Cricket

R. Sai Kishore, the left-arm spinner from Tamil Nadu, is determined to enhance his red-ball skills to seize opportunities that come his way. His impressive performances in the previous Ranji Trophy (53 wickets) and the ongoing Buchi Babu tournament (14 wickets so far) are a testament to his dedication and talent.Sai Kishore believes that being prepared will increase his chances of selection. "If I am ready for something, the opportunity will come my way. In terms of confidence, I think that I am ready. I consider myself a tool, the tool is doing its best to be ready. If there is an opportunity somewhere, they could call me," he said after the third day's play against Mumbai in the Buchi Babu tournament.The Tamil Nadu player will have a significant role in the upcoming Duleep Trophy for India-B, as fellow left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja will not be participating. Sai Kishore expressed his satisfaction with his decision to play in the Buchi Babu tournament before the more challenging assignments."There was an option to go to the NCA in Bengaluru for a spinners camp. I felt ‘if I cannot handle the pressure in Buchi Babu, how will I handle it in Duleep Trophy’. So I looked at Buchi Babu as a good preparation. No practice is equal to playing a match. Luckily, it has panned out very well," he said.Sai Kishore's determination and hard work are paying off. He is eager to prove his worth and contribute to his team's success. With his impressive performances and unwavering focus, he is well-positioned to make a mark in the upcoming Duleep Trophy and beyond.

Seasoned Tamil Nadu batter Baba Aparajith is set to don the Kerala jersey, as confirmed by The Hindu. The 30-year-old has been released by Tamil Nadu and is expected to join Kerala shortly.Aparajith, who has amassed 4571 runs in 90 First Class matches, including 11 centuries, was not selected for the Tamil Nadu Ranji team last season. However, he has maintained his form, scoring a 54-ball 72 for Chepauk Super Gillies in the TNPL eliminator.Kerala's batting lineup, which features strokemakers like Sanju Samson and Rohan Kunnummal, is expected to benefit from Aparajith's experience and technique. His off-spin bowling skills could also prove valuable.Aparajith's move to Kerala is seen as a positive step for the team, which has struggled in recent Ranji Trophy seasons. His experience and leadership qualities could help guide Kerala to better performances.The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) has confirmed Aparajith's release, with a senior official stating that he approached them about his desire to move to Kerala. The TNCA has no objections and will provide him with a No Objection Certificate (NOC).Aparajith's move to Kerala is a testament to his determination to continue playing at the highest level. He will be hoping to make a significant contribution to Kerala's cricket and help them achieve success in the upcoming season.

As the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) approaches its climax, the playoff picture is becoming clearer. Defending champion Lyca Kovai Kings and three-time winner Chepauk Super Gillies have already secured their spots, while SKM Salem Spartans has been eliminated.The remaining two playoff berths are up for grabs, with Trichy Grand Cholas and iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans facing off in a virtual knockout clash on Saturday. The winner will join Kovai Kings and Super Gillies in the semifinals.Dindigul Dragons, currently in fifth place, has a strong chance to qualify as it has two matches remaining and needs to win at least one. Nellai Royal Kings, in sixth place, must win its last match against Dindigul to keep its playoff hopes alive.Siechem Madurai Panthers, despite having only one win from five matches, still has an outside chance to qualify. It must win its last two matches by big margins to boost its net run rate and hope for favorable results from other teams.Last season, the NPR College Ground in Dindigul witnessed distinctive bounce and swing for pacers. The pitches retained moisture and had grass patches, resulting in low-scoring affairs. If the weather and pitch conditions remain similar this year, the playoff-aspiring teams will heavily rely on their bowlers.

In the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL-8), IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans secured their first victory by defeating Siechem Madurai Panthers by four wickets at the Sri Ramakrishna College ground on Saturday.Chasing a modest target of 157, Tiruppur's openers fell cheaply, but B. Anirudh Sitaram (52) and Amit Sathvik (23) steadied the innings with a 51-run partnership. Anirudh, who came in as the Impact Player, played aggressively, hitting boundaries and a six to put pressure on the opposition.In the middle overs, leg-spinner M. Ashwin (4/21) kept the Panthers in the hunt with regular breakthroughs. However, S. Mohamed Ali (33*) showed composure and guided his side home with an unbeaten 33 off 27 balls.Earlier, U. Sasidev's cameo (41) helped the Panthers post a fighting total of 156/9. Sasidev used the sweep shot effectively against the spinners and played innovative shots against the pacers to give the innings a late flourish.In the second match of the day, Lyca Kovai Kings registered a commanding nine-wicket victory over Nellai Royal Kings. Local lads B. Sachin (76*) and J. Suresh Kumar (63*) shared an unbeaten 144-run partnership for the second wicket to chase down the target of 168 with ease.Nellai Royal Kings, put in to bat, made 167/7 thanks to knocks from K.B. Arun Karthick (47) and R. Sonu Yadav (43*). However, they lost wickets in a cluster in the middle overs, slumping from 102/2 to 119/6, and ended up with a below-par score.

In a thrilling encounter at the Salem Cricket Foundation ground, Nellai Royal Kings emerged victorious over Chepauk Super Gillies in the eighth edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). With just three wickets and a ball to spare, Nellai Royal Kings chased down a challenging target of 167, thanks to a valiant effort from left-hander Nidhish Rajagopal.Rajagopal's unbeaten 53 off 35 deliveries proved to be the match-winner. His innings included three fours and three sixes, with the final over proving to be a nail-biting affair. Aswin Crist, the Chepauk Super Gillies medium-pacer, bowled a series of slower balls, but Rajagopal dispatched them with ease, hitting a straight four, two sixes, and a four to seal the victory.Nellai Royal Kings' chase was set up by opener Mokit Hariharan's 52 off 38 balls, which included five fours and a six. G. Ajitesh also contributed with a quickfire 30 off 14 deliveries, including four fours and a six.Earlier, Chepauk Super Gillies had posted a competitive 166 for six, thanks to opener N. Jagadeesan's unbeaten 63 off 46 balls. Jagadeesan, known for his aggressive batting, played a more measured innings, hitting three fours and three sixes.In the second match of the day, Lyca Kovai Kings defeated iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans by a narrow margin of one run. M. Shahrukh Khan was the star for Kovai Kings, scoring a blistering 55 off 32 balls, including four fours and four sixes.Tushar Raheja's adhesive knock of 81 off 57 balls held Tiruppur Tamizhans' innings together, but his dismissal in the penultimate over proved costly. With six runs needed off four balls, Raheja holed out to long off, leaving Ajith Ram to face the final delivery. Ram edged the ball to third man for a four, but missed the last ball and set off for a single, only to be run out by the keeper.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed regret over the Supreme Court's decision to scrap the electoral bond scheme, claiming that it has pushed the country towards black money in elections. In an interview with ANI, Modi stated that the scheme should also be viewed as a success story as it revealed the sources of political party funding.Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has accused Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of visiting southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu, to compensate for potential losses in their traditional strongholds in the north. Stalin emphasized that the purpose of the upcoming election is to determine who should not come to power rather than who should.The Election Commission (EC) has reported the largest seizure of inducements, including drugs and cash, in the history of elections. Even before polling begins for the Lok Sabha elections, the EC has seized ₹4,650 crore, surpassing the amount recovered in the 2019 elections.The Madras High Court has directed the EC to explain its rationale for insisting that denial of pre-certification for election advertisements can only be challenged before the Supreme Court. The EC's counsel has been granted time to take instructions after senior counsel R. Shunmugasundaram argued that the EC has no right to take away the writ jurisdiction of the High Courts.Union Home Minister Amit Shah has stated that the Narendra Modi-led government has ended the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the 1,600 km India-Myanmar border to thwart a "conspiracy" to change the demography of Manipur. "No matter how hard anyone tries, we will not let anyone divide Manipur," he said at a campaign rally in support of the BJP's Inner Manipur candidate in Imphal.A senior official of the Taliban's 'Justice Ministry' has stated that the Taliban is in "continuous contact" with Hindus and Sikhs who were forced to flee Afghanistan and had their homes taken by warlords. The official said the Taliban will respect the property rights of minority communities and are "particularly committed" to defending the rights of Hindus and Sikhs in the country.Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has announced that he will step down on May 15 after two decades at the helm and hand power to his deputy Lawrence Wong. Mr. Lee, 72, will formally advise the city-state's president to appoint Mr. Wong, who is currently deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, to succeed him.Israel's European allies have urged the administration to show restraint over Iran's weekend missile and drone attack, calling on Israeli leaders to step away from "the edge of the cliff" of escalation in West Asia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war Cabinet, which is empowered to decide on the country's response, was set to convene on April 15 afternoon.Former England spinner Derek Underwood, who gave a torrid time to the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, has passed away at Kent on April 15. He was 78. Underwood, a practitioner of slow left-arm orthodox spin, was highly regarded by his contemporaries because of his pin-point accuracy.In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Sunrisers Hyderabad registered a well-crafted 25-run victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a high-scoring affair. Travis Head's maiden T20 hundred (102, 41b, 9x4, 8x6) and Heinrich Klaasen's pillaging 67 (31b, 2x4, 7x6) drove Sunrisers to a record-breaking 287 for three.

Tamil Nadu's Ranji Trophy semifinal defeat against Mumbai has sparked a controversy after coach Sulakshan Kulkarni publicly criticized captain R Sai Kishore's decision to bat first. Kulkarni's comments have drawn the ire of former state stars, who believe the issue should have been handled internally.Kulkarni claimed that the entire dressing room was shocked by Kishore's last-minute change of plan. He had previously instructed Kishore to bowl first if they won the toss, but the captain opted to bat instead."If his inner voice or instinct told him that we have to bat first, there was no point in having me," Kulkarni said. "I am an experienced coach and a Ranji Trophy-winning coach. We were playing against Mumbai in Mumbai, a place I know everything about, but he did not listen."Kishore has not responded to Kulkarni's allegations. However, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) has expressed its displeasure with the coach's outburst."What he (Kulkarni) did was wrong," said a TNCA official. "We got five outright wins with Sai Kishore's good decision-making. You cannot blame someone for just one decision. That is not how a coach should work. In my view, Kulkarni has committed a mistake."Former India captain K Srikkanth condemned Kulkarni's actions on his YouTube channel. "This is absolutely not fair," he said. "Dear TNCA, please do not recruit such coaches from outside (the state)."Hemang Badani, another former Tamil Nadu player, wrote on social media: "Good coaches do not do that."Dinesh Karthik, who captained Tamil Nadu in the past, expressed his disappointment on Twitter. "This is so wrong. This is so disappointing from the coach," he said.The controversy has cast a shadow over Tamil Nadu's impressive Ranji Trophy campaign. The team had won five matches in a row before suffering the innings defeat against Mumbai.

Tamil Nadu's 2023-24 Ranji Trophy campaign ended in disappointment with a crushing innings and 70-run defeat to Mumbai in the semifinals. Despite the setback, the team can take solace in a successful season that saw them break a five-year drought of not qualifying for the knockouts.Under the leadership of R. Sai Kishore, Tamil Nadu played an aggressive brand of cricket, securing five outright wins from nine games, including three by an innings. They maximized their strength in home conditions, with senior batters piling on the runs and spinners dominating the opposition.N. Jagadeesan enjoyed his best Ranji season, amassing 816 runs, including a triple and double-hundred. B. Indrajith (767 runs) continued to be a reliable performer, delivering vital knocks under pressure. Vijay Shankar and Pradosh Ranjan Paul also made significant contributions with centuries.On the bowling front, Sai Kishore emerged as a standout performer, becoming only the third TN bowler to scalp more than 50 wickets in a season. He was ably supported by Ajith Ram (41 wickets) and Sandeep Warrier (24 wickets).However, Tamil Nadu's technical frailties were exposed when they played on pitches that favored seamers. They suffered outright defeats in the only two games they played on such surfaces, against Gujarat and Mumbai.Sai Kishore's decision to bat first on a green top in the semifinal against Mumbai backfired, leading to a heavy defeat. Post-match comments by coach Sulakshan Kulkarni, who blamed the captain for losing the match at the toss, revealed a schism within the team.Despite the loss, Tamil Nadu has a solid foundation to build upon. They have shown that they can compete with the best teams in the country, but they need to address their batting issues, particularly on seaming pitches.

Mumbai's relentless lower-order onslaught on day two proved decisive as they crushed Tamil Nadu by an innings and 70 runs in the Ranji Trophy semi-final at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy ground.After Mumbai's first innings ended at 378, thanks to a 272-run partnership between Tanush Kotian and Tushar Deshpande, Tamil Nadu's top-order collapsed once again. Shardul Thakur and Mohit Avasthi dismissed Sai Sudharsan, N. Jagadeesan, and Washington Sundar cheaply.B. Indrajith provided some resistance with a 70-run knock, but his dismissal to Avasthi ended Tamil Nadu's hopes of making Mumbai bat again. The last five wickets fell for just nine runs, with Shams Mulani and Kotian sharing the spoils.Mulani finished with figures of 4/53, while Kotian took 2/18. Shardul Thakur was named Player-of-the-Match for his all-round performance, which included a 109-run knock in the first innings and two wickets in the second.Mumbai's victory marks their 48th appearance in the Ranji Trophy final, a testament to their dominance in Indian domestic cricket. Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, will be left to rue their missed opportunities and inconsistent batting performances.