me – ‘yes, you are scoring runs; you are contributing in every game, but we want to see you finish a game’.”

He revealed that he expected to get an India call-up for the Australia tour after his consistent performance in IPL and domestic cricket but was disappointed to not see his name on the squad list.

“Almost half the IPL was over before that match (against RCB) happened. I still remember, the Indian team (for the tour of Australia) was going to be announced. I had a good IPL 2019 and 2020 season, and I scored runs in domestic cricket as well.”

“I expected that I would get a call. It was not an arrogant thought like ‘yes, I am going to get a call’. But, back of the mind, there was this hope that the long wait would end,” he maintained.

“When I saw the squad ,and my name was not in it, I was a little disappointed. From my side, I was trying to do everything. I took my wife to the beach for walks, and missed a few practice sessions, as I was thinking about that (not being selected) only.”

Mahela Jayawardene and Zaheer Khan Said That This Was The Perfect Opportunity To Prove Myself As It Was MI vs RCB – Suryakumar Yadav

“One day, Mahela (Jayawardene) and Zak (Zaheer Khan) came up to me, and said that this was the perfect opportunity to prove myself as it was MI vs RCB. I said, ok, but back of the mind, I was lost and disappointed. I didn’t know what was happening even as the trainers and captain were speaking to me,” he further said.

Talking about the RCB game Suryakumar Yadav said that the platform was set to prove his worth and he started off slow but in the end finished off the match for the team and did that famous match-winning celebration.

“We fielded first and were set a tough target of 165. My batting came in the 6th over. I told myself this is the perfect platform to prove my worth. At the first time-out, my thought was that if I can remain not out, and take the team to victory, all the boxes will be ticked properly.

“I started slowly, but then, gradually, I started taking on (Yuzvendra) Chahal and Dale Steyn. After the game, when I won the match for the team, I glanced at the dressing room and where my family was sitting. It all happened instinctively. I had not planned anything. Everything happened according to what was happening over there,” he elaborated.

Also Read: Virat Kohli Was Stripped Of Captaincy So He Could Become A Match-Winner Again, Feels Venkatapathy Raju

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Former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Saba Karim has opined that Virat Kohli wanted to continue as One Day Internationals (ODI) captain of the team but not being able to win an ICC trophy could have cost him the 50-over captaincy.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) senior selection committee has appointed opening batsman Rohit Sharma as new One Day Internationals (ODI) and T20I captain of the India National Cricket Team. Also, Rohit has replaced Ajinkya Rahane as Virat Kohli’s deputy in the Test cricket.

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Karim highlighted that Kohli while announcing the decision to quit the T20I captaincy would have confirmed that he want to leave the ODI captaincy as well but he didn’t do that because he wanted to continue. Speaking on YouTube show Khelneeti cricketer-turned-commentator said:

“It is right to say that Kohli has been sacked. He made the announcement while leaving the T20I captaincy and could have confirmed that he does not want to continue as ODI captain as well. This meant he wanted to remain ODI captain. Not being able to win an ICC trophy could have cost Virat Kohli the ODI captaincy.”

I Am Confident That Rahul Dravid Or Someone From The BCCI Would Have Had A Word With Virat Kohli – Saba Karim

However, Karim feels that Head Coach Rahul Dravid or any other senior BCCI official would have had talks with Kohli regarding this matter.

“I am confident that Rahul Dravid or someone from the BCCI would have had a word with Virat Kohli regarding their plans of introducing split captaincy. Dravid has often put emphasis on having clear communication with players. So, when it comes to taking such a big decision, I believe someone would have surely talked to Kohli,” he stated.

Former India cricketer Nikhil Chopra who was also featured in the video shared on Khelneeti’s YouTube channel said that splitting the captains in white-ball cricket would have created a lot of confusion. So making separate captains for ODI-T20I and Test was a good decision.

“There would have been confusion if there had been different captains in ODIs and T20Is. Kohli still has an opportunity to clinch an ICC trophy and the World Test Championship is going to be crucial for him. Whereas Rohit has two World Cups coming up and he now gets a chance to build a team for the same,” he asserted.

Also Read: This Doesn’t Come As A Surprise To Me, It Was On The Cards – Salman Butt On Rohit Sharma Replacing Virat Kohli As ODI Captain

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India and Mumbai Indians (MI) batsman Suryakumar Yadav revealed that he loved and was happy when Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and India captain Virat Kohli sledged him during an IPL 2020 match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Chasing 165, Suryakumar Yadav slammed an unbeaten 79 to help MI win a tight contest and as things heated up in the match, Virat Kohli was seen saying something to the Mumbai batsman in order to unnerve him, but Suryakumar Yadav just ignored what was said and looked in his elements.

I Was Happy That Virat Kohli Sledged Me: Suryakumar Yadav

The match had seen Mumbai Indians been asked to chase down 165 runs, but openers Quinton de Kock (18) and Ishan Kishan (25) failed to give a flying start at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Saurabh Tiwary followed soon for 5 runs, but Suryakumar Yadav stood steadfast and scored runs at a brisk pace.

Krunal Pandya (10) and Hardik Pandya (17) added crucial runs with Suryakumar, who remained unbeaten on 79 in 43 balls with 10 fours and 3 sixes, as MI reached the target with 5 balls and 5 wickets to spare.

Talking about the sledging incident where Virat Kohli had a go at him, Suryakumar said that that who Virat is, someone who goes hard at any batsman in the opposing team. Suryakumar said the staring was a heat of the moment thing and said he respected Kohli.

“It’s not just me, he goes hard at any batsman batting against him. I was happy that he sledged me. It means even Kohli knew that if I bat on, we will win the match and if they got my wicket, then maybe they could slow us down and create a chance to win,” Suryakumar Yadav said about Kohli in a live chat on Mumbai Indians’ Instagram handle.

“I am a cool and calm customer on the pitch, so I don’t get into these rivalries. But there was that moment in Abu Dhabi, so I guess that can go down as one,” he said.

RCB had batted first in the match after MI captain Kieron Pollard won the toss. They put on 164/6 in 20 overs with Devdutt Padikkal making 74 with 12 fours and 1 six and Josh Philippe making 33 runs and adding 71 runs for the first wicket.

Also Read: “I Will Give You The Chance”- Yuzvendra Chahal Reveals How Rohit Sharma Handed Him His IPL Debut 

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On Wednesday (28th April) night, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) will compete against each other at Arun Jaitley Stadium (Delhi) during the 23rd match of the IPL 2021.

Both teams will play their sixth game of this IPL 2021. CSK have already earned 8 points in five matches of this season after winning four games and losing the other one. Meanwhile, struggling SRH have earned only 2 points after their five games of this tournament as they have won once and lost four times (including one Super Over defeat).

IPL 2021, Match 23: CSK vs SRH – Weather Forecast

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) will face each other at Arun Jaitley Stadium (Delhi) this Wednesday (28th April) night. This match has been scheduled to begin at 07:30 PM (19:30) local time.

According to the weather forecast, the sky will be clear for most of the days while the temperature of the day can be around 42°C to 26°C. While there is a very rare chance of rain for the entire day, the cricket fans can expect another exciting IPL 2021 match without any interruptions.

IPL 2021, Match 23: CSK vs SRH – Pitch Report

Arun Jaitley Stadium (Delhi) will host this IPL 2021 match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). It will be the first T20 match at this venue since 2019.

In T20 cricket, it is not a high-scoring venue. However, we have also experienced some big T20 totals at this venue while we have already experienced four IPL centuries at this venue. The spinners enjoy this venue most, especially the leg-spinners. But pacers also have good records at this venue.

Observing the recent years’ records, 165+ totals are strongly defendable at this T20 venue.

Average first innings score in T20s (in last five games, including successful defending): 156.20 (2 wins)

Average second innings score in T20s (in last five games, including successful chasing): 148 (3 wins)

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Royal Challengers Bangalore sustained yet another body blow ahead of IPL 2021 as all-rounder Daniel Sams became the latest player to be tested positive for COVID-19. Royal Challengers Bangalore confirmed through their official Twitter handle that Daniel Sams’ latest report from the second test on 7th April returned positive. Although, the left-arm seamer’s report on arrival on 3rd April came out as negative.

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s medical team revealed that it stays in constant touch with Daniel Sams to supervise his health as per BCCI’s protocols. The Sydney Thunder all-rounder succumbing to the deadly virus became the second instance after the franchise opening batsman Devdutt Padikkal had tested positive for COVID-19. Nevertheless, the Royal Challengers confirmed Paddikal tested negative; however, it remains unclear whether he would be available for the season opener on 9th April.

Meanwhile, the franchise has isolated Daniel Sams immediately to monitor his health. Sams arrived as a replacement for Jason Roy in the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2020; however, he got traded with Harshal Patel for the Royal Challengers ahead of IPL 2021. He featured in three matches for the Capitals last year, but went wicketless. Nonetheless, the 28-year old had an outstanding 2020-21 BBL season as he mustered 200 runs for the Thunder, keeping a strike rate of 188.67 in ten games and took 11 wickets at 23.72.

Below is Royal Challengers Bangalore’s tweet regarding Daniel Sams:

Royal Challengers Bangalore medical team is in constant touch with Daniel Sams and continue to monitor his health and abide by the BCCI protocols.

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) April 7, 2021

Overall, the second wave of COVID-19 in India has started raging through the upcoming edition of the T20 extravaganza. While cricketers like Padikkal, Nitish Rana, and Axar Patel have contracted the infection, 8-10 groundsmen of the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai suffered the same fate and so did a Chennai Super Kings’ member. On Tuesday, it also emerged that Mumbai Indians’ talent scout Kiran More also tested positive for COVID-19.

Also Read: IPL 2021: Watch – Rishabh Pant Hits Delhi Capitals Nets And Smacks The Ball Around

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Former Indian opening batsman Aakash Chopra has suggested an ideal combination for the Kolkata Knight Riders, while also opining on Sunil Narine’s form. Kolkata Knight Riders, who have won the IPL twice, will open their campaign against the SunRisers Hyderabad on the 11th of April in Chennai. Aakash Chopra opined that the Knight Riders should drop Sunil Narine if his performances are not up to the mark.

Sunil Narine has been an integral part of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ setup ever since his debut in 2012, winning the player of the tournament award that year and in 2018. But the West Indian all-rounder’s performances have been inconsistent, mainly owing to suspicious action. Last year, Narine featured in ten matches and scored only 121 runs and managed five wickets at 60.40.

Aakash Chopra underlined that Kolkata Knight Riders must be open to the idea of dropping Sunil Narine. While the 43-year old admits the spin-bowling all-rounder is a massive prospect; however, his bowling has lacked the bite since his action came into question.

“They should just open up to the idea of dropping Sunil Narine, if things are not working out. He is a big player but his bowling has not been that sharp since questions were raised about his action,” Chopra told in his Youtube channel.

I will have Tripathi as an opener with Gill: Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra believes that Kolkata should open with Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripathi, followed by Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan, Dinesh Karthik, and Andre Russell, making up the top six. The cricketer-turned-commentator suggested keeping Pat Cummins at number seven, while Prasidh Krishna and Varun Chakravarthy could follow.

“I will have Tripathi as an opener with Gill. I will keep Nitish Rana at No.3, Morgan at No.4 and Dinesh Karthik at No.5. This is your top five. Now you keep Andre Russell at No.6. If you keep him at No.6, the slight question will be whom will you bat at No.7? I would say try with Pat Cummins. If you keep Pat Cummins at No.7, you will have four proper bowlers after that. Varun Chakravarthy and Prasidh Krishna can be there in that. That makes it two,” he added.

Also Read: IPL 2021: Delhi Capitals Have The Players To Win The Title, Says Assistant Coach Mohammad Kaif

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Robin Uthappa, who Chennai Super Kings traded in from Rajasthan Royals ahead of the auction, says that he would prefer to don the opener’s role for the MS Dhoni-led side in the IPL 2021.

Uthappa has underperformed in the last couple of seasons, for Kolkata Knight Riders and then for Rajasthan Royals; feels that he was underutilized in the middle-order and could have done better had he batted at the top.

Uthappa, who now plays for Kerala in domestic cricket, has had a brilliant Vijay Hazare Trophy opening for his side. However, the opening slots in CSK, at least for the initial phase of the tournament, seem to be locked by Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis.

“I would definitely like to play as an opener. It is where I naturally thrive. Getting the team off to a good start and winning matches for the team is what I am most comfortable doing. In the last few years, people have tried to use me in positions that I am not necessarily good at. It is probably why you have seen a dip in performance. But whenever I have opened the batting, I have done really well,” Robin Uthappa told Times Of India.

I have got the fondest memories with Dhoni: Robin Uthappa

The 35-year-old will reunite with his former India captain, MS Dhoni at CSK. Both the veterans go back a long way as they made their ODI debuts around the same time. Robin Uthappa was a crucial part of the side with which MS Dhoni won the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa.

“I have got the fondest memories with Dhoni. We met for the first time during a Challenger Trophy campaign and played an NCA (National Cricket Academy) match together around 2004.

“We were very close when we were playing for India together. Since then, we have always been in touch. Our families are pretty close to each other as well. Our relationship has grown over the years. Even our kids are friends today,” Robin Uthappa added.

The 3-time champions will begin their campaign on April 10th against last season’s runner-ups, Delhi Capitals. All the matches will be plated in neutral venues, which means no home advantage for any team. The initial part of the tournament will be played behind closed doors.

“It is definitely a level playing field since no team is playing at home. As we are playing in India, spin will still play a role, especially at the back end of the tournament. It is unfortunate that we are not playing at home and in front of our fans, but home advantage is being nullified for all teams,” the former KKR batsman further added.

Also Read: Watch: Kieron Pollard Takes A Juggling One-Handed Stunner To Remove Dimuth Karunaratne

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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad recalled the initial setbacks he faced while playing the IPL 2020 in UAE and how a great team atmosphere helped him overcome that phase.

CSK had their worst campaign in the IPL history and failed to make it through to the playoffs for the very first time. But even amid the gloom, they found a shining light in Gaikwad, their biggest positive from the tournament, who fought back commendably after consecutive failures.

Roped in by CSK after impressing one and all with his performances at the domestic and India ‘A’ levels, Gaikwad was expected to lit-up the scene right from the start. However, things didn’t go according to the plan as he first joined the squad late because of being COVID-19 positive and then made only 5 runs, including two ducks, in his first three innings.

Gaikwad got dropped from the playing XI and wasn’t recalled by skipper MS Dhoni until the team had already been out of the play-offs race. But on comeback, Gaikwad dominated the proceedings and struck three half-centuries in three successive CSK wins.

CSK Reacts Positively To Failures: Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad credited the CSK team management, including captain Dhoni, for his turnaround and said the three-time champions don’t react negatively to failures.

“A lot matters on team atmosphere and how all the members in the team react to your failures…And I think CSK is one of the best in that and having everyone calm and cool minded around helped me focus more on my process..!” Gaikwad wrote in response to a query during a Q&A session on Instagram.

How A Chat With MS Dhoni Helped Gaikwad Regain His Best Touch

Gaikwad had earlier revealed how a chat with Dhoni boosted his morale and helped him bounce back.

“Dhoni walked up to me and asked me if I was under pressure. He said, ‘We don’t want to pressurise you, but we have expectations from you. All I want to tell you is you are going to play the next three games without any doubt, whether you score a run or not. Try and enjoy these games and not think about performance,” Ruturaj Gaikwad had told Sportstar in an interview.

Dhoni himself had praised Ruturaj Gaikwad at the end of the tournament, saying he looked in control once he got going.

“He’s one of the most talented players around. What makes it difficult is he’s not somebody who speaks a lot. So sometimes it becomes difficult for the management to gauge a player. Once he started going in the innings, you could see that he was hitting the ball the way he wants,” Dhoni had said.

“When we made him play the first game, he got out after stepping out. It was difficult to tell whether it was pressure that made him (Ruturaj Gaikwad) step out or whether that’s his natural game. One ball isn’t enough,” he added.

Despite his initial failures, Gaikwad ended the IPL 2020 with 204 runs from six innings at an average of 51.00 and strike-rate of 120.71. The right-hand batsman from Maharashtra will hope to be retained for the next edition and help CSK clinch their fourth IPL title.

The post CSK’s Ruturaj Gaikwad Recalls How The Team Helped Him Overcome Initial Struggle In IPL 2020 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

While Devdutt Padikkal may have expected some game time in the IPL for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the left-hander wouldn’t have thought that he would end up as the leading run-scorer of the team.

With the help of 5 half-centuries, Padikkal scored 473 runs- 7 more than the captain, Virat Kohli, and 19 ahead of the charismatic, AB de Villiers. Such was Padikkal’s impact for RCB that he outshined his batting partner and an accomplished international opener, Aaron Finch.

Kohli is one of the greatest batsmen in the world: Devdutt Padikkal

Devdutt Padikkal in an interview with Sportskeeda opined that Virat Kohli is one of the finest batsmen in the world and he learned a lot throughout the season while batting with his skipper. The southpaw said that he was very excited about being in the middle with Kohli, and enjoyed every moment spend with the Indian captain.

Devdutt Padikkal told Sportskeeda, “It’s special because he (Kohli) is one of the greatest batsmen in the world and to bat with him and learn from him throughout the season was something I was very excited about and I truly enjoyed every minute I spent with him.”

The 20-year-old has an amazing experience of playing alongside world-class players in the RCB squad. He said that receiving the debut cap and playing in his maiden IPL game was the left-hander’s most cherished moment and something which he had dreamt for a long time.

Padikkal, who warmed the bench for the entire season last year, was picked in the team from the first match this season instead of Parthiv Patel. The youngster struck 3 half-centuries in his first 4 games, and consistently provided solid starts to the team.

“The experience has been amazing, it was an incredible opportunity to play in the IPL alongside some of the greats of the game. Definitely, my debut for RCB is the moment I cherish the most this season because I’ve dreamt of that for a long time,” Padikkal added.

Also Read: Harbhajan Singh Predicts That Virat Kohli Will Soon Lift A World Cup Trophy

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Former India cricketer, Aakash Chopra has revealed the names of five players who he believes should be retained by the Delhi Capitals if there is a mega auction ahead of IPL 2021. In the previous mega auction three seasons ago, teams were allowed to retain three players, and use right-to-match cards for two players – a maximum of two overseas out of five players.

Delhi Capitals reached their maiden IPL final, but never looked favourites against a formidable Mumbai Indians. The Shreyas Iyer led outfit won seven of their first nine matches and slumped to a four-match losing streak. They defeated Bangalore and Hyderabad and made it into the finals, where they lost to Rohit Sharma’s team for the fourth time in the season.

I will prefer Marcus Stoinis over Anrich Nortje: Aakash Chopra

In a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra pointed out there was no uncapped player worthy of being retained. He started with opener, Shikhar Dhawan, captain Shreyas Iyer, and wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant as his first three retentions. Chopra said that though Pant didn’t have a good season, he will surely be retained.

Dhawan was the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament and Iyer was the fourth-highest. Pant could manage only one half-century- that he recorded in the final. However, more than his lack of runs, it was Pant’s strike rate of 113, which was concerning.

In his YouTube video, Aakash Chopra said, “If they have to retain 5 players, 3 Indians and 2 overseas, they don’t have an uncapped player whom they will think of retaining.

I would say Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant as the three Indians although Rishabh Pant did not have a good year but I will definitely retain him and I am pretty sure that the Delhi Capitals will also do that.

For two overseas players, Aakash Chopra opined that Kagiso Rabada would be an unquestionable choice. For the second overseas player, the commentator chooses Marcus Stoinis over Anrich Nortje. The Australian contributed to the team with both bat and ball and was arguably the best all-rounder of the season. Chopra says DC could look to buy back Nortje in the auction.

The 43-year-old understands that the Capitals would have to let go of some outstanding players like Ravichandran Ashwin, Prithvi Shaw, and Axar Patel.

“If I have to retain two overseas players, I will be keen to retain Marcus Stoinis and Kagiso Rabada. There could be a toss-up between Marcus Stoinis and Anrich Nortje but I will go with Marcus and try to buy back Nortje in the auction.

“The others will have to go. They will be a little sad about players like Prithvi Shaw, Ashwin and Axar Patel as they are two or three players they may want to keep in the team but I don’t think it will be possible to keep all of them,” Aakash Chopra added.

Also Read: Suryakumar Yadav Reveals The Advice That Rohit Sharma Gave Him After His Snub From Indian Team

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The Indian Premier League (IPL) saw its first-ever double super over in match number 36 between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab. While KL Rahul was Man of the Match for his 77 of 51 balls, it was Mohammed Shami who stole the show by defending merely 5 runs in the first of the two super overs.

The match was tied when Kings XI Punjab made the same number of runs as Mumbai Indians. In the super over, Jasprit Bumrah dismissed KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran and gave away only 5 runs. The match looks done and dusted when Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock came in to bat.

There is no margin for error when the target is so small: Mohammed Shami

Recently, Mohammed Shami talked about the super over, and his thought process at that time. Shami felt absolutely satisfied after defending just 5 runs against two very destructive batsman- Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock. The Bengal pacer opined that he couldn’t afford to bowl any bad ball as the target was so small. He believes that nobody would have given him a chance to defend such a paltry target against Rohit and de Kock.

Mohammed Shami said to BCCI, “Being able to defend just 5 runs against two most explosive batsmen is thoroughly satisfying. There is no margin for error when the target is so small. I don’t think anybody would have given us a chance against such top-class batters.

Shami backed his skills to nail the yorkers at that time. He said that bowling a pinpoint yorker is difficult- if he missed the mark it would end up as a full toss or a half volley. The 30-year-old seamer was in tremendous form in the IPL, especially with the new ball in the powerplay. In IPL 2020, he snared 20 wickets at an economy of 8.57.

“I remained hopeful and backed my skills. When you are bowling yorkers there is a chance that you will end up bowling a low full toss, but I am happy I could execute my skills,” he added.

Mohammed Shami is currently in Australia where he is selected in all three format squads to take on the hosts. The ODI series commences on November 27th in Sydney.

Also Read: Australia vs India 2020-21: A Member Of Team India Labelled Quarantine Life In The Bio-Bubble As A ‘Five Star Prison’

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Star middle-order batsman of the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Suryakumar Yadav, has finally opened up on the entire controversy surrounding him and RCB skipper Virat Kohli in a game of IPL 2020. Yadav and Virat’s banter was one of the major highlights of this year’s IPL.

IPL 2020 saw a lot of historic banters and sometimes things even got heated up among players when they were on the field. One such moment that grabbed all the headlines was when Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli faced off each other and both the players stood their ground as the moment sparked massive controversy.

Netizens were quick enough to spot the issue and a lot of rumours of rift surfaced between both the players after the incident was caught by millions of people watching.

Suryakumar Yadav Finally Opens Up On The Entire Controversy Surrounding Him And Virat Kohli

Speaking exclusively to Sports Tak, Yadav said, “It was fun out there, I was under pressure, but I wanted to deliver badly in that game as I knew a big game was coming for Mumbai Indians because we thought if we would’ve won that game, we would have gone on top of the table and I badly wanted to get runs in that game and I was really happy to contribute at that moment.”

“The banter was very instinctive from both ends because I have been looking up to him since he has been dominating world cricket for a long time. His energy, his domination, everything has been spot on in whatever format he plays for whatever team. I was really happy and I was excited as well that there’s a lot of responsibility on my shoulder currently. It will be great if I take the team ahead and win it for Mumbai and take them to the top,” Suryakuymar Yadav added.

Suryakumar Yadav Opens Up On What Transpired Between Him And Virat Kohli After The Match

“After the game, it was completely normal because he walked by my side and he said, ‘Well played, great knock, and all that stuff.’ It was normal like just another day like how you meet your friends and practice. For the 60-65 minutes for which I was batting, it was under a lot of pressure but I really enjoyed that innings.” Yadav further stated.

Yadav has proved his might in the IPL so far ever since he has joined Mumbai Indians. His selection in the national side has long been vouched for and every time he has taken the centre stage, he has proved his worth its weight in gold. Indian fans will eagerly be waiting for his debut in the senior national team and Yadav’s performances have kept the hope alive for him.

The post ‘The Banter With Virat Kohli Was Instinctive, I Have Always Looked Up To Him’: Suryakumar Yadav Finally Breaks His Silence On The Entire Controversy appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Former India opener, Aakash Chopra speaks on the reasons behind Rashid Khan’s success in the IPL 2020. He even picks the leg-spinner as his best player from the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) over skipper, David Warner.

SRH defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore in Eliminator but lost to Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 2. Once again, Rashid Khan was phenomenal in his team’s run till Qualifier 2. Khan picked up 20 wickets at an incredible economy of 5.37- the best in the tournament.

All the batsmen turned out to be illiterate against Rashid Khan: Aakash Chopra

In a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra lauded Rashid Khan’s bowling throughout the tournament. He opined that Rashid consistently bowled on one spot right from the first match of the season.

The leggie recorded his best IPL figures of 3/7 against Delhi Capitals in a league match. In another league game against the same opposition, he finished with figures of 3/14. Aakash also did not forget to mention how the 22-year-old choked MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings as he gave away only 12 runs in four overs.

In his YouTube video, Aakash Chopra said, “He was brilliant right from the starting to the end. Warner shone brightly at the end, became explosive but Rashid Khan was amazing right from the beginning. He was bowling at the one spot continuously.

“Twice against the Delhi Capitals, once 3/7 in 4 overs and 3/14 in 4 overs on another occasion and he did not do that once, he did it many times against a lot of opposition teams, once he had the Chennai Super Kings on a tight leash.”

He continued that it is very difficult to read the turn of Rashid’s deliveries from the pitch. Aakash Chopra funnily said that most of the batters seemed illiterate against the Afghani superstar. The former KKR player picked Rashid Khan as his Man of the Tournament from the Sunrisers Hyderabad team, ahead of David Warner, who had another 500-run season.

“My theory was that he had come after playing less cricket, only played the CPL and the pitches in UAE were a little quicker and on such pitches if you don’t read him from the hand, then you are late and cannot read him off the pitch.

“People were trying to read him off the pitch but no one could do that, all the batsmen turned out to be illiterate when they batted against him. So, he was by far the Man of the Tournament for the Sunrisers Hyderabad,” Aakash Chopra concluded.

Also Read: ICC Restricts Any Player Below 15 Years Of Age To Play International Or Under-19 Cricket

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After a hugely successful IPL 2020 season, it’s back to national duty for the Indian Cricket Team. The Men in Blue are currently sweating it out in the nets ahead of the two-month showdown against hosts Australia.

The tour will kickoff with the three-match One-day International series from November 27, post which the caravan will move to the T20I series in Canberra from December 04.

Both sides have made quite a few interesting selections to their respective squads and as both teams build-up for the all-important ICC T20 World Cup in 2021, here’s a look at five players to watch out for in the T20I series-

T Natarajan

The Men in Blue in the past few years have tried the likes of Barinder Sran and Khaleel Ahmed with little success.  That search seems to have ended with the emergence of T Natarajan.

The left-arm pacer from Tamil Nadu turned heads due to his ability to nail yorkers at will throughout the 2020 edition of the cash-rich league.

Natarajan bowled as many as 64 yokers- the most by any bowler- in the season and in the process he proceeded to dismantle some of the best batsmen in the world, none better than AB de Villiers.

T Natarajan it's just phenomenal with the ball especially in death Overs bowling. His ability to Bowl Yorkers it's Amazing. Top Nattu.!! #SRHvsDC pic.twitter.com/LORAD6O55h

— CricketMAN2 (@man4_cricket) November 8, 2020

Natarajan earned a call-up to the Indian team after spinner Varun Chakravarthy was ruled out due to injury and it will interesting to see how the talented pacer fares on the pacy tracks Down Under.

Glenn Maxwell

Will the real Glenn Maxwell step up, please? This is something every Australian cricket fan will be hoping for in the upcoming T20I series against India.

It was a well-established fact even before IPL 2020 that Maxwell in T20I cricket and Maxwell in IPL are two different individuals.

After all the swashbuckler had managed to cross the 300-run-mark in only one season post his exploits in 2014. But, not even Maxwell’s most stringent critics would have imagined the kind of struggle the enigmatic all-rounder endured in the recent edition of the IPL. Let alone the runs- 108 in 13 matches at 15.42-Maxwell wasn’t even able to hit a single six off the 106 deliveries that he faced.

That said, Glenn Maxwell is a different beast when it comes to international T20 cricket. Since the start of 2019, Maxwell has smashed 264 runs in just six innings at an average of 52.80 and a strike-rate of 168.15 including two 50s and a three-figure score, which incidentally came in the last T20I series that Australia played against India.

His recent run notwithstanding, Team India will still be wary of what the ‘Big Show” can bring to the table. And, that will be interesting to see how he responds to recent adversities.

Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer became the first Delhi Capitals skipper to lead his team to the finals of the Indian Premier League. With the bat too, despite a slump at the backend, Iyer had a brilliant season as he compiled a total of 519 runs at an average of 34.60.

Shreyas played a captain’s knock in the final as he shepherded DC’s fledgling ship with a compiled fifty. But, here comes a rider. And, it’s something that he has always come under the scanner for. Yep, his STRIKE-RATE!

Shreyas scored his runs at a strike-rate of 123.27, and in the final also, he was unable to switch his gears in the final few overs. His strike-rate in international T20s after 21 matches is 129.5, something he would like to improve on, considering the fact he bats at the all-important 4th spot in India’s batting order.

This will be Shreyas Iyer’s first tour of Australia and given his perennial weakness against fast bowlers as compared to spinners, the likes of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood will surely test him with pace and bounce, and it will be interesting to see how the talented young batsmen counter the challenge.

Marcus Stoinis

Marcus Stoinis was probably the biggest positive for Australia from the recently concluded season of the Indian Premier League.

Whether it was batting at the top of the order or in the lower middle-order, or his bowling in the powerplay or at the death, the burly all-rounder performed almost every role with perfection for the Delhi Capitals.

Stoinis, despite his enormous talent, has failed to deliver on a consistent basis in international cricket as opposed to his performances in franchise cricket. And, it will be interesting to see if the all-rounder finally manages to emulate his exploits at the elite level in the upcoming T20I series against India.

It will be interesting to see at which spot Marcus Stoinis bats in the T20Is. He batted in the lower middle-order in the first two T20Is against England last September before being slotted to the No.3 slot in the final match. But that would mean slotting a traditional batsman like Steve Smith lower-down the order as they did in that final T20I against the Poms. Will Australia go down that route again or will they mold Stoinis in the role of a finisher- a role he performed with relative success in the IPL?

Shikhar Dhawan

If there is a player who enhanced his reputation with disdain, it has got to be Shikhar Dhawan. Dhawan has been a prolific ODI batsman throughout his career but it was his exploits in T20 cricket that left a lot to be desired.

Dhawan’s strike-rate after the powerplay overs and his ability to shift gears as his innings progressed was one of his biggest Achilles heel over the years. That changed significantly in the recently concluded IPL.

Not only did he spearheaded the fledgling Delhi Capitals batting-unit with disdain, but he also batted with a certain tempo throughout his knocks.

Will Dhawan be able to emulate the same momentum in Indian colors?

Also Read- Australia vs India 2020-21: Five Players To Watch Out For In The ODI Series

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Former India cricketer, Suresh Raina has lauded Shikhar Dhawan’s performance in the IPL 2020. Raina also told how Dhawan says that he is going to score runs before a game, and then actually performs well.

Shikhar Dhawan had a magnificent IPL 2020. He was the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament, behind KL Rahul. The left-hander scored 618 runs at an average of 44 with a strike rate of 144 and was instrumental in Delhi Capitals reaching their maiden IPL final.

Dhawan was replaced by KL Rahul from the playing eleven in New Zealand in the T20I series earlier this year. The 34-year-old has made a comeback to the side and in Rohit Sharma’s absence, in all likelihood will open against Australia.

Shikhar says it, and he does it: Suresh Raina

In a recent episode of The Kapil Sharma Show, Suresh Raina was invited as a guest along with his wife, Priyanka Raina. While talking to the host, Kapil Sharma, Raina said that Dhawan is a kind of a batsman who will say ‘see what I will do’ before going in to bat, and then he vindicates his words often by scoring runs.

The 33-year-old praised the opener for his brilliant returns with the bat in the IPL playing for Delhi Capitals. The CSK player observed that earlier Dhawan had a few scores in the nineties, but this time he has done a splendid job of going past the three-figure mark, not once but twice.

He concludes by saying that Dhawan is a decent man and both share a good bond. Both the left-handers have shared the dressing room for years and were part of the 2013 Champions Trophy-winning side.

Suresh Raina said, “Shikhar says it, and he does it. See what your pal does. He is ready. He is performing so well Scoring back-to-back hundreds is not easy. Earlier, he’s gotten out on 90, 97, 99, but this year scoring two centuries, I mean… he’s a good man.”

Suresh Raina announced his retirement on 15th August, hours after MS Dhoni announced his retirement. Raina and Harbhajan Singh pulled out of the IPL which was staged in the UAE due to personal reasons.

Also Read: Fan Asks Priya Punia About Her Boyfriend, Her Reaction Goes Viral

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Former India pacer, Ashish Nehra has announced his best XI of the IPL 2020. Recently, Mumbai Indians won their fifth IPL title by defeating Delhi Capitals in the final in Dubai- unsurprisingly plenty of players from the MI team made into Nehra’s eleven.

While the orange cap winner, KL Rahul is in everyone’s team as an opener, Nehra chose David Warner over Shikhar Dhawan for his match-winning performances.

Talking to Star Sports, Ashish Nehra said, “You go just by the tournament performance, then my openers will be KL Rahul and David Warner.”

Ashish Nehra omitted his former national team captain, Virat Kohli for Mumbai’s Suryakumar Yadav, who had a thunderous season with the bat. Nehra said that though Kohli has also scored runs, he will go with Yadav for his impactful performance which helped MI win the title.

At number 4, the left-arm pacer had no qualms in naming AB de Villiers. Nehra will strengthen his middle-order with two MI stalwarts- Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya. Kishan will take up the wicket-keeping role, and Hardik displayed phenomenal power-hitting in the death overs.

Asish Nehra continued, “At No.3, I am not choosing Virat Kohli. It’s not that he has not scored runs but the impact runs were scored by Suryakumar Yadav, so I will keep him at No.3.

“There is no T20 team completed without AB de Villiers. So, he will be No.4. At No.5, I would say Ishan Kishan. I will also keep him as my wicket-keeper although AB de Villiers will also be an option. At No.6, Hardik Pandya.”

Ashish Nehra leaves out Kagiso Rabada

For the last bowling spot, the 42-year-old said that he would go with either Mohammad Shami or Ravichandran Ashwin, depending on the conditions. If he needs an extra pacer, Shami comes in, or three spinners, then the off-spinner makes his way into the team.

“After that Jofra Archer and Rashid Khan, both can bat as well. And then Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah.

“My final pick will be one of Ravichandran Ashwin or Shami. If three fast bowlers are required, I will go with Archer, Bumrah and Shami. If only two are required, I will go with Bumrah and Archer and will play Ravichandran Ashwin instead of Shami,” Asish Nehra added.

The Delhi lad also wanted his World Cup-winning captain, MS Dhoni in his team. However, the CSK skipper has a disappointing season with the bat and hence couldn’t make the cut into Nehra’s team.

Ashish Nehra’s best IPL 2020 XI: KL Rahul, David Warner, Suryakumar Yadav, AB de Villiers, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Jofra Archer, Rashid Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin/Mohammed Shami.

Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami Unlikely To Play All ODIs, T20Is Against Australia: Report

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The IPL 2020 concluded on 10th November in Dubai after Mumbai Indians defeated the Delhi Capitals to clinch their fifth title. While Mumbai may have won the tournament, the team which was most tweeted about on Twitter was MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings.

According to a report in The New Indian Express, Chennai was the most tweeted about the team this season, followed by Royal Challengers Bangalore, winners Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab, and finalists Delhi Capitals.

Chennai Super Kings failed to qualify for playoffs:

For the first time in the history of the IPL, MS Dhoni-led CSK couldn’t qualify for the playoffs. CSK finished at the 7th spot on the points table. In a rather disappointing season, there were a few positives for Stephen Fleming’s side- Sam Curran, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis performed much better than the rest of the team members.

Morevorely, MS Dhoni, who has led CSK to three IPL titles, has confirmed that he will continue playing for the yellow army next season as well.

Talking about social media, RCB skipper, Virat Kohli was the most tweeted about player in the tournament. The opening game between MI and CSK was the most tweeted about the match, along with being the most viewed opening game in any sports league in the world.

Sachin Tendulkar’s tweet on Nicholas Pooran’s brilliant save on the boundary line was the most retweeted tweet regarding the IPL. The number of retweets on his tweet has crossed the 23,000-mark.

Defending 224 against Rajasthan Royals in Sharjah, in the 8th over bowled by Murugan Ashwin. Sanju Samson smashed a half-tracker to the deep mid-wicket boundary where Nicholas Pooran saved a six with an unreal fielding display- at one moment he was almost parallel with the ground.

Tendulkar took to Twitter and tweeted, “This is the best save I have seen in my life. Simply incredible!!”

This is the best save I have seen in my life. Simply incredible!! 👍#IPL2020 #RRvKXIP pic.twitter.com/2r7cNZmUaw

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) September 27, 2020

In recent reports, it is believed that the BCCI is planning to organize a mega-auction as it was planned originally. However, some of the franchises aren’t happy with it, as it gives them less time to prepare.

Also Read: Australia vs India 2020-21: Who Will India Miss More between Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli? Aakash Chopra Answers

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Former India pacer, Ajit Agarkar believes that Kolkata Knight Riders could have done better in the IPL 2020. He reckons KKR should have qualified for playoffs in the presence of multiple match-winners.

KKR, for the second season in a row, was ousted on the net run rate from the playoff race. They finished on the fifth spot with 14 points- the same as Hyderabad and Bangalore. KKR changed their captain mid-season from Dinesh Karthik to Eoin Morgan despite having a decent start to the tournament.

There was something not right in the KKR camp: Ajit Agarkar

Ajit Agarkar feels that KKR has several match-winners, should play better cricket, and be more consistent next season. He opined that the team was in a good position, but then they changed the skipper mid-season, which implies that not all was right in the KKR dressing room.

Speaking on Star Sports’ chatshow Cricket Connected, Ajit Agarkar said, “The one team I hope plays better or play a bit more consistently is KKR. I think KKR certainly has a lot of match-winners in them or T20 specialists if you like. They should be doing a lot better. There were in a better position, changed the captain for some reason midway through and you could see that there was something not right in the camp.”

He also commented on MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings, who for the first time failed to qualify for the playoffs. With the reports of a meg-auction for next year’s IPL, Agarkar said that CSK surely needs restructuring. The 42-year-old reckons CSK should release some players in order to rope in young legs.

“They have got far too good a team to be as inconsistent, T20 format is very difficult to be consistent, but they have got far too good a team to be that.

“So, I hope they get those things right. And especially, get the leadership, whoever it is, and stick to it during the course of the season. I think there are a couple of teams, CSK certainly needs a little bit of restructuring,” Ajit Agarkar added.

Also Read: IPL 2020: Aakash Chopra Picks Players CSK Might Release Before Next Auction

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Former India opener, Aakash Chopra feels that while Punjab didn’t get their best eleven right in the first half of the IPL 2020, KL Rahul showed immense growth as a captain as the tournament progressed.

King XI Punjab endured a topsy-turvy season, losing six of their first seven games, then went on to record a five-match winning streak. The KL Rahul-led side lost their last two matches and failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing at the sixth spot in the points table. Despite his team not qualifying for the playoff, Rahul won the orange cap- he amassed 670 runs in 14 matches.

KL has to take some blame: Aakash Chopra

In a recent video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra reviewed the performance of Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2020. Chopra was having mixed thoughts about the captaincy by KL Rahul. The cricketer-turned-commentator said that Rahul has to take some blame for not being able to get the eleven right for the first half of the season.

He also believes that along with Rahul the decision for the eleven is also of the management. A player like Chris Gayle was benched for half of the tournament, when Glenn Maxwell, in spite of continuous failures kept his place in the side.

In his YouTube video, Aakash Chopra said, “I was 50-50 with KL Rahul’s captaincy. Because he will have to take some of the blame for Kings XI Punjab not being able to find their ideal XI. I am sure these are the decisions of the team management and all of that but you also play a part. So that is an issue because it took some time to understand.”

The former cricketer, however, praised Rahul when it comes to bowler rotation and decisions on the field. The 43-year-old was impressed by the way the Punjab skipper used Ravi Bishnoi, an under-19 youngster, along with Murugan Ashwin. Chopra said that Rahul got the most out of Mohammad Shami in the powerplay. The commentator-cum-analyst feels that Rahul’s captaincy kept improving with the tournament.

“If you talk about the captaincy in terms of bowler management as that is a very important aspect, I was fine. He handled the bowlers well, didn’t play them consistently at the start. But when he started playing them, he used Ravi Bishnoi well, Murugan was used well also and even Shami was used well. In fact, let me just say this that KL Rahul’s captaincy kept improving as the tournament progressed,” Aakash Chopra added.

KL Rahul, who was already a mainstay in India’s white-ball team, has now been recalled in the Test squad as well on the back of his superb form in the last couple of years. Rahul is one of the few players who is in all three format squad for the Australia tour.

Also Read: Australia vs India 2020-21: John Buchanan Picks Australia As Favorites In Virat Kohli’s Absence

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Royal Challengers Bangalore opener, Devdutt Padikkal names Sunrisers Hyderabad leg-spinner, Rashid Khan as the most challenging bowler he faced in the IPL 2020.

Padikkal made his IPL debut for RCB, and the left-hander finished the season as the leading run-scorer in his side, surpassing even the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. The 20-year-old accumulated 473 runs and recorded five half-centuries.

Rashid Khan is not easy to pick: Devdutt Padikkal

Devdutt Padikkal reveals Rashid Khan as the most challenging bowler he came up against. Padikkal said that since there are pacers who bowl fast in the domestic circuit, he didn’t have any major issues facing even the likes of Kagiso Rabada or Jofra Archer. However, the Afghanistan spinner troubled Padikkal.

The opener opined that Rashid Khan has a fast arm action, bowls with pace, and also turns the ball. Devdutt Padikkal felt that it is tough to pick the way where the ball will turn- whether it’s a leg-spinner or a googly. The left-hander said that Rashid is a unique bowler and he hasn’t faced anything like the leggie in domestic cricket. Rashid picked 20 wickets at an economy of 5.37.

Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Devdutt Padikkal said, “Pace, not really because there are quite a few bowlers who are pretty quick in the domestic circuit as well. Probably the one bowler I felt was challenging was Rashid Khan because he has a really good pace and turns the ball at the same time. He’s not easy to pick. I think while facing him I felt like, “Okay, this is something I’m not used to.”

“Now the next step would be to play for the country. It’s something everyone dreams of as a cricketer, so I’m looking forward to doing that soon. I’ll continue to work on my game, continue to improve, and, whenever I get the opportunity, I’ll take it with both hands,” Devdutt Padikkal said.

Also Read: IPL 2020: Aakash Chopra Impressed With ‘Selfless’ Mayank Agarwal For Playing Fearlessly

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Renowned commentator, Harsha Bhogle has announced his best XI of the IPL 2020. In a video uploaded on Cricbuzz, Bhogle made a couple of eyebrow-raising omissions from his team of the tournament.

Harsha Bhogle started by stating that he will follow the IPL policy of four overseas players in an eleven and also said that the players in his team will play in the same position they play in their respective IPL teams.

Bhogle said that selecting KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan was an easy choice- both of them were the two leading run-scorer of the tournament, and also give the left-right combination. Since David Warner is an overseas player, Bhogle omitted him as there are other 4 foreign cricketers in his XI.

The much-respected commentator picked Suryakumar Yadav at number 3 for playing match-winning innings for Mumbai Indians. Bhogle opted for the RCB stalwart, AB de Villiers. The South-African, on numerous occasions, had to bail out his team from a difficult situation, and he finds a place in Bhogle’s team at number 4. AB can also handle the wicket-keeping duties.

The 59-year-old selected the Mumbai Indians duo of Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya to do the finishing duties. Pollard and Pandya were two of the most destructive batsman in the IPL 2020, having a strike rate of 191 and 178, respectively.

No place for Kagiso Rabada in Harsha Bhogle’s XI:

In the bowling department, according to Harsha Bhogle, three bowlers who were undeniable are Jofra Archer, Rashid Khan, and Jasprit Bumrah, picking 20,20, and 27 wickets, respectively- all three had an economy of less than 7 this season. Having Rashid, Archer, AB, and Pollard meant that Bhogle had to omit Kagiso Rabada, who was the purple cap winner.

The Hyderabad-born commentator believed that since he has secured his death bowling with the likes of Archer and Bumrah, Bhogle opted for Mohammad Shami as the third seamer. Shami, who has been fantastic with the new ball in the powerplay, snared 20 wickets in the tournament.

For the last place, Bhogle included Yuzvendra Chahal over Rahul Tewatia and Ravindra Jadeja as he wanted to have 5 specialist bowlers in his team. The RCB leg-spinner took 21 wickets at a terrific economy of 7.08.

 Harsha Bhogle’s IPL 2020 XI: KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Suryakumar Yadav, AB de Villiers(wk), Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Jofra Archer, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Also Read: IPL 2020: Manoj Tiwary Appoints Rohit Sharma As The Captain Of The Best XI

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Cricketer-turned-commentator, Aakash Chopra has opined that the Sunrisers Hyderabad doesn’t need a mega auction as much as rivals Chennai Super Kings do. According to recent reports, there might be a mega auction for IPL 2021, in addition to a franchise from Ahmedabad.

Sunrisers Hyderabad finished third on the points table in IPL 2020. They defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore in Eliminator but lost to Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 2. After a humbling loss to Kings XI Punjab failing to chase a target of 127, David Warner’s team resurrected their season by winning four matches in a row.

SRH need an experienced Indian batsman in the middle-order: Aakash Chopra

While SRH was inconsistent for most of the tournament, they showed signs of a great collective spirit by the end of the season. They dropped Jonny Bairstow, and the inclusion of Kane Williamson and Jason Holder balanced the team.

Hence Aakash Chopra feels that SRH doesn’t need a mega auction to get stronger. In a video uploaded on his Facebook page, Chopra gives a team review of Hyderabad. He opined that SRH doesn’t need to buy or release several players as they already have high-quality overseas players in their squad. SRH has a very strong overseas contingent as players like Mohammad Nabi, Billy Stanlake, and Fabien Allen didn’t get many chances in the eleven.

In a video shared on his Facebook page, Aakash Chopra said, “The Sunrisers Hyderabad can manage without a mega auction. They do not need to overhaul their entire team, they do not need to release too many players or buy too many players. They have Kane Williamson, David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Jason Holder and they are not able to play Billy Stanlake and Fabien Allen. So they have a very good overseas core.”

However, the 43-year-old reckons that David Warner’s team does need some bolstering in their Indan batting. He said that they need to get an experienced Indian batsman who can bat in the middle-order.

The orange army used Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, and Priyam Garg in the tournament and Chopra feels that SRH should show faith in the youngsters in next season. The former opener Aakash Chopra concluded by saying that while a team like Chennai Super Kings who is looking to revamp their squad will need a mega auction, Sunrisers can manage without it.

“They need some help in their Indian batting. They might get more batsmen if there is a mega auction but if there is a small auction they may not get those many Indian batsmen.

“But because they have put their money on Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad and Priyam Garg this time and shown faith in them, I feel they will still do the job. They do not need a mega auction as much as their neighbors, the Chennai Super Kings,” Aakash Chopra added.

Also Read: Revealed: The Whopping Amount BCCI Paid Emirates Cricket Board For Staging IPL 2020 In UAE

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly paid Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) a huge amount for staging the thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League in the UAE. IPL 2020 came to an end last week with Mumbai Indians beating Delhi Capitals in the final.

Not very long ago, there were huge doubts over the fate of the tournament this year due to the pandemic. IPL 2020 was originally scheduled to be held in March-May. However, the BCCI had to postpone the tournament in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The nationwide lockdown was gradually lifted but the possibility of seeing IPL 2020 taking place looked bleak as the cases increased at an alarming rate in India. But the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and the UAE government came to BCCI’s rescue in the end and the IPL was successfully held in the gulf country.

The teams had gone to UAE almost a month before the start of IPL 2020 and trained there without any difficulty. Strict bio-bubbles were created to ensure that the players, staff and others remain safe. In the end, not a single individual was tested positive for COVID-19 after the tournament started on September 19.

The amount paid by BCCI:

The BCCI has paid ECB a big amount for the successful staging of the tournament. According to Bangalore Mirror, the BCCI paid its UAE counterpart INR 100 crore for IPL 2020. The report stated that the Indian cricket board paid a whopping 14 million dollars to stage the tournament in Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi.

The amount, however, sounded credible considering the staging associations in India would have earned Rs 60 crore for the 60 games. As per the new rules, the state association would receive Rs 1 crore for hosting one IPL game. The BCCI recently increased the hosting fee for a franchise for each match from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.

Since the BCCI needs to match the amount paid by the franchises, the state association eventually pockets Rs 1 crore per game. Meanwhile, IPL 2020 also saw UAE’s hospitality sector enjoying a windfall. The IPL immensely added to the UAE business, with 14 five-star hotels almost packed for three months.

Also Read: Devdutt Padikkal Reveals A Text Message From AB De Villiers Full Of Praises For Him

Also Read: Justin Langer Takes Nothing Away From India; Says They Deserved To Win In Australia In 2018-19

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Former England skipper Nasser Hussain has lavished praise on Rohit Sharma’s leadership skills after the latter led Mumbai Indians to a record fifth IPL title last week. Rohit Sharma, on Tuesday (November 10), became the first captain to win the IPL five times.

No other captain has led a team to IPL title more than thrice. What makes Rohit Sharma’s record even more incredible is the fact that those five titles have come in just 8 years. The India star has been leading Mumbai Indians from 2013 and has already guided them to an unprecedented five titles so far.

In the final, Rohit Sharma led from the very front as Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals by five wickets. The skipper scored a fine 68 to help his side chase down 156 with eight balls remaining.

Nasser Hussain on Rohit Sharma’s captaincy:

Following Mumbai Indians’ win in IPL 2020, the calls for Rohit Sharma to be handed over India captaincy, at least in T2oI cricket, have gained momentum. Recently, former India opener Gautam Gambhir said that it would be a shame if his former India teammate is not handed the captaincy at least in the T20Is.

And Nasser Hussain is aware of those calls too. The former cricketer was all praise for Rohit Sharma’s leadership, saying that his captaincy is cool, calm and the batsman makes the right decisions at the right time. He also hinted at being in favour of the calls to make Rohit the India captain by saying that the latter’s record speaks for itself.

“His captaincy, he is calm, cool, makes the right decisions at the right time and he has had such a good time with MI that there are various cricketers around the world now, including in India, saying that maybe it is time for Virat [Kohli] to step down from T20s and let Rohit take over. His record speaks for himself,” Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports.

Nasser Hussain also hailed the Mumbai batsman as ‘one of the great white-ball players’ and pointed out his record in ODIs where he has scored a record three double centuries.

“He is one of the great white ball players. If you look at the 50-over cricket, he has a couple of double hundreds he has had massive scores, in T20, he lost a bit of rhythm but he made runs in the final,” Hussain said.

Also Read: IPL 2020: Irfan Pathan Explains The Reason Behind The Tournament Being So Competitive

Also Read: Australia vs India: I Want To Challenge Myself Against Virat Kohli – Mitchell Swepson

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Cricketer-turned-commentator, Irfan Pathan has revealed his best team of the IPL 2020. The major omissions in the all-rounder’s team are the likes of Virat Kohli, Rashid Khan, and Jofra Archer.

KL Rahul has been a default choice in everyone’s IPL 2020 team- the Punjab skipper was the orange cap winner. Pathan chose Shikhar Dhawan over David Warner as Rahul’s opening partner solely because of the four overseas rule, since he has four other overseas players in his team.

The Baroda all-rounder selected Suryakuamr Yadav and AB de Villiers to constitute his middle-order. Pathan opined that both these batters dominated in the middle-overs and can up the ante towards the last stage of the innings. Yadav and de Villiers have won matches for their respective teams- that made Pathan give the middle-order batting to these two stalwarts.

Speaking to Star Sports, Irfan Pathan said, “KL Rahul for sure and along with him Shikhar Dhawan. I cannot include David Warner as we can have only 4 overseas players.” 

“The way Suryakumar Yadav played his knocks, we always say that his average is very good, but the strike rate at which he played was the best part, and he was winning them the matches, so I will definitely go with him. AB de Villiers – his strike rate was very good this year as well. You expect him to score a lot of runs, but this year as well, he won RCB matches,” he added.

Kieron Pollard is the captain of Irfan Pathan’s team

Irfan Pathan made an interesting choice- he made Kieron Pollard the captain of his team. The left-hander reasoned that Pollard is a three-dimensional player; he can, bowl, and field. Pollard had the maximum strike rate in the season and also captained Mumbai Indians in 4 matches, winning 3 of them.

Marcus Stoinis, who was the best all-rounder in the tournament, is at number six in Pathan’s team. The former India all-rounder has selected Rahul Tewatia playing at number seven for his brilliant all-round show as he won matches for Rajasthan from the jaws of defeat.

Irfan Pathan continued, “I will have Kieron Pollard to bat at No.5, and he will also be the captain of my team. I had the option of Hardik, but he is not bowling and Pollard will give me the bowling as well as captaincy. He is an amazing fielder, so I will get a three-dimensional player.

“At No.6, I will have Marcus Stoinis, who will give me the bowling as well. He was in amazing form (during IPL 2020) and played spin also well. I will have Rahul Tewatia at No.7 – he won two matches on his own and bowled brilliantly as well.” 

While the selections of Kagiso Rabada and Jasprit Bumrah are unquestionable, the 46-year-old added Mohammad Shami to his team overlooking T Natrajan. He believes that Shami has an advantage over Natarajan because the KXIP bowler is adept in bowling with the new ball and in the death better than the SRH pacer.

Irfan Pathan said, “Yuzvendra Chahal and Rashid Khan are amazing bowlers, but Chahal will definitely come in my team in place of Rashid Khan, as I will have Tewatia at No. 7,”

“I was thinking about Natarajan, but I wanted someone who bowls with the new ball as well as with the old ball. So he (Natarajan) was behind Shami on that front. Along with Shami, I will go for Rabada and Jasprit Bumrah.”

Irfan Pathan’s team of IPL 2020: KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Suryakumar Yadav, AB de Villiers, Kieron Pollard (c), Marcus Stoinis, Rahul Tewatia, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kagiso Rabada, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami.

Also Read: India’s Tour of Australia 2020-21: Men In Blue Start Outdoor Training After All Players Test Negative For COVID-19

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Sunrisers Hyderabad’s hard-hitting batsman, Abdul Samad reveals the details of the chat he had with Irfan Pathan during his early cricket days. Abdul Samad was one of the rising stars in the IPL 2020. He showcased his six-hitting penchant in the opportunities he got batting for SRH.

The right-hander scored 111 runs at a strike rate of 170. While SRH lost to Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 2, Samad was one of the most-talked players after the game; he scored 33 from 16 balls with the help of two fours and as many sixes- one each of Kagiso Rabada and Anirch Nortje.

Irfan Pathan advised me to hit, but selectively: Abdul Samad.

In a video uploaded on Sunrisers Hyderabad’s YouTube channel, Abdul Samad is seen talking about his journey. He talks about his childhood and his cricketing career so far.

Samad says that he was dropped from the Under-19 team because though he has a good strike rate, he used to throw away his wicket in trying to hit a big shot more often. The youngster then met Irfan Pathan in a camp. After Pathan observed Samad’s batting, he asked the right-hander about why he was not scoring big runs. Samad cited a lack of patience as a reason for his low scores.

In the YouTube video, Abdul Samad said, “I didn’t perform much because I used to get out, as I was trying to hit each ball for a big shot. My strike rate was good, but I could not get a lot of runs.

“After playing Under-19 one-dayers when we came back home, there was a camp set up, where Irfan bhai had come. Irfan bhai saw me batting, and he asked why I was not able to score the big runs. I told him that I lacked a little patienc.” 

The former India all-rounder then told the youngster that he should hit the ball, but do it more selectively instead of trying to smack every delivery. Pathan also told that if Samad can score big runs, he could, one day be selected in the national team.

The career of the Jammu and Kashmir batsman took a turn for good after that. Samad made 76 in his Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy debut. He had a spectacular run in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, post which Sunrisers Hyderabad bought him in the auctions.

Abdul Samad added, “He told me then that I should hit but a little selectively. He told me that if I look at scoring big runs, then I am capable of playing for India one day.

“After playing Under-19, I was called for Syed Mushtaq Ali trials after which I made my debut, and my journey in senior cricket began because on my debut I made 76 not out against Nagaland and picked one wicket. That was a turning point for me in my career.”

Also Read: Virat ‘Hypocrite’ Kohli: Fans Slam India Skipper For Message On Diwali Just Days After He Celebrated Birthday With Firecrackers

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Former India cricketer, Irfan Pathan tries to decode the reason as to why the IPL 2020 was one of the most competitive and close seasons in its history.

Rajasthan Royals, who were bottom at the points table, were just 2 points short of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, who qualified for the payoffs. 3 teams ended with 12 points and 3 teams with 14 points, of which Kolkata Knight Riders were ousted on net run rate.

There were 3 super overs in the tournament, the most in any IPL season – including one double super over. In the last couple of weeks, several surprise outcomes didn’t seem favourable at the start of the game.

All the cricketers were like hungry lions: Irfan Pathan

While talking to the broadcaster, Irfan Pathan made an analogy of the cricketers to a starved person. A person who doesn’t get food will pounce on anything edible. Similarly, Pathan felt that the players were deprived of cricket for a long time which made them give their best on the field.

The Baroda all-rounder reiterates his point that due to the lockdown for 4-5 months, the teams didn’t get to play high-level cricket and therefore came like hungry lions on the field in the IPL.

Speaking on Star Sports talk show Cricket Connected, Irfan Pathan said, “I feel all the cricketers and all the teams were very hungry. If you are hungry and you don’t get food, the situation was the same for all of them. And when you get food after a long time, what will you do, you will try to eat the food of 4-5 days together although that does not happen.

“But something like that happened with the teams. They did not get to play cricket for 4-5 months, they were in a lockdown and they came like hungry lions to the ground and gave their best performance.”

The 36-year-old Irfan Pathan opined that rustiness was visible amongst the players, especially in their fielding. However, he observed that the cricketers showed their brilliant fitness as the tournament progressed.

The 2007 T20 World Cup winner talked about the closeness in the points table and said that if the teams with 12 points had just won another game, they could have qualified. Irfan Pathan said because of the competition.

“A lot of things could have gone wrong there but that did not happen. Everyone showed their fitness in a brilliant fashion. You could see the impact on the fielding initially but after that the way all the teams picked up form.

“And you got to see the last-placed team with 12 points in this IPL only and it is possible that if they had played one more match better, they could have also qualified,”Irfan Pathan said.

Also Read: Virat ‘Hypocrite’ Kohli: Fans Slam India Skipper For Message On Diwali Just Days After He Celebrated Birthday With Firecrackers

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Former India captain, Rahul Dravid has said the key factor in the success of the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL over the last decade had been their scouting system which identifies talented cricketers at a very young age.

Mumbai Indians defeated the Delhi Capitals in the final of the IPL 2020. They won the trophy for the fifth time – two more than the next best CSK – and also successfully defended their title. Since Rohit Sharma took over the captaincy mid-season in 2013, they won every odd year. However, MI broke their even year hoodoo in 2020.

They have maintained a solid core: Rahul Dravid.

Mumbai Indians’ playing eleven in the last five years have revolved around a few players who have been their strength and management had trusted them even when they were out of form. MI also has installed a strong scouting system that unearths talented youngsters- players like Jasprit Bumrah and the Pandya brothers are a testament to the success of their program.

Rahul Dravid, in a recent virtual book launch, said that MI in the past few years had maintained a strong core of high-quality players like Bumrah, Rohit, the Pandyas, Lasith Malinga, and Kieron Pollard. Dravid believes they have mixed these players with some talented youngsters.

The 47-year-old and former Rajasthan Royals captain observed that MI later added Rahul Chahar, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakuamr Yadav to their core of experienced senior players who provided a balance to the side. Rahul Dravid at the virtual launch of a book lauded the scouting structure of the IPL champions.

As quoted by india.com, Rahul Dravid said, “What MI has done over the last four-five years is that they have maintained a really strong core of high-quality players and mix them up by identifying some really good talented players.

“They have been able to spot Jasprit Bumrah or Hardik Pandya at a young age. Then there is Rahul Chahar, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav. The ability to maintain a core of very experienced senior players — world-class T20 players — and balance them out with young exciting Indian talents has been the key. They have been able to do that exceptionally well. They have got a good scouting structure in place; a lot of teams are doing it well.”

Dravid is currently the Director of Cricket at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. He won the Under-19 World Cup as a coach in 2018.

Also Read: Steve Smith Starts Mind Games, Challenges India’s Pacers Ahead Of Test Series

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Suryakumar Yadav received a grand welcome at his home upon his arrival from the UAE after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League 2020. The 30-year old starred with the bat, helping Mumbai Indians go all the way in the tournament and clinch a record fifth IPL title.

Suryakumar Yadav was one of the most impressive performers of IPL 2020. He performed consistently for Mumbai Indians throughout the season and finished IPL 2020 as the side’s third highest run-scorer. The right-handed batsman scored 480 runs with the help of four fifties in 16 games.

His match-winning knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore was one of the best knocks of IPL 2020. Chasing 165, Mumbai Indians were reeling at 72 for 3 before Suryakumar Yadav delivered. He remained unbeaten on 79 off 43 and powered his side to a five-wicket victory.

That knock had come just a couple of days after he had failed to find a spot in Team India’s squads for the upcoming series in Australia. But his knock was enough to prove his batting prowess as calls to include him in the Indian team increased. Fans and several former cricketers threw their support behind him after the heartbreaking snub from Team India.

A grand welcome at home:

After a highly successful IPL for himself as well as his team, Suryakumar Yadav received a grand welcome at his home. His mother welcomed him in the traditional manner with Aarti thali and Tilak and also showered flowers on him.

Here is a clip of his welcome:

Suryakumar Yadav is likely to be seen in action next when the domestic season gets underway next year.

Also Read: Will SRH Release Kane Williamson Ahead Of Mega Auction? David Warner Replies To Concerned Fan

Also Read: Mark Taylor Feels Steve Smith Can Captain Australia Yet Again

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Former India batsman, Sanjay Bangar has opined that MS Dhoni might not be leading the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in next season of the IPL. He believes Dhoni can relieve himself of the captaincy duties and play with freedom as a player.

Chennai Super Kings finished second last at the points table in IPL 2020- failing to reach the playoffs for the first time in their history. Dhoni, who retired from international cricket in August 2020, played his last game for India in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup– he was on an indefinite sabbatical since.

MS Dhoni at the toss in the CSK’s last league game confirmed that he would continue to play for the franchise, denying all speculations of retirement from the IPL. The Ranchi wicket-keeper has led Chennai to three IPL titles.

MS Dhoni may give the captaincy to Faf du Plessis: Sanjay Bangar

Sanjay Bangar, who has worked with Dhoni and the Indian team in his time as a batting coach feels that the CSK skipper might hand over the captaincy role to his South-African teammate and play as a player without too much pressure.

The cricketer-turned-commentator believes that CSK is a team in transition, and that could happen under Du Plessis. He also observed that apart from Faf, who was the captain of South Africa before Quinton de Kock took the reins, CSK doesn’t have a strong option for the leadership roles.

Shane Watson has retired, Dwayne Bravo and Imran Tahir are at the end of their careers, there is no certainty around Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh. Hence, CSK’s best bet is Faf according to Bangar, as even in the auction pool there won’t be any player who could become Chennai’s captain.

Speaking on Star Sports’ chat show Cricket Connected, Sanjay Bangar said, “So as far as I can understand, I feel that MS Dhoni may not be the captain next year and may play as a player and give the captaincy at this stage to Faf du Plessis for the transition to happen under Faf du Plessis. Because as of now, they do not have any other option as a captain and if you talk outside the team, in the auction or in the trading, none of the teams would be releasing a player who has the capability of become the captain of CSK.”

“As far as I know, MS Dhoni might have thought after 2011 if he should be continuing to captain the Indian team but he knew that India had quite a few tough encounters after that, we had to go and play in England and Australia and at that time there was no captaincy candidate ready.

“So, he only handled that burden and at the right time he handed over the captaincy to Virat Kohli and he also played after that,” Sanjay Bangar added.

Also Read: He Would Deliver Whenever His Team Would Require It The Most: Devdutt Padikkal Names His Cricketing Idol

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Former India cricketer, Aakash Chopra has named his top 6 batsmen of the recently concluded IPL 2020. He left out some big names from his list. Mumbai Indians won their fifth IPL title by defeating Delhi Capitals in Dubai.

Mumbai had as many as three players scoring more than 400 – two amassed more than 500 – which proved to be a massive contribution to their title-winning campaign. Similarly, several other batsmen made a resounding effort with the bat.

Aakash Chopra Excludes Virat Kohli from his top 6 batsman

Aakash Chopra in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel named his top six batsmen of the IPL 2020. The eyebrow-raising decision was that he omitted Virat Kohli even after the RCB skipper averaged 42 in the tournament.

Aakash Chopra picked AB de Villiers over the likes of Virat Kohli and Mayank Agarwal stating that AB won several games for RCB single-handedly. Chopra pointed out that the South-African has won most Man of the Match ward for RCB for the last three seasons. He said that AB also doubled up as a keeper despite having left the wicket-keeping gloves years ago.

In his YouTube video, Aakash Chopra said, “At No.6, I was considering Mayank Agarwal and Virat Kohli, but I am going with AB de Villiers. Some people have also questioned what sort of genius he is when he cannot win the tournament. But that is not his job. He has won the most ‘Man of the Matches’ for RCB since 2018, most Man of the Matches this year, and won the most matches single-handedly.”

The cricketer-turned-commentator had star middle-order Mumbai Indians batters, Suryakuamr Yadav and Ishan Kishan at 5th and 4th spot, respectively. Chopra was impressed by Yadav’s tranquillity after not being selected for the Australia tour. He also talked highly of Kishan and is in awe of the left-hander’s six-hitting prowess despite being a diminutive figure.

The 43-year-old went with two left-hander’s, David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan for the third and the second spot. Both the openers scored more than 500 runs and were at the forefront of the success of their team.

And finally, the former India opener chose KL Rahul as his best batsman of the season. He said that despite Punjab not going through to the playoffs, KL Rahul had a mammoth season with the bat. Chopra believes that Rahul’s scintillating ton against RCB was one of the finest innings this season.

“At No.1, I have picked KL Rahul. His team did not go ahead, but if you go so far ahead in the league stage, then it means you have done something special. The 69-ball 132* against RCB was one of the finest innings we have seen in the tournament,” Aakash Chopra added.

Also Read: Instagram Landed Krunal Pandya In Trouble As He Was Detained At Airport With Valuables Worth Close To INR 1 Crore

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India allrounder Krunal Pandya recently landed in trouble at the Mumbai airport after his arrival from the UAE following the conclusion of IPL 2020. The Mumbai Indians star was detained at the Mumbai International Airport by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) for allegedly being in possession of undisclosed gold and other valuables.

According to report, he had returned shortly after 5 pm by a flight from UAE when he was stopped at the airport by DRI personnel. Krunal Pandya had purchased valuables, including gold chains, totalling to a huge amount, which was much above the permissible limits as per Indian laws.

After being held by the officials, the cricketer insisted that he was unaware of the rules and was allowed to leave only after he apologised. As per reports, he also agreed to pay the penalties for the offence and assured that he would not repeat the error.

Instagram lands Krunal Pandya in trouble:

According to a report in the Mumbai Mirror, Instagram was one of the sources which made the DRI officials catch Krunal Pandya at the airport. DRI was keeping a watch on his flashy Instagram posts of the allrounder. He was in possession of undisclosed high-end watches and gold worth close to INR 1 crore.

The report stated that the DRI officials were keeping a tab on Krunal Pandya for quite some time. The basis for their suspicion was his habit of flashing costly watches in his social media posts, mainly on Instagram.

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A post shared by Krunal himanshu Pandya (@krunalpandya_official)

An examination by DRI officers ‘led to a few high-end luxury watches but as the total value of the valuables was less, the agency subsequently referred the case to the Airport Customs for further action’.

“Pandya was detained and luxury watches were found,” a DRI officer told the news outlet. “As the case is small by DRI standards and also as it is a non-recurring type, it is being handed over to Airport Customs by DRI, as per normal practice.”

Also Read: Colin Munro Signs With Perth Scorchers For Big Bash League 2020

Also Read: Fans In Split As Sherfane Rutherford Arrives For PSL 2020 In Mumbai Indians’ Kit

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Former India all-rounder, Irfan Pathan opined that Mumbai Indians captain, Rohit Sharma is a mixture of MS Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly. Pathan’s comments in regards to the way Sharma deals with his bowling changes and his tactics on the field.

Rohit Sharma led Mumbai Indians to their fifth IPL title and ended the debate of the best team in the IPL. He was given MI’s captaincy mid-season from Ricky Ponting in 2013. As a captain, Rohit has the highest win percentage in the IPL amongst those who have captained at least 10 matches.

Rohit is a mixture of Dhoni and Ganguly: Irfan Pathan

With Rohit winning the fifth title for MI, the talks of making him the captain for the Indian team in the T20 format have only become stronger. Irfan Pathan even went on hail the MI skipper as a mixture of former India captains, Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni.

While Dhoni has an unmatched record with three ICC tournaments, Ganguly led India to several memorable victories outside the subcontinent. Irfan Pathan, who played for a long time under Ganguly and then under Dhoni for the Indian team praised the presence of mind of Sharma in nervy match situations in the IPL 2020.

The left-arm seamer said that it was smart and bold of Rohit to bring in Jayant Yadav for the final as someone else would have got another seamer, however, the MI skipper used his instincts which showed the clarity in his mind about his plans. Jayant Yadav picked the important wicket of Shikhar Dhawan and vindicated Rohit’s move.

Irfan Pathan feels that there is a resemblance between Dhoni and Ganguly with Rohit in the way he has handled his bowlers. Like the former Indian skippers, the Baroda all-rounder believes that Rohit trusts his bowlers and takes decisions with his gut.

In a report in India Today, Irfan Pathan was quoted saying, “The way he used Yadav showed his class. Any captain would have gone with a seamer. Rohit used his instinct. It showed how clear was his thinking. It showed that he’s a bowlers’ captain. He is a mixture of Dhoni and Ganguly. Ganguly trusted his bowlers and went by it. Dhoni trusted his bowlers but always took decisions with an instinct.”

He also heaped praises on how Rohit has shrewdly got the overs from Kieron Pollard. Since Hardik Pandya wasn’t bowling, Krunal Pandya and Kieron Pollard constituted the fifth bowler. The West Indian is an effective bowler on slow wickets where the ball sticks in the pitch- which is how Rohit used him, that impressed Pathan.

“One of the games was getting close, so he used Bumrah in the 17th over, though he usually uses Bumrah in the 18th. Bumrah brought the game back in MI’s favour.

“Look at the way he used Pollard, he didn’t make him bowl initially but when wicket had double pace he used Pollard,” Irfan Pathan added.

Also Read: Missing Virat Kohli Would Have An Impact On India, Says Justin Langer

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Chennai Super Kings opening batsman, Ruturaj Gaikwad has revealed how a conversation with the captain, MS Dhoni freed up his mind, which helped him score three consecutive half-centuries.

In a season where the Chennai Super Kings, for the first time in their IPL history couldn’t finish in the top four, Ruturaj Gaikwad was a major positive for the three-time champions. The right-hander had scores of 0,5, and 0 in his first three innings. However, as Gaikwad says a talk with MS Dhoni helped him get in touch, as he is known for in the domestic circuit.

The opener then recorded three consecutive fifties – all in the match-winning cause – and gave CSK fans a reason to celebrate. Gaikwad scored all the three half-centuries in run-chases and showed not only his ability to bat at the high level but also his temperament in pressure chases.

Dhoni walked up to me and asked me if I was under pressure: Ruturaj Gaikwad

In an interview with Sportstar, Ruturaj Gaikwad said that after he scored a duck against Mumbai Indians, MS Dhoni asked him if he was under any pressure. Gaikwad reveals that the skipper told him not to let the pressure affect his mindset and that the management has expectations from the youngster. Dhoni also assured Ruturaj that he will play the next three games.

Gaikwad spoke about the environment in the dressing room in a tough time. He tried to learn from other players how to enjoy without overthinking about his place in the team.

Ruturaj Gaikwad told Sportstar, “Dhoni walked up to me and asked me if I was under pressure. He said, ‘We don’t want to pressurise you, but we have expectations from you. All I want to tell you is you are going to play the next three games without any doubt, whether you score a run or not. Try and enjoy these games and not think about performance.

“Everyone in the camp realises the kind of phase you have been through and recovered from. Just try and enjoy your cricket without thinking about whether you will be able to play again for the team or not. Try and spend some really good time with the batsmen who are your teammates,’” he added.

The 23-year-old was advised by Dhoni not to try to enjoy batting. Gaikwad feels that chat changes his thought process as earlier he was overthinking the result in the future and not focusing on the process in the present.

The Pune-born batsman said that conversation drastically changed his performance in the IPL. Gaikwad believes that the skipper understood his mindset and changes his thought process, which freed him up. As a result, Gaikwad will have a fixed spot in CSK’s starting eleven next season.

Gaikwad  continued, “He told me not to worry about ups and downs and to enjoy the performance. After that chat, my thought process changed. Till then, I was desperately thinking about stuff like when will I get my first boundary in the IPL or when will I have my first impact, even with a 15-20 run cameo.

“But after that conversation, it was a drastic change. I remember during that RCB game, I was only thinking about contributing to the team’s cause in that situation. I think the captain sensed my frame of mind, changed my thought process, and freed me up,” he concluded.

Also Read: Mumbai Indians Are Going To Be Incredibly Hard To Beat: Shane Watson

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Former India cricketer, Virender Sehwag has named 5 players who are big names in the cricket fraternity but flattered to deceive in the IPL 2020. Known for his funny repertoire, the former opener took digs at the players in a humorous manner.

The IPL concluded with Mumbai Indians defeating the Delhi Capitals in the final in Dubai. Mumbai won the trophy for the fifth time, and successfully defended their title. While everyone in the MI team contributed towards their victory, several big-money players in other teams failed to deliver on their expectations.

Andre Russell’s muscles remained lazy this season: Virender Sehwag

In a video shared on his Facebook page, Virender Sehwag did the postseason reviews of some players. In that, he made a list of 5 big star players who flopped in the tournament.

Sehwag talked about Aaron Finch first. He had nicknamed the RCB opener as ‘Viru’ and Kohli as ‘Thakur’ in reference to the Bollywood movie ‘Sholay’. However, Finch had a below-par season, and Sehwag feels that the Bangalore curse affected the Aussie.

The former India opener then named Andre Russell as his second flop player. Sehwag opined that the West Indian gave hopes in every innnigs, but never came good, which is a major reason why KKR couldn’t qualify for the playoffs.

Virender Sehwag said, “Aaron Finch, I gave him my name as a nickname, thinking he would be Viru to Thakur Kohli. Instead, it looks like the Bangalore curse affected him badly and the engine of his batting stalled this season.”

“Andre Russell’s muscles remained lazy this season and slept after giving us hopes in every innings. Because of that Kolkata didn’t make it to the playoffs this season.”

10 crore cheerleader proved very costly for Punjab: Virender Sehwag

The 42-year-old took massive swipes at Glenn Maxwell with his wit and humour. The former Punjab captain and coach said that Maxwell was an expensive cheerleader for Punjab referring to the Australians’ price of 10 crores. Sehwag pointed out that for years Maxwell has been paid highly in the IPL, but hasn’t delivered with the bat.

Virender Sehwag continued, “Shane Watson, the Chennai fans and we had high hopes from this Diesel Engine but in this season, even after many kickstarts, it didn’t start properly and as the season ended the vehicle cannot be pulled any longer and retired it.

“Glenn Maxwell. This 10 crore cheerleader proved very costly for Punjab. His IPL routine for the last few years has been of shirking from work but this season he broke that record as well. This is what you call a highly paid vacation.”

“Dale Steyn. There was a time when everyone was afraid of the bullets from the ‘Steyn Gun’ but this season instead of the ‘Steyn Gun’ we got a homemade pipe gun. I could not believe my eyes seeing him getting hit but one thing became clear that we are unlikely to find a buyer for him now in the IPL market,” Virender Sehwag added.

Also Read: ‘Inki Ganit Weak Hai’: Rohit Sharma Posts Hilarious Message After Winning IPL In Even Year

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Delhi Capitals lost to Mumbai Indians in the final of IPL 2020. However, Shreyas Iyer’s team has garnered a lot of appreciations from every corner. Former India cricketer, Irfan Pathan strongly believes that with a couple of additions, Delhi will become a dominant team for the next few years in IPL.

Delhi had a strong start to the tournament by winning 7 out of the first 9 matches. However, their wagon slipped, and they lost four in a row. Delhi defeated Bangalore in their last league game and finished second on the points table. They won versus Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 to reach the final. In the final, they were up against a Mumbai team which has looked insurmountable and were convincingly beaten by Rohit Sharma’s side.

Delhi need to get a finisher and a leg-spinner: Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan made a bold comparison between the current Delhi Capitals team and the Chennai Super Kings a few years ago. Pathan opined that like CSK, Delhi will win a lot of matches and become the team to beat in the upcoming years. The former all-rounder said that Delhi has prepared a strong core of players, and have a good captain along with a couple of high-class overseas fast bowlers.

On the Cricket Connected show on Star Sports, Irfan Pathan said, “I see the Delhi Capitals in the next few years like CSK used to be earlier. They used to dominate and win a lot of matches. But now you will see the Delhi Capitals dominate for the next few years.” 

“They have given themselves a very good chance by choosing a very good team and preparing a very good core. They have a very good captain. They have a couple of South African pacemen who bowl very fast,” he said.

The 36-year-old said Delhi should also get a young Indian leg-spinner and invest in him. Pathan thinks that DC will be a much stronger side if they get these two types of players. While DC has Amit Mishra, who got was ruled out of the tournament after playing 3 matches, he is 37 years old and has had injury issues in recent years.

The 2007 T20 World Cup winner said that Delhi has good openers, a strong middle-order, and a cool captain with the best part being that their youngster are experienced players. He strongly counts on DC to dominate the next 4-5 years in the IPL.

Pathan continued, “They have to work on two things. If they can get a good finisher, whether he is an Indian or overseas. I still feel they have a small problem. They rely a lot on Shimron Hetmyer and Stoinis has also done very well to a certain extent but if one more batsman supports them, then this team will become even stronger. And along with that I feel a good wrist-spinner, who is preferably Indian on whom they can invest. If they can find a good player like that, these two players, then this team will become even more dangerous.

“They already have good openers, middle-order and a very good captain, who is cool and young and the best part is that most of their players are young and that too with experience, which is a very rare combination. That means they are going to dominate a lot in the next 4-5 years.”

Also Read: IPL 2020: 5 Star Players Who Didn’t Get To Play A Single Match

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Mumbai Indians won the IPL trophy for an unprecedented fifth time. Also, they successfully defended their title by defeating Delhi Capitals by five wickets in Dubai. That Mumbai used a total of just 15 players throughout the tournament without too many changes in the elven is a mantra of their success over the years. Chennai Super Kings is also known for sticking to their eleven and giving their players a long rope, that had made them the second-most successful side in the IPL.

The dictum of giving their first choice players a longer run despite failures is in vogue and has proven successful. Therefore, there were a few players, who are accomplished T20 cricketers but didn’t get a single opportunity in the IPL this season.

5 Star players who didn’t get to play a single match in IPL 2020:

Chris Lynn

Of all the unused cricketers in IPL 2020, Chris Lynn is the most prominent name in the shortest format. He is one of the most destructive openers in T20 cricket. For Kolkata Knight Riders, he has scored 1274 runs in 40 matches at a strike rate of 141. A high price and Lynn’s shoulder issues meant that KKR released him in the auction.

He was bought at his base price of 2 Crores by Mumbai Indians. Despite all his success with KKR in the IPL, Lynn was always going to be the back-up for Quinton de Kock. The South-African skipper was in tremendous form, and hence, the Australian had to be benched. With an expected mega auction to be scheduled, Lynn, 30, will hope to get more opportunities, if not for MI, then for any other team.

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Among the many records Mumbai Indians created or broke with their triumph in the just-concluded IPL 2020, one was the ending their even-year jinx in the tournament. Before their latest triumph, Mumbai Indians had won their last four titles in odd years.

The Mumbai-based franchise had won their first IPL title in 2013, after which they won only in odd years – 2015, 2017 and 2019. Unsurprisingly, the odds were against them when they took the field to defend their IPL title. But the Rohit Sharma-led side defied all the odds and went on to beat Delhi Capitals in the final to clinch their first IPL title in an even year.

After topping the league stages with 18 points from 14 matches and easing to the final with a dominant win over Delhi Capitals in the Qualifier 1, Mumbai Indians thrashed the same opponent by five wickets to become the first team to win the IPL times. They also became the second team to defend the IPL title.

Rohit Sharma on winning in even year:

A couple of days after sealing the IPL title, Rohit Sharma took to Twitter to react hilariously to his team’s triumph in the even year. The Mumbai Indians skipper shared an old advertisement as he said his side ‘went even this season’. The commercial was launched by broadcasters before the start of IPL 2020.

In the commercial, Rohit Sharma is seen talking to his superstitious Mama Ji (Uncle) about the ‘odd-even’ theory. The uncle is seen constantly trying to change the odd-numbered things around Rohit and make them even-numbered before the batsman made him understand that he was being made a fool as IPL 13 is itself odd.

Sharing the old commercial, Rohit Sharma, who top-scored in the final, wrote: “We indeed went even this season. Bola tha aapko mamu inki ganit weak hai”.

We indeed went even this season. Bola tha aapko mamu inki ganit weak hai 😁😁 @mipaltan @StarSportsIndia https://t.co/W81Cp0U29m

— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) November 12, 2020

Also Read: That’s Difficult To Say: Australia’s Selector On Whether Steve Smith Will Lead Again

Also Read: Aakash Chopra Drops Virat Kohli From His Best IPL 2020 XI

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Mumbai Indians owner Nita Ambani hilariously crashed Quinton de Kock and Nathan Coulter-Nile’s interview with Simon Doull after the IPL 2020 final in Dubai on Tuesday. Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals by five wickets to retain their title and became the first team to win the title five times.

Batting first, Delhi Capitals recovered from 22 for 3 to post 156 for 7 in the allotted 20 overs. Their skipper Shreyas Iyer top-scored with an unbeaten 65 while Rishabh Pant scored 56. In reply, Mumbai Indians scored the required runs with eight balls remaining.

Following the win, the players were being interviewed by the commentators while Nita Ambani was going around congratulating them. Due to the safety protocols, the commentators are not interviewing the players by standing beside them. Perhaps that was the reason why Nita Ambati didn’t realise that Quinton de Kock and Nathan Coulter-Nile were busy in the interview.

Here is a clip showing the hilarious moment:

Nita Ambani unaware of the fact that QDK and NCN were being interviewed by Simon Doull crashed their interview 😂😂😂

Absolute Gold ⚡️#IPLfinal #IPL2020 pic.twitter.com/U7eo0KxjG0

— Amey Pethkar 🇮🇳🇦🇪 (@ameyp9) November 10, 2020

It’s a great feeling:

Talking about the interview, Quinton de Kock, who finished the season as Mumbai’s highest scorer with 503 runs, started by saying that staying away from the family is tough. He then expressed his delight over the title win.

“Missing the family is difficult for everyone. It’s a great feeling. You see what it means to the franchise. There were questions around if MI can we win back to back titles. Everybody worked extra hard. The support staff and everyone, we couldn’t have done it without them. It’s pretty special,” de Kock said.

Also Read: Australia’s Chief Of Selectors Assures Will Pucovski Ready For Test Series Following His Mental Health Struggles

Also Read: Younis Khan Appointed As Pakistan’s Batting Coach Till 2022 T20 World Cup

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Former England captain Nasser Hussain has revealed his IPL 2020 Team of the Tournament. IPL 2020 came to an end earlier this week with Mumbai Indians winning a record fifth title. In the final, the Rohit Sharma-led side beat Delhi Capitals by five wickets while chasing 157.

No players from Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders feature in Nasser Hussain’s lineup. He has included as many as five Mumbai Indians players in his team along with two from Delhi Capitals and one each from Kings XI Punjab, SunRisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals.

The former cricketer has picked KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan as the openers of the team and has also named the former as captain. With 670 runs, Rahul finished the season as the highest run-scorer, followed by Dhawan who scored 618 runs with the help of two centuries.

“It’s not just the runs they get. These two openers are so pleasing on the eye. T20 is about muscle and hitting the ball but it’s also about stroking the ball and Dhawan and Rahul had magnificent tournaments,” Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports.

“Rahul, I think, is one of the best white-ball players going at the moment. He is a good lesson for any young boy or girl about how to stroke a cricket ball and not over-hit it. Rahul strokes it beautifully,” he added.

For the third spot, Nasser Hussain picked Suryakumar Yadav who scored 480 runs and was one of Mumbai Indians’ main players. For the middle-order, the former cricketer-turned-commentator went with Ishan Kishan (516 runs), AB de Villiers ( 454) and Hardik Pandya (281 runs at a strike-rate of 179.98).

He picked Jofra Archer as the allrounder in the team. The England star took 20 wickets this season and also showed his big-hitting abilities. The bowling lineup consists of Rashid Khan (20 wickets), Kagiso Rabada (30 wickets), Jasprit Bumrah (27 wickets) and Trent Boult (25 wickets).

Nasser Hussain’s Team Of the Tournament:

KL Rahul (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, AB de Villiers (wk), Hardik Pandya, Jofra Archer, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult

Also Read: Australia’s Chief Of Selectors Assures Will Pucovski Ready For Test Series Following His Mental Health Struggles

Also Read: Younis Khan Appointed As Pakistan’s Batting Coach Till 2022 T20 World Cup

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Former Australia all-rounder, Tom Moody is amazed at the fact that Suryakumar Yadav hasn’t played for India yet. He feels that Yadav is a highly talented and skilful batsman.

Despite scoring tons of runs in domestic cricket, Suryakumar Yadav went unnoticed year-after-year. The right-hander has scored over 400 runs in 2018 and 2019 IPL season as well, but with a lower strike rate. This season he has a strike rate of close to 150 for his 480 runs.

Over the years, playing for Kolkata Knight Riders and then for Mumbai Indians, the Maharashtra batsman has excelled in the finishing role, as well as opening the batting and at number three as well.

The 30-year-old was omitted from the limited-overs team for the tour of Australia, and there was a furore from fans and former cricketers about his exclusion- especially when players like Shikhar Dhawan and Varun Chakravarthy were selected in the T20 team based on their IPL form, but not Suryakumar Yadav.

Mind-blowing to think he hasn’t represented his country: Tom Moody

Tom Moody is also amongst the several former cricketers who belives that SKY should be in the national squad. Moody on an ESPNCricinfo chatshow picked out Yadav as his favourite uncapped Indian. He is surprised by the fact that the MI number three batsman hasn’t yet played for India.

The 55-year-old Tom Moody described Yadav’s batting technique as high-class. The former SRH coach said that Suryakumar bats with elegance and control and scores runs with nonchalant ease.

Speaking with ESPNCricinfo, Tom Moody said, “Suryakumar Yadav from Mumbai Indians, coming at No. 3, it is just mind-blowing to think that this guy has not represented his country. He bats with great grace, control and he seems to do it without breaking a sweat. To me, he’s a real class act.”

Gautam Gambhir, former KKR captain, has picked the MI batsman as his player of the tournament. Gambhir believes the runs Yadav scored were vital and very useful in the success of Mumbai Indians. The former India opener made this choice because Yadav has got those runs batting at a difficult number three position. Gambhir, who captained Yadav in KKR, praised the quality of the right-hander’s batting.

“My player of the tournament would be Suryakumar Yadav, because he batted at No. 3 which is a very crucial position and the way he batted. It’s not only about runs, it’s not because he is part of a champion team. It’s just the way he got those runs – with fluency. It was just sheer class and that’s why he is the player for me,” Gambhir said on ESPNCricinfo.

Also Read: Australia Announce Test Squad For India Series

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Hard-hitting all-rounder, Kieron Pollard opined that Mumbai Indians have a claim for the best T20 team in the world. His comments came after MI clinched their fifth IPL trophy in Dubai.

Mumbai Indians defeated the Delhi Capitals in the final of the IPL 2020 by five wickets. They successfully defended their title, becoming only the second team to do so in the history of the tournament- after Chennai Super Kings in 2011.

Apart from five IPL titles – which is two more than the next best CSK – Mumbai also has a couple of Champions League T20 trophies which they won in 2011 and 2013.

I think you will have to say so: Kieron Pollard

After the final, the commentator, Ian Bishop, asked Kieron Pollard if he feels that this Mumbai Indians team is the best in the world. The Trinidadian was quick to point out the reasons why he concurs with that thought. Pollard said that MI have the most trophies in the IPL. He explained how a number of cricketers from the MI team have gone to play international cricket for India and their respective countries.

The 33-year-old eulogised on the balance of the team, saying that they have all the boxes ticked; from openers to middle-order batters to finisher and from new ball bowlers to outstanding death bowling- MI has every aspect of the game covered, and also have proper backups for each player.

In the post-match conferecne, Kieron Pollard said, “With the number of trophies, the amount of work and the number of players that went on and played international cricket, play for India, play for their different respective countries, I think you will have to say so [that this is the best T20 franchise].

The way we plan, each and every box is ticked in what we want to achieve as a team. The openers, middle-order batsmen, finishers, death bowlers… We have an abundance of them in our team.”

I’ve been here 11 years, fifth trophy: Kieron Pollard 

Pollard, who won the super striker of the season award for batting with a strike rate of 191 praised the owners and the management for their behind the scenes work, which has been the key ingredient for the success of the Ambani-owned franchise.

Kieron Pollard continued, “It’s a great feeling. I’ve been here 11 years, fifth trophy. No one sees the planning and training, it’s pressure playing for a franchise like this. It’s pressure, yes, to play for a big franchise like this, but you can only get better as an individual if you take everything on board, take it with a pinch of salt, and take it positively.

“Again, kudos must go to the ownership and the management staff and everybody for the work they do behind the scenes in order to the project this team into the international stage. Long may it continue for us.”

Kieron Pollard will lead the West Indies team against New Zealand for a 3 T20I series starting 27th November in Auckland.

Also Read: Ravichandran Ashwin Confirms Fight Between Virat Kohli And Ricky Ponting, Reveals Reason Behind It

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Delhi Capitals lost their maiden IPL final to Mumbai Indians in Dubai. After losing Marcus Stoinis on the first ball, Delhi was always behind Mumbai, who are now five-time IPL champions. However, there are plenty of positives to take for the runner-up, after all, they won 7 out of their first 9 matches this season.

Delhi’s who boasted of a strong Indian batting didn’t click together, especially in the second half of the tournament. However, three overseas players; Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and Marcus Stoinis are Delhi’s major positive. DC has a strong core of young players which will reap the rewards in the future, and they would want to go one more step further than the final.

Delhi Capitals Players Performance Rating

Shikhar Dhawan-9

Even with all the runs and splendid form, Dhawan would have hoped to score runs against Mumbai in Qualifier 1 and especially in the final. However, the 34-year-old has received a call back to the national T20 team for the Australia tour. In Rohit Sharma’s absence, he will be competing with Mayank Agarwal for the second opening spot, with one occupied by KL Rahul.

Shreyas Iyer-7.5

Shreyas Iyer became the first captain to lead the Delhi franchise in an IPL final. At the age of 25, he is also the youngest to lead in the final of an IPL. Iyer was the second-highest run-scorer for DC. The right-hander scored 519 in IPL 2020.

Iyer had got starts throughout the season, but he wasn’t consistent in converting them into big knocks. However, in the final, when DC was 22/3, Iyer took his team to a respectable total scoring 65 from 50 balls.

Rishabh Pant-5

Rishabh Pant scored a total of 343 runs at an average of 31- which is ordinary by his standards. His strike rate of 113, was highly concerning. He was helping neither himself nor the team. Pant, who didn’t look in the best of fitness shape as well, was dropped from the India T20  squad to tour Australia. The 23-year-old had a forgettable season, but he did show some return to form in the final with a 38-ball-56.

Marcus Stoinis-9

It has been a good year for Marcus Stoinis. After a thunderous season in the Big Bash League scoring over 700 runs, he made a comeback to the Australian team. His success in IPL 2020 under Ricky Ponting has almost ensured a place in the starting XI for the national team.

Stoinis carried DC on his all-round performance in Qualifier 2 to the final. It was a highlight of his form throughout the season. The right-hander has scored 352 runs at a strike rate of 148 and picked 13 wickets.

Shimron Hetmyer-5

Prithvi Shaw-4

Tushar Deshpande-2

Tushar Deshpande has plenty to learn from the pacers in DC, as he will realize looking back at his performances this season. Deshpande picked just 3 wickets in 5 matches and leaked runs at an economy of 11.29- the most expensive in the Delhi squad. He fared decently in his first game but went wicketless in his last three.

Alex Carey-2

Alex Carey came into the eleven when Rishabh Pant was injured, but the Australian couldn’t make most of the opportunities. In 3 matches, the left-hander scored 32 runs at a strike rate of 110. He was replaced as soon as Pant was available.

Axar Patel-8

He also gave depth to the batting. Against CSK the southpaw smashed three sixes in the last over to complete the chase. The 26-year-old with his performances in the IPL will be eyeing a comeback in the national team.

Ajinkya Rahane-4

In 8 innings, Ajinkya Rahane scored 113 runs at a strike rate of 105. In those 8 innings, he was dismissed 5 times for a single-digit score. A fifty in the crucial match against RCB which placed DC at the second position in the points table was Rahane’s only significant contribution to DC this season.

Kagiso Rabada-9

Rabada, who has had injury issues last year, played all the 17 matches for DC. The South-African didn’t threaten against Mumbai in the playoffs.

Ravichandran Ashwin- 7.5

Anrich Nortje-8.5

Anrich Nortje, who was a replacement for Chris Woakes, played a perfect second-fiddle to Kagiso Rabada. The right-arm fast bowler snared 22 wickets at an economy of 8.39. He was Man of the Match for his 3/33 in DC’s last league game against RCB- a victory in which ensured a second place for the Capitals. The South-African pacer hardly had a bad game with the ball and took wickets in almost every outing.

Harshal Patel-3

With 4 internationally experienced bowlers in the DC bowling line-up, the opposition batters targeted the fifth Indian bowler. And Delhi looked short of quality options for an Indian bowler. Harshal Patel was one of the several options DC tried. Patel started his season on an optimistic note with a couple of wickets versus KKR, then could manage only 1 in the next four.

Daniel Sams-1

Praveen Dubey-2

Praveen Dubey is an exciting talent and has made the headlines over the last year in the domestic circuit. Dubey played three matches for DC, including the final, but the leg-spinner didn’t manage any wicket. He bowled some good deliveries foxing the batsman. The 27-year-old was a bit expensive and had an economy of 9 runs per over.

Avesh Khan-1

One match, figures of 0/42- Avesh Khan won’t have any wickets to take this season. The 23-year-old has done well in the previous editions of the IPL. He has a lot to learn and improve. Being an Indian pacer, he will get more opportunities in the IPL, and the right-hander should make every chance count.

Amit Mishra-6

Amit Mishra got injured early in the tournament and was ruled out after participating in 3 matches. In those 3 games, he snared 3 wickets at a brilliant economy of 7.2. In his last game, before being ruled out, Mishra bowled magnificently against KKR and finished with figures of 1/14 in 2 overs in Sharjah. The veteran leg-spinner is the second-highest all-time wicket-taker, just 10 wickets behind Lasith Malinga.

Ishant Sharma-2

Losing Ishant Sharma early in the tournament was a big blow to Delhi as their bowling plans revolved around the senior Indian pacer. Ishant played a solitary game this season and bowled well for his figures of 0/26. DC missed the experience of Ishant, as not only he is a wicket-taker in the powerplay with the new ball, but also someone who has good economy rates. The other bowling alternates were all expensive for Delhi.

Mohit Sharma-1.5

Mohit Sharma played the opening match for Delhi Capitals and was expensive as the pacer ended the game with figures of 1/45. He was dropped from the eleven, never to be selected again in the tournament. It was surprising to see Mohit Sharma not play after just one bad game, as he is an experienced India bowler and has plied his trade for Chennai and Punjab in the IPL for years.

Also Read: IPL 2020: Best Indian XI Of The Tournament

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Ravichandran Ashwin has confirmed that a heated moment between Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli and Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting had indeed taken place when both the teams locked horns in the just-concluded IPL 2020.

The incident had taken place during the teams’ second meeting on November 2. Delhi Capitals, who had won the first meeting by 59 runs, thrashed RCB by 6 wickets in the second clash. Kohli and Ponting took shots at each other after the former was having a discussion with the umpires.

During the strategic timeout, the RCB skipper was having a discussion with on-field umpires when Ponting seemed to have said something before the two engaged in a verbal fight. Ravichandran Ashwin explained the reason behind the fight as he stated Ponting ‘won’t leave any fight’. The spin ace revealed that Kohli was not happy with him leaving the field after bowling his over.

“I had a back problem when I ran. It was a terrible pain. They took MRI scans and it was traced to a nerve pull to back. I went off after bowling. And you know Ricky, he won’t leave any fight. And when RCB questioned, he said we aren’t like that etc. Heat of moment,” Ravichandran Ashwin said in the video posted on his YouTube channel.

In the same game, Ravichandran Ashwin had also dismissed Kohli for the very first time in IPL. On the big wicket, Ashwin said,

“I have always loved bowling to Virat. He would never take chances against me. Would not give his wicket; it was a matter of pride for him. MS Dhoni also, is like that. In Pune, 2016, I set him up with a ball outside off and it went really high and just as I was thinking, “Aaha, Kohli wicket,” Ankit Sharma let the ball slip through his hands at extra cover! Ai! What have you done!”

“From then on, people would keep saying Ashwin hasn’t taken a wicket of Kohli… and so when I finally took his wicket now, it was a happy and a pleasing moment; a personal justification of sorts,” he added.

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Also Read: He Always Turns Up And Delivers: Kevin Pietersen Hails Mumbai Indians’ Star As His Player Of IPL 2020

The post Ravichandran Ashwin Confirms Fight Between Virat Kohli And Ricky Ponting, Reveals Reason Behind It appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Rohit Sharma, on Tuesday, once again showed why is he loved and respected so much by his Mumbai Indians teammates. After his horrible mix-up with Suryakumar Yadav in the final against Delhi Capitals, the Mumbai Indians captain had stated that he should have sacrificed his wicket for his in-form teammate.

The incident had taken place in the 11th over of the match when Rohit Sharma played a Ravichandran Ashwin towards mid-off and set off for a quick single straightaway. Suryakumar Yadav, however, was not at all willing to take the tight run but eventually decided to sacrifice his wicket after seeing his captain standing right beside him at the non-striker’s end.

Watch: Suryakumar Yadav Sacrifices His Wicket Following A Miscommunication Between The Wickets With Rohit Sharma

“We made sure Ishan and Surya had confidence – just have to let Ishan loose, and Surya is a more matured player. The kind of form he was in, I should have sacrificed my wicket for Surya. But throughout the tournament he has played some incredible shots,” said Rohit Sharma.

Suryakumar Yadav’s reply:

Suryakumar Yadav, on Wednesday, took to Instagram to post a brilliant message for his IPL captain following his words on the run-out incident. Sharing a picture of the run-out shared by Mumbai Indians in which the franchise hailed him as selfless for sacrificing his wicket, the right-handed batsman wrote:

“Can sacrifice my wkt for him Any day.”

Rohit Sharma, nonetheless, went on to play a fine knock of 68 as Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals by five wickets to retain their title. Chasing 157, the Mumbai-based outfit chased down the total with eight balls remaining.

Also Read: IPL 2020: Aakash Chopra Points Out The Turning Point Of The Match

Also Read: IPL 2020: Delhi Capitals’ Coach Ricky Ponting Promises To Take The Team One Step Further Next Year

The post Suryakumar Yadav Posts Brilliant Message After Rohit Sharma Says ‘Should’ve Sacrificed My Wicket For Surya’ appeared first on CricketAddictor.