As we welcome Maa Durga, the epitome of Stree Shakti (Nari Shakti- Empowered Women) – here is part one of my seven-part series on some great Bengali Women who played their part in shaping the India of today.

 Begum Rokeya

Begum Rokeya was born in 1880 at Rangpur (present-day Bangladesh). Her father was a Zamindar. She didn’t get any formal education but her elder brother, Ibrahim helped her learn Bengali and a little bit of English. She was attracted to studies but she didn’t get any opportunity till she got married. After her marriage in 1898 to Sakhawat Hussain, an Urdu speaking Deputy Magistrate of Bhagalpur – she got the opportunity to expand her knowledge. As a liberal husband, he encouraged Begum Rokeya to continue learning Bengali and English. He also encouraged her to write, and on his advice, she adopted Bengali as the principal language for her literary works.

Begum Rokeya’s writings started coming out from 1904 onwards and all her works were related to women’s liberation. She is today, known as the pioneer of women’s liberation in South Asia.

Her one and only English Novel, “Sultana’s Dreams” reversed the roles of men and women with women being the dominant force in her fantasy world.

Her thoughts, writings, and actions were all way ahead of her contemporaries. After her husband’s death in 1909, she established a school named Sakhawat Memorial Girls’ High School which is presently located at Lord Sinha Road, Kolkata. Till her death, she ran the school herself. She played a pivotal role in Women’s education in Bengal.

She died in 1932 in Kolkata and she is one of those very few souls whose birthday and deathday falls on the same day (9th December).

9th December is celebrated as Rokeya Day in Bangladesh. In 2004 she was ranked number 6 in BBC’s poll of the Greatest Bengali of All Times.

Here saluting her indomitable spirit – the true Nari Shakti as we welcome Maa Durga during the tough times of Covid-19.

Stay Safe Everyone. Let’s celebrate from home.

May Maa Durga bless us all.

The 2nd Part of this Seven Part Series will release tomorrow where we discuss another Woman who left an indelible mark in Indian history.

When the IPL started this season, on paper the strongest team was Delhi Capitals and one of the weakest teams was Chennai Super Kings. Chennai has some very good players in the team but the problem is that most are past their prime. T20 is a fast-paced game and hence you need young legs on the field. CSK was expected to struggle on that front and their results reflect the same. For Delhi Capitals it was not the same and they have been playing on form with each player contributing to the cause. CSK won their last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad to signal a turnaround and they wanted to keep the winning momentum on their side when they met Delhi Capitals yesterday in Sharjah.

So how did it go yesterday?

Here are my 5 points highlights of the match.

1. Kagiso Rabada

That Kagiso Rabada is ruling the bowling charts this season should come as no surprise for anyone. He is way ahead of any bowler this season. Not a single match he has gone wicketless and other than one match he has hardly been taken for runs. Yesterday was no different. 1/33 off 4 overs with a maiden to boot amplifies that fact. 16 off the 33 runs that he gave came in his last over just proves how deadly he was in the first half of the innings. With Nortje also breathing fire, this Delhi Capitals team will be difficult to beat this season.

2. Faf du Plessis

One player from CSK who has been very consistent this season is Faf du Plessis. In the last couple of matches he was a bit off colour but yesterday with Sam Curran out early he and Watson rebuilt the innings. He was out for 57 runs due to a superlative effort by Dhawan on the field. CSK is on a very sticky wicket this season so players like Faf du Plessis have to play consistently well. And sometimes that is also not good enough as proved yesterday.

3. Ravindra Jadeja 

Jadeja holds a very important place in the team because he is one of those allrounders who bats, bowls and fields and does all with aplomb. Yesterday when he came into bat the scoreboard read 129/4 in the 17th over. CSK needed something dramatic in the last couple of overs but it was not easy because Delhi Capitals had Rabada and Nortje up their sleeves. But, Jadeja when in song can destroy any bowling attack and he showed that yesterday. He scored 33 runs off just 13 balls to take CSK to a highly competitive total of 179. It should have been a winning score but Axar Patel hit Jadeja for 3 sixes in the last over to script a come from behind victory for Delhi Capitals.

4. Shikhar Dhawan

Dhawan had a very slow start this season. He was unable to time the ball and was getting out at the most inopportune moments. But in the last couple of matches, Dhawan was getting back into form. Dhawan is one of those rare cricketers who have been a part of IPL since its inception. He has scored close to 5000 runs but the century alluded him. As an opener who gets to play from the first ball, it’s expected that he should have had a century by now but it never happened. Finally, everything came together yesterday and Dhawan got his first century in IPL. He must thank the CSK fielders though because they missed 3 catches. But as the saying goes luck favours the brave and his score of 101 off 58 balls made it a memorable day for Shikhar Dhawan.

5. Axar Patel

Dhawan’s great knock would have come to naught for Delhi Capitals if Axar Patel didn’t come good in the final over. Delhi Capitals needed 17 off the last 6 balls with Dhawan on strike. He took a single and Axar came on strike. The next 4 balls that he faced he hit 3 sixes and took Delhi Capitals to victory. 21 off 5 balls and 0/23 in 4 overs proves the importance of Axar Patel’s presence in this team. He is a very underrated all-rounder but he always comes good and rises during a crisis which makes him a complete team man. His role in yesterday’s victory was as big as Dhawan’s in the final equation.

Delhi Capitals reached the top of the table once again and they are all set to be in the Top 2. RCB and Mumbai Indians are also vying for that spot. The next few days will be quite exciting to see who holds on and who slips.

Is this the end of CSK this season? Or is there something lurking at the back from MS Dhoni?

What do you think?

Royal Challengers Bangalore is a different team this season because their strength on paper is giving results on the field. They have good fast bowlers, good spinners and above all both, their star players, Virat Kohli and AB DeVilliers have been in supreme form. Rajasthan Royals on the other hand has lost all momentum and is now grappling for recovery. They needed some inspirational performances from their foreign recruits to turn the campaign around. Rajasthan Royals needed a win badly when they met RCB yesterday in Dubai. So how did it go?

Here are my 5 points highlights from yesterday’s encounter.

1. Yuzvendra Chahal

Chahal is the go-to man for Virat Kohli when it comes to picking up wickets. Invariably he delivers for the team. Yesterday, Rajasthan Royals made a good start and Uthappa was in good form. The run rate was healthy and Virat Kohli turned to Chahal. He delivered immediately picking up the wickets of Uthappa and Samson in successful balls to derail the Rajasthan Royals’ innings. Though he went for a lot of runs in the 18th over – his spell in the earlier part of the innings helped keep Rajasthan Royals in check.

2. Steven Smith

Steven Smith along with Sanju Samson played some good knocks in the early part of IPL 2020. But both of them lost their form after the first 3 matches and their team suffered too. Yesterday after the double strike by Chahal – it was his duty to rebuild the innings and this time he didn’t fail. It took time for him to get the flow but towards the end, we could see the old Steven Smith back in action. 57 off 36 balls helped Rajasthan Royals reach a highly competitive 177 runs. 

3. Chris Morris

Chris Morris has been extremely consistent from the time he came into the playing XI of RCB. He has delivered both with the bat and ball and this is one addition that has done wonders for Team RCB. His 4/26 in 4 overs was a superlative effort and his final over made a big difference. When the final over started, Rajasthan Royals were at 173/4 and I was thinking 185 was a distinct possibility. But Chris Morris changed all that. He went for only 4 runs and took up 2 wickets and helped RCB go into the break with momentum on their side.

4. Rahul Tewatia

Rahul Tewatia’s graph is on the rise. A completely unknown name has not become a household name in Inda over the last few weeks. He has single-handedly won a couple of matches for Rajasthan Royals with the bat but he has been also very consistent with the ball. Yesterday he scored 19 off 11 balls and was part of an important partnership with Steve Smith. With the ball he was steady and his figures of 1/30 in 4 overs kept the RCB chase in check. He was part of both the dismissals yesterday which kind of derailed the RCB chase by picking up the wicket of Padikkal and taking a great catch to dismiss Virat Kohli. I think Tewatia is a good find for India and I hope he keeps honing his skills because India needs good allrounders.

5. AB DeVilliers 

ABDV as he is lovingly called has never been a part of a champion team. He is a complete team man and this year also he started to keep wickets to help the balance in the team. That Chris Morris could get a chance in the playing XI has to go down to this very reason. This has helped the team get a perfect balance. Yesterday RCB was going well but in the space of 2 balls, they lost both the well-set batsmen (Padikkal & Kohli), and the chase of kind of derailed. But when ABDV is there – think of the unthinkable. With the asking rate reaching 16 per over – Rajasthan Royals started breathing easy. But in a space of a few balls, ABDV changed the picture completely. The monstrous hits just kept coming and each hit was bigger than the other. RCB needed 35 runs off the last 12 balls and just for the records, they scored 36 runs off 10 balls to get an amazing victory. 

This year must be the best possible year for AB Devilliers and Virat Kohli to finally win the IPL. It would be highly disappointing if they don’t.

For Rajasthan Royals, this is their best playing XI and I don’t think there is anything else they can do other than hoping for the best.

What do you think? Can Rajasthan Royals turn this fledging campaign around?

One matchup that has defied all logic in the IPL history is Mumbai Indians Vs. Kolkata Knight Riders. It’s so one-sided that people have started making jokes that KKR may as well give a walkover when they meet the Mumbai Indian. The score read 20-6 before yesterday and KKR hoped to improve on the already skewed statistics as they met Mumbai Indians at Abu Dhabi. So did it follow the script?

Here are my 5 points highlights of yesterday’s match at IPL 2020.

1. Rahul Chahar

Rahul Chahar had a great IPL last year which fast-tracked him to the Indian team as well. Leg Spinners play a very vital role in T20 because of their habit of picking up wickets. Each team has a leg spinner or two in their squads. As the IPL moved into the second phase it was obvious that the pitches would start behaving differently. This makes the spinners come into the game and more so the legspinners. Rahul Chahar has had a relatively silent IPL thus far and one of the reasons was that Mumbai Indians’ pace bowlers did most of the damage. Yesterday was no different because it was once again the pace bowlers who did the initial damage. But Rahul on his part ensured that he kept up the same pressure when he came into bowl. His double-wicket blow when he took the wickets of Shubhman Gill and Dinesh Karthik ensured that KKR couldn’t break free. His bowling figures of 2/18 in 4 overs didn’t allow KKR to build any momentum. 

2. Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah is one of the fiercest bowlers in World Cricket today. Easily in the top 4 across all formats. This year he had been blowing hot and cold but over the last couple of matches, he seemed to have got his radar right. He proved himself once again yesterday. Bumrah was not playable. Bumrah is generally kept to bowl against the opposition’s best batsmen and yesterday he came back to bowl when Russell and Morgan were in the crease. He took the wicket of Russell with a fierce bouncer and kept Morgan under the leash. 1/22 in his 4 overs proves the fact that Bumrah is back in his own self now.

3. Pat Cummins

Kolkata Knight Riders broke the bank to acquire the services of Pat Cummins. He is one of the Top 4 bowlers in world cricket and KKR expected him to deliver consistently by picking up vital wickets in the power play. With him playing the 8th match that is yet to happen and it has been a frustrating season for him because taking wickets is his primary job. Yesterday though he was playing as a new avatar. KKR was reeling at 61/5 in the 11th Over when Cummins came into bat. Over the next 9 overs, KKR scored 87 runs with Cummins contributing 53 of them in the 36 balls he faced. He along with Morgan took KKR to 148 which at one point looked highly improbable.

4. Quinton de Kock

Quinton de Kock is a marvelous player because he is generally a very consistent batsman. Having a wicketkeeper who is an aggressive opener is something that changes the team dynamics and Mumbai Indians were very happy to have him in the team. But QDK was not in form at all. He was late in picking up the balls earlier in the season and got out multiple times, trying to pull short pitch deliveries. Yesterday we saw the old De Kock in action. He was aggressive right from the ball go and continued with the same momentum throughout the match. He carried the bat through and finished at 78 off 44 balls and hastened the chase for Mumbai Indians. Finishing a match within 16 overs is no mean feat but that’s how it was yesterday. KKR just couldn’t stop him.

5. Varun Chakravarthy

Over the last few matches, Varun has become the numero uno spinner of KKR. Quite a great achievement especially when you have Sunil Naraine and Kuldeep Yadav within your ranks. Other than one match Varun has not leaked many runs. He has not taken a bag full of wickets but he keeps his end tight. The problem for KKR has been that the other bowlers aren’t able to capitalise. Yesterday Mumbai Indians were rampant when they started the chase against KKR but Varun Chakravarthy stemmed the flow of runs. 1/23 in 4 overs when the opposition was going at 9 runs per over shows that Varun played his role perfectly well.

It all started with a great catch by Surya Kumar Yadav which left everyone stunned and in the end, it followed the similar script of Mumbai Indians hammering Kolkata Knight Riders to submission.

The change of captaincy for KKR didn’t show any immediate results. 

So what do you think is going on with KKR? Will any strategy work?

It has been quite a nightmarish journey for Kings XI Punjab thus far in IPL 2020. They started well, both their openers are ruling the batting charts but as a team, they have lost matches even from winning positions. With one win from 7 matches, it was important that they win a minimum of 6 matches in the balance 7 as they met Royal Challengers Bangalore at Sharjah yesterday. Interestingly RCB is the only team that Kings XI has beaten this season. So how did it go?

Here are my 5 point highlights from yesterday’s match.

1. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is in general a very consistent player. Once he is in form, he keeps belting big scores one after another. That’s not been the case this year. In a couple of matches, he showed his old glimpse but otherwise, it has been a bit of a struggle to get the timing right. With pitches slowing down it has become even more difficult for him. Yesterday also it was no different but as Kohli does this very well – he hanged on and kept hitting the occasional boundary. He was the highest scorer for his team but he got out at a time when the team required him to score big.

2. Murugan Ashwin

The Kings XI management preferred Ravi Bishnoi to Ashwin Murugan and hence he didn’t get many opportunities this season. Yesterday they made an aggressive decision to play both the leg spinners which in hindsight turned out to be the right one. Murugan got his googlies to turn and Virat Kohli struggled. He stitched together some very quiet overs and his final analysis of 2/23 in 4 overs was easily the best among both the teams. Sharjah is a very small ground and to come up with such a bowling figure must give the Kings XI management a lot of hope and satisfaction.

3. Chris Morris

Chris Morris made an impact as soon as he was drafted into the playing XI against KKR. He is a very underrated all-rounder. He gives you handy runs at the end with the bat and generally opens the bowling for his team. He is a vital clog in any team’s wheel and hence it was very surprising that Royal Challengers Bangalore didn’t have him in the playing XI when they started their campaign this year. Yesterday, he came in to bat with the RCB scoreboard reading 5/134 in the 18th over. Shami was in the midst of a great over in which he took both the wickets of Virat Kohli and AB DeVilliers. With 2 overs to go, it was a do or die situation for RCB. Chris Morris had to deliver and he did it. He faced only 8 balls but scored 25 runs with the final over of Shami going for 24 runs. His power-hitting ensured RCB reaching 171 runs. With the ball, he was equally crafty. Though he didn’t take any wickets – he kept it tight and didn’t allow the openers to break free. 0/22 in 4 overs was an example of his great bowling skills.

4. KL Rahul

Rahul has been very consistent with the bat this season. That Kings XI Punjab is languishing at the bottom of the table have had no effect on his individual performance. The current orange cap holder consolidated his position at the top further. Mayank Agarwal was the initial aggressor as Rahul dug in to play a long innings. In their last encounter against KKR, Rahul’s wicket in the 19th over led to the team’s downfall at the end, and hence this time he made no mistake and put his head down to ensure that he bats till the end. He scored 61 and remained not out. Being extra cautious almost led to the team’s downfall though and a very easy chase suddenly changed into 1 run required off 1 ball. Thankfully Pooran took them to victory this time around.

5. Chris Gayle

At the toss, KL Rahul declared that Chris Gayle would be playing and he added that his team is lucky to have the “Universe Boss” in the playing XI today. Quite surprising statement – because if they are lucky to have him then why was he warming the bench in the previous 7 matches? Anyways, Chris Gayle means entertainment, and when he walked in to bat all waited for the entertainment to start. Quite understandably as he was playing a competitive match after a long gap – he was circumspect in the beginning. But then he blossomed and those towering hits were back. He scored 53 which included 5 towering sixes and took Kings XI to the doorstep of victory. Other teams better watch out because the Universe Boss is back in the mood. 

With Kings XI winning the match the tournament is still wide open. This is the fun in IPL isn’t it? When all teams play well it becomes even more entertaining for everyone.

Will this lead to the turnaround of fortunes for Kings XI Punjab?

Let’s wait and watch!

Rajasthan Royals won their last encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad to bring back hopes of a revival. With Ben Stokes back in the team, they had renewed hopes. When they met Delhi Capitals yesterday in Dubai they wanted to keep the winning momentum. It’s easier said than done though because, on paper, Delhi Capitals has the most balanced side in the tournament. One of the big advantages of Delhi Capitals is their pace bowling resources and I was excited to see how Rabada performs vis-a-vis Jofra Archer. So how did it go yesterday?

Here are my 5 point highlights of yesterday’s match.

1. Jofra Archer

Jofra Archer doesn’t look like a heavy-duty pace bowler but when the ball comes to the batsmen it’s invariably above 145 Kms/hour with many balls hitting 150 km/hour. In this tournament, he has not taken a bag full of wickets but he never allowed batsmen to dominate. He has the maximum dot balls against his name in this year’s IPL. It was no different yesterday with 14 dot balls in the 24 balls that he bowled. In his very first delivery, he castled Prithvi Shaw and then followed that up by taking the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane to push back Delhi Capitals. He finally finished with 3/19 in his 4 overs. It’s always great to watch Archer bowl and it was no different yesterday. Let’s not forget the Bihu dance too. It has become a revelation now and Jofra did the jig quite nicely.

2. Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan got back into form in the last match against Mumbai Indians. He carried that same form into yesterday’s match too. He was timing the ball well and along with Shreyas Iyer rebuilt the Delhi Capitals’ innings. He didn’t let the momentum shift towards Rajasthan Royals and capitalised on all loose deliveries that came along the way. His 57 runs off 33 balls helped Delhi reach a respectable total. He would be disappointed though that he got out after being set. But his form must be welcome news for his team for the future matches.

3. Shreyas Iyer

When Shreyas Iyer came into bat the scoreboard read 2/10 in the third over with Jofra Archer breathing fire. I think Steve Smith missed a trick by not giving Archer another over. This allowed breathing space for both Dhawan and Iyer. Dhawan took that opportunity to take control as Iyer played himself in. And once Iyer was set, he started hitting as well. Another half-century for Shreyas Iyer just re-established the fact that he is the ideal number 4 for India. His captainship skills are equally good. Delhi Capitals would be very concerned with the injury though that he picked up while fielding and would be hoping that it’s nothing serious because if he sits out then the lineup would be disturbed because Pant is already sitting out due to injury. Yesterday the Iyer-Dhawan partnership ensured that the middle order was not exposed early though like Dhawan, Iyer would be disappointed too at the timing of his dismissal.

4. Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin has been a revelation this season. He has been off the radar when it comes to white-ball cricket for the last couple of years. But he is a great bowler and like any great bowler, he worked on his skills and has been very consistent this season. He has not allowed any loose deliveries this year and in between took some wickets too. Yesterday, Rajasthan Royals started very well and Rabada was hit around in the powerplay. Ashwin came into bowl early and took the wicket of Steve Smith. He was at his miserly best too. His figures of 1/17 in 4 overs made a big dent in the Rajasthan Royals’ chase.

5. Anrich Nortje

There are fast bowlers and then there are super fast bowlers. Nortje is one of those rare super fast bowlers. No one has delivered more 150 km/hour deliveries than him this year. He got the first breakthrough for Delhi Capitals by taking the wicket of Jos Buttler and later came back and castled Uthappa via a 155 Km/Hour yorker. Just unplayable. The wicket of Uthappa nailed it for Delhi Capitals because he was the highest scorer for Rajasthan Royals. Rabada and Nortje have become quite a pair in world cricket now and we would see some great performances in the future too.

Delhi Capitals didn’t look like would win the match at the halfway stage and after the start that Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes got it looked like an easy victory for Rajasthan Royals. But as the saying goes, it’s not how you start – it’s more important how you finish and that’s what Delhi Capitals did yesterday. A 13 run victory for Delhi Capitals got them back to the top of the table.

So where does Rajasthan Royals go from here?

Should Ben Stokes open or should he come down in the middle order?

Should Jaiswal replace Uthappa and get a longish run? Or should Uthappa open with Jos Buttler?

What do you think?

Please share your views.

Indian Premier League is such a long tournament that sometimes a team that starts well can end up not winning the tournament because as the saying goes it’s not that important how you start – what really matters is how you end. Chennai Superkings and Sunrisers Hyderabad are two such teams who have not started this IPL on the right foot. As the second half of the tournament got going – it was important that both these teams get their act together and start winning games. The tournament becomes exciting when all teams vie for the top 4. CSK was desperate for a win when they met SRH yesterday because they needed to win 6 of their last 7 encounters to have a shot at the championship. So how did it go yesterday?

Here are my 5 points highlights of yesterday’s match held in Dubai.

1. Sam Curran 

CSK needed some momentum at the top of the innings. The positive intent right from the word go was important. Putting the opposition on the backfoot in the powerplay overs was very vital. Their tried and tested formula of opening with Faf Du Plessis and Shane Watson was broken up yesterday. CSK gave us a surprise by opening with Sam Curran pushing Watson down the order. The inspirational change gave immediate results because Sam Curran started in a very positive note. Though he didn’t last long he gave the early momentum. He got out when the team score was 35 but the important thing was that he scored 31 of them. If he continued for a few more overs then CSK would have got a very big score. With the ball he opened the innings and finished with 1/18, taking the big wicket of David Warner. Sam Curran will play a big role if CSK has to turn around in this tournament.

2. Ambati Rayudu

Rayudu’s role in the CSK set up is to hold the innings together and play long innings. That’s why he holds the number 4 spot in the team. Yesterday he had to come in early but to his advantage, Sam Curran had given them a good start, and hence he was not under any run rate pressure. He got his eye in and then went for the big shots. He along with Watson built a good partnership that took CSK towards a safe total. He should be angry with himself because he got out at a time when he needed to continue. This is something he needs to work on.

3. Sandeep Sharma

With Bhuvaneshwar Kumar out of the team due to injury, Sandeep Sharma got his opportunity to play in the first XI. He is a very good swing bowler because swing comes naturally to him. The kind of swing he gets by hitting the length is something that all bowlers can’t do. He lacks pace and that’s why sometimes he goes for a lot of runs. He is a kind of a bowler who should be bowled out within the first 8-10 overs because as soon as there is no swing he becomes easily hittable. Yesterday was one such day when he started getting swing right from the word go. He took the wickets of both the openers and went for just 19 runs in his 4 overs. A very good day in the office for Sandeep.

4. Shane Watson

That CSK stitched together a good middle order partnership yesterday is because of Rayudu and Watson. They stitched a partnership of 81 runs in about 10 overs to allow the final push by the hitters which helped CSK to reach a good total. Shane Watson like Rayudu lost his wicket in the most inopportune moment. He was visibly unhappy and I hope he will not repeat this mistake in future matches. His form is very important for CSK.

5. Ravindra Jadeja

One of the reasons that CSK has been struggling this year has been due to the bad form of their all-rounders – Jadeja and Bravo. Today we finally saw an inspired Jadeja taking the field. With the scoreboard reading 120 in 16 overs – it was vital that Jadeja plays freely because CSK needed at least 160 to make it a fighting total. Jadeja did it with aplomb and scored 25 off just 10 balls to take CSK to a very fighting total of 167. He came back with the ball and finished with 1/21 with the wicket of Bairstow being his prized scalp. Jadeja got the Man of the Match award yesterday because he did make a huge difference and helped CSK to win the match.

So a comfortable victory for CSK at the end to keep their aspirations of reaching the Top 4 intact. 

In 2010 at the midway stage – CSK languished at number 7 in the table and from there they turned it around to win the IPL. Will history repeat itself?

Let’s wait and see!

Sharjah has been a very high scoring venue this year. With sixes galore – 200 runs while batting first has been a bare minimum. With players like AB DeVilliers, Virat Kohli for RCB, and Andre Russell, Eoin Morgan for KKR – it was a huge run-fest on the cards as they met each other yesterday to ring in the halfway mark at this year’s IPL. With both RCB and KKR wanting to consolidate the third place it was expected to be a high adrenaline encounter. So how did it go? 

Here are my 5 points highlights for the match.

1. ABDV 

I have not seen a cricketer who has never been out of form. That the person has taken retirement from international cricket more than 2 years back is hard to imagine. The shots that were on display yesterday left everyone awestruck. And if one goes with the final analysis – he was the only batsman who was able to time the ball amongst both the teams. A couple of his sixes landed outside the stadium and bounced over to the road hi ting the high speeding cars. What a player. In between 15th to the 20th over – it was a savage ABDV at his very best. A 160 total looked possible at the halfway mark which finally ended at 194. 73 off 33 balls was a man of the match effort indeed.

2. Varun Chakravarthy

Varun was supposed to be the third spinner in the KKR squad. But over the last few matches, he has performed well beyond the expectations. Now he is the frontline Indian spinner in the squad replacing Kuldeep Yadav and yesterday he was the only spinner playing for KKR. Quite an achievement considering that he has had hardly any exposure to IPL cricket previously. He was the only bright spot for KKR yesterday. When the opposition scores 194 and your bowling figures read 0/25 in 4 overs – it means you have done a stupendous job. Whatever be the final result, his performance must give the KKR camp a lot of happiness. It’s a young squad with 5 uncapped players in the playing 11 – so they need to keep heart and keep the patience before this group blossoms into a consistent match-winning squad.

3. Chris Morris

From the moment Chris Morris was brought into the squad – this RCB team has been looking really strong. They always had a strong top batting order but they failed to defend scores due to horrible bowling. With Chris Morris coming in who bowls well in the powerplay and has those yorkers at the death – this team now looks to have all its bases covered. Yesterday he started well and kept things tight in the powerplay and then at the end came back to pick up a couple of wickets. 2/17 in 4 overs is quite an unthinkable bowling analysis in a T20 match but it was that kind of day for the team and Chris Morris played his part in ensuring a crushing victory for RCB.

4. Washington Sundar 

Washington Sundar always bowled tight especially in the powerplay overs and has become one of the specialists in that regard. But one thing he lacked was that of picking up wickets. As a bowler, if you do not pick up wickets regularly – you are off the radar from the selectors’ mindset. This season it has been quite different for him though. His economy rate has been the lowest amongst all powerplay bowlers across the competition and the good thing has been that he picked up wickets too. Yesterday was no different and his figures of 2/20 in 4 overs just amplified that fact. This RCB team is now a well-oiled machine and I will not be surprised if they replace one of the Delhi Capitals or Mumbai Indians in the Top 2.

5. Yuzvendra Chahal

One of the many talents that have come through IPL – Chahal is an ideal person to be in your team. A complete team man who never disappoints his captain. In earlier seasons he used to be the only bowler who helped the cause in the field. This season with multiple other bowlers putting their hands up, Chahal’s work has been a bit easier. He is one of those classic leg spinners who love to flight the ball and deceives the batsmen in the flight. He gets prodigious turn too. Another day in the office for Chahal yesterday as he nailed it in with the initial damage being done by others. He returned with figures of 1/12 in 4 overs – a bowling figure which is unfathomable in T20 cricket.

A huge victory for RCB at the end and this team has all the ingredients to become a champion. For KKR they would love to forget this match in a hurry but their team is too weak to really have a say in this year’s tournament. With Russell and Morgan not firing it doesn’t look good for KKR.

What do you think?

Will RCB go all the way this season?

Can KKR come back after this hammering?

Share your thoughts!

It was the clash of the table-toppers yesterday at Abu Dhabi as the current IPL champions, Mumbai Indians locked horns with Delhi Capitals. Mumbai Indians have played virtually the same XI for the whole tournament thus far and it shows in their results. Delhi capitals on paper have the best team and no wonder they were sitting pretty on top of the table. Delhi Capitals wanted to consolidate their position on the charts while Mumbai Indians wanted to snatch that position yesterday. I expected a see-saw battle. What happened next?

Here are my 5 point highlights from yesterday’s match.

 1. Shikhar Dhawan

For Delhi Capitals Shikhar Dhawan plays a very vital role because he is one of their most experienced batsmen in the team. His form has not been good though and he hardly survived the powerplay overs this season. Yesterday, Prithvi Shaw got out early and the onus fell on Shikhar Dhawan to tug the innings along. With Shreyas Iyer, he rebuilt the Delhi Capitals’ innings but he was unable to find the timing of old. Yesterday Shikhar Dhawan carried his bat through and ended with 69 runs. His timing eluded him till the end but the runs that he scored would have given him the confidence to perform better in the future matches. Delhi Capitals will hope that it’s the turnaround for Shikhar Dhawan. That Delhi Capitals reached a competitive total yesterday was because of Shikhar’s patience and perseverance.

 2. Jasprit Bumrah

When you have Bumrah in your team, its a great advantage because rarely does he leak runs. This year he has not been in top form yet but he did show the spark in some matches. Yesterday he didn’t pick up any wickets but what he ensured was that he kept it very tight. His first 2 overs went for just 7 runs and when he came back to bowl the 18th and 20th it was important that Shikhar Dhawan was kept under the leash. Bumrah did just that and ensured that Delhi Capitals didn’t get too big a score.

 3. Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya is not that talented as his younger brother Hardik but he has a workhorse type attitude and that holds him in good stead. The best thing is that he keeps coming at you and tries to contribute with either bat or ball. With Hardik yet to bowl due to his back injury, it was important that Krunal as a backup option kept things tight. He doesn’t spin the ball much but his radar rarely goes wrong. Though he sometimes gets hit by the left-handers, for Right Handers he is quite difficult to be hit. Yesterday he not only picked up vital wickets but kept his end tight too. 2/26 in 4 overs was a good day in the office for Krunal Pandya. With the bat, he came towards the end of the innings and a quickfire 12 runs off 7 balls ensured that there were no last-minute surprises for Mumbai Indians and took the team to victory.

 4. Quinton De Kock

One thing that alluded Mumbai Indians thus far has been their opening partnership. Rohit Sharma lacked consistency and Quinton De Kock has been completely out of touch. His favourite strokes square of the wicket has been the primary reasons for his downfall. The premier fast bowlers of Delhi Capitals are from South Africa – I don’t know if that worked in his favour yesterday because we saw the Quinton of old back in action. All his favourite strokes came out right from the middle of the bat. Though Rohit Sharma got out quickly, it didn’t deter De Kock to go about his job of going after quick runs. He never let the asking rate to climb up. He scored 70% of the Mumbai runs by the time he got out. A welcome return to form for the diminutive wicket-keeper.

 5. Surya Kumar Yadav 

Surya Kumar Yadav like Sanju Samson is an enigma in Indian cricket. When he plays well, everyone asks why he doesn’t get selected to play for India. Consistency has been the biggest problem for him though. This season he has hit a purple patch and has been scoring consistently. Yesterday was no different. First, he stitched a good partnership with De Kock and when De Kock got out, Surya Kumar took the onus on himself to take Mumbai towards victory. Though he could not be there till the end a score of 53 off 32 balls helped the cause a big deal. Here hoping to see a consistent Surya Kumar Yadav for the rest of the season.

 Though Mumbai Indians won the match pretty comfortably, it wouldn’t have been that easy if Delhi Capitals fielded better. Twice Prithvi Shaw allowed easy boundaries and also dropped a catch. Things could have been much different if those opportunities were taken. The game of cricket is not about “What Ifs” though.

 Mumbai along with Delhi remains all set to top the charts this season.

 Do you think otherwise?

Rajasthan Royals lost 4 matches on the trot and they desperately wanted to come back to winning ways when they met Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier today in Dubai. Sunrisers Hyderabad was slow off their blocks this year but came roaring back with an easy victory against Kings XI Punjab a few days back. With the Bairstow-Warner partnership back amongst the runs, it looked like the team from Hyderabad having their noses in front today. Rajasthan Royals got their talismanic all-rounder, Ben Stokes back amongst the playing XI expecting a change of fortunes.

So how did it go today?

Here are my 5 points highlights from the match.

1. Manish Pandey

Manish Pandey is one of those unlucky cricketers who didn’t get a long run in International cricket due to his injuries at inopportune moments. He has been in good form this season but didn’t get any big runs yet. Today with Bairstow getting out quickly, with the Rajasthan bowlers bowling tightly, Manish along with Warner stitched a good partnership ensuring that the Royals didn’t get a look into the inexperienced Surisers’ Middle Order. He finished with 54 and was the highest scorer of his team. That Sunrisers couldn’t score a big enough total has to go down to the inexperience that the team has in the middle order.

2. Jofra Archer

Jofra Archer hardly gets hit around the park and it was no different today. What Rajasthan Royals needed though were wickets from him which didn’t happen today. This year he has got a special liking for Warner though by getting his wickets many times in the recently concluded series in England and keeping that intact he got Warner’s wicket today too. 14 off the 24 balls that he bowled were dot balls shows the impact that he had in the match for Rajasthan Royals.

3. Rashid Khan

Can you keep Rashid Khan out of an IPL match? Definitely no. Rajasthan Royals didn’t get a good start today and their 3 experienced foreign players got out within 4 overs and the score read 3/26 after 4 overs. With Sanju Samson getting back into form and Uthappa starting well it looked like Rajasthan Royals were getting out of the rut when Rashid Khan struck crucial blows by picking up both of them to push them to the brink. With the score reading 78/5 after 12 overs it looked like game over for Rajasthan Royals. That he couldn’t close the game for Sunrisers in the 18th over must be hurting him very much.

4. Rahul Tewatia

Rahul Tewatia became a household name in India after his match-winning innings against Kings XI a couple of weeks back. He has enhanced his reputation since though not setting the stage on fire. Today he was back in action again. The 18th over bowled by Rashid Khan was the key one. With 36 runs needed of 3 overs, Warner hoped that Rashid Khan would get him a wicket and keep the over tight to increase the pressure but what happened was exactly the opposite. Tewatia hit him for 3 consecutive fours with some audacious reverse sweeps and brought the equation in Rajasthan Royals’ favour. He was not finished though because in the next over bowled by Natarajan he nailed a four and a six in consecutive balls to turn the match completely on its head. Not surprisingly he won the man of the match today.

5. Rayan Parag

I really liked Rayan Parag’s batting last year and I was so hoping for some great batting from him this year. But he utterly disappointed and subsequently got dropped. Good that Rajasthan Royals gave him an opportunity today because though people will remember Tewatia for his hitting but it was Rayan Parag who was the initial aggressor when Tewatia was playing second fiddle. He finished the match with a six off Khaleel Ahmed and gave Rajasthan Royals an unlikely victory. His Bihu dance after hitting the six was something that was enjoyable too. These moments make IPL a great tournament, isn’t it?

A great come from behind victory for the Royals to keep them in the hunt. With Ben Stokes just coming in, this team has all the talent to reach the top 4. What they need though is a consistent Sanju Samson.

What went wrong for Sunrisers? For me, I think their fielding let them down. Both Parag and Tewatia must have been out long back if only the fielding would have been better. They have themselves to blame for losing this one.

What do you think?

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