Cricket

The Fragility of Success: Lessons from India and Mumbai IndiansIn the realm of sports, success is often fleeting, and even the most dominant teams can experience a sudden decline. Former Australian batsman Matthew Hayden has highlighted this fragility by examining the recent fortunes of the Indian cricket team and the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL).India's World Cup HeartbreakAt the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, Team India embarked on an impressive winning streak, claiming 10 consecutive victories. However, their momentum was shattered in the final against Australia, leaving them with a bitter taste of defeat. Hayden believes that the team's downfall was partly due to a lack of emotional support from the crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.Mumbai Indians' IPL StrugglesThe Mumbai Indians, once a dominant force in the IPL, have faced a sharp decline in recent seasons. After winning the tournament back-to-back in 2019 and 2020, they have failed to qualify for the playoffs in three of the last four seasons. Hayden attributes this decline to the team's handling of the captaincy change from Rohit Sharma to Hardik Pandya. The decision sparked widespread criticism from fans, which Hayden believes affected the players' morale and the team's overall performance.The Power of Celebrity CultureHayden also emphasizes the double-edged sword of celebrity culture in sports. While it can generate immense support and enthusiasm, it can also create a sense of entitlement and complacency. In the case of Rohit Sharma, Hayden believes that the Mumbai Indians fans' unwavering loyalty to the star batsman may have contributed to the team's struggles.Lessons for the FutureAs India prepares for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, Hayden urges the team to create a more inclusive and supportive environment. He also advises the Mumbai Indians to address the underlying issues that have led to their recent decline.

Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden has unveiled his IPL Team of the Tournament, featuring a star-studded lineup of players who have excelled throughout the season. Ahead of the grand finale between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad, Hayden has selected 12 exceptional individuals who have showcased their brilliance on the field.Hayden's team boasts a formidable opening pair in Sunil Narine and Travis Head. Narine, the Kolkata Knight Riders' talisman, has amassed an impressive 482 runs, including a century and three fifties, while Head has accumulated 567 runs for the finalists, including a hundred and four half-centuries.At the pivotal number three spot, Hayden has chosen Virat Kohli, the Royal Challengers Bangalore's batting maestro. Kohli has emerged as the tournament's highest run-getter, slamming 741 runs in 15 games, including a century and five fifties.The middle order is equally formidable, with Rajasthan Royals' captain Sanju Samson (531 runs) and Riyan Parag (573 runs), Lucknow Super Giants' Nicholas Pooran (499 runs), and Hyderabad's Heinrich Klaasen (463 runs) all contributing significantly to their respective teams' success.In the spin department, Hayden has opted for Rajasthan's Yuzvendra Chahal (18 wickets) and KKR's Varun Chakaravarthy (20 wickets), both of whom have been instrumental in their teams' bowling attacks.Leading the pace bowling charge is Mumbai Indians' Jasprit Bumrah (20 wickets), who has consistently delivered match-winning performances. He is joined by Rajasthan's Avesh Khan (19 wickets) and Sandeep Sharma (13 wickets), who have also impressed with their pace and accuracy.Hayden's Team of the Tournament:1. Sunil Narine2. Travis Head3. Virat Kohli4. Sanju Samson5. Nicholas Pooran6. Riyan Parag7. Heinrich Klaasen8. Yuzvendra Chahal9. Varun Chakaravarthy10. Jasprit Bumrah11. Avesh Khan12. Sandeep Sharma

Pakistan's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup has been met with praise from former Australian batter Matthew Hayden, who believes the team has a solid lineup. However, he also highlighted fielding as a potential weakness for the team.Pakistan's fast-bowling attack is particularly impressive, with Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf all included in the squad. Hayden described the quartet as "amazing" talents, noting their ability to generate pace and swing.The batting lineup also boasts star power, with Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Fakhar Zaman all in the side. Azam, the captain, is a natural leader and a prolific run-scorer, while Rizwan is a reliable wicketkeeper-batter. Zaman, a left-handed opener, is known for his aggressive batting style.Hayden believes that Pakistan's fielding is an area that needs improvement. "Their defensive efforts in the field have and hopefully, in this case, won't diminish their performances," he said.Pakistan is currently playing a four-match T20I series against England as part of their preparations for the World Cup. They will open their World Cup campaign against the USA in Texas on June 6, before facing arch-rivals India in New York on June 9.

Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden has made a bold prediction that Virat Kohli could surpass his legendary 2016 IPL season, where he amassed 973 runs and led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to the final. Hayden believes that Kohli's current form and determination could lead him to even greater heights.Kohli has already scored 708 runs in 14 games this season, putting him on track to eclipse his previous record. Hayden praised Kohli's intensity and passion for the game, noting his ability to rally the crowd and silence opposition supporters.RCB's remarkable turnaround from a disappointing first half of the season, where they won only one of eight games, to winning six consecutive matches to reach the playoffs, has been a testament to the team's resilience. RCB finished the league stage in fourth place with seven wins, seven losses, and a higher net-run-rate than CSK, Delhi Capitals, and Lucknow Super Giants.RCB will face Rajasthan Royals in the eliminator clash at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium on May 22. The winner of this match will advance to Qualifier 2, set to take place in Chennai on May 24, for a chance to reach the final on May 26.With Kohli in scintillating form and the team showing remarkable grit, RCB fans are hopeful that this could be the year their team finally clinches the elusive IPL title.

Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden has lauded Virat Kohli's resilience in the face of criticism over his strike rate in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Despite leading the run-scoring charts, Kohli has faced scrutiny for his batting approach, particularly against spinners. However, the RCB icon has silenced his critics in recent matches by taking on the spinners and maintaining a healthy strike rate.Hayden believes that the criticism has motivated Kohli to improve his game. "He's a very conventional cricketer, which makes him great across all three formats," Hayden said. "But one of the big concerns that we've all had is through the middle. And so, like all great champions, if there is something out there in the media or there's something where you can feel yourself to improve, then you get about making your business to do so."Hayden pointed out that Kohli's strike rate against spin has improved significantly in the middle overs. "That's critical for India because international sides they'll line up with spin. Every side will have two, sometimes three spinners as their resource, and they'll use it to slow down a Kohli who, inside that powerplay has got such a huge energy and momentum and creates great pressure on opposition."Hayden also noted that top players often respond positively to criticism. "A dangerous athlete is one that's been wounded," he said. "Steve Waugh never used to have a word to him. Kevin Pietersen, he used to love the pressure. Brian Lara, Don't talk to him. Why would you do that? He'll just smash you. So, guys that are of that kind of quality, if you try and needle them, all they do is get better."Kohli's recent performances have vindicated Hayden's assessment. The RCB skipper has scored 634 runs in 12 matches, including three centuries, and is currently the Orange Cap holder. His improved strike rate against spin has been a key factor in RCB's success this season.

Virat Kohli's remarkable consistency in the IPL 2024 has been undeniable, with the star batsman leading the competition with 634 runs from 12 matches. However, despite his impressive tally, some critics have questioned his strike rate of 153.51, suggesting he wasn't scoring quickly enough for a top-order batsman.Kohli responded emphatically to these criticisms with a blistering 92 runs off just 47 balls against Punjab Kings on Thursday night, keeping Bengaluru alive in the playoff race. The former RCB captain subtly responded to critics who had questioned his intent, but his comments also drew criticism from former India batting legend Sunil Gavaskar.Former Australia batter Matthew Hayden weighed in on the debate, stating that such criticisms are common for technical and conventional cricketers like Kohli. "He's a very conventional cricketer. He's a very technical cricketer, which makes him great across all three formats," Hayden said.Hayden praised Kohli's ability to address the shortcomings highlighted in the media and focus on his game. "But one of the big concerns that we've all had is through the middle. And so, like all great champions, if there is something out there in the media or there's something where you can feel yourself to improve, then you get about making your business to do so. And I sense that that's exactly what's happened to Virat Kohli this season," he added.Hayden emphasized the importance of Kohli's improved strike rate against spin, a critical factor for India in international matches. "Those middle phases being that 138 strike-rate against spin, that's critical for India because international sides they'll line up with spin. Every side will have two, sometimes three spinners as their resource, and they'll use it to slow down a Kohli who, inside that powerplay has got such a huge energy and momentum and creates great pressure on opposition," Hayden said.The Australian legend cited examples of former cricketers who responded to criticism by letting their performances speak for themselves. "Steve Waugh never used to have a word to him. Kevin Pietersen, he used to love the pressure. Brian Lara, Don't talk to him. Why would you do that? He'll just smash you. So, guys that are of that kind of quality, if you try and needle them, all they do is get better," Hayden said.

Virat Kohli's blistering 92 off 47 balls against Punjab Kings in IPL 2024 has reignited the debate over his ideal batting position for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes Kohli's exceptional form in the IPL makes him a prime candidate to open for India."Virat's phenomenal performances in the IPL suggest he's well-suited to open for India in the T20 World Cup," Ganguly said. "He's been in tremendous form, and his ability to score quickly and consistently at the top of the order would be a huge asset for the team."However, Australian batting legend Matthew Hayden initially expressed reservations about Kohli opening for India. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a right-left combination at the top of the order."No, they shouldn't do that," Hayden said. "You definitely need a left-right combination at the top."But Hayden quickly proposed an intriguing alternative: a reshuffle in the batting order."If you have to make a change in that combination, I would be very happy if you would tell me if I could open with Kohli and Jaiswal, I would have said absolutely yes," Hayden said.Hayden suggested Kohli open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, with Suryakumar Yadav at No. 3 and Rohit Sharma at No. 4. He highlighted Kohli's prowess in the powerplay overs and Rohit's success batting lower down the order."Look at his figures at No. 4, they are superb," Hayden said of Rohit. "Those are better than his opening numbers."As the T20 World Cup approaches, the debate surrounding Kohli's optimal batting position adds an intriguing dimension to India's strategy and selection discussions. With opinions divided among cricketing experts, it remains to be seen where Kohli will bat for India in the tournament.

Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden has expressed his disappointment over Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) batting performance in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). LSG failed to accelerate despite losing only four wickets during their innings, ending up with a below-par score of 165 runs in 20 overs.Hayden, who was on commentary during the match, criticized LSG's lack of intent and slow powerplay. He emphasized that against a team with dangerous batters like Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen, LSG should have aimed for a score of 160-170 runs."I have to call them out. This is not a five runs per over wicket. Somebody needed to show intent. They had one of the slowest powerplays. That took the innings nowhere. When the opposition team has Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, your intention should be to go at 10s and over. 160-170 will never be enough," Hayden said.LSG captain KL Rahul admitted that his team was "lost for words" after the carnage from the SRH batters. Head and Abhishek Sharma took the LSG bowlers to the cleaners, leading SRH to a comfortable victory in just 9.4 overs."We have watched that kind of batting on TV. But this is unreal batting. Everything seemed to find the middle of the bat. Kudos to their skills. They have worked hard on their six-hitting skills. They didn't give us a chance to know what the pitch played in the second innings," Rahul said.Rahul also acknowledged that LSG was short on runs and that the team's momentum was hampered by the loss of wickets in the powerplay."Was hard to stop them as they teed off from ball one. Once you are on the losing side, there are question marks on the decisions taken. We were 40-50 runs short. When we lost wickets in the powerplay, we couldn't get any momentum. Ayush and Nicky batted well to get us to 166. But even if we would have got 240, they could have chased it as well," Rahul added.

Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden has heaped praise on Sanju Samson's impressive performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL), lauding the T20 World Cup-bound power-hitter for his exceptional handling of both spin and pace bowling.Samson's scintillating knock of 86 runs off just 46 balls against the Delhi Capitals on Tuesday showcased his remarkable batting prowess. Despite Rajasthan Royals' eventual defeat by 20 runs, Samson's innings propelled him to third place on the IPL's top-scorers chart with 471 runs in 11 matches.Hayden, a renowned cricket commentator, was particularly impressed by Samson's ability to adapt to different bowling styles. "Sanju Samson was batting like a dream, scoring 86 off 46 balls. He's proven his worth time and again...Throughout the tournament, he's been a master blaster, handling both spin and pace with finesse," Hayden remarked.Samson's timing and power were evident throughout his innings. "He times his innings well. He's got the power. And the power is a big thing in T20 cricket. Yet, what stands out is his commitment to his team. He just needed a bit of luck, especially towards the end of the match," Hayden added.Samson's performance has also caught the attention of former India cricketer Varun Aaron. "I think Sanju Samson has been batting really well. Bowlers are keen on dismissing him, evident from their reluctance to bowl bouncers despite being allowed two per over in this IPL," Aaron observed.Aaron noted that Samson's dismissal in the match against Delhi Capitals came after he was bowled a bouncer for the first time. "Interestingly, the over he got out, Khaleel Ahmed bowled the first bouncer to him in the match. This seemed to disrupt his footwork, as the subsequent wide slow ball, which he typically dispatches for six over covers, resulted in his dismissal," Aaron explained.Samson's impressive form has earned him a place in the Indian team for the upcoming T20 World Cup, where he will serve as the second wicketkeeper behind Rishabh Pant. His ability to handle both spin and pace bowling will be a valuable asset to the Indian team as they aim to lift the coveted trophy.