Mumbai Indians batter Ishan Kishan in Breakfast with Champions has revealed that his family was over the moon when Mumbai Indians bought him for over 6 crores in the IPL Mega Auctions in 2018.

Mumbai Indians outbid the likes of Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore to hire the services of Kishan.

“My Father Went To The Hospital After The Auction”: Ishan Kishan

Kishan was the captain in the 2016 U 19 World Cup, where India finished as the runners up, losing the final to the West Indies. Kishan made his IPL debut for Gujarat Lions. He was an explosive batter from the starting and his name always used to do the rounds in domestic cricket.

In the 2018 Mega Auctions, MI did not go for any of the big names as far as wicket keeping is concerned. They put their bet on Kishan in the auctions. He rewarded them with a good performance in 2018 as he scored over 200 runs for the team. In 2019, he wasn’t so good but in 2020 he was the highest run-getter for his team.

His performance in the 2020 season earned him a call-up to the Indian National Team.

That performance also made MI break their bank again in the 2022 Mega Auctions as they spent over 15 Crores to acquire his services again.

On his selection for the 2018 season, Kishan said, “I was chilled out. It was my auction, I should be stressed about it. I had gone to play football with my friends. When the auction ended I got a call from Monu Bhai. He is telling me what all happened at the auction. I was like it’s good I have been sold for good money, I should go home and meet everyone. I went home and saw that mom is on the call, cheeks red and on a call.

I saw that dad wasn’t even there. I asked where is dad? She said, ‘He has gone to the hospital to check his BP’. I am thinking ‘what has happened to my family?’ (Laughs).”

Kishan is leading the run charts again this year as he is currently the orange cap holder with 135 runs from 2 games. MI, though, is still looking to open their account on the points table.

Also Read: There Was “‘Additional Political Pressure” Surrounding That Match Which Everybody Was Aware Of Paddy Upton On India vs Pakistan Semifinal in 2011 World Cup

The post “My Family Reacted Weirdly After the 2018 Mega Auctions”: Ishan Kishan appeared first on CricketAddictor.

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja stated that Team India has a very good chance of winning the 5-match Test series against England. It’s an achievement that has eluded the Men in Blue since their win in 2007 against the hosts.

The first Test ended in a draw between the two sides, with India having dominated most of the game. Jadeja hit a stroke-filled fifty that propelled India into a first-innings lead.

Speaking about their chances prior to the start of the series, Jadeja said to Times of India: “Yes, definitely. We won twice in Australia back-to-back. Now we are in England and the conditions are totally different from those in Australia. Here, the ball swings a lot and you have to play accordingly. You have to be very smart in your game.“

“You have to play close to the body, not like in Australia, where you can play your shots from the first ball. That’s how we have to plan. If we prepare well and focus, then we have a very good chance this time.“

“We have a very good and balanced team” – Ravindra Jadeja

In the first Test, India went in with four seamers and a spinning all-rounder in Jadeja. The move paid dividends, with the seamers taking all the 20 English wickets that fell. This was the second time the Indian pacers had managed to do so. Going in with more batting depth helped them out as well.

“I think we have a big bright chance to win the series this time because we have a very good team. As far as batting, bowling, and fast bowling is concerned, we have a very good and balanced team. So, yes, we have a good chance to win the series in England,” Jadeja reckoned.

The second Test will be played at Lord’s from August 12-16. Virat Kohli had stated that the team is likely to be unchanged but seam all-rounder Shardul Thakur was reported to have been struggling with his hamstring. Whether or not he’s fit is yet to be seen.

The post We Have a Good Chance To Win the Series in England – Ravindra Jadeja appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Andre Russell recently opened up on the heartbreak he endured during the 2018 edition of the IPL where the two-time champions got beaten by SunRisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 02.

Needing 175 to win, Kolkata Knight Riders were well placed at the halfway mark with their score reading 2/93 thanks largely to a whirlwind knock by Chris Lynn.

However, Rashid Khan and Shakib Al Hasan proceeded to claw back SRH back in the game by taking three quick wickets within the space of the next three overs.

While Khan dismissed Robin Uthappa and a well-set Chris Lynn (48 off 31 balls), Shakib Al Hasan knocked over Dinesh Karthik for a six-ball 8.

However, Dre Russ (3 off 7 balls) failed to live up to expectations as Rashid Khan flummoxed him with a googly and induced an outside edge of his bat which was easily gobbled by Shikhar Dhawan at first slip.

Shubman Gill tried his best with a breezy 20-ball 30 but KKR eventually fell short by 14 runs.

The dream of making it to the final for the first time since 2014 was shattered and so disappointed was Andre Russell that he proceeded to go into the show with his cricket kit on and stayed there with water running all over him.

“When I got out to Rashid Khan, I got back inside and went into shower with my cricket clothes on. My shoes and everything was wet. I was just there with the water running all over me because (the loss meant) it was basically the last game (of the season).” revealed Andre Russell in a video shared by KKR.

Russell further lamented on the kind of stroke that he played. He admitted that he started to overthink the game and had he stayed for a bit longer, KKR would have won the game.

“I didn’t get out being Dre Russ.I started to overthink the game. That was actually a ball I could have put away, and that’s the moment where I knew I had messed up. If I was still batting at the back end, we would have won comfortably.” admitted Andre Russell.

“I was just disappointed with myself. That’s why I went into the shower with everything wet. I was happy that no one saw me that way because it was embarrassing. People would have been like – ‘Are you losing it?’ I realised (from that incident that) if a bowler feels you are scared to lift your bat, they are gonna be all over you. You have to back off a bowler by playing shots sometimes.” he added.

Rashid Khan was adjudged the “Player of the Match’ for scoring a 10-ball 34 besides taking 3/19 in four overs as SunRisers Hyderabad stormed into their second final in three seasons.

They, however, failed to repeat the heroics of 2016 as Chennai Super Kings, thanks to a whirlwind ton by Shane Watson, beat the “Orange Army” in the final to claim their third title.

Also Read: I Was So Excited, I Ran In To Bat: Suryakumar Yadav Opens Up About His Debut International Innings

The post I Got Back Inside And Went Into Shower With My Cricket Clothes On: Andre Russell Recalls His Ordeal After Getting Dismissed By Rashid Khan In IPL 2018 Qualifier appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Australia’s strong opening batsman Shane Watson has recalled his century that he went on to score in the final of the 2018 season of the Indian Premier League, Shane Watson smashed a blistering hundred in IPL 2018 final against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Chasing a target of 179 runs, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won the match by eight wickets to lift their third IPL title. What made it more special was the fact that CSK had returned from a 2-year ban in the same season.

Watson played a scintillating knock of 117 runs in just 57 balls to help CSK cross the finishing line. He stayed not out, and the right-hander smashed 11 boundaries and eight gigantic sixes during his stint at the crease. He was awarded the Man of the Match as he played a gruelling knock to win the final for his team.

Now, Shane Watson has recalled his innings in the IPL final and has revealed as to how he managed to perform exceptionally well in mattered the most.

Shane Watson Sheds Light On His IPL 2018 Final Century

Speaking to cricket.com.au on Unplayable Podcast, Watson said that his innings was a special one for him as he wanted to make amends for his performance in the IPL final two years ago for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

“Hundred in the final for CSK was like icing on the cake. Two years before, I had played in the final for RCB, and even though I gave my all, I had an absolute shocker. Because of the overs that I bowled and at the position where I batted, towards the middle overs in the back of the innings, I absolutely stuffed it,” the former Aussie allrounder said.

I Blamed Myself For The Loss In IPL 2016 Final For RCB: Shane Watson

Watson added that he only blamed himself for RCB’s defeat in the final. Watson said he used the lessons he learnt from his failures in the final against CSK in 2018.

“I went for about 60 runs in my four overs. Ben Cutting got a real hold of me. I was trying my absolute best, maybe trying too hard, because I wanted to perform well. When batting, I got out at a really bad time, when I needed to stay on. I solely blamed myself for the loss,” Watson said.

 “So, I had that on my back for the next couple of years. When I got a chance to play a final for CSK, I wanted to make amends. I thought I won’t try harder, but will use what I learnt from technical and mental perspectives. I need to be in better space – to try and perform better – hopefully play a match-winning innings,” he said.

“That was why it was more special. You wish you can have those innings in the final and it hardly ever happens. It was just meant to be my time,” the 38-year-old added.

Also Read: Michael Hussey Appreciates MS Dhoni’s Calculative Thinking

The post Shane Watson Sheds Light On His IPL 2018 Final Knock For CSK appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Despite being one of the most consistent team in recent years, Sunrisers Hyderabad have just not quite managed to hit it off this season. They have managed to win five and are still in top four of the points table but inconsistency has put them in a spot of bother. With 5 wins in 11 games, they now need to win their remaining three games in order to make it to the playoffs. Fortunately for them, they still have their fate in their own hands. However, they face a herculean task ahead as they will have to play two of their remaining three games without their talisman David Warner.

Read More: IPL 2019: Match 48 – SRH vs KXIP – Dream11 Prediction, Fantasy League Tips

The southpaw will fly back home after the game against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) on Monday. With both teams locked on 10 points from 11 games, a win will give either some breathing space ahead of their final two matches. Sunrisers have already lost Jonny Bairstow due to international duty and missing Warner will be a big blow especially as their other batsmen have failed to deliver consistently so far.

Kane Williamson has not looked in great touch while the middle-order is yet to deliver and the Sunrisers will have a major task at hand once Warner departs. The left-hander will leave Indian for Australia’s World Cup preparations alongside Steven Smith and Marcus Stoinis. Warner has been Sunrisers’ batting mainstay so far. Since his comeback from ball tampering ban, Warner has scored 611 runs in the tournament so far and is the current ‘Orange Cap’ holder. On Saturday, he also became only the second player to score 600-plus runs in three consecutive seasons.

Read  More: IPL : Five Forgotten Heroes of the Tournament

Warner and Bairstow had formed a formidable partnership for the Sunrisers. Bairstow is still the second highest run-scorer this season, having scored 445 runs.  In all the five games that they have won this season, Warner-Bairstow combination worked wonders. While Warner and Bairstow played their parts to perfection, the middle-order and death bowling has failed to deliver so far.

Meanwhile, Warner will be looking to fire the Sunrisers to a much-needed win in his last game. The Sunrisers will take on the KXIP after losing their last two games.

The post IPL 2019: David Warner To Leave IPL After KXIP Game appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Windies explosive batsman Shimron Hetmyer has always a big name for the scouts. There were lot of talks regarding him being picked in the IPL. The youngster was at his best against India, earlier this year. He unleashed his array of strokes and showcased his ability to go for the maximum.

Shimron Hetmyer to play for RCB

The Royal Challengers Bangalore picked up the promising batsman for INR 4.2 Crore. He is the first overseas player to be sold at the auction. RCB skipper Virat Kohli must be impressed with the buy as the side usually backs big hitters. Previously, Chris Gayle was an integral part of the side. At the moment, the Bangalore franchise have Kohli and AB de Villiers as their batting mainstay. With the Chinnaswamy stadium being a batsman’s paradise, Hetmyer would love to express himself. Also, the short boundaries would help the batters clear the rope at ease.

RCB are yet to lift the IPL. They came close to winning on several occasions but give it away at the final moment. Kohli and Co. would hope to win the trophy this time and around and the Windies batter will play a vital role in the side.

The fact that Hetmyer can play spin well and is familiar with the Indian tracks, makes him a good bet. He had finished the ODI series against India with 259 runs at an average of 51.80 and at a strike rate of 140. He has been in good touch this year. In the Caribbean Premier League, the batter piled up 440 runs in 12 innings at 148.14. The cricketer will be available throughout the season.

RCB:

Retianed: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Parthiv Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kulwant Khejroliya, Washington Sundar, Pawan Negi, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Moeen Ali, Mohammed Siraj, Colin de Grandhomme,

Released players: Quinton de Kock, Mandeep Singh, Chris Woakes, Sarfraz Khan, Brendon McCullum, Corey Anderson

Traded: Mandeep Singh for Marcus Stoinis

The post IPL 2019 Auction: Royal Challengers Bangalore steals Shimron Hetmyer appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The Kings XI Punjab have ended their association with their mentor Virender Sehwag. The former combative batsman was serving as the mentor of the franchise. However, Sehwag has now parted ways with the franchise. In fact, the former pugnacious batsman had also played for the team in the earlier seasons of the IPL.

Sehwag cleared that his partnership with the franchise has ended on a good note. Punjab franchise confirmed that they don’t require Sehwag services anymore. Meanwhile, Kings XI Punjab will be coached by former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson. Brad Hodge was the previous coach of the franchise.

Mike Hesson is going to coach Kings XI Punjab.

“I’ve received a mail from the franchise stating that they won’t be needing a brand ambassador and a mentor,” Sehwag told Mumbai Mirror.

“I was happy being part of the Kings XI Punjab team. It was their decision, so I had no role in the decision-making process,” Sehwag added.

Read More – Best Bowling Strike Rate Innings in IPL 2009

Meanwhile, Virender Sehwag’s contract with the franchise was due to be renewed in December. However, the management of Ness Wadia, Mohit Burman, and Preity Zinta have decided not to renew the contract.

Sehwag also cleared the air that incident with Preity Zinta didn’t have anything to do with his sacking. Sehwag said, “I don’t think the incident (with Preity) had anything to do with my exit. If they want to have a new mentor or a new ambassador, it is up to them.”

Kings XI Punjab was also in talks to trade Shikhar Dhawan from Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, the final deal could not be struck. Dhawan is finally bought by the Delhi Daredevils.

Meanwhile, Kings XI Punjab has traded Marcus Stoinis with Mandeep Singh from Royal Challengers Bangalore. Mandeep Singh had also played for the Punjab franchise in the previous editions of the IPL.

Also Read – Best Bowling Innings in IPL 2009

Virender Sehwag had joined Kings XI Punjab as a player in 2011 and then went on to serve as a mentor.

The post IPL 2019: Kings XI Punjab Ends Association With Virender Sehwag appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The stardom of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has touched new highs. Without any shadow of the doubt, the Indian Premier League is most inclined up property in sports arena of India.

After its first season in 2008, the foster child of Lalit Modi kept growing bigger and bigger, and now it has just increased by billion dollars.

Read More – Most Runs Conceded Innings in IPL 2009

Indian Premier League became the first sporting event in the year 2010 to broadcast its stuff live on YouTube.

It was set up in 2007 with funding provided by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. Since then, it had continued to attract more and more audience and grabbed the eyeballs of notable advertisers.

Also Read – Most Hat Tricks in IPL 2009

Duff and Phelps, the global finance advisors and valuation came out with the latest figures of cash-crunch league. The company comes with the annual report of this excited league every year.

In its statement, it says the value of the IPL has seen 19% jump to $6.3 billion after the 11th season.

Read More – Most Four Wickets in IPL 2009

According to the Duff and Phelps, the brand value of IPL was $5.3 billion in IPL 2017 while in 2016, it was $4.16 billion.

IPL Rights

The DLF were the official sponsors of IPL who bagged the rights for five years from 2008-2012 for a sum of two-hundred crores. After then, Pepsico bagged it for the next five years for an amount of ₹396.8 crores.

However, due to some unavoidable circumstances, the deal got terminated two years before the expiry date of the contract. A Chinese smartphone company, Vivo bagged the rights of IPL for the remaining two seasons for a sum of ₹190 crore.

Also Read – Player Points in IPL 2009

The smartphone manufacturer company retained the reasons for the next five years in 2018 for a whopping amount of ₹2199 crore.

The comeback of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals

The figures rose further after Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals returned after two years absence.

After facing two years of suspension, Chennai Super Kings made a grand entry. The playoffs spots got terminal on the last day of the league stage. It followed a pinnacle from Chennai Super Kings while clinching the title.

The post The Stardom of Indian Premier League Touched New Highs appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Chennai Super Kings fast bowler Deepak Chahar said MS Dhoni’s belief helped him in performing well in the IPL 2018.

The 25-year old Rajasthan bowler scalped ten wickets in the 12 matches he played for the Men in Yellow in IPL. In fact, Chahar bowled most of his overs in the powerplay conditions. Thus, he took all his wickets in the first six overs.

However, this is not the first time that Chahar played under the watchful eyes of MS Dhoni. The swing bowler had also played for Rising Pune Supergiant in the past.

Chahar was able to get the ball to move both ways.

Meanwhile, MS Dhoni knows the formula of getting the best out of his players. Dhoni is always to known to back the young players, and thus Chahar was able to borne fruits for the Chennai franchise.

Deepak Chahar said while talking to TOI, “I did well in Ranji and other domestic tournaments and therefore, got selected to play in IPL in 2011. I wasn’t able to perform well in the tournament then, thanks to my injuries. Last year, I got selected to play for Rising Pune Supergiant, but never got a chance to play on the field. So this year, when I got selected for Chennai Super Kings, I made sure to utilize this opportunity. MS Dhoni’s belief in me gave me the confidence to perform well. I am happy that years of hard work and struggle finally paid off. It was a wonderful feeling to lift the trophy.”

Chahar who impressed with his swing and pace added Dhoni makes the younger players more comfortable in the dressing room. Dhoni is known to maintain the right atmosphere in the Chennai camp.

 Chahar added, “It is a lot of fun inside the dressing room where senior and junior players laugh together. Dhoni sir especially takes care of youngsters and always sits with us when senior players are sitting on the other table. He cracks jokes, makes fun of you and ensures that your morale is never low. He believes in young cricketers and this gives them the confidence to do better.”

The fast bowler went on to add he has gained popularity after playing in the Indian Premier League. Chahar said there is a lot of difference after playing in the IPL.

Chahar mostly bowled in the Powerplay overs.

“I have played a lot of first-class cricket, but it is only after playing in IPL that my life has changed for good. Earlier, people knew me only within the cricket circle but now I have become popular among the masses as well,” Chahar added.

Deepak gave credit to his father for his success in the IPL. Chahar went on to add he has achieved this success because of his father.

“Whatever I am today, it is all because of my father. He is my biggest support, he has always stood by my side. He’s the one who introduced Rahul and me to the game and since then he has been working hard for us,” Chahar concluded.

The post MS Dhoni’s Belief Gave me the Confidence to Perform Well – Deepak Chahar appeared first on CricketAddictor.

England all-rounder David Willey believes counties need to be open-minded about their players playing in the Indian Premier League.

With the passage of time, almost every major cricketing nation has embraced the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL). The richest league in the world by a mile not only ensures the players get a hefty package but also give them an opportunity to share the dressing room with some of the top cricketers in the world.

The likes of Australia, South Africa, New Zealand had never hesitated in sending their players to the cricketing extravaganza in India.

Also Read – Points Table in IPL 2010

However, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has not been as inclined towards sending players to India during this time of the year. One of the prime reasons is that the county season coincides with the IPL.

Even this year, there was controversy when David Willey signed up for Chennai Super Kings just days before the start of the County Championship season.

Willey had also withdrawn from Yorkshire’s friendly with Leicestershire to join the IPL side.

Willey was the 12th English star to join IPL this year –  more than in any previous year.  Durham’s Mark Wood, Surrey’s Tom Curran, and the Yorkshire pair of Liam Plunkett and Willey were signed up as replacement players who pretty much scuppered the county teams’ plans just before the season.

Read More – Most Runs in IPL 2010

And Willey had now revealed Yorkshire had threatened to “rip up his contract” when he decided to play in the IPL.

“I think the landscape of the modern game is changing, I do think that counties should try and work with it rather than work against it and look at the longer term picture,” he says. “Ultimately, you would think that their counties will benefit from it. Whether it be immediately that summer when they come back and contribute to winning games or whether they go on and help develop youngsters down the line.”

He further said that he did not have any doubt in his mind when the offer to play in the IPL came.

“There is no better way for young guys to learn than to play with experienced guys who have played all around the world. If counties had that outward look at these competitions as a longer-term benefit, it would be better for everyone involved. There would be less arguments and fallouts along the way. You don’t get the chance to go and play in the biggest T20 competition in the world every day so it was a no-brainer for me.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Willey (@david_willey72)

Willey, however, did not get to play ample games in India. The left-arm seamer played just three games but insisted he had a great experience.

“It was a great experience to be a part of, having the chance to see how these great internationals of past and present go about their cricket and how they structure their game for T20. I feel like not only have I found my enjoyment for the game again, I’ve also learnt a lot from a tactical, mental and skill point of view as well,” he said.

Must Read – Most Runs Over in IPL 2010

He also had a word of praise for Super Kings skipper, MS Dhoni.

“I learnt just as much from watching guys like him as I did from the few games I played in,” Willey says. “How calm he is and how he thinks about the game when he is batting was great to learn from. Things like that are invaluable when you are learning about the game.”

The post Yorkshire Threatened to Rip Up my Contract Over IPL Deal – David Willey appeared first on CricketAddictor.

MS Dhoni – Chennai Super Kings had all the odds stacked against them as they prepared to mark their comeback in this year’s Indian Premier League. They were returning to the league after serving a two-year absence imposed on them due to corruption charges.

Before the suspension, the Super Kings had created their own legacy in the league. The Chennai-based outfit was one of the most successful teams in the history of the IPL before being suspended in 2015. The only team which has defended its IPL title so far, the Super Kings had won the league twice-2010 and 2011. In addition, they had also it to the summit clash on four different occasions. They had also won the now-scrapped Champions League T20 twice.

Read More – Most Fours in IPL 2010

However, there were widespread apprehensions that the Super Kings would fail to hit the ground running in their comeback season.  But the apprehensions and doubts went for a toss as the Super Kings once again proved that they and the IPL is a match made in the heaven.

Must Read – Most Fours Innings in IPL 2010

Under MS Dhoni’s inspirational captaincy, the Super Kings defied all the odds to win their third IPL title and cap off their comeback season in a fairy-tale style. Just like their glorious past, they performed consistently throughout to win the title for the first time since 2011.

MS Dhoni has now revealed an interesting thing that might have helped the team hit the ground running after a two-year absence. The 36-year old said that despite the huge task in hand, the players were asked to relax and enjoy.

Read More – Most Sixes in IPL 2010

In fact, if he is to be believed then Super Kings’ team meeting before the 2018 IPL final against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, took all of five seconds.

“I think at that point of time, we were quite relaxed about how we’d conducted ourselves throughout the tournament. And everybody’s role and responsibilities were very clear. So, you need to address something if it really needs to be addressed. You know, there’s no point, just because if there’s a captain and a coach of the team, you’ve to say something,” Dhoni said at an event on Monday (June 11). “The team meeting that we had, lasted hardly five seconds. (Stephen) Fleming was like: ‘Go, get it boys.’ And it got over.”

Must Read – Most Sixes Innings in IPL 2010

“I always have felt that this was one of the secrets why CSK keep doing that (winning the IPL). We don’t have a long list of meetings. We don’t have too many meetings because we’ve played so long each with other, against each other, you know the conditions so well, you exactly know how you need to operate. And there’s no rocket science.

“Yes, we’ve the bowlers’ meetings, the batters’ meeting, and I don’t become a part of the batters’ meeting. A lot of times, people do it because they need to tick a box. And in CSK, there’s no justification that happens… you know that the bowling coach doesn’t need to justify to the owners,” Dhoni added.

The post IPL 2018: Our Team Meeting Before The Final Lasted Hardly Five Seconds, Reveals MS Dhoni appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a tournament which has provided some forgotten stars or newcomers with the mega opportunity to make their return to the national side through such a domestic professional Twenty20 league.

Several youngsters have gone on to represent India only on the back of some exceptional performances in the cash-rich IPL. It has been the budding ground for many such players.

Even in the recently concluded tournament, there were several exceptional performances carved out by newcomers and some of the veteran cricketers.

The tournament again provided a golden opportunity for some of the players to make a return to the Team India. The respective performances in the tournament provided quite a few players who were rewarded with a national recall courtesy their impressive showing in the IPL.

Without wasting any time let us have a look at five such players who were rewarded for their consistent performances in this edition of the IPL:

Siddarth Kaul:

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) fast bowler was rewarded for his impressive performances in the tournament with a national call-up for the very first time in his career. He has been picked in the national side for both One-day International and Twenty20 International series against England.

The much-awaited series is slated to start later in the month. Kaul was one of the most standout performers for Hyderabad who bagged 21 wickets in the tournament alongside Rashid Khan.

Siddarth was the leader of the Hyderabad’s bowling pack and made more impact than Rashid in the earlier part of the tournament.

However, his performances dipped considerably at the fag end of the tournament. Though he bagged back-to-back wickets of Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu with scorching deliveries in the Qualifier first.

Well, it wasn’t enough. Shane Watson took the charge in spectacular fashion – to take Kaul to the cleaners.

Furthermore, Kaul will definitely look to make an impact if he does manage to make his national debut in England.

The post IPL 2018: Five Players Who Were Rewarded for Their Exceptional Performance appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is definitely biggest Twenty20 extravaganza across the cricketing globe. Ever since its inception way back in 2008, the tournament has attracted huge crowds.

The domestic professional T20 tournament has gone on from strength to strength each passing year. Franchises like Mumbai Indians (IPL) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are the most successful teams in the tournament with three titles behind their name.

We have also witnessed the emergence of several new players who have gone on to represent the national team.

However, there are quite a few players who have been IPL stars but have not managed to grab the national spot on a consistent basis.

Well, there are few IPL stars who have played just a solitary T20I for the national team.

Now without wasting any time let us have a look at those three cricketers:

Sanju Samson:

Sanju Samson is one of the most stylish batsmen of the modern generation, particularly in India. He has the ability to play some exceptional shots and tale on quality bowlers with disdain.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) mentor Shane Warne recently called Samson as the future superstar. He has been a consistent performer for all the franchises he has been part of.

Samson’s solitary century in the tournament came in 2017 when he was playing for Delhi Daredevils (DD). It was a sensational knock.

The Kerala-based Samson performed quite consistently and has scored 1,867 runs in his IPL career so far. He has played 81 IPL matches maintaining an average of 26.67 and strike rate of 127.35. His IPL career includes 10 half-centuries and a ton.

Samson made his national debut against Zimbabwe in 2015. He scored 19 of 24 deliveries as India lost the game by 10 runs in Harare. He never appeared for India thereafter.

However, given his potential at the age of 23, it is only a matter of time before he dons national jersey yet again.

Also Read: TNCA All Set to Launch One Day and T20 Tournaments for Women

Karn Sharma:

The leg-spinner Karn Sharma has been a consistent performer in the distinct IPL editions. The 30-year-old spinner was part of the victorious franchises such as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Mumbai Indians (MI) and now Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2016, 2017 and 2018 edition respectively.

Karn has played 61 games in the tournament for different franchises. He has bagged 53 wickets at an impressive average of 26. His economy rate of 7.76 was quite impressive.

The wily customer Karn finally made his national debut on the back of some impressive performances in IPL. He went on to play his lone T20I against England in Birmingham, back in 2014.

In his only encounter, Karn Sharma bagged a solitary wicket in his four-over spell bagging the prized wicket of Joe Root. He has also represented India in a couple of ODI’s and a solitary Test.

The post Three IPL Star Performers Who Have Played a Solitary T20I for India appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Thane Anti Extortion Cell (AEC) interrogated Bollywood producer Parag Sanghvi on Wednesday in connection with the Indian Premier League (IPL) betting case.

Meanwhile, the Thane police also decided to make actor Arbaaz Khan and Sanghvi witnesses in the case. Moreover, Sanghvi has produced films like ‘Partner,’ ‘Bhoot Returns’ and ‘The Attacks of 26/11’.

He is also the Chief Executive Officer of Alumbra Entertainment and Lotus Film Company.

Previously on June 4, AEC summoned Sanghvi and another person Sameer Buddha in connection with the case. However, Sanghvi in his statement has denied any partnership with Sonu Jalan, the main accused.

According to reports, Sanghvi claimed he met Jalan five years back in a restaurant at Juhu. He also claimed he had snapped ties once he came to know Jalan’s betting business.

Moreover, the duo from tinsel town will shortly record their statement in the court under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

However, in a shocking development, Bollywood actor Arbaaz Khan agreed to have placed bets on IPL matches for six years. Arbaaz revealed he knew Sonu and the latter was threatening him, as he owed him Rs 2.8 crore. Arbaaz also agreed to cooperate with the police regarding the incident.

The actor’s name cropped up during the investigation of a bookie, Sonu Jalan, who was arrested by the police last month.

Also Read: Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma work out together in gym

The post Bollywood Producer Parag Sanghvi Questioned in IPL Betting Case appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Richard Madley, one of the vital cog in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since its inception, expressed his gratitude for the Delhi Daredevils (DD) franchise for a gifting him a jersey.

Meanwhile, Madley had conducted all the auctions of the tournament hovering over the names of several cricketers from around the globe. In this edition of the IPL, he also visited the country to catch hold of a few matches.

The 62-year old Madley was present at the stands of Wankhede to watch Mumbai’s games. He also mentioned in an interview, that he is in India to see a few matches in Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi respectively.

He also attended the match between Delhi and the Rajasthan Royals at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi. Madley, meanwhile, was in absolute delight after the game, as he got a team jersey from the Daredevils.

Humbled by gestures, he took to Twitter to thank the franchise. The auctioneer also mentioned the jersey would be up for an auction to raise funds.

“Thank you for your welcome at game v @rajasthanroyals. The team shirt you presented me will be auctioned to raise funds for @TomMaynardTrust. #DilDilli #SOLD,” the tweet read.

Thank you for your welcome at game v @rajasthanroyals .
The team shirt you presented me will be auctioned to raise funds for @TomMaynardTrust. #DilDilli #SOLD https://t.co/2MtQdxHEvr

— Richard Madley (@iplauctioneer) June 5, 2018

Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings lifted the title in the eleventh edition of the league. They defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets at the Wankhede to script history.

Moreover, this edition was full of twist with many last-over finishes. Such was the excitement that the top-four were decided in the last week.

Also Read: Ramiz Raza picks his all-time XI

The post IPL 2018: Richard Madley Expresses his Gratitude for the Delhi Daredevils appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The Thane Police has issued warrants against Bollywood producer Parag Sanghvi and Sameer Buddha in the connection with the betting scandal. The latter is the brother of former police officer Sohail Budha.

Both were summoned to record their respective statement in connection with the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) betting case.

Well, it is learnt that Parag Sanghvi, the former cricketer is already a partner of bookie Sonu Jalan.

Jalan is also known as Sonu Malad, who was arrested in the betting case which wrecked IPL a few years ago.

As per reports, Sonu has been the primary fundraiser for several movies of Sangvi. His movies include the Attacks of 26/11, the Partner and the Sarkar Series.

“We have issued summons to them, and they have been asked to appear before us on Tuesday. Their roles, which have emerged during the course of the investigation, need to be verified. Jalan has claimed to be Sanghvi’s partner and funded his films,” Pradeep Sharma, a senior inspector of the Thane anti-extortion cell (AEC) was quoted as saying by the reporters.

Also Read: Scotland Announce 15-member Squad For One-off ODI Against England

The police have suspected that Sangvi and Jalan are partners. They are expected to make money for films from the cricket betting.

As per reports, the police will investigate the source of funds and try to find out the details of their use.

Owing to the investigation procedure, Thane Police will confront Sanghvi and Jalan face-to-face as per quotes from the police official.

In addition, the police further stated Buddha would be questioned too. It is because Buddha’s car was used by Jalan to travel places and commit the crimes. He was arrested inside the White Honda City car which is owned by Buddha.

Betting is a common practice:

Betting is a common practice all around the world. Though, it is a criminal practice it is being done by the whole world.

Furthermore, it is a simple way to earn money. However, betting can also ruin anyone’s life. The greed of money gets to the head of the person and at times he tends to mortgage just anything to bet on cricket matches or at other areas.

Recently Bollywood actor-producer Arbaaz Khan was summoned for his part in the IPL betting.

Also Read: Afghanistan Vs Bangladesh, 2nd T20I: Hosts Look to Clinch Series, Tigers Seek Revenge

The post Bollywood Producer And Former Cop’s Brother Summoned for Involvement in IPL Betting appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Indian Premier League auctions were held this year which gave an opportunity to all the eight franchise to pick their players. As soon as the IPL is done and dusted, we start judging player’s performance on the price they were bought.

There were some players who were not able to live up to the huge expectations and thus found themselves trapped at the bottom. However, they are players who come up good with their performances after bagging a good deal in the auctions. Thus, these players were able to justify their huge price tag.

Meanwhile, it would not be fair to blame the player’s performance due to their high price tag. The high price is not asked by a particular player and they are given a big cheque by the franchise on the basis of their current form.

Let’s take a look at the Five Expensive Players who Justified their High Price:

KL Rahul:

KL Rahul was bought for a whopping INR 11 crores by the Kings XI Punjab. The stylish right-hander scored 659 runs in the 14 innings he played for his new Punjab franchise. The Punjab opener ended as the third highest run-getter of the season.

The flamboyant opener scored six fifties in the 14 matches he played. Thus, the right-hander gave a solid platform to the Kings XI Punjab innings. Rahul also scored the fastest fifty off just 14 balls in the opening match against Delhi Daredevils.

Moreover, Rahul also did a decent job behind the stumps. Thus, he was the worth the value for the Kings XI Punjab side. However, Rahul didn’t receive support from the other end and thus Punjab failed to make their way into playoffs stages.

The post IPL 2018: Five Expensive Players who justified their Price Tag appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) leg-spinner, Karn Sharma has made a hat-trick of titles with three different teams in three consecutive years.

There is some wizardry that propels the leggie to a new Indian Premier League franchise every year, and wherever he goes, the titles follow.

Meanwhile, he was part of the winning Sunrisers Hyderabad side in 2016, Mumbai Indians in 2017 and last week, he laid his hands on the trophy wearing the Chennai jersey.

However, Karn also tasted Ranji success in 2017-18 on his debut season with Vidarbha; he moved from Railways last year. While speaking to Sportstar, the 30-year old leg-spinner talked on various issues ranging from IPL to various other issues.

It was a different feeling

Talking about his experience winning the title with CSK, Karn admitted it is a different feeling. He also lauded the Yellow Army for being such loyal fans in the stadiums.

“It was mad. We are happy that we won it for the fans and support staff. There were criticisms regarding the team combination after the auctions. This was a different feeling compared to the last two times. I haven’t seen such a fan following in any other team in the IPL. You could only see yellow in the stands,” Karn said.

He also added he was ready for the opportunity, as he was aware opportunities could come at any point. Karn also noted the shift in venues hurt his playing chances.

Having three titles is huge

Talking about the differences in team cultures in all the franchise, Karn mentioned every franchise follows different rules and regulations. He stressed individuals have different plans, and if they stick to their plans, the team wins.

“Every franchise follows different rules and regulations, but playing a final is a big thing irrespective of the team you play for. Having three titles is a huge thing for me. When I was with SRH and MI, both the franchises were in top two leading up to the play-offs. It was the same with CSK this season, so I couldn’t find any major difference. When you are doing well throughout the season, the approach doesn’t really change. But individuals have different plans and if they stick to their plans, the team wins,” he added

In conclusion, Karn admitted he is eyeing the upcoming domestic season. He will train harder and will try to win everything possible.

Also Read: Steve Smith makes shocking revelations post ball-tampering scandal

The post IPL 2018: This was a Different Feeling Compared to the Last Two Times – Karn Sharma appeared first on CricketAddictor.

For the 3^rd time, it was the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) who lifted the IPL title. It was last Sunday that Chennai Super Kings defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final of the tournament to clinch the title for the 3^rd time in their history. It must be noted that CSK skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been a long time teammate of Harbhajan. However, this year the duo represented the same franchise for the very first time.

Again it was a clinical performance by Chennai for the majority of the tournament. Dhoni revived his lost touch and smashed 29 sixes during IPL 2018. The former India skipper was consistent with the bat in hand and looked like the old vintage Dhoni. The same words were echoed by Harbhajan, as he stated it was good to see Dhoni bat up the order.

“He has been wonderful and it was good to see him batting up the order. He reminded me of the older version of Dhoni,” Harbhajan was quoted as saying by Sportstar.

Happy to see MS bat up the order – Bhajji

Dhoni scored 455 runs in the tournament and had arguably the best IPL season with the bat. He had batted up the order, a move which has impressed veteran spinner Harbhajan.

He further stated age is just a number. Chennai had at least ten players above the age group of 30. However, Bhajji feels in a tournament like IPL experience is more important than age.

“[Our performance] shows that age is just a number. If you are fit and you can run after a ball or score runs, then that should matter in the end and not how old you are on paper,” Harbhajan said.

Also Read: All Afghanistan Players Have a Dhoni Story in their Lives, says Spinner Sharafuddin Ashraf

“We make mistakes by saying that players are 30 or 35. My question is, so what? When people are 20-21, they make mistakes in the middle by not thinking wisely. Nonetheless, the people in 30s are experienced as they have gone through these stages in their career, so they know when to react and how to react in pressure situations. That’s where experience comes to play,” Harbhajan said.

“With age, you know which shots to play and how to trap a batsman with the ball. Experience matters the most, and you have seen that with Chennai Super Kings,” he further added.

For Harbhajan, it wasn’t a great season. The seasoned campaigner bagged seven wickets in 13 games.

“It’s been a great outing for all of us. From the fans point of view, this is the best thing that has happened. They were waiting for CSK to come back and were very excited for the side,” he says, adding that not playing in Chennai was disappointing.

“We didn’t play much in Chennai, that’s very unfortunate. Yet, the crowd went to Pune to support. They were excited. A big team coming into the league is always good, and we have got perfect results,” Harbhajan said.

Also Read: Venkatesh Prasad Heaps Praises on the Current Crop of Indian Fast Bowlers

The post Our Performance in the IPL showed that Age is Just a Number – Harbhajan Singh appeared first on CricketAddictor.

With the eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) done and dusted, a detailed research study has recently revealed that Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) batsman Ambati Rayudu proved to be more valuable than his skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in this cash-rich league.

Meanwhile, the 11th edition produced many exciting moments and close games. With all franchises spending a big amount on top-notch players, the post-assessment was all about who provided bang for the buck.

A study by Hansa Research Group calculates the impact based on certain parameters. It assigns them points and calculates how expensive a player was for each point.

However, the top performances by a player don’t automatically make him the best buy as the team might have paid a huge sum.

Thus, the topper of the chart is the one who came cheap but delivered in the tournament.

For instance, Virat Kohli did a fair job despite Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) failing to reach the playoffs.

Kohli amassed 530 runs at 48.18 at a strike rate of 139.10 with four half-centuries. But RCB had splurged INR 17 crore for him, which meant Kohli, despite logging 2,225 points, cost INR 76,404 per point for his team.

Similarly, Dhoni guided Chennai to their third IPL title. Dhoni’s finishing with the bat, captaincy and keeping all stood out in a recently-concluded season of the Twenty20 league.

But the cold statistics put opener Rayudu (2,734 points) way ahead of Dhoni in the list as the opener. Rayudu, who was a picture of consistency, was bought for INR 2.2 crore while Dhoni (2,450 points) cost the franchise INR 15 crore.

As a result, Ambati Rayudu finds himself in 16th in the list in terms of players providing the best returns. However, Dhoni is on 113 and Kohli only 121 among 136 players who featured in at least one game.

The high returns for low investment model thus put Delhi Daredevils’ (DD) pacer Harshal Patel at the top of the chart.

Daredevils roped him for INR two crore but collected 830 points, with each point coming at an investment of just INR 860.

Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal, who bowled impressively and took 11 wickets in 11 games is next best at INR 1,151 per point (Rs 2 crore).

However, Jaydev Unadkat, who was the costliest seamer cost INR 1.05 lakh per each of his 1,088 points, according to the study.

Also read: Five Most Popular Overseas Players in India

The post IPL 2018: Ambati Rayudu More Valuable Than MS Dhoni – Study appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Cricket is more than just a sport in India. Yes, you heard it right. It is an emotion, a religion and the cricketing idols produced by the country are often worshipped.

Before the start of successful Indian Premier League (IPL), it may be stated that India wasn’t a very friendly place to tour, as the crowd really got behind their players and even brilliance from the opposition wasn’t enjoyed due to the biased fans.

However, with the onset of franchise league cricket, we already saw Matthew Hayden represent Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Shahid Afridi donning the jersey of Deccan Chargers (now defunct).

Read More – Most Fifties in IPL 2010

As a result, the cricketing star began to feel the warmth of the crowd rather than nerves, while playing in front of them.

Slowly and Steadily, India became one of the favourite places to visit for these players, and the admiration now is mutual.

Here the top five famous cricketing personalities from abroad in terms of popularity in India:

AB de Villiers:

Wherever this modern masters steps onto the field, it is a matter of assurance that AB de Villiers would receive a standing ovation and a deafening cheer from the jam-packed stadium.

From Mumbai to Kanpur, and his adopted hometown at Bengaluru, AB is one of the most popular foreign entities in India.

Read More – Most Centuries in IPL 2010

It is largely due to his freak 360-degree strokes and superhuman efforts on the field that helped him to gain popularity in this part of the world.

Unfortunately, there would not be any of de Villiers in India as the star recently called it quits from the game.

Chris Gayle:

The Universe Boss is next in line when it comes to the popularity of overseas players in India.

Gayle has conquered all the top franchise leagues in the world and is one of literally the living legends of Twenty20 cricket.

Also Read – Fastest Fifties in IPL 2010

Therefore, he receives an equal amount of respect and adulations from crowds in India, due to his stature in world cricket, antics off the field, and flamboyant nature.

Dwayne Bravo:

Dwayne Bravo brings the typical Carribean flair into the IPL. Couple with his infectious ‘Champion Dance’ and ‘Run the World’ moves, Bravo is an instant hit amongst the Indians.

Must Read – Fastest Centuries in IPL 2010

Bravo is famous around the corners of Chennai and other parts of the country. Owing to his pragmatic approach over the years, since the inception of IPL, Bravo entertained many.

Rashid Khan:

Slowly creeping up the ladder of International cricket, and also winning hearts of several Indians with his undeniable talent. Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan’s popularity in India is on the rise.

Must Read – Highest Scores in IPL 2010

Rising against the tide, this year of IPL belonged to Afghanistan’s teenage sensation. He entertained with both bat and ball, and even in the field. Thereby, increasing his popularity exponentially.

Glenn Maxwell:

Photo Credit: BCCI/IPL.

The only difference between Glenn Maxwell and AB’s freak style of play is that the former misses more than the latter hits. Having said that, on a given day, Maxwell can be destructive with his unorthodox and powerful strokeplay.

Read More – Best Batting Strike Rate in IPL 2010

Fondly known as Maxi, who often is well amongst the crowd in India.

The Victorian turned out to be an exception from Australia, who is favourite amongst any masses in the cricketing nation.

The post IPL 2018: Five Most Popular Overseas Players in India appeared first on CricketAddictor.

After intense cricketing action over a month-and-half, it was the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who won the eleventh edition of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL) to lift their third title.

It was a sensational unbeaten knock from Shane Watson which sealed the deal for Chennai. The tournament was one of the very best for the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team in particular.

Till the very last game of the group stage, fortunes fluctuated from one side to the other. In the end, Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kolkata Knight Riders (RR) qualified for the playoffs ahead of Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Despite winning five of the first six matches, Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) failed to progress through to the playoffs. The middle order failed to impress and was unable to provide the ample support to the top order batsmen.

KL Rahul and Chris Gayle provided them brisk starts. However, the middle order batsmen weren’t able to provide the resistance.

Now let us have a look at  five players who might be released by the Kings XI Punjab:

Aaron Finch:

The Australian swashbuckling batter Aaron Finch was bought by the Kings XI for INR 6.2 crore.

Given his prowess especially in the shortest format of the game, the price he fetched wasn’t surprising. He was given chances in the middle order. However, he failed to impress for the rest of the tournament.

Finch was quite ordinary throughout the tournament. His inability to score runs affected Punjab big time.

In 10 matches Finch scored just 134 runs at a below-par average of 16.75. There was hardly any innings of substance barring a couple of 40 odd.

Also Read: Indian Players to Undergo Yo-Yo Test Before the Afghanistan Test

The post IPL 2018: Five Players Who Might be Released by Kings XI Punjab Next Season appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Always playing under the shadow of India’s talismanic batsman and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Karthik found it difficult to make the cut into the Indian side.

Read More – Best Batting Average in IPL 2010

Interestingly, Karthik made his debut well before the iconic Indian cricketer.

In spite of frequent disappointments regarding selection into the national squad, Karthik did the hards yards in domestic cricket, while representing Tamil Nadu.

Finally, his persistence paid off, and selection committee picked Karthik as a replacement for Manish Pandey in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.

Also Read – Most Wickets in IPL 2010

From the fringes within the Indian squad, skipper occasionally used Karthik at the debatable number four position.

But, the true coming of Karthik was during the Nidahas Trophy final against Bangladesh.

In just eight balls, Karthik took India towards an improbable victory with his 27-run cameo, thereby, making a strong case for himself in the World Cup of 2019.

CEO of Kolkata Knight Riders, Venky Mysore, entrusted his faith in Karthik for the captaincy. The Tamil Nadu stalwart obliged by taking a young team to the third position in the IPL points table.

Further, 2018 continues to be significant for Karthik. He replaces Wriddhiman Saha to don Indian whites for the Afghanistan Test match.

However, Karthik makes a comeback in the Test arena after a wait of eight long years.

“Heartiest congrats DK for being recalled to the India test side! Glad sheer hard work & performance has been noticed. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy!! #rooting4uSkipper! @DineshKarthik @KKRiders” tweeted Venky Mysore.

Also, here’s the post:

Heartiest congrats DK for being recalled to the India test side! Glad sheer hard work & performance has been noticed. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy!! #rooting4uSkipper! @DineshKarthik @KKRiders

— Venky Mysore (@VenkyMysore) June 2, 2018

The post KKR CEO Venky Mysore Wishes Dinesh Karthik After Test Call-up appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) had yet another disappointing season in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Virat Kohli-led team managed to win only six matches in the 14 games of the league stages. Thus, the Men in Red could not qualify for the playoffs once again.

Meanwhile, the performances of some of the RCB players were ordinary. Thus, these players could be shown the exit from the Royal Challengers Bangalore team. In fact, RCB could not deliver consistent performances which ruled them out of the tournament.

Let’s take a look at Five Royal Challengers Bangalore who may be released in next edition:

Sarfaraz Khan:

Sarfaraz Khan was retained by Royal Challengers before the IPL auctions. However, the youngster was not able to live up to the expectations.

Furthermore, Sarfaraz will need to work on his fitness to play at the topmost level in the foreseeable future. The right-hander scored only 51 runs in the six innings in the recently-concluded season of the Twenty20 league.

Consequently, the youngster failed to give the finishing touches to the Bangalore innings.

Thus, the young lad can be shown the exit door from the Royal Challengers camp.

Pawan Negi:

Pawan Negi received limited opportunities for the Men in Red. The bowling all-rounder managed to play only two matches for Kohli-led side.

The left-arm spinner scalped a solitary wicket in the couple of matches he played in the season. However, he conceded his runs at a higher economy of 12.25.

The RCB all-rounder scored only three runs in the two innings in this edition of IPL.

Corey Anderson:

Anderson was on the expensive side with the ball:

Corey Anderson could not deliver the goods with both bat and ball for the Royal Challengers. In fact, Kiwi all-rounder turned out to be expensive in almost every match he played.

Anderson scored only 17 runs in the three matches he played. The all-rounder scalped three wickets in the same number of matches.

Furthermore, Anderson was on the expensive side as he leaked his runs at an economy of 13.26.

The Blackcaps player was later dropped by the Royal Challengers from the playing XI. Thus, Anderson might be released by the Bangalore franchise.

The post IPL 2018: Five Royal Challengers Bangalore Players Who May be Released Next Season appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) concluded last Sunday (May 27) as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lifted their 3^rd title in IPL history after beating Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight wickets riding on a sensational 117 of 57 deliveries.

Chennai proved to be just too hot to handle for Hyderabad on all four occasions in the cash-rich tournament. Like the previous editions, even this season we saw the emergence of some sensational youngsters.

On the other hand, the performances of some of the veteran cricketers have been far from promising.

Kolkata Knight Riders performed pretty well under the captaincy of Dinesh Karthik. However, they were knocked out of the tournament after suffering defeat at the hands of Sunrisers in Qualifier second at Eden Gardens.

Let us have a look at five such cricketers who might be released by KKR next season

Mitchell Johnson:

Earlier, many cricketing pundits pitted former Australian left-arm pacer to be the replacement for Mitchell Starc, who was ruled out after sustaining an injury.

Speedster Johnson is definitely one of the greatest bowlers Australia has seen. However, following his retirement, he hasn’t been at his best and was found wanting in the limited opportunities he got in the tournament.

Left-arm pacer was smashed all around the park. He hardly troubled any of the batsmen during the course of the tournament.

In six matches Johnson ended up conceding runs at an expensive economy rate of 10.28. He just bagged a couple of wickets at an average of 108.

Also Read: Indian Players to Undergo Yo-Yo Test Before the Afghanistan Test

The post IPL 2018: Five Players Who Might be Released by Kolkata Knight Riders Next Season appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Bollywood actor-and-producer Arbaaz Khan was recently summoned by Thane Police, for his alleged involvement in betting during the recently completed Indian Premier League (IPL).

According to police officials, brother of Superstar Salman Khan confessed to the accusations of placing bets during India’s successful domestic Twenty20 league, through a 43-year-old bookmaker Sonu Jalan.

The contact information of the actor was released through the diary of the betting kingpin, Jalan. The mastermind was arrested a few days back.

On the contrary, former head of Board of Control for Cricket in India’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), Neeraj Kumar, believed the game of cricket won’t be tarnished with the recent developments.

“Cricket doesn’t get affected with any kind of betting by a Bollywood personality via a bookie until and unless a cricketer is approached. it is just an offence under gambling act,” Neeraj Kumar told Business Standard.

The chief of the ACU Neeraj was involved during Sreesanth’s spot-fixing scandal in 2013. The then incident took the world of cricket by storm.

Also Read: Dinesh Karthik Replaces Injured Wriddhiman Saha for Afghanistan Test.

“Police are investigating the case and it is too premature for us to say,” commented Ajit Singh of BCCI’s Anti-corruption Unit (ACU).

On Thursday (May 31), the Indian cricketing board came up with a statement to ensure stricter measures to avoid corruption. Also, it claimed that this season of IPL was a major success and mostly free of corruption.

Arbaaz Khan lost Rs 2.8 Crores while placing the bets:

Also Read: IPL 2018: Five Famous Brothers Who Featured in the Tournament Over the Years.

Further, it is learnt that Arbaaz has lost a whopping amount of INR 2.8 crore while placing the bets. Adding there was a conflict between him and bookie at the police station.

Also, Ajit comes up with a statement that BCCI needs to take more stringent measures to avoid corruption. He also clarified that IPL is somewhat corruption free after the tournament was a big hit this year.

The post Cricket Doesn’t Get Affected With Betting by a Bollywood Personality: Neeraj Kumar appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Defamed actor-cum-producer, Arbaaz Khan recently confessed to his involvement in betting over the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. The Thane police officials of an anti-extortion cell confirmed the latest development in the case.

It was only yesterday (June 1) that Arbaaz was summoned by police officers who busted the betting racket involving lynchpin Sonu Jalan.

The contact information of the actor was recovered from the diary of the 43-year old bookie who was arrested a few days back.

However, it is learnt Arbaaz, Jalan along with few others convened a meeting at Dubai.

Also Read: IPL 2018: Five Players Who Could be Axed From Chennai Super Kings Squad Next Season.

According to recent reports, Arbaaz was summoned to register his statements following the betting menace.

“Actor Arbaaz Khan placed bets during one of the past IPL seasons through Jalan. In those days, Jalan was working with a big bookie who went by the name Junior Calcutta,” a senior official close to the matter, told TOI.

Interestingly, both Jalan and Arbaaz were made to sit face-to-face during the interrogation.

“Subsequently, too there was a huge transaction between Jalan and Khan. Apparently, Khan was blackmailed into paying crores, the threat being that his gambling habit would be exposed,” added the official.

Nothing concrete can be said on this as of now: Pradeep Sharma

“But all this will be probed once Khan gives his side of the story,” maintained the official.

Also Read: Mahendra Singh Dhoni Hosts Sachin Tendulkar’s Fan Sudhir Gautam at His Ranchi Farmhouse.

Apparently, Arbaaz Khan paid a sum of INR 3 crore to Jalan. However, there was no concrete evidence, according to police.

“Nothing concrete can be said on this as of now. We need to corroborate it with evidence and statements of those who are linked with the racket,” commented Inspector Sharma.

The post Arbaaz Khan Confesses to IPL Betting Involvement appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Be it the famous Waugh brothers for Australia – featuring Steve and Mark, or the Flower brothers from Zimbabwe; Grant and Andy Flower there is a special place for real brothers representing their nations together, in the world of cricket.

Even in the Indian Premier League (IPL), there have been several pairs of brothers, who sometimes represented the same team during the tournament, or faced-off against each other, representing different ones.

Here, we look at some of them:

1. Pathan Brothers:

World Cup-winning pair of Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan also made their enticing mark in the IPL. While Irfan’s career in IPL was all over the place, Yusuf has had a stable one.

Yusuf played key roles during his stints at Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kolkata Knight Riders (RR), and now is playing the finisher’s role at Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

Irfan, on the other hand, played for Delhi Daredevils (DD), Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and finally Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) and Gujarat Lions, before going unsold and taking up Hindi commentary this season.

2. Marsh Brothers:

Shaun Marsh and Mitchell Marsh enjoyed a decent outing in the IPL in the yesteryears.

Shaun was the orange cap holder in the inaugural edition of the IPL and was retained by Kings XI until this year’s auctions.

Injury-prone Mitchell started off at the now-defunct Pune Warriors India (PWI) and subsequently, featured for RPS in 2016, pulling out of the tournament in 2017 due to an injury.

3. Hussey Brothers:

One of the most iconic brothers to have played the game of cricket – David Hussey and Michael Hussey, faced off against each other in several fixtures of IPL, before they called it quits from the game.

Orange Cap holder, Mike Hussey enjoyed success at Chennai Super Kings (CSK), smashing the first century for the yellow brigade, in their very first game in IPL.

After his brief stint with Mumbai Indians (MI), Mr Cricket went back to CSK as a coach this season. David started off his campaign at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Kings XI before he called it quits from the game.

David was present at the ‘Dugout’ this season, a specialized analysis show for the IPL on Star Sports Select.

4. Pandya Brothers:

Mumbai Indians (MI) unearthed the Pandya brothers- Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya, bringing them in the reckoning even for the Indian side.

The two were retained earlier this year with hefty price-tags, after their successful seasons since 2015 edition.

While Hardik already cemented his place in the Indian team in all formats, Krunal has been knocking at the selector’s doors.

5. Morkel Brothers:

Finally, the Morkel brothers from South Africa also graced the tournament with their presence. Albie Morkel was a key all-rounder for Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s CSK setup during the initial years.

He was then bagged by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Supergiant before he went unsold in the subsequent season.

Gautam Gambhir insisted on the services of lanky Morne Morkel at Kolkata Knight, after his brief stints at Rajasthan Royals (DD) and Daredevils in the IPL.

Morne recently called it quits from the game of cricket, post infamous South Africa, and Australia series.

The post IPL 2018: Five Famous Brothers Who Featured in the Tournament Over the Years appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Mumbai Indians (MI) fared poorly in the recently-concluded season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Rohit Sharma-led side entered the competition as the defending champions and the most successful team in the history of the domestic professional Twenty20 league.

Not surprisingly, the three-time IPL champions Indians were one of the pre-tournament favourites to lift the coveted title.

However, as the tournament progressed, it kept on getting clear they would fail to defend their title, this time around.

Mumbai revived their campaign towards the end but eventually crashed out at the league stage. They finished the season at the fifth position with just six wins in 14 games.

However, the Mumbai-based outfit will be desperate to bounce back strongly next season. And, in order to regain the trophy, they might axe some players and bring in new faces in order to bolster the squad.

So, here is a look at five players who might not play for Mumbai Indians next season:

5. Adam Milne:

The New Zealand speedster Adam Milne was roped in as an injury replacement for Australia’s star Pat Cummins.

However, Milne did not play a single game in the eleventh edition of the IPL. With Cummins likely to play next season and the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya already in the team, Milne might be released.

4. Saurabh Tiwary:

The southpaw Saurabh Tiwary is more than likely to be released by the franchise ahead of the next season.

Tiwary is not one of the biggest names in domestic circuit anymore and the fact that he did not play a single game this season. Despite the team’s fragile middle-order, it reflected that the team management does not rate Tiwary highly.

3. Mustafizur Rahman:

Not very long, the Bangladesh pace spearhead was one of the most sought-after bowlers in Twenty20s. He had taken the IPL by storm in his maiden season with the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2016.

However, he witnessed a dip in form after he got injured later that year. The left-arm pacer is yet to rediscover his mojo and looked like a pale shadow of his former self.

In this season, he picked up just seven wickets in as many games at an economy of 8.36.

Well, it looks like his time with the franchise is as good as over.

The post IPL 2018: Five Players Who Could Be Released By Mumbai Indians Ahead of Next Season appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Rajasthan Royals (RR), also coming back from their two-season hiatus, had a satisfactory outing this year in the recently held season eleven of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Ajinkya Rahane-led team qualified for the playoffs in a dramatic fashion and finished fourth in the league stage fixtures.

Read More – Most Maidens in IPL 2010

However, there are several scopes of improvements and many question marks regarding the future of some of the players in their squad.

Here, we look at some of the players who might be released next season, on the basis of their performance this year.

1. D’Arcy Short:

Much was talked about this Australian international D’Arcy Short prior to the auctions.

Rajasthan invested in the left-hander after his breakthrough season in the Big Bash League (BBL) for Hobart Hurricanes.

Must Read – Most Dot Balls Innings in IPL 2010

However, at the end of the season, he would be listed amongst the foreign players who may find it difficult with the sluggish surfaces of India, coming from hard bouncy wickets back home.

2. Stuart Binny:

Stuart Binny’s season when it comes to batting, came only second to his dismal season with the ball.

Perhaps, Rajasthan would look again at their strategies when it comes to Binny, who seems a different player with age.

Also Read – Best Bowling Average in IPL 2010

With the likes of Jofra Archer and Krishnappa Gowtham, Binny’s services become obsolete for the Royals, and they wouldn’t hesitate to bid adieu to Binny

3. Heinrich Klaasen:

Heinrich Klaasen announced himself at the international stage with his notable series against India.

With the unfortunate ban of their marquee retained player and first choice skipper, Steven Smith, Rajasthan had to go out of their way buy someone like Klaasen, who wasn’t included even in the auction list.

Read More – Best Bowling Economy in IPL 2010

However, with the return of Smith next year, serving his ban, his replacement from South Africa might not be retained next year.

4. Jaydev Unadkat:

Jaydev Unadkat’s recent career graph can be demarcated into two halves, before and after the IPL auctions.

While the Saurashtra bowler headed during the auctions with a heavy price tag of 11.5 crore-post good show with the ball in IPL 2017, with now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant(s).

Also Read – Best Bowling Economy Innings in IPL 2010

His career went spiralling down in a very short time ever since.

After his exorbitant figures representing India during South Africa series and Nidahas Trophy, Unadkat continued with his expensive ways in the IPL.

Must Read – Best Bowling Strike Rate in IPL 2010

Perhaps, batsmen have got the hand of the Purple Cap holder in IPL 2017. Well, Unadkat is going through a horrible bowling form.

Therefore, Rajasthan might have a stern look at his value for money, prior to next season.

5. Dhawal Kulkarni:

In the eight matches he featured in this season of IPL, Dhawal Kulkarni could only scalp four wickets. The bowler has almost conceded nine-and-a-half every over.

Also Read – Best Bowling Strike Rate Innings in IPL 2010

Kulkarni, too, is walking on thin ice, when it comes to letting go of players in Rajasthan Royals prior to the start of next season.

The post IPL 2018: Five Rajasthan Royals’ Players Who May be Released Next Season appeared first on CricketAddictor.

No matter how hard the authorities are trying, there seems to be absolutely no end to corruption in the game. The menace of spot-fixing rears its ugly head every now and then – to tarnish the image of the gentlemen’s game. The cricketing fraternity is once again rocked by another such scandal. On Friday (June 1), Bollywood actor-cum-producer Arbaaz Khan was summoned by the Thane police in connection with an Indian Premier League (IPL)betting scam.

Brother of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, Arbaaz was arrested days after a bookie Sonu Jalan alias Sonu Batla was nabbed. The police made a statement, saying that its investigation is underway to find more about the saga.

Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has refused to comment anything on the sensitive issue.

The Indian board is instead playing the waiting game before the result of the police investigation.

“Police are investigating the case and it is too premature for us to say,” Ajit Singh of BCCI Anti-corruption unit said to Times Now.

As per reports, Arbaaz Khan had lost a whopping amount of INR 2.8 crore during a betting.

Jalan told police that he was asking for the money that Arbaaz had lost. This led to a dispute between the two as the actor was not willing to pay the money. As a result, Jalan threatened Arbaaz, saying that he would expose the actor.

The bookie also told investigators about two matches fixed by him with the assistance of few other associates. One was the Test match between Sri Lanka and Australia in 2016 which witnessed 21 wickets falling in one day.

Sonu, Prem Taneja (a bookie from Andheri) and Junior Kolkata, a business partner of Sonu traveled to Sri Lanka and lured the curator.

The other match was a domestic match in Pakistan involving Pakistani veteran cricketers in 2016.

The post BCCI Refuses to Comment on Arbaaz Khan’s Alleged IPL Betting Involvement appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) batsman KL Rahul maintained Mahendra Singh Dhoni is still the best finisher in the contemporary cricket. Dhoni was in prime form while playing for the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

The wicketkeeper-batsman Dhoni, who wasn’t at the top of his game in the last couple of seasons made a strong comeback.

MS Dhoni scored 455 runs in the 15 innings he played in the recently-concluded eleventh edition of IPL. Dhoni scored his runs at an impressive average of 75.83 and at a staggering strike rate of 150. 66.

Consequently, the 36-year-old Dhoni was able to provide the finishing touches to the Chennai innings.

Dhoni came out to bat higher in the batting order and played with more freedom for the CSK. The right-hander was able to hit back his form in this edition of the IPL. Moreover, Dhoni-led CSK was crowned as champions of the IPL for the third time.

Meanwhile, Rahul also had a fantastic season for his new franchise Kings XI. The flamboyant right-handed batter from Karnataka scored 659 runs in the 14 matches he played for the Punjab team.

Thus, Rahul finished as the third highest run-getter in this edition.

Rahul while talking to Sports Tak said, “I enjoyed watching Mahi Bhai bat on TV especially in this IPL. It was great to see him back as a captain of the Chennai Super Kings. He has won the tournament again, which is his, I don’t know 100th or 200th trophy (Jokes). It speaks highly of who he is as a person and what a great leader he is. I absolutely enjoyed watching him bat and the sixes he hit in this IPL were great. There is no doubt that he is still the best finisher in the game”.

Rahul also added that he enjoyed his time with his new franchise. The right-handed batsman also opened on his relationship with his opening partner Chris Gayle.

Rahul added that it was a pleasure to share the opening position with the Universe Boss.

Meanwhile, Rahul appreciated rookie captain of the Kings XI Ravichandran Ashwin for playing a significant role.

KL Rahul also added that Indian team will try to perform to the best of their ability in England. The right-hander also hailed the leadership skills of Virat Kohli.

The post Mahendra Singh Dhoni is Still the Best Finisher: KL Rahul appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) speedster Shivam Mavi has shared the advice he received from Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has asked the Under-19 sensation to concentrate on his line and length.

Mavi has good pace under his belt. However, he needs to add more control to his armoury.

The lean paceman Mavi also opened about the captaincy of Dinesh Karthik, who led Kolkata Knight for the first time in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

In fact, Mavi also played in his maiden IPL season after playing in the Under-19 World Cup. Thus, the young fast bowler also opened about his debut IPL experience.

Mavi revealed that he asked Dhoni for his feedback after KKR match against CSK. Dhoni advised the young gun – to be more consistent with his bowling.

Mavi told inuth.com in an exclusive interview, “I met Dhoni after our game with them and asked for his feedback on my performance. He told me that I was bowling at a good speed and that it’s not easy to hit on my bowling. He advised me to keep the focus on my line and length”.

Shivam also shared his first IPL experience. The exciting prospect added that he learnt his lessons from head coach Jacques Kallis and senior Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson.

Mavi added, “It was a great experience for me. Being an all-rounder, I learned a lot from my seniors and experienced players like my coach Jacques Kallis, Mitchell Jhonson among others”.

The Under-19 sensation also revealed that Karthik‘s captaincy was inspiring. Karthik was able to lead the two-time champions with aplomb. The wicketkeeper-batsman also provided the finishing touches to the KKR innings.

Mavi went on to add, “This was the first time he was leading a side in IPL and this was my first season too. I enjoyed playing under him. I hope next year he’ll come up with some amazing captaincy plans.”

The right-arm fast bowler also shared his experience of meeting Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan.

Shivam Mavi opened on the humbleness of the Bollywood king.

“I met him (SRK) on my IPL debut. He’s calm and cool. While I was leaving for the stadium, he met me and wished all the best. He also said ‘do your best and don’t take any pressure,” Mavi concluded.

The post IPL 2018: Shivam Mavi Reveals Piece of Advice Received From Mahendra Singh Dhoni appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Thane Police has sent a summon to Bollywood Actor and Producer Arbaaz Khan for the involvement in the Indian Premier League (IPL) betting case. Salman’s Khan brother was summoned after bookie Sonu Jalan aka Sonu Batla was caught red-handed by the Mumbai Police.

The police had recently caught a betting ring and they had also arrested the 42-year old Sonu Batla. The culprit is well known to be doing his betting in the country as well as abroad.

The police have started their investigation:

In fact, after two days of Jalan’s arrest, the Thane Police discovered a diary which consisted of phone numbers of more than 100 bookies.

The Police further revealed that there are also names of Bollywood celebrities.

Meanwhile, the diary was received from Jalan’s home.

“We have got the list of bookies and are verifying it with Jalan. We found the book during a search at his home,” Police said.

Police further revealed Jalan had organised a bookie meeting in Dubai. Moreover, Police further noted that they have commenced their investigation into the process.

The police will try to find out that which IPL match was fixed and who was involved in the betting.

“Jalan had arranged a match-fixing meeting at Dubai. The celebrity was also present at that time. We are probing to know which match was fixed and who all were involved,” Police went on add.

This is not the first time the cash-rich domestic professional Twenty20 league is coming under the radar of the gamble.

We also did notice a number of betting cases registered while the tournament was in progress, this year.

The post Thane Police Summons Arbaaz Khan for IPL betting Case: Reports appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) talismanic batsman Shane Watson showed his humbleness. The former Australian all-rounder went on to unveil why he is a down-to-earth personality when he hugged a CSK bus driver.

After taking Chennai to their third IPL title, Watson made his way to the bus – to go back to the team hotel.

Watson gave a hug to the Super Kings bus driver who was standing near the bus door. Meanwhile, the right-hander opener played a match-winning knock of 117 runs off just 57 balls in the final against Hyderabad.

Watson was in prolific form in this season of the IPL 2018. The veteran Australian batsman scored 555 runs in the 15 matches he played for the Men in Yellow.

( MUST READ – CPL Points Table )

However, a lot of question marks were raised as Watson didn’t have the best of the previous season for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Watson has a prolific season for CSK:

Meanwhile, as his form improved in the Big Bash League (BBL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL), Chennai think tank considered him.

Eventually, Watson was able to deliver the goods with the bat while opening the batting for CSK.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team was able to come up with a collective team effort to win the championship.

Chennai also maintained a good momentum in the league matches as they went on to win nine matches out of the 14.

Photo by: Vipin Pawar /SPORTZPICS for BCCIChennai success was a melange of the experience of the veterans and the exuberance of the youth. Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and Watson came up with the batting performances.

On the other hand, young bowlers like Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, and Lungi Ngidi also did the trick for the team.

Here is the video of Shane Watson hugging CSK’s bus driver:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjdBgk5gcfS

The post IPL 2018: Watch – Shane Watson Shows Humility, Hugs CSK’s Bus Driver appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) recent decision to restrict the number of Indian commentators to only two- Sunil Gavaskar and Sanjay Manjrekar, for the IPL playoff games, hasn’t gone down well with former players, of late.

Meanwhile, some officials of the cricketing board revealed in a gathering that the Indians weren’t as good as the foreigners.

However, this has irked a lot of former cricketers who have expressed their dissatisfaction in this regard.

BCCI, however, was using at least four commentators in the last 10 years for the playoffs stage. They failed to justify the reason why they added more foreign commentators than Indians.

The likes of Simon Doull, Graeme Smith, Michael Slater, Mathew Hayden and Michael Clarke were a few of the names on the panel apart from Manjrekar and Gavaskar.

When TOI spoke to the authorities concerned, they declined to comment on the issue.

They also confirmed BCCI has indeed got a complaint about involving only two commentators for this year’s IPL.

Even a former cricketer, who wanted to be anonymous, admitted that in IPL more Indians should get the opportunity.

“This is our Indian Premier League and the priority should be given to the Indians first. This has been the norm for last 10 years, why is it changing right now?” a former captain said to TOI.

Meanwhile, BCCI has shortlisted five Indian commentators for the inaugural Test series against Afghanistan.

The team includes Gavaskar, Manjerekar, Harsha Bhogle, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and Murali Karthik.

Concluding, it is also likely at least two or three more foreigners will get on the panel prior to the Test.

However, there are no hard and fast rules when Hindi commentators are selected for the broadcast stint.

Also read: MS Dhoni continues to set high standards for fitness

The post IPL 2018: BCCI Criticised for Not Involving Indian Commentators in Playoffs appeared first on CricketAddictor.

One of the most uncanny trends in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in last three years is the presence of leg-spinner Karn Sharma in IPL winning teams.

The wily leg-spinner was part of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 2016 edition, while in 2017, he represented the Mumbai Indians (MI). This year, Karn continued this trend by being a part of Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

However, CSK captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, did not utilize his services in all matches as he preferred the likes of Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja, and Imran Tahir sporadically in the spin department.

Read More – Best Bowling Innings in IPL 2010

As a result, the Railways cricketer had to sit out of the majority of the matches, before his surprise call-up on the eve of the grand finale.

Also Read – Most Runs Conceded Innings in IPL 2010

“The format of IPL is such that even the best have to sometimes sit out because of team combinations. I wasn’t playing, but I also knew that IPL is the kind of platform where you are never out of contention unless you are injured. That said, playing the final is a special feeling,” Karn told Sportstar Live.

Karn added he is looking forward to having this luck in the foreseeable future while expressing his delight.

“Winning a tournament as a member of the squad and as part of the playing XI are completely different, it gives a different high. It was a dream and I am glad that I managed to live it, hopefully, it will continue both for me and for the teams,” added Sharma.

CSK coach Stephen Fleming often termed the change in home venues as a big jolt to their campaign, as during the auctions, they picked a lot of spinners in their squad.

Also Read – Most Hat Tricks in IPL 2010

“Also, our games shifting out affected the team compositions. I might have played a lot more games if we had had all our home games in Chennai. Because the team had also been selected keeping the conditions there in mind. Pune was a completely different pitch, conditions, everything,” said the 30-year old spinner.

On MS Dhoni’s captaincy: Karn Sharma

With the win in the mega final against Sunrisers, Dhoni clinched his third IPL title in his luminous career.

Must Read – Most Four Wickets in IPL 2010

“MS Dhoni is the coolest out there. All he cares about is that you give your 100 per cent on the ground. He told me that it was normal to be frustrated when you don’t get a chance to play. But (I) must grab whatever chances I get,” concluded Karn.

The post IPL 2018: Karn Sharma Throws Light on Title Win With Chennai Super Kings appeared first on CricketAddictor.

With AB de Villiers taking a sudden and shocking call to hang his boots from the International fold, it could be a case if he decides to not play in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL).

However, de Villiers confirmed that he will continue to play for his domestic team, Titans.

The star batsman de Villiers had also stated that he will conitinue to ply on his trade in domestic Twenty20 leagues across the globe.

Meanwhile, it is known fact Titans has not included de Villiers in the list of its 18 contracted players. Consequently, there are doubts whether he will partake in next season of IPL.

On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has stated that the South African talismanic batsman will play for them in the next edition.

However, we take a look at the five players who can replace AB de Villiers if he skips the 2019 season of the IPL.

Five Players who can replace AB de Villiers if he doesn’t play for RCB:

Luke Ronchi:

Luke Ronchi has taken the T20 form by storm. Ronchi’s performance in the Carribean Premier League (CPL) was outstanding. However, he went unsold in the IPL 2018 auctions after featuring in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Ronchi has thus far played only in five IPL matches. However, he has scored only 34 runs in the five matches.

Meanwhile, former Australia’s and New Zealand’s wicketkeeper-batsman is in top form. Ronchi has the ability to get his runs at a brisk pace and could be an ideal replacement for de Villiers.

Ronchi had scored 359 runs in the 26 innings at a strike of 140.23 in the T20Is.

However, his numbers in the domestic T20 leagues are more impressive. In the 146 T20 innings, the right-hander has scored 3157 runs at a blistering strike rate of 157.14 which makes him a perfect replacement for AB.

The post IPL 2018: Five Players Who Can Replace AB de Villiers if he Doesn’t Play for RCB appeared first on CricketAddictor.

It is not only the political fraternity who is gearing up for 2019, the Indian Premier League (IPL) fans are also waiting with bated breath to know the commencement date of the domestic professional Twenty20 league.

The cricketing body Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is stuck in a dilemma. Given that the year 2019; 50-over ICC World Cup is likely to begin on May 30 in the United Kingdom (UK). However, there is no option to postpone IPL.

In addition, BCCI will have to conclude the next edition of IPL if they have to adhere all the rules and regulations.

As per Lodha recommendations, there has to be a 15-day break between the IPL and any cricket tournament. Moreover, as per ICC regulations, participating teams have to remain available for promotions two weeks before the start of the coveted tournament.

Keeping this in mind, the BCCI has zeroed in on March 29, 2019, as the starting date of the IPL’s 12th edition as per TOI.

Meanwhile, World Cup deadline is only part of the problem for BCCI.

Those in the know of things say, “If the centre doesn’t call for early Lok Sabha elections, the board will have to seriously consider its options over the IPL.”

Also read: Shahid Afridi makes a hefty donation in the charity match

The last three general elections in India took place between the months of April and May. It is likely that the next Lok Sabha polls will also stretch over a long period of time.

“The IPL – under the new set of contracts and revenue models – is going to be a billion-dollar entity every season. There’s a lot at stake for many who are committed to the league. Moreover, there’s absolute unanimity among stakeholders that as much as possible, they’d like the league to take place in India, not abroad,” TOI quoted a source.

The post Indian Premier League Likely to Begin on March 29 Next Year appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The Indian Premier League’s (IPL) season eleven came to a conclusion on Sunday (May 27) as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the grand finale of the tournament – to clinch the IPL title for the third time.

It was sensational innings from Shane Watson which ensured Chennai to chase down the victory target of 180 with utmost ease. He remained unbeaten on 117 off just 57 deliveries which included 11 fours and eight monstrous sixes.

However, it took Chennai around seven years to lift their third major trophy. Meanwhile, it wasn’t really a great season for the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

Though they managed to qualify for the playoffs narrowly, they were not at their best. Two of their star players Ben Stokes and Jaydev Unadkat failed to prove their worth and were quite ordinary for the majority of the tournament.

Stokes was totally ineffective and Rajasthan will surely think whether to retain him or not for the next edition.

Rajasthan as a unit was staring down the barrel after nine matches. They had lost six and won only three when they registered a brilliant comeback.

Jaipur-based outfit played some quality cricket and ended up winning four of their last five games — to progress through to the next round. They won their final group game against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) which was a must-win encounter for both the teams.

Also Read: Teams Touring India Will Play Practice Game Against Afghanistan: BCCI

In the absence of retained skipper Steven Smith, Ajinkya Rahane was handed over the mantle ahead of the tournament. At the end of the tournament, he will be pretty happy with what transpired. It was a very close competition.

Till the last day of the group stage, it wasn’t quite sure that who would go through to the playoffs stage.

Following their campaign, Rajasthan’s leader Ajinkya Rahane took to his Twitter handle to thank the Royals family. He promised to come back stronger next season. 

“I take this opportunity to thank all the @rajasthanroyals fans who stood by us this IPL. We assure you that we will push harder in the next season. A special thanks to the Management, support staff and my teammates for supporting me on this journey,” Rahane said.

I take this opportunity to thank all the @rajasthanroyals fans who stood by us this IPL .We assure you that we will push harder in the next season. A special thanks to the Management, support staff and my teammates for supporting me in this journey. pic.twitter.com/TZKZF3GJzM

— Ajinkya Rahane (@ajinkyarahane88) May 31, 2018

Also Read: Afghanistan Can’t Be Taken Lightly, Says Ajinkya Rahane

The post IPL 2018: Ajinkya Rahane Thanks Rajasthan Royals for Their Overwhelming Support appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni came into the International arena in 2004. The former Indian captain didn’t have the best of starts as he was run-out in his debut match against Bangladesh. In fact, Dhoni made the most of his upcoming opportunities to cement his place in the Indian team.

However, MS Dhoni went on to savour great success in the International form. Dhoni has scored 10 International hundreds in the 50-over format. whereas, the wicketkeeper-batsman has accumulated six centuries in the red-ball form.

Dhoni was able to show glimpses of what he has to offer:

Meanwhile, the 36-year-old Dhoni registered a fine century while playing for Asia XI against Africa XI in 2007 at Chennai.

Asia XI had their backs against the wall when Dhoni came out to bat. The team was tottering at 72 for five when Dhoni joined captain Mahela Jayawardene. Both the right-handed batsman stitched a gargantuan partnership of 218 runs to power Asia XI score to 331.

Veteran Dhoni scored a fine 139 off just 97 balls – to announce himself at the big stage.

Moreover, Dhoni’s blistering knock included 15 boundaries and five maximums. On the other hand, Asia XI skipper Mahela Jayawardene scored a fine 107 runs off 106 balls.

Furthermore, Dhoni also had the company of Indian players in that match. Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, and Harbhajan Singh were also part of the Asia XI squad.

So much so, India’s off-spinner Harbhajan bagged three wickets in the same match.

Dhoni fine knock had helped Asia XI in winning the match by 13 runs as Africa XI could manage only 318.

On the account of this fine knock, the pugnacious batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni was awarded the Man of the Match. 

Consequently, the Asia XI team had gone on to win the three-match ODI series 3-0 against the Africa XI.

Meanwhile, Africa XI squad included players like AB de Villiers, Shaun Pollock, and Mark Boucher, to be precise.

The post Memory Lane: When Mahendra Singh Dhoni Scored a Fine Century for Asia XI appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) concluded just a few days ago and like most seasons many new records were registered. In the end, it was Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who returned as champion after defeating Surnisers Hyderabad by eight wickets courtesy of a magical knock from the blade of Shane Watson.

Australian star Watson scored a magnificent unbeaten 117 which came off just 57 deliveries.

All through the tournament, there has been some exceptional performance by the batsmen from all the franchises.

Now, with the tournament concluding last Sunday (May 27), let us have a look at the five of costliest batsmen in the tournament and the amount of money they took for each run, this season in particular.

Virat Kohli- 17 crore:

Virat Kohli has been the only player who has never gone to the auction after the inaugural tournament in 2008. He has been retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in all the past seasons.

Kohli was retained for Rs INR 17 crore by Bangalore, this year. He was quite brilliant with his willow.

However, his efforts were not enough to help his franchise go through to the playoffs.

Despite a late surge Bangalore lost their final must-win game against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) which eliminated them from the tournament. He scored 530 runs with each run coming at a cost of INR 3.20 lakh.

The post IPL 2018: Top Six Most Expensive Batsmen And Their Cost Per Run appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) had a fine start in the eleventh season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, the Men in Red were not able to continue their momentum.

Ravichandran Ashwin-led team won their five matches out of the first seven they played. Thus, they were well on track – to make their way into the playoffs stage.

However, the Men in Red veered off the track in the second half of the league matches. Punjab went on to lose the remaining six matches in the next seven – to further miss out on the final four position.

Consequently, some ordinary performance from the Punjab players played a part in the ouster of their team. Thus, there could be some players who can be shown an exit door from the franchise squad.

Let’s take a look at the four players Kings XI Punjab Could Axe in the Next season.

Yuvraj Singh:

Yuvraj Singh is at the fag end of his career. The southpaw batsman wasn’t able to deliver the goods for the Punjab franchise.

The veteran southpaw batsman Yuvraj scored only 65 runs in the six innings he played in this season.

Furthermore, the all-rounder was dropped from the playing XI in the end phase of the season.

Moreover, Yuvraj has also looked bleak in the field. The talismanic batsman was not able to deliver in the crunch situations of the match for the Mohali-based outfit.

Meanwhile, the all-rounder isn’t at the top of his fitness as he has turned 36.

Aaron Finch:

A lot was expected from Aaron Finch as he is considered to be a match winner in the shortest format.

However, the Australian batsman was not able to live up to the expectations.

The right-handed batsman Finch scored 134 runs in the nine innings he played for the Men in Red.

The right-handed batsman Finch was not able to grab the opportunity while batting in the lower order.

Finch accumulated his runs at a poor average of 16.75.  He was backed in place of David Millier but unfortunately was not able to come up good for the Ashwin’s team.

Consequently, Finch could be axed by the team management of the Punjab side.

Mayank Agarwal:

Agarwal failed to convert his starts:

Mayank Agarwal came into the IPL after scoring a truckload of runs in the domestic circuit. Thus, a lot was expected from the Karnataka batsman. However, he wasn’t able to deliver goods for the Punjab side.

In fact, Agarwal received a start in almost every match he played. However, he was not able to convert his them into substantial scores.

Agarwal scored only 120 runs in the 11 innings he played for the Kings XI. Thus, the bleak-looking batter could be released by the franchise.

Chris Gayle:

Gayle has stated that he wants to make another comeback into IPL.

Chris Gayle was in prolific form at the beginning of the tournament. However, the veteran southpaw lost his touch in the second phase of the tournament.

Gayle scored 368 runs in the 11 innings he played for the Men in Red. However, it is well known that Gayle isn’t at the top of his fitness as he has turned 39.

Thus, Punjab might show Gayle the exit door because of his age as well as his fitness. Gayle’s fielding, as well as his running between the wickets, can turn out to be a bane for the Kings XI Punjab.

The post IPL 2018: Four Players Kings XI Punjab Could Axe in the Next season appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) stalwart Shane Watson believes that alliance between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Stephen Fleming was special.

The experienced duo of captain and coach was able to take the franchise to their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title.

The Super Kings’ skipper Dhoni was able to get best out of his players in the IPL 2018.

Meanwhile, Watson also played his part in the success of the CSK, as he scored 555 runs in the 15 innings, he played for the franchise.

However, Watson’s next assignment will be in Dubai. The former Australian all-rounder will be seen plying on his trade for the Karachians in the T10 tournament as an icon player, for its second edition.

Watson was on fire in the IPL finale

Meanwhile, Watson wasn’t in the best of forms in the previous season while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

However, his good form in the Big Bash League (BBL) force the Super Kings go for him in IPL auction.

Watson said that it was a great experience while playing for the CSK under the tutelage of MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming.

“It was indeed special. For me to have a chance to play with Dhoni is definitely the highlight because after playing against him, to play with him and win a tournament was special. It was also a great feeling to be with Stephen Fleming, one of the finest players and coaches and the combination between Dhoni and Fleming was indeed special,” Watson told Gulf News.

Meanwhile, Watson scored a match-winning hundred in the grand finale of the IPL. CSK opener was at the top of his game, as he scored an unbeaten 117 off just 57 balls.

Watson made the most of his experience:

Watson added that it is a great experience for him – to be going strong at this age.

The former Australian all-rounder Watson added that he is looking to improve his shorter format of the game after playing in T10 tournament.

“It is amazing that I am playing well at even this stage of my career and playing well that too for such a great franchise like the Chennai Super Kings. I am now going to play with the Karachians. It will be another experience to help me get to know more people and continue to develop my game,” Watson added.

Watson added it takes a lot of sacrifices to be able to continue playing at the top-most level at such an age. The right-hander added he wants to maintain a continuity in the later stage of his career.

“There is a lot of sacrifices you have to make in life from the point of view of your lifestyle and stay fit and committed. Though it is an individual’s desire to be successful. I want to give one more year and see how good I am and hence it will be nice to be also playing in Dubai in a different format which is shorter like the T10,” Watson added.

It is great to note that Shane Watson is still going strong. He was able to make the most of his experience to deliver the goods for the Men in Yellow.

The post Alliance Between Mahendra Singh Dhoni And Stephen Fleming Was Special: Shane Watson appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Harsh Goenka, who shot to fame for his antics against Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) co-owner, has recently picked his best XI from the recently-culminated eleventh edition of Indian Premier League (IPL).

Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight wickets to lift the trophy. Well, Chennai defied critics to lift the title for the third time – to match Mumbai Indian’s record.

However, Goenka has gone in with some interesting combination for his best XI. Surprisingly, he has left out Chennai’s skipper Dhoni, which marks the continuation of the long feud he had with Ranchi veteran.

Notably, Goenka played a crucial role in removing Dhoni as the leader of Pune last year when Steven Smith was appointed as the skipper.

Dhoni was in superlative form this year finishing games for his side and leading the side from the front.

Let us take a look at Harsh Goenka’s XI of this edition:

KL Rahul

BCCI

Kings XI Punjab’s (KXIP), KL Rahul was the best opening batsman in IPL 2018. Rahul scored 659 runs in 14 matches this season.

The right-handed batsman Rahul also scored IPL’s fastest half-century off just 12 balls. He had batted brilliantly and will certainly make it to any XI.

Sunil Narine:

Sunil Narine was spectacular for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with both bat and ball. The ploy of sending him at the top worked perfectly for the Kolkata management.

The all-rounder returned with 357 runs and 17 wickets to win the most valuable player award.

Virat Kohli:

 BCCI

Virat Kohli will bat at the important position of one drop. The India skipper didn’t have his best season but still finished with 530 runs at a strike-rate close to 140 for RCB.

Kane Williamson (c):

Many doubted Hyderabad’s chances after David Warner’s exit, however, Kane Williamson put all the speculations to rest. He led the team from the front scoring almost in all the games.

Moreover, he finished as the highest run-scorer with 735 runs under his belt.

Rishabh Pant:

BCCI

Rishabh Pant finished with 684 Runs in IPL 2018 with an average of 52.62 and strike rate of 173.60.

The 20-year old Pant smashed 37 sixes and 68 fours leading to five half-centuries and one century.

Meanwhile, it was a pity Delhi Daredevils (DD) couldn’t enter the playoffs and we didn’t get to see more of him.

Dinesh Karthik (wk):

Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata fought brilliantly in his first season as the skipper of an IPL side. He also brought stability in the middle-order scoring runs on a consistent basis.

Karthik finished his campaign with 498 runs from 16 games at an average of almost 50.

Hardik Pandya:

BCCI.

Hardik Pandya gets picked in the all-rounder slot. He was the leading wicket-taker of Mumbai Indians (MI) this season.

Moreover, he had also chipped in with crucial contributions whenever the team needed.

Rashid Khan:

 BCCI

There is no surprise that Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan features on the list.

The teenage sensation Rashid has been great for SRH and has even earned the praise of one and all.

Andrew Tye:

BCCI

Andrew Tye is leading the list of IPL 2018 wicket-takers. The KXIP pacer finished with 24 wickets this season.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar:

Although Bhuvneshwar Kumar didn’t have the best of seasons, he did a good job for the runners.

Sunrisers pace spearhead managed to pick only nine wickets from 12 games at an economy rate of 7.66.

Umesh Yadav:

Umesh Yadav was the lone warrior in the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) bowling attack. He bowled with great zeal and pace to return with 20 wickets from 14 games.

The 30-year-old Umesh completes the list of XI players of this edition picked by Harsh Goenka.

Also read: Phil Simmons reveals Afghanistan’s game plan ahead of historic Test

The post IPL 2018: Harsh Goenka Reveals His Best XI of Season XI; Mahendra Singh Dhoni Misses Out appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) veteran cricketer, Harbhajan Singh has opened up on his lucky cricket stadium a few days after winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets.

Meanwhile, Chennai defied criticism to win the trophy for the third time after coming out from a two-year suspension. Experienced all-rounder, Shane Watson struck a brilliant unbeaten century to guide his team to the glory.

Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu also provided ample support while playing the second hand to Watson. Watson remained unbeaten on 117 runs after facing 57 balls with the help of 11 boundaries and eight towering sixes.

Previously, Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Kane Williamson got Hyderabad to a good start after losing the early wicket of Shreevats Goswami. The pair added 51 before Dhawan departed. However, Williamson (47) continued his outstanding form.

Further, Yusuf Pathan played a significant knock after he came to the crease at the score of 101 for three.

Pathan remained unbeaten on 45 runs from 25 deliveries including four boundaries and two sixes, as Hyderabad finished on 178 at the loss of six wickets.

Harbhajan reveals his lucky stadium

Although Harbhajan didn’t feature in the final game; he played some crucial roles in the league games. However, a few days after the win, he took to Twitter to reveal Wankhede as his lucky stadium.

Moreover, he added it is the same stadium where he won the ICC World Cup 2011 along with MS Dhoni. The Turbanator also revealed it was a dream come true to play alongside Dhoni in the same IPL team.

“Same ground where we won the World Cup 2011 together and never imagine we would be playing together in ipl for the same team and winning it after 10 years playing against each other’s…Wankhede lucky venue for us ?” Harbhajan wrote on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Harbhajan Turbanator Singh (@harbhajan3)

Also Read: Suresh Raina reveals mantra behind CSK’s success

The post IPL 2018: Chennai Super Kings Cricketer Harbhajan Singh Reveals his Lucky Stadium appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Chennai Super Kings southpaw batsman, Suresh Raina revealed the mantra behind team’s success.

Hitherto, there have been eleven seasons of IPL, in which Chennai have played in nine, they have qualified for playoffs on every nine times.

Furthermore, they have made the cut into the final on seven occasions and have gone on to lift the title three times.

It is a testament to how consistent the Men in Yellow are in the Indian Premier League. A lot of attributes contributes to the success of the Chennai Super Kings.

However, the one that you would find on the top of the list is ‘Team Effort’. In fact, it won’t be wrong to compare them with the German football team (if we take consistency into account).

MS Dhoni is known to get the best out of his players.

Suresh Raina praised MS Dhoni for the success of the franchise. Suresh Raina said while talking to the Hindustan Times,

“Mahi has been an extraordinary ambassador of the game. His leadership skills have been the highlight. He believes in youngsters, keeps calm in pressure situations and leads by example. His contribution to CSK has been immense. I think the domestic cricketers doing well for us when it mattered was the key for CSK”.

Raina added the experience of the veterans amalgamated with the exuberance of the youth did the job for them.

Young players like Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur and Lungi Ngidi came up their best. Furthermore, the experienced players also raised the bar.

The southpaw went on to add, “Ambati Rayyudu, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur combined with the experience of Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhoni and Faf du Plessis did the trick for us.”

Chennai Super Kings played a solitary contest at their home den. Unfortunately, their home base had to get shifted to Pune because of the Cauvery Water Protest.

However, as Chennai has a gargantuan fan following, they were supported right throughout the country.

Chennai knows the Winning formula.

Raina added, “We played just one game in Chennai as our home games were shifted to Pune. Still, we were cheered by our fans at all the venues and received such warm reception in Chennai after the win”.

Meanwhile, Suresh Raina is the leading run-getter in the IPL. With 4985 runs under his belt, Raina is perched at the top of the summit. The CSK deputy gave credit to the league for getting the best out of him.

 The Talismanic batsman concluded, “It’s mind-boggling to have played eleven seasons of IPL and still having the hunger to do more. Thrice I have been part title-winning teams. I have learnt a lot during these years. The standard of cricket has been top-class and very competitive. I have enjoyed playing in IPL and wish to score more runs in the coming editions. Moreover, the fans have made the experience all the more special”.

The post IPL 2018: Suresh Raina Reveals Mantra Behind CSK’s Success appeared first on CricketAddictor.

For yet another year, Delhi Daredevils (DD) failed to put up an impressive performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as they finished at bottom of the points table for yet another year.

They failed to knit together as a unit which was one of the main reasons behind them finishing at the bottom of the points table. Delhi, however, showed promise in the last couple of games than what they are capable of.

Delhi-based outfit defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) in their last two matches – to finish the tournament on a high.

However, as far as consistency is concerned it wasn’t quite there for Delhi. Despite a below-par performance by the franchise, there were some sensational performances by some of the individuals.

One of those was Vijay Shankar who had a relatively impressive season. He scored 212 runs in 13, matches with 54 as his highest score.

Though it might not look like a stupendous effort, considering that Shankar batted in the lower-order it is a good effort.

Also Read: Adam Gilchrist Comes Up With a Tongue-in-cheek Comment for Justin Langer

After the first few games, Shankar wasn’t quite impressed with his own performance, in the first few games. That was when head coach Ricky Ponting came to his rescue and helped him regain the lost confidence.

Meanwhile, during an interview with the Times of India, Vijay Shankar said that it was a turning point for himself.

“Right after my second game I went up to Ricky and told him how frustrated I was. I was harsh on myself. But his message was simple as he stressed the importance of backing my technique at all times and preparing to the best of my ability,” Shankar told TOI.

“This season has been a turning point for me. I have batted at various positions in this IPL, and it has helped me to adapt to different situations. I can say that my ability to read the game has become better as well,” he added.

.@vijayshankar260 talks about how Ricky Ponting motivated him after the first few games of the season, and it did wonders for the all-rounder! 💪🏻#DilDilli #Dhadkega pic.twitter.com/vqeAwcaaaq

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) May 30, 2018

Also Read: Mitchell Marsh Eyes on Recovery Amidst Constant Leadership Speculation

The post IPL 2018: Vijay Shankar Credits Ricky Ponting for His Turnaround in IPL appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) fought pretty hard in the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) two-day long mega-auction this year – to bag the services of left-arm Indian pacer Jaydev Unadkat.

Moreover, it was held way back in January. They broke their bank to acquire the services of two of the costliest players in the auction leg.

The Royals were looking to make a strong team. It was given the fact that they were returning to the tournament after a gap of a couple of years. They were suspended from the tournament for two years along with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) due to their owner’s involvement in the 2013 betting scandal.

The team management spent INR 11.5 crore to bag the services of Unadkat. The left-arm pacer played a vital role in the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) for the tenth edition. He ended the tournament as the second highest wicket-taker.

For his consistent performances last year, Unadkat was bound to be a hot pick in this edition of the tournament. The Kings XI and the Super Kings continued the bidding war till INR 11 crore before Rajasthan came and snatched the player for INR 11.5 crore.

Unadkat courtesy of his huge price tag became the second costliest player in the auction after England’s Ben Stokes. The all-rounder from England also failed to make a mark all through the tournament. He proved to be a liability for the inaugural champions of the competition.

Unadkat too came into the tournament with a huge level of expectations. However, he failed miserably and couldn’t live up to the price tag and the hype with which he came into the tournament.

Also Read: AB de Villiers is My Favourite Cricketer Reveals Shikhar Dhawan

Cost per wicket for Jaydev Unadkat:

Unadkat bagged 11 wickets from 15 matches at an expensive economy rate of 9.65 and an unimpressive average of 44.18. If we try to break this down to his price per wicket it will definitely leave you in splits.

When his cost per wicket is calculated it amounts to a whopping INR 1.04 core per wicket. Just extraordinary isn’t it?

The Paceman is also the most expensive bowler in the competition in terms of money per wicket. Royals managed to scrape through to the playoffs after winning their final group game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

However, they lost the eliminator to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to bow out of the tournament.

Also Read: Expect Steven Smith to Comeback Strong, Says Graeme Smith

The post IPL 2018: Cost Per Wicket For Jaydev Unadkat Will Leave You in Splits appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Kings XI Punjab’s (KXIP) top-scorer for the recently-completed eleventh edition of the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), KL Rahul has lauded his skipper Ravichandran Ashwin, the only bowling captain of the season for doing a good job with the Mohali-based outfit.

Meanwhile, Punjab finished seventh as they lost track midway through the league. They lost back-to-back games at the end of the league to bow out of the cash-rich tournament.

However, among all these, Rahul was a shining start in Punjab’s set up. He amassed 659 runs in 14 games at a staggering average of 54.91.

Karnataka-based Rahul also registered the fastest fifty in the Twenty20 league. He hammered the record fifty off just 12 balls.

Moreover, Rahul finished as the third highest run-scorer after Kane Williamson (SRH) and Rishabh Pant (DD).

Talking about his experiences with the Punjab side, Rahul admitted that he enjoyed his time. He also revealed the freedom to express helped him to score runs freely at the top.

The top-order based batsman Rahul also revealed made great friends and learned a lot during his journey.

Ashwin did a great job: Rahul

Ashwin, in his first stint as a captain, did a great a job with the side despite the results not coming his way. However, Rahul feels that the spinner has done a great job while leading a young side.

Moreover, Rahul added it will be a learning curve for Ashwin and he will come back stronger in the next edition of the lucrative league.

“It was good fun! Obviously, it was a bit up and down because of the results but, we had a good time together. But, yeah it was a great learning and I am sure it was a great experience for him as a captain. Handling a young team is never easy, but, I think he did a great job. He’s given a lot of feedback to the players, what he thinks about where they can improve so these boys will definitely come back stronger, and his leadership would have helped a lot of players, a lot of bowlers, especially!” Rahul said to kxip.in.

Meanwhile, based on his stellar show Rahul made it to all the squads for the upcoming tour to England.

The aggressive opener KL Rahul will be eager to continue this form and cement his place in the national team.

Also read: England announce squad for Australia, Scotland ODIs

The post IPL 2018: Ravichandran Ashwin Did a Great Job With the KXIP, Says KL Rahul appeared first on CricketAddictor.