Winner: Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 4 runs.
Scores:RCB 181/0 – RR177/9
Player of the Match: Devdutt Padikkal
Best Figures
Mohammad Siraj – 3/27
Chetan Sakariya – 0/35
Most Runs
Shivam Dube – 46 (32)
Devdutt Padikkal – 101* (52)
Stars of The Day:
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatiarescue RR to a respectable total. Rajasthan were struggling at 18/3 and later 43/4. Shivam Dube’s counterattack with support from Riyan Parag – 25 (14) & Rahul Tewatia – 40 (23) got RR to a respectable 177/9. Unfortunately, this was never going to be enough at the Wankhede.
When RCB last reached the final in 2016, Virat Kohli opened the batting and scored 973 runs. Moving from Chennai to Mumbai, the flow came back to his batting with a steady 72*. The star of the day was Devdutt Padikkal. At one stage, Padikkal was on 80* (36) while Kohli was still in his twenties. That is domination. One to watch out for sure. With Maxwell & AB De Villiers already performing, Kohi-Padikkal’s form at the top is yet another box ticked.
Speaking of which, RCB finally have their death bowling figured out. Mohammad Siraj & Harshal Patel have been the pick of the bowlers. Siraj is giving RCB ideal starts with eye catching in-swinging deliveries while Harshal Patel’s off cutters are too hot to handle. While Patel is the purple cap holder with 12 wickets to his name, Siraj is #6 on the economy charts with a miserly 6.06 economy to go with his five wickets.
Honorable Mentions:
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: RR’s Campaign Going South Quickly
Manan Vohra is not giving RR the starts that they want. With only 3 fifties in more than 50+ IPL games, it is not a particularly impressive record. Ben Stokes’ injury, release of Robin Uthappa, and Liam Livingstone going home (due to bio bubble fatigue), these are not good signs for RR. Already at the bottom of the table, they need a few Tewatia shows to rescue them from that position.
IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!
Shikhar Dhawan – 231 runs (DC, 4 matches)
Harshal Patel – 12 wickets (RCB, 4 matches)
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
4
4
0
0
8
+ 1.009
2. Chennai Super Kings
4
3
1
0
6
+1.142
3. Delhi Capitals
4
3
1
0
6
+0.426
4. Mumbai Indians
4
2
2
0
4
+0.187
5. Sunrisers Hyderabad
4
1
3
0
2
-0.228
6. Kolkata Knight Riders
4
1
3
0
2
-0.7
7. Punjab Kings
4
1
3
0
2
-0.824
8. Rajasthan Royals
4
1
3
0
2
-1.011
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
MI takes on PBKS tomorrow. What are your thoughts?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
CSK Vs KKR– IPL 2021 Match #15 Quick Review! The most exciting match of IPL 2021 thus far feat Andre Russell & Pat Cummins’ magic. Wickets & sixes galore.
First, congratulations to Dinesh Karthik for his 200th IPL match! Third player to get there after MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Faf Du Plessis-Ruturaj Gaikwad set the platform. Looks like Ruturaj Gaikwad gets in and out of form every three games. Last IPL, he was dropped after 3 no-shows and came back with 3 fifties. Credit to CSK for keeping faith with Gaikwad (5, 5, 10 prior to this match) – 64 (42) with some amazing pull shots. Also, Faf is class. That’s all. Knows how to play second fiddle in a 115 (77) run partnership and accelerate accordingly. Faf’s scoop has to be one of my favorite shots.
The Deepak Chahar show. Chahar might have become a T20 specialist, but swing his still his forte. Back into form again in IPL 2021. His 4/29 reduced KKR to 5-31 in 5.2 overs. His spell almost finished the game then and there for KKR.
Almost being the key phrase. Andre Russell-Dinesh Karthik-Pat Cummins show their worth. KKR’s last two season have been disappointing because their so-called strength, Morgan-Russell-Karthik-Cummins, have never performed together. Partnerships of 81 (39) Russell-DK & 34 (22) DK-Cummins partnership almost brought KKR brought into the game today, but the 30 run-over of Pat Cummins against Sam Curran sent shivers in the CSK dressing room. The hitting from Andre Russell & Pat Cummins. Brute force.
The KKR began to dream. Before it came crashing down in iconic KKR fashion—a silly bowled, nonsensical shot, and two run-outs.
Honorable Mention: Lungi Ngidi’s 4-0-28-3 the turning spell; MS Dhoni turns back the clock with 17 (8) including a six
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Discipline in the Field & Russell’s Bowled
Wides, No balls, 5 Wides, Dropped catch for six, Nagarkoti’s ill-timed shot, run-outs…the list goes on. Discipline in the field was lacking on both sides. KKR lost around 20-30 runs in the field, which probably cost KKR the game. Sam Curran conceded 51 in his first 3 overs (58 overall), while Thakur conceded 47. Have to be better than that.
We now know that 200 is probably par in Mumbai, and 220 is just about safe. KKR should think about bringing in Tim Seifert andLockie Ferguson for Mumbai. Will give them the edge they are missing thus far.
The broken cricket dream of the day goes to Andre Russell’s bowled.He left the ball, and Sam Curran’s bowl smashed the stumps behind his hip. He was so disappointed, he sat on the stairs for quite a while. With no expression. Had he stayed for a couple more overs, KKR might have just reached the target.
IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!
Shikhar Dhawan – 231 runs (DC, 4 matches)
Harshal Patel – 12 wickets (RCB, 4 matches)
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
4
4
0
0
8
+ 1.009
2. Chennai Super Kings
4
3
1
0
6
+1.142
3. Delhi Capitals
4
3
1
0
6
+0.426
4. Mumbai Indians
4
2
2
0
4
+0.187
5. Sunrisers Hyderabad
4
1
3
0
2
-0.228
6. Kolkata Knight Riders
4
1
3
0
2
-0.7
7. Punjab Kings
4
1
3
0
2
-0.824
8. Rajasthan Royals
4
1
3
0
2
-1.011
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
Tomorrow is the first double header!
MI takes on DC tomorrow. What are your thoughts?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
PBKS Vs SRH– IPL 2021 Match #14 Quick Review! SRH are finally on the points table, while PBKS continue to disappoint. Khaleel-Rashid-Warner-Bairstow help SRH to first win.
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Kane Williamson provides the balance– SRH always had the players but not the balance. Williamson’s calm 16 (19) made sure SRH cross the line. At the same spot in earlier games, Warner or Bairstow’s dismissal would cause a collapse. I like the look of this lineup—Warner-Bairstow-Williamson at the top followed by Kedar Jadhav-Vijay Shankar-Abhishek Sharma.
Jonny Bairstow is a star. Definitely one of the modern ODI greats, he has started IPL 2021 with scores of 55, 12, 43, and 63*. This knock would please Bairstow since he finished the game himself. A ton coming soon?
Khaleel Ahmed is back. In 2018-19, Khaleel was India’s pace spearhead. By late 2020, he had even dropped off from SRH’s pecking order. Natarajan’s injury is a concern, but the blessing in disguise is the return of Khaleel. Figures of 3/21 today.
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Pooran’s Poor Form Persists
Run out without facing a ball has to be the worst broken dream for a batsman. Pooran was on the receiving day today.
Poor Pooran – 0(1), 0(2), 0(0) – run (out). Shall I say anymore? With 9 as his highest score and Chris Gayle not doing too hot either, it is safe to say that, Dawid Malan, world’s #1 T20I batsman, needs to be back.
Why bench Ravi Bishnoi, one of the breakout stars of IPL 2020? Punjab Kings did well to take the game to the 19th over, but the bowling lineup does not aspire too much confidence. Why not play both Murugan Ashwin & Ravi Bishnoi?
IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!
Moments of The Day: Stalwarts Mishra, Shikhar Steal The Show
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Amit Mishrais the most successful spinner with 164 wickets in all of IPL (7 away from #1 spot- Malinga) and for good reason too. 38 years young, his guile, spin, and googly continues to puzzle people to this day. Although he did not play last year and was out of the XI in the first few games this IPL, Chennai was the ideal venue for him to exploit his leg spin. With Kuldeep-Chahal struggling in internationals & Ashwin out of contention in T20I, is there a small window for his comeback? (Although he has not been treated too well in his international career).
On paper, Shikhar Dhawan’s45 (42) flatters to deceive, but in context, this may have been just as important as his 85 and 92. At Chepauk, KKR & SRH has lost from winning position against MI, but the experience of Shikhar Dhawan & Steven Smith pushed DC across the line.
Emergence of Lalit Yadav– Along with the experience of Dhawan-Smith, 24-year-old Lalit Yadav stood up with an all-round performance of 4-0-17-1 & mature 22*(25).
Honorable Mentions: Rohit Sharma’s 44
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: The Power Three of MI?
Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, & Krunal Pandya has been the engine room for the Mumbai Indians, yet they have looked out of sorts this year. In the four innings, they have accumulated:
Hardik Pandya – 35 runs, best of 15
Kieron Pollard – 49 runs, best of 35*, 1 wicket (one match winning performance)
Krunal Pandya – 26 runs, best of 3*, 3 wickets (including match winning 1/13 spell Vs KKR)
RCB’s success in Chennai had been built on Glenn Maxwell & AB De Villiers, and that has been missing from MI’s #4-6.
IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!
Shikhar Dhawan – 231 runs (DC, 4 matches)
Harshal Patel – 12 wickets (RCB, 4 matches)
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
4
4
0
0
8
+ 1.009
2. Chennai Super Kings
4
3
1
0
6
+1.142
3. Delhi Capitals
4
3
1
0
6
+0.426
4. Mumbai Indians
4
2
2
0
4
+0.187
5. Sunrisers Hyderabad
4
1
3
0
2
-0.228
6. Kolkata Knight Riders
4
1
3
0
2
-0.7
7. Punjab Kings
4
1
3
0
2
-0.824
8. Rajasthan Royals
4
1
3
0
2
-1.011
IPL 2021 Points Table
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
Stars of The Day: CSK’s Left Arm All-Rounders – Sam, Moeen, Jadeja
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Chetan Sakariya with his second 3-fer in the IPL. He had a dream day with scalps of Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, & MS Dhoni, India’s former middle order. Oh yeah and he also got the duo of Agarwal-KL Rahul in the first game. Happy for him, after he endured some tough days personally.
When Jos Buttler performs, RR qualifies. As easy as that. At 87-2 in 11 overs, things were looking in RR’s favor. With Jadeja’s wicket of Buttler & Moeen Ali in tandem, RR collapsed to 95-7.
Sam Curran & Moeen Ali again show their worth. Sam finished things off with 13 (6) before his 3-0-12-2 spell (taking Manan Vohra and Sanju Samson) put the initial breaks on RR. Moeen Ali – 26 (20) with 2 sixes and sealed the game with 3-0-7-3. Glad to see CSK utilizing these English talents better than the England cricket team themselves.
Sir Jadeja is Everywhere. 2 wickets, 4 catches (on different parts of the ground). Looks like IPL 2021 has only 5 contributors in the field:
In the 20th over, there was a Sam Curran & Shardul Thakur (stranded) run-outs, no-ball yorkers, Dwayne Bravo’s bat flying everywhere, and a huge six. It was all happening at the Wankhede. Comedy of errors at its finest.
IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!
Shikhar Dhawan – 186 runs (DC, 3 matches)
Harshal Patel – 9 wickets (RCB, 3 matches)
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
3
3
0
0
6
+ 0.75
2. Chennai Super Kings
3
2
1
0
4
+1.194
3. Delhi Capitals
3
2
1
0
4
+0.453
4. Mumbai Indians
3
2
1
0
4
+0.367
5. Kolkata Knight Riders
3
1
2
0
2
-0.633
6. Rajasthan Royals
3
1
2
0
2
-0.719
7. Punjab Kings
3
1
2
0
2
-0.967
8. Sunrisers Hyderabad
3
0
3
0
0
-0.483
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
Tomorrow is the first double header!
MI takes on DC tomorrow. What are your thoughts?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
Winner: Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 38 runs
Scores:RCB 204/4 – KKR 166/8
Player of the Match: AB De Villiers 76* (34)
Best Figures
Varun Chakravarthy – 2/39
Kyle Jamieson – 3/41
Most Runs
Glenn Maxwell – 78 (49)
Andre Russell – 31 (20)
Moments of The Day:
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Varun Chakravarthy’s Start – KKR has developed a strategy of bowling 4-5 overs of spin in the powerplay at Chennai, courtesy Harbhajan, Shakib, & Varun. Varun took out Virat Kohli & Rajat Patidar. RCB 9-2 in 2 overs. Dream start.
Eoin Morgan’s captaincy – In order to ‘save’ X-factor Varun for AB De Villiers, Varun was immediately switched out for Shakib Al Hasan. Glenn Maxwell capitalized, momentum shifted, and Bangalore never looked back. Morgan is an All-Time great captain, but certain decisions about England (Woakes, Moeen Ali, Alex Hales) & KKR (batting order, bowling match-ups) have been 50-50 recently.
Glenn Maxwell & Virat Kohli’s reactions – Maxwell is having as great of an IPL year as the 2014 season with a couple of game changing 50s in the slow pitch of Chennai. Theswitch hit six to Chakravarthy was definitely my moment of the game yesterday.
Honorable Mentions: Brilliant catch by Rahul Tripathi; Harshal Patel & Mohammad Siraj at the death (combined figures of 7-0-34-2 in a chase of 205)
World T20 Spotlight: Time For AB De Villiers’ South Africa Comeback?
ABD eclipsed Maxwell’s show with a masterclass – 76* (34) with 3 sixes. RCB finished with 70 runs in the last 5 overs, with the death overs specialist, Andre Russell, conceding 38 in his two.
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Shakib Al Hasan & Andre Russell
Andre Russell brought KKR close with overs worth 20 & 15 runs respectively, but it was his lack of fitness (missed several ones & twos) that could have brought KKR closer. The 1-run 19th over against Siraj was extremely painful to watch from a KKR point of view (great wide yorkers by Siraj by the way). Is it time to rest Russell & play Ben Cutting?
While Russell has been a hit-or-miss for KKR, Shakib has been missing in action altogether. Giving away 24 runs in his two overs & 26 (25) when big hitting was required. Looks low on confidence. Not good signs for KKR, especially with Morgan-DK struggling in the middle and Harbhajan-Cummins holding places that are better off for Pawan Negi-Lockie Ferguson. Maybe even a Tim Seifert could do wonders.
Also, we got featured on the #GoodBadRidiculous again with Melinda Farrell & Bharat Sundaresan! Have a listen below (discussion around our nomination starts around 16 minutes).
CSK Vs PBKS– IPL 2021 Match #8 Quick Review! Deepak Chahar’s magical opening spell & Ravindra Jadeja’s fielding seal the deal for CSK. Big net run-rate gain as well.
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Before the pandemic, Deepak Chahar almost solidified his T20I spot, especially with Bhuvneshwar Kumar injured. Since IPL 2020, though, he has not been the same, with even Shardul Thakur overtaking him in the India XI. Today, he answered his critics with a 4-1-13-4. That out-swinging ball to Mayank Agarwal was the ball of the tournament so far.
Ravindra Jadeja had been MIA in the India-England series due to injury. He showed no fitness issues with a diving catch and iconic run-out to get rid of the dangerous KL Rahul. PBKS never recovered after Jadeja’s strikes.
Shahrukh Khan has been highly talked about after his finishing exploits in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy. Today he made full use of his golden opportunity. From 26-5 in 6.2 overs, he dragged them to a respectable score of 106. He is a proper batter, not just a hitter.
Honorable Mentions:Mohammad Shami’s spell, Faf du Plessis’ fluent 36*
T20 World Cup Spotlight: Let Us Talk About Moeen Ali
Given that the T20I World Cup is around the corner, and pandemic induced rules has changed the rules to 23-player squad, we will be analyzing the impact of each match on the various T20I World Cup squads.
Just like Chris Woakes yesterday, another English player has been mistreated recently—Moeen Ali. Traveling with England since the South Africa tour (and committing to all formats), he had been on the sidelines. Flights, quarantines, more flights (to Sri Lanka), positive COVID result, double quarantine, 1 Test (against India), flew home, communication misunderstandings, back to India, 3 ODIs, & finally, the IPL.
He is getting the run in CSK that he did not get with England. In a low-scoring match today, he came in at 24-1 in 5 overs and destroyed the chase with a quickfire 46 (31), including 7 fours & 1 six.
Who is Ali? An opener, a #3, premier all-rounder, a spinner? Well, regardless of the role he is given, Mooen Ali is a must in the squad of 23.
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Punjab’s Star Power Disappoints
With a top order of KL Rahul (5), Mayank Agarwal (0), Chris Gayle (10), & Nicholas Pooran (0), one expects at least one to come to the party every game. Pooran with consecutive ducks now (although he bettered his golden duck with a 2-ball duck this time). Batting is Punjab’s strong suit, so this result was disappointing. Hope this is only a one-off.
IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!
Nitish Rana – 137 runs (KKR, 2 matches)
Harshal Patel – 7 wickets (RCB, 2 matches)
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
2
2
0
0
4
+0.175
2. Chennai Super Kings
2
1
1
0
2
+0.616
3. Mumbai Indians
2
1
1
0
2
+0.225
4. Delhi Capitals
2
1
1
0
2
+0.195
5. Rajasthan Royals
2
1
1
0
2
+0.052
6. Kolkata Knight Riders
2
1
1
0
2
0.00
7. Punjab Kings
2
1
0
0
2
-0.909
8. Sunrisers Hyderabad
2
0
2
0
0
-0.4
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
The MI take on the SRHin Mumbai. Who do you think will win this one?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
Moments of The Day: Unadkat, Miller, & Morris Come Back In Style
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Rajasthan Royals have had two major purchases in the last few years—Jaydev Unadkat & Chris Morris. While Chris Morris has not had a major IPL season since the 2015 season with Delhi (Daredevils), Unadkat has been bitterly disappointing at RR. Today Unadkat ended up with 4-0-15-3, devouring the entire DC top order. Morris, who had been denied a run by Samson in the first game, came back with 36 (18) with 4 sixes.
The Fizz (Mustafizur Rahman) was the big positive for today. Post-injuries, his impact had dramatically reduced from the heights of his dream debut year. He was finally hitting speeds of 135 kph+ and putting revolutions on the ball. The dismissals of Stoinis & Curran were especially satisfying. With Unadkat-Fizz occupying the ‘specialist off-cutter’ position, & Sakariya/Morris for support, this is turning out pretty nicely for RR.
The fielding is finally doing justice to the standard of the IPL. After a horrendous few days, RCB-SRH brought things back on track. Today, it got even better—Samson’s flying screamer, Parag’s run out of Pant, Tewatia’s running back catch, Miller’s run out of Ashwin, & Dhawan’s 3 catches (6 in total this IPL).
Honorable Mentions:Lalit Yadav impresses; Rishabh Pant almost bails out DC with a 50; Avesh Khan’s 3 wickets
T20 World Cup Spotlight: South Africa, the Dark Horse?
Given that the T20I World Cup is around the corner, and pandemic induced rules has changed the rules to 23-player squad, we will be analyzing the impact of each match on the various T20I World Cup squads.
There was a point today where Miller & Morris partnership were facing Kagiso Rabada. Miller’s career can be divided into three phases:
Killer Miller (Pre-2016)
Where Is Miller? (2016-2020)
Accumulator Miller (Post-2020)
Frankly, if this third phase is anywhere close to ‘Killer Miller’ phase, South Africa might just have a chance for the T20I World Cup. With AB De Villiers’ return possible, the young SA squad impressing against Pakistan(Janneman Malan, Aiden Markram, Russie Van der Dussen, Klassen, Linde, Shamsi), & the IPL experience of Faf-ABD, QDK, Miller, Morris, Rabada-Nortje-Ngidi, count this Protea team out at your own peril.
The Chris Woakes & Tom Curran Conundrum – Woakes ended up with 15* & 4-0-22-2 today & 2/18 in the first game, while Curran had figures of 21 & 3.4-0-35-0 & 1/40 in the last game. Curran has played 28 T20I for England, while Woakes only has 8, last of which came in 2015. Time for a straight switch.
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Delhi’s Team Selection
Although the Capitals made a game out of a 148 score, their tactics should still be questioned. Why was Amit Mishra dropped? What is Rahane’s role in the team? Smith-Hetmyer? Frankly, DC’s depth is so good, but I am just afraid the constant changing & chopping will not help in the stability.
RR already dealing with Jofra Archer’s injury have been dealt with Ben Stokes being ruled out of the tournament. Hopefully he recovers well, but maybe blessing in disguise given David Miller & Liam Livingstone’s form.
IPL 2021 Points Table
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table. We will keep updating it in every article!
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
2
2
0
0
4
+0.175
2. Mumbai Indians
2
1
1
0
2
+0.225
3. Punjab Kings
1
1
0
0
2
+0.2
4. Delhi Capitals
2
1
1
0
2
+0.195
5. Rajasthan Royals
2
1
1
0
2
+0.052
6. Kolkata Knight Riders
2
1
1
0
0
0.00
7. Sunrisers Hyderabad
2
0
2
0
0
-0.4
8.. Chennai Super Kings
1
0
1
0
0
-0.779
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
The PBKS take on the CSKin Mumbai. Who do you think will win this one?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
Moments of The Day: Maxwell, Catches The Highlight
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Glenn Maxwell was the difference between the two sides. After a poor IPL 2020 (and no sixes) he has come up with 39 (28) with 2 sixes and 59 (41) with 3 sixes on slow tracks. The reverse paddle to yorker-master Natarajan was my moment of the match.
Scores of catches have been dropped over the past week, but Rashid Khan, Vijay Shankar, & Manish Pandeycame up with running/diving catches for SRH, and the over that turned the game—Harshal Patel, AB de Villiers running catch, & Shahbaz himself caught skiers.
Rashid Khanis an absolute gun T20 player. 4-0-18-2 and 17 (9) giving SRH some hope at the end.
Honorable Mentions:Warner’s 54, Holder’s dismissal of struggling Kohli
T20 World Cup Spotlight: Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel Add To India’s Depth
Given that the T20I World Cup is around the corner, and pandemic induced rules has changed the rules to 23-player squad, we will be analyzing the impact of each match on the T20I World Cup squad.
Shahbaz Ahmed & Harshal Patel – In all reality, they may never wear an Indian cap given the tough competition, but these two have been brilliant first class cricketers who are finally getting their dues in the IPL. Shahbaz is the Ben Stokes of Bengal Cricket, while Harshal has been consistent over the last 5 years. Shahbaz’s 2-0-7-3 & Harshal’s economical overs to Manish Pandey (with slower off-cutters/nailed yorkers) sealed the game for RCB.
Manish Pandey has probably been mismanaged by the Indian cricket team, but has been given ample of opportunities by SRH. He has now two consecutive innings – 61*(44) & 38 (39) – that could be considered ‘losing’ knocks. Dot balls & strike rate of 97.43 are not going to win you games.
As Simon Doull quoted Cricbuzz’s statistician, “In the last 4 seasons, Manish Pandey has faced 30+ 14 times in the last 4 seasons. Sunrisers has lost 11 of them.” That is the story of his IPL career.
IPL 2021 Points Table
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table. We will keep updating it in every article!
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
2
2
0
0
4
+0.175
2. Delhi Capitals
1
1
0
0
2
+0.779
3. Mumbai Indians
2
1
1
0
2
+0.225
4. Punjab Kings
1
1
0
0
2
+ 0.2
5. Kolkata Knight Riders
2
1
1
0
0
0.00
6. Rajasthan Royals
1
0
1
0
0
-0.2
7. Sunrisers Hyderabad
2
0
2
0
0
-0.4
8.. Chennai Super Kings
1
0
1
0
0
-0.779
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
The Delhi Capitalstake on the Rajasthan Royals in Mumbai. Who do you think will win this one?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
KKR Vs MI– IPL 2021 Match #5 Quick Review! The Mumbai Indians sure know how to win games & Kolkata Knight Riders sure know how to lose them. As a KKR fan, the ending was hard to watch. Great heist from MI nevertheless.
What Actually Happened: Collapse of Epic Proportions
Winner: MI won by 10 runs
Scores:MI152/10 VsKKR 142/7
Player of the Match: Rahul Chahar
Best Figures
Andre Russell – 5/15
Rahul Chahar – 4/27
Most Runs
Suryakumar Yadav 56 (36)
Nitish Rana 57 (47)
Moments of The Day: Rahul Chahar Turns The Game
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Andre Russell, the bowler had a dream of a game. Barely able to lift himself with all the injuries & muscle, he came up with figures of 5-15 in 2 overs. Cleaned up the tail pretty nicely.
Rahul Chahar turns the game, literally. Chahar was the catalyst of the collapse that turned 72-0 in 8.4 overs to 142/7 in 20. Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan, & most importantly, the well set Nitish Rana. The ball that dismissed Tripathi was the ball of the tournament so far. Rana unnecessarily danced down the pitch (to Chahar’s last ball by the way) & Shakib threw it away back-to-back sent panic into the KKR dressing room. DK-Russell lost their natural games trying to preserve their wickets, and in the process, gifted MI the game.
Honorable Mentions:Bumrah’s 19th shows his class; Russell’s 2 dropped catches a blessing in disguise
T20 World Cup Watch: Suryakumar, Krunal Strengthen Their Cases
Given that the T20I World Cup is around the corner, and pandemic induced rules has changed the rules to 23-player squad, we will be analyzing the impact of each match on the T20I World Cup squad.
In a pitch where nobody got going, Suryakumar Yadavbatted beautifully – 56 (36) with 2 sixes. SKY is going from strength to strength after the India debut. He has a foot inside that World Cup squad.
The difference between the two sides was Krunal Pandya. From 126/7 in 17.3 overs, Krunal’s 15 (9) in 3 overs took MI to a respectable 152. When KKR were in a comfortable position, a miserly spell of 4-0-13-1 stalled KKR’s chase. He has been in-and-out of the T20I side, and this performance will just push him up the ladder.
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: KKR Fans
The senior KKR batsman fail to live up to the hype. The strength of KKR was supposed to be their star-studded middle order—Eoin Morgan 9 (9), Dinesh Karthik 8* (11), Russell 9 (15), & Shakib 9 (9) this season. Yet, their only victories in the last two seasons have been due to Rana-Tripathi-Gill or Varun-Lockie.
DK not being able to finish the game & not even hitting a boundary was quite unlike him. Morgan hit one boundary, Shakib’s only 4 was an under edge against Rohit Sharma, & Russell’s only 4 was off of a free hit. Andre Russell, the batsman, has been especially disappointing over the last two seasons. 2019 apart and his contributions from the bat are minimal, especially with the likes of Lockie Ferguson & Ben Cutting on the sidelines.
Shah Rukh Khan summed it up perfectly.
Disappointing performance. to say the least @KKRiders apologies to all the fans!
Also hope Rohit Sharma is okay – twisted his ankle before his first ball. Ended up completing the over, but given his injury history, definitely a concern.
IPL 2021 Points Table
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table. We will keep updating it in every article!
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Delhi Capitals
1
1
0
0
2
+0.779
2. Mumbai Indians
2
1
1
0
2
+0.225
3. Punjab Kings
1
1
0
0
2
+ 0.2
4. Royal Challengers Bangalore
1
1
0
0
2
+0.05
5. Kolkata Knight Riders
2
1
1
0
0
0.00
6. Rajasthan Royals
1
0
1
0
0
-0.2
7. Sunrisers Hyderabad
1
0
1
0
0
-0.5
8.. Chennai Super Kings
1
0
1
0
0
-0.779
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
The Sunrisers Hyderabadtake on the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai. Who do you think will win this one?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
