Cricket

Former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn has expressed his admiration for MS Dhoni, stating that watching the Chennai Super Kings icon on the field lifts his spirits. Steyn, known for his fiery pace and incisive swing bowling, shared his thoughts on Dhoni's enduring popularity in a recent interview."The craze for Dhoni has engulfed not only the IPL but also many in South Africa, including myself," Steyn said. "I don't watch much TV, but I find myself glued to the screen when the IPL is on, especially when MS is playing."Steyn, who has faced Dhoni's batting prowess firsthand, praised the former India captain's ability to inspire fans. "I've been on the receiving end of his brilliance before, and I've loved it," he said. "I'm in a much better mood after watching him play. We need more MS Dhoni on the field."Dhoni, who relinquished the CSK captaincy ahead of the ongoing season, continues to be a vital cog in the team's batting lineup. Despite battling a knee injury, the 41-year-old has maintained his exceptional form, hitting boundaries with ease.Steyn's comments highlight Dhoni's enduring legacy as one of the most iconic cricketers of all time. His leadership, tactical acumen, and match-winning abilities have made him a fan favorite around the world.

Jasprit Bumrah: The 'Professor' of Fast Bowling, Impresses with Exceptional PerformanceFormer West Indies pacer Ian Bishop has hailed Jasprit Bumrah as a "professor" of fast bowling, praising his exceptional knowledge, articulation, and ability to swing the ball in both directions. Bishop believes Bumrah's skills make him an ideal mentor for aspiring seam bowlers.In a recent match against Punjab Kings, Bumrah showcased his mastery with a four-over spell of 3 for 21, dismissing Sam Curran, Rilee Rossouw, and Shashank Singh. His performance, along with Gerald Coetzee's 3/32, helped Mumbai Indians restrict Punjab Kings to 183 in their run-chase, despite a valiant fightback from Ashutosh Sharma and Shashank.Bumrah's outstanding performance earned him the 'Player of the Match' award and propelled him to the top of the Purple Cap table, with 13 wickets from seven matches in this IPL season.Bishop, impressed by Bumrah's knowledge and communication skills, suggested that he should hold bowling lectures for young aspiring seam bowlers across the country. He believes that Bumrah's insights and expertise would be invaluable for the development of future fast bowlers.Bumrah's ability to swing the ball both ways, combined with his accuracy and control, makes him a formidable opponent. He has consistently been one of the most effective bowlers in the IPL, and his performance against Punjab Kings is a testament to his exceptional skills.As the IPL season progresses, Bumrah will be a key player for Mumbai Indians, who will be looking to defend their title. His ability to take wickets and control the run rate will be crucial to their success.

Ahead of their crucial match against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul was spotted engaging in a heartwarming conversation with his wife, Bollywood actress Athiya Shetty, at the Ekana Stadium. The couple, who tied the knot last year, shared a tender moment on the eve of the game.In a viral video, Rahul, clad in his training gear, and Athiya, sporting an LSG matchday jersey, were seen chatting animatedly. The video captured the love and support they share, adding a touch of warmth to the intense atmosphere of the IPL.Rahul's 32nd birthday was celebrated with Athiya and the LSG team on Thursday. Athiya took to Instagram to express her love for her husband, posting a heartfelt message along with a photo of them together. "My whole heart for my whole life, happy birthday, my everything," she wrote.Beyond the personal moments, Rahul has also shared insights into his cricketing journey. In a recent interview, he revealed how he signed his first IPL contract with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). It was Virat Kohli who approached Rahul after being impressed by his performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy."Virat asked me if I would like to play for RCB," Rahul recalled. "I was thrilled and signed the contract immediately. Virat said it would be a crazy ride, and he was right. I gained invaluable knowledge and experience in those two months at RCB."Under Rahul's leadership, LSG has made a strong impact in the IPL, qualifying for the playoffs in both of their seasons. His calm demeanor and strategic decision-making have been instrumental in the team's success.As LSG prepares to face CSK, the presence of Athiya Shetty at the stadium provides a source of inspiration and support for Rahul. The couple's bond serves as a reminder that even in the midst of intense competition, love and family remain paramount.

The Mumbai Indians' captaincy saga has taken a positive turn with a heartwarming moment between Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma following their thrilling victory over the Punjab Kings. The win marked a resurgence for the five-time champions, who had endured a difficult start to the IPL 2024 season.Despite initial skepticism over Pandya's appointment as captain, the team has shown signs of improvement in recent matches. The victory against Punjab Kings was particularly significant, as it came after a string of losses and amidst rumors of a rift between Pandya and Sharma.The match itself was a rollercoaster of emotions. Punjab Kings' Ashutosh Sharma gave them a glimmer of hope with an explosive knock, but Mumbai Indians' bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah and Gerald Coetzee, held their nerve to secure a close-fought victory.After the match, Pandya and Sharma shared a moment that delighted Mumbai Indians fans. As the stadium erupted in celebration, Sharma congratulated Pandya before they joined their teammates. Pandya acknowledged the team's character and resilience, saying, "We did speak about before the game that the character will be checked in this game."The win against Punjab Kings has given Mumbai Indians a much-needed boost of confidence. Pandya's leadership and Sharma's support have created a positive atmosphere within the team. As the season progresses, the Mumbai Indians will be looking to build on this momentum and challenge for the IPL title once again.

Tom Moody, a former Australian all-rounder, has criticized the Mumbai Indians (MI) for underutilizing pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah during their IPL match against Punjab Kings (PBKS). Moody believes that this allowed PBKS to rally from a precarious position and come within striking distance of MI's total.In the match, Bumrah was matchless, taking off the dangerous Shashank Singh, Rilee Rossouw, and opener Sam Curran to help MI win by nine runs. MI had given PBKS a 193 target.However, Moody pointed out that Bumrah was removed from the attack just as PBKS appeared to be losing ground, which allowed the home team to rally."Again, Mumbai leaning on him so much to turn their fortunes around. He bowled two overs early on and had the Punjab Kings on their back. But, interestingly enough, he didn't bowl another over until the 13th," said Moody on Star Sports Cricket Live."He's at the peak of his powers at the moment. And that's my point of where I think the Mumbai Indians let the Punjab Kings back into this contest. (Gerald) Coetzee and Bumrah for mine, and I'll be interested to hear what the other fast bowlers think on this show. Should (Bumrah) have bowled again to be able to put Punjab completely out onto the campus," he added.Former South African fast Dale Steyn agreed with Moody, saying that MI's front-line pacers Bumrah and Coetzee needed assistance from other bowlers. He suggested that MI's bowling department was suffering from an unmotivated Hardik Pandya."We want to see them (MI) close out games early by bringing Bumrah back or Coetzee. But then they have to depend on guys like Hardik to finish off, who hasn't been bowling as well of late and some of the other bowlers travelling like (Romario) Shepherd, they may struggle in the back end.""Mumbai are in a situation now where they have to tactically figure things out, but they also need somebody to step up, their bowlers to step up and really help out Bumrah and Coetzee, because if they (MI) keep going the way they are, they might lose more points again."Moody also commented on Suryakumar Yadav, who recently recovered from an ankle injury and a hernia operation. He said that Yadav needed to participate for the whole league season in order to fully recover.On Thursday, "Mr 360 degrees" amassed a 53-ball 78 to lead MI to 192. Moody said that the middle-order hitter needed to return to optimal health in order to help India's chances of winning the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies."It's important that he slowly works back into full fitness, he needs to be playing for the whole 40 overs and that would be great. Not that he bowls or anything but for his own peace of mind and fitness for that the preparation for what is beyond the IPL. It was a great innings today (from him).Steyn praised PBSK batter Ashutosh Sharma for the sweep shot he employed against Bumrah, something which has not been used against the India quick too often."I mean, IPL never ceases to disappoint us with close games and creating new heroes... Bumrah bowls a no-ball, and the next thing Ashutosh goes down and plays that sweep that goes for six."

Imad Wasim's Exclusion from Pakistan T20I Team Raises QuestionsFormer Pakistan cricketers have expressed their bewilderment over the omission of all-rounder Imad Wasim from the team for the first T20I against New Zealand. Wasim, who recently came out of retirement, was expected to play a key role in the team's preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup.Despite his impressive performances in domestic cricket, Wasim was left out of the playing eleven, sparking criticism from former players. Iqbal Qasim, a former Test player, questioned the logic behind the decision, stating that Wasim should have played instead of Shadab Khan.Mohsin Khan, a former player and chief selector, emphasized the importance of giving players like Wasim and Mohammad Amir, who also came out of retirement, ample playing time to regain their form. He believes that they need to overcome the "rustiness" of not playing international cricket for an extended period.It is speculated that the decision to exclude Wasim may be related to his strained relationship with Pakistan captain Babar Azam. Azam is said to have left the Karachi Kings franchise in the Pakistan Super League due to Wasim's presence.Former captain Mohammad Hafeez has claimed that Wasim retired from international cricket after feeling mistreated by the team management, including Azam.Despite the controversy surrounding Wasim's omission, cricket analyst Omar Alavi believes that Azam must make decisions based on merit and situational requirements. He emphasized that Azam has a second chance to create his legacy as Pakistan captain and must ensure that selections are made fairly.Pakistan will face New Zealand, Ireland, and England in a series of T20Is in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup. The team will be looking to maximize their preparations and build momentum ahead of the tournament.

Mumbai Indians' disappointing IPL 2024 campaign has drawn criticism from former Australian skipper Aaron Finch. The five-time champions have struggled to find consistency, losing three of their first five matches.Finch believes that captain Hardik Pandya needs to improve his form with both bat and ball. "First and foremost, I think the captain needs to find some form and consistency with bat and ball," Finch said. "We've seen him bowl in some games and not in others, so ideally, some form with both bat and ball. I think that will go a long way."Finch also pointed out the lack of depth in Mumbai's bowling attack outside of Jasprit Bumrah. "Their bowling outside of Jasprit Bumrah has lacked depth of quality and consistency," Finch said.Despite their struggles, Mumbai Indians managed to secure a narrow nine-run victory over Punjab Kings in their most recent match. Suryakumar Yadav's brilliant knock of 68 runs off 36 balls set the platform for the win, while Jasprit Bumrah and Gerald Coetzee took three wickets each.After the match, Pandya acknowledged the team's character and resilience. "Very good game of cricket. Everyone's nerve got tested," Pandya said. "We did speak about before the game that the character will be checked in this game. Naturally you think you're ahead in the game. But we knew IPL has a tendency to produce these games."Despite the win, Mumbai Indians remain in a precarious position in the IPL standings. They will need to find a way to improve their consistency and depth if they want to challenge for a playoff spot.

Suryakumar Yadav, the Mumbai Indians' star batter, has provided an update on his fitness following his impressive performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. After recovering from ankle surgery earlier this year, Yadav made a comeback in the Delhi Capitals game.Yadav, who had a sports hernia and an ankle that required surgery, was ruled out of India's penultimate T20I bilateral series before the World Cup in June, a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan at home.Speaking during the mid-innings interview after playing a crucial role in Mumbai Indians' victory over Punjab Kings, Yadav said, "It is going really well. I am almost there. I have started fielding. I am also training well. So slow and steady, hoping that all 40 overs I will be on the ground."Since his return, Yadav has registered a duck, fifty, then another duck, followed by another half-century. "That teaches you there are ups and downs in life," Yadav said while talking about his performance.Instead of taking the usual slam-bang approach, Yadav took his time and opened his arms. The explosive right-handed batter discussed his strategy and whether the management had given him any specific instructions."Nothing as much there was a talk going on. Last day we had a batters meeting that there will be a batter who will have to bat at least 15 to 17 overs because when we had a net session we felt that wicket will be a little difficult to get big runs on the board. But I just wanted to be myself. I took a little bit of more time today and after Rohit got out there had to be a batter who batted a little more. I just continued the way I bat," Yadav said.Jasprit Bumrah (3/21) and Coetzee's (3/32) influential spells, along with a scintillating 78-run knock from Yadav, helped the Mumbai Indians defeat the Punjab Kings by nine runs.

Brian Lara, the legendary West Indian cricketer, has hailed Rohit Sharma as a true leader, regardless of his official captaincy status. Lara believes that Rohit's ability to prioritize the team's success over personal accolades sets him apart as a special player.During Mumbai Indians' (MI) recent clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rohit showcased his exceptional batting prowess by smashing an unbeaten 105 off 63 balls. This remarkable performance not only earned him the distinction of becoming the highest run-scorer in the MI vs CSK rivalry but also made him the first Indian to hit 500 sixes in T20 cricket.Lara, while analyzing Rohit's leadership qualities, emphasized his ability to connect with the public and his unwavering commitment to the team. He noted that despite facing setbacks and criticism, Rohit has always put the team's interests first."When you look at Rohit Sharma, you feel that he connects to the public very well," Lara said. "He's a leader, doesn't matter if you name him captain or not. At some point in time when you get to a certain age, at a certain level you are a leader."Lara also praised Rohit's resilience and ability to bounce back from adversity. He believes that Rohit's maturity and experience have made him a role model for aspiring cricketers."He does not look like a big sulker, which is great," Lara added. "He's a leader, doesn't matter if you name captain or not. At some point in time when you get to a certain age, at a certain level you are a leader. I think he represents that role very well."Rohit's leadership qualities have been evident both on and off the field. As captain of the Indian cricket team, he has led them to numerous victories, including the 2019 Cricket World Cup semi-finals. Under his guidance, MI has also won five Indian Premier League (IPL) titles.Rohit's ability to inspire and motivate his teammates, combined with his exceptional cricketing skills, has made him one of the most respected and admired players in the world. His leadership qualities will undoubtedly continue to play a vital role in the success of both the Indian cricket team and Mumbai Indians.