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Showing posts from April, 2025

“Have enjoyed our time playing together for India” – Virat Kohli on his bond with Rohit Sharma ahead of MI vs RCB clash in IPL 2025

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Virat Kohli on Rohit Sharma ahead of the MI vs RCB clash, IPL 2025 (PC: ICC and IPL) One of the most anticipated fixtures in every IPL season is all set to light up the Wankhede Stadium tomorrow as Mumbai Indians (MI) take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Over the years, the clash has drawn attention not only for the on-field rivalry but also for the face-off between two Indian cricket icons – Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Ahead of the much-awaited match, RCB shared a heartwarming video on their social media channels that quickly went viral. In the clip, Virat Kohli opened up about his long-standing relationship with Rohit Sharma. “I think it’s a very natural thing to take place when you play with someone for so long and you share so much of your insight of the game initially, you’re learning from each other, you’re kind of growing in your careers at probably the same time. And you share, you know, all kinds of queries, questions. So there’s a lot of back and forth that happ...

Dhoni retirement talk- should he or should he not?

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Dhoni stepping out to bat at Chepauk during CSK vs DC. (Image: IPL) Should he or should he not? Dhoni has yet again divided the cricket world down the middle. While we all agree that he is on his last legs, a majority has now started to feel that it is time to call it a day and turn to a mentor. Some, however, and this includes a majority of CSK fans, just want to consume as much of their “Thala” as they possibly can. For them, a win or loss doesn’t matter, seeing Dhoni out there does. For them, he is a deity and you don’t judge god come what may. Stephen Fleming, coach of eminence and pedigree, has kept it vague saying he has not spoken to Dhoni on retirement. And Dhoni himself had added to the mystery when he said he could continue to play for CSK even when he is on a wheelchair. The straight question to ask is does Dhoni and CSK not know that he isn’t the same player anymore? That he isn’t capable of winning them games anymore? That his batting is best seen on Youtube with a ...

PBKS vs RR, IPL 2025: Who Is PBKS’s All-Rounder Suryansh Shedge?

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Suryansh Shedge for PBKS, played vs RR in the IPL 2025 (PC: Suryansh Shedge Insta) Punjab Kings (PBKS) suffered their first loss in the ongoing IPL 2025 after winning their first two matches. Rajasthan Royals (RR) defeated them by 50 runs in Mullanpur. Chasing 206, PBKS could only manage 155/9 in their 20 overs. Apart from Nehal Wadhera, none of the PBKS batters made a big impact. Among those who struggled was PBKS’s 22-year-old all-rounder, Suryansh Shedge. Born in Mumbai, Shedge scored just two runs off four balls before getting dismissed by Sandeep Sharma. Who is Suryansh Shedge? Suryansh Shedge is slowly making a name for himself in Indian domestic cricket. He was part of the Mumbai team that recently won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), where he played alongside his current PBKS skipper, Shreyas Iyer. He is known for his power-hitting ability and can also bowl. Shedge has shown promise as a finisher for Mumbai going into the IPL. In nine T20 matches this domestic season...

PBKS vs RR: Top 3 Knocks of Yashasvi Jaiswal vs PBKS in IPL

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Yashasvi Jaiswal for RR vs PBKS, IPL 2025 (PC: IPL) Rajasthan Royals (RR) handed Punjab Kings (PBKS) their first loss of this ongoing IPL 2025 as RR registered a 50-run win in Mullanpur. RR’s Jofra Archer was named the Player of the Match for his three-wicket haul of 25 runs in four overs. However, their bowlers were superb in defending the 206-run target. But, in the first innings, while setting that target, Yashasvi Jaiswal led the batting unit of RR with a 67-run knock. His knock set the platform of the upcoming batters. However, it turned out to be his second-best knock against PBKS in the IPL. Here are the top three knocks of Yashasvi Jaiswal vs PBKS in IPL 68 (41) – Wankhede, 7 May 2022 At the Wankhede, RR were asked to chase 190 and they did it in some style in 19.4 overs with six wickets in hand. Yashasvi won the Player of the Match award for scoring 68 (41) and he was the main reason behind RR reaching 141 for three wickets in 14.2 overs.  67 (45) – Mullanpur, 5 Ap...

LSG vs MI: Digvesh Singh Rathi, the Force Behind Today’s Win

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Digvesh won the Player of the match award. (X.com) Lucknow Super Giants bagged a hard-fought win against the Mumbai Indians on Friday, April 4. Setting a target of 204, the LSG batters made a dominant start, with a strong partnership witnessed between Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram. The Mumbai Indians’ bowling unit also put up a solid fight, taking eight wickets, with their skipper claiming five a five-fer. What stole the show, however, was LSG spinner Digvesh Singh Rathi, whose single wicket made him a standout performer of the match. He conceded just 21 runs in his four-over spell, ending with an impressive economy rate of 5.25 — an effort that earned him the Player of the Match award. Digvesh’s notebook celebration once again catches eyeballs With LSG already boasting an experienced spinner in Ravi Bishnoi, Rathi’s performance proved to be strong competition for his seniors. From Bishnoi to Avesh Khan, Shardul Thakur, and Akash Deep — all conceded around 40 runs each — whil...

LSG vs MI – Top 3 moments from the match 

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LSG edge past MI in a last-over thriller in Lucknow. (PC: BCCI) Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) beat Mumbai Indians (MI) by 12 runs in the 16th match of IPL 2025. Hardik Pandya’s Heroic Five-fer Pandya registered the best bowling figures by a captain in IPL history, overtaking Anil Kumble. In the long history of the IPL, this is the first time a captain has taken five wickets in a match. Pandya came on to bowl in the ninth over and removed the dangerous Nicholas Pooran, who has been in excellent form this IPL, with a slower bouncer. He then dismissed his opposite number, Rishabh Pant. Returning in the 18th over, Pandya took the wicket of Aiden Markram, who scored 53 off 38 balls. In the 20th over, he claimed David Miller and Akash Deep on consecutive deliveries. This is Pandya’s first five-wicket haul in T20 cricket as he finished with the figures of 5/36. Suryakumar Yadav’s Well-Crafted 67 Surya played a gem of an innings, scoring 67 runs off 43 balls. He shared a 69-run stand off ...

LSG vs MI: Tilak Varma Retired Out Too Late to Save MI

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Tilak was forced to retire out in the MI-LSG match. (PC: BCCI) Mumbai Indians (MI) suffered their third defeat of the season, going down to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. A major talking point of the match was Tilak Varma’s innings, which turned out to be one of the key reasons behind the loss. The left-hander scored an unbeaten 25 off 23 balls before being retired out, becoming the first batter to do so this IPL season. Considered one of India’s best T20I batters, Tilak was brought in as an impact player and walked out to bat after Naman Dhir’s dismissal in the ninth over. Despite being known for his ability to handle spin, he struggled to find his rhythm. He failed to rotate the strike consistently or find boundaries, which stalled MI’s momentum in the middle overs. Though he was part of a 66-run stand with Suryakumar Yadav – who top-scored with a brilliant 67 – Tilak’s contribution was limited to just 17 runs at a strike rate of under 100. The bul...

LSG Edge Past MI in Last-Over Thriller as Hardik’s Heroics Fall Short

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LSG secures their sixth victory against MI in seven games (PC: IPL) A last-over thriller was needed for Lucknow Super Giants to scrape out another victory against Mumbai Indians — this time by 12 runs. It marked LSG’s sixth win over MI in seven meetings. In the final over, Hardik Pandya was unable to score the 22 runs required off the last six balls, as Avesh Khan kept him quiet with deceptive low full tosses. Additionally, LSG also had an extra fielder inside the 30-yard circle due to a slow over-rate penalty. With the pitch holding its own, earlier LSG batters took the attack to MI’s bowlers, starting with Mitchell Marsh, who went hammer and tongs in the powerplay. The Australian, who was earlier saved by MI’s reluctance to review an edge on the fourth ball of the innings, punished anything loose. He smashed a 27-ball fifty—his third of the season—before going on to score 60 off 31 deliveries, with two sixes and nine fours at a strike rate of 193.55. His innings came to an end ...

Rishabh Pant at the top of the order could unleash LSG’s full potential

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Rishabh Pant (Image IPL) Rishabh Pant has had a very ordinary start to the IPL. And it is natural that people will refer to the 27-crore price tag each time he fails. The figure is such that it would send a chill down anyone’s spine. And when a young man has to justify such a fee, it can turn into a kind of pressure that’s too much to bear. However, it is important to note that Pant did not orchestrate the price. His franchise found him worthy enough to pay this amount and he had no hand in it. So, for anyone to say ‘Oh, he asked for 27 crores’ is actually unfair on him. Having said that, for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to do well, Pant has to deliver. He is a key batter and needs to score runs. That’s what brings me to his position in the batting order. If I was Justin Langer or Zaheer Khan, I’d have a word with Pant and ask him to open. Two things have happened so far. First, he has come in when the team have gotten off to a flier. Few can match Nicholas Pooran when he is in flow...

KKR vs SRH: 3 Best Spells of Vaibhav Arora in IPL

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Vaibhav Arora vs SRH, IPL 2025 (PC: Debasis Sen)   Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) young pace bowler, Vaibhav Arora produced a match-winning spell against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens as KKR registered their second win of the ongoing IPL 2025. The way KKR registered the thumping win by a margin of 80 runs, all KKR bowlers were on song, especially Vaibhav with the way he bowled against top SRH batters. However, in IPL, this young pacer has recorded several top spells before. Here are the top three best spells of Vaibhav Arora in IPL 3/27 vs DC – Visakhapatnam, 2024 Arora’s excellent performance against Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2024, where he took three wickets and gave only 27 runs, resulted from his controlled aggression spell that destroyed DC. Ultimately, DC got bundled out for 166 runs in 17.2 overs while chasing 273 in Visakhapatnam. 3/29 vs SRH – Eden Gardens, 2025 In today’s clash, Vaibhav was named the Player of the Match for picking up three wickets for 29 run...

KKR vs SRH: Who is Kamindu Mendis, SRH’s Ambidextrous Bowler in IPL 2025?

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Kamindu Mendis vs KKR, IPL 2025 (PC: IPL) Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) suffered a crushing defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens. While chasing 201, SRH’s batting collapsed as they were bowled out for just 120 in 16.4 overs. However, during the first innings, when SRH was bowling, KKR fans were left stunned by the unique skills of Kamindu Mendis. In his only over, he conceded just four runs and took one wicket, but what grabbed headlines was his rare ability to bowl with both hands. What Makes Kamindu Mendis Special? Mendis is an ambidextrous bowler, meaning he can bowl with either hand. In that over, he bowled left-arm spin to right-handed batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi and then switched to right-arm spin while bowling to left-hander Venkatesh Iyer. His ability to switch hands depending on the batter is a rare skill in cricket and impressed many fans. Here is the video: Left Right Right Left Confused? That’s what Kamindu Mendis causes in the minds of batte...