Cricket

Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) hopes of reaching the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs have dwindled after their defeat to Delhi Capitals. With just one game remaining, LSG's fate is no longer in their own hands.LSG's poor run-rate has been a major factor in their struggles. After their 10-wicket loss to SunRisers Hyderabad, their run-rate plummeted to -0.769. Following their defeat to DC, it has further deteriorated to -0.787. This is the worst run-rate among the four teams vying for the fourth playoff spot.The team's recent performances have also been marred by controversy. LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka's animated discussion with captain KL Rahul after their loss to SunRisers Hyderabad was caught on camera, leading to widespread criticism.Despite their struggles, LSG still have a mathematical chance of reaching the playoffs. However, they would need to win their last match by a significant margin and hope that two of CSK, SRH, and RCB lose their games by equally large margins.If LSG fails to qualify for the playoffs, it is likely that Rahul will leave the franchise. Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bangalore are considered the frontrunners to acquire his services.

Sourav Ganguly, the Director of Cricket for Delhi Capitals, has expressed his confidence in Rishabh Pant's leadership abilities, stating that the young captain will continue to refine his skills with time and experience.Pant, who recently returned to competitive cricket after a severe car accident in December 2022, has resumed his duties as the Delhi Capitals captain. Ganguly believes that Pant's instinctive decision-making and ability to adapt on the field are valuable assets."Pant is a young captain, he'll learn with time," Ganguly said. "The way he returned from injury to play a full season; we had our doubts during the off season."Ganguly also highlighted the importance of Indian players in the TATA IPL, especially with the expansion to 10 teams. He expressed his admiration for Pant's resilience and determination to return to form after his injury."Indian players are crucial, especially since the TATA IPL shifted to 10 teams. I am very happy for him that he returned to play so well over a full season. He has all my well wishes for whatever is next," Ganguly added.While acknowledging that Pant has made some mistakes as a captain, Ganguly believes that he will continue to improve with experience. "With time, he'll become a better captain. Nobody is a great captain from day one, but he is an instinctual captain, he makes decisions on the ground. With more time, he'll get better."Ganguly also praised the performances of young pacers Mukesh Kumar and Rasikh Dar Salam, who have impressed for Delhi Capitals this season."You've seen Rasikh's development over time. The more matches he played, the better he got. It's not easy to bowl on the Delhi wicket. This wicket is great, and the ground isn't that big, so I think for any bowler, it isn't easy to bowl here. Rasikh has improved a lot."Mukesh has been our best bowler this season. He bowls all the difficult overs, whether at the start or at the death. There has been no match this season where we didn't need his bowling in the death," he said."We knew that conceding sixes would lead to more losses, so he has consistently delivered there. Our Indian bowlers have been great this season."

Delhi Capitals assistant coach Pravin Amre has hailed Tristan Stubbs as a player "for the next five years" after the South African batter's impressive performances in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.Stubbs, who was brought in as a backup for Harry Brook, has seized the opportunity to showcase his talent. His ability to find the boundary with ease and precision has drawn comparisons to former South African great AB de Villiers.In DC's final game of the season against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Stubbs played a pivotal role in the team's victory. His unbeaten 57-run blitz left LSG bowlers bewildered and powered Delhi to an imposing total of 208/4."If Harry Brook was there, Stubbs was actually a backup. It was so important that we had to pick a really good backup. We saw the South African League, and he had done really well there. He contributed to the winning team there. He got a triple hundred in first-class cricket, also. What we saw is that he is such a cricketer who can play well against spinners as well. He looks very hungry and composed, also. He is a player for the next five years," Amre said in the post-match press conference.Despite DC's disappointing group stage exit, Amre highlighted the positives from the season, including the emergence of young players like Stubbs, Jake Fraser McGurk, Abhishek Porel, and Rasikh Dar Salam.Rasikh, a 24-year-old pacer, has impressed with his consistent performances, especially in the death overs. In 11 matches, he has claimed 9 wickets at an economy of 10.43 and a bowling average of 37.67."I think as an Indian, bowling in the death is a specialist's job. He has discovered and backed himself really well. In the last four or five games, all Indian bowlers have been doing really well and that is what is important for us as a franchise," Amre added.While Stubbs made an impact with the bat against LSG, veteran quick Ishant Sharma rattled LSG's top-order in the powerplay. He dismissed KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, and Deepak Hooda with his skillful bowling."He is the guy who has played 100 Test matches; he knows how to bowl on Delhi's wicket. He has contributed a lot this season and I am really happy for him," Amre said.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have received a significant boost in their quest for a spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs after Delhi Capitals (DC) defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Tuesday. This victory ensures that LSG cannot surpass RCB in the points table, even if they win their final league match. Additionally, DC's inferior Net Run Rate (NRR) makes their chances of securing a top-four finish highly unlikely.Currently, RCB sits in sixth place in the points table with six wins and 12 points from 13 matches. They have a positive NRR of +0.387. Delhi Capitals, in fifth place, has 14 points from 14 matches but an NRR of -0.377. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) occupies fourth place with 14 points and an NRR of +0.406, while Chennai Super Kings (CSK) holds third place with 14 points and an NRR of +0.528.For RCB to qualify for the playoffs, they must defeat CSK in their upcoming match. If they fail to do so, they will be eliminated from contention. However, if RCB does beat CSK, they could potentially dislodge either CSK or SRH from the top four.There are two possible scenarios for RCB to qualify:Scenario 1: RCB beats CSK, but their NRR remains inferior. In this case, RCB would need SRH to lose both of their remaining league matches. If SRH loses both matches, they will remain on 14 points. A victory for RCB against CSK would also take their tally to 14 points. In such a scenario, RCB would need to ensure that their NRR is better than SRH's. If both RCB and CSK qualify, SRH would be eliminated.Scenario 2: If SRH wins even one of their next two matches, they will qualify for the playoffs. This scenario would mean that RCB can only topple CSK in the top-four race. If SRH is already through, RCB would need to beat CSK by approximately 18 runs if they bat first and put 200 on the board. If RCB bowls first and is given a target of 201 runs, they would need to chase it down with roughly 11 balls to spare. In this case, RCB and SRH would qualify, while CSK would be eliminated.

Delhi Capitals' assistant coach Pravin Amre has justified the exclusion of Prithvi Shaw from the team's recent matches, citing the impressive performances of Abishek Porel. Shaw, who played eight games for DC, scored 198 runs at an average of 24.75 and a strike rate of 163.63, including one half-century."He [Shaw] was our retained player, but he was on the bench for the last four of five games," Amre said after DC's 19-run win over Lucknow Super Giants in their final league game of the season. "If you are not in form, you can't keep your place. The pressure for the team is so much that every game is important and we have to win."Amre praised Porel for grabbing his opportunities with both hands. The left-hander smashed 327 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 159.51, including a blistering 58 off 33 balls against Lucknow Super Giants."What an innings [Porel] played today," Amre said. "We saw Jake [Fraser-McGurk] getting out in the first over and even then we managed to get 73 runs in the powerplay. I think that's what was so critical and the credit goes to Shai Hope and Porel for getting that 92-run partnership today."Porel's impressive performances as an opener have given DC a new dimension. In the three matches he played at the top of the order, he scored 159 runs at a strike rate of 165.62, including two half-centuries."Porel has shown that he can be a valuable asset to the team," Amre said. "He is a very talented player and he has a bright future ahead of him."

Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant believes his one-match suspension for a slow-over rate offense may have cost his team a spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs. Pant missed the crucial match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, which DC lost by 47 runs, impacting their net run rate."I wouldn't say we would have definitely won the game if I had played, but we had a better chance of qualifying if I had played in the last game," Pant said after DC's 19-run win over Lucknow Super Giants.DC's inconsistent start to the season was compounded by injuries to key players like Ishant Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, and David Warner. "We started the season with a lot of hope, but there were injuries and ups and downs," Pant said. "But as a franchise, you can't complain all the time; you have to make use of what you have."Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul attributed his team's struggles to losing wickets in the powerplay. "This has been a problem right through the season - we keep losing a lot of wickets in the powerplay, we never get a solid start to get the likes of Stoinis and Pooran in," Rahul said. "That is the big reason why we are in this position."DC's fate now depends on the results of other matches. If they qualify for the playoffs, they will face a tough challenge against the top teams.

Rishabh Pant's remarkable return to cricket after his life-threatening accident has been a testament to his resilience and determination. Having played for the first time since December 2022, Pant has eased into the rigors of top-flight cricket without major physical discomfort. He finished the league phase of IPL 2024 as Delhi Capitals' highest run-scorer with 446 runs in 13 games at a strike rate of 155.40. His performances have earned him a place in India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.Pant expressed his gratitude for the support he received during his recovery and return to the field. "The kind of support I got from whole India I would say was heartening to see," he said. "Wherever I went to play, I got support from each and every person. That was really good to see."Despite the challenges faced by Delhi Capitals throughout the season, including injuries and suspensions, Pant remained positive. "We had a few injuries here and there, few ups and downs, illnesses, but as a franchise you can't complain all the time," he said. "You've got to make the best use of whatever you have in your hand."Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul lamented his team's poor start in their loss to Delhi Capitals. "This has been the problem for us through the season, that we keep losing a lot of wickets in the powerplay," Rahul said. "We've never been able to get off to a really solid start to bring in players like [Marcus] Stoinis and [Nicholas] Pooran into the game, and get them to walk in at the 7th or 8th over mark with a solid start."Despite their disappointing performance, Rahul remained optimistic about the future. "We did well in the back end, and 200 [208] was a par score. We should have chased it down," he said. "We'll take the positives from this game and try to finish the season on a high."

Delhi Capitals (DC) secured a crucial 19-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their final group stage match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The win keeps DC's hopes of a top-four finish alive, albeit mathematically.LSG, who have one game remaining against Mumbai Indians, are not yet eliminated, but both teams will need favorable results from other matches to qualify for the playoffs.Chasing a challenging target of 209, LSG found themselves in a precarious position at 44 for 4. However, Nicholas Pooran's blistering 61 and Arshad Khan's unbeaten 58 at number eight brought them back into contention.Pooran's innings was a masterclass in power-hitting, as he smashed six fours and four sixes in his 34-ball knock. Khan, meanwhile, played a responsible innings, anchoring the chase and hitting five fours and two sixes in his 41-ball stay.Despite their valiant efforts, LSG fell short in the final over. Rasikh Salam, who had conceded 14 runs in his previous over, defended 20 runs in the final six deliveries to secure the victory for DC.Earlier, DC had posted a competitive total of 208 for 4, thanks to half-centuries from Lalit Yadav (58) and Phil Salt (57). Rovman Powell also chipped in with a quickfire 35 off 18 balls.For LSG, Naveen-ul-Haq was the pick of the bowlers, taking 2 for 51. Avesh Khan and Mohsin Khan also picked up a wicket each.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper KL Rahul won the toss and elected to bowl first against Delhi Capitals (DC) in a crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) match in New Delhi on May 14. The match was a must-win for both teams, as they were fighting for a playoff spot.DC skipper Rishabh Pant returned to the side after serving a one-match suspension, while Gulbadin Naib also made a comeback. However, David Warner and Prithvi Shaw missed out due to injuries. LSG, on the other hand, brought in Arshad Khan and Yudhvir Singh Charak.LSG's decision to bowl first proved to be a good one, as they restricted DC to a modest total of 149/7 in their 20 overs. Avesh Khan was the pick of the bowlers for LSG, taking 3/30, while Mohsin Khan and Ravi Bishnoi chipped in with two wickets each.In reply, LSG got off to a solid start, with openers KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock putting on 50 runs for the first wicket. However, DC fought back with regular wickets, and LSG found themselves in trouble at 103/5 in the 15th over.Marcus Stoinis and Deepak Hooda then came to the rescue for LSG, stitching together a crucial 46-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Stoinis played a blistering knock of 38 off 25 balls, while Hooda contributed with a steady 24 off 29 balls.With 10 runs needed off the final over, LSG's hopes rested on Krunal Pandya. The all-rounder held his nerve and hit a six off the first ball to seal a thrilling victory for his team.The win was a huge boost for LSG's playoff hopes, as they moved up to fourth place in the standings. DC, on the other hand, suffered a setback in their quest for a top-four finish.