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Home remedy 'need of the hour' for Titans after Jaipur jolt

NIL TANVIR — Fri, 02 May 2025 10:18:28 GMT

Gujarat Titans were blown away in their last game against RR © Sportzpics
It's barely been 72 hours since Gujarat Titans faced the wrath of Vaibhav Suryavanshi. It must be tough to recover from an assault like that, especially when the player who inflicted it is just 14 years old. And now, the recovery task sounds even more challenging when the realisation of going from Yashasvi Jaiswal - Vaibhav Suryavanshi to Travis Head - Abhishek Sharma hits. In that game in Jaipur, six out of their seven bowling options on the night conceded over 10 an over with four of them finishing with an economy of over 16. A target of 210 was overhauled with 25 balls to spare.

Those are staggering numbers that should paint a bleak picture. However, the Titans can take inspiration from their own performance earlier this season against their next opponent. Mohammed Siraj sent SRH's openers packing inside the first five overs, Prasidh Krishna had a fruitful outing and Sai Kishore's stocks rose when he got rid of Heinrich Klaasen. Shubman Gill's usage of Sai Kishore will be something to keep an eye on as the spinner just didn't come on to bowl when Jaiswal and Suryavanshi were on the rampage. It will be interesting to see if the left-arm spinner will be called upon to apply his trade against yet another left-handed heavy batting line-up.

From the batting front, Titans will have no concerns with their top order continuing to pile on the runs. The trio of Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler and Shubman Gill are all present amongst the top seven run-getters this season, which is quite staggering. SRH would have been relieved with that win over CSK that has kept their hopes alive. But the task only gets harder from hereon as they will likely need to win their remaining five games as well, starting from this fixture on Friday.

When: May 2, Friday at 7:30 PM IST

Where: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

What to expect: In five out of the eight innings so far at this venue, teams have posted over 200. A stat worth noting is that the team batting first has won three out of the four games here so far.

Head to Head:Gujarat Titans will lead the Sunrisers 4-1, having won their last four contests against them

Team news

Gujarat Titans

While Titans continue to wait for Kagiso Rabada to return, it will be interesting to see if they give Karim Janat another opportunity after he was hammered for 30 runs in the only one over he bowled on IPL debut against the Royals.

Tactics & Matchups:Ishan Kishan burst onto IPL 2025 with a swashbuckling century but his returns have dwindled since then. He has had his previous struggles against two of GT's spinners in Washington Sundar and Rashid Khan. Kishan has a low strike-rate of 89.36 and 116.41 respectively, with the Afghan legspinner having dismissed him twice previously as well.

Probable XII: Shubman Gill (C), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (WK), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Karim Janat/Ishant Sharma

Sunrisers Hyderabad

SRH did bring in Kamindu Mendis at Chepauk and it proved to be a handy inclusion in those conditions. They will have to take a call on retaining him in the XI for this fixture in different conditions. But after his all-round performance the other night, it will be hard to leave him out. A quicker option in the form of Simarjeet Singh could be preferred over Jaydev Unadkat.

Tactics & Matchups:The Gujarat Titans middle-order (from No. 4 to 7) has scored 412 runs in 9 games at an average of 24.23 and are the only team to have a middle-order of which no batter has a 50-plus score. Sunrisers could look to put in the GT middle order early.

Probable XII: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Aniket Verma, Kamindu Mendis, Pat Cummins (C), Harshal Patel, Simarjeet Singh, Zeeshan Ansari, Mohammed Shami

Did you know:

- SRH have not beaten Gujarat Titans Ahmedabad having lost both the games contested there, between the two sides

- This season, the average first innings total in four IPL matches at Narendra Modi Stadium is 215 runs

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Injured Sandeep Sharma to miss remainder of IPL 2025

NIL TANVIR — Fri, 02 May 2025 10:17:38 GMT

Sandeep suffered the injury in RR's game against GT © BCCI
Rajasthan Royals fast bowler Sandeep Sharma has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2025 with a fractured finger, the franchise confirmed on Thursday (May 1). "He showed immense bravery to continue bowling with this injury in the last match and everyone at the franchise wishes him a full and speedy recovery," a Royals release said.

The 31-year-old Sandeep suffered the injury during the Royals' home game against Gujarat Titans while attempting to field a Shubman Gill shot off his own bowling. The bowler was instantly tended to by the team's physio and even continued to bowl the eight remaining balls in his spell. It's a significant blow to the Royals' chances, who at the time of writing, are still alive in the race to the playoffs.

Sandeep took nine wickets from 10 games at an economy of 9.89 before he had to be replaced from the playing XII by Akash Madhwal for the game against Mumbai Indians. The Royals release stated that their team management is actively working on finalising his replacement, which will be announced in due course.

Mumbai Indians humiliate Rajasthan Royals to go top of the table

NIL TANVIR — Fri, 02 May 2025 10:16:55 GMT

MI bowled RR for a mere 117 in Jaipur © Sportzpics
Mumbai Indians flexed their big batting muscles to amass 217 for 2 and then knocked Rajasthan Royals out of playoffs contention with a 100-run statement victory in Jaipur. MI brought the oft-used cliche of 'peaking at the right time' to life as they added a sixth successive W to their incredible run that has catapulted them to the top of the table while enhancing their NRR. This was also the 17th time they scored a 200-plus total batting first in the IPL, and the 17th time they defended it successfully.

Where the game was won?

In a decimation of this magnitude, MI were levels above RR in every single phase of the game, with the hosts barely lasting apart from the last pair with the bat. The stark difference was still visible in the wickets column of the two PowerPlays. MI survived a shaky start to set themselves up for a flourish throughout while RR crumbled spectacularly under the mountain of runs staring at them.

The PowerPlay difference

Parameters MI RR
Score 58/0 62/5
Run-rate 9.66 10.33
4s/6s 8/2 7/3
Mumbai Indians

PowerPlay: Watchful start, carefree finish

Phase score - 58/0 [RR: 9.66, 4s/6s: 8/2]

Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton navigated MI's PowerPlay of two contrasting halves. The opening three overs were marked by caution and tentativeness as strong winds swept across the ground, aiding sharp lateral movement for Jofra Archer and Fazalhaq Farooqi. Rohit narrowly survived a close LBW appeal, saved by a late and uncertain review that revealed the ball had pitched just outside leg stump. MI managed only 16 runs in those first three overs. Then, the momentum shifted. Rickelton sparked the turnaround with a wristy flick for six over deep square leg off Farooqi, followed by a confident pull off a short delivery. Rohit followed suit, producing one of the shots of the match - stepping outside leg stump to cut a 147 kmph Archer delivery between backward point and short third man for four. Rickelton added a four and a six to make it an 18-run fifth over. The pair capped off the PowerPlay in style with three successive boundaries off Maheesh Theekshana, bringing up just the second 50-plus opening partnership for MI this season.

Middle-overs: The batting juggernaut rolls on

Phase score - 88/2 [RR: 9.77, 4s/6s: 12/1]

The carnage spilled deep into the middle overs as Rohit and Rickelton took the attack to two former MI bowlers - Kumar Kartikeya and Akash Madhwal, who were forced inclusions for the ill Wanindu Hasaranga and the injured Sandeep Sharma. Even their dismissals, both against the run of play to Theekshana and Riyan Parag, did little to slow MI's momentum. Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya seamlessly picked up where the openers left off, sustaining a scoring rate close to 10 an over. When Farooqi returned for his third over, the new pair punished him with three boundaries. Madhwal offered some brief relief, conceding just seven runs in the over leading into the death.

Death-overs: MI up the brutality

Phase score - 71/0 [RR: 14.20, 4s/6s: 6/4]

Flicks, pulls, and audacious ramps were all on full display as Suryakumar and Hardik elevated the brutality in the death overs. The duo dismantled everything in their path, with only a single sub-double-digit over. Theekshana bore the brunt in the 16th, starting with a fierce drive from Hardik that struck his hand and raced away for four. The Sri Lankan recovered well through the over, but a final-ball full toss was dispatched over fine leg by Suryakumar for six.

Archer began the 17th with sharp yorkers and pinpoint full lengths, but as MI's finishers have shown throughout the tournament, the margin for error is razor-thin. A slight variation - a slower, short-of-length ball, was enough for Suryakumar to muscle it over fine leg. Farooqi's return in the 18th saw Hardik explode, smashing him down the ground and to both sides of the wicket in a 21-run over. Archer returned with renewed intensity, cranking up the pace and restricting the pair to just eight runs in the 19th despite an early boundary. Madhwal almost followed suit in the final over, landing three accurate yorkers for just two runs. But Hardik latched onto a low full toss for four, and Suryakumar sealed the carnage with a straight six. Both finished on an identical 48* (23).

Rajasthan Royals

PowerPlay: Early collapse and derailment in chase

Phase score - 62/5 [RR: 10.33, 4s/6s: 7/3]

RR's newest centurion Vaibhav Suryavanshi fell for a second-ball duck when he mistimed a shot to Will Jacks at mid-on, giving Deepak Chahar his eighth PowerPlay wicket of the season. With the pressure to score quickly early on, RR took risks that didn't pay off. Yashasvi Jaiswal first fell in the second over while attempting to take on Trent Boult. A brief flicker of resistance came from Nitish Rana and Riyan Parag, but that too was short-lived. Boult had Rana caught by Tilak Varma at deep square leg, and Jasprit Bumrah followed up with a double-wicket over, removing Parag and Shimron Hetmyer with short deliveries. RR slumped to 62 for 5 at the end of six overs, becoming the first team this season to lose half their side inside the PowerPlay.

Middle-overs: More of the same as RR continue to spiral

Phase score - 51/4 [RR: 5.66, 4s/6s: 3/3]

MI chose to be relentless in all phases with both bat and ball as Hardik dismissed impact substitute Shubham Dubey in the eighth over. MI's impact sub - Karn Sharma - then walked in to dismiss Dhruv Jurel in his first over - the ninth - to leave RR down to 76 for 7. Karn then tried to trigger a swift finish with the wickets of Theekshana and Kartikeya in an over to push the hosts down to 91 for 9. Archer threw his bat around briefly to drag his side past the 100-run mark, but that's as far as the consolation went for the home team.

Death overs: Boult wraps it up

Phase score - 4/1 in 7 balls

Such was the abject nature of RR's riposte that Archer's 30 was the best effort in their sorry scorecard. Boult ended that seven balls into the death overs to wrap up the big victory.

Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians 217/2 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 61, Rohit Sharma 53, Suryakumar Yadav 48, Hardik Pandya 48) beat Rajasthan Royals 117 in 16.1 overs (Jofra Archer 30; Trent Boult 3-28, Karn Sharma 3-23, Jasprit Bumrah 2-15) by 100 runs

What next?

MI return home where they host top-four aspirants GT on May 6. A vanquished RR next head to Kolkata to take on KKR on May 4.

We don't buy superstars, we make superstars'

NIL TANVIR — Fri, 02 May 2025 10:16:02 GMT

Royals are out of playoff contention. © BCCI
Over the years, Rajasthan Royals have been renowned to be a side that promotes and nurtures young talent. After winning the inaugural IPL season in 2008, RR hasn't seen much success as a team, with their 2022 runners-up finish being the next best campaign for the franchise. Their 100-run defeat to MI on Thursday (May 1) officially knocked the Royals out of IPL 2025, which meant another season gone without a playoffs berth.

Amidst all this, the one thing that keeps RR going is their constant endeavour to propel talented young players to the forefront, the 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi being the latest in the list. The Royals have received a lot of flak with their retention choices in recent times - Jos Buttler and Trent Boult being the notable names that RR let go - but fielding coach Dishant Yagnik doesn't feel that the team has much concerns in the ongoing cycle and beyond.

"Whenever a new player has entered our side over the years, they weren't stars already," Yagnik explained during the post-match press conference.

"They became stars at our franchise. The current bunch, we're confident that they will become stars, we'll make them stars. We don't buy superstars, we make superstars, that's our tagline.

"For example, take Vaibhav Suryavanshi, everyone was happy and emotional for him the way he batted. So, in the coming years, guys like him will become stars.

"Time has come for us to look beyond such things (regretting not retaining players like Buttler). When we don't have them, we have to forget and move on. Now we have Vaibhav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson is our captain. We'll go ahead with this side and we'll prove our winning ability with this side."

Reflecting on the 2025 season, Yagnik lamented the Royals' inability to execute their plans in crunch moments. It cost them dearly in three successive run chases and in hindsight, those were six valuable points gone down the drain. Against Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants, the equation was single digits going into the final over of the chase - a cakewalk by modern T20 standards. Yet, the DC game went into a Super Over where RR further lost the plot in plans and executions to come up short. Against LSG, the choke saga continued as the batters failed to close the game out.

If it was Mitchell Starc in the first contest, it was Avesh Khan in the next game as RR's campaign hit a roadblock. Against RCB, the equation had come down to 17 needed off 12 balls, another easy situation to be in but the Royals once again found ways to lose, eventually falling short by 11 runs. Yagnik admitted that his side could have done a lot better in those three fixtures.

"If you look at most of the games, we were often close to winning those matches. In those crunch moments where execution is crucial, we probably fell short in close games and that's how two points went away from us. As you know, we were dominating in those three games (against DC, LSG and RCB) but there was a shortage in execution during crunch moments. It happens in cricket."

Another aspect where RR lacked severely is in the fielding department. They were guilty of putting down too many catches, many of which proved critical in the overall context of the game. Against MI, there was more evidence of this as Suryakumar Yadav got multiple reprieves that he cashed in on with aplomb. Yagnik chose to look at this season's errors as an anomaly and felt that fielding form does fluctuate in the sport.

"I've been the fielding coach for eight years now. From 2018 to 2023 if you check the data, we were always in the top three (in terms of fielding). Once in a while, such a season comes when you miss a lot of catches in back-to-back games. It happens with all franchises.

"In cricket, taking and missing catches are part and parcel of the game. Even today, three catches were missed. What matters is your level of preparation."

Yagnik was all praise for MI's batting effort after the five-time champions had posted a huge total of 217 on a surface that wasn't exactly a belter. To be fair, RR's bowlers did execute their plans for most parts but were undone by some outstanding batting from the visitors. If Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma set up the platform with their respective fifties, the work was carried forward by Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya as MI ended up with a daunting total on the board.

Reflecting on his side's bowling, Yagnik didn't prefer to be too critical and instead, credited MI for putting up a fantastic show.

"If someone's skill proves to be a handful for your bowling plans, like Rohit's skill set, Surya's skill set. They batted well and hit sixes off really good balls. So, you have to credit Mumbai Indians' batters for the way they batted, In the last game, GT conceded that Vaibhav played classy shots. Similarly, you need to credit MI for their batting."

On a night when dew didn't show up, Royals' decision to bowl at the toss looked like a blunder in hindsight. On a slow surface, batting didn't get easier in the second half, as was the expectation from the home side. Given RR's emphatic chase against GT, it wasn't surprising to see them opt to bowl but the results backfired for them. Yagnik also defended RR's decision to chase, citing the logical reasoning behind the move.

"If you look at the previous games played at this venue, batting has always been easier to bat in the second innings. There is always the expectation of dew. With the weather being a bit overcast then (at the time of the toss), there was also the possibility of getting some swing early. So, keeping all these technical points in mind, we bowled first."

IPL 2025 Pulse - Week #7

NIL TANVIR — Fri, 02 May 2025 10:15:03 GMT

Mumbai Indians have now won six games on the trot. © BCCI
May 2
RR eliminated from IPL 2025, MI continue winning streak

Rajasthan Royals' 2025 IPL campaign came to a meek conclusion on Thursday night as they succumbed to a big defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians. The MI juggernaut rampaged through the hosts as they were thoroughly outplayed by the five-time IPL champions. Batting first, Mumbai scored 217/2, as Rohit Sharma and Ryan Ricketon both got fifties, while Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav scored an identical unbeaten 48. In response, Rajasthan lost five wickets within the powerplay as their chase never got going. Jasprit Bumrah picked up a couple of wickets, while Boult and Karn Sharma got three-fers to give Mumbai a 100-run win, thus putting an end to RR's thin playoff qualification hopes.

'Good, but not good enough' campaign for Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals became the second team to be eliminated from the race for the playoffs in the 2025 IPL, after Chennai Super Kings. They have had a sputtering campaign in 2025, summed up by the fact that they have been good, but not quite good enough. Royals helped unearth the teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and Jofra Archer found his mojo once again this season, but that wasn't quite enough to help Rajasthan win matches on a consistent basis.

Injuries galore in the IPL

Sandeep Sharma became the latest casualty of the 2025 IPL as he was ruled out for the season due to a finger injury. Earlier in the day, Glenn Maxwell was ruled out due to a finger fracture, putting an end to what has been a woeful campaign for the Australian all-rounder. Apart from these two, Mumbai Indians wrist spinner Vignesh Puttur has also fallen prey to an injury, and will play no further part in IPL 2025. Punjab's domestic spinner Raghu Sharma has been roped in as his replacement. PBKS and RR are yet to announce their injury replacements.

What's next in store?

Gujarat Titans return back to Ahmedabadwhere they face Sunrisers Hyderabad today evening in the IPL. The 2022 champions faced a drubbing at the hands of RR last time around, but would hope to make the most of home advantage to reignite their race for the playoffs. Their opponents tonight are Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are pretty much in must win territory if they are to qualify for the playoffs. SRH are yet to win at the Narendra Modi Stadium, having lost there twice so far. Will today prove to be any different?

Bangladesh set for UAE detour before Pakistan tour

NIL TANVIR — Fri, 02 May 2025 10:14:13 GMT

Bangladesh will be playing seven T20Is this month. © AFP
Bangladesh will play two T20Is against United Arab Emirates at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in May, the Emirates Cricket Board announced on Friday (May 2). The matches will be played respectively on May 17 and 19 at 7:00 pm local time. Bangladesh will travel to Pakistan following the series to play five T20Is.

This will be Bangladesh's second bilateral T20I series against UAE in the last three years as the two teams played in a two-match series in Dubai in September 2022.

"We are excited to host the Bangladesh Men's team for another bilateral T20I series with the UAE Men's team. The Emirates Cricket Board is always keen on providing opportunities to the UAE's national side against quality opponents," Emirates Cricket Board's chief operating officer Subhan Ahmad said in a statement.

"In the last three years we have hosted ICC Full Members New Zealand, West Indies and Afghanistan while Bangladesh's T20I series tour is their second bilateral tour of the UAE in three years," he said.

"The two-match Bangladesh series will provide an ideal preparation opportunity for UAE ahead of this year's ACC Men's T20 Asia Cup and we thank Bangladesh Cricket Board for their support for UAE Cricket. The Sharjah Cricket Stadium is an excellent venue for T20 cricket and we look forward to hosting two exciting games," he added.

Bangladesh Cricket Board's chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said that they are pleased to play the series as it will give them an opportunity to prepare ahead of a jam-pack international calendar. "We are pleased to see the Bangladesh national team's return to the UAE. The BCB values the opportunity to engage in competitive cricket and we appreciate the initiative of the Emirates Cricket Board in arranging this T20I series," said Nizam.

"These matches will serve as an important part of our team's preparations ahead of a packed international calendar, including the upcoming Asia Cup. We are confident that these two games will further strengthen the cricketing ties between the BCB and ECB and provide quality entertainment to the cricket fans," he added.

Najmul 'not happy' despite Bangladesh's comeback win

NIL TANVIR — Thu, 01 May 2025 10:06:40 GMT

Bangladesh won the second Test comfortably to level the series 1-1 © BCB
Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto said that though his side had earned a massive win in Chattogram to level the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe, he is not happy with it as they could have done better. Najmul added that they need to convert their starts into big scores as they prepare for their next Test series, scheduled in Sri Lanka from June.

Zimbabwe brought down Bangladesh in the opening Test but the hosts made a brilliant comeback in the second Test to avoid an embarrassment. "I'm not really happy," Najmul told reporters following the game. "If you look at the whole series, we should have played better cricket. We didn't perform well in the first Test. Although we made a comeback, this is a series we should have won," he said.

"We played poor cricket in the first Test so it was important to bounce back. We won in Pakistan and West Indies earlier and that means we have that ability. We just need to play according to our potential.

"As a captain, I don't want this kind of scoreboard. If Shadman could score 200, I could hit a 100, or Mushfiqur Rahim scored 150, I would be happier, rather than everyone scoring 40s. Losing wicket after getting set is not a good sign, as this can't enhance our confidence. In Sri Lanka, whoever gets set, should score 150-200," he said.

"The Sri Lanka series is very significant. I would demand big scores from top order batsmen, rather than getting out on 40s. Usually, pitches in Sri Lanka are very sporting, so the pacers have their job to do. I want to see someone get to 150, 200. That's the level we need to reach if we want to win consistently overseas."

Najmul also dismissed calls for Mehidy Hasan to be promoted up the order as he also has a massive job in hand with the ball. During the last one year, Mehidy had gone from strength to strength as he is the leading run scorer as well as the highest wicket taker for Bangladesh in Tests in that timespan, making 598 runs and picking 41 wickets.

In the process he became the 26th Test cricketer to score 2000 Test runs along with 200 wickets and only the second Bangladeshi after Shakib Al Hasan to reach the milestone. On the third day of the second Test, Mehidy seemed to be riding on a different zone as he scored a brilliant century to help Bangladesh post 444 and later picked five wickets to bundle Zimbabwe out for 111, helping his side win the second Test by an innings and 106 runs.

"If you ask how far up - four or five? That's very challenging, especially in this format (Test)," said Najmul. "He's doing well at six-seven. He knows how important his bowling is, and he's working hard. We want him to keep contributing the way he is," he added.

Coach Dravid expresses caution over setting expectations for teen sensation Vaibhav S

NIL TANVIR — Thu, 01 May 2025 10:05:59 GMT

Chahal picked up a stunning hat-trick in the penultimate over. © BCCI
Yuzvendra Chahal's career has a strange arc. No Indian player has taken more wickets in T20 cricket than his 377 and up until very recently he was India's leading wicket taker in T20 Internationals (96 wickets). Yet, he has not featured in a T20 World Cup game for India though he was a part of the extended squad in the 2022 and 2024 campaigns. The one he missed was the 2021 edition, where five other spinners superseded him despite being the incumbent spinner in the lead up to the tournament. The reason provided for his omission was he was relatively slower through the air compared to the ones that made the cut for the slower wickets in UAE.

IPL 2022 soon followed and Chahal found a new home in Rajasthan Royals and had R Ashwin to partner up and had no confines of the Chinnaswamy to contend with. He finished the season as the Purple Cap holder with a record 27 wickets, still the joint most by a spinner in a single edition of the IPL. From being someone who predominantly outsmarted the batters by staying away from their hitting arc or cramping them for room in his RCB days, he turned to a more classical leg break bowler beating the batters with dip, drift, and turn. From bowling around 27% googlies in the two previous editions, Chahal bowled only 10% in the 2022 season further underlining the transformation in his methods.

Despite ending as the leading wicket taker in the 2022-24 IPL cycle, he was surplus to the national team's requirements, having last featured in a T20I in August 2023. In the cycle post the 2024 T20 World Cup, India have preferred the likes of Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi whose average speeds sit north of 95 kph over Chahal, whose top speeds are clocked around that range.

Probably fuelled by those thoughts, he started off the season bowling quicker than his optimal speed. The average speed in his first five games of the season read 87.5 kph and bagged just two wickets at an average of 83.50 and conceded at 11.13/over. The turnaround happened in the low scoring thriller in Mullanpur against KKR where he turned an improbable defense to a win picking 4/28 beating batters with drift and turn. In the four innings since, he bagged 11 wickets at 9.72 and an ER of 7.64, the icing on the cake being the hat trick at Chepauk. His average speed in these four games - 82.9 kph. In this IPL, Chahal has bagged eight wickets at 10.75 with speeds under 85 kph (ER 7.81) in comparison to five at 37.40 with speeds clocking 85+ kph (ER 10.11).

Chahal in recent times has had a big bias bowling to right handed batters over southpaws. In IPL 2025, he has dismissed three left handers at 55.33 (ER 12.14) compared to ten right handers at 10.80 (ER 7.04). Nearly 70% of his deliveries to left handers have been over 85 kph in which he conceded at 12.71 (one wicket). At his prime in IPL 2022, only 52% of the balls to left handers were over 85 kph. He has done marginally better slowing down under 85, picking two southpaws and going at 9.46/over.

Chahal vs RHB in IPL 2025

Speed range Wkts Avg SR ER % balls
< 75 kph 0 7.71 7.4%
75-79 kph 3 3.00 4.33 4.15 13.8%
80-84 kph 3 9.00 6.67 8.10 21.3%
85-89 kph 3 14.67 11.67 7.54 37.2%
90+ kph 1 18.00 17.00 6.35 18.1%
Chahal vs LHB in IPL 2025

Speed range Wkts Avg SR ER % balls
< 75 kph 1 19.00 10.00 11.40 11.8%
75-79 kph 0 NA NA 3.60 5.9%
80-84 kph 1 19.00 11.00 10.36 12.9%
85-89 kph 0 NA NA 11.84 43.5%
90+ kph 1 52.00 22.00 14.18 25.9%
In comparison, he has varied the pace across the spectrum far more equitably against right handers and deceived the batters with slow loopy ones as the clincher. Angkrish Raghuvanshi was set up with a 90.8 kph wide down the leg side followed by a floating leg break at 76.6 kph that the batter hit to backward point. The trick was repeated at Chepauk against Deepak Hooda, a dismissal that eventually culminated in Chahal's second IPL hat trick. Anshul Kamboj was beaten by a flatter one at 89 kph that knocked back his stumps and the hat trick was completed when Noor Ahmad skied another loopy delivery at 84.4 kph outside off.

While he isn't the same bowler whom a captain could entrust to bowl at any stage of a match, he is in his elements when he has the right matchup in front of him. If Punjab has to break the Play Offs hoodoo, Chahal will certainly have a big part to play in that.

Caution, bumps ahead warns Dravid on Suryavanshi's early success

NIL TANVIR — Thu, 01 May 2025 10:05:10 GMT

Coach Dravid expresses caution over setting expectations for teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi © BCCI
Early-teen prodigies in India aren't rare. In the world of sports, we don't even have to stretch too far beyond R Praggnanandhaa, who became a chess grandmaster at the age of 12 in 2018, and beat the world champion Magnus Carlson four years later.

Popular child artists aren't rare either. If Darsheel Safary, that bucktoothed protagonist from the movie Taare Zameen Par, is part of collective memory even in 2025, the point is validated.

What is rare though are early-teen prodigies who exhibit their brilliance in front of millions, and become the instant centre of mass attention. There is a reason that Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the 14-year-old Rajasthan Royals, has found himself in that rare spot.

Playing in a tournament that has become a platform for a factory of young talents to be showcased, he has stood out. While a good reason for that maybe his skills, the age-factor is hard to ignore. He is younger than the youngest Indian prodigy there ever was playing at the highest level - Sachin Tendulkar at 16.

Rahul Dravid, the head coach of Rajathan Royals, laid out what's special about Suryavanshi. "The ability of him to have that level of fearlessness and not get phased by the occasion or what was happening around him that's something that's truly special," Dravid noted. "You don't really get to see that with people who are so young. And the range of shots as well that he showed, he's only going to develop and he's only going to get better."

He detailed further. "He's got a really good hand at bat speed. Obviously, he's got a really high back lift as is pretty obvious. Really good hand-eye coordination in terms of judgement of length. That's something that's really amazed me. And of course, he seems to have a natural strength, which is really helpful.

@H0$
In saying so, Dravid, a long-time teammate of Tendulkar and someone who has seen a fair share of young players develop and not through his experience as a player and a coach, has warned that it is imperative to be responsible while talking up Suryavanshi. "No one should be in any rush to proclaim him as something that he's not," Dravid warned.

His words echoed those of Rajasthan Royals' batting coach Vikram Rathore, who dismissed suggestions on whether, in Suryavanshi, India was looking at the 'next Tendulkar'. He termed the comparisons premature and unfair to Suryavanshi.

"He is what he is," Dravid specified. "He's an exceptionally talented young player who's working really hard. He's got some great skills and abilities, but he's going to have to keep improving. Nobody is saying he's a finished article. And that's one thing I would definitely like to see, he's going to have to keep working hard on his game."

While admitting that the attention and scrutiny are bound to follow the 14-year-old due to the nature of the cricketing ecosystem in the country, the Rajasthan Royals' head coach also explained the reason why it isn't fair to place high expectations on Suryavanshi so early in his career.

"I've seen Rishabh Pant as a 17-year-old. I've seen Shubman Gill. I've seen Riyan Parag. I've seen Yashasvi Jaiswal. I've seen Prithvi Shaw. I've seen Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi and a young Khaleel Ahmed. Having been in the system, I've seen some really exciting young talent, a lot of talented young kids and I've also seen that some of the journeys go really well. Some of them maybe take a little bit longer and that's fine. You know, it can take a little bit longer for some of the kids."

While the sinful indulgence of attention might be challenging and exciting, according to Dravid, he's unsure if there is a way to protect the youngster from it. "It's the thoughts that's been running at the top of my head. It's going to be challenging for the kid. I would love to say that we shouldn't shower him with so much attention and focus. But maybe I'm being naive, maybe I'm not being realistic. Maybe that is what's going to happen.

"I don't think they're going to be able to completely avoid him from experiencing all that's happening around him. A lot of what's going to happen around him is probably beyond his or our control. I cannot control how much people are going to talk about him or what people are going to say about him nor can he control what the media is going to write about him."

@H1$
While the words of caution may have been specifically regarding Suryavanshi, it could very well be applicable to the mass factory of aspiring and talented cricketers coming through the system, joining cricket academies often as early as four-year-olds in search of early glory and fame.

Early success, as many elite athletes have testified, does not guarantee ultimate joy. Martina Hingis, for example, one of the greatest tennis players of all time from Switzerland, had been moulded into a prodigy at a young age. Having started her training at the age of two she was participating in competitive tournaments two years later. The early induction into the sport was followed by early success. But all that fame and glory unfortunately came at a cost.

By the age of 22, she retired from the sport for the first time with 13 grand slams, citing injuries and fatigue as the reasons. Till only a year earlier, she had rather proudly flaunted growing up as a lonely child and being obsessed with perfection in her sport.

It's not the kind of situation that Dravid wants Suryavanshi to be in. While admitting that it would be difficult to keep Suryavanshi away from the forced attention, Dravid recognised the fact that a strong support system needs to be developed for the youngster to enjoy his sport.

"I don't think they're going to be able to actually control everything. It's just recognising that this can happen, this is what happens and putting a certain level of support around that and supporting him and helping him to navigate all of this attention and still allowing him that space to be a youngster is going to be important.

"That (excessive attention) is part of being a cricketer in this country, that somehow you learn to deal with it because it's impossible to completely distance yourself from it 100%. You don't want to get sucked into it completely as well. So finding that happy medium is probably the answer in this situation. And I think a lot of you (the media) can play that role as well.

"Let's be realistic, in a game of cricket where you fail a lot, he's going to go through some ups and downs as well. So I think everyone can recognise that fact that he's going to have some success, he's going to have some failure and we're all going to have to be mindful of that, that he's a young man finding his way as well."

Lord's to host 2026 Women's T20 WC final

NIL TANVIR — Thu, 01 May 2025 10:04:24 GMT

The tournament kicks off on June 12. © Getty
The 2026 Women's T20 World Cup, to be hosted by England, shall have its final at Lord's. This development was confirmed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on May 1. This will be the third time in a row that an ICC World Cup edition hosted by England will have its summit clash at the iconic venue. The previous women's World Cup hosted by the country, the 50-overs tournament in 2017, had its final at Lord's, as did the men's ODI World Cup in 2019. Coincidentally, England were the winners on both occasions.

Apart from Lord's, six other venues have also been earmarked for the tournament. Old Trafford, Headingley, Edgbaston, Hampshire Bowl, The Oval and Bristol County Ground are the venues that will join Lord's in hosting the 2026 women's T20 World Cup. The tournament, featuring 12 teams, begins on June 12 with the final slated to be held on July 5. A total of 30 league fixtures will be played out, with the teams split into two groups of six each.

ICC Chair Jay Shah backed the ECB to organise a flawless tournament and hoped that England's rich tradition of the sport would enhance the outlook of the World Cup. He also felt that Lord's was an undisputed option for hosting the final.

"The confirmation of venues represents a defining moment as we build towards the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026. This tournament will bring together the world's finest players in a celebration of skill, spirit and sportsmanship," said Shah.

"The United Kingdom's rich diversity has always shown passionate support for all teams, something we witnessed so memorably at past events. The sell-out Women's Cricket World Cup final at Lord's in 2017 remains a landmark in the rise of the women's game, and I cannot think of a more fitting stage for the final.

"As we turn our focus to preparing for the tournament, we are excited by the promise of thrilling T20 action that will not only captivate fans here but also serve as a showcase for cricket's return on the Olympic stage in Los Angeles 2028."

ECB's Chief Executive Officer Richard Gould exuded confidence about hosting what he termed as the 'biggest women's cricket event in the country'. The stakes are high and so is the pressure of seamlessly conducting the marquee tournament. Gould knows that the challenge at hand isn't an easy one but sounded upbeat about the process.

"We are hugely excited for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, and thrilled to be able to confirm the seven iconic venues that will host the tournament," said Gould through the ECB release.

"It is of course extra special to announce that the final will be taking place at Lord's. It is one of the finest venues in world cricket and every cricketer dreams of being part of occasions like a World Cup final at Lord's.

"This will be the biggest women's cricket event ever staged in England and Wales and is undoubtedly an opportunity to take the game to more people than ever before and welcome in new fans - young and old.

"Crucially though this isn't just about scale, it's about providing a world-class experience for players, fans and broadcasters alike, ensuring that the tournament reflects the elite performance of the players on the pitch.

"We want this competition to be part of a long-term movement, and not just a single moment in time. This World Cup will grow a new generation of fans who didn't grow up with women's cricket but will never imagine sport without it."

A step behind this time, CSK look further ahead

NIL TANVIR — Thu, 01 May 2025 10:03:35 GMT

For all the bright sparks, there remained a gap between planning and precision for CSK this season. ©BCCI/IPL
When Marco Jansen under-edged that pull shot behind the stumps, hitting what would end up being the winning runs for Punjab Kings, MS Dhoni, in his discoloured and worn-out pads, flung himself to his left but missed the ball by a fair margin. It was, in many ways, a fitting metaphor for the Chennai Super Kings' season; they just weren't quite there.

You wouldn't have guessed from Dhoni's face that CSK had just been knocked out of the Playoffs race, marking the first time they have failed to qualify two years in a row. After the usual post-match handshakes with the on-field umpires and the two batters, he paused, turned around, and applauded his team - a gesture that seemed part acknowledgement, part closure. Following him in the line for team handshakes were Dewald Brevis, Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, in that exact order. The alternation and coexistence of the soon-to-be past and the rising present were hard to miss.

This has been CSK's worst season but their batting, at least for a while, finally looked the part on Wednesday (April 30). Curran's 88 off 47 balls, including a calculated assault on Azmatullah Omarzai and Suryansh Shedge, was outstanding. His 78-run stand off 50 balls with Brevis through the middle overs was exactly the kind of passage CSK had sorely missed all season. And yet, their 190 proved short.

"It was the first time when we had put enough runs on the board, but was it a par score? I feel [it was] slightly short," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation. "I felt we could have got slightly more. That partnership between [Dewald] Brevis and Sam [Curran] was excellent. And I feel we need to take some catches because that really helps to take wickets, you can slow down the opposition. Other than that, I feel from the batting unit as a whole, I felt it was a good effort.

"Whenever he [Sam Curran] turns up, he wants to contribute, whether it's with the bat or with the ball. So, unfortunately, so far, when we tried to give him a chance the wicket was on the slower side and he found it slightly difficult. But I felt today's wicket was one of the best that we have got in the tournament when it comes to the home venue. So I feel the wicket was really good and that's the reason I felt we needed another 15 runs."

CSK were on track for a 200+ total, something that might have challenged PBKS on a black-soil surface, which was being used for the third time. But Yuzvendra Chahal turned the game with four wickets in the 19th over, which included Dhoni's dismissal, followed by a hat-trick.

"Not to forget, when it's a high-scoring games, we didn't play the last four deliveries. And the second last over they got four batsmen out, another three deliveries. And in close games, seven deliveries mean a lot," Dhoni pointed out.

Eric Simons, CSK's bowling consultant, sounded "reasonably happy" with how the bowling had unfolded all season but admitted the team needed to be more precise with their execution.

"I think as a team, throughout batting and bowling, there are little areas we want to try and find to be more accurate around what we want to do. But as a unit, the guys have pretty much played their job. It's a lot about being more accurate with whatever you want to do and whatever your tactics are.

"We always strive to be that little more accurate, but it's about winning those big overs. Every now and then you're sitting up there and going, if we have a really tight over here, the game changes. Sometimes you get away in the last ball or the second-last ball and not understanding sometimes how to come out of an over.

"So, I think being tactically smarter in key moments is probably some of the growth areas that we need to always work on."

A couple of days ago, CSK's batting coach Michael Hussey spoke about the franchise's focus on future-proofing their squad and getting better at talent identification and nurturing.

"I think one area that we've really identified that we want to improve on is that talent identification side of things," Hussey had said at the press conference ahead of the CSK-PBKS match. "So, we have had different players come in and train with us at various stages, almost on trial a little bit, but also when their names come up for an auction, then at least we've seen them, we've had eyes on them. I mean, we get sent all the videos, packages and stuff. But to be able to actually watch them in the flesh, it does give you a bit more to go on.

"If we can play some practice games, see them under pressure, we can make more informed decisions about the talent that we're looking at moving forward. So, it's certainly one area that I think they're putting a lot of time and effort into to make sure that we get the right talent moving forward.

"They're very important decisions. There's so much talent in this country and [it's about] picking the right ones. We're still going to make mistakes, no question. But if we can make more informed decisions, then I think that will help the franchise move forward."

Hussey also sounded pleased with the shift in the batting approach since Brevis's inclusion for the Sunrisers Hyderabad match, a shift that was visible again in his stand with Curran against PBKS. Not to forget the impact of Ayush Mhatre and Shaik Rasheed at the top of the order. As the second-youngest opening pair in IPL history, they've brought a kind of freedom and fearless intent that only the madness of youth promises.

"The way we batted in the SRH match, even though we didn't get a winning score, it looked more like the way we'd like to play," Hussey said. "So, yeah, the more positive intent was there, looking to push the game forward, looking to take the game on a little bit more, but still do it in a smart way. It definitely looked better than some of the previous games where we looked like we were playing with a little bit more fear, looking to not make a mistake, which is not the way we want to play. It's not going to be successful in this competition. So, yeah, it definitely looked better."

For all the bright sparks, there remained a gap between planning and precision. Which is perhaps why, when Dhoni was asked at the toss whether the crowd's roar meant he'd return next season, he smiled and said, "I don't know," before quickly adding, "I am coming for the next game!"

Maybe Dhoni will return next season, maybe he won't even for the next game. But like the pair of worn-out pads clinging to his legs, this current season feels like the last dance for a generation of players. It felt like the end of an era. And yet, CSK seem prepared to begin again, with fresh faces who have already had a taste of the big stage.

F1 Tracker

SportsJunkie — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 13:05:16 GMT

Dunno if there is one out there, but willing to put one together based on F1 only!

I have the script xbtitfm v 4.1.31 unlimited license.
Hosting would be required involves money
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PM me if anyone is interested in this project.

Cheers.

Jay Shah makes whistle-stop visit to Wanderers, Centurion

NIL TANVIR — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 08:30:05 GMT

Even though the 2027 World Cup is still more than two years away, it bodes well that Hay Shah wants to appraise first-hand the readiness of grounds © Getty
It isn't every day Jay Shah comes to town, but the Titans were prepared on Wednesday evening. They had laid out a carpet in BCCI blue, which flowed into a red carpet fit for VVIPs. Inside, a gala dinner awaited. Centurion was ready to receive the ICC chair and former BCCI secretary.

Except that all of the above would have been in place even if the most powerful figure in cricket wasn't on his way to the ground. Wednesday was also the date for the Titans' annual awards. That the occasion coincided with Shah's visit was a happy accident.

In the preceding hours, Shah had been to the Wanderers, which is 36 kilometres southward along a motorway from Centurion, where he was driven by Lions president Mohammad Moosajee. What was he doing in the country?

Shah was on his way back from the ICC board meetings in Zimbabwe from Thursday to Sunday. He stopped over in Botswana en route to South Africa, from where he was scheduled to leave for India later on Wednesday.

"He hadn't been to the [Wanderers] in a while, so he wanted to have a look around," Jono Leaf-Wright, the Lions chief executive, told Cricbuzz. "We took him everywhere from the media centre to the dressing room to down the tunnel and onto the field. It was really just a walkabout chatting about global cricket. There was no agenda and no official meeting. It was a good catch-up and a relationship-building session."

Not that Shah popping in was as random as it may seem. South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will host the 2027 men's World Cup, and the Wanderers and Centurion will be among the venues used. Indeed, the final is likely to be in Johannesburg.

South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya staged the 2003 edition of the tournament, and grounds were extensively upgraded beforehand. But that was 22 years ago and much has changed.

For one thing, South Africa are planning to use drop-in pitches at the Wanderers, Centurion, Kingsmead and Newlands to try and ensure consistency and quality. There were no drop-in surfaces in South Africa in 2003. For another, floodlight technology has come a long way since those days. While some of South Africa's venues gleam brightly under the most modern illumination available, that isn't yet the case everywhere. Also, the fact that an epic thunderstorm hit the Highveld on Wednesday afternoon will give Shah a good idea of the state of the drainage at the two grounds. He should be satisfied with the latter: the Wanderers and Centurion are veritable turf-covered colanders.

Even though the tournament is still more than two years away, it bodes well that Shah wants to appraise first-hand the readiness of grounds for the global showpiece. Far rather that than suffer a nasty surprise further down the line.

Besides, if you can lunch at the Wanderers and dinner at Centurion, and make your flight back to Ahmedabad all in the same few hours, why wouldn't you?

Humdinger sees DC overcome RR in Super Over

NIL TANVIR — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 08:29:16 GMT

A fantastic final over from Starc dragged DC back. © BCCI
Delhi Capitals beat Rajasthan Royals in a Super Over on a thrilling night at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Royals were cruising home at one point following half-centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Rana but a brilliant final over from Mitchell Starc dragged the contest into a Super Over, which DC eventually clinched. The hosts have now won five out of six games to jump to the top of the standings, currently being the only team on 10 points.

Where was the game won?

In the Super Over. Despite the Capitals conceding 10 runs in the first three balls in the Super Over, Riyan Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal were run-out off successive deliveries as the Royals scored only 11/2. In reply, KL Rahul hit a four while Tristan Stubbs pulled a six off a short delivery from Sandeep Sharma to seal the win. Earlier, a lesson in death bowling in the 20th over by Mitchell Starc saw the talismanic Australian defend nine runs in the last over of the chase to force a tie.

DELHI CAPITALS

PowerPlay: RR bounce back after initial onslaught

Phase score - 46/2 [RR: 7.67, 4s/6s: 7/1]

After a first-ball duck in his last outing , it was Jake Fraser-McGurk who got the ball rolling for the Capitals with two boundaries in the first over. He punished Jofra Archer for overpitching outside off. Fraser-McGurk's partner, Abhishek Porel dispatched Tushar Deshpande with disdain in the following over worth 23 runs. Porel attacked everything Deshpande threw at him including full-tosses, length balls and a short delivery lacking any pace as the over went for four boundaries and a six. But McGurks' torrid season continued as he played yet another ugly hack and holed out at cover. Karun Nair, following his 89, was anticlimactically run-out for a duck after a mix-up with Porel. He had a chance to put a dive in but was inches short of making his ground. Maheesh Theekshana and Sandeep Sharma bowled a couple of quiet overs to close out the PowerPlay.

Middle overs: Sri Lankan spinners squeeze the runs dry

Phase score - 65/2 [RR: 7.22, 4s/6s: 2/3]

After two quick wickets in the PowerPlay, the Capitals were more reserved in their approach with KL Rahul and Porel looking to forge a partnership of note. Rahul deposited Deshpande to the stands but the wily legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga bowled it slower through the air as the ball began to hold a touch on the surface. The runs continued to dry up as the Sri Lankan spinners bowled in tandem with Hasaranga turning to his googlies. Porel finally got hold off a googly and cut it for four while Rahul punished a fuller delivery from Theekshana to the stands as the left-right duo brought up the 50-partnership.

Following a quiet over from Riyan Parag, Archer turned to the slower deliveries and dismissed KL Rahul for the first time in IPL history. Porel was given a reprieve after the fielders didn't pick up an edge off a bouncer to the 'keeper. But it did no harm to the tourists as he fell off the next ball against Hasaranga.

Death overs: Capitals finish strongly through Axar and Stubbs

Phase score - 77/1 [RR: 15.6, 4s/6s: 8/2]

Led by Axar Patel (34 off 14), the Capitals' immediately shifted gears from the 16th over. The southpaw took on Hasaranga for two boundaries on both sides of the wicket before nailing a slog-sweep for six. The eventful over came to a close with Parag dropping a tough chance off the dangerous Tristan Stubbs. The Capitals' skipper continued his blistering knock against Theekshana. He punished two full-tosses for a four and a six before he pulled a short delivery to the fence. After his departure, the pair of Ashutosh Sharma and Stubbs scored three delectable boundaries off Archer behind the wicket in a 16-run over. Sandeep then bowled four wides and a no-ball in an 11-ball over as Stubbs hit a four and a six to drag his side to 188/5. Royals were left to rue their sloppiness in the field as Theekshana dropped an absolute sitter off the last ball.

RAJASTHAN ROYALS

PowerPlay: Samson, Jaiswal make merry before the former walks off injured

Phase score - 63/0 [RR: 10.5, 4s/6s: 4/5]

In pursuit of 189, Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal set the tone with a couple of sixes off Mukesh Kumar. With dew setting in, the latter took on Mitchell Starc's short deliveries dispatching him for two fours and a six in a 19-run over. Samson fiercely pulled Mukesh for another maximum and then brought up the 50-partnership with a lofted shot past mid-off to the fence. Ashutosh Sharma dropped a difficult chance off Samson, after the batter hit one 53 metres into the air off Mohit Sharma. The Royals' skipper continued to power through the gears, slapping drag-downs off Vipraj Nigam to the stands. Things looked to be smooth sailing for RR until Samson hurt his ribs after attempting a cut. Eventually, he had to walk off the field.

Middle overs: Game remains evenly poised heading into the final five

Phase score - 69/2 [RR: , 4s/6s: 6/3]

Axar brought himself on immediately after the PowerPlay and got the pitch to play its tricks as a few deliveries held up against Riyan Parag. With Parag playing and missing against Kuldeep Yadav as well, he was eventually castled by Axar - his first wicket of the season. Jaiswal and new batter, Nitish Rana, then upped the ante against Stubbs in a 12-run over. A drag down by Kuldeep outside leg which should have been put away by Jaiswal was superbly saved by Mohit Sharma on the boundary line, saving a certain maximum. The night got worse for Mukesh as he was greeted with a boundary by Rana before he turned to the slower deliveries. Soon after Jaiswal reached his 50, he holed out against Kuldeep Yadav at long-on. With 73 required off the last six overs, the Capitals created the opportunity they wanted. Rana hit one of Axar down the ground but Stubbs dropped him on the fence after misjudging it. The left-hander followed it up with a boundary and look set for the slog overs.

Death overs: Starc takes the game to the first Super Over since 2022

Phase score - 56/2 [RR: 11.2, 4s/6s: 3/3]

Rana continued to attack the spinners, firstly rocking back and pulling Kuldeep to the stands, and followed it up with a reverse-sweep to third-man. Dhruv Jurel survived a LBW shout through the recourse of DRS, and made the most of it by punishing a full-toss off Mohit Sharma to the stands. Rana then brought up a timely 50 with a scoop behind the stumps. With 31 required off 18, Starc began with a couple of slower balls, before turning to his yorker and trapping Rana LBW. Starc followed it up with another yorker and Shimron Hetmyer was lucky to get a slight edge which raced for four. The Capitals' excellence in the field continued after Sameer Rizvi saved a six hit by Jurel. The batter then clubbed one down the ground over the outstretched hands of Stubbs at long-off to bring the equation down. With nine required off the last over, Starc stuck to his lethal yorkers to concede only eight runs and take the game to the first Super Over since IPL 2022.

Brief scores: Delhi Capitals 188/5 in 20 overs (Abishek Porel 49, KL Rahul 38; Jofra Archer 2-32, Wanindu Hasarana 1-38) tied with Rajasthan Royals 188/4 in 20 overs (Nitish Rana 51; Yashasvi Jaiswal 51; Axar Patel 1-23, Kuldeep Yadav 1-33) - Delhi Capitals won in the Super Over

What next?

Delhi Capitals will travel to Ahmedabad to face table-toppers Gujarat Titans in the afternoon game on April 19 (Saturday) while the Rajasthan Royals will host Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur later on in the evening on the same day.

Vintage Starc turns back the clock in Delhi

NIL TANVIR — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 08:28:23 GMT

Mitchell Starc was at his very best against RR. ©BCCI/IPL
It was in the middle of the 18th over that Axar Patel, the Delhi Capitals captain, made up his mind that Mitchell Starc is going to be his man to defend whatever they are left with in the final over.

Starc, after starting off with a slower ball and a short ball, switched to over and wicket and resorted to his trusted inswinging toe-crusher - quite literally - to hit Nitish Rana's boot and trap the well-set batter plumb LBW in the very first attempt. The saliva on the ball ensured it tailed back into the left-hander, there was late reverse, and Rana was caught dead in front despite shuffling across. As the Rajasthan Royals' half-centurion made his way back to the dugout, with the visitors still needing a very manageable 28 more in 14 remaining deliveries, Axar walked up to his premier pacer and said, "let's not over-complicate this". DC were walking a thin line following two successive expensive overs to begin the slog-overs phase, but the yorker had worked a treat and there was a hint of reverse swing, and they had just the man to hammer home that advantage.

"At that time, I was seeing only one option and that was Mitchell Starc," DC captain Axar said post match. "To execute 12/12 yorkers - I think he missed one there - but, that's why he's a legend. No praise is high enough. In a pressure situation, despite changing the fielding positions, he was always clear in his thought process and execution, and that tells us how strong his mindset is," he added.

What Starc produced was a masterclass in death bowling featuring the most pin-point yorkers that had the opponents, the experts and the teammates applauding in total awe. Interestingly, what Axar had advised Starc was as good as an open secret. Every batter in the RR dugout knew what was coming their way; even Shimron Hetmyer walking in knew what to expect right away. And he was fortunate to find an inside-edge that somehow beat the leg-stump as well as the fielder to the fence when Starc produced a similar inswinging yorker next ball.

After Mohit Sharma leaked 14 runs in the penultimate over, the odds were heavily stacked against Starc who had only eight runs to play with in the 20th. A wet, old ball, heavy dew and only nine to win - this was RR's game to lose. And lose they did, for Starc nailed a string of yorkers to flip the script and send the game into Super Over from the jaws of a certain defeat.

Off the first couple that landed sharp in the blockhole and tailed in, the RR batters could only manage to squeeze out for a single each. Hetmyer was able to push out the third one to sweeper cover for two, and Starc immediately erred in his length next. Hetmyer skipped down but only to slog it away to extra cover for just two. As he repented not being able to manage a better connection on that one, Axar ran down to Starc, and the duo rang in some fielding changes to bring in third and fine-leg and ask Tristan Stubbs to drop back to long-on. Another fine yorker followed on middle, and Stubbs was in action swiftly enough to keep it down to one when RR required three in two. Another meeting ensued between Axar and Starc, and the pacer changed his field once more for the final delivery. Even a streaky boundary would have cost DC the two points, so Starc packed the off-side ring and had three out in the deep on the leg-side to the right-hander Jurel. The wicketkeeper-batter got another in the blockhole, and could only tuck it to deep-midwicket for one to level the scores, before running himself out in a futile attempt to steal a non-existent second.

"Getting the reverse swing is one thing, but executing it perfectly is very important. You're getting the reverse swing, alright, but at that time, under-pressure, he executed so well," Axar said of the PoTM. "I only ever reminded him to be clear on his plans, you know, trust yourself. And the response was always the same from him - 'don't worry, skip, I'll do it'."

It wasn't the brightest of starts from the Australian left-armer though with Yashasvi Jaiswal in particular taking him to the cleaners in the PowerPlay, in a repeat of a disturbing pattern for DC to emerge this IPL. However, while Starc may have been the most expensive bowler for DC in PowerPlays - what with batters across the board redefining T20 hitting upfront - he remains one of their most reliable wicket-takers at death. Half of Starc's 10 wickets in IPL 2025 have come in the slog-overs, more often than not with the old ball.

Starc in IPL 2025 (phase-wise)

Phase Matches Innings Balls Economy Wickets Average Strike-rate
Overs 1-6 6 6 78 11.84 4 38.5 19.5
Overs 7-15 3 3 18 4.66 1 14 18
Overs 16-20 5 5 34 8.82 5 10 6.8
"It's just sort of backing my execution," Starc said at the post-match presentation. "You are running with a clear plan and execute as best as you can. And if it does not come off, then at least you have executed. And sometimes it does come off. So, a bit of luck goes a long way.

"I have played long enough that everyone pretty much knows what I am going to do. If I can execute more often than not, it is going to be okay. You can play that over 10 more times and then do 10 different things and then it might be 10 different results. So, as I said, a bit of luck goes a long way. Fortunately, I executed well enough to get us to a Super Over."

For Starc, it may have been just a usual day at the office but the execution of 5/6 yorkers will make that final over a campaign-defining highlight for DC in IPL 2025, and have the pundits revering it for a long time to come. As pivotal as it was, it had the backing of an equally critical 18th over that left an indelible impact on RR's chances. Rana, the dismissed set batter, doffed too his hat to the pacer and his skills.

"The wicket was a little tricky and obviously not easy for a new batter. The wicket was slow, the ball was stopping, the ball was turning," Rana said after RR's Super Over loss. "Plus, the difference that we saw from the application of saliva - the reverse swing that we saw from Starc, the credit goes to him, obviously. The saliva use has made a lot of difference. In the last so many years we've never used saliva, so even in the nets we haven't practised for it. There was barely any reverse swing left in cricket, be it red-ball cricket or white-ball. Now suddenly in the last 2 overs if someone is able to execute 11 yorkers in 12 balls at the pace of 145 kmph that too with a reverse swing, then, I guess, the credit has to be given to Starc alone."