Author: Subhayan Chakraborty

Royal Challengers Bengaluru extended their winning streak to four matches as they defeated Punjab Kings by a massive margin of 60 runs. It kept them in the IPL 2024 playoff race, while bolstering their net run rate significantly to 0.22. Chasing RCB’s 241/7, PBKS were bowled out for 181 in 17 overs. RCB, however, still need a few other results to go their way. PBKS, on the other hand, are now out of the top-four reckoning. Virat Kohli dominated the show with the bat, with support from Rajat Patidar and Cameron Green. RCB, then, followed it up with a professional…

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 is heating up as Punjab Kings (PBKS) prepare to lock horns with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in what promises to be a thrilling encounter in match 58 of the tournament. Set to take place at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, both teams find themselves in a similar position on the points table, with four victories each and eyeing a crucial win to bolster their playoff chances. PBKS, currently standing at the eighth position, had a roller-coaster journey in the recent matches. After securing wins against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR),…

Time and again, Kolkata Knight Riders have relied on Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy to bail them out. The two came into play in a big way once more on Friday, after Shreyas Iyer turned to them during the Powerplay, with KKR defending a lowly total of 169 at Wankhede Stadium. It had been 12 years since KKR’s last victory over Mumbai Indians in Mumbai, and after the first innings, consensus among the pundits on broadcast and social media was a home team win. For KKR, the turnaround started with Narine and Varun. The spinners operated in tandem, finishing with…

Kolkata Knight Riders recorded their first win against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium after 2012, by defending an apparently low total of 169. It was a complete bowling performance by the Knights, with Mitchell Starc, Andre Russell and the spin duo of Narine-Varun shining with the ball. Starc will be delighted to finish with four wickets, including three in his final over that ended the match. KKR strengthened their second place on the points table with 14 points from 10 matches. MI are officially out of playoff contention, with six from 11. Salt-Narine duo fails Sunil Narine and Phil…

After five matches at home, Kolkata Knight Riders move to Wankhede Stadium to take on a struggling Mumbai Indians on Friday. Despite Mumbai boasting 23 wins in 32 matches between the two, KKR will enter the contest as favourites. They are second on the points table with 12 points from nine games. MI are ninth with six points from 10 matches. The last win for KKR at the Wankhede came back in 2012. But Shreyas Iyer’s team has emerged as a force to reckon with this season, showing exceptional teamwork from the outset. The opening duo of Phil Salt and…

In 11 T20I innings so far for India, Rinku Singh has scored 38 (21), 37* (15), 22* (14), 31* (9), 46 (29), 6 (8), 68* (39), 14 (10), 16* (9), 9* (9), and 69* (39), averaging 89 with a strike-rate of 176.23. Given Rinku’s outstanding performance for India in the shortest format, there was an uproar on social media as pundits and fans questioned the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee for dropping the Uttar Pradesh batter. Rinku learned about the decision before leaving for Mumbai on Tuesday evening for Kolkata Knight Riders’ next game against Mumbai Indians and there was a…

The anticipation is building, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) men’s senior selection committee gears up to meet in Ahmedabad on Tuesday to finalise India’s 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup. This critical meeting follows an informal discussion in Delhi last weekend between chief selector chairman Ajit Agarkar, head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma. The meeting in Ahmedabad is expected to be attended by key figures including board secretary Jay Shah, Agarkar and other members of the selection committee. Despite Rohit’s IPL commitments with the Mumbai Indians, he is expected to join the…

Subhayan Chakraborty at Eden Gardens Harshit Rana’s journey to becoming Kolkata Knight Riders’ lead pacer had its ups and downs. He was a net bowler with the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022 when KKR’s Rasikh Salam, now with Delhi Capitals, got injured. This was when KKR’s Nitish Rana, who also hails from New Delhi like Harshit, suggested to Abhishek Nayar that they call up this 6ft 2inch pacer, who back then hadn’t even made his senior debut for Delhi’s state team on the domestic circuit. Call it fate, but Nayar was impressed by Harshit on the first day of his…

In a breathtaking display of batting, Punjab Kings pulled off a historic run chase against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, setting fresh records and thrilling fans with an exceptional display of range hitting. The match, which saw a total of 42 sixes – the most ever in a T20 game – showcased some incredible power-hitting by the batters. However, at the same time, heart goes out to all the bowlers, who are having to bowl at the flattest of decks being produced all across the country. The magnitude of Punjab Kings’ achievement is underscored by the slew of records…

Punjab Kings defeated Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, as fiery knocks from Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh helped the visitors end their four-match losing streak. In was a record-breaking outing in Kolkata, with Punjab chasing 262 runs, the most-ever in any T20 match, with eight balls in hand. The match also witnessed most sixes (42) being hit in a T20 game. Narine, Salt light it up again Sunil Narine and Phil Salt enjoyed yet another show-stealing outing as the duo stitched a 138-run opening partnership, the highest of the season. They stuck to their template of dominating…