Cricket

Rishabh Pant's audacious reverse scoop off Marcus Stoinis stole the show in Delhi Capitals' emphatic six-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday.Pant's blistering knock of 41 runs off just 24 deliveries played a pivotal role in Delhi's successful chase of Lucknow's 167 for 7. However, it was his audacious stroke against Stoinis that left fans and commentators in awe.In the 12th over of Delhi's run-chase, Pant reversed his bat at the last moment to guide Stoinis' delivery over the third-man boundary. The shot, which showcased Pant's exceptional hand-eye coordination and improvisation, drew a wide smile from Delhi Capitals' director of cricket, Sourav Ganguly, who was watching the replays on the big screen.Pant's innings was a masterclass in aggressive batting. He smashed four boundaries and two sixes, including a towering hit over long-on off Avesh Khan. His dismissal by Ravi Bishnoi while attempting a big shot prevented him from reaching a half-century.Despite Pant's departure, Delhi cruised to victory with 11 balls to spare. Prithvi Shaw (34) and David Warner (26) provided a solid start, while Rovman Powell (35 not out) and Axar Patel (22 not out) finished the job with an unbeaten 53-run partnership.For Lucknow, Stoinis was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2 for 27. Avesh Khan and Bishnoi also chipped in with two wickets each.The victory was Delhi's second in three matches, while Lucknow suffered their first defeat of the season.

PBKS vs RR: A Clash of Titans in the IPLPunjab Kings (PBKS) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) are set to face off in a highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mohali. Both teams have had contrasting fortunes in the tournament so far, with PBKS languishing in eighth place and RR holding onto the top spot.PBKS's Recent FormPBKS has endured a disappointing start to the IPL, losing four of their five matches. Their only victory came against the Chennai Super Kings, but they suffered a narrow two-run defeat to the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their previous encounter. Arshdeep Singh has been their standout performer, scoring 112 fantasy points in the last match.RR's DominanceIn contrast, RR has been in impressive form, winning four of their five matches. They suffered a setback against the Gujarat Titans in their last outing, but they remain the team to beat. Sanju Samson has been their key player, scoring 109 fantasy points in the previous match.Pitch and Weather ConditionsThe pitch at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium is expected to favor batters, with a good bounce and pace. The average first-innings score at this venue is 148 runs. The weather forecast predicts a cloudy day with temperatures around 29 degrees Celsius and humidity at 28%.Head-to-Head RecordIn the 26 matches played between these two teams, PBKS's bowlers have earned the most fantasy points, while RR's batters have been the most productive. In their last encounter, Sam Curran and Navdeep Saini topped the fantasy points leaderboard for their respective teams.Fantasy XI PicksCaptain and Vice-Captain:* Captain: Riyan Parag* Vice-Captain: Sanju SamsonWicket-Keeper:* Jos ButtlerBatters:* Shashank Singh* Shikhar Dhawan* Yashasvi JaiswalAll-Rounders:* Riyan Parag* Sam CurranBowlers:* Yuzvendra Chahal* Nandre Burger* Arshdeep Singh

Despite their disappointing seven-wicket defeat against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans found solace in the remarkable knock by Dinesh Karthik.Karthik's late blitz, an unbeaten 23-ball 53, propelled RCB to a respectable total of 196/8. His explosive innings, featuring four sixes and five fours, provided a glimmer of hope for the struggling franchise.The RCB faithful expressed their gratitude towards Karthik in a video shared by the official RCB X handle. "We are grateful that Dinesh Karthik plays for RCB," exclaimed one fan. Another fan expressed their desire for Karthik to continue playing for the team, saying, "If this is DK's last season, we don't want it to be his last season."A highlight of Karthik's knock was his exceptional strokeplay towards the third man fence. He executed four ramp-like scoop shots for boundaries in the same over by Akash Madhwal.Karthik's impressive performance even caught the attention of Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma, who was heard teasing him on the stump mic. "He's trying to push for World Cup selection, it's on his mind, it's on his mind, World Cup, World Cup," Sharma remarked.Despite Karthik's heroics, RCB's struggles continued as they suffered their fifth defeat in six games. The team currently languishes at the ninth spot in the points table.

In a heartwarming display of camaraderie, Indian cricket legends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma shared a sweet moment on the field during Thursday's Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).As Rohit Sharma opened the batting for MI, Virat Kohli surprised him with a greeting, captured by cameras. Kohli gently patted Rohit's back, who quickly turned around to see his Team India teammate. Rohit reciprocated with a thumbs-up gesture, showcasing their close bond.The moment highlighted the mutual respect and admiration between the two cricket icons. Despite being on opposing teams, they maintained a friendly and supportive demeanor.The match itself was a resounding victory for MI, who chased down RCB's challenging total of 196/8 with ease. Ishan Kishan led the MI batting charge with a blistering 69 off 34 balls, while Rohit Sharma contributed 38 off 24 balls. Suryakumar Yadav also impressed with a quickfire 52 off 19 balls.RCB's batting lineup struggled against MI's bowling attack, with Orange Cap-holder Virat Kohli dismissed for a rare failure by Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah starred for MI with an impressive spell of 5 for 21.The win was MI's second consecutive victory after a disappointing start to the season, while RCB's campaign suffered another setback with their fifth defeat in six matches.The heartwarming moment between Kohli and Rohit Sharma not only showcased their friendship but also highlighted the spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie that exists within the Indian cricket fraternity.

Mayank Yadav, the fast bowler for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), is expected to miss the team's next two matches due to a minor hip injury. Head coach Justin Langer confirmed the news on Thursday, stating that Mayank is unlikely to play against Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders.Mayank experienced discomfort in his hip during LSG's previous match against Gujarat Titans on Sunday. He bowled only one over before leaving the field. Subsequent medical examinations revealed a small swelling in his hip."He felt a little bit of tightness at the top of his hip leading into the last game," Langer explained. "He bowled that first over and started feeling something in his hip. We had an MRI scan, and there is a very, very small swelling in there."Despite the injury, Langer expressed optimism that Mayank will recover quickly. "We are very hopeful he'll start building himself up and be back bowling again soon," he said.LSG's short turnaround between matches and travel schedule make it challenging for Mayank to recover in time for the upcoming games. "It's unlikely that he plays these two games," Langer admitted. "But he's certainly working towards playing whenever he possibly can."The team is targeting Mayank's return for their match against Chennai Super Kings on April 19. "We want him to play every game if possible," Langer emphasized. "He's working very hard every day to be ready for whatever our next game is."In Mayank's absence, LSG will have to rely on other bowlers to fill the void. The team has a number of options, including Avesh Khan, Dushmantha Chameera, and Mohsin Khan.

Rajasthan Royals' director of cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, has lauded the exceptional form of Riyan Parag, while refraining from confirming his spot in India's T20 World Cup squad.Parag has been a revelation for the Royals this season, ranking second in the IPL's leading run-scorers' list with 261 runs. His impactful contributions have been crucial for the team's success.Sangakkara praised Parag's potential, stating, "I think his (Parag's) potential is there for everyone to see." He emphasized the importance of Parag focusing on the present IPL campaign, rather than speculating about his inclusion in the T20 World Cup squad."For Riyan it's really about concentrating on Rajasthan and this season, and whatever happens (being considered for T20 World Cup) will happen after that," Sangakkara said.Sangakkara expressed confidence in Parag's abilities, highlighting his dedication and hard work. "As long as he keeps his head down, he is working hard, he is batting well, he is very organized, he's worked hard in the off-season, he just needs to keep doing those good things and, if he does all that, good things will happen," he said.Despite the Royals' recent defeat against Gujarat Titans, Sangakkara defended star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, asserting, "Ash (Ashwin) is one of the greatest spinners to play the game." He anticipated a strong comeback from Ashwin, emphasizing that occasional setbacks are part of the game.Reflecting on the match, Sangakkara identified crucial moments where the Royals faltered, particularly in the last two overs. Despite a commendable effort from Kuldeep Sen, pinch-hitters Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan's contributions tilted the game in favor of Gujarat Titans.As the IPL season progresses, Sangakkara and the Rajasthan Royals remain focused on regaining momentum and securing victories in their quest for success in the tournament.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will face off against Delhi Capitals (DC) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Friday, with LSG holding a significant advantage.LSG, currently third in the points table, boasts a formidable bowling attack. Despite the potential absence of Mayank Yadav due to an abdominal niggle, they have a strong lineup including Yash Thakur, Naveen-ul-Haq, Krunal Pandya, and Ravi Bishnoi. Their opening pair of Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul has been consistent, while Nicholas Pooran has been in exceptional form. However, Devdutt Padikkal remains a concern, having yet to reach double digits.DC, on the other hand, has struggled to find a Plan B, as evidenced by their recent losses to Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians. Their Indian pace attack lacks firepower, with Khaleel Ahmed and Ishant Sharma failing to deliver consistently. Mukesh Kumar is expected to return from injury, but his performance has been underwhelming. Medium pacers Sumit Kumar and Rasikh Dar could face challenges against LSG's strong batting lineup.Pace spearhead Anrich Nortje has also been inconsistent, leaking runs at a high economy rate. DC's batting has been heavily reliant on skipper Rishabh Pant and Tristan Stubbs, with a lack of depth in Indian talent on the bench. Prithvi Shaw has shown some improvement, but uncapped Indian players have failed to make a significant impact.

In a thrilling Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter at Jaipur, Gujarat Titans emerged victorious against Rajasthan Royals in a nail-biting last-ball finish. Skipper Shubman Gill's fine half-century set the stage for an exhilarating chase, ultimately sealed by the heroics of Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia.Gill, speaking in the post-match presentation, expressed his admiration for Rashid Khan's competitiveness, stating, "I would have loved to finish the game but very happy with the way Rashid bhai and Rahul bhai finished the game. Last game also, we dominated more than 50 per cent but our bad phases were very bad. He (Rashid) is such a fantastic player, someone you always want in your team. When GT is playing, do not think that (ruling the team out of the game)."The thrilling chase began with a solid partnership between Sai Sudarshan and Gill, laying the foundation for Gujarat's pursuit of Rajasthan's imposing total. Despite losing wickets at crucial junctures, Gill's valiant 72-run innings kept Gujarat in the hunt until his dismissal in the 16th over.A brief cameo by Shahrukh Khan and a resilient partnership between Tewatia and Rashid injected new life into the chase. Tewatia's quick-fire 22 and Rashid's unbeaten 24 ensured Gujarat Titans reached the target of 197 runs off the last ball, culminating in a euphoric victory for the Titans.Reflecting on the team's strategy, Gill revealed, "We were targeting 45 in three overs and that is very much gettable, and that was the mindset. Mathematically, it is like both batters need to score 9-ball 22 runs or so and if one of the batters goes berserk, it will get over two-three balls prior." He praised the relentless efforts of his teammates, stating, "Winning the game off the last ball is a wonderful feeling."In a high-scoring encounter, Rajasthan Royals had posted a formidable total of 196/3, courtesy of a magnificent partnership between skipper Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag. Despite their efforts, Rajasthan suffered their first loss of the season, but retained their position at the top of the IPL table with eight points.With this victory, Gujarat Titans climb to the sixth spot in the IPL standings, with three wins and three losses.

Delhi Capitals' bowling coach James Hopes has expressed confidence in the team's pace spearhead Anrich Nortje, despite his recent struggles in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Nortje, who made his comeback to competitive cricket after six months, was taken to the cleaners by Rajasthan Royals' Riyan Parag at the death, conceding 48 runs in his four overs.Hopes acknowledged the challenges Nortje faced, having been out of action since September and playing only three domestic T20 games before the IPL. However, he emphasized Nortje's status as one of the premier death bowlers in the game and expressed trust in his ability to improve."It's the first time that Nortje has been at this level in a while. He had a fair time out of the game, but if you look at all the numbers, he is one of the premier death bowlers in the game. We trust that he is going to keep getting better," Hopes said.Hopes also identified areas for improvement in the team's batting, which fell apart in the back-10 after a positive start. He highlighted the need to tidy up the middle-over batting, with the return of Rishabh Pant expected to provide a significant boost."We need to tidy up our middle over batting too. We tend to get stuck a little bit in phases there. We know the fix for that is Rishabh Pant," Hopes said. "He has played two games after a long lay-off and I think you're going to see some pretty special things from him in the next few weeks."Delhi Capitals will face Chennai Super Kings in their next game on Sunday, hoping to address the issues identified by Hopes and secure their first win of the IPL season.