Cricket

Mohammed Siraj Laments Lack of Bowler Support in Modern T20 CricketRoyal Challengers Bangalore pacer Mohammed Siraj has expressed his frustration over the lack of assistance for bowlers in contemporary T20 cricket. He attributes the proliferation of 250-plus totals to smaller grounds and flat pitches."Nowadays, 250-260 is scored in every second match," Siraj remarked after RCB's successful chase of Gujarat Titans' 201-run target. "Earlier, 250 was a rare occurrence."Siraj emphasized the challenges faced by bowlers due to the absence of swing and the prevalence of flat wickets. "There is no help for bowlers," he said. "Bowlers can just keep playing and keep getting hit."The ongoing IPL has witnessed a surge in high-scoring matches, with the 250-run mark being breached eight times. Teams have adopted an aggressive approach, utilizing the 'Impact player' rule and exploiting the favorable batting conditions.Despite the adversity, Siraj remains determined to maintain his self-belief. "As a bowler, you have to keep the self-belief," he said. "I have seen lots of ups and downs in life, so I don't give up if 1-2 matches don't go my way."Siraj acknowledged the role of luck in T20 cricket but stressed the importance of minimizing errors. "T20 is all about luck," he said. "I keep working on my flaws during training."Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans' Sai Sudharsan admitted that his team needs to win all remaining matches to qualify for the playoffs. "Winning all the games is the only possibility which we can see," he said.Sudharsan praised the RCB batters for their clinical chase, attributing it to the improved pitch conditions. "The wicket got a little better under the lights," he said.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is serving as a crucial platform for players to showcase their skills and earn a spot in India's T20 World Cup squad. The selectors are closely monitoring the performances of potential candidates, and a meeting is scheduled this weekend in New Delhi to finalize the team.One of the key areas of focus is the selection of frontline pacers. While Jasprit Bumrah's place is secure, the identity of his partner remains uncertain. Mohammed Shami's injury has opened up opportunities for other contenders.Among capped pacers, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, and Avesh Khan are strong candidates. However, uncapped pacers Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, and T Natarajan have also impressed with their performances in the IPL.A recent poll conducted by NDTV Sports revealed that fans favor Siraj and Mayank to join Bumrah in the T20 World Cup squad. Mayank, despite playing only two matches, has made a strong impact with his raw pace. Siraj, despite a disappointing IPL season, has a proven track record, having played a key role in India's Asia Cup triumph last year.Experts have also weighed in on the selection debate. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has advocated for Mayank's inclusion, while others have expressed support for Siraj based on his past performances.The selectors face a tough decision in choosing the right combination of pacers. They must balance experience with form and potential. The T20 World Cup is a high-stakes tournament, and India will need a strong bowling attack to succeed.

India's Pace Bowling Conundrum Ahead of T20 World CupAs India's selectors prepare to assemble the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, a glaring concern has emerged: the lack of reliable pace bowling options beyond Jasprit Bumrah. While the veteran pacer continues to excel, the rest of the bowling unit has struggled to make an impact.Mohammed Siraj, once considered a potential new-ball partner for Bumrah, has endured a disappointing IPL season, claiming only five wickets in seven matches. Mukesh Kumar has shown promise for the Delhi Capitals, but his high economy rate raises questions about his consistency. Arshdeep Singh, usually a dependable left-arm seamer, has also struggled with his economy rate. Avesh Khan has been slightly more effective, but his economy rate remains a concern.The poor form of these regular pacers has prompted calls for the selectors to consider alternative options. Left-arm pacer T Natarajan, who has impressed with his yorkers, and Sandeep Sharma, who has been in good form for the Rajasthan Royals, are among the potential candidates.Selectors may also be tempted to experiment with rookies like Mohsin Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Yash Thakur, or Harshit Rana. However, these players lack international experience and may not be ready for the rigors of a major tournament.The lack of pace bowling depth is a significant concern for India, especially considering the importance of fast bowlers in T20 cricket. The selectors will need to make bold decisions and find reliable options to support Bumrah if India is to have a successful World Cup campaign.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have endured a dismal start to the ongoing IPL 2024, languishing at the bottom of the points table after losing five of their first six matches. Their latest setback came against five-time champions Mumbai Indians, who comfortably chased down RCB's total of 196/8 in just 15.3 overs.Despite their on-field struggles, RCB players have maintained a positive attitude off the field. This was evident in a recent advertisement video featuring Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj, and Faf du Plessis.In the video, Kohli, known for his strict diet and fitness regimen, surprised his teammates by ordering junk food such as pizza, aloo chaat, and barfi. Faf, lying beside Kohli, expressed shock and asked, "Seriously?" Siraj also questioned Kohli's dietary habits.Kohli responded with a nonchalant, "Abbe Kaahe ki diet, khaane de. (What diet? Let me eat)."Kohli's dietary deviation has sparked speculation about his role in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull believes that India should utilize Kohli as an opener alongside Rohit Sharma."I think Virat should open...100 per cent. I don't think he should bat at number three, because if he does, then Rinku Singh will miss out. And in my India starting XI, Rinku has to play. Therefore, Virat's got to open the batting," Doull said on Cricbuzz.In the ongoing IPL, Kohli has been in impressive form, scoring 319 runs in just six matches and emerging as the season's highest run-scorer. His performances have reignited the debate about his ideal batting position in the Indian team.

Harbhajan Singh Raises Concerns over Mohammed Siraj's Performance, Calls for RestFormer Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has expressed concerns regarding the performance of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's fast-bowler, Mohammed Siraj, in the ongoing IPL 2024. Harbhajan believes that Siraj may benefit from both mental and physical rest following a string of disappointing performances, particularly highlighted by a difficult outing against the Mumbai Indians.Siraj has managed to secure only four wickets in six matches this season, significantly below his previous standards. His average and economy rate have also suffered, standing at 57.25 and 10.40 respectively. This is a stark contrast to his impressive showing in the IPL 2023, where he secured 10 wickets with an economy rate of 5.9 in the Powerplay overs.Harbhajan believes that Siraj's recent struggles may be due to a combination of mental and physical fatigue. He has played a significant number of matches in recent months, including four Tests against England and various other series for Team India."He should be given rest for a couple of reasons," said Harbhajan. "He should think about what has been happening in the team. He is the same Siraj that we have seen taking wickets with the new ball whether it's in Test cricket, one-day cricket or even this format in T20.""He has been a champion bowler for Team India, and even for RCB, he has done well. But I feel he's not doing what he is required to do, he requires rest, not only mentally but physically as well because he has been playing a lot of cricket."Harbhajan's comments come after RCB's disappointing performance against the Mumbai Indians, where they conceded 72 runs without taking any wickets during the Power-play overs. All RCB bowlers struggled to contain the opposition, with each of them returning with an economy rate above 10.Former Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Brian Lara has also weighed in on RCB's performance, suggesting that their batters need to step up and make 20-30% more runs than usual."They've got to understand that with the bowling attack that they've got, they have to try and hit 20 or 30% more runs because it's just not enough," said Lara. "So they need to break their innings together and say we need to get so much in the Power-play, middle overs and the death, but nobody is getting into batting form, nobody is getting into bowling form as well, and it's a team that is just not in the top 6 or 7 in this tournament."RCB will need to address these concerns if they want to improve their performance in the remaining matches of the IPL 2024.

The Indian cricket team is gearing up for the fourth Test against England in Ranchi, and uncapped pace bowler Akash Deep has emerged as a strong contender to partner Mohammed Siraj in the playing XI. Deep has been impressive in the optional training sessions, showcasing his pace and accuracy. He was seen bowling at full intensity alongside his Bengal teammate Mukesh Kumar at the nets and also engaged in an extensive batting session on the eve of the Test.With India missing key players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer, they have been forced to hand debut caps to Rajat Patidar, Dhruv Jurel, and Sarfaraz Khan. The absence of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has also opened up a spot in the bowling attack, and Deep is eager to seize the opportunity.Home team batting coach Vikram Rathour praised Deep's skills, saying, "Anybody who gets into the Indian team has to be a special cricketer. He (looks) like a really good bowler who has done really well in domestic cricket. He has got a decent pace, bowls a good line, looks really good."The upcoming Test in Ranchi is expected to have overcast conditions and cooler temperatures compared to the previous venues. This shift in weather could favor the seamers, and Deep's pace and ability to bowl in-dippers could prove valuable. If selected, Deep would become the 313th Indian cricketer to represent the country in Test cricket.Mukesh Kumar, another pace-bowling option, is also in contention for a spot in the playing XI. He was released ahead of the third Test in Rajkot but is back in the mix for Ranchi. However, his lackluster performance in the second Test at Visakhapatnam, where he went wicketless in the first innings and conceded 44 runs in seven overs, may count against him.England, on the other hand, have finalized their playing XI, bringing back Ollie Robinson in place of Mark Wood. Robinson will partner with the experienced James Anderson, while Shoaib Bashir, Tom Hartley, and part-time bowler Joe Root will handle the spin duties.During the optional practice session, India had a light turnout, with only a few players participating in the nets. Shubman Gill, R Ashwin, Akash Deep, KS Bharat, Washington Sundar, and Devdutt Padikkal were among those who attended the session.India currently leads the five-Test series 2-1, and a win in Ranchi would give them an unassailable 3-1 lead. The match promises to be an exciting contest between two evenly matched teams.