Cricket

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are set to clash in a crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) match on May 5 in Lucknow. Both teams are vying for a spot in the playoffs, with LSG currently third and KKR second in the standings.LSG will need to bring their best game to overcome a dominant KKR side that has won 14 of its 11 matches. KKR's all-round strength was evident in their recent 24-run victory over Mumbai Indians, which propelled them closer to qualification.LSG, on the other hand, has been less convincing in their recent outings. They struggled to chase down a modest 145-run target against Mumbai Indians, winning by just four wickets in the last over. Skipper KL Rahul and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis have been key players for LSG, but the team's overall finishing skills have come under question.LSG's bowlers will also face a stern test against KKR's formidable batting lineup. Venkatesh Iyer and Manish Pandey have been in fine form, while Andre Russell and Nitish Rana provide explosive power.KKR, meanwhile, will aim to improve their batting performance on sluggish wickets. They struggled to score runs against Punjab Kings, who recorded the highest chase ever against them. However, they have emerged strongly from that setback with two impressive wins.The match promises to be a close contest between two evenly matched teams. LSG will be under pressure to avoid a mid-table battle, while KKR will be keen to secure their playoff spot.

Former Indian batsman Virender Sehwag has expressed his bewilderment over the tactics employed by Mumbai Indians (MI) during their 24-run defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.Chasing a modest target of 170, MI's batting lineup crumbled, losing wickets at regular intervals. They were eventually bowled out for 145 in 18.5 overs at the Wankhede Stadium.Sehwag questioned the decision to send captain Hardik Pandya and Tim David down the order at No. 7 and 8, respectively. He also raised concerns about KKR's decision to hold back star all-rounder Andre Russell."KKR saved Andre Russell; he played only two balls. Mumbai Indians saved Hardik Pandya and Tim David. What did you achieve by doing that? There were many deliveries left, and they all got out. You could've come earlier, or maybe you could've finished the game earlier, too," Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.Sehwag criticized Hardik for batting down the order, pointing out that he had consistently batted in the top order for Gujarat Titans in the previous season. He urged the MI management to take action against the players and staff responsible for the team's poor performance."Hardik Pandya batted at 4 consistently when he was the GT captain. What has happened here? It baffles me that the experienced players are coming so low," Sehwag said."I'm baffled by this. Management needs to take severe action on players and ask them what's happening. Or, players should speak up about why their batting positions are changed. The captain, batting coach, bowling coach, and support staff are at fault here. Owners need to ask strict questions," he added.Hardik, speaking after the match, admitted that MI failed to form partnerships and lost wickets too frequently. He acknowledged that there were many questions that needed to be answered but declined to elaborate further."I mean obviously in the batting inning, we couldn't form partnerships and kept losing wickets, in T20s if you don't form partnerships, it will cost you. Not much, there are a lot of questions that will take some time to answer but for now, not much to say," Pandya said in the post-match presentation.

Mumbai Indians' dismal IPL 2024 campaign continued on Friday as they suffered an eighth defeat, this time at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium. Chasing a modest target of 170, Mumbai's batting lineup crumbled, with the team eventually bowled out for 145 in 18.5 overs. The loss marked KKR's first victory at MI's home ground in 12 years.After the match, Mumbai spinner Piyush Chawla provided an update on former captain Rohit Sharma's fitness. Sharma, who was not included in the playing XI, came out to bat during the chase. Chawla revealed that Sharma had experienced some back stiffness, prompting the team to rest him during the fielding."Rohit Sharma just had a mild back-stiffness so it was a just precautionary thing," Chawla said in the post-match press conference.Reflecting on the defeat, Chawla acknowledged that it was an off day for the team. "If you talk about the wicket, it was good, but sticky at the start and credit goes to KKR bowlers, they bowled really well. Sometimes it happens that things are not going your way and the other team comes and bowls in really good areas. It was just one off day," he added.Chawla emphasized that Mumbai will continue to play with pride and reputation in the remaining matches of the tournament. "We are going to play for our pride and reputation because sometimes you enter the field you never know whether you are going to qualify or not. You have to play for your name and that's what we are playing for," he asserted.Chawla attributed Mumbai's struggles to a lack of momentum. "As a unit, I don't say it is just about batting or bowling, it's just the complete unit. You must have heard that T20 cricket is about momentum and just that we didn't get going into this season. It can happen to any team, it's not that happening to us," he stated.

Mitchell Starc, the most expensive pick in IPL history, has endured a challenging start to his 2024 campaign. Despite his hefty price tag of INR 24.75 crore, the Australian pacer has struggled to make an impact, with just seven wickets and an economy of 11.78 in his first eight outings. However, Starc bounced back with a stellar performance in Kolkata Knight Riders' 24-run victory over Mumbai Indians, claiming 4 for 33.Starc attributed his improved performance to the Impact Player rule, which allows teams to substitute a player during the match. "The Impact Player rule changes things a fair bit," he explained. "Everyone gets to bat a lot deeper having a batting and a bowling XI. There's a lot made of that rule throughout the tournament and there's been a lot of high scores, which is the nature of the wickets and the grounds we play on here."Starc believes that the rule has contributed to the inflated bowling figures this season. "When you have batters and batting allrounders come in at Nos. 8 or 9, it's a long batting line-up," he said. "There's no fear in the powerplay when all you have to do is to clear the infield and score runs."Despite his initial struggles, Starc remains confident in his abilities. "I haven't changed too much," he said. "It's about assessing conditions after the first innings. We certainly spoke about it and the batters that came off throughout that first innings mentioned the wicket and the lengths that were the hardest to face. That created the bowling plans for us."Starc also praised the young fast bowlers at KKR, including Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora. "I am a bit more experienced and a bit older, at the same time I haven't played a lot of T20 cricket," he said. "[So it is about] working off each other in a way."With just one week separating the IPL from the T20 World Cup, Starc is not concerned about his workload. "It's T20 cricket, it's not as demanding as Test match cricket," he said. "Physically it is not a problem and it's fantastic lead-in to play here in the best T20 league in the world."Starc expects the T20 World Cup to provide a more balanced contest between bat and ball. "There's no Impact Player rule [in international cricket], so whether that affects the scores is yet to be seen," he said. "I think it probably will. People talk about the balance of the team when you can't just bring someone in. Your allrounders come back into play. Captains have to think a bit tactically, too, when you have just 11 players."

Mumbai Indians' dismal IPL 2024 campaign continued with an eighth defeat in 11 matches, this time at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders by 24 runs. The loss marked MI's first against KKR at the Wankhede Stadium in 12 years and raised questions about captain Hardik Pandya's leadership.KKR posted 169 runs on the board, thanks to Venkatesh Iyer's 70 and Manish Pandey's 42. Despite having KKR reeling at 57/5, MI's bowling faltered, allowing Iyer and Pandey to form a crucial partnership.Former India pacer Irfan Pathan criticized Pandya's captaincy, particularly his decision to give Naman Dhir three consecutive overs instead of bringing on his main bowlers. Pathan argued that this allowed KKR to recover and reach a competitive total.Mitchell Starc, the most expensive player in IPL history, finally justified his price tag with match-winning figures of 4/33. Mumbai's batting collapsed for 145 in 18.5 overs, despite Suryakumar Yadav's 56.KKR's victory propelled them to second place in the points table, while MI's playoff hopes dwindled. Pathan emphasized the importance of captaincy and team unity, suggesting that MI lacked both under Pandya's leadership."Mumbai Indians isn't looking like a team that is playing as a unit," Pathan said. "Players need to respect the captain and also accept him appreciably, this is very important. That, I think, could not be seen on the field."

Jasprit Bumrah Extends Record with Three-Wicket Haul in IPLMumbai Indians' pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has further cemented his dominance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) by extending his record for the most three-wicket hauls in the tournament's history. In a match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Bumrah returned impressive figures of 3/18, taking his tally to 23 three-wicket hauls in just 131 innings.Bumrah's precision and ability to deliver under pressure have made him a formidable force in the IPL. His ability to swing the ball both ways and generate pace and bounce has consistently troubled batsmen. Not far behind Bumrah is Yuzvendra Chahal, the crafty leg-spinner, who has claimed 20 such hauls in 154 innings. Chahal's knack for outfoxing batsmen with his guile and variations has been crucial for his teams over the years.Sri Lankan yorker specialist Lasith Malinga has also left an indelible mark on the league with 19 hauls of 3 wickets or more in 122 innings. Malinga's lethal death bowling and ability to clinch wickets at crucial junctures have made him a legend in the IPL. Veteran leg-spinner Amit Mishra rounds off this elite list with 17 hauls in 162 innings. Known for his flight and turn, Mishra has been a consistent wicket-taker, proving time and again the value of spin in the shortest format of the game.In the match against Kolkata Knight Riders, Bumrah's astonishing spell helped Mumbai Indians bowl out their opponents for a modest 169. Sri Lankan medium pacer Nuwan Thushara (3/42) blew away the top-order, while Bumrah was menacing at the back end. Skipper Hardik Pandya (2/44) also chipped in with a couple of wickets.For KKR, Venkatesh Iyer (70 off 52) and Manish Pandey (42 off 31) made significant contributions, but their efforts were not enough to propel the team to a competitive total. Mumbai Indians ultimately chased down the target with ease, thanks to a solid batting performance led by Ishan Kishan (51 off 43) and Suryakumar Yadav (43 off 30).

Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma, who had previously criticized the IPL's "impact player" rule, found himself benched in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as an impact substitute in an IPL 2024 game.Sharma had expressed his disapproval of the rule, stating that it would hinder all-rounders and that cricket is played by 11 players, not 12. He argued that the rule takes away from the game's cricketing aspect and prevents players like Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar from bowling.However, in the MI vs KKR match, Sharma was not included in the starting XI. Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya elected to bowl first, making one change to the playing XI by bringing in Naman Dhir for Mohammad Nabi.Pandya acknowledged the team's recent struggles but expressed optimism about playing well on their home ground. KKR captain Shreyas Iyer opted to field an unchanged side.Mumbai entered the game after three consecutive defeats, while KKR had won two and lost one in their last three matches. Despite KKR's recent success, Mumbai holds a dominant head-to-head record, having won 23 out of 32 matches.

Mumbai Indians Face Crucial Clash Against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024Mumbai Indians, the five-time IPL champions, are set to face Kolkata Knight Riders in a crucial match on Friday. The match will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and will be the first of three home matches for MI.MI have had a disappointing season so far, winning only three of their 10 matches. They are currently tied for the bottom spot with Royal Challengers Bangalore, both with six points. KKR, on the other hand, are second in the points table with 12 points from nine matches.A win for MI is crucial if they want to keep their hopes of making the playoffs alive. They need to win all four of their remaining matches and hope that other results go in their favor. However, their task will be difficult as they face KKR twice, as well as Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants in their next four matches.KKR, on the other hand, are in contention for a playoff spot and will be looking to consolidate their position in the top four. They have a strong team, led by Shreyas Iyer, and will be confident of beating MI.The match is expected to be a close contest, with both teams having something to play for. MI will be desperate for a win, while KKR will be looking to maintain their position in the top four.

Delhi Capitals' Gamble Backfires at Eden GardensDelhi Capitals' decision to bat first against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on Monday proved to be a costly one, as they posted a below-par total of 153/9. KKR comfortably chased down the target with seven wickets in hand and 21 deliveries to spare, solidifying their second spot in the IPL points table.Former India cricketer and renowned analyst Aakash Chopra expressed surprise at DC's decision to bat first after winning the toss. He highlighted the historical trend at Eden Gardens, where teams batting first have struggled to secure victories in recent matches."Who bats first after winning the toss? I am not being too critical but I have to talk about it if it's the truth," Chopra remarked. He pointed out that the team winning the toss has opted to bat first only twice in the last 30 matches at Eden Gardens, both resulting in losses for the batting side.Chopra emphasized that while chasing doesn't always guarantee victory, the reluctance to bat first in Kolkata has become a noticeable trend. Despite DC's recent successes while batting first in Delhi, Chopra questioned the decision to replicate the strategy at Eden Gardens."Whatever happens, the batting becomes slightly easier later but Delhi said they would bat first. I was surprised. If Sourav Ganguly couldn't read this pitch, who could have? This pitch is like the back of his palm. You know all of it, so it wasn't understandable," he remarked, suggesting that even DC's mentor Sourav Ganguly, with his intimate knowledge of the pitch, may have misjudged the conditions.Chopra's critique sheds light on the strategic nuances of IPL cricket, highlighting the importance of adaptability and tactical awareness in decision-making.