Cricket

Chennai chokes as Rajasthan Royals successfully defends 182, RR’s Nitish comes out on top with 81 off 36 balls

Second successive defeat to Chennai Super Kings after their loss to RCB in Chennai for the first time in their previous match Guwahati: Nitish Rana smashed a blistering 36-ball 81, while leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga starred with a four-wicket haul as Rajasthan Royals (RR) opened their account with a hard-fought six-run victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL here on Sunday. Promoted to number 3, left-handed Rana dominated the CSK bowlers, hitting 10 boundaries and 5 sixes en route his scintillating knock, but Royals struggled towards the back-end, just about managing a par-score of 182 for 9. CSK, who had never successfully chased a target over 180 since 2019, faltered again, managing 176 for six in the allotted overs. The…

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Delhi Capitals’ Vipraj Nigam confident ahead of clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad

“We recognize that SRH boasts a strong batting lineup, but our team is well-balanced, especially with KL Rahul rejoining the squad,” he said. Visakhapatnam: We have a plan and hope to execute it against the formidable Sunrisers Hyderabad, says Vipraj Nigam of Delhi Capitals on the eve of the match against the Hyderabad franchise in the IPL league match here on Saturday. “We are aware that SRH has a very good batting line-up. We have plenty of balance in our team, especially with KL Rahul back in the team,” he said. Reflecting on his first match against Lucknow Super Giants here when he came up with a cameo, Vipraj said there was no such plan when he batted with the star…

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We were unlucky against LSG, but we will bounce back, says SRH spin bowling coach Muralitharan

The bowling legend says winning and losing is part of the game Visakhapatnam:  “We can’t win every match. Winning and losing happens; it is part of the game. We are all confident and will bounce back, says Muttiah Muralitharan, spin bowling coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the eve of IPL league match against Delhi Capitals here on Saturday. “We were unlucky against Lucknow Super Giants in the first innings. Then, Pooran (Nicholas) played one of the best innings for them. These things happen,” a smiling Muralitharan said. “No one can predict the behaviour of a pitch 100 per cent. Well, it looks like it might take some spin, and the ground is small. Anyhow, in a T-20 game, one good…

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Titans deliver shocker to Mumbai as the home team defends a sub-200 score to secure 36-run victory

Gujarat Titans win by 36 runs as Mumbai Indians’ big guns fail Ahmedabad: Mumbai Indians suffered their second loss following Gujarat Titans ‘ all-round show here on Saturday Chasing 197, the Mumbai Indians folded at 160. Rohit Sharma’s poor form continued, and he was bowled by a Siraj beauty in the very first over. Tilak Verma, who replaced him, went after the bowlers, but with Rickleton also falling to Siraj, the Mumbai Indians were on the back foot. However, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Verma put on a partnership before the collapse started. The Gujarat Titans won by 36 runs. Prasidh Krishna removed Tilak Verma, who was caught by Rahul Tewatia at long-on for 39(36). Suryakumar, however, lost his wicket on 48(28) as he…

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Ashutosh Sharma: Playing with plastic balls to big name in IPL

Ashutosh said legends like Kevin Pietersen and Shikhar Dhawan tell him a lot of things—how calm one should be in those situations, how to keep your head clear Hyderabad: Legends like Kevin Pietersen and Shikhar Dhawan always guide you on how to approach the game, what their attitude towards the game was, and how you can imbibe that to handle pressure situations, says Ashutosh Sharma, Delhi Capitals’ star performer in the first game against Lucknow Super Giants. In a chat with JioStar, Ashutosh said they tell him a lot of things—how calm one should be in those situations, how to keep your head clear. “In the last match against LSG, I was talking to Kevin Pietersen. He said, ‘Just play your…

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RCB chokes CSK in Chennai, ends 17-year wait for victory in Chepauk

Having fought their way to a competitive 196/7, RCB applied the perfect squeeze on CSK with early strikes humbling them down to 146/8 Chennai: Skipper Rajat Patidar’s fortuitous fifty received excellent support from an unerring set of bowlers as Royal Challengers Bengaluru snapped a 17-year winless streak at Chepauk with a huge 50-run win over Chennai Super Kings here on Friday. Having fought their way to a competitive 196/7, RCB applied the perfect squeeze on CSK with early strikes and the five-time winners crumbled without any resistance, making 146/8. CSK’s defeat to RCB in the “Southern Derby” in their own “Anbuden” (Den of Love) was their first since the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008. The value of the victory…

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I don’t plan to hit sixes, says Nicholas Pooran

“I’ve never worked on my bat speed, I’m just blessed with incredible talent,” Pooran said Hyderabad: Nicholas Pooran, whose blinder (26-ball 70 including six fours and six sixes) fashioned Lucknow Super Giants’ five-wicket win against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday night, said he doesn’t plan to hit sixes and that he just tried to get his best to get in good positions. “If it’s there, just time the ball nicely. In the last nine years I have been working on my craft. Obviously, I have been getting the opportunity to bat higher up in the powerplay as well,” Pooran said in a post-match interaction on JioHotstar. “It is really important to cash in when the wicket is nice and obviously when the match-up…

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It’s a really good win, says Marsh

On Nicholas Pooran’s blitzkrieg, Marsh said he felt like he was really connected with him as a bloke and as someone whom he had been going to hopefully bat with a lot. Hyderabad: “It is a long tournament and you rely on your depth and for guys like him (Shardul Thakur) to get an opportunity early on and stand up for us tonight was really impressive,” Lucknow Super Giants star opener Mitchell Marsh said. “It’s a really good win. We know, certainly from last season, the way they’ve played.They made the final and they’re one of the better teams in the competition,” Marsh said about the win against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday night in the post-match briefing. “It was about focusing on…

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We just kept on losing wickets at wrong times: Heinrich Klaasen

Sunrisers Hyderabad lost to Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL League match here on Thursday night. Hyderabad: “We didn’t score enough runs. I think about 210-200 was a par score. But it is part of the game,” said Sunrisers Hyderabad star batter Heinrich Klaasen after the team lost to Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL League match here on Thursday night. “Everyone is playing good cricket, especially on a wicket like this. You can put anybody in attack under the pump. So, they bowled well in the middle as well, so credit needs to go to them as well,” Klaasen said in a post-match briefing. “They picked up early wickets that stopped a little bit of the momentum. It was difficult to keep on…

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Watch: Fireworks light up IPL game as Nicholas Pooran pummels Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers with power hitting

LSG batter slams 70 of 26 balls in a sensational onslaught, Marsh chips in with 51 to lead their side to a five-wicket win Hyderabad: Sunrisers Hyderabad got a taste of its own medicine! The deafening silence in the stands with West Indian Nicholas Pooran on song said it all as Lucknow Super Giants pulled off an impressive, five-wicket win in the IPL league match at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Thursday. Pooran put on show the typical Caribbean flair with a sensational onslaught (70, 26b, 6×4, 6×6) after LSG lost opener Aiden Markram (1) in the second over. The way he started square-driving to the fence, hitting two huge sixes in one over of pacer Simarjeet Singh showed Pooran’s intent…

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