Cricket

In a thrilling encounter at Mullanpur, Gujarat Titans emerged victorious over Punjab Kings by three wickets, securing their fourth win in the 2024 IPL. The match was dominated by the spinners, with R Sai Kishore leading the charge for Gujarat with an impressive 4 for 33 in four overs.Punjab Kings' batting woes continued as they were dismissed for a below-par 142, exposing their vulnerability against spin. Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan (1/15), and Noor Ahmed (2/20) combined to dismantle the Punjab batting lineup. Liam Livingstone provided some resistance with two wickets in the middle overs, but Harpreet Brar's expensive spell of 35 runs in four overs proved costly.Gujarat Titans' chase was anchored by Shubman Gill (35 off 29) and Sai Sudharsan (31 off 33), but it was Rahul Tewatia's late cameo of 36 not out off 16 that sealed the victory. Tewatia's six boundaries in the final overs eased the pressure and guided Gujarat to a comfortable win in 19.1 overs.The victory propelled Gujarat Titans to the sixth spot in the points table, while Punjab Kings remained rooted at the bottom with their sixth loss in eight matches. Kolkata Knight Riders' win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru earlier in the day further solidified their position in second place, while RCB languished at the bottom.Virat Kohli maintained his dominance at the top of the scorers' chart with 379 runs from eight matches, earning him the Orange Cap. Jasprit Bumrah's 13 wickets in seven games secured him the Purple Cap.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have endured a dismal start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, winning only one of their first seven matches. Captain Faf du Plessis has repeatedly singled out individual players for costly mistakes, drawing criticism from former Chennai Super Kings teammate Suresh Raina.After RCB's defeat to the Rajasthan Royals, Du Plessis blamed a 20-run over by Mayank Dagar as the turning point. "The pitch got better, but that over shifted the momentum back on us," he said.Raina, in an interview with Lallantop, condemned Du Plessis's comments, arguing that they undermined the team's unity. "It's not right to throw a junior under the bus like that," he said. "The captain himself hasn't been scoring runs. He should support the youngsters."Raina also highlighted the importance of fostering a positive environment for young players. "You'd never see Rohit Sharma say something like this," he said, referring to the Mumbai Indians captain's reputation for supporting his team.Raina's criticism reflects a growing concern among cricket experts that Du Plessis's leadership style may be detrimental to RCB's performance. Some have suggested that his focus on individual accountability could create a culture of fear and stifle the team's creativity.Meanwhile, Raina announced plans to open an academy in Jammu and Kashmir. "I wanted them to choose bat and ball," he said, referring to the region's history of stone-throwing incidents.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) emerged victorious in a nail-biting one-run thriller against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 on Sunday. The match reached its climax in the final over, where RCB needed 21 runs to win.Andre Russell dismissed Dinesh Karthik on the final ball of the 19th over, leaving RCB in a precarious position. However, Karn Sharma reignited their hopes with three consecutive sixes off Mitchell Starc, who had been acquired by KKR for a hefty Rs 24.75 crore.The drama continued as Starc dismissed Sharma on the penultimate delivery, giving KKR a glimmer of hope. RCB required three runs off the final ball, but Lockie Ferguson was run out before completing the second run, handing KKR a thrilling victory.The final over unfolded as follows:* 19.1: Sharma smashed Starc's first ball for a six over deep backward point.* 19.2: Sharma survived a close call after getting an inside edge, but the ball bounced just in front of the wicket-keeper.* 19.3: Sharma added another six to his tally, reading Starc's line perfectly and hitting the ball over deep extra cover.* 19.4: Sharma continued his onslaught with a third six, this time over deep backward point.* 19.5: Starc struck for KKR as Sharma played the shot straight back at the bowler, who completed a low catch.* 19.6: Ferguson and Mohammed Siraj ran for the final ball, but Ramandeep Singh's quick throw and Phil Salt's alert stumping sealed the victory for KKR.KKR's victory was a testament to their resilience and determination, while RCB's defeat was a heartbreaking end to a valiant effort.

Lucknow Super Giants' Jonty Rhodes Pokes Fun at Deepak Hooda for Dropped CatchLucknow Super Giants (LSG) fielding coach Jonty Rhodes couldn't resist a playful dig at all-rounder Deepak Hooda after he dropped a crucial catch in their IPL 2024 match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Friday.Despite LSG's clinical bowling performance that restricted CSK to 176/6, Hooda's misjudgment in the 17th over gifted Ravindra Jadeja a six and CSK six extra runs.After the match, Rhodes presented the Magic Mic award, given to the best fielder in the team after every LSG game, to Hooda. However, Rhodes' decision was more ironical than anything, as he hilariously claimed that Hooda deliberately dropped the catch to prevent MS Dhoni from facing more deliveries."I think it was a smart decision by birthday boy Deepak Hooda to let the ball go for a six, so that meant Dhoni didn't come out for another five balls," Rhodes said in a video uploaded by LSG.The entire dressing room erupted in laughter, and Hooda took the joke sportingly.Dhoni, who came to bat in the 18th over after Moeen Ali's dismissal, played an unbeaten cameo of 28 from nine balls, slamming two sixes and three boundaries.Despite the dropped catch, LSG's clinical bowling performance in the middle overs, led by Shivam Dube's three-wicket haul, restricted CSK's scoring.Openers Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul set up the chase for LSG with a superb 134-run partnership. De Kock hit a 43-ball 54 while Rahul smashed an incredible 82 runs off 53 balls.LSG achieved the target with an over to spare, securing their third win of the season.

Virat Kohli's Furious Outburst in IPL 2024 Match Against KKRRoyal Challengers Bangalore's star batter Virat Kohli erupted in anger after a controversial dismissal during the IPL 2024 match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.Kohli's dismissal came in the third over of RCB's innings, when he attempted to defend a slow full toss from Harshit Rana. However, the ball rose awkwardly, and Kohli ended up getting a leading top edge towards the bowler.Kohli immediately signaled for a review, but the TV umpire upheld the on-field umpire's decision, ruling that Kohli was out of his crease when he made contact. The Hawk-Eye trajectory also indicated that the delivery was below waist height.Kohli was visibly furious with the decision, and he engaged in a heated exchange with the on-field umpires before storming off the field. His emotions continued to run high as he knocked over the garbage bin upon reaching the dug out and later smashed his bat to the ground on his way to the dressing room.Kohli's dismissal was a major blow to RCB, as he had been in good form in the tournament. He had scored 7-ball 18 before his controversial departure.The incident sparked a debate on social media, with many fans questioning the umpire's decision. Some argued that Kohli was within his crease when he made contact, while others felt that the delivery was too high to be called a no-ball.Despite Kohli's dismissal, RCB went on to win the match by 5 wickets, thanks to a brilliant innings from Glenn Maxwell. However, the incident is likely to be a talking point for the rest of the tournament.

Virat Kohli's hilarious antics during the IPL 2024 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have set social media ablaze. In a moment that left both players and fans in stitches, Kohli mimicked WWE star The Undertaker's iconic "slit throat" gesture towards KKR opener Sunil Narine.The incident occurred after Kohli, who had initially given the impression that he would be bowling the first over for RCB, hilariously taunted Narine. The all-rounder had just hit a boundary off the first ball of the match, prompting Kohli to playfully replicate the Undertaker's signature move.The moment was captured on camera and quickly went viral, with fans praising Kohli's sense of humor and Narine's good-natured response. The gesture also served as a reminder of the camaraderie and lightheartedness that often exists between players on opposing teams.Earlier in the match, RCB made three changes to their playing XI, bringing in Cameron Green, Karn Sharma, and Mohammed Siraj. KKR, on the other hand, fielded an unchanged lineup.RCB skipper Faf du Plessis opted to chase after winning the toss, citing the favorable conditions for batting later in the evening. He expressed confidence in his team's ability to turn the momentum in their favor despite a recent string of losses.The match between RCB and KKR is a crucial one for both teams, as they look to improve their standings in the IPL 2024 points table. RCB currently sits in sixth place, while KKR is in eighth place.

Gujarat Titans (GT) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will face off in a crucial match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Both teams have struggled in recent matches and will be eager to get back to winning ways.GT, the defending champions, have won three and lost four matches so far. Their batting has been a concern, with the team failing to score big runs consistently. However, their bowling has been impressive, with the fast bowlers taking the most wickets in the tournament.PBKS, on the other hand, have won two and lost five matches. Their batting has also been inconsistent, with the specialist batters failing to live up to expectations. However, the team has found some solace in the performances of their unsung Indian players, Shashank and Ashutosh.The absence of skipper Shikhar Dhawan has been a blow for PBKS. The southpaw has been undergoing rehabilitation since picking up a shoulder injury and his availability for Sunday's fixture is in doubt.GT will be looking to bounce back from their embarrassing loss to Delhi Capitals, where they were bowled out for 89. PBKS will also be keen to get back to winning ways after their narrow defeat to Mumbai Indians.The match promises to be a close contest between two evenly matched teams. GT will be confident of their bowling, while PBKS will hope their batting can finally click.

IPL 2024: Sunil Gavaskar Raises Concerns Over Bowlers' Plight, Calls for Boundary ExpansionLegendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has expressed his concerns over the dominance of batters in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, calling for measures to protect bowlers from the relentless onslaught.Speaking on the official broadcaster, Gavaskar proposed increasing the size of the boundary at every ground as a solution to address the imbalance between bat and ball in T20 cricket. He emphasized the importance of extending the boundary ropes, especially at smaller venues, to provide bowlers with a fair chance against power-hitting batters."I wouldn't suggest any changes to a cricket bat because they are all within regulations, but I have been saying this for a long time, increase the size of the boundary at every ground," Gavaskar said.He highlighted the space between the advertisement boards and the fence where the stands begin, stating that pushing the boundary back by a few meters could significantly impact the outcome of matches and provide bowlers with a much-needed respite."Look at this ground today, there is enough space to take it back a little more by a couple of metres. It can often prove to be the difference between a catch and a sixer," Gavaskar explained.Expressing his frustration with the current state of affairs in T20 cricket, Gavaskar criticized the prevalent trend of power-hitting, likening it to a final net session."What we have been seeing in T20 cricket over the last few days is that this is batting like the coach tells in the nets, 'This is the last round,' and everybody starts swinging their bat around bang, bang whether they get out or not," he said.Gavaskar underscored the diminishing excitement beyond a certain point, stressing the need for a more balanced contest between bat and ball."It's not exciting anymore. It's like a final net session. You know, you're just going to hit every ball for a six. There's no excitement in that," he added.Gavaskar's concerns highlight the growing need to address the imbalance between bat and ball in T20 cricket, ensuring that bowlers have a fair chance to compete and that matches remain exciting and competitive.

Chennai Super Kings Receive Rousing Welcome Ahead of Lucknow Super Giants ClashChennai Super Kings (CSK), the reigning Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, were greeted with a thunderous reception upon their arrival in Chennai ahead of their highly anticipated match against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium.The city was abuzz with excitement as fans, clad in the team's signature yellow jerseys, lined the streets to welcome their heroes. The official CSK social media handle shared a heartwarming video capturing the vibrant atmosphere, with supporters chanting slogans and waving flags.CSK, currently sitting fourth in the points table with four wins in seven games, are eager to bounce back from their recent setback against LSG. In their previous encounter, the Super Giants handed CSK an 8-wicket defeat at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.Despite a valiant effort from former skipper MS Dhoni, who showcased his trademark stroke play with three boundaries and sixes, guiding the team to a respectable total of 176 for 6 in 20 overs, it wasn't enough to secure victory.The crowd at Ekana Cricket Stadium rallied behind Dhoni as he exhibited his prowess with the bat, reminiscent of the fervor witnessed at Chepauk. However, KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock's stellar performances, each scoring a half-century, propelled LSG to their fourth win of the season, thwarting CSK's bid for a third consecutive triumph.With the support of their passionate fans, CSK will be determined to turn the tables on LSG and secure a crucial victory on home turf. The match promises to be a thrilling encounter between two evenly matched teams, with both sides eager to climb the standings.