Sports

Poor selection calls cost India dear

Poor planning and neglecting players who were better suited to deliver the results in the T20 World Cup semi-finals led to the tame elimination.
PREMIUM

India’s Head Coach Rahul Dhavid and skipper Rohit Sharma (ANI).

As the fevered discussion over India’s semifinal loss at T20 World Cup slows down and stakeholders seek to understand what went wrong, India will envy Pakistan’s record: semifinalists in 2021, runners up in 2022.

There are many lessons to be learned. Even though they reached the semis, skipper Rohit Singh and Rahul Dravid would have known that they were not convincing in the league phase.
Sunday’s final is an excellent case study. India’s batting is better than Pakistan’s. Rohit Sharma’s team scored 168 against England in the semi-final loss. Pakistan scored just 137. The stark contrast is in the bowling. While economy rate is the main focus in T20 cricket, skipper Babar Azam packed his side full of wicket-taking options.
Watch Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Khan, Haris Rahauf, and Mohammad Wasim 168 defend against England at Adelaide. The success of Pakistan’s tactic shows that international pacers can only bowl 140 kph. It is a combination high-skilled players who can perform at high speeds. India’s 160-point victory over Pakistan in the opening match of the World Cup was their highest total.
There is nothing worse than a captain not being able pick a wicket. This happened against England. You don’t know where you should look as the camera pans over you repeatedly. It wasn’t the first. After setting 152 runs to win, India failed to pick one Pakistan wicket last year. Virat Kohli was the one who suffered the frustration of the 10-wicket loss in Dubai.
At the Asia Cup in Dubai in August-September, alarm bells rang when Sri Lankan and Pakistan chased down 182 & 174 respectively.
Although Pakistan lost to England in Sunday’s final, Babar Azam had enough bowling skills to win the match. Only Ben Stokes was able to stop them from winning the trophy, with Shaheen Afridi’s injury helping England.
IDENTIFY PLAYERS
The half of the job of a coach and captain in building a team is to identify the right players who can perform when the heat is on. As skipper, Sourav Ganguly was an excellent example. His success was largely due to the effort he put in to find talent with the help of his teammates and then backed them. Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag, and Zaheer Khan were all supported to the hilt. Pakistan was also supported with Imran Khan-Inzamam -ul Haq, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis being identified and blooded quickly.
What did India do at the World Cup? Bank on Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Every player knows when the game is over. It was the 2021 World Cup match with Pakistan for Bhuvneshwar. He was a pedestrian with the new ball, scoring 18 runs against Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. His final score was 3-0-25-0. It was similar to the treatment Manoj Prabhakar received from Sri Lanka openers Sanath Jayasuriya or Romesh Kaluwitharana in the 1996 ODI World Cup match in Delhi. He didn’t play for India after his spell of 4-0-77-80.
Bhuvneshwar was persistent though. He performed well in bilateral series, but it was how you perform on flatter pitches when the batters have the upper hand that matters. He failed to perform again when the pressure was on in semi-final.
The India selectors, team management and team management should ask themselves if they have really created a world-class attack for this tournament.
India lost their best attacking option when Jasprit Banumrah was injured and unable to play. It required a rethink of the bowling plans and a selection of a line-up that displayed more attacking flair. India needed bowlers who could run at 140kph or more. This is because it is difficult to beat world-class opponents. India needed bowlers who could run at a fast pace. Umran Malik was the one they found in IPL. However, they decided to not back him for the World Cup.
India had a lot of 30-plus players (Sharma and Kohli, R Ashwins, Bhuvneshwars, Mohammed Shamii, Yuzvendrachahal, Suryakumar Yadav, Dinesh Karathik, Bhuvneshwars, Mohammed Shamii, Yuzvendra Chahal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sharma, Kohli, R Ashwin) when they picked their IPL team.
CSK are great at getting the best from seniors. Experimented campaigners in form can be great match-winners. Shane Watson is an excellent example: he scored 117* for CSK at the 2018 IPL final, and 90 at the 2019 final.
India was neither here nor there. They did have some 140-plus options back home. Umesh Yadav was also one. Shami and Yadav with the new ball, and Arshdeep Pandya and Hardik Pandya as the third and fourth seamers would have made for an incisive attack. These two experienced pacers were outstanding performers last IPL with new ball and have a great record in Australia.
PRITHVI SHAW QUESTION
If India was going for the top, why was Prithvi Shaw at home? It is difficult to get a player to adapt to a different style. India continued to bank on KL Rahul to be an enforcer. He finished with an average score of 21.33 and a strikerate of 120.75. Shaw is an attack guy. His T20 strike rate of 151.67 is his best. It’s about making tough selection calls. Ganguly had to remove VVS Laxman’s name from the 2003 World Cup. He did. India’s think-tank did not make the hard calls.

Sports

Gervonta Davis defeats Ryan Garcia with a 7th round knockout

Gervonta drooled Ryan Garcia out in the 7th and dominated the entire contest.
Garcia’s confidence was evident from the start of the fight. ‘King Ryan,’ began brightly by popping his jab out and forcing Davis to fight on the back foot.
In the second round, Garcia was encouraged to let his hands fly and show off his blistering speed, which appeared to worry ‘Tank.’ This success was short lived, however, as Gervonta landed her signature straight left hand which sent Garcia to the floor.
Garcia didn’t seem injured, but from then on he was much more cautious about throwing combinations. Davis was able to win the next three rounds by out-landing his younger, less experienced opponent and out-boxing him.
In round six, Garcia gained confidence and was able land some flush right hand on the chin Davis, who displayed a solid chin.
Garcia’s success continued briefly in the seventh round, until he was caught again by a destructive left hand. Gervonta Davis hit Garcia with a vicious body shot. Ryan Garcia took a knee and retreated before failing to beat referees’ count.
Gervonta was the first to give Garcia a professional loss, and his record of 29 wins with 27 knockouts is now improved to 29 wins. Tank has a 93.1% strike rate and won his last three fights by stoppage or KO.
Gervonta Davies Reflects on Ryan Garcia’s Win
Gervonta remained mum at the post-fight media conference about who he might fight next. Davis, the WBA (Regular Lightweight) champion, has been compared to other world-class fighters like Devin Haney or Shakur Stevenson.
“We’ll have to go back and rethink the best course of action for my career.”
Haney is the undisputed light-weight champion and will face Vasyl Lomiakenko on the 20th of May at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Davis could therefore fight the winner of all the belts.
Davis did pay tribute to Ryan Garcia, whom he considers the toughest opponent he has faced in his career.
“I’d say he is the best fighter in my opinion. We were bouncing off each other’s energy. It was fun to talk in there. “I enjoyed every minute of it.”
‘Tank Davis’ maintains, however, that he was in total control of the fight throughout and was never hurt by any of Garcia’s punches.
“It’s boxing. He probably hit me with a good shot. Today, I didn’t get hit by any shots and I thought I was in serious trouble. I stayed calm. I felt he was more nervous than me. You want to be calm when you are dealing with someone like that because you don’t wish to make a mistake.
“He ran into a bullet when he came in. He was rushing. I knew from the start that I didn’t want to act like that. I want to remain calm, stay collective, and stay humble during the fight. “I was picking my shots.”
Gervonta is still only 28 years old. Many consider her to be one of the world’s best boxers based on pound-for -pound. After winning multiple world titles at different weight divisions, Tank has a lot of options for who he can fight next. Although he is currently competing at 135 lbs., he could easily move back down to 130 lbs or go up to 140 lbs.

Sports

KKR vs CSK – Chennai Super Kings top the points table after beating Kolkata Knight Riders 49 runs.

Chennai Super Kings thrashed Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday in the 33rd IPL 2023 match. CSK won the match played at KKR’s home ground Eden Gardens by 49 runs. Kolkata won the toss and chose to bowl. Chennai batsmen were unstoppable when they came to bat, as they reached a target of 236, despite being the first team to bat. KKR scored just 186 runs and lost 8 wickets in response. With the win, Team CSK jumped to the top of the table, as they gained two more points.

Chennai has now won three consecutive matches. They have won five matches out of seven games played, and have 10 points. Their NRR is 0.664. They have climbed to the top of the table by surpassing Lucknow Super Giants, and Rajasthan Royals. Currently, no team has 10 points this season. KKR had a bad start as Sunil Narine was unable to open his account. Narayan Jagdeesan was then ejected after scoring just one run.

Venkatesh iyer tried to stabilize his innings, but was dismissed after scoring 20 run. Nitish Rana, the captain, also failed to play a big inning and was dismissed after scoring 27 runs. Jason Roy and Rinku Singh smashed boundaries after Nitish rana was dismissed. Roy, however, scored 61 runs before returning to the pavilion. Rinku, on the other hand remained unbeaten after scoring 53 runs. Andre Russell was out after scoring nine runs, and Umesh Yaddav scored four. The bowlers for CSK bowled very tightly. Tushar Dashpande and Maheesh theekshana each took two wickets. Akash Singh, Moeen, Ravindra, Jadeja and Mateesha each took 1 wicket.

Chennai Super Kings batsmen made a strong first impression against Kolkata Knight Riders. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway and others played impressive innings. Conway scored 56 runs, while Gaikwad scored 35 runs. Ajinkya scored 71 runs. Shivam Dube hit 2 fours, 5 sixes and 50 runs in 21 balls. Ravindra Jadeja contributed 18 runs. Kulwant Khejroliya took 2 wickets for KKR. Suyash Sharma and Varunchakraborty each took one wicket.

Sports

Sachin Tendulkar’s birthday: A career of numbers that is awe-inspiring

Sachin Tendulkar celebrates his 50th birthday today. The man is still at the top of many cricket fans’ lists and the birthday wishes are pouring in. Fans still remember his knocks in India’s cricket despite the fact that he stopped playing almost a decade back. Sachin spent 24 years in Indian cricket, and achieved some incredible numbers.

He also scored a century in the IPL against Kochi Tuskers Kerala. Sachin Tendulkar, who played 78 IPL games for Mumbai Indians and scored 2334 runs with an average of 33.83, a strike rate close to 120, and 13 half-centuries, was also a great spinner and took 201 wickets in the Indian jersey. He took 46 wickets in Tests, and 154 in ODIs. In the one T20I match he played for India, he only picked up 1 wicket. He has taken 274 wickets during his professional career.

Sachin Tendulkar has scored 50,192 runs. He has scored 25396 runs for First-class cricket, 21999 runs for List A cricket and 2797 runs so far in T20 cricket. Sachin hit a massive 4076 fours in his international career (2058 in Tests; 2016 in ODIs; and 2 in T20Is). He has so far scored 246 fifties during his professional career. Sachin Tendulkar has won 76 Player-of-the Match awards in his career. He won 20 Player of Series awards during his 24 year career.

Sports

Updated points table, Orange Cap and Purple Cap list in IPL 2023 following KKR vs CSK match

CSKT wo exciting matches took place in the 16th Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday. The afternoon match saw RCB take on RR, while the CSK led by MS Dhoni travelled to Kolkata to play the Knight Riders. Both RCB and CSK won, much to the delight of the fans. CSK even climbed to the top of table with their third straight win. CSK has had a very eventful season despite the constant injuries that have plagued them.

The Men in Yellow have been able to perform despite the injuries. RCB, on the other hand surpassed the Royals by seven runs. This was their second consecutive defeat. RCB defended 189 despite stand-in captain Virat Kohli scoring a golden duck. This was RCB’s fourth win in the season, which has placed them at the fifth spot in the points chart. IPL Points Table 2019Here is the latest points list:Chennai Super Kings – 7 (Matches), 4 (Won), 0.662(Net Run Rate).
Rajasthan Royals – 7 (Matches), 3 (Won), 0.8444 (Net Run Rate).
Lucknow Super Giants: 7 (Matches), 3 (Won), 0.5547 (Net Run Ratio)
Gujarat Titans – 6 (Matches), 4 (Won), 0.212 (Net Run Rate)
Royal Challengers Bangalore- 7 (Matches), 4 (Won), -0.008 (Net Run Rate)
Punjab Kings- 7 (Matches), 4 (Won), -0.162 (Net Run Rate)
Mumbai Indians – 6 (Matches), 3 (Won), -0.254 (Net Run Rate)
Kolkata Knight Riders – 7 (Matches), 2 (Won), 0.186 (Net Run Rate)
Sunrisers Hyderabad – 6 (Matches), 2 (Won), -0.794 (Net Run Rate)
Delhi Capitals – 6 (Matches), -1.183 Net Run Rate (Net Run Rate), 1 (Won).
Who has Orange Cap?RCB’s regular captain Faf du Plessis played the last two games as an Impact player and continues to score runs. He is the most run-scorer in the Orange Cap list, having scored 405 runs over seven matches with a strike rate 165.31. CSK opener Decon conway is in second place with 314 run in seven innings and a strike rate 143.38. David Warner, Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaidwad are the next three players with 285, 279 and respectively 270 runs. Who has Purple Cap? Mohammed Siraj continues to lead the list with 13 wickets in seven matches. Arshdeep of Punjab Kings is in second place with the same number of wickets as Siraj. The battle for the purple cap continues. Yuzvendra Chanal, Rashid Khan, and CSK’s Tushar Dehpande are the next three players with 12 wickets each.
Devon Conway, CSK – 314 Runs (7 Matches)
David Warner of DC (DC) – 285 runs (6 games).
Virat Kohli – 279 Runs (7 matches)
Ruturaj Gaikwad – 270 runs (7 matches)
IPL 2023 Purple Cap Holders (top wicket takers)…Mohammed Siraj, RCB – 13 wickets (7 games).
Arshdeep – 13 wickets (7 games)
Yuzvendrachahal of RR – 12 wickets (7 matches).
Rashid Khan of GT: 12 wickets in 6 matches
Tushar Deshpande – 12 wickets (7 matches)

Sports

Shikhar Dhawan Injury Update: Punjab Kings fielding coaches gives an update on skipper’s recovery

Punjab Kings lost the IPL 2023 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore played on Thursday. Shikhar Dhawan, the regular captain of PBKS, missed the previous two matches due to a shoulder injury he sustained against Gujarat Titans in April. The fielding coach provided an update on Dhawan’s recovery ahead of Saturday’s match. Trevor Gonsalves is the fielding coach for Punjab. He said that it would take two to three more days before regular captain Dhawan will be available.

This makes him a questionable starter for Saturday’s match against Mumbai Indians. Sam Curran will be the stand-in for Dhawan. Gonsalves commented on the match saying, “It was an excellent wicket to bat on.” They were bowled for 150 in 18 and a half overs, while chasing 175. We got them to a good score, but we lost a couple of wickets early on.

“Indian and RCB pacer Mohammed Siraj took 4/21, which did most of the damage in Punjab’s run chase. “He (Siraj), is one of best bowlers in the world right now,” said RCB bowling coach Adam Griffith. He has been bowling very well throughout the tournament and before that. We saw his bowling ability for India. Punjab Kings are currently in 7th place on the points table. They have won three out of six matches.