Author: Bharath Ramaraj

A fine all-round show helped Delhi Capitals register their maiden win of IPL 2023, as they defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by four wickets. In a low-scoring game, Delhi overhauled the target of 128 with just four balls to spare. Check out our takeaways from the game. The Anrich Nortje factor Despite a few good performances in the slog, Nortje had a rather quiet start to his IPL campaign. However, on a wicket that offered some variable bounce, he pounded the deck and made a difference upfront. In the fourth over, he dismissed the in-form Venkatesh Iyer with a short…

Overview There is an old maxim in sport – winning is a habit. Looking at Delhi Capitals’ abysmal performance in IPL 2023, it could be said that losing is a habit too. Despite having a good side on paper, Delhi have lost all their five games so far. As Delhi prepare to take on Kolkata Knight Riders, the think-tank would be pondering how to resurrect their fortunes. Just a mere glimpse at Delhi’s record this season would indicate their batting unit has underperformed. Prithvi Shaw, in particular, has been stuck in quicksand, having notched up just 34 runs. David Warner…

In Bangladesh, the village of Vakurta, situated on the outskirts of Dhaka, is renowned for artisans who end up producing some of the finest jewellery in the country. Not far away from the village, at Fatullah, West Indies and Pakistan played a quarterfinal match during the Under-19 World Cup in 2016. In that game, the West Indies seemed to have unearthed a jewel from Guyana in Shimron Odilon Hetmyer. The left-hand batter thumped the fifth ball he faced from Hayatullah down the ground for four. He then drove one through covers off the same bowler. As a text commentator, this…

Overview In a long tournament, momentum plays a key role. And a come-from-behind win would certainly help boost the confidence of players. Ahead of the game against Lucknow Super Giants, Rajasthan Royals, the current table-toppers, would believe they have the required momentum after charting a memorable three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. The key point that seems to be working for Rajasthan is staying in the moment and concentrating on one-ball events. Just take into consideration how Sanju Samson smacked one of the finest bowlers in T20 cricket – Rashid Khan – for three successive sixes. After the…

In what turned out to be another Chinnaswamy run-fest, the rasam tasted a little bit sweeter for Chennai Super Kings as they pipped Royal Challengers Bangalore by eight runs. Here is a list of the major takeaways from the game. Faf du Plessis, Maxwell blaze away Although the conditions were tailor-made for batting, Bangalore began on a poor note, losing Virat Kohli and M Lomror early in pursuit of 227. At that juncture, du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell cracked a volley of shots to not just bring Bangalore right back in the game but also give them the upper hand for…

By Bharath Ramaraj On a typical hot and humid day in Mumbai, Gujarat Titans had entrusted Yash Dayal with the task of bowling the crucial 19th over in their 2022 IPL game against Kolkata Knight Riders. The task given was to prevent Andre Russell, the big-hitting all-rounder, from landing meaty blows. The unassuming left-arm pace bowler nailed the yorker a few times and was able to keep Russell relatively quiet. Eventually, Gujarat sealed the game by a narrow margin of eight runs. But bowling in the slog overs can break the spirit of the best of bowlers. There…

By Bharath Ramaraj Royal Challengers Bangalore got back to winning ways with a comfortable 23-run win over the Delhi Capitals, firmly rooted to the foot of the Indian Premier League table. Delhi could only manage 151-9 in pursuit of 175, as they lost their fifth consecutive game in IPL 2023. Here is a list of the major takeaways from the game. Yet another fifty for Virat Kohli In four matches this season, Kohli has already notched up three half-centuries and is currently the third-highest run-getter. He started his innings against Delhi in trademark fashion, lofting and crunching one of…

Overview Royal Challengers Bangalore’s bowling unit laid low by the inconsistency bug – A familiar headline from the past seems to be haunting the franchise once again. In the first and second game of IPL 2023, Bangalore’s slog-overs bowling came under scrutiny. In their gut-wrenching loss against Lucknow Super Giants, the franchise ended up giving away a whopping 115 runs between overs 7 to 16. It is true that two of the three matches were played at the Chinnaswamy stadium, where we generally get to see true wickets. But that indicates that Bangalore perhaps don’t have the required artillery to…

By Bharath Ramaraj MS Dhoni walking back, after not being able to provide the finishing touches to a chase in front of a sea of yellow at the Chepauk Stadium, is a poignant moment to capture. Whether his team wins or loses, Dhoni’s demeanour doesn’t change. But it turned out to be a day of rollercoaster emotions for Chennai Super Kings fans. When Dhoni was smacking sixes in the last few overs, thousands and thousands of yellow flags were being waved in celebration. Just that with five needed off the last ball, Dhoni could collect only a single. Soon a…

By Bharath Ramaraj The instinctive nature of Nicholas Pooran’s game makes you wonder about his mindset. At the post-match presentation for the Royal Challengers Bangalore-Lucknow Super Giants game played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Pooran shared his thoughts on his approach towards batting: “The second ball I came in and smashed a six. It isn’t about getting a look in. If it is in my slot, then I will smash it for six.” That simple mantra of ‘see the ball, hit the ball’ was at the heart of Pooran silencing all the loud chants of ‘RCB, RCB, RCB’ for a few…