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Showing posts from April, 2025

CSK vs PBKS, IPL 2025: Shreyas Iyer silences Chepauk

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Shreyas Iyer in action for CSK vs PBKS, IPL 2025 (PC: BCCI) Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered another loss in the ongoing IPL 2025 as Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated them by successfully chasing the 191-run target in today’s clash at Chepauk. PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer regained his form with the bat, smashed 72 (41), and was also named the Player of the Match. At the time, PBKS needed someone to maintain the run rate after Priyansh Arya got out, and Iyer joined forces with Prabhsimran Singh. After the powerplay, when PBKS was at 88/1, both batters looked promising. After Prabhsimran’s wicket, he batted brilliantly with Shashank Singh and finished the game. Eventually, scoring 72 runs off 41 balls, Iyer’s dominance came after four matches since his last promising performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), scoring 82 runs off 36 balls. Today, the Player of the Match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) got PBKS the needed win and led from the front. “I keep the same approach, someti...

CSK vs PBKS, IPL 2025: Sam Curran’s Heroic Performance at Chepauk

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Sam Curran for CSK vs PBKS, IPL 2025 (PC: IPL/BCCI) England all-rounder Sam Curran finally found his form, smashing 88 off 47 balls in today’s IPL 2025 clash between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Punjab Kings (PBKS). After CSK lost opener Shaik Rasheed in the third over, Curran was sent in at number three—and this time, the move paid off in style. While wickets continued to fall at the other end—Ayush Mhatre and Ravindra Jadeja both departed early—Curran stood firm. He then stitched a crucial 78-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Dewald Brevis. Brevis eventually got out for 32 off 26 balls, but Curran went on to bring up his half-century. By the time Curran was dismissed in the 18th over, CSK had already reached 172. His innings, which came at an impressive strike rate of 187.23, was the highlight of CSK’s innings. He helped his team reach a competitive total of 190 before they were bowled out in 19.2 overs. What Price Did CSK Pay for Sam Curran in the IPL 2025 Auction? ...

DC vs KKR, IPL 2025: Mitchell Starc back in the Purple Cap race

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Mitchell Starc took 3 wickets against KKR (PC- IPL/BCCI) Mitchell Starc is back in the Purple Cap race again with his fantastic performance against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi in the 48th match of the IPL today. Starc’s first wicket came at a crucial time for Delhi Capitals (DC). When both the KKR openers were striking the ball hard, Starc delivered a yorker-length ball to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, which he attempted to squeeze, but it took the edge and was caught by wicketkeeper Abishek Porel. His next two wickets came off consecutive balls in the last over of the innings. Bowling from around the wicket, Starc bowled a straight delivery to Rovman Powell, who missed it and was trapped plumb in front. On the next ball, Chameera took what could be the tournament catch to dismiss Anukul Roy, giving Starc his third wicket. Mitchell Starc now has 14 wickets in 10 games this season Now, after today’s spell, Starc has claimed 14 wickets in 10 games and i...

DC vs KKR, IPL 2025: Sunil Narine’s magical spell keeps KKR alive

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DC vs KKR, IPL 2025 (PC: BCCI) Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) stayed alive in the race for the IPL 2025 playoffs by defeating Delhi Capitals (DC) by 14 runs in Delhi. Sunil Narine showed his class, first with a cameo with the bat, and then with the ball. He picked up three key wickets and was named Player of the Match. Chasing a target of 205 runs, DC were in trouble early after losing three wickets for just 60 runs in 6.3 overs. Batters like Abishek Porel, Karun Nair and KL Rahul were back in the pavilion. Then came DC skipper Axar Patel, joining Faf du Plessis at the crease. The two built a solid partnership and kept DC in the game. After 13 overs, DC were 130/3 and needed 75 runs from 42 balls. A few overs earlier, KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane injured his finger and left the field. With vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer already subbed out, Sunil Narine took over the captaincy duties. In the 14th over, Narine brought himself on to bowl. Axar started the over with a six...

Not only batters, but KKR bowlers also need to find groove to keep IPL season alive

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Left: Vaibhav Arora, Right: Harshit Rana. Image: KKR The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) must regroup and eliminate errors as they strive to salvage their IPL 2025 season against the high-flying Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday. KKR need to win all five of their remaining matches to bolster their playoff chances, while DC, with six wins in nine games, are vying for a top-two spot. The defending champions have struggled with both bat and ball this season. KKR’s batting inconsistencies have disappointed fans throughout the campaign, but a major setback has been their inability to take wickets in the powerplay, especially their spinners. Among KKR’s batters, only Ajinkya Rahane (271 runs) has performed consistently. Quinton de Kock was dropped after scoring just 143 runs in seven games, and his replacement, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, has managed only two runs in two appearances. Rinku Singh, KKR’s top retention, has scored 133 runs in nine games, while Venkatesh Iyer,...

RR vs GT: Ton-up Vaibhav Suryavanshi Shatters Records in RR’s Spectacular Run-Chase at Home

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Vaibhav starred with the bat in a must win game for RR. (PC: BCCI) A storm named Vaibhav Suryavanshi hit the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, blowing away the Gujarat Titans as the 14-year-old prodigy hammered an astonishing 101 off just 38 balls. His breathtaking knock helped the Rajasthan Royals chase down a massive total of 210 in just 15.5 overs, winning the match by eight wickets with 25 balls to spare. With this emphatic victory, RR climbed to eighth in the points table, while GT slipped to third after suffering a heavy blow to their net run rate. Even RR head coach Rahul Dravid, nursing an injured leg, leapt up in celebration from his wheelchair. It was not just the Royals’ dugout in awe, but every spectator in the stadium and fans across the world were applauding the brilliance of Vaibhav, who scored the second-fastest IPL century and the youngest ever to hit a T20 ton at just 14 years and 32 days old.  It was a spectacle in every sense. Chasing an imposing target, Vaibhav cam...

IPL 2025 – Practice and adaptability, the keynotes of Kohli’s success

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Virat Kohl in action during an IPL match. On the eve of the India-Pakistan Champions Trophy game played in Dubai, Virat Kohli surprised journalists by arriving at the ICC Academy 90 minutes before the scheduled time to practice in anonymity. The agenda on the menu was to practice against left-arm spin or spin in general. After a lengthy training workshop, he sat with his feet up and watched his teammates go about practicing for the rest of the session. All those training workshops seemed to have helped Kohli to upskill his game against left-arm spin. His strike rate was 119.79 versus left-arm spin in the 2023 IPL. It improved to 131.19 in 2024. In the ongoing IPL, it stands at around 145 versus slow left-arm orthodox spin. Yes, he has employed the slog-sweep and chipped down the track to hit left-arm spinners down the ground. But one of the biggest changes in Kohli’s batting has been how he has tried to manufacture room in order to loft left-arm spinners via the cover region. All...

From rock-bottom to team to beat – how three run-outs transformed Mumbai Indians’ season

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Mumbai Indians team after their match against LSG (Image: IPL) Three run-outs. That’s how it all changed. After being down and out in the first three weeks of the IPL, Mumbai Indians (MI) are now firmly entrenched in the top four and look poised to make the play-offs yet again. Sport is all about grabbing your opportunity, and that’s what stands out in this team. Against Delhi in Delhi, it all seemed done and dusted. Vipraj Nigam was batting beautifully after a Karun Nair classic, and Mumbai were literally rock bottom in the league table. Jasprit Bumrah, who took 4-22 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Sunday, was hit all over the park by Karun, and it seemed that there was no way back for Mumbai. They needed a spark and the run-outs provided exactly that. And once they had that game, they had the zeal to turn things around. Now, they look on song and only the daft would want to bet against them. With every passing game, Bumrah is getting better with the 4-22 more compelling ev...

Kohli, Krunal Lead Gritty RCB Chase to Extend Flawless Away Run

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DC vs RCB, IPL 2025 (PC: IPL) Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) continued their flawless away run, making it six wins from six and climbing to the top of the table in IPL 2025 with 14 points from 10 matches. Delhi Capitals managed an average 162/8 in 20 overs, but despite a few hiccups, RCB chased it down to seal another vital win. DC’s promising start fizzles out Abishek Porel gave Delhi Capitals a dream start with a lively 28 off 11 balls, but the momentum slipped quickly. Tristan Stubbs showed late flair with an inventive 34 off 18, but DC’s middle-order crumbled on a slow, two-paced pitch. The rest of the batters combined to score just 96 off 92 deliveries. Hazlewood, Bhuvi break DC’s backbone Key moments shifted the innings. Just as Axar Patel looked set to attack, Josh Hazlewood uprooted his stumps in the 14th over, easing pressure on RCB’s spinners. Bhuvneshwar Kumar then struck the killer blow by removing KL Rahul in the 17th, leaving DC struggling to rebuild in the dea...

DC vs RCB, IPL 2025: Krunal Pandya overshadows Virat Kohli in RCB’s succesful chase 

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Krunal Pandya in action against DC (PC – IPL/BCCI) Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat Delhi Capitals (DC) by six wickets with nine balls to spare at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi in the 46th match of IPL 2025 on April 27. Krunal Pandya delivered an all-round show in Delhi to give RCB their revenge, as they had been defeated by DC in the reverse fixture in Bangalore. Krunal took the wicket of Faf du Plessis (22 off 26 balls) and finished with figures of 1/28 in his four overs at an economy rate of 7.00. But his main contribution came with the bat: Krunal scored an unbeaten 73 runs off 47 balls at a strike rate of 155.32, which included five fours and four sixes. Krunal Pandya and Virat Kohli’s 119-run partnership for the fourth wicket sealed the game His partnership with Virat Kohli — 119 runs off 84 balls — sealed the match for RCB. It turned to be RCB’s fifth highest partnership in the IPL for the fourth wicket. Kohli gave him perfect support with his 51 off 47 balls. ...