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Sushant Modani credits coach for positive culture around squad after impressing on T20I debut

Peter Della Penna23-Dec-2021At 16 for 4 in the powerplay, the prospect of a USA victory against visiting Ireland seemed highly unlikely. Which is why the stirring comeback produced by Gajanand Singh and Sushant Modani made victory so much sweeter. Singh, who was named Player of the Match for his 65 as part of a USA record 110-run fifth-wicket partnership with Modani, described the 26-run victory as “an awesome feeling.””To always contribute to your team and especially winning a game like this, a first against a Test nation and a Full Member of the ICC, it’s a proud moment for me and everyone in this group,” Singh told ESPNcricinfo after the victory.One of the salient features of several of the early wickets lost by USA was the panicked nature of the strokes, as Ireland medium-pacer Barry McCarthy seized on dot ball pressure to strike three times. But Singh said part of the reason for his success was having a clear head unclouded by glancing at the grim-looking scoreboard.”Going out there, I took the score away from any of my thoughts,” Singh said. “I played the ball, I didn’t play the scoreboard. I think by doing that and giving myself a chance, hitting the Vs up front, hitting some balls on the ground, putting away a bad ball or two early in your innings always gives you a set of confidence to go deep in your innings. I’m fortunate to have Sushant as my partner there. We worked together and played to our strengths and I think it worked out well.”After biding his time through the 11th over, Singh started to unleash on the Ireland bowling unit, slog-sweeping Simi Singh’s offspin for the first of five sixes. That one, as well as three of the next four, all cleared the east side boundary where the wind had been gusting strongly. Singh said the success of clearing the boundary was simply down to taking well-calculated risks in the situation.”The wind was a big factor when we batted so we tried to play percentages,” Singh said. “We knew going against the wind would be risky. I don’t think we took any chances against the wind. We backed ourselves when it’s in our area. If you feel you can get under it or a good piece of it, we backed ourselves and it just worked out for us today.”Related

• Lorcan Tucker sets up Ireland win as T20I series ends with honours even

• Singh, Modani propel USA to historic T20I win over Ireland

• Youth to the fore as historic USA-Ireland series soldiers on

• Balbirnie: 'We're a Test member but at the moment it feels like a name'

Modani also impressed on his T20I debut, scoring a half-century. But Modani said much of the credit for his own success was influenced by the approach taken by Singh at the opposite end.”For this partnership, a lot of credit goes to him,” Modani said. “He soaked in a lot of pressure because he was getting those big boundaries and sixes so I didn’t really have to think a lot or do very differently. All I had to do was keep rotating the strike.”Both men fell before the final over, yet there were still more fireworks to come for USA in the form of Marty Kain. Seizing on a poor line bowled by Mark Adair, Kain utilised the wind blowing east in the same manner as Singh to score two fours and two sixes over backward square leg in a massively consequential 23-run final over to boost USA to 188. Though victory would not have been possible without the partnership between Singh and Modani, Kain’s impact on the match was no less significant in the eyes of Singh, especially since it also came on T20I debut.”Marty played a blinder there,” Singh said. “To come in at the end and play the way he’s played in his first game for the US is exceptional. It shows the confidence of him as a player and shows that he knows his skill and backs himself. I just hope he continues and goes from strength to strength and can play more innings like that for the US.”The win was also highlighted by solid fielding contributions from two teenage debutants, Yasir Mohammad and Ritwik Behera. While Behera took two key catches fielding in the deep, Mohammad also took a catch at deep square leg in the second over, teaming up with Ali Khan to help dismiss Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie, before later bowling a crucial death-overs spell, bouncing back from a shaky opening over.Sushant Modani drives over cover•Peter Della Penna

“I think our senior bowlers stood out today,” Singh said. “Nisarg [Patel], Ali and Saurabh [Netravalkar], all three of them put their hands up. They bowled to a plan and it worked out in the end. Sticking together, everyone knows our plans bowling to particular batsmen and these guys did their job and bowled their areas good. I must commend young Yasir also. Playing his first game after getting a few boundaries in his first over, he held his nerves pretty well to come back and bowl a pretty decent spell.”According to Modani, the calmness of the youngsters is a product of the new culture established by head coach J Arunkumar – known for always having a smile on his face. Modani said the coach’s relaxed nature helps put everyone at ease and gets them performing at their best on a consistent basis, whether it’s the veterans or those on debut like Kain, the teenage pair and Modani, who was not supposed to be in the T20I squad but was drafted as a late replacement after four players were ruled out due to a Covid outbreak.”I think a lot of credit goes to our coach and team management,” Modani said. “A lot of positivity gets instilled in the dressing room before the game, or even the talks we have. So that’s like a mental preparation for us. Even if I wasn’t in the T20 squad, I was still mentally prepared that I still have time before the ODIs that I’ll do something but in a positive frame of mind. It’s the team which fills you with that motivation.”That motivation continues to fuel USA for the rest of the tour. Singh, Modani and the rest of the squad are out to show that Wednesday’s win was no fluke. The T20I series concludes on Thursday before the three-match ODI series commences on December 26.

The Sri Lanka batter is enjoying a revival in his career after working on his fitness

Shashank Kishore26-Aug-2022You have a supremely-talented batter who isn’t the modern-day definition of fit – so what do you do as coach? It’s possible that Chris Silverwood has pondered the Bhanuka Rajapaksa question a few times.But four months since becoming Sri Lanka’s coach, Silverwood doesn’t have to worry about the issue anymore, and for that Rajapaksa deserves some credit. A concerted effort to improve his fitness – with weight loss being one of the by-products – has led to a revival in his career.At 30, an age where cricketers at the crossroads begin to wonder if opportunities will bypass them, Rajapaksa is enjoying a new wind in his young career. This change didn’t seem possible when he retired in a huff, citing differences with then coach Micky Arthur over the prescribed fitness standards, but sanity prevailed and he un-retired with a commitment to work on his fitness.Related

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At the IPL this year, Rajapaksa showed his power-hitting skills for Punjab Kings, even if he couldn’t sustain his aggressive tempo over long periods. His abilities have now earned him a deal in the UAE’s International League T20 with Dubai Capitals, who also run Delhi Capitals in the IPL.As Rajapaksa returns to a familiar venue, one where he began last year’s T20 World Cup with a match-winning half-century against Bangladesh, he is looking forward to carrying the confidence from the IPL and his recent T20 success into the Asia Cup.”For me, the experience I bring after playing in the IPL will create good energy for the side,” Rajapaksa said. “One of the best chats I had with Liam [Livingstone] was when he said, ‘If it’s in the V, make sure the ball is in the trees’. He’d just be that aggressive. Proper slam-bang player.”Coming back to the Sri Lankan side, I have brought in a lot of positivity after speaking to a lot of the IPL players, like Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal and KG [Kagiso Rabada]. I don’t think I have the time to explain in detail the talks we had, but there were a lot of positive vibes. I’m hoping we can take that same brand of cricket to the world.”As Rajapaksa spoke of the “brand of cricket” Sri Lanka want to play, Silverwood, sitting beside him, chuckled. He knows all too well the kind of adjustments England made to become the white-ball powerhouse they are today. Sri Lanka have a long way to go, but having an attacking mindset is a good place to start.It isn’t something Silverwood can instantly make happen, though. He’s barely had any time to settle in as coach. Soon after his arrival in May, Sri Lanka played two Tests against Bangladesh at home, and then played Australia and Pakistan in two intense series.The Asia Cup is going to be tough too, with Sri Lanka in the tougher group along with Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Silverwood, though, is happy with how the team is shaping up during his short tenure.”My experience with Sri Lanka has been excellent,” he said. “I’ve found the guys are open-minded, willing to learn. They want to learn and want to move forward. From a coaching perspective, I couldn’t have asked for anything more from the team.”It would’ve been lovely to play [the Asia Cup] in Sri Lanka, but unfortunately it’s not happening there. We’ve embraced the fact that we have to play it here [in UAE]. Our mindset is very much focused on what we need to do to compete and be successful in the UAE. A lot of the guys have the experience of playing here anyway, so we will use that. We’re here to do our best to win the tournament.”While Sri Lanka begin the Asia Cup by playing Afghanistan in the tournament opener on Saturday, the spotlight is already on Sunday’s game – with India playing Pakistan. Silverwood said that flying under the radar could be exactly what Sri Lanka needs.”I think every game is must-win, but if people are talking about something else, you can go about your business [normally], so it is an advantage, absolutely, ” he said. “But at the same time you have to meet these teams [India, Pakistan] at some point. We’re busy working behind the scenes to ensure we’re well prepared, equally we’ll be watching every game with interest to see what to do.”

Mandhana’s side are eliminated, while Harmanpreet’s team will want to make final tweaks before knockouts

Sruthi Ravindranath20-Mar-2023

Big Picture

A week ago, Royal Challengers Bangalore were languishing at the bottom of the table with zero wins. Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, were riding high on top of the table with a perfect five. Mumbai had sealed their top-three spot while Royal Challengers’ chances were hanging by a thread. Earlier in the tournament, Mumbai had inflicted a heavy defeat on Royal Challengers the last time these teams had met.Royal Challengers have roared back in some style since then. After a win against UP Warriorz, they went on to thrash Gujarat Giants by eight wickets in a high-scorer. Mumbai, meanwhile, were handed their first defeat of the tournament by Warriorz.But following Warriorz’s win against Giants on Monday, Royal Challengers have been eliminated from the competition*. Mumbai will have to turn up in less than 24 hours for this encounter, so Royal Challengers will want to make use of this chance to finish the tournament on a high.Meanwhile, Mumbai, for their part, will want to hold on to the top spot which would give them a direct entry into the final. If Delhi Capitals beat them on Monday and go on to win their last league game against Warriorz, then there’s a chance Mumbai might not finish first.The teams’ respective captains – two Indian stalwarts – have had contrasting fortunes. Harmanpreet Kaur has 205 runs with three fifties while Smriti Mandhana has crossed 30 just twice. Can Mandhana outdo her opposite number this time around?

Players to Watch

Having impressed enough with her bowling, Issy Wong showcased her batting skills in the match against Warriorz with a 19-ball 32 to resurrect Mumbai’s innings. She has bowled superbly in the three games Mumbai have played at the DY Patil Sports Academy so far, making the most of the early swing on offer and finishing with figures of 1 for 7, 3 for 10 and 1 for 24 respectively. Her economy of 5.78 in the tournament is the second-best among players who’ve bowled a minimum of 15 overs.Sophie Devine delivered a banging performance against Giants, smashing eight sixes and nine fours on her way to a 36-ball 99. In Royal Challengers’ last two games, she’s been effective with the new ball as well – removing Warriorz’s openers in the first over and sending Giants’ Sophia Dunkley back in the third over.

Possible XIs

Mumbai Indians: 1 Hayley Matthews, 2 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (c), 5 Amelia Kerr, 6 Issy Wong, 7 Humaira Kazi, 8 Dhara Gujjar, 9 Amanjot Kaur, 10 Jintimani Kalita, 11 Saika IshaqueRoyal Challengers: 1 Sophie Devine, 2 Smriti Mandhana (capt.), 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Heather Knight, 5 Kanika Ahuja, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Shreyanka Patil, 8 Disha Kasat, 9 Sobhana Asha, 10 Megan Schutt, 11 Preeti Bose.

Stats and Trivia

• Saika Ishaque’s economy rate is 5.63, the best economy in the tournament so far (minimum 10 overs)
• Devine’s batting strike rate against spinners during her 99 off 36 balls was 336.36. She scored 74 runs off 22 balls against spin on the day
• Mumbai’s bowlers have taken the most wickets (16) in the powerplay while Royal Challengers bowlers have taken the least (8)

Quotes

“I’m so used to hearing chants for [Ellyse] Perry and [Smriti] Mandhana, and was feeling a bit left out. To hear your name and experience this atmosphere, it will stay with me for a very long time.”
Sophie Devine after her match-winning knock against Giants*1.30pm GMT – The story was updated after UP Warriorz’s match against Gujarat Giants to say Royal Challengers Bangalore have been eliminated from the tournament

Smith, Starc, Henry and Boult have gained at the end of the Australia vs New Zealand ODI series

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-20222:05

Arthur: Hasaranga is reliable, incredible and loves playing on the big stage

Wanindu Hasaranga, Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are the big movers in the latest ICC T20I rankings for men, following strong performances at the recent Asia Cup in the UAE.

Full rankings tables

• Click here for the full team rankings

• Click here for the full player rankings

On the bowlers’ table, Hasaranga has moved up three places to sixth after finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker, behind Bhuvneshwar, in Sri Lanka’s sixth Asia Cup triumph. Hasaranga, who was named Player of the Tournament, picked up nine wickets at an economy rate of 7.39.He also made important contributions with the bat, including a 21-ball 36 in the final, which helped Sri Lanka get to a strong total, which they defended successfully. That helped him move up seven spots to No. 4 on the allrounders’ chart – Shakib Al Hasan is at the top there.Kohli, meanwhile, has risen 14 places to slot in at No. 15 on the batters’ table. His rise came on the back of a good Asia Cup, where he scored 276 runs in five innings – at an average of 92.00 and strike rate of 147.59.Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar had a good time of it at the Asia cup•Associated Press

He also scored his first T20I century during the tournament, an unbeaten 122 against Afghanistan, which brought an end to a century drought across formats that had run for 1020 days. Kohli’s tally of runs was only behind Mohammad Rizwan’s 281, and Rizwan held on to the top spot on the batters’ table. Babar Azam, who had a forgettable Asia Cup with the bat, lost his No. 2 spot to Aiden Markram.Bhuvneshwar, the highest wicket-taker at the Asia Cup with 11 strikes, also made notable progress, moving into the top ten among bowlers, jumping from 11th to seventh.In ODIs, Steven Smith, after his starring role in Australia’s 3-0 sweep of New Zealand at home, jumped 13 places to move to tenth among batters. Mitchell Starc, after picking up six wickets in three games, broke into the top ten among bowlers, moving up three places to ninth.Matt Henry also jumped one position to take the eighth spot after picking up five wickets in two games, while Trent Boult continued to lead the list after finishing the series as the top wicket-taker, with ten strikes.

While one of the favourites to replace Justin Langer long term, he believes international coaching could be heading into a new era

Andrew McGlashan12-Feb-2022Andrew McDonald insists he has yet to consider the prospect of becoming Australia’s new permanent head coach following the resignation of Justin Langer and believes the game is heading into a fascinating period with how international teams shape their coaching structures.McDonald, who had already been due to take charge of the Sri Lanka T20 series and will now lead the tour to Pakistan next month in an interim capacity, is considered a frontrunner for the long-term position and his calmness was endorsed by limited-overs captain Aaron Finch.While Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley has previously said they will be looking to appoint a single replacement for Langer, who resigned last week having only been offered a six-month contract extension, McDonald sees the game could be heading into a new phase with the increasingly crammed nature of international cricket.Related

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• Andrew McDonald 'never seems to get flustered' – Aaron Finch

“It happened really really quickly with JL and the process there. No thoughts given to it at this stage,” he said. “I think the greater conversation around that at this stage is clearly Australia and England have jobs open but it’s what they’re looking for. Split roles have been mentioned [to manage] all three formats. There’s a lot to work through. I’ll wait to see how that process unfolds and see what happens there.”Firstly you’ve got to see what they’re looking for in the job and then whether it’s the right fit for you. It’s like any coaching role that you put your hat in the ring for. It’s not just as simple as saying ‘there’s a job there, would you like to do it, yes or no?’ I think it’s a great opportunity for a greater cricket conversation that two of the bigger cricket nations are embarking upon. I’m fascinated to see where that lands.”The FTP over the next 12-24 months is not getting any lighter, there’s a conversation to be had there. [Split coaching] has been tried before. We saw Andy Flower and Ashley Giles do a split role, whether that was the right time for it, the game’s changed a hell of a lot since then as well.”In the short term, McDonald does not see a need to reinvent the wheel in the Australia set up with the T20 World Cup and Ashes secured in recent months with Langer at the helm albeit having heeded warnings to take a less hands-on approach.Australia secured a 20-run victory against Sri Lanka on Friday with a particularly impressive performance in the field led by Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa who were both key figures in the World Cup success.”The last six months have been an incredible time,” McDonald said. “It’s been well documented the changing room was in a good space. The World Cup was a great experience, the Ashes was a great experience. I can’t see there being a hell of a lot of change on the back of that. I’ve got an opportunity to do my job for the next month or so to the end of the Pakistan tour then see what it looks like. There will be an element of continuing to run the team with similar fashion to what we have.”McDonald also praised the role Langer had on the team which he joined in late 2019.”The values he instilled in the team, the way he was able to manage things from South Africa forward was an incredible effort,” he said. “He had an incredibly high work rate, that attention to detail, care, empathy, all those types of things. Respect for what he’s done in terms of his playing and coaching career.”

Kawya Kavindi and Rashmika Sewwandi have also been named, while several senior players have been left out

Andrew Fidel Fernando16-Dec-2025Sri Lanka has named a young squad for the forthcoming T20Is against India, bringing in the likes of 17-year-old ambidextrous spinner Shashini Gimhani, 23-year-old seamer Kawya Kavindi, while 19-year-old Rashmika Sewwandi has also been named.Captain Chamari Athapaththu also has some experienced hands in her ranks for the series, with spinner Inoka Ranaweera, 39, also in the squad, alongside a top order that has now had significant exposure at the top level. But as the team builds towards next year’s T20 World Cup in England, there is now a drive within the squad to blood younger players.There is no room in the squad for wicketkeeper-batter Anushka Sanjeewani (35), who has played 86 T20Is. Also omitted are Udeshika Prabodhani (39), Sugandika Kumari (33), or Achini Kulasuriya (34), who had all been part of the squad for the team’s most recent T20I assignment, the tour of New Zealand in March this year.Gimhani, one of Sri Lanka’s most exciting young talents, delivers wristspin with either arm, though left-arm wristpin is her primary suit. She earns her place in this squad through solid showings against Australia Under-19 in September. She had already made a promising start to her senior international T20I career, however, having taken six wickets at the top level from five matches, with an economy rate of 5.53.Seamer Kavindi also has some top-flight experience under her belt, with 10 T20Is to her name. Sewwandi, also a seamer, has one T20I against her name, but did not bowl in that match. Nimasha Madushani, the 26-year-old left-arm spinner, is uncapped in internationals.While Sri Lanka seek fresh talents in the bowling department, the batting is more familiar. Hasini Perera, Vishmi Giunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Nilakshika de Silva, and Kavisha Dilhari – all of whom played significant roles in the recent ODI World Cup – are in this squad. Kaushini Nuthyangana is likely to take the gloves in Sanjeewani’s stead.Seamer Malki Madara, 24, has impressed with the ball this year in ODIs, is also there. Malsha Shehani, who bowls both seam and spin, finds a place as well.The five-match T20I series begins in Visakhapatnam on December 21, before moving to Thiruvananthapuram for the last two games.Sri Lanka squad: Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Nilakshika De Silva, Kavisha Dilhari. Imesha Dulani, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Malsha Shehani, Inoka Ranaweera, Shashini Gimhani, Nimesha Madushani, Kawya Kavindi, Rashmika Sewwandi, Malki Madara

Bangladesh won just three matches under Mominul’s leadership since he took over in October 2019

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2022Mominul Haque has resigned as Bangladesh’s Test captain, following the team’s series defeat at home against Sri Lanka.ESPNcricinfo understands that Mominul, who has led the side in the longest format since October 2019, was being weighed down by the pressures of captaincy, and as a result was struggling with the bat as well; he has averaged just 16.20 in 2022, with 162 runs from six matches. Overall, Bangladesh won just three Tests under Mominul’s leadership, losing 12 and drawing two.Related

• Bangladesh look to abandon horrors of 2018 against buoyant West Indies

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• Shakib Al Hasan back as Bangladesh Test captain

• Domingo: 'You won't win Tests from 24 for 5 and 23 for 4'

• Shakib: 'We are physically fit, but mentally behind'

“When you play well, even if the team doesn’t win, you are still in a position to motivate them. I felt that captaining a side is tough when I am not scoring and team is not winning. I think it is best to quit the captaincy.”I feel I should focus on my batting. It wasn’t a hard decision. A captain has to contribute otherwise it brings a lot of pressure. The board president told me to stay on but I don’t want to be the captain. “Though Bangladesh began 2022 with a historic victory against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui, they lost four of their next five Tests, falling to series defeats against both South Africa and Sri Lanka. It is understood that following the loss in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Mirpur last week, Mominul met with the BCB president Nazmul Hassan, indicating his wish to step down from the captaincy in order to focus on his batting.Shakib Al Hasan is among the names being considered to replace Mominul, but a full-time captain is yet to be named.”I am not concerned about Mominul’s captaincy. I didn’t hear anything from the coaches too. He is not getting runs, which is always a worry for a batsman. Mominul is going through a mental crisis. I told him immediately after the Dhaka Test that we believe in him,” Nazmul told .”I also heard Shakib’s name is in discussion for Test captaincy. Shakib used to be captain in all three formats but now I have to know what is he available for? He cannot make last minute decisions about his availability when he is the captain.”We have to discuss with him first. There are also other names being discussed. We have to take a well thought out decision. We cannot make someone a captain on a whim.”Shakib has had numerous stints as Bangladesh’s Test captain in the past, first leading the side in a game against West Indies in 2009. He captained the team for six more matches in the first half of 2010, and more Test in August 2011 against Zimbabwe, before falling out of favour with the then BCB chief Mustafa Kamal. Shakib then took over the Test captaincy once again in December 2017, replacing Mushfiqur Rahim. Shakib held the role for nearly two years, till he was handed a one-year ban from all cricket in 2019 for failing to report a bookie’s approach.Incidentally, Shakib’s future in Test cricket has been a topic of discussion in recent months, with the allrounder going back-and-forth on his commitment to red-ball cricket. In February, Shakib had reportedly asked the BCB for some time off from Test cricket, but was nonetheless selected in the squad for the tour of South Africa. Shakib, though, suggested that he was “jaded”, and requested a break from international cricket, which the BCB eventually granted him.However, that wouldn’t be the end, as Nazmul publicly questioned Shakib’s commitment to his country, and following another round of meetings between the allrounder and the BCB boss, Shakib was included in the tour of South Africa.

The fixture was significant for the return of two fast bowlers – Deepak Chahar for Chennai Super Kings and Mohsin Khan for Lucknow Super Giants

Sreshth Shah03-May-20232:06

Tait: Badoni has the temperament to take on international bowlers

Match abandonedRain had the final say in Lucknow, where MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings had taken the upper hand against the Super Giants after 19.2 action-packed overs of the first innings. CSK spinners ran through the home team’s line-up, but 23-year-old Ayush Badoni scored a counter-attacking fifty before the game was called off at 6.56 pm local time.The game had started 15 minutes late due to an afternoon shower, and the surface ended up assisting spin big time. Moeen Ali dismissed Kyle Mayers for the second time in the season, and Maheesh Theekshana accounted for Manan Vohra and Krunal Pandya off successive deliveries in the sixth over. Moeen held on to a tough caught-and-bowled chance to remove Karan Sharma, but the best wicket was Ravindra Jadeja bowling Marcus Stoinis with one that pitched outside the right-hander’s leg stump and spun sharply to hit off, leaving the batter dumbfounded.At 44 for 5 in the 10th over, the Super Giants were sinking but Badoni and Nicholas Pooran steadied the innings. They added 59 for the sixth wicket, but Pooran’s contribution was only 14, with Badoni taking charge. He smashed two sixes off Theekshana and reached fifty with another six off Deepak Chahar in the 19th over to give the Super Giants a fighting chance.Rain forced the players off the field in the 20th over of the first innings and did not ease up enough for play to resume, leaving both Super Kings and Super Giants with one point each from the contest. Both teams are on 11 points after ten games.The fixture was also significant for the return of two fast bowlers. Chahar was fit again for CSK after missing six games because of a hamstring injury and returned figures of 0 for 41 in four overs. Mohsin Khan was named in the Super Giants XI for the first time this season, after spending almost the entire year since the previous IPL recovering from injury, but did not get the chance to bowl because of the bad weather.

LSG coach Justin Langer has said it may take a little more time before Shamar Joseph is unleashed on the IPL

Vishal Dikshit29-Mar-2024

Match details

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) vs Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Lucknow, 1930 IST (1400 GMT)

Big picture – Welcome home, Lucknow Super Giants

The last time these two teams met, there were relentless fireworks in Mohali, where LSG first racked up 257, the second-highest IPL total then, followed by Kings’ 201.The two teams now meet in Lucknow, a venue of low bounce and low totals last year, when conditions changed depending on the colour of the soil, with the home team preferring black to red for most games. A red-soil pitch is expected on Saturday, which could mean more bounce and pace for the quicks and not much of a party for the spinners. If that’s how the action unfolds, there’s likely to be pressure on LSG’s pace unit because, on paper, their trio of Mohsin Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq and Yash Thakur (they aren’t considering Shamar Joseph yet) pales in comparison to Kings’ more all-round attack of Kagiso Rabada, Sam Curran, Arshdeep Singh and Harshal Patel.How can LSG make up? With their high-voltage batting that boasts of Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Kyle Mayers and Ayush Badoni. Kings aren’t behind at all with the batting firepower in their ranks, but Jonny Bairstow is yet to score for them the way he did for Sunrisers Hyderabad (he missed IPL 2023 with injury), and the big names of Shikhar Dhawan and Liam Livingstone along with the hard-hitting Prabhsimran Singh need to ensure that they emerge as one of the quickest-scoring teams, unlike last year when their collective strike rate of 143.80 was sixth overall.LSG are currently placed bottom of the table after just one game, while Kings have won one out of two, and the comforting factor LSG will bank on is home advantage this IPL – home teams have won each of the first nine games of the tournament.LSG’s new head coach Justin Langer said he was happy to get his team’s opening game out of the way, “get a bit of rust out”, and is eager to cash in on home-ground advantage.

Team news – No Shamar Joseph yet, Kings likely unchanged

LSG’s pace stocks aren’t a match for Kings’ on paper, but they will wait a little longer to unleash Shamar Joseph onto this league, Langer confirmed on the eve of the match. “I love his spirit and athleticism but he’s still very young,” Langer said of Joseph. “He’s pushing hard for selection but I don’t think he’ll play tomorrow though.” Langer further said LSG have traditionally played three overseas batters and one foreign bowler which has brought them success, but they will decide a final XI on Saturday.Kings went unchanged for their second game and are likely to continue that, unless there is a niggle.Punjab Kings have won one and lost one so far•AFP/Getty Images

Impact Player strategy

Lucknow Super GiantsAfter bowling first in their first game, LSG had substituted specialist bowler Yash Thakur with spin-bowling allrounder Deepak Hooda in the chase. If the pitch on Saturday aids spin more than pace, they could use Hooda through the game and use a specialist batter, such as Ayush Badoni or Padikkal, in the impact role.Probable XII: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 KL Rahul (capt), 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 , 5 Deepak Hooda, 6 Nicholas Pooran, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Mohsin Khan, 11 Naveen-ul-Haq, 12 Punjab KingsIn both games so far, Kings have used Prabhsimran Singh and Arshdeep Singh as their impact subs depending on the toss result, and that is likely to continue.Probable XII: 1 Shikhar Dhawan (capt), 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 , 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Sam Curran, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Shashank Singh, 8 Harpreet Brar, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Rahul Chahar, 12

Stats that matter –

• KL Rahul vs Kagiso Rabada could be an exciting contest – the LSG captain has scored 50 runs off 36 balls from Rabada’s in the IPL while being dismissed three times.
• Padikkal facing Arshdeep Singh could be similar, because the batter has scored 49 off 31 against the let-arm quick in the IPL while being sent back three times.
• Pooran batted at No. 6 in LSG’s first game and he’ll try to bat deep to face Harshal Patel in the death. Pooran has smashed 25 runs off 10 balls against Harshal without falling even once in the IPL.
• Against popular perception, left-hand batter Shikhar Dhawan doesn’t have a great record against the left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya: 29 off 26 with no dismissal and just one four and one six.

Pitch and conditions – red soil or black?

The Ekana Stadium was the worst ground for batters in IPL 2023. The average scoring rate of 6.93 was the lowest among the 10 venues that hosted at least five matches, the balls-per-boundary ratio of 7.7 was the highest, and the bounce was often low especially on black-soil surfaces. How these two high-octane batting line-ups play here will be interesting to watch.

Quotes

“I’m not going to lose one second’s sleep over KL Rahul.”
“Speaking on the Ekana pitch, I am aware of how the bounce and dimensions work on this surface. So my task is to inform the players on which are the good pockets where we can bowl on to get the maximum from the pitch.”
PBKS spin-bowling coach Sunil Joshi is familiar with the Lucknow surface because he coaches the Uttar Pradesh team in domestic cricket

There is a 60% chance of rain around the match start time

Ashish Pant18-May-20244:26

How do RCB make best use of Maxwell?

The morning of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB’s) high-stakes IPL 2024 game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) was bright and sunny, but as the day progressed, the sun was mostly out of view, hidden behind clouds. There remains a forecast of thundershowers and a 60% chance of rain around the time the match is scheduled to start, at 7.30pm local time.It’s a game that will decide the identity of the last team in the IPL 2024 playoffs, but the weather could have a big say in how things pan out at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.The Indian Meteorological Department has predicting a “generally cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers”.Related

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Fans who are expected to fill the ground can, however, take heart from the way things went on match eve. Rain and thunderstorms had been forecast for the evening but, while it was cloudy for the most part, the rain never arrived in central Bengaluru. Both RCB and CSK trained for over an hour without any disruption.The city has received consistent rainfall over the last couple of weeks after a spell of uncharacteristically hot weather. However, it has remained relatively dry in most places in the last three days.Even if it does rain, the Chinnaswamy Stadium has an excellent drainage system and is one of the few grounds in India with a subsurface aeration system, which allows play to begin 30 minutes after the rain stops.RCB’s chances of making the playoffs will end in case of a washout. After losing seven of their first eight matches, they made a sterling comeback, winning their next five games. They are currently on 12 points with a net run rate of 0.387, while CSK are on 14 with an NRR of 0.538. To go past CSK’s NRR and make it to the playoffs, assuming a score of 200, RCB need to beat CSK by 18 runs or chase down the target with about 11 balls to spare. A truncated game will make that task tougher.”The good thing is that it is crystal clear what we need to do,” Malolan Rangarajan, RCB’s head of scouting, said on the eve of the game. “Doesn’t matter if it is a 20-over game or a five-, six-over game. For us, it might be 3.1 or 3.4 [the number of overs in which RCB may have to chase the target in case of a five-over game] because there are other intricacies within that. We are not going to be going inside thinking we need to restrict 18 runs or 11 balls. We are going to go there, try to stay consistent with what we have done.”For CSK, the equation is simple: a win, a washout, or even a narrow defeat is enough for them to make it to the final four.”The weather and these kind of things we don’t have control over,” Dwayne Bravo, the CSK bowling coach, said. “We don’t try to bring up things that we don’t have control over. It’s another game for us to push for a playoffs spot and we’re really looking ahead to the challenge against a very good team tomorrow.”