Shubman Gill, Dinesh Karthik Power KKR To 6-Wicket Win Over CSK

Agencies
May 4, 2018

May 4: Promising Shubman Gill smashed his maiden IPL half-century while Sunil Narine produced an all-around performance to guide Kolkata Knight Riders to a comfortable six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings on Thursday.

Nitish Rana's lower back spasm gave Gill a chance to bat at the no. 4 position and the Under-19 World Cup winning batsman grabbed the opportunity with both hands, scoring a top-class unbeaten 57 off 36 balls (6x4s, 2x6s) to power KKR home.

Gill shared an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 83 runs from 36 balls with skipper Dinesh Karthik (45 not out off 18; 2x4s) as the duo sealed the chase with 14 balls to spare to take KKR (10 points from nine matches) to the third spot ahead of Kings XI Punjab on net run rate.

During Chennai's batting, KKR spinners impressed with Narine leading from the front before Mahendra Singh Dhoni's unbeaten 43 propped CSK's total to 177/5 after Karthik opted to chase.

Narine returned with impressive figures of 2 for 20, while Piyush Chawla grabbed 2 for 35 as the duo bowled 22 dot balls in the middle overs to restrict CSK to their second-lowest total after they had crossed 200-plus four times this season.

Narine also chipped in with the bat with a quickfire 32 off 20 balls as their fielding also hurt CSK big time with Ravindra Jadeja, one of the safest fielders, dropping the left-hander twice while he was on six.

Chris Lynn gave KKR a flying start smashing Lungi Ngidi for consecutive sixes but the young South African pacer won the battle, dismissing the Aussie with a faint inside-edge.

In their chase of a seemingly par target of 178, KKR suddenly found themselves in a spot of bother with KM Asif reducing the hosts to 40 for 2 inside five overs as Robin Uthappa was dismissed for six.

But then came in Gill and the talented 18-year-old made it look easy with his classical array of strokes all around the Eden Gardens.

Midway into their chase, the battle was evenly poised with KKR on 90 for 3, the same as CSK after 10 overs.

Rinku Singh (16) too got out cheaply and failed to make use of the opportunity in absence of the injured Rana but that hardly mattered as the day belonged to Gill.

KKR turned the game in 15th over bowled by Asif, who gave away 21 runs to reduce the equation to 37 from 30 balls.

Gill smashed Asif for two sixes on both sides off the pitch before skipper Karthik ended it on a high with a third six.

Earlier, Dhoni's knock came off just 25 balls that included four sixes and one four as the skipper was also involved in a 54-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja.

It was then left to 'captain cool' Dhoni to finish CSK's innings on a high after they scored just 31 runs in the five overs from 10-15.

Young CSK pacer Shivam Mavi also impressed with his pace and bounce but went wicketless giving away 21 runs from three overs.

CSK scored the bulk of their runs against veteran Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson who leaked 51 runs from his four overs.

Against the batting firepower of CSK, it was a tidy KKR bowling that was on display.

In a battle between two ageing Aussies, it was Shane Watson (36) who impressed up front against KKR pace spearhead Johnson who leaked 10 and 19 runs from his first two overs.

But thankfully for KKR, youngster Mavi put the brakes from the other end showing superb control with his pace and was not afraid to pitch the ball short against CSK's opening duo of Watson and Faf du Plessis (27).

Mavi just gave away 11 runs from his two overs as CSK were in a spot of bother before Watson helped the visitors score 57 for 1 in the powerplay.

But the good thing for KKR was that they managed to get a breakthrough inside the powerplay with Chawla dismissing Du Plessis.

Chawla delivered with his first ball cleaning up the South African skipper with a googly, and after that CSK batsmen struggled against the KKR spin trio with Narine standing tall.

Karthik used Narine wisely, first introducing him in the powerplay and then gave two in the middle overs.

Narine's 11th and 15th overs were crucial as the Trinidadian dismissed his 'bunny' Watson (36) for the seventh time in T20 matches and also removed Rayudu (21), the two leading run-getters of CSK.

Suresh Raina (31) also failed to score big before as he was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav.

Raina, however, achieved a personal milestone becoming the leading run-getter with 4776 runs in IPL history, surpassing Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli (4767).

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News Network
July 24,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 24: Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who was earlier banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching the Anti-Corruption Code, on Friday, said that people are bound to make mistakes and the important thing is that how well they make a comeback.

Shakib was banned from all forms of cricket on October 29 last year after he accepted the charges of breaching the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code. He will be able to resume international cricket from October 29, 2020.

"You have to be honest. You just can't lie to the people and pretend different things. Whatever happened has happened. People are bound to make mistakes. You are not 100%. The important thing is how well you can comeback from those mistakes. You can tell other people not to make those mistakes. Tell them the path so that they never take those paths," Shakib told Deep Dasgupta in a videocast hosted by ESPNcricinfo.

The 33-year-old all-rounder said he has seen many controversies ever since he was first made captain in 2009. He had trouble with the board chief, selectors and the media, mainly about selectorial decisions and not being made permanent captain between 2009 and 2010.
He believes those experiences have changed him as a person over time.

"I think [it's] combination of both [controversy following him, and vice versa]. I got the responsibility so early in my career, I was bound to make mistakes. I was captain when I was 21. I made a lot of mistakes, and there are so many things that people think about me. Now I realise that it was my fault in some areas, and in some I was misunderstood. But I get it completely. It is part and parcel in the subcontinent," Hasan said.

"Of course I will try to minimise [my mistakes] as much as I can, but by the time I got married, and now I have two kids, I understand the game and life better. It has made me a calmer person than I was in my twenties. I have changed quite a lot. People won't see me doing a lot of mistakes now. My two daughters changed my life completely," he added.

Shakib is likely return to international cricket during Bangladesh's proposed Test series against Sri Lanka in October. 

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News Network
June 3,2020

Colorado, Jun 3: Formula One boss Chase Carey has said that races will go ahead even if a driver tests positive for coronavirus.

His remarks come as organisers revealed a revised 2020 calendar and the schedule for the first eight races was put in the public domain.

"An individual having been found with a positive infection will not lead to a cancellation of a race. We encourage teams to have procedures in place so if an individual has to be put in quarantine, we have the ability to quarantine them at a hotel and to replace that individual," the official website of Formula One quoted Carey as saying.

"Some things we'd have to talk through and work through. The array of 'what ifs' are too wide to play out every one of them, but a team not being able to race would not cancel the race. I do not think I could sit here and lay out the consequences," he said.

Carey added the organisers will be having the necessary procedures in place so that the race does not get cancelled if a driver ends up testing positive for coronavirus.

"But we will have a procedure in place that finding infection will not lead to a cancellation. If a driver has an infection, teams have reserve drivers available," Carey said.

"We would not be going forward if we were not highly confident we have necessary procedures and expertise and capabilities to provide a safe environment and manage whatever issues arrive," he added.

The Formula One 2020 season will be beginning with the Austrian Grand Prix in July.

F1 currently expects the opening races to be closed events but hopes that fans will be able to attend again when it is safe to do so.

The season will kick off with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on July 5, followed a week later by a second race on the same track.

The Hungarian Grand Prix will follow a week after that, before a break. There will be then two back to back races at Silverstone, followed by the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

The Belgian Grand Prix will follow that, with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza a week later on September 6.

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News Network
February 18,2020

Feb 18: There are no half measures for fit-again New Zealand pace spearhead Trent Boult who is ready to challenge India captain Virat Kohli on his return to international cricket during the two-Test series starting in Wellington on Friday. Boult was out of action for the past six weeks due to a fracture on his right hand sustained during the Boxing Day Test against Australia and missed out on the limited-overs leg of the India series. Back for the traditional format, the left-arm fast bowler made his priorities clear ahead of the first Test.

"That's personally why I play the game, to get guys like that (Kohli) out and test myself against them, so I can't wait to get stuck in. But he's an exceptional player. Everyone knows how great he is," Boult said, sending out a warning after landing in the capital city for the opening Test.

New Zealand's last Test series in Australia was a nightmare as they lost 0-3 and India will be a tough test for the Black Caps.

"They are a great side and they are leading the ICC Test Championship. They are very clear on how they wanted to play the game. It was a tough learning curve in Australia. It's good to see where we are in terms of bouncing back," said Boult.

The Basin Reserve track will have a lot for the seamers and in conducive conditions, a wily customer like Boult will prove to be a handful for the travellers.

"I'm preparing for a solid wicket. It generally is very good here and goes the full distance (five days). I do enjoy playing here, the history that's involved, and it's going to be an exciting week building up. I can't wait to get out there," said the 30-year-old who has taken 256 wickets from 65 Tests.

It was frustrating for him to watch his side get walloped 0-5 in the T20 series but exhilarating when it got its mojo back in the subsequent one-dayers.

The Black Caps won 3-0 in the 50-over format. "I think it is what it is. I have just got to put the last six or so weeks behind me and just back myself to get out there and do my thing," said Boult, who warmed up by playing a club game at the picturesque Taupo ground.

Boult did find a bit of humour in his injury which, for him, was more of an accident.

"If I had to break a hand, (it would) probably be my right one. Breaking a hand, you don't really know how much you use it unless you break it," said Boult.

"I was pushing in off the long run. I think a couple of the clubbies from Taupo really enjoyed that. It was a good afternoon," added the pacer, who sent down eight overs in a friendly game for his club Cadets.

While bowling isn't a problem, Boult is hoping that catching doesn't become an issue.

"Everything has gone very well but catching will be the biggest issue for me," he said.

Professionally, Boult had to lie low due to injury, but it was also a good break as he and wife Lana welcomed their second child.

"Having some time away from the game and having my second son a couple of weeks ago came at quite a good time," said Boult.

Fighting fit, all he wants now is to get hold of a red kookaburra and get a few to tail into Kohli and company.

"I am hungry to be here and can't wait to get back in the white and get the red ball moving around," he said.

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