Author: Bharath Ramaraj

‘How to execute your skill set?’ Mitchel Starc’s final over against Rajasthan Royals can be used to not just answer the question, but also to set it as a template for other bowlers to make themselves mentally stronger. Starc didn’t try a spate of variations. Instead, he zoomed in on employing just the yorker. The keynote to Starc’s success: Being very good at implementing that one skill, alongside locating an erase button in his mind to delete the previous ball. Let’s delve deeper into the six deliveries that Starc bowled in the last over. The first offering was a yorker…

When the sun begins to fade away, you see darkness on the horizon. This aforementioned line can be used in cricket too. For a while there didn’t seem to be any flicker of light at the end of the dark tunnel for the wrist spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal. The wrist spinner hadn’t played a single limited-overs game for India since August 2023. After the first few games of the 2025 IPL, it seemed as if Chahal would be soon dropped by his franchise, Punjab Kings. He had plucked a mere two wickets for 167 runs and his economy rate was also…

When Vijay Shankar was dismissed by Lucknow Super Giants’ Digvesh Rathi, you contemplated upon a couple of questions. When will Rishabh Pant, the LSG skipper, change the ball, especially with some dew coming into play? And when will Pant bowl out Ravi Bishnoi, his best bowler for the day? The point gained even more importance with MS Dhoni taking strike. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter has an excellent strike rate against pace bowling since the start of IPL 2024. But his strike rate of just over 115 versus spin, in that period, pales in comparison. It just took one more over for…

Uttar Pradesh were playing Bengal in a Ranji Trophy game, in Lucknow, in October last year. In the first innings, at 212 for 1, Bengal were in the ascendancy. Aryan Juyal, the skipper of UP, was clearly searching for a spark of inspiration from somewhere in the field. He soon threw the ball to Vipraj Nigam, the 20-year-old leg-spinning all-rounder. Soon, Vipraj weaved a web around the batting unit as Bengal slipped to 263 for 7. The essence of his bowling wasn’t just restricted to his final figures of 4 for 81, but it was the way in which…

Phil Salt versus Jofra Archer was always going to be a battle to watch out for, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru faced off against Rajasthan Royals, in an Indian Premier League game, in Jaipur. Not just because both play for the same country. But it was also a contest between an aggressive opener and a fast bowler who can consistently clock speeds in excess of 145 kmph. The subset to it was the winner of the duel would help his side gain clear ascendancy. In other words, on a deck that was on the slower side, Powerplay overs were always going…

Where did he transport you? Was it far away from the world of mundane? Those are the two questions that echoed in the mind after watching Abhishek Sharma’s blistering hundred against Punjab Kings. Granted that the pitch felt more like a Motorway, with the bowlers at the mercy of the rapier-like willows. It is also true that one of PBKS’ bowlers was injured, alongside catches being grassed. Yet, Abhishek’s 55-ball 141 will go down as one of the finest knocks played in IPL’s history. It was savagery and some exquisite batting all rolled into one. Right from the time Abhishek…

There is a video circulating of Shubman Gill, the Gujarat Titans skipper, having a conflab with senior members of the franchise on the field, in the ongoing IPL. In summary, be it Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna or Mohammed Siraj, Gill seems to be constantly involved in taking decisions. An indicator that Gill has some of the required ingredients to become a fine leader of men. Gill, who took over as the franchise’s reins last year, saw his team finish a lowly eighth on the points table. However, with a refurbished pace attack at his disposal, Gill has been…

Where to start? And where to end? The two questions that keep echoing in the mind while penning down a copy on Chennai Super Kings’ abysmal performance in the 2025 Indian Premier League. In other words, there is plenty of information to dissect while analysing CSK’s lacklusture show so far. The starting point still has to be the mega auction held on November 24 and November 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The CSK think-tank made some questionable picks that are still hurting them. Three of CSK’s picks – Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar and Deepak Hooda – were all expected to…

During India’s net sessions in the 2025 Champions Trophy, KL Rahul would attempt one particular shot almost every time that he came out to bat. Maybe it was the forward defence as Rahul is renowned for sticking to the edicts of batsmanship? What about Rahul looking to perfect his cover drive or the flick? The answer to that question would be none of those. Believe-it-or-not, it was the scoop/reverse-scoop – A shot that you don’t associate with Rahul’s textbook batting manual. However, right through the Champions Trophy, Rahul kept that shot in his locker and never employed it in any…

At the start of the 2017 county-cricket season, there was a bit of buzz surrounding a Barbados-born fast bowler, Jofra Archer. His run-up wasn’t long but smooth. Unlike some others, he hardly lifted the front knee, but the outcome of the long strides was a stable base. He also seemed to efficiently use the front leg a brake, helping him to transfer the energy. In a nutshell, he was quick without seeming to bowl at rapid pace. That deceptive pace certainly turned out to be the bugbear of Keaton Jennings, the Durham and England opener. The ball pitched on…