Cricket

Rajasthan Royals' season ended in disappointment as they fell short of reaching the IPL final, losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2. Despite the setback, team director Kumar Sangakkara hailed the campaign as a "great season."Rajasthan's early dominance in the tournament, winning eight of their first nine matches, was a testament to their strong performance. However, a late-season slump, including four losses in their last five games, ultimately cost them a place in the final.Sangakkara attributed the Qualifier 2 loss to a "little bit of panic" during the chase, which saw Rajasthan collapse from a promising start. Trent Boult's early breakthroughs had given them a strong foundation, but they failed to build partnerships and lost wickets in clusters.The absence of star opener Jos Buttler, who returned home for England's T20 World Cup preparations, was a significant blow. Buttler's two centuries and key role in chases had been crucial to Rajasthan's success.Despite the setback, Sangakkara remained positive about the team's overall performance. "All the guys, throughout the season played really phenomenal cricket," he said. "We always say that the best ability is availability and unfortunately we lost Jos. He is a big loss without a doubt."Sangakkara emphasized that reaching the play-offs and being in contention for the finals was a significant achievement. "All we can do is put ourselves in positions of play-offs and vying for finals, which we did," he said.Rajasthan's campaign may have ended in disappointment, but they can take pride in a strong season that showcased their potential. With a talented squad and a positive mindset, they will aim to build on this experience and challenge for the title in the future.

Virat Kohli's return to action in the Indian Premier League (IPL) opener against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has sparked anticipation and analysis. Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden believes that Kohli's ability to bat long on the tricky Chepauk pitch could pose a significant threat to CSK.Hayden highlighted Kohli's average of 30 and strike rate of 111 at the Chepauk Stadium, suggesting that the venue has historically presented challenges for the Indian batsman. However, he emphasized that Kohli's danger lies in his ability to adapt and become more dangerous as he spends more time at the crease."It's really tricky, so they're going to need Virat Kohli out early inside the powerplay," Hayden said. "They've done so thrice over the last 5 innings, and they'll need to do so for the 4th time."Hayden also noted that Kohli's recent form has been exceptional, with the batsman scoring 765 runs in the ODI World Cup last November. Former India batter Mohammed Kaif echoed Hayden's sentiments, praising Kohli's hunger and desire to score runs."We already know he's a great player, but every innings, he wants to play a match-winning innings, make the team win whether it's for India or RCB," Kaif said. "This hunger has been self-made and now that he's come back from a break, he'll be fresh for the IPL."Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh believes that the onus will be on RCB's batters to win games, given the team's perceived bowling weaknesses. He suggested that RCB should aim for scores of 230 or more to give their bowlers a cushion."The best thing you can do this season, if they are batting first, doesn't matter, look to get 230, 240... they must target at least 220 or 230, because a 20-run margin can probably win them more number of games," Harbhajan said.