Tag: rcb

Royal Challengers Bangalore names Andy Flower as the new head coach, replaces Mike Hesson and Sanjay Bangar

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Former Zimbabwean skipper Andy Flower has taken over as the new head coach of Indian Premier League (IPL) outfit Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Flower will succeed Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson and head coach Sanjay Bangar, whose contract with the franchise concludes this month.

Flower was involved in discussions with several IPL teams like Rajasthan Royals (RR) amongst others, Cricbuzz reports. However, signed up with RCB, with there being a chance of South African great Ab de Villiers joining him as a mentor.

We are beyond thrilled to welcome 𝗜𝗖𝗖 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿 and 𝗧𝟮𝟬 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗽 winning coach 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 as the 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 of RCB Men’s team. 🤩🙌

Andy’s experience of coaching IPL & T20 teams around the world, and leading his teams to titles… pic.twitter.com/WsMYGCkcYT

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) August 4, 2023

Flower has previously coached the England national team and most recently served as a consultant to Australia in Ashes 2023. He has an extensive resume of being at the helm of T20 teams across the world, including the St. Lucia Zouks in the Caribbean Premier League, Gulf Giants in the ILT20, and the Multan Sultans in the Paksitan Super League.

Also Read: RCB to Retire Jersey Numbers 17 and 333 as a Tribute to AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle

He was the head coach of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) since their inception in late-2021 and spearheaded the team to the playoffs in both of their seasons so far. However, LSG shuffled the support staff and replaced him with ex-Australian head coach Justin Langer.

We thank 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 and 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐣𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐫 for their commendable work during the stints as 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 and 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 of RCB. 🙌#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB @CoachHesson pic.twitter.com/Np2fLuRdC0

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) August 4, 2023

At RCB, Hesson and his staff ensured that RCB qualified to the playoffs thrice consecutively in 2020, 2021, and 2022. They missed out on qualifying to the top-four by a very fine margin courtesy of their loss to the Gujarat Titans (GT) in their final game of the league stages in 2023. 16 years down the line, the team is still in search of their maiden title with even a change of captaincy after the mega auction not helping their cause.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Virat Kohli’s Class 10 marksheet hits a super six on Internet

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Former India captain Virat Kohli is regarded as King Kohli due to his spectacular game and indefatigable personality. But it looks like even the mighty Kohli struggled in mathematics. The star India batter whipped up a storm on social media when he recently shared his Class 10th mark sheet on the Koo app.

While sharing his mark sheet, Kohli (in a now-deleted post) wrote, “It is funny how the things that add the least to your mark sheet, add the most to your character.” A screenshot of Kohli’s Koo post has been shared by many fans on Twitter.

It’s funny how the things that add the least to your marksheet, add the most to your character.
10th Marksheet of
@imVkohli
जय श्री राम#ViratKohli𓃵 pic.twitter.com/fm97q2JHMl

— Raj (@MSD071845) March 30, 2023

Reports suggest that Kohli’s favourite subject was history as he was always keen to know about the past and learn from it.

ALSO READ | Watch | Virat Kohli given out LBW by 3rd umpire despite inside edge

The 34-year-old is currently looking forward to the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The talismanic batter is part of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s squad for the 16th straight season, having joined them as a 19-year-old in 2008. RCB’s first match is against five-time champion Mumbai Indians on April 2, Sunday.

Kohli had ended his Test century drought in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He will be now aiming to end RCB’s title drought.

The three-time runners-up had enjoyed a great season last year as they finished third under the leadership of Faf du Plessis. RCB were consistent throughout the league and recorded an impressive win in the eliminator against Lucknow SuperGiants.

ALSO READ | 7 incredible ODI records that Virat Kohli holds after his 166* knock against Sri Lanka

However, they were routed by the Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2. RCB’s legion of fans will hope that their team goes all the way this year. RCB have a healthy mix of young talent and experienced stars and are one of the strongest contenders to lift the trophy.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Women’s Premier League: Opening batter Smriti Mandhana named RCB captain

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Royal Challengers Bangalore have expectedly named senior India batter Smriti Mandhana as their captain for the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL).

The left-handed India vice-captain was signed in the recent auction held in Mumbai for Rs 3.40 crore, the highest price for a player in the WPL auction.

The announcement was made through a video shared on the franchise’s social media handles, which had messages from RCB talisman Virat Kohli and current men’s team skipper Faf du Plessis.

“Now it’s time for another No. 18 to lead a very special RCB team in WPL. Yes, we are talking about Smriti Mandhana. Go on Smriti. You will have the support of the best team and the best fans in the world,” Kohli said.

Also Read: IPL 2023 match schedule- Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans to face MSD’s Chennai Super Kings in season opener

On announcing Mandhana as the captain, RCB chairman Prathmesh Mishra said: “Smriti is central to our play bold philosophy and cricketing plans. We have handed her the leadership role, and we are confident that Smriti will lead RCB into greater heights.” On her role as the RCB women’s team captain, Mandhana said: “It is such a great feeling to see Virat and Faf speak so much about leading RCB and I would like to thank RCB management for giving me this amazing opportunity.

“I am looking forward to receiving all the love and support from you fans who I am told are the best in the World. I promise you to give my 100% to lead RCB to success in WPL.” As an opener, the southpaw has made 2661 runs from 113 WT20Is, averaging 27.15 with a strike-rate of 123.19.

Mandhana has also been a sought-after player on the T20 circuit, making appearances for Brisbane Heat, Sydney Thunder (Women’s BBL), Western Storm (Kia Super League) and Southern Brave (The Hundred).

She has captained India in 11 T20Is, of which they have won six and lost five games. She was also skipper of Trailblazers at the Women’s T20 Challenge – the WPL’s precursor – across all four seasons it was held while leading the team to the title in 2020.

The decorated player recently won the ICC Women Cricketer Of The Year for scoring 855 runs in 22 matches in 2021.

The WPL begins on March 4, with Gujarat Giants taking on Mumbai Indians. RCB’s opener is against Delhi Capitals on March 5.

.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

PBKS vs RCB IPL 2022 preview: Punjab, Bangalore will seek reversal of fortunes as new captains take charge

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Punjab Super Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will begin their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 campaign on March 27 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Both sides are yet to lift the elusive IPL trophy and will hope the new captains at the helm will spark a reversal of fortunes for their respective franchises.

Virat Kohli has relinquished captaincy duties to Faf du Plessis, who was picked up by RCB in the mega-auction in February 2022. The franchise hopes that the change at the top will help unburden their former skipper and unleash Kohli the batter who could be a formidable force in any format of the game.

du Plessis, meanwhile, comes in off the back of a title-winning campaign with Chennai Super Kings after finishing second on the scoring charts last season, just two runs behind the leader, with 633 runs in just 16 matches.

RCB have also shored up their middle-order after signing Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik and hard-hitting Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga. The bowling attack will once again be led by last season’s purple-cap winner Harshal Patel who picked up 32 wickets, 8 more than any other bowler.

Mohammad Siraj, Josh Hazlewood, Jason Behrendorff and David Willey also provide great pace options while Hasaranga and Maxwell will be expected to chip in with a few overs of spin in the middle.

Also read | CSK vs KKR IPL 2022 highlights: Kolkata beat Chennai by 6 wickets

PBKS have split ways with former skipper KL Rahul, who now leads debutants Lucknow Super Giants, and this time the side will be led by Mayank Agarwal.

Punjab boast quite a formidable opening partnership after prising away Shikhar Dhawan to open the innings alongside Mayank. They also have quite a stellar line-up of heavy-hitters featuring Jonny Bairstow, Shahrukh Khan, Liam Livingstone and Bhanuka Rajapaksa.

Catch the latest updates from Tata IPL 2022 here

Arshdeep Singh will continue to spearhead the pace attack after picking up 18 wickets from just 12 games last season and he’ll also have a great opportunity to sharpen his skills and learn from one of the best in the business with Kagiso Rabada joining PBKS.

The spin department sees the addition of crafty leg-spinner Rahul Chahar who has proved to also be handy with the bat, adding valuable runs lower down the order.

Where to Watch LIVE: Match starts at 7.30 pm. The matches will be telecast live on the Star Sports network. Viewers can also tune into the action via the Disney+ Hotstar app.

Also read: How to watch Tata IPL 2022 for free

PBKS vs RCB Team News:

PBKS Team News: Punjab will be without the services of Rabada for this game as the pacer was part of South Africa’s ODI series against Bangladesh and only checked into the team hotel on Friday. Jonny Bairstow is currently in the West Indies with the England team and is set to miss the first two games.

RCB Team News: Glenn Maxwell is set to miss at least the first two games due to his recent marriage. The other two Australians Josh Hazlewood and Jason Behrendorff are set to miss the first three matches due to Australia’s ongoing tour of Pakistan.

PBKS vs RCB Pitch Report: The last IPL game to be held at this venue was way back in 2011 but we should be treated to a wicket with substantial bounce with the new ball skidding onto the bat nicely in the powerplay. Dew could also play a role with the game starting at 7:30 and teams could be tempted to chase after winning the Toss.

PBKS vs RCB Top Fantasy League Picks:

Top Fantasy Batting Picks: A fired up Virat Kohli should be the first name on every team list, especially as the former captain will be eager to prove a point that giving up the captaincy was indeed the right option to help him focus on his batting. Shikhar Dhawan finished fourth on the batting charts last season with 587 runs from 16 matches and will be keen to impress his new franchise.

Top Fantasy All-Rounder Picks: RCB shelled out Rs. 10.75 crore to acquire the services of Wanindu Hasaranga and the Sri Lankan adds real quality with both bat and ball to the side. Liam Livingstone is another spin-bowling all-rounder who could prove a valuable pick, especially as he could be promoted higher up the order due to the absence of Bairstow.

Top Fantasy Bowling Picks: Harshal Patel has proved his ability to grab wickets in the IPL especially after some stellar performances last season. Another value addition to fantasy teams will be high-flying Mohammad Siraj who has been tearing it up on the international circuit and comes into his tournament high on confidence.

PBKS vs RCB Probable Playing XIs:

PBKS Probable XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal (C), Liam Livingstone, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Odean Smith, Sandeep Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar and Arshdeep Singh

RCB Probable XI: Faf du Plessis (C), Anuj Rawat, Virat Kohli, Mahipal Lomror, Sherfane Rutherford, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Wanindu Hasaranga, David Willey, Harshal Patel, Shahbaz Ahmed and Mohammed Siraj.

Click here for Orange Cap list from Tata IPL 2022

Click here for Purple Cap list from Tata IPL 2022

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

RCB appoints Faf du Plessis as new captain

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday appointed former South Africa national team skipper Faf du Plessis as their new captain for the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League. Du Plessis, one of the consistent performers for Chennai Super Kings, was an obvious choice after Virat Kohli decided to call time on his leadership role for the franchise after a decade during which their trophy drought didn’t end. He was bought for Rs 7 crore by RCB and is available for the whole season.

Du Plessis was handed over the cap by team’s chairman Prathmesh Mishra and director cricket operations Mike Hesson in an event here. “Obviously coming in as an outsider, I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity,” Du Plessis, who gave up South African captaincy across all formats in 2020, said.

A four-time IPL winner, the 37-year-old Du Plessis has so far played 100 games, scoring 2935 runs at a strike-rate of 131-plus. He scored 633 runs for CSK in last year’s IPL-winning campaign. “I have played a lot of IPL cricket. I understand the dynamics and it’s no small thing to trust an outsider which is an overseas player to do the job of the leader,” Du Plessis, who has now retired from all forms of international cricket said.

He made it clear that he will depend a lot on experience of domestic players and someone of Virat Kohli’s calibre. “I will rely heavily on the amazing experience that we have in our domestic players but also the International players.” Du Plessis further said he would look to work in tandem with their former captain Kohli who led the side since 2014.

“We’ve got great captains. We’ve got one of the great leaders in the game in Virat. That will be my shadow and making sure that we bounce off everything of each other. “I’m really excited to get going, and hopefully we can put on some good performances for the fans,” the veteran South African added.

The Indian great Kohli, who is currently playing in the Day/Night second Test versus Sri Lanka currently underway here only, also congratulated Du Plessis in a recorded video message. “I couldn’t be happier to pass on the baton to a good friend, someone I’ve known over the years,” Kohli said.

“We’ve been in touch for many years now. He’s one of the few guys I’ve gotten to know a little bit more apart from cricket. My partnership with Faf is going to be exciting. The squad we’ve put together is amazing. Our team looks balanced and strong, and I can’t wait to get started,” Kohli added. That Du Plessis would lead the franchise was apparent when RCB aggressively bid for the South African in a bidding war with his former franchise CSK and Delhi Capitals at last month’s auction.

Asked whether they bid for the South African great keeping in mind the captaincy, director of cricket operation Mike Hesson said it was a little bit of both. “It was a little bit of both. We obviously had Maxwell and Virat to have huge captaincy experience that we retained. We felt within our leadership group we wanted to expand on that and also Harshal Patel as well. Who we wanted to buy back. So it was more about growing our leadership group and carrying on from that.

“Obviously, Faf was right up the top of that list in terms of whom we were wanting to get. It was little bit of both. I know how well respected he is. I know tactically sound he is. We have the likes of Virat, Maxi (Maxwell), DK who is new to the group.” Being an overseas captain may make the team combination less flexible as only four foreigners allowed, but Hesson said Du Plessis is good enough to play every game. “When you look to decide who’s the most suitable candidate for the role, you don’t necessarily decide whether they’re an Indian player or an overseas player. Sure the seven Indians and there’s four overseas — we know the maths.

“The reality is that Faf is good enough to play every single game anyway. So that’s not a question. Therefore you just look at who’s the guy you gonna work with the leaders in the group and get the best out of the younger guys, build relationships and help develop that RCB culture that we want. “We just want the best candidate for the job. And there’s no doubt in our mind that Faf is the guy for that,” Hesson added.

The three-time runners-up RCB are yet to win a title as the Du Plessis-led side will now look to build on their back-to-back playoff appearances in 2020 and 2021. Eyeing an elusive IPL title, RCB will open their campaign against Punjab Kings in Mumbai on March 27.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2022: RCB to announce new captain on March 12, here are 3 frontrunners for skipper’s post

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Indian Premier League (IPL) outfit Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be announcing their captain for the upcoming IPL 2022 season on March 12.

The team is looking for a new captain as Virat Kohli, who had led the team for nine seasons, stepped down from the team’s captaincy role at the end of last season.

Speculations are rife on who could lead the team in the new season. Several names emerged as the front runners for the skipper’s role after the IPL 2022 mega auction, which was held on February 12 and February 13 in Bengaluru.

Here are three possible candidates who could take up captaincy at RCB:

1.  Faf du Plessis

The former South African skipper is the leading contender for the captain’s role at RCB. Du Plessis has led South Africa in two WorldT20 campaigns. He was part of the Chennai Super Kings squad before he was released ahead of the auction. RCB roped in du Plessis for Rs 7 crore.  He is an experienced campaigner having played 100 IPL games. His vast experience in the league and his understanding of captaincy from his South Africa days makes him a favourite for the role.

2. Glenn Maxwell

RCB bought Australia’s explosive batter Glenn Maxwell for a whooping  Rs 14.25 crore ahead of the 2021 season. Last year, Maxwell top-scored for the team scoring 513 runs at an average of 42.75. Before joining RCB, Maxwell has had stints with Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians. The right-hand batter leads the Melbourne Stars in Australia’s Big Bash League. In February, Maxwell was announced as Melbourne Stars BBL Player of the Decade. Maxwell too can do a fine job as the skipper of RCB.

Also Read: IPL 2022 auction squad analysis -Delhi Capitals rope in allrounders Shardul, Axar, Marsh; Warner comes back

3. Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik was brought into the RCB fold after the franchisee shelled out Rs 5.50 crore in the 2022 IPL Mega auction. Prior to this, he was part of Kolkata Knight Riders since 2018. He had led KKR for two and a half seasons before relinquishing captaincy mid-way through the 2020 campaign. In IPL, the wicketkeeper batter has played for Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Lions, Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings.

Karthik is joint second with Mumbai Indians’ captain Rohit Sharma on the list of the players with most IPL caps. Both have played 213 IPL games. Karthik’s enormous IPL experience across five teams makes him an ideal candidate to lead RCB in the upcoming season.

RCB are yet to win their maiden IPL title. Last year the team finished third on the points tally and lost the eliminator against KKR to bow out of the tournament. RCB has featured in three IPL finals but have never won the title. The new skipper will be expected to guide the Karnataka side to a title win.

Also Read: IPL auction 2022:- CSK re-assembles its winning team from 2021, but some questions remain

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Was asked to quit cricket and drive auto after 2019 IPL: Mohammed Siraj

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India pacer Mohammed Siraj says he was asked to “quit cricket and drive auto” with his father after a poor 2019 IPL season, making him think that his career in the league was over before MS Dhoni’s counsel came to his rescue.

Siraj’s seven wickets in nine matches with an economy rate of nearly 10 reflected his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore’s disastrous outing that season as they lost six straight games at the start and finished at the bottom.

His worst performance came against Kolkata Knight Riders when he was hit for five sixes and 36 runs in 2.2 overs, which included two beamers, forcing captain Virat Kohli to take him off bowling.

“When I bowled those two beamers against KKR, people said ‘quit cricket and go back and drive autos with your father’,” Siraj told The RCB Podcast.

“There were so many such comments. And people don’t see the struggle behind all this. But I remember when I first got selected how Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) told me to not listen to everything the people have to say about me.

“‘You do well today and they’ll praise you and when you don’t the same people will abuse you. So don’t ever take it seriously.’ And yes, the same people who trolled me incessantly back then say ‘you’re the best bowler bhai’. So, I know. I don’t want anybody’s opinion. I’m the same Siraj I was back then.”

The 27-year-old has since come a long way and is one of the three players retained by the franchise that is still eying its first ever title in the lucrative league.

Riding on his impressive showing in the 2020 IPL season, Siraj made his India debut during the team’s tour of Australia, where he cemented his place with a magnificent five-wicket haul in the triumphant Gabba Test.

However, he had faced a personal tragedy during the same tour when Siraj lost his father. With travel restrictions in place owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, Siraj couldn’t see his father before taking off for the tour of Down Under as he flew with the team directly to Australia after the conclusion of the IPL in the UAE.

“Dad wasn’t keeping well in 2020. So whenever I used to speak to him, we were always crying on the call. So I didn’t talk a lot with him because he’d keep crying and it made me feel very helpless,” Siraj revealed.

“When the IPL got over, nobody told me dad was so seriously ill. Whenever I called or asked, they’d say he’s sleeping or he’s resting, so I’d tell them okay don’t disturb him. It was only when I reached Australia that I got to know that dad was in such a critical condition.

“I fought with my entire family … ‘why didn’t you tell me sooner’. They’d say we didn’t want it to affect your career or your concentration and it made me angry. I told them if you would’ve told me earlier I would have at least met him before leaving for Australia.

“When he finally spoke to me, all he asked of me was to focus on playing for the country, fulfilling my dream and making the country proud. That’s all I remembered and that’s the only reason I stayed back…

“I thought of leaving the day he passed, but his words were the only thing that kept me back in Australia.”

His father struggled a lot to ensure Siraj gets to play cricket and pursue his dream of playing for India.

“My dad used to save the cut-outs from newspapers if my photo got published after a good performance and standing there (on Test debut) singing the national anthem I couldn’t stop thinking how proud he would have been and how proud he would have been of me seeing him in India jersey, playing for the country.

“His words kept ringing in my ears even as I sang the national anthem.”

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2021: Maxwell, Chahal star in RCB’s 6-run win over Punjab, seal playoffs berth

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Riding on impressive performances by Glenn Maxwell (57 off 33) and Yuzvendra Chahal (3/29), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) beat Punjab Kings by six runs in the 48th match of the IPL 2021 and sealed the playoffs berth, at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, here on Sunday.

With this win, RCB, who now have 16 points, joined Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals in the playoffs. For the second consecutive season, the Virat Kohli-led RCB have made it to the last-four stage.

It will now be a four-way battle between Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, and Rajasthan Royals for fourth place in the points table.

Chasing a challenging total for victory, openers KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal came all guns blazing and gave Punjab Kings a solid start. The duo didn’t allow RCB bowlers to put pressure on them and took Punjab to 49/0 after 6 overs.

This was the 5th match in a row that RCB failed to pick a wicket in the powerplay. They haven’t been able to do it since the resumption of the IPL in the UAE.

Shahbaz Ahmed, in the 12th over of the innings, provided the much-needed breakthrough after he dismissed Rahul. The Punjab skipper scored 39 off 35 and added 91 runs for the opening stand with Mayank.

Continuing his brilliant form, Mayank then smashed his fifty in 36 balls. But, he was not getting support from the other end. Nicholas Pooran, who came to bat next, couldn’t do much and got out to Yuzvendra Chahal for only 3 runs.

Chahal, who hasn’t been named in India’s T20 World Cup squad, struck again and got the wicket of dangerous-looking Mayank Agarwal. Chahal then bowled a beautiful leg-break to dismiss Sarfaraz Khan on a duck.

After that, Sharukh Khan (16 off 11b) and Moises Henriques (12 not out off 9) hit some lusty blows but the required rate went high with every passing over at Sharjah. Punjab needed 27 runs from the last two overs and Siraj bowled an impressive penultimate over to bring down the equation to 19 runs off the final over and Harshal Patel used different variations well and defended the total for RCB.

Earlier in the day, openers Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal gave Royal Challengers Bangalore a flying start. The duo played some beautiful shots and took RCB to 55/0 at the end of the powerplay.

However, during the process, Kohli was given a few lifelines by the Punjab team. In the 4th over of the innings bowled by Ravi Bishnoi, Kohli stepped out of his crease and KL Rahul missed a relatively easy stumping chance to dismiss RCB captain. Very soon, Sarfaraz Khan dropped Kohli at midwicket.

The 8th over, bowled by Ravi Bishnoi was the most eventful one when KL Rahul and Punjab Kings were left baffled after a caught-behind appeal was turned down against Devdutt Padikkal. Padikkal, who was struggling to read the leg-spinner’s googlies, went for a reverse sweep but was not able to execute the shot properly and got an under-edge.

Both Bishnoi and KL Rahul went up in appeal immediately but the on-field umpire did not give it out, forcing Rahul to go for the review. The replays showed the ball kissed Padikkal’s gloves before crashing into KL Rahul’s gloves. However, the third umpire deemed it not out and went with the on-field call, leaving Rahul and Bishnoi frustrated.

Thereafter, Punjab captain Rahul brought Moises Henriques (3/12) into the attack and he wreaked havoc. First, he dismissed Kohli (25) and then got rid of Daniel Christian in the next ball to bring Punjab back in the game. In his next over, Henriques struck again to remove a set Padikkal for 40.

After losing the wickets of Kohli, Christian, and Padikkal in quick succession, Bangalore were at 73/3 and in big trouble. But, Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers batted well and stitched a good partnership to bring RCB back on track.

While Maxwell was the aggressor, de Villiers batted cautiously. Continuing his brilliant form, Maxwell cleverly targeted the short boundary and hit a few big sixes to complete his fifty off just 29 balls in the 18th over. De Villiers (23 off 18) also hit Arshdeep Singh for a six in the first ball of the over, before getting out to him in the next ball.

Mohammed Shami (3/39) put brakes on RCB’s run-rate in the 20th over as he dismissed Maxwell (57 off 33), Shahbaz Ahmed (8), and George Garton in the same over. In the end, Bangalore posted 164/7 in 20 overs, which became the winning total for Virat Kohli’s side.

Brief scores:

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 164/7 (Glenn Maxwell 57 off 33 balls, Devdutt Padikkal 40 off 38 balls, Moises Henriques 3/12, Mohammed Shami 3/39) Punjab Kings: 158 for 6 in 20 overs ( KL Rahul 39 off 35 balls, Mayank Agarwal 57, Yuzvendra Chahal 3/29)

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IPL 2021 KKR vs RCB preview: Prospective playing XI, betting odds and where to watch live

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Enduring a forgettable outing in the first half of this year’s IPL, two-time former champion Kolkata Knight Riders would look for a reversal of fortunes when they resume their campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the second phase of the T20 league here on Monday.

The Eoin Morgan-led KKR would be hoping to make a turnaround, just like the 2014 edition when they won nine games in a row to claim the title. But it would be easier said than done for KKR as they face RCB, a formidable outfit, whose captain Kohli would be gunning for success with the bat after announcing his decision to quit from the post of skipper in the shortest format.

KKR’s two wins earlier this year came against two under-performing sides — Punjab Kings, who are placed just a rung above them, and bottom-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Key players

KKR would be relying heavily on Nitin Rana to deliver the goods with the bat Rana managed 201 runs in the first seven games for KKR in this year’s IPL will look to improve his record.

 Squad

Eoin Morgan (capt), Dinesh Karthik, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathy, Shubman Gill, Harbhajan Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Pawan Negi, M Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Dube, Tim Southee, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russel, Ben Cutting, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sheldon Jackson, Tim Seifert.

Virat Kohli’s RCB, which is third in the eight-team standings with 10 points from seven games, looks to have an upper hand in the game. Even though KKR leads in head-to-head record against RCB, winning 18 and losing 13 out of 28 fixtures played between the two sides, the 38-run defeat against Kohli’s team in the first half of the event in Chennai would play on their minds.

With Glenn Maxwell (223 runs from 7 games) and AB de Villiers (207 runs from 7) leading the run-scorers chart till now for the team, RCB’s batting unit looks ominous. Kohli (198), by his own standards, has been a little disappointing and Devdutt Padikkal (195) too would be looking for a consistent show.

On the bowling front, Mohammed Siraj and Kiwi Kyle Jamieson would lead the attack which also has Harshal Patel, Navdeep Saini and Yuzvendra Chahal, who would be desperate to answer the selectors after being ignored from India’s T20 World Cup squad. The additions of Sri Lanka duo of Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera, who replaced Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson, will also hold the team in good stead as they have a good understanding of the UAE conditions.

Key player

Virat Kohli is yet to come to his usual form in both IPL and international cricket this year. However, with the decision about relinquishing the captain post taken, he would be looking to bat much freely than earlier.

Squad

Virat Kohli (capt), Navdeep Saini, Glenn Maxwell, Dan Christian, Rajat Patidar, Dushmantha Chameera, Pavan Deshpande, Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Sachin Baby, Wanindu Hasaranga, George Garton, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shahbaz Ahmed, Devdutt Padikkal, Kyle Jamieson, Suyash Prabhudessai, KS Bharat, Tim David, Akash Deep, AB de Villiers.

Match Details:

Timing: Match starts at 7.30 pm and the toss will take place at 7 pm.

Venue:  Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Betting Odds (Oddschecker):

RCB: 8/11

KKR: 11/10

With text inputs from PTI

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2021 DC vs RCB preview: Prospective playing XI, betting odds and where to watch live

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals will face each other knowing well that this would be a battle of equals. Both sides will look to win the match as it will ensure they will capture the top spot in the point table from CSK.

The RCB, the biggest challenge will be to forget their last outing against CSK that resulted in their first defeat.  The team looks perfect on paper with a batting line up led by the likes of Kohli, Maxwell and AB de Villiers. Devdutt Padikkal’s century against Rajasthan further strengthens the already strong batting line up.

However, they will remember how this line-up failed against rivals CSK.On the bowling front, purple cap holder Harshal Patel has been impressive, despite his horror last over against Ravindra Jadeja in the last outing, along with fellow pacer Mohammed Siraj. While left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed has been a revelation.

Key player: RCBs brilliant run came to a shocking halt against rival CSK and the team is surely looking for answers for the defeat. There can be no better time for skipper Virat Kohli to lead from the front and regain the winning momentum.

Probable XI: Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Shahbaz Ahmed, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Washington Sundar, Daniel Sams, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammad Siraj

Squad: Virat Kohli (C), Devdutt Padikkal, Washington Sundar, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers(w), Daniel Christian, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Navdeep Saini, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, Sachin Baby, Srikar Bharat, Pavan Deshpande, Rajat Patidar, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Finn Allen, Suyash Prabhudessai, Daniel Sams, Shahbaz Ahmed

The Rishab Pant led DC has not had a smooth ride so far despite its 80 percent win ratio. While opener Shikar Dhawan continues to impress the rest of the line up is an enigma. Prithvi Shaw struggles with consistency and Rishab Pant looks rusty. However, the inclusion of Steven Smith brings stability to the middle order. With R Ashwin leaving for home the responsibility of veteran spinner Amit Mishra and left-arm finger spinner Axar Patel increases along with that of pacer Avesh Khan.

Key player: With the exit of R Ashwin, the responsibility of leading the bowling pack is on the shoulders of Amit Mishra. It will be impressive to see how the leg spinner deals with the RCB batters especially Kohli.

Probable XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Steven Smith, Rishabh Pant Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan

Squad: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Steven Smith, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Lalit Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Umesh Yadav, Chris Woakes, Aniruddha Joshi, Sam Billings, Lukman Meriwala, Tom Curran, Praveen Dubey, Anrich Nortje, Vishnu Vinod, Manimaran Siddharth, Shams Mulani, Ripal Patel

Match Details:

Timing: Match starts at 7.30 pm and the toss will take place at 7 pm.

Venue:  Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

Where to watch LIVE: Star Sports 1/1HD/1 Hindi/1HD Hindi/1 Tamil/1 Telugu/1 Kannada/1 Bangla/Select 1/Select 1HD. Online viewers can catch the action live on Disney+ Hotstar.

Betting Odds (Oddschecker):

DC: 1/1

RCB: 10/11

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow