Ranji Trophy: Mumbai to take on holders Karnataka in semis

February 25, 2015

Bengaluru, Feb 25: An exciting battle is on cards when a resurgent Mumbai lock horns with defending champions Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy semifinal cricket match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here today.

Sworn enemies on the cricket field, both captains Aditya Tare and R Vinay Kumar, will not spare an inch to each other.

"To be honest we have come here to win. We know Karnataka has been performing well for the past two years. They are playing at home, so obviously the pressure is on them, not us as we are a young and grooming side," Mumbai skipper Tare told reporters on the eve of the match.

However, Karnataka captain Vinay said, "We know the strengths and weaknesses of Mumbai. Though we conceded the last match to them by virtue of conceding first innings lead, we are confident of winning ... We have the advantage of playing at home."

Karnataka have been unbeaten for last two years. They lost their last match against Odisha in November 2012.

They have been on a roll this season also, barring a couple of hiccups when they conceded first innings lead to Mumbai at Wankhede Stadium and Baroda in Mysuru.

The hosts have rolled over all their rivals to notch up four outright wins from seven games so far.

They have five batsmen who have amassed over 400 runs, including newly India-capped opener K L Rahul who comes into this game after scoring a marathon 337 against Uttar Pradesh in Bengaluru.

Ranji Trophy

Apart from Rahul, others who have topped the 400-mark are all rounder Shreyas Gopal (558 runs), Robin Uthappa (517), Manish Pandey (447) and C M Gautam (400).

The hosts have a formidable batting line-up which would be hard to crack by Mumbai, who depend a lot on medium pacer Shardul Thakur (40 wickets).

Karnataka have a much superior all-round bowling attack, especially with the new ball. Vinay, Abhimanyu Mithun and left arm bowler Srinath Aravind, who have claimed over 25 wickets, have proved a handful for other teams.

Shreyas Gopal, who has been mainly picked up for bowling, has been scoring runs heavily for Karnataka with the bat. In fact, he is the second highest run-getter for Karnataka after Robin Uthappa.

"We picked up Shreyas for his bowling, but he is getting runs with the bat, which is handy and beneficial for the team," Vinay said.

Mumbai's batting has slowly but surely improved and the mainstays have been Shreyas Iyer and Surya Kumar Yadav, who have cracked two tons this season.

Iyer has scored 744 runs, which also forced IPL team owners to take note of his performance, and he was bought by Delhi Daredevils for Rs 2.6 crore in players' auction, thus becoming the highest-earning uncapped player, earning 26 times his base price of Rs 10 lakh.

Tare also has a ton behind him against Baroda, which should stand him in good stead after taking over captaincy. Tare said most of the times the team miss the services of Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane because of national duties, even though the replacements come up with fine performances with the kind of professional culture Mumbai boasts of.

"Most of time they (Rohit and Rahane) go for national duties. The history of Mumbai is such that everyone who comes in is expected to do well. In that aspect we are likely to have players like Nikhil Patil who have done well. Shreyas and Surya Kumar also are doing well," Tare said.

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News Network
April 30,2020

New Delhi, Apr 30: India and Delhi Capitals batsman Ajinkya Rahane won't mind playing the IPL in empty stadiums if it ensures the safety of the fans.

Speaking in an Instagram Live session arranged by Delhi Capitals, Rahane said: "COVID-19 pandemic has taught everyone that unexpected things can happen, therefore we need to be happy about what we are doing, and should value what we have.

"As for IPL or any other sport, I feel it could be played without spectators. All of us have played domestic cricket in almost empty stadiums, so that’s an experience all cricketers are used to."

"Of course we are nothing without our fans, and that’s why their safety is of utmost importance. Even if they get to watch some Live action from home, I am sure that will be an enjoyable experience as well. The safety of fans is key, and if we need to play in empty stadiums for that, we are open to do it,” Rahane said. IPL 2020 has been indefinitely postponed due the COVID-19 pandemic but there is a possibility that it is played behind closed doors in September.

Speaking on how he has been spending time during the nationwide lockdown, India's Test specialist said he is enjoying bonding with his wife and daughter.

"I'm trying to be as positive as possible during this lockdown, and staying at home with my wife and daughter. It's given me an opportunity to bond with them, and I am also able to help my wife in cooking and cleaning.

"I'm also trying to revive my karate skills, something that I pursued as a child. It definitely helps me in maintaining my agility and fitness, and I am enjoying it a lot," said the 31-year-old.

The experienced middle-order batsman was bought by Delhi Capitals last year before the IPL Auction, and says he is really excited about playing for the franchise.

"It is something I've really been eager about, and it has stemmed in because of the things I've heard about the team from the likes of Ishant, Shikhar, and Shreyas. They’ve told me that it's like a huge family where everyone is always backing each other, and enjoying each other's successes," he said.

Talking about his excitement on playing under head coach Ricky Ponting, Rahane said he has always admired the Australian legend.

"My idols growing up were definitely Rahul Sir and Sachin Sir, but I've always admired Ricky Sir also. I used to try to copy his batting and fielding styles. And therefore, I'm really looking forward to working under him. I'm sure he will help me immensely in my batting as well as overall leadership,” said the former captain of Rajasthan Royals.

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News Network
January 7,2020

Indore, Jan 7: With the first T20I being washed out, India and Sri Lanka will now hope that rain gods stay away from the Holkar Stadium when the two teams face each other in the second match of the ongoing three-game series on Tuesday.

Only toss could take place on Sunday at Guwahati`s Barsapara Cricket Ground before rain gods came in and left damp spots on the pitch thus forcing the game to be called off without a ball being bowled.

Hairdryers were used to dry the pitch after water seeped in through leaking covers at the Barsapara Stadium, a sight which is not usually seen in international cricket. And that hasn`t gone down well with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which now awaits chief curator Ashish Bhowmick`s report on the same.

The Men in Blue, who enjoyed a brief break, are coming into the series on the back of T20I series victories against Bangladesh and West Indies respectively and thus would be the more confident side out of the two.

Just like Guwahati, the team management and other Indian cricket fans would focus on comeback man Jasprit Bumrah who is making his return to international cricket. Bumrah has been out of action after India`s tour of the West Indies in July-August due to a stress fracture on his back and thus would be rearing to go and perform for the team.

Dhawan, like Bumrah, was not part of the West Indies series after he hurt his knee during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The left-handed opener was not at his absolute best in the T20I series against Bangladesh and faced criticism from several quarters.

While Bumrah will grab more eyeballs during the remaining two matches, the series is also important for left-handed opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan, making a comeback into the team post knee injury.

However, recently, he scored a century in the Ranji Trophy and showed glimpses of returning to form.

In the bowling department, the team management would be checking out how the likes Navdeep Saini and Shardul Thakur react to pressure situations in death overs alongside Bumrah in the absence of frontline speedsters Mohammed Shami Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Young-off spinner Washington Sundar would like to put up performances to ensure that he gets to be part of the squad travelling to Australia for the World T20 in October.

Shivam Dube would also like to perform better - both with bat and ball - till Hardik Pandya is fully fit and back in action.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant - like recent times - will once again be watched with careful eyes. Pant knows that he cannot take things lightly and need to perform as Sanju Samson as already warmed the benches for six straight T20Is.

For Sri Lanka, the remaining two matches of the series would be about giving match practice to the likes of Angelo Mathews who is returning to the national side having last played a T20I against South Africa in August 2018

In their last T20I series, Sri Lanka suffered a 0-3 rout in Australia as all their three departments failed to put in a commanding performance.

India and Sri Lanka have faced each other in 17 T20Is, out of which India have won 11 -- joint most for them against all opponents faced in shortest format.

With the three-match series now effectively turning into a two-game affair, both India and Sri Lanka would want to win in Indore to make sure they can`t lose the series. Also, Sri Lanka have never beaten India in a bilateral T20I series, a record which they would desperately like to change in the remaining two games.

Squads:

India: Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, Manish Pandey, Washington Sundar, Sanju Samson.

Sri Lanka: Lasith Malinga (c), Dhanushka Gunathilaka, Avishka Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Kusal Perera, Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya De Silva, Isuru Udana, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Oshada Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Kusal Mendis, Lakshan Sandakan, Kasun Rajitha.

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News Network
April 30,2020

New Delhi, Apr 30: Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Thursday mourned the demise of veteran Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor, called his death 'unreal and unbelievable' loss.

"This is unreal and unbelievable. Yesterday Irrfan Khan and today Rishi Kapoor ji. It's hard to accept this as a legend passes away today. My condolences to the family and may his soul rest in peace," Kohli tweeted.

Opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan also expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
"It's shocking to hear about the sudden demise of #RishiKapoor ji. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. May his soul rest in peace," Dhawan tweeted.

Earlier today, actor Amitabh Bachchan confirmed the news of the demise of the 67-year-old Rishi Kapoor. Rishi Kapoor was admitted to the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday.

In September 2019, the veteran actor returned to Mumbai after staying in New York for almost a year for cancer treatment.

He was last seen in the 2019 film 'The Body' alongside Emraan Hashmi and Shobita Sobhita Dhulipala.

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