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DC vs RR (PC-BCCI) Delhi Capitals returned to winning ways at home, although their comeback may have come a little too late in the season as regards their playoff hopes. Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile, are still alive in the playoff race despite the defeat. DC won the toss and opted to bowl first, with RR posting a competitive total of 194. In reply, DC chased down the target comfortably with four balls to spare after strong contributions from the top order and a composed finish in the chase. Sooryavanshi, Jurel and Parag power RR after early Jaiswal exit Yashasvi Jaiswal started aggressively with three early boundaries but was dismissed for 12 off nine balls by Lungi Ngidi. RR, however, continued their attacking approach through Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who smashed 46 off just 21 balls with five fours and three sixes. The youngster took on both Ngidi and Mitchell Starc confidently and also attacked spinner Tripurana Vijay during the powerplay. After Sooryavanshi fell, Riyan Parag and Dh...

  Virat Kohli. Image :X I have now heard the Virat Kohli interview multiple times, and I could relate to it more and more. In fact, I remembered a conversation with him a few years back where he had mentioned something similar to me. We were having a chat about his cricket philosophy, and he said he wanted to field for all 90 overs in a day of Test cricket with the same intensity. “If it’s the 88th over of the day and I have to run all the way to the boundary and save one run, I will do so with the same intensity as if it’s the first ball of the day,” he had told me. What stood out for me was his commitment to the sport and how articulate he was. His statement regarding fielding in the 50-over game during the interview reminded me of this. Let’s be clear – Virat has put the question of his 2027 World Cup participation to rest with this interview. There can be no further talk about whether he wants to be there. And the truth is, he has the performances to justify it. While no one...

  Images: Debasis Sen Subhayan Chakraborty, Eden Gardens Half-centuries from Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler went in vain as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) kept their mathematical hopes alive in the IPL play-off race by defeating the Gujarat Titans (GT) by 29 runs at Eden Gardens on Saturday. Batting first, KKR posted a mammoth 247/2 in 20 overs, thanks to a thunderous 93 from Finn Allen and half-centuries from Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Cameron Green. While GT suffered a major setback with Sai Sudharsan walking off injured early on, Gill and Buttler’s fireworks ultimately were not enough, as the Titans’ five-match winning run came to an end. Finn Allen at His Destructive Best Allen was at his absolute best, going hammer and tongs from the outset and sparing none of the GT bowlers at Eden Gardens. He went ballistic, smashing 10 sixes and four boundaries during his 93-run stay at the crease. After targeting Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj in the powerplay, the KKR opener hammered ...

CSK. PC – BCCI On a given day in Lucknow, Anshul Kamboj’s chances of defeating Mitchell Marsh were in a contest outside of cricket. Truth be told, all those fours and sixes felt like knockout punches from Marsh to not just Kamboj but also Chennai Super Kings’ chances of qualifying for the playoffs. Now, it may come down to CSK winning both their last two games, alongside improving their net run-rate. So, what went wrong for CSK in the ‘Golden City of the East’? Perhaps we have to zoom in on their bowling effort. On a track that offered enough pace and bounce, the likes of Kamboj and Gurjapneet Singh mostly got the ball to kiss the surface. In such conditions, and against a 6’5″ batter who has played enough of his cricket at the WACA, it was never going to work. When Kamboj tried to pull the length back, he couldn’t get the ball to climb higher on the bat. No wonder Marsh played a volley of pull shots. Meanwhile, Gurjapneet is well over ...

  Virat Kohli (PC: IPL/BCCI) “Playing a World Cup for India is amazing.” “Why would I leave my home, get my stuff over, and be like, ‘I don’t know what I want’?” “If I’m made to feel like I need to prove my worth and my value, I’m not in that space.” “I work as hard, if not harder, than anyone else.” “I prepare for the fact that I will field 50 overs, every ball like it’s the last ball I’m going to play in my career.” “Either tell me on day one I’m not good enough or I’m not needed.” “If you’ve said I’m good enough… then be quiet.” “People say we believe in your abilities, and then a week later they start questioning the way you operate.” “No one can guarantee performance in any space.” Each of the above are quotes from the Virat Kohli interview on the RCB podcast. Three things stand out for me in these statements. First and foremost is the hunger. For any sportsperson, it is about hunger. For someone who has achieved everything there is to achieve, it is even mor...

Mitchell Marsh (PC-BCCI) Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and opted to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings. After an early collapse, Kartik Sharma and Shivam Dube rescued CSK and guided them to 187. Already eliminated, LSG still produced a strong chase and won with 20 balls remaining. The loss will hurt CSK’s playoff hopes, as they now must win their remaining two matches and hope Punjab Kings lose to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the upcoming game. Kartik Sharma revives CSK after top-order collapse CSK were under pressure after early wickets, with Sanju Samson scoring 20 off 20, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad managing 13, and Urvil Patel falling early, leaving the side reeling at 53/3 when Kartik arrived at the crease. After a cautious start against Mayank Yadav, Kartik shifted momentum with fearless stroke play, attacking Shahbaz Ahmed and Prince Yadav with powerful boundaries and bringing up his fifty with a huge six off Mohammed Shami. Alongside Dube’s quick 32 off 16, Kartik re...