Royals’ statement on Ben Stokes: All-rounder ruled out of IPL | Rajasthan Royals and England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been ruled out of IPL 2021 with finger injury
In a massive blow to Rajasthan Royals’ playoff and title hopes, all-rounder Ben Stokes has been ruled out of IPL 2021 due to a finger injury. The injury, confirmed to be a broken finger, occurred whilst fielding during the epic match between the Royals and Punjab Kings.
Stokes now joins fellow England teammate Jofra Archer on the sidelines, with the latter still recovering from surgery on his hand. Archer is also managing an elbow concern, which now leaves the Royals in a difficult predicament as two of their overseas stars are struck down with injury.
However, Stokes will be staying with the squad for the IPL. According to the Royals, Stokes would like to stay with the Royals group to provide his valued support and input off the field throughout the season.
The Royals have made an official statement following Stokes’ injury: “Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Ben Stokes injured a finger on his left hand while fielding during the team’s match against Punjab Kings on 12 April 2021 in Mumbai. Subsequent investigations revealed that he sustained a broken finger, which will unfortunately rule him out of the remainder of the Indian Premier League 2021 season,” the statement reads.
“Everyone at Rajasthan Royals absolutely admires Ben for being such a huge asset and a valuable member of the Royals family, both on and off the field, and wishes him a speedy recovery. We are delighted that Ben would like to stay with the group to provide his valued support and inputs off the field. In the meantime, we will be reviewing potential replacement options for the remainder of the season.”
Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the IPL following a broken finger in last night's game. ?
Stokes’ all-round ability, particularly with him now opening the batting, makes him a big loss for the Royals. Other overseas batting options include Liam Livingstone and David Miller, both of whom have strong T20 pedigree.
The Royals will be hoping either of Livingstone and Miller can make a strong impact right away after their first-up defeat.
Twitter reactions to incredible RR vs PBKS match: Samson, Rahul, Hooda fire | Fans react on Twitter to one of the most memorable IPL matches: RR vs PBKS
How good is the IPL? Time and time again, the tournament delivers top-of-the-range entertainment, and this was just that.
Rajasthan Royals up against Punjab Kings promised to be a classic. And it turned out to be the case. Just as was the case at Sharjah in October, both these sides played out a 200 vs 200 thriller, with a number of incredible performances.
Top of the tree was new Royals skipper Sanju Samson, who once again started an IPL season in brilliant fashion. His century was a thing of beauty, and came within metres of outdoing the brilliance of KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda for Kings Punjab. It was an innings deserving of victory, but he fell agonisingly short, much to the disappointment of fans.
In the end, Riley Meredith and Arshdeep Singh held their nerve well to seal a tight victory for the Kings to start their season off on a positive note. As the pandemic continues to be rife throughout the world, matches like these provide a great escape. Here are the Twitter reactions to a remarkable game of cricket:
One of the GREAT #IPL innings @IamSanjuSamson !!! What a game of cricket … The IPL is bloody incredible … no other T20 comp has so many close games … #India
If only Stokes caught that….. If only Tewatia caught that…. If only Dube managed to hit one big shot…. If only Tewatia managed to connect one big hit…. If only Morris managed to get one away…. If only Sanju connected that a bit better….
Point to note…Samson came into bat in the first over and was there till the last ball of the innings. He came of age tonight I thought. First hundred in a run chase too. Let’s hope he can keep his form through the length of the IPL.#RRvsPBKS#SanjuSamson
If you want to learn to never back down then read the story of Deepak Hooda’s past few months and watch him bat tonight. Well played buddy! #Fighter#mentallystrong
Deepak Hooda goes for a fantastic knock, 64 in just 28 balls with ruthless hitting throughout. Whatever he must be gone through in last few months, he made a statement out of it tonight. pic.twitter.com/e44CHNAd9O
Twitter reactions to incredible RR vs PBKS match: Samson, Rahul, Hooda fire | Fans react on Twitter to one of the most memorable IPL matches: RR vs PBKS
IPL 2021 Match 5: KKR vs MI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | KKR vs MI Dream11 Prediction Today | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders Key Players | Chennai Pitch Report
World Cup Winning Captain Eoin Morgan will take on the Most Successful IPL Captain Rohit Sharma for the 5th match of IPL 2021 at Chennai.
Mumbai Indians stood by their usual ritual of losing the first match of the competition. Altogether this turned out to be their ninth straight loss in their IPL openers. Every side wants to start well but their skipper sounded positive in the post-match conference and said ” the most important thing I guess (to win tournaments). Not the first game”.
Chris Lynn struck (49 off 35 balls) on his debut for Mumbai Indians and he might get another chance but some reports in media also suggest Quinton de Kock might return to the playing 11. The only concern for MI will be Lynn’s struggle against Left-arm-Orthodox. He has got out to LAO-type bowling 6 times out of 18 in the IPL. Captain Morgan is someone who believes in a lot of match-ups and he will bring Shakib straight away to stop Lynnsanity. Apart from Lynn, with small contributions from SKY and Kishan, MI made 159.
Defending 159 which is considered a decent total at Chepauk, Mumbai Indians bowlers were quite good. In our first preview, we talked about how Mumbai Indians surprises the opponent with a surprise pick for their opening clashing. Marco Jansen was their trump card this time around which got them 2 wickets. Along with Jasprit Bumrah, MI still could not defend it, although the match went down to the wire.
On the other side of the coin, Captain Morgan led KKR showed intent from word go, and ran riots on SRH bowlers. Nitish Rana (80 off 56 balls) relished the opportunity and scored his 4th Fifty in his 6 matches as an opener in the IPL. Rahul Tripathi (53 off 29 balls) scored his 6th IPL fifty, a small cameo from DK (22 off 9 balls) helped reach KKR their highest total (187) against SRH.
IPL 2021 Match 5: KKR vs MI Dream11 Prediction: Rohit Sharma loves playing against KKR.
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Mumbai Indians:
Rohit Sharma – No one loves smashing KKR bowlers more than the Hitman. The MI Captain has 939 runs against them at an average of 47 from his 26 innings. He is 61 runs short of 1000 runs against them which also adds to the case of being the Top Captaincy Choice in Grand Leagues for this match.
Chris Lynn– Lynn was at his brutal best in his debut match for MI. He was part of the KKR camp earlier and would relish the opportunity to play against them.
Quinton de Kock- Quinny is coming on the back of some good knocks in the ODI’s against Pakistan. Against KKR he has an average of 21.2 with 170 runs from 9 innings. He has struggled more in 1st innings against them in 6 innings he has 62 runs from 10.3.
Suryakumar Yadav – SKY looked good against RCB. He was also part of the KKR camp earlier and has done well against them. In his 6 innings against them, he averages 44.8 with 224 runs from his 6 innings.
Ishan Kishan – Kishan has played twice against KKR and scored 66 runs. He started his IPL 2021 campaign from how he left off in IPL 2020.
Hardik Pandya – Flamboyant Hardik has destroyed KKR left, right and center. In 9 innings against them, he has 284 runs at an unbelievable average of 71. Add to that 11 wickets and it makes him a choice of VC in grand leagues. The only concern is that he did not bowl in the last match.
Jasprit Bumrah – Bumrah has 12 scalps from his 12 matches against KKR. He has been more economical against them and bowled 45.4% dot balls against them.
Trent Boult – Boult has 7 wickets from 4 games against KKR.
Rahul Chahar – Chahar has 5 wickets from his 4 games. Like Bumrah he also has a massive dot bowl percentage of 46.2 against them. We expect the Chennai deck to offer more assistance to him and hopefully, that brings more wickets as well.
Kolkata Knight Riders:
Nitish Rana – Rana thumped SRH bowlers all over the park and brought his 12th IPL Fifty. He was the most impressive player from the KKR camp. He has played against MI in the past and playing against them he has 107 runs at 21.4. Rana is coming back from a good domestic season and on the back of that, he will look to improve his number against his previous team.
Shubman Gill – Gill started brilliantly but soon fell into Rashid’s trap. Against MI he has 120 runs from his 5 innings. He will be a good pick in this pick-all leagues.
Rahul Tripathi – After an impressive innings vs SRH (53 off 29 balls), it will be interesting to see how turns up against MI. In 6 innings against them, he just has 65 runs at an average of 10.8. This is his worst figure in the IPL. Having said that, dropping him in small leagues could prove costly.
Eoin Morgan – Morgan did not do much in the first match. Against MI he has118 runs from 7 matches at an average of 23.6.
Andre Russell – Russell has 174 runs and 6 wickets from 9 innings against MI. Russell did not have a game time for a brief amount of period and we believe it will take a couple of games for him to get back into the groove.
Dinesh Kartik – DK came to bat at no.7 which shows that KKR management has made their mind to use him as a finisher. He only makes a case for Grand Leagues spot in 1-2 teams.
Shakib Al Hasan – Shakib was good with the balll in the opening match. Against MI he has not enjoyed much success in the past. He has 93 runs against MI at an average of 11.6 from his 9 innings. He has 12 wickets in 11 matches vs MI.
Prasidh Krishna- Krishna was impressive with the ball and got Warner cheaply with a beauty of a delivery to set up the match for his side. Against MI he has 2 wickets from his 4 games but he is a mightly confident bowler after his recent success and should be among the wickets again.
Stats & Facts
Overall 27 | MI Won 21 | KKR Won 6
MI dominates KKR both while batting first and second.
In the last match, KKR completed their 100th win in the IPL.
Kieron Pollard has a modest record vs KKR. He has scored 246 runs in 16 innings at an average of 27.33 and SR 120.
Predicted Playing XI
Quinton de Kock is out of quarantine and is expected to replace Chris Lynn in this match.
Kolkata Knight Riders: 1. Shubman Gill, 2. Nitish Rana, 3. Rahul Tripathi, 4. Andre Russell, 5. Eoin Morgan (c), 6. Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7. Shakib Al Hasan, 8. Pat Cummins, 9. Prasidh Krishna, 10. Harbhajan Singh, 11. Varun Chakravarthy
Chepauk Chennai Pitch Report and Weather Conditions
Murali Karthik in his pitch report said “The square boundaries are 60 and 70 meters long, so the spinners might struggle here. This is a dry wicket, a lot of open patches, it’s not fully even either. Is there going to be a lot of dew today? There was a little bit last time, and just enough to bother the bowlers. It’ll be interesting what the captains will be interested in after winning the toss – they wanted to bat last in the previous game. When you’re closer, there’s less grass, and it’s very dry – black soil surface. It’ll be important how the spinners bowl, it’ll be difficult for them in the powerplay given the short square boundaries.”
A similar deck is expected for this match as well. The weather forecast suggests Tuesday will be hot and humid with temp around 32-36°C.
Mumbai Indians should be fine after losing their first match and look to open their campaign against KKR. MI to win, off the back of their amazing record vs KKR.
Written by Shekhar Singh. Follow Shekhar on Twitter today.
SA vs PAK 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SA vs PAK 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | South Africa vs Pakistan 2nd T20 Key Players | Wanderers Pitch Report
Missing a lot of their key players, South Africa put on a more-than-competitive show in the first T20I. For much of the game, the Proteas were ahead, but poor performances at the death in all three facets of the game proved costly.
First, a score of over 200 looked inevitable, until a quiet period saw them finish below 200. Then, with Pakistan needing 13 an over in the last four with wickets falling, the Proteas lost their way with the ball and in the field. With so much inexperience in their side, such mishaps are to be expected. However, they will look to bounce back quickly here to ensure their hopes of a series win remain alive.
For Pakistan, it was a victory but far from their best display. Mohammad Rizwan’s excellent 2021 continued, but more will be expected from the top order batsmen around him. Also, the bowlers will want a better day out after some poor execution against South Africa’s inexperienced batting lineup.
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
South Africa:
Aiden Markram looked in sublime touch in the opening T20I (51 off 32 balls). He has looked good all season, and will want to convert his starts.
Jannemann Malan also looked in fine touch in the opening match. He was threatening to make a big score, before missing a straight one (24 off 16 balls). Key player.
Heinrich Klaasen produced the kind of form we saw against Australia last year. He is coming off an excellent half-century in the first T20I.
Tabraiz Shamsi, the world’s number one T20I bowler, has continued his fine form. He has taken eight wickets in four matches vs Pakistan in 2021, at a fine economy of 5.62.
Beuran Hendricks is coming off 3/32. Two of his wickets were with loose deliveries, but he remains key as an experienced member of the attack.
Pakistan:
What a year Mohammad Rizwan is having in 2021. He slammed 197 runs in three matches vs South Africa earlier in the year, as well as 297 runs in five matches in PSL 2021. He is coming off a man-of-the-match 74* off 50 balls.
Apart from one score of 90, Babar Azam has scored 124 runs in his other six knocks vs South Africa. The classy right-hander will be looking to respond well here.
Fakhar Zaman, who scored 302 runs in the three ODIs, looked good in the first T20I (27 off 19 balls). He remains a key danger man for the Proteas.
Mohammad Hafeez smashed 415 runs in 10 matches in 2020, at an average of 83.00 and SR 152.57.
Faheem Ashraf’s 30 off 14 balls showcased his batting ability down the order. He is also capable of taking wickets.
Hasan Ali is in fine form. He was terrific in PSL 2021, where he took six wickets in four games at an economy rate of just 5.56. He is coming off 2/29 in the opening T20I.
Mohammad Nawaz took 3/34 in the third ODI and then 2/21 in the first T20I. He is in good bowling form.
Possible Playing 11
Kyle Verryenne was surprisingly left out of South Africa’s team for the first T20I. Rassie van der Dussen is also considered a chance of returning.
Pakistan: 1. Janneman Malan, 2. Aiden Markram, 3. Pite van Biljon, 4. Kyle Verreynne/Rassie van der Dussen, 5. Heinrich Klaasen (c & wk), 6. Andile Phehlukwayo, 7. George Linde/Wiaan Mulder, 8. Beuran Hendricks, 9. Lizaad Williams, 10. Tabraiz Shamsi, 11. Sisanda Magala
Pakistan: 1. Babar Azam (c), 2. Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 3. Fakhar Zaman, 4. Haider Ali, 5. Mohammad Hafeez, 6. Mohammad Nawaz, 7. Faheem Ashraf, 8. Hasan Ali, 9. Shaheen Afridi, 10. Haris Rauf/Mohammad Hasnain, 11. Usman Qadir
Wanderers Pitch Report and Conditions
Another good batting track is expected. That is usually the case on this ground. Also, a top of about 27 degrees is forecast, with no rain expected.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
SA vs PAK 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
SA vs PAK 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction
Match Prediction
South Africa’s inexperience, once again, makes Pakistan the favourites. The tourists should have enough in them to take a 2-0 series lead.
IPL 2021 Match 4: RR vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | RR vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction Today | Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings | Key Players | Mumbai Pitch Report
Indian Premier League 2021 is well up and running and its time for Rahul’s Men to take on the Royals at Mumbai. This is one battle that promises to be a box-office clash.
Punjab Kings will start the season with a new name and they will hope that the new name also brings a change in fortune for them. In the last edition, they were down and out in the first half of the season until Gayle stormed into the Playing 11 and revived them. They had plenty of positives to take after that and would be hoping to have a good start on the back of that.
In the auction, they did reasonably well and got the services of Jhye Richardson, Riley Meridith, and David Malan. Without having a second thought, their team is well-balanced and the onus will be on Coach Kumble to get the combination right.
On the flip side, the Rajasthan Royals started their IPL 2020 campaign brilliantly, but soon fell off the radar. The Rajasthan-based franchise also made a bold move ahead of the auction when they shipped out their Captain Steve Smtih and granted the captaincy duties to Sanju Samson.
During the auction, they managed to land Chris Morris for a record fee, who will have a big say in how their tournament shapes up. They also have Indian- Allrounder Shivam Dube who is expected to be an integral part of the squad.
IPL 2021 Match 4: RR vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction: Will 2021 be a better year for Punjab Kings?
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
KL Rahul – The Run Machine!KL was the Orange Cap winner in the last edition with 670 runs from his 14 innings at an average of 55.83. With his red-hot form from the England ODIs, another similar season is on the cards for him.
He likes playing against Royals and averages 55.7 against them with 390 runs from his 9 innings. KL wrecks havoc at this venue – pick him or regret.
Mayank Agarwal – Agarwal had a good season as well keeping in mind that he was injured and missed few games still managed 424 runs from 11 innings at an average of 38.54.
Against Royals, he averages 29.9 with 269 runs from his 9 innings. While batting second, he has just 64 runs from his 4 innings at an average of 16.
Chris Gayle – Universe Boss! Arguably the greatest ambassador for T20 Cricket. Punjab Kings made a comeback in the previous edition on the back of Gayle’s 288 runs in 7 innings. Against Royals, he has 499 runs from 16 innings at an average of 35.6.
Nicholas Pooran – Nicky P had a good IPL 2020 as well with 353 runs from 14 innings at an average of 35.30. Against Royals, he has 64 runs from 4 innings at an average of 21.3. He has a better record while batting second.
Mohammad Shami – Shami was the highest wicket-taker for Punjab Kings in IPL 2020 with 20 wickets. Against Royals, he has 7 wickets from his 7 innings. Overall in his T20 career, he has a better record while bowling first.
Jyhe Richardson – Big Bash’s highest wicket-taker will be making his IPL debut this season. He is a genuine wicket-taker and his figures suggest that he does well while bowling second. He can contribute with the bat as well if required.
Ravi Bishno i- Young Bishnoi was very impressive last season. He had 14 scalps from his 12 games. However, against Royals, he has played twice and gone wicketless. He has a better record while bowling first.
One between Fabian Allen and Riley Meredith will play and as the venue is Wankhede, Meredith might get the nod ahead of Allen. Meredith is coming back from his impressive T20I debut against New Zealand.
Rajasthan Royals
Ben Stokes – One of the fittest cricketers in the world, Stokes came to the party late in IPL 2020 due to personal reasons and ended up with 285 runs from his 8 innings. Against Kings, he has made 132 runs from his 5 innings. He has just played once at this venue and scored 17 runs.
Jos Buttler – Buttler needs no introduction! In IPL 2020 he made 361 runs from 9 games. Against Kings, he averages 45.1 with 361 runs from his 9 innings. He has played for Mumbai Indians in past and knows this venue well. Playing at Wankhede he has 362 runs from 12 innings, so far he has done batting second here.
Sanju Samson – Captain Samson! Like many others, this is Samson’s last chance to break into India’s T20I WC squad. He had a hot & cold season last year which ended up with 375 runs from 14 innings. Against Kings, he has512 runs from his 16 innings at an average of 39.4.
Chris Morris – Morris is a machine! He missed out on the opening matches of the last edition with injury and ended up with 11 wickets from his 9 innings. Against Kings, he has 13 wickets from his 11 innings. Out of 13 wickets, 8 wickets have come while bowling first. Needless to say, he can contribute with the bat as well.
Rahul Tewatia – The match is against Kings, and is it even possible that we don’t mention Tewatia? Tewatia had a breakout last season. He ended up with 255 runs from 14 matches and also picked 10 wickets. Against Kings, he has 102 runs and 3 wickets from his 4 innings.
Shivam Dube – Under Kumar Sangakara, Dube has a golden chance to improve his skillset and roar back into the Indian team. Dube scored 129 runs and picked 4 wickets last season. Against Kings, he has 2 wickets and 35 runs from 2 matches.
Shreyas Gopal – Gopal leads the spin department for Royals and ended with 10 wickets last season. Against Kings, he has played thrice and picked 2 wickets. Gopal also knows the conditions quite well at Wankhede as he was part of Mumbai Indians once.
Andrew Tye – Tye did not get much game time last season and he picked up a wicket from the only game he played. In the absence of Jofra Archer, one between Tye and Fiz will play. Tye was part of King’s camp earlier, he has played once against them and picked 2 wickets while bowling first.
Mustafizur Rahman – Fiz is coming back to IPL after a couple of seasons. Against Kings, he has picked 3 wickets from his 2 innings. He has played for Mumbai Indians and knows the venue.
Stats & Facts
Overall Played 21| Kings won 9| Royals won 12
Royals have dominated against Kings while batting second.
80% Games at Wankhede are won batting second.
Predicted Playing XI
Punjab Kings: 1. KL Rahul (c & wk), 2. Mayank Agarwal, 3. Chris Gayle, 4. Nicholas Pooran (wk), 5. Shahrukh Khan, 6. Jalaj Saxena/Saurabh Kumar, 7. Jhye Richardson, 8. Riley Meredith, 9. M Ashwin/Ravi Bishnoi, 10. Arshdeep Singh, 11. Mohammed Shami
Michael Slater, in his pitch report, said 176 is the average score batting first at this ground. The square boundaries are short on both sides. Nice grass covering, for the bowlers, it’s all about bowling in the right areas. The batsmen would love this surface.
Wankhede Pitch is known as a belter of a wicket and it is also one of the best batting surfaces offered in India. A similar wicket is expected again. A warm day and evening is forecast for Mumbai.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
IPL 2021 Match 4: RR vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
IPL 2021 Match 4: RR vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction
Match Prediction
This is a tough battle to predict as both sides are evenly matched. It could easily be a close thriller.
However, the change in name might go well with Punjab Kings and they start on a winning note.
Written by Shekhar Singh. Follow Shekhar on Twitter today.
IPL 2021 Match 3: SRH vs KKR Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SRH vs KKR Dream11 Prediction Today | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders Key Players | Chennai Pitch Report
After a couple of blockbuster opening days, IPL 2021 is bringing smiles back to the faces of billion Cricket Fans across the globe during these testing times. It will only get better from here as another juicy contest is on the cards when Kolkata Knight Riders will be up against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Chennai.
We must admit that despite performing reasonably well in the last 5 years, SRH remains one of the most underrated teams in the IPL. They won the championship in 2016, finished runner-ups in 2018, and more often than you will find them in the Top 4 spots. In the last edition, they finished third.
The Hyderabad-based Franchise retained most of its players. They also managed to get the likes of Jason Roy and Mujeeb Ur Rahman which means that they have got the best overseas talent on offer. It is going to be a good headache for Trevor Bayliss, Tom Moody, and David Warner when they sit to decide the first 4 who start into the playing 11.
KKRon the other hand is not the same team that they used to under Former Indian Cricketer Gautam Gambhir. They have lost the plot and Eoin Morgan along with Coach Brendon McCullum have plenty to do to bring back the old Kolkata vibes. They finished in fifth spot last year.
In the auction, they managed to get Shakib-Al-Hasan who they consider their lucky charm as he was part of the squad on both the occasions when KKR won the championship. KKR also managed to get the services of Ben Cutting along with Harbhajan Singh.
As far as their Playing 11 is concerned, Lockie Ferguson and Harbhajan Singh should start for them to stop Warner. Both have got the better of Warner on multiple occasions.
IPL 2021 Match 3: SRH vs KKR Dream11 Prediction: Gill to deliver?
Key Player to Watch/Key Stats
David Warner – One overseas Player who has shown mighty consistency in the IPL is Warner. Despite having an average season with the bat, the SRH Captain was the third-highest run-getter of the previous edition. He scored 548 runs at an average of 39.14 from his 16 innings.
Against KKR, he has performed more often than not. In 23 innings against them, he has made 912 runs at an average of 45.6. He has a better record while batting first. Playing at Chennai he averages 26.6 with 186 runs from his 7 games.
Jonny Bairstow – Brutal Bairstow is one of the most feared white ball-strikers in World Cricket. He was in red-hot form in limited overs series against India and he will be hoping to build upon that.
Like his Captain, Bairstow enjoys playing against KKR. In 4 innings he has made 160 runs at an average of 53.3. He has played only once at this venue and could not open his account.
Manish Pandey – Pandey has been a proven performer in the IPL. Last season he made 425 runs from his 16 innings at an average of 32.69. However, against KKR, he does not have a very good record. In 11 innings he made 195 runs at an average of 21.7.
His record further worsens against KKR in 2nd Innings. He has just made 29 runs from 5 innings, with a poor average of 7.2. Pandey has played 6 innings at this venue and scored 137 runs, he has a better record while batting first.
Rashid Khan – Khan is a superstar. In last year’s IPL, he picked up 20 wickets and he generally does better while bowling second. Against KKR, he has played 10 games and picked up 9 wickets out of which 6 wickets came bowling second. Khan has played once at this venue and picked up a wicket.
Jason Holder – Jason Holder came as an injury replacement and did brilliantly for his side. In 7 games he picked 14 wickets and also made 66 runs. Against KKR he has just played once and managed to get a wicket. Holder has bowled 12 overs at this venue in IPL and gone wicketless.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar – Bhuvi announced his comeback in some style during the limited overs series against England. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury during IPL 2020 and was ruled out of the tourney. He is a better bowler while bowling first.
Against KKR, he has played 21 matches and picked up 27 wickets out of which 18 came bowling first. Playing at this venue he has 3 wickets from 4 matches, and all his 3 wickets have come while bowling second.
T Natarajan- The new yorker king. Nattu was the find of the IPL last season. He got 16 wickets from his 16 innings last season. Like Rashid, he also has a better record bowling second. Against KKR he has played 2 games and picked 3 wickets. He will be playing at his home ground.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Shubman Gill – Gill is undoubtedly one of the most promising young talents on offer in Indian Cricket. He managed 440 runs from his 14 matches at an average of 33.84 in IPL 2020. Against SRH he has 160 runs from his 6 innings at an average of 40. However, he has shown some struggle while batting first. In 3 innings he has just managed 42 runs.
Nitish Rana – Rana was tested negative and expected to play the first game. In IPL 2020 he scored 352 runs at an average of 25.14. In 9 innings against SRH, Rana has 235 runs at an average of 26.1. Like his counterpart Gill, he has not done much in 1st innings and just scored 58 runs from his 4 innings.
Andre Russell – Russell Muscle! KKR management has invested heavily in the All-Rounder to keep him fit and it’s the payback time for Russell. In 2020 he had a disastrous season where he could only manage 117 runs and 6 wickets from his 10 games at a below-par average of 13. He has his worst figures against SRH. In 9 innings against them, he just averages 13.9 and managed 111 runs, and picked 7 wickets.
Varun Chakravarthy – Mystery Spinner Varunwas the find of the season for KKR. He was their highest wicket-taker with 17wickets. He has done well bowling second so far in his T20 career. Against SRH, he has picked 2 wickets from his 2 innings. He has played a lot at this venue.
Eoin Morgan – Captain Morgan believes to win Big you have to take the risk even if it is not there. With this ideology, he would be hoping to turn around the fortunes of his side KKR like he has done for England in the past. In IPL 2020 he scored 418 runs at an average of 41.80. He has played for SRH in past and while playing against them he has 171 runs at an average of 34.2 from his 6 innings.
Dinesh Karthik – DK The Finisher! If DK wants a spot in India’s T20I World Cup Squad this is his final chance. I am quite sure he would be aware of that and looking forward to making the most of this well timely opportunity. IPL 2020 was below par for DK, he only managed 169 runs from 14 games at a poor average of 14.08.
Against SRH he has a poor record. He has just managed 259 runs at an average of 16.2. His his average further drops down to 13.8 batting second. Dinesh knows this venue more than anyone as he has grown up playing Cricket here.
Patrick Cummins – Arguably the best bowler in World Cricket right now. Cummins bowled well in IPL 2020 but did not get many wickets. He ended up with 12 wickets but showed his ability with the bat and made 133 runs. Against SRH he has 2 wickets from his 3 games.
Lockie Ferguson – With his raw pace Ferguson can outsmart anyone. He picked 5 wickets last season. Against SRH he has played twice and picked 3 wickets. All his 3 wickets came in one match bowling second.
Shakib Al-Hasan – KKR Lucky Charm! Shakib was part of the SRH squad earlier. While playing against them he has not much so far. All-rounder has 4 wickets and 8 runs against SRH from his 4 matches.
Harbhajan Singh– Bhaji will be donning the KKR Jersey for the very first time. Against SRH he has 15 wickets from his 19 innings. He has a better strike rate while bowling second.
He loves playing at Chennai and has 20 wickets from his 18 games here. He has played against SRH here once and picked 2 wickets while bowling first.
Sunil Narine – It would be fair enough if we say Narine has lost his magic which he had early on in his career. In IPL 2020 he made 121 runs and just picked 5 wickets. Against SRH his record does not get better. In 17 innings against SRH, he just has 10 wickets out of which 7 wickets came bowling second.
Prasidh Krishna – After a sensation International debut, Krishna would be carry on the same form in the T20s as well. In IPL 2020 he managed 4 wickets from 6 games. Against SRH he has 4 wickets in 3 innings. All 4 wickets have come while bowling second first, he has not bowled second against them till now.
Shivam Mavi picked 9 wickets from 8 games in IPL 2020 and Kamlesh NagarKoti managed 5 wickets from his 10 games. Both young quicks are better bowlers than stats show and will certainly get better.
Stats and Facts
Overall Played 19 | KKR 12 | SRH 7
KKR has dominated against SRH while batting second.
The average run score when these two sides play is 152.
In the last 5 years, SRH has won 5 and KKR has won 8 matches.
Kane Williamson vs KKR: 8 matches, 197 runs, avg. 28.14, SR 129.61.
Predicted Playing XI
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1. David Warner (c), 2. Jonny Bairstow, 3. Manish Pandey, 4. Kane Williamson, 5. Priyam Garg, 6. Abdul Samad, 7. Abhishek Sharma, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. Sandeep Sharma, 11. T Natarajan
Danny Morrison & L Sivaramakrishnan on their pitch report for the first match said ” When I look at this ground, feels deceptively small but it isn’t. The Test match pitch was different. This one looks a lot better. The new ball will come onto the bat nicely, but the problem will arrive once the ball gets old. Once the spinners come into play, there will be a lot of deviation”
A similar deck is expected for the first match as well. The slower balls of Harshal Patel were mighty effective on the slow Chepauk track.
Weather Forecast suggests Sunday will be hot and humid with temp around 32-35°C.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
IPL 2021 Match 3: SRH vs KKR Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
IPL 2021 Match 3: SRH vs KKR Dream11 Prediction
Match Prediction
Overall KKR has won most of the matches against SRH but currently has got more players who are in red-hot form.
SRH are favourites to win this match in our opinion, and will get the job done.
Written by Shekhar Singh. Follow Shekhar on Twitter today.
SA vs PAK 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SA vs PAK 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | South Africa vs Pakistan 1st T20 Key Players | Wanderers Pitch Report
Injuries and IPL departures present a significant challenge for a depleted South Africa side, as they look to make a mark in T20 cricket. The Proteas have not won a T20I series since beating Sri Lanka in early 2019, losing 10 of 14 matches since then.
So, this series is an opportunity for up-and-comers to make a mark in a T20 World Cup year. And the task will certainly be a challenging one, as they meet a Pakistan side that has been a consistent force in T20I cricket. The tourists, coming off a 2-1 ODI series win, beat the Proteas at home earlier this year, and will be looking for a good performance to start the series here.
SA vs PAK 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction: Can Klaasen rediscover his best form?
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
South Africa:
Janneman Malan has been strong in international cricket. In his only ODI in the series against Pakistan, he looked in superb touch for his 70.
Pite van Biljon scored the fifth-most runs in the CSA 2020/21 T20 Challenge (154 runs, avg. 38.50, SR 117.55).
Heinrich Klaasen hasn’t hit the heights of the ODI series against Australia last year. As skipper of the side, he must step up here. He scored 114 runs in five matches at 38.00 (SR 135.71) in the CSA T20 Challenge.
George Linde had a good CSA T20 Challenge campaign. He scored 1, 37, 11, 48* and 22 with the bat, along with 1/40, 2/23, 1/20, 4/25 and 0/31 with the ball.
Lizaad Williams took seven wickets in five games in the CSA T20 Challenge.
Tabraiz Shamsi took six scalps in three games against Pakistan earlier this year.
Pakistan:
Fakhar Zaman wasn’t originally in Pakistan’s T20I squad for this series. However, he’s now in the squad and is coming into this series off the back off an unbelievable ODI series (302 runs, avg. 100.66, two centuries).
Babar Azam also had a strong ODI series (228 runs, avg. 76.00). In T20Is vs South Africa, he has scored 200 runs in six matches at an average of 33.33. He has a chance to boost those numbers.
Mohammad Rizwan is having a great year in T20s. He slammed 197 runs in three matches vs South Africa earlier in the year, as well as 297 runs in five matches in PSL 2021.
Mohammad Hafeez is enjoying a great run in T20Is. He smashed 415 runs in 10 matches in 2020, at an average of 83.00 and SR 152.57.
Shaheen Shah Afridi took six wickets in three games in the recent ODI series vs South Africa.
Hasan Ali was terrific in PSL 2021. He took six wickets in four games at an economy rate of just 5.56. Also, his batting down the order is a huge plus.
IPL 2021 Match 2: CSK vs DC Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | CSK vs DC Dream11 Prediction Today | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals Key Players | Mumbai Pitch Report
After the opening encounter, two sides who experienced contrasting fortunes in IPL 2020 will go head-to-head in Mumbai. It will be Delhi Capitals, who had their best season in IPL history where they managed to reach the Final for the first time, up against Chennai Super Kings who did not make it to the playoffs for the first time in their 11-year history.
“The Man who can hit you for a six and babysit your kids” will be leading the Capitals in absence of their regular Captain Shreyas Iyer who was ruled out due to shoulder injury. Life has come a full circle for young Rishabh after being dropped from India’s limited-overs side and having an underwhelming IPL 2020. He worked hard and roared back into the Indian white-ball setup in some style and will now be leading the Delhi Capitals.
Delhi Capitals’ strength in the last few years has been in their young guns. With Shreyas being ruled out, this puts a bit of extra pressure on Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, and Rishabh Pant.
For their opening game, they have concern in their bowling department as well as their Ace of Pace Rabada and Nortje will miss out as they have not completed their quarantine yet. Unfortunately, Axar Patel tested covid positive and will miss out on the first few games. However, this brings an opportunity for Steve Smith and Chris Woakes and they will be hoping to put their best foot forward.
After analyzing all the IPL teams, we at CricBlog were a bit surprised when we found that Chennai Super Kings has got the most players who have performed reasonably well in the venues they are supposed to play. Cricket Pundits who already have ruled them out of the Top 4 spots definitely need a heads up! The only worry for CSK is that the likes of Rayadu, Raina, and MS have come to the tournament without much game time.
Who will open the batting for CSK is a million-dollar question? They do have plenty of options but Faf and Gaikwad opened the innings last time when they played and did quite well. MS Dhoni being MS Dhoni will certainly go with them as he does not believe in making too many changes. Chennai also paid a hefty amount to get the services of Moeen Ali and Krishnapa Gowtham at their disposal and both can contribute with both bat & ball.
Friday brought a piece of good news to CSK Fans as the franchise opted for Jason Behrendorff as a replacement for his Aussie counterpart Josh Hazelwood which seemed to be a like-for-like replacement. Behrendorff will be available after the first two games. Now, the onus will be on Captain Cool to get the combination right so that his team can start well.
IPL 2021 Match 2: CSK vs DC Dream11 Prediction: Can Dhoni lead CSK’s fightback?
Key Players to Watch/ Key Stats
Shikhar Dhawan – Gabbar led the Capitals’ run to the final last season. He aggregated 618 runs at an average of 44.14. Against Chennai, he plays his best cricket in the IPL. In 23 games against them, he has made 777 runs at an average of 40.9.
Prithvi Shaw – The little monster piled a mountain of runs and went on to become the highest run-scorer of all time in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s prolific 50-over competition. Against Chennai, he has not done enough till now and just managed 123 runs from 7 games at an average of 17.6.
His record further worsens while batting second; he has just managed 13 runs from 3 games.
Steve Smith – In the absence of Shreyas Iyer, Smudge can get a look straight away. He had an underwhelming season last year and would be keen to get back in the groove. Against Chennai, he has made 317 runs from his 12 innings at an average of 35.2. His Average further increases up to 44 while batting first.
Rishabh Pant – Like Dhawan, Pant enjoys playing against Chennai. He has made 222 runs from his 6 games at an average of 44.4. Also, in their IPL 2019 Opener, he scored 78 runs against MI at the same venue.
Marcus Stonis – Stonis’ stature as a T20 machine has grown by leap and bounds in the last few years. He was the superman for the Capitals last season and played a couple of match-winning innings.
Against Chennai, he has just played thrice made 43 runs, and bowled 4 overs without picking a wicket. He generally does better while batting second in his T20 carrier.
Ravi Ashwin – Ash would be itching to replicate his recent success with the ball into the T20 format as well. Against Chennai, he has 6 wickets from 5 games. At Wankhede, he has 13 wickets from 14 matches. His record says that he does while bowling 1st at this venue. Out of 13 wickets, 10 have come while bowling first.
Umesh Yadav – Yadav warmed the bench for RCB last season before he was shipped out. Against Chennai, he has taken 12 wickets from 14 games. At Wankhede, he has 5 wickets from 7 games out of which 4 wickets came bowling first.
Ishant Sharma – Sharma is not considered a wicket-taker in this format of the game. Against Chennai, he has just managed 6 wickets from 10 games.
IPL 2021 Match 2: CSK vs DC Dream11 Prediction: Shaw to make an impact?
Chennai Super Kings
Faf du Plessis – Faf says he is getting better with age, and rightly so. He was the top scorer for CSK last season with 449 runs at an average of 40.81. Against Delhi, he has played 10 games and scored 278 runs at an average of 35.5. Playing at Wankhede he has 207 runs from his 8 games with an average of 29.6.
NOTE: Stats against Delhi are combined stats for both Delhi Daredevils + Delhi Capitals
Sam Curran – Sammy was CSK’s find last season. With his all-around ability, he scored 186 runs with 13 wickets. He will bowl crucial overs again and will have the job to get some quick-fire runs as well. So, another good season is well on cards for him. Against Delhi, he has 6 wickets which include a hat-trick he got against them while playing for Kings XI.
Ravindra Jadeja – Rockstar Jadeja is back! Without a doubt, Jadeja is the backbone of every team he is part of. He was striking at 171 in the last season and scored 232 runs along with 6 wickets.
Against Delhi, he has made 345 runs from 19 innings and also picked 15 wickets. We noticed that his record has significantly improved against them after Delhi based franchise changed his name from Daredevils to Capitals.
Ruturaj Gaikwad – Gaikwad scored 3 half-centuries in the last 3 matches of IPL 2020. Against Delhi, he has just batted once and scored 5 runs. Gaikwad comes from Maharashtra, so naturally, he would be knowing conditions at Wankhede, and Chennai hopes would be on him to give them a good start.
Moeen Ali – The Off-spin of Ali will be a good matchup for Capitals left-handers. Against Delhi, he has made 44 runs from 3 innings and also picked 3 wickets.
Suresh Raina – IPL legend Raina would be back in the scheme of things after missing the previous edition for personal reasons. Raina has not played much competitive cricket so it will be interesting to see how he starts. Against Delhi, he has played 25 matches and scored 607 runs at an average of 30. His Average goes up to 40.4 while batting second against them.
Ambati Rayadu – Rayadu was CSK’s 2nd highest run-getter last season with 359 runs from 12 games at an average of 39.88.
Like Raina, Rayadu is short of game time as well but he has played a lot at Wankhede while playing for Mumbai Indians early on in his carrier. Against Delhi, he has played 20 matches and accumulated 522 runs. He averages 46 while batting second against Delhi.
Shardul Thakur– Lord Shardul Thakur will be a different bowler after his recent success at the International level. Last year he picked up 10 wickets. He has not done much against Delhi in past and has only picked 3 wickets in 6 innings but he knows the conditions quite well at Wankhede as he comes from Maharasthra. He has 5 wickets at this venue so far.
Deepak Chahar– Chahar picked up 12 wickets last year. Against Delhi, he has 8 wickets from 8 games.
Krishnapa Gowtham – In limited opportunities with the bat against Capitals, he has made 46 runs and has gone wicketless in the 2 innings he has bowled.
Stats and Facts
Overall Played 23 | CSK Won 15 | DC Won 8.
CSK dominates DC while batting first.
CSK lost both their games to DC last year.
Average 1st batting score 172.
Predicted Playing XI
Delhi Capitals: 1. Prithvi Shaw, 2. Shikhar Dhawan, 3. Steve Smith, 4. Rishabh Pant (c & wk), 5. Marcus Stoinis, 6. Chris Woakes, 7. Tom Curran, 8. Ravichandran Ashwin, 9. Ishant Sharma, 10. Umesh Yadav, 11. Amit Mishra.
Chennai Super Kings: 1. Faf du Plessis, 2. Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3. Suresh Raina, 4. Ambati Rayudu, 5. Moeen Ali, 6. MS Dhoni (c & wk), 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. Sam Curran, 9. Shardul Thakur, 10. Deepak Chahar, 11. Imran Tahir
Wankhede Mumbai Pitch Report and Weather
Wankhede Pitch is considered belter of a wicket and it is also one of the best batting surfaces offered in India. The average first innings score of 172 and team batting second has dominated at Wankhede in the past.
A warm day and evening is forecast for Mumbai.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
IPL 2021 Match 2: CSK vs DC Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
IPL 2021 Match 2: CSK vs DC Dream11 Prediction
Match Prediction
Chennai Super Kings have had the wood over Delhi Capitals in past and the Delhi Capitals bowling is looking relatively weak for the opening game.
We Predict CSK to win. Although the team that bats second will have a good advantage.
Written by Shekhar Singh. Follow Shekhar on Twitter today.
MI vs RCB IPL 2021 Season Opener: Fans back RCB to win | MI vs RCB IPL 2021: Will Mumbai Indians or Royal Challengers Bangalore win?
With over 100,000 cases of COVID-19 each day since April in India, the eerie, cautious feeling that we saw in the 2020 edition will be amplified even further.
On the other side of the coin, the IPL provides the opportunity for fans to enjoy an escape from the events of the outside world. A mere five months after Mumbai Indians lifted the trophy on that night in Dubai, they go again, this time at spin-friendly Chepauk against a team looking to make a mark – Royal Challengers Bangalore.
In choosing who will win the IPL 2021 season opener, fans point to Mumbai Indians’ awful record in opening matches. In fact, the IPL’s most successful franchise has lost its last eight season openers, whereas RCB have won over 60% such games in their history.
Voting on CricBlog’s poll on Twitter, over 60% of fans so far believe that RCB will kickstart their season with a win. A win would be just what RCB needs, after they lost their first six games in IPL 2019 – the last IPL edition played in India. Also, in that season, they were bundled out for 70 at Chepauk against CSK.
So, Virat Kohli’s men will be hoping for a change in fortunes.
With the good feeling around RCB, one can hope for a thrilling match to start the tournament. Both sides are packed with incredible talent, with the possible playing XIs, even when missing key players, makes for a mouthwatering prospect.
Both Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore won a match each against each other in IPL 2020.
So, while crowds will be absent again in the Indian Premier League, fans can still expect fireworks with plenty of talent on display. And with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell on display, it’s a safe bet.
3 England players to watch out for in IPL 2021 | 3 England players looking to make a mark in IPL 2021 ahead of World T20 2021
For so long a bone of contention in English cricket, the IPL has now been embraced by players and management alike. With 14 players set to descend upon the 2021 tournament, it will represent the largest contingent from English shores. In a T20 World Cup year, each player will hope to use the tournament to improve in Indian conditions and make a case for selection into what is a highly competitive England team.
Having arrived late to the IPL party, England’s players haven’t yet earned the legend status achieved by some of their counterparts from Australia, South Africa and the West Indies. However, since England’s IPL trailblazer – Kevin Pietersen – Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer have come the closest to doing so. Both are superstar players in the format and integral to England’s chances in the World T20 later this year. You’d be brave to bet against them starring in this year’s IPL. But who are the other England players who could play a big role for their franchises this year? We take a look below.
Moeen Ali
3 England players to watch out for in IPL 2021: Moeen Ali.
A T20 league veteran, Moeen Ali seems to be in demand by every T20 team in the world except for England, as he has played only 12 of their last 36 matches in the format. Moeen joins a CSK side seeking to banish memories of a poor 2020 campaign which saw the three-time champions finish seventh. They will be hoping that the hard-hitting Moeen can help remedy the batting woes which plagued that campaign. While often reduced to a bit-part player with the bat for England – whose powerful top order means he generally faces only a handful of balls – his domestic T20 record makes him hot property in the format.
CSK may be tempted to open with Moeen as an explosive hitter to accompany the right-handed Ruturaj Gaikwad, who ended last year’s tournament with three back-to-back half centuries. In his last two T20 Blast campaigns, Moeen has struck his runs at a strike rate in excess of 170 runs per 100 balls, while averaging 73 and 41. Given a chance to bat up the order domestically, Moeen excels. In 2020 CSK had the second worst run rate in the powerplay (7.13) and Moeen’s ability to effortlessly hit over the top makes him an attractive candidate to exploit the powerplay fielding restrictions.
Alternatively, CSK may be tempted to use Moeen in the middle order. Overs 7-10 are typically where scoring rates dip as spinners begin to operate and CSK were a prime example of this last season, scoring at a mere 6.5 runs per over during this period. Moeen has a reputation for being a spin basher and an IPL career strike rate of 175 in the middle overs makes him an ideal candidate to remedy CSK’s struggles in this phase.
However CSK choose to use Moeen, he provides versatility with the bat and his defensive off-spin bowling can also add variety to their attack.
Ben Stokes
3 England players to watch out for in IPL 2021: Ben Stokes.
Despite flashes of brilliance during the recent T20I series, it is clear England still aren’t getting the most out of their premier all-rounder in the shortest format. Stokes has never looked at ease in the finisher role but, despite a widespread feeling that he is best utilised at the top of the order, that move has not yet transpired due to England’s abundance of options there. However, in what was an otherwise disappointing 2020 campaign for the Rajasthan Royals, the decision to open with Stokes in the latter half of the tournament paid dividends. Stokes struck two belligerent 40s and a magnificent century against a Mumbai Indians attack containing Bumrah, Boult and Pattinson.
In an IPL career that has been either feast or famine – Stokes failed to register a single 50 in the 2018 and 2019 tournaments – his best performances with the bat have transpired when coming to the crease inside the powerplay. In IPL 2017, Stokes batted at No 5 for the Rising Pune Supergiants but, coming to the crease early at 10-3, struck an imperious 103* against the Gujarat Lions.
In this year’s edition Stokes is likely to accompany England teammate, Jos Buttler, in what will be one of the tournament’s most dynamic opening partnerships. While his batting has struggled at times in the middle overs against spin and on turgid pitches, you would back Stokes to find his A-game taking on the newer ball in the powerplay. Expect a big tournament from England’s talismanic all-rounder.
Sam Curran
3 England players to watch out for in IPL 2021: Sam Curran.
Another England player who has had a limited role in the national team of late but is expected to play a key role for his franchise. CSK’s star of the 2020 tournament is also finding form at the right time, with his unbeaten 95 in the final ODI against India drawing comparisons to his IPL captain, Dhoni.
His 13 IPL wickets last season and versatility with the bat – providing shock value as a hard hitting floater – make him a valuable asset to CSK. He will play a key role in 2021 as they look to revamp an ageing team that failed to make the playoffs last year for the first time in their history.
While Curran was anonymous at times during the recent India T20I series – he bowled 10 out of a possible 20 overs and was seldom required with the bat – the wily Dhoni knows how to get the most out of this exciting talent. Curran’s bustling left arm seamers proved highly economical last year – he was CSK’s least expensive bowler in the powerplay, going at under 7 runs per over.
Given responsibility up the order with the bat, Curran won the tournament opener against the Mumbai Indians last year before providing another match winning knock as an opener against the Sunrisers. Throw in the fact that he has a point to prove ahead of the World Cup, after struggling to impose himself in the recent T20I series, and you wouldn’t bet against the England all-rounder making a big mark once again.
