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IPL 2024: Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins teases aggression

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In a video posted on the franchise’s official social media handle, Cummins remarked that 20-over formats are challenging

Updated On – 21 March 2024, 03:07 PM


IPL 2024: Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins teases aggression


New Delhi: Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins said they are looking forward to an “aggressive” start in the upcoming season.

While speaking in a video shared on the official social media handle of the Hyderabad-based franchise, Cummins said that 20-over formats are hard.

He showered praise on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and said that they have a “good team”.
“So, a bit of planning to go and then just wanna get off to a really good start. T20s are hard. Kolkata’s a good team, but I think just wanna see a really aggressive, start to the season,” Cummins said.

Hyderabad will kick off their IPL 2024 voyage against the Kolkata-based franchise on Saturday at the iconic Eden Gardens.

He added that they have an “exciting” young talent in their squad. The 30-year-old added that he is “super excited” to play with young talents.

“I think we’ve got a great mix. We’ve got a couple more experienced guys like Bhuvi. Obviously Aiden Markram captain last year. But we’ve got some exciting young talent. I’m super excited to see guys like Abhishek, Umran Malik, these kind of guys I’ve only seen a little bit of but super excited, so I think fans should be pretty pumped for the season ahead,” he added.

Ahead of the IPL 2024 season, SRH parted ways with West Indies legendary batter Brain Lara and brought in former New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori as the team’s head coach for the forthcoming season. Recently, they replaced Aiden Markram and handed over the captaincy to Pat Cummins for the upcoming season.

The SRH franchise has won only one title in IPL so far and that was in 2016 under the leadership of star Australia opener David Warner. After that, they reached the finals of the 2018 edition under the leadership of star New Zealand batter Kane Williamson where they went down to Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

The Hyderabad side released players like Harry Brook, Kartik Tyagi, Adil Rashid, Akeal Hossein, and Samarth Vyas before the IPL 2024 auction and traded Mayank Dagar to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and took Shahbaz Ahmed from them. In the IPL 2024 auction, SRH bought Cummins for Rs. 20.50 Cr., and Travis Head for Rs. 6.8 Cr., Jaydev Unadkat for Rs. 1.6 Cr., Wanindu Hasaranga for Rs. 1.5 Cr., Akash Singh and Jhathavedh Subramanyan for Rs. 20 Lakhs.

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Meet the captain of Chennai Super Kings. No, it is not MS Dhoni!

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A day ahead of the first match, a photo with all the captains, and a vice-captain posing with the trophy was posted on official X  handle of the Indian Premiere League.

Updated On – 21 March 2024, 04:22 PM


Meet the captain of Chennai Super Kings. No, it is not MS Dhoni!

Captains of all teams and vice-captain of Punjab Kings along with the IPL Trophy.

Hyderabad: With the Tata Indian Premiere League set to begin on Friday, fans are eagerly waiting for the opening game to kick off between defending champions Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

A day ahead of the first match, a photo with all the captains, and a vice-captain posing with the trophy was posted on official X  handle of the Indian Premiere League. While Jitesh Sharma represented the Punjab Kings as vice-captain in the absence of captain Shikhar Dhawan, a massive surprise came in the form of Mahendra Singh Dhoni missing from the frame donning the yellow jersey.

Who represented the CSK as captain for the photograph? Ruturaj Gaikwad!

In the post, the IPL’s official handle said “Presenting 9 captains with PBKS being represented by vice-captain Jitesh Sharma. (sic)” indicating that the Chennai-based team will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad and not Mahendra Singh Dhoni who has led the team to 5 IPL title victories and two Champions League T20 titles.

Confirming the news, Chennai Super Kings has also announced that Gaikwad will be taking over as captain from MS Dhoni.

The team made it official with a post on X that read: “OFFICIAL STATEMENT: MS Dhoni hands over captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad. #WhistlePodu #Yellove”

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Vivek shines in YMCA’s win in the 5th Samuel Vasanth Kumar Memorial Basketball

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Vivek delivered an impressive show with a score of 34 to guide hosts YMCA Secunderabad to a 91-75 win in the 5th Samuel Vasanth Kumar Memorial Basketball Tournament.

Published Date – 21 March 2024, 11:16 PM


Vivek shines in YMCA’s win in the 5th Samuel Vasanth Kumar Memorial Basketball

Players in action at YMCA Secunderabad.

Hyderabad: Vivek delivered an impressive show with a score of 34 to guide hosts YMCA Secunderabad to a 91-75 win in the 5th Samuel Vasanth Kumar Memorial Basketball Tournament held at YMCA Secunderabad on Thursday.

Alongside Vivek, Samuel and Sudarshan recorded crucial scores of 19 and 17 respectively to contribute to YMCA’s triumph. For G9, Sravan was the top performer with a score of 22.

Results: YMCA 91 (Vivek 34, Samuel 19, Sudarshan 17) bt G9 75 (Sravan 22, Sameer 12, Chandrashekhar 11).

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Star Sports redefines IPL’s viewing experience for differently abled fans

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Star Sports, the official broadcaster of TATA IPL 2024 is set to revolutionise the cricket viewing experience for the marquee tournament with the introduction of a new Indian Sign Language Feed with Descriptive Commentary.

Published Date – 22 March 2024, 12:11 AM


Star Sports redefines IPL’s viewing experience for differently abled fans

File photo.

Hyderabad: Star Sports, the official broadcaster of TATA IPL 2024, in association with India Signing Hands (ISH News) and support from the BCCI, is set to revolutionise the cricket viewing experience for the marquee tournament with the introduction of a new Indian Sign Language Feed with Descriptive Commentary.

For the first time, the TATA IPL will be customised for Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing and Visually Impaired fans. The feed enables fans to fully immerse themselves in the excitement of the game along with their friends and family.

The feed will provide ball-by-ball updates using Indian sign language in consultation with specialists who are being brought on board by India Signing Hands. What makes it even more special is its ability to engage with visually impaired fans with commentators describing every moment of the game along with regular verbal score updates. This feed is truly inclusive which allows the joy of community viewing by breaking barriers that simplify the broadcast without compromising on viewing experience for all.

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Scaloni’s talks with Messi revive Argentina manager role

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Scaloni hinted at departing his position after Argentina’s 1-0 win against Brazil in their FIFA World Cup qualifier at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium in November.

Updated On – 22 March 2024, 10:23 AM


Scaloni’s talks with Messi revive Argentina manager role


Washington: Lionel Scaloni that talks with senior players, including Lionel Messi, had rekindled his enthusiasm to remain manager of Argentina’s national team after a year that he described as “difficult”.

In November, Scaloni revealed he was considering leaving his job following the Albiceleste’s 1-0 victory over Brazil in their FIFA World Cup qualifier at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium.

But speaking ahead of Argentina’s friendly against El Salvador in Philadelphia on Friday, the 45-year-old dispelled any doubts about his future.

“I spoke with Leo [Messi] and other players,” Scaloni told a news conference. “With him because he is the captain, because of what he represents. I also spoke with other players, with Angel Di Maria, with Lautaro [Martinez], [Nicolas] Otamendi, Rodrigo De Paul.

“They are people I trust a lot, who I love a lot. They have been with us from day one. I needed to speak with them and share my thoughts.”

Scaloni, who had suggested in November that he lacked the energy to continue, insisted he had never seriously thought about quitting.

But he said he had felt unexpected pressure after leading Argentina to glory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, ending the South American country’s 36-year wait for football’s ultimate prize.

“It was a moment of reflection after a difficult year,” he explained. “It’s crazy to say that it was a difficult year after having won a World Cup, but it was a difficult year.”

“We met with those who we thought we had to talk to, we discussed our concerns and the most important thing is to know that we were all strong to continue. You never know what the future holds but for now I’m continuing and that’s it.”

Argentina’s clash with El Salvador will be followed by another friendly against Costa Rica in Los Angeles next Tuesday.

The Albiceleste will be without captain Messi for the matches after the 36-year-old suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Inter Miami.

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IPL 2024: Kohli excited to reunite with Dhoni before CSK vs RCB match

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Kohli is the highest run-getter in IPL of all time. In 237 matches and 229 innings, the India talisman batter has scored 7263 runs at an average of 37.24, with a strike rate of 130.02.

Published Date – 22 March 2024, 10:30 AM


IPL 2024: Kohli excited to reunite with Dhoni before CSK vs RCB match


Chennai: Ahead of the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season opener, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star batter Virat Kohli opened up on their clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and said that it would be “good” to catch up with the legendary cricketer MS Dhoni.

Kohli is the highest run-getter in IPL of all time. In 237 matches and 229 innings, the India talisman batter has scored 7263 runs at an average of 37.24, with a strike rate of 130.02. His best score is 113. He has scored seven centuries, most by a batter and 50 fifties in his IPL career.

In a recent episode of RCB’s Bold Diaries, Kohli said that it’s been a “while” that he has met Dhoni.
The former India skipper said that it would be “nice” to play in front of the “passionate” CSK fans at the iconic Chepauk Stadium. He also added that the season opener of the IPL 2024 will be a “big game”.

“Playing against Chennai is obviously always a special occasion, a big game. You know, the Southern Derby as they call it. Yeah, it’s nice to play infront of very passionate Chennai fans and yeah good to catch up with MS Dhoni, it’s been a while,” Kohli said.

Last season, the 35-year-old batter was the fourth-highest run-getter, piling up 639 runs at an average of 53.25 and a strike rate of 139.82. His best score was 101*. The 35-year-old scored two centuries and six fifties but could not take his side to the playoffs.

The 17th season of the IPL will start on Friday, with defending champions Chennai set to clash with Bengaluru in the Southern derby at MA Chidambaram Stadium.

RCB squad: Faf du Plessis (C), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh and Saurav Chauhan.

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Kidambi Srikanth, Rajawat reach Swiss Open QF; Sindhu, Lakshya out

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Srikanth, Ranked 27th, Beats World No. 10 Lee Zii Jia in Straight Sets

Updated On – 22 March 2024, 11:35 AM


Kidambi Srikanth, Rajawat reach Swiss Open QF; Sindhu, Lakshya out


Basel: Ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth and younster Priyanshu Rajawat have advanced to the quartefinals of the BWF Swiss open, Super 300 badminton tournament.

Srikanth, ranked 27th in the world, got the better of the world no 10 Malaysian Lee Zii Jia in straight games 21-16, 21-15 in just 36 minutes. Rajawat, on the other hand, defeated world No. 33 Lei Lanxi of China in straight games 21-14, 21-13.

The 22-year-old Rajawat had earlier pulled off an upset against World No. 14 Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong in the opening round. Lee was a finalist at the India Open at the beginning of the year.

Srikanth will next face Chia Hao Lee of Chinese Taipei, who ousted Laksya Sen with a 21-17, 21-15 win in straight games. Rajawat will be up against another Taipei shuttler Chou Tien Chen.

Another men’s single shuttler Kiran George also booked a spot in the quarterfinals after a hard-fought 18-21, 22-20, 21-18 win over Frenchman Alex Lanier.

He will next play Rasmus Gemke of Denmark for a place in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu‘s campaign ended in the pre-quarterfinals after losing to Japan’s Tokoma Miyazaki here.

Sindhu suffered a 21-16, 19-21,16-21 loss against the world no 27 Japanese shuttler in a match that lasted for one-hour and 19 minutes.

This was her second round of 16 loss in a row as the Indian ace suffered a second-round loss in the All England Open last week.

In the women’s doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also moved to the last eight. The Indian duo defeated compatriots Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra 21-10, 21-12.

Treesa and Gayatri will now take on Australian pair Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu.

Tanisha Castro and Ashwini Ponnappa, however, crashed out following a 17-21, 16-21 defeat to Japanese shuttlers Rui Hirokami and Yuna Kato.

India’s mixed doubles campaign also ended with B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy losing 11-21, 14-21 to the Dutch duo of Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek while Sathish Kumar Karunakaran-Aadya Variyath suffered a loss against Malaysian third seeds Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei 17-21, 14-21.

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IPL 2024: Records Virat Kohli can topple during RCB vs CSK clash

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Kohli was last seen taking part in the 3rd T20I match between India and Afghanistan in Bengaluru

Published Date – 22 March 2024, 02:03 PM


IPL 2024: Records Virat Kohli can topple during RCB vs CSK clash

Photo: X

Chennai: Star India batter Virat Kohli will be taking to the crease for the first time after January 2024 during the season opener of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). His return has the prospect of history books being re-written sending him to the summit of an untouched record.

Kohli was last seen taking part in the 3rd T20I match between India and Afghanistan in Bengaluru. After that, he missed the recently concluded five-match Test series against England.

On Friday, during the match against Chennai, if Kohli scores six runs, he will become the first Indian in history to score 12,000 runs in T20s. As of now, the former Indian skipper, who has played in 376 T20s scored 11,994 runs.

The 35-year-old will also get a chance to become the first Indian batter to smash 100 50+ scores in T20s and third overall. Chris Gayle (110) and David Warner (109) stand above him on the list.

Apart from that, Kohli will get a chance to become the second batter to score 1000 runs against the Chennai-based franchise in IPL. Kohli, who has 985 runs to his name in 31 matches, needs to score just 15 runs to achieve the remarkable feat.

The 35-year-old is also the highest run-getter in IPL of all time. In 237 matches and 229 innings, the India talisman batter has scored 7263 runs at an average of 37.24, with a strike rate of 130.02. His best score is 113. He has scored seven centuries, most by a batter and 50 fifties in his IPL career.

Last season, the 35-year-old batter was the fourth-highest run-getter, piling up 639 runs at an average of 53.25 and a strike rate of 139.82. His best score was 101*. The 35-year-old scored two centuries and six fifties but could not take his side to the playoffs.

The 17th season of the IPL will start on Friday, with defending champions Chennai set to clash with Bengaluru in the Southern derby at MA Chidambaram Stadium.

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“Some wickets you play on, strike rate need not to be high…”: Steve Smith backs Virat’s inclusion in India T20 WC squad

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“I have been on the opposition in the Australian team when he has done this against us on numerous occasions,” Smith concluded.

Published Date – 22 March 2024, 05:21 PM


“Some wickets you play on, strike rate need not to be high…”: Steve Smith backs Virat’s inclusion in India T20 WC squad


Mumbai: Australia’s star batter Steve Smith has backed Virat Kohli’s inclusion in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad, saying that strike rate does not need to be high on every wicket and the star batter plays according to situation.

In recent weeks, there have been questions raised regarding Virat Kohli’s place in the Indian side for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Kohli has largely been absent from India’s T20I squad since India’s defeat to England in the semi-finals of the previous edition of the T20 World Cup in 2022.

He has only played two T20Is since then, during Afghanistan’s tour of India for a three-match series in January earlier this year, scoring a quick-fire 29 and a duck in both the matches.

Amidst the chatter, one of the members of the modern-day ‘Fab Four’ of batting voiced his backing for the other when Steve Smith highlighted the importance of Kohli in big tournaments like the T20 World Cup.

“He [Kohli] plays the situation,” Steve Smith told Star Sports as quoted by ICC.

“Some wickets you play on, your strike rate does not need to be high. You play according to what is in front of you. We have seen Virat play some masterclass innings and get his team over the line, whether it has been RCB or India” Smith said.

“I have been on the opposition in the Australian team when he has done this against us on numerous occasions,” Smith concluded.

Over the years, Kohli has consistently risen to the occasion for India in high-pressure situations during the T20 World Cup.

One of his most celebrated heroics came in a tense encounter against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where he orchestrated a remarkable victory for India with an unbeaten 82 off just 53 deliveries.

Before that memorable performance, Kohli had delivered crucial innings against Australia (scoring 82* off 51 balls) in the 2016 edition and South Africa (registering 74* off 42 balls) in 2014, demonstrating his ability to thrive in crunch situations on the T20 World Cup stage.

Smith emphasized the invaluable presence of seasoned players like Kohli, who possess the experience of performing under immense pressure on the grandest stages.

“What we know is that he plays extremely well under pressure. He loves that. It is those players who you want in your team when you go into the World Cup and face pressure situations. You want the experienced players who stand up in those situations, and Virat is certainly one of those,” said Smith.

Notably, Virat is the highest run-getter in T20I cricket. In 117 matches, he has scored 4,037 runs at an average of 51.75 and a strike rate of over 138, with a century and 37 fifties in 109 innings. His best score is 122*.

Also, Virat is the most decorated batter in the history of the ICC T20 World Cup and is its leading run-scorer. In 27 T20 WC matches, Virat has made 1,141 runs at an average of 81.50 and a strike rate of 131.30, with 14 half-centuries in 25 innings

. His best score is 89*. He was also the ‘Player of the Tournament’ in 2014 (319 runs in six matches at an average of 106.33 with four fifties) and 2016 (273 runs in five matches at an average of 136.5 with three fifties) editions, in which India finished as runners-up and semifinalists respectively. He ended as the leading run-scorer in 2014.

During the successful run chases in nine innings of the tournament, Virat averages a massive 518 as he has been only dismissed once.

In the 2022 edition in Australia, Virat ended as the leading run-getter, with 296 runs in six matches at an average of 98.66 and a strike rate of 136.40, with four fifties. His knock of 82* against Pakistan in a tough run-chase of 160 runs at Melbourne is also considered as one of the best T20I knocks ever played.

Virat is a chase-master in T20Is, scoring 2,012 runs in 52 matches while chasing at an average of 71.85 and a strike rate of over 136, with 20 fifties.

His record gets multi-fold greater in T20 WC during the run-chases. In nine innings while chasing during the marquee tournament, Virat has scored 518 runs at a batting average of 518.00! This is because he was dismissed only once while chasing. He has scored centuries in seven innings while chasing.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies begins on June 1. India will be in action on June 5 when they take on Ireland before attention shifts to the high-octane clash against Pakistan on June 9, both of which will be played at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.