IPL 2020 viewership & ratings up by 28%: Report | IPL 2020 viewership goes up by 28% compared to last season
The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League has witnessed a growth in viewership by 28% as compared to last year’s season. Considering that 2020 has begun with a bumpy start due to the covid-19 outbreak, the hype of a live sports event helped the TRP rating.
According to Hindustan Times report, Atul Wassan, former Indian cricketer, and now cricket analyst, said, “I had predicted this will happen. People were starved of live action, any sports. We are so used to watching live sports, and this is the best reality show in the world! Other reality shows are also scripted now. For so long, people were just cooped up in the lockdown. Live sports gives you that kind of release.”
The latest Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) data says that season 13 of Indian Premier League (IPL) recorded 7.0 billion viewing minutes were registered for the first 41 matches which aired across channels in the last five weeks.
Trade expert Taran Adarsh agreed to the theory that lack of movies in the theaters added to the benefit of the TRP growth of IPL 2020. Talking to HT media, Adarsh said, “People had no entertainment, and of course OTT platforms were there, but cricket is everyone’s favourite. Though people have always watched that, it was more this time around. Everyone was sitting at home,” he says.
Wassan also added that even if one percent of the population was not on the ground, 99% watch TV viewers across the world. “They look forward to watching a new game every day. I was crying out loud that nothing is happening, people were thirsty. Once everything is back to normal, people will again have options of football and everything, then they will choose one”, he said.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
Delhi Capitals captain Shreyas Iyer looked all thrilled to join the playoffs after defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets. In the post-match presentation, Iyer said that the win brought back smiles on their faces.
“We knew it was a do or die and we just focused on the win, not NRR. The teams who won in the latter half completely changed the scenario. It’s a really competitive tournament for sure”, he said.
DC had lost four matches consecutively after they have been on the top of the chart for most parts of this season. In fact, their last three losses were so heavy that their net run rate dropped by 0.933 in three matches. “This win was very essential and it has put smiles on our faces after the four consecutive losses. The second spot makes you feel good after all the ups and downs. The IPL is always a rollercoaster journey”, he said.
He then pointed out how challenging the Qualifier 1 match will be against MI. “Mumbai Indians have played good cricket this season and arguably a better game among other teams. The Mumbai Indians are one of the best teams, by far”, said Iyer.
“Having said that, I feel we are also a fearless and amazing bunch of boys. It really depends on the day. Obviously, they are pretty much experienced in such playoff stages, but the team that has a good attitude and good composure on that given day is going to make it through. I feel that we need to keep things simple and not complicate in pressure situations. The way we have been going, this was a really good win and it’s going to be a really good booster as well for us”, he added.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
“We Can Be Braver With the Bat” – Virat Kohli | RCB skipper Virat Kohli says RCB can be braver with the bat as the playoffs arrive
The last match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals brought joy for both teams even though only one won the game. DC defeated RCB by six wickets in Abu Dhabi on Monday but on the basis of a better net run rate (NRR) than Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) helped RCB qualify. RCB set a target of 152 runs at the cost of seven wickets, as AB de Villiers made 35 in 21 balls and Shivam Dube scored 17 off 11 in the last six overs.
In the post-match presentation, RCB captain Virat Kohli pointed out that a little more aggression with the bat would have been better for the game. “We can be braver with the bat in pockets. With the ball, we were decent, [we could] probably have a stronger powerplay as well which has been our strength in the games that we won. If we implement those things well, we’ll be on the right side of the result. But it’s important to stay positive and take what you can from these games because we have two shots at reaching the final”, he said.
We have the three qualifiers for #Dream11IPL 2020.
It has been noticed that Kohli too has not performed at his best when it comes to his batting in the current IPL. The large boundaries, slow pitch, and inexperienced middle over must have held the captain back from experimenting with his batting.
“It’s a mixed bag. you come to games to try and get a result your way. Through probably the 11th over, the 17.3 marks were informed by the management. Even if the game was drifting away, we controlled the middle overs well enough. I think we’ve played good enough cricket in this tournament to qualify. We have two games to the final now”, he said.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
IPL 2020 Match 56: SRH vs MI Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SRH vs MI Dream11 Prediction | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians Key Players | Sharjah Pitch Report
Win and play RCB in the playoffs. Lose and it’s tournament over. The equation is simple for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
However, the task isn’t. They run into a red-hot Mumbai Indians team, who, with so many playoff possibilities over the past week for other teams, qualified in the top two with ease. So, David Warner’s team, who have been excellent in their past two games, will need to deliver in do-or-die mode once again against a side that has threats right throughout their XI.
The addition of Wriddhiman Saha, a player who was potentially under-utilized by SRH, as opener has been a masterstroke by the men in orange. This has allowed the top order to play with greater freedom due to the insurance of Kane Williamson and Jason Holder in the middle order. Also, the form of Sandeep Sharma and Rashid Khan has been hugely encouraging, and one more strong performance here will seal a playoffs berth to play an RCB side that has lost their last four games.
On the other side, MI have been clinical and relentless in equal measure. A fifth IPL Title is well in their sights. However, it remains to be seen how focused they will be on this game with Qualifier 1 just two days away. Players could be rested, but the desire for momentum will remain. Interesting match.
IPL 2020 Match 56: SRH vs MI Preview Dream11: Ishan Kishan has been superb.
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
David Warner holds a big key to this result. The SRH captain has scored 403 runs for SRH against MI at an average of 50.38. This includes 60 off 44 balls against them at Sharjah earlier this season (where today’s game will be played).
Can Wriddhiman Saha continue his strong form? He has struck 87 (45) and 39 (32) in his past two knocks. Also, MI is Saha’s favourite IPL opponent by batting average (36.25), with 290 runs against them in 11 innings with three 50+ scores.
How good has Ishan Kishan been at the top of the order? Since MI skipper Rohit Sharma was sidelined with injury, Kishan has struck 68*, 37, 25 and 72* in his past four knocks. The diminutive left-hander now has 395 runs in 10 innings in IPL 2020, at an average and strike rate of 49.37 and 143.63 respectively.
If Quinton de Kock plays today, he will line up against a team he found form against earlier in the season (67 off 39 balls on this ground). Also, de Kock has an excellent record vs SRH: 8 inns, 306 runs, avg. 43.71, SR 134.21.
Suryakumar Yadav’s exclusion from India’s T20I squad stirred quite a bit of buzz. The classy right-hander has had an excellent season (374 runs, avg. 41.55, SR 153.27). However, can he improve on his modest record for MI vs SRH? (5 inns, 119 runs, avg. 23.80).
Manish Pandey will be key for SRH. He has a strong record vs MI, with 578 runs in 18 innings at an average of 36.13. In fact, last season, Pandey played a memorable knock of 71* off 47 balls vs MI to force a Super Over.
Kane Williamson has provided value for SRH right throughout the season (200 runs, avg. 33.33, SR 135.13). But, his record vs MI makes for scary reading, so can the Kiwi star improve on it today? (5 inns, 43 runs, avg. 8.60).
There is a chance MI will rest Hardik Pandya again. However, it is his brother, Krunal Pandya, who has the superior batting record against SRH. Krunal smashed 20 off four balls against SRH earlier this season to propel MI to a 200+ score. In eight innings vs SRH, Krunal has struck 177 runs at an average of 35.60 and SR of 162.39.
Kieron Pollard has the most runs out of any MI player against SRH (342 runs, avg. 42.75, SR 145.53). The stand-in MI captain has been dismissed just twice in IPL 2020, with his 218 runs coming at a strike rate of 200.00.
Jason Holder has provided great value for SRH since his entry into the XI. The star all-rounder has taken eight wickets in his four games so far, and slammed a vital 26* off 10 balls to seal victory against RCB last game.
Rashid Khan will be crucial on a slow Sharjah pitch. The Afghan star has been outstanding in IPL 2020, with 18 wickets in 13 games at an average and economy rate of 14.66 and 5.07 respectively. This includes 1/22 (4) vs MI earlier this season in a total score of 208.
It remains to be seen if MI choose to rest Jasprit Bumrah or not. If he plays, he has the chance to build on his incredible form. The star seamer has taken 11 wickets in his past five games (including 3/14 and 3/17 in last two). Plus, he has 12 wickets in 10 games vs SRH.
Trent Boult is not far behind Bumrah (23) with 20 wickets in IPL 2020. The Kiwi seamer was man of the match against SRH earlier this season (2/28) and took 4/18 in his last game at Sharjah (vs CSK).
The form of Sandeep Sharma has been a huge plus for SRH. He has taken six wickets in his past three games (2/29, 2/27 and 2/20), and has six wickets in four games for SRH vs MI.
Rahul Chahar’s legspin will be key on the slow Sharjah pitch. T Natarajan, who has three wickets in his past two games (including 1/11 in four overs on this ground vs RCB), will also be key with his variations and yorkers.
Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: 15 matches, SRH 7, MI 8. MI have won the past three meetings between the teams.
Mumbai Indians (208/5) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (174/7) on this ground earlier in IPL 2020.
Can Sandeep Sharma get the better of Suryakumar Yadav? The seamer has dismissed Yadav three times in six innings, conceding just 27 runs in 28 balls in the process.
Manish Pandey has struck 52 runs off 25 balls vs Jasprit Bumrah in IPL without being dismissed.
Ishan Kishan has hit the third-most sixes in IPL 2020 (24), behind Nicholas Pooran (25) and Sanju Samson (26). Kishan can overtake them in either today’s game or in the playoffs.
Possible Playing 11
SRH are set on their playing XI given they are in good form and this is a must-win match. For MI, on the other hand, they could choose to rest players with Qualifier 1 just two days away. The likes of Chris Lynn, Mitchell McClenaghan and Dhawal Kulkarni could come into the XI for this one.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1. David Warner (c), 2. Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3. Kane Williamson, 4. Manish Pandey, 5. Abdul Samad, 6. Abhishek Sharma, 7. Jason Holder, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Shahbaz Nadeem, 10. Sandeep Sharma, 11. T Natarajan
The chasing team has won the past five matches on this ground. The pitch has slowed down significantly as the tournament has progressed (average first innings score of 146.6 in last five matches), with the track offering almost no pace at all in the RCB-SRH game a few nights ago.
Dew will likely prompt the captain who wins the toss to chase.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1 (if MI rest QdK, Bumrah, Boult)
IPL 2020 Match 56: SRH vs MI Dream11 Prediction
Option 2 (if MI play QdK, Bumrah, Boult)
IPL 2020 Match 56: SRH vs MI Dream11 Prediction
Match Prediction
Huge game for SRH. A lot depends on how much MI are focused on this game, and who they decide to pick in their XI. With a lot more at stake, though, SRH are a great chance of winning this to qualify for the playoffs.
WBBL 2020 Match 18: AS-W vs MS-W Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | AS-W vs MS-W Dream11 Prediction Today | Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Stars Key Players | Blacktown Pitch Report
The Melbourne Stars will take on the Adelaide Strikers in Match 18 of the Rebel Women’s Big Bash. The rain interruptions continued on Sunday, as Adelaide Strikers shared points with the Perth Scorchers.
The Strikers were well on-par with the chase and needed just 27 runs in 25 balls against the Scorchers in the 2nd innings, before rain, for the umpteenth time, played spoilsport and abandoned the game. In spite of decent performances so far, the Megan Schutt-led side has registered just one victory in the four matches so far.
The Melbourne Stars have had an equally frustrating run in the WBBL, but they did win their 1st game of the 2020 edition against the Hurricanes.
The record in the past few years has been lopsided towards the Strikers and Stars, on the back of performances from Meg Lanning and co. will hope that they fare well.
WBBL 2020 Match 18: AS-W vs MS-W Preview Dream11: Meg Lanning to star today?
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Melbourne Stars
Katherine Brunt took three wickets last game (player of the match) and will be crucial against McGrath and Wolvaardt.
Natalie Sciver has picked four wickets in the tournament so far and will be a player to watch out for.
Meg Lanning has scored 117 runs for the Stars against Strikers, at an average of 58.50.
Elyse Villani is coming off a superb 51* off 32 balls last game vs Hobart Hurricanes.
Adelaide Strikers
Laura Wolvaardt has scored two half-centuries in the WBBL so far.
Megan Schutt has a strike rate of 143 (69 runs) and eight wickets in the matches between the two sides
Tahlia McGrath was the man of the match, the last time these two sides met.
Sarah Coyte has picked 5 wickets in the tournament so far and will be crucial against the Stars’ top order. She has seven wickets for Strikers against Stars at a strike rate of 21.86.
Bridget Patterson currently has the most runs for the Strikers against the Stars (187 runs, avg. 31.17).
Stats and Facts
Strikers have won five out of their last six encounters against the Stars.
Stars are one of the three unbeaten teams of WBBL 06 but three out of their last four matches have been abandoned due to rain.
Blacktown International Sportsground Pitch and Weather Report
The weather forecast looks good for mid-week WBBL action. A clear evening is forecast for this match, but dew could be a factor. So, the captain who wins the toss could look to chase.
There were two matches on this ground in WBBL 2019, with Sydney Thunder smashing 92/3 in 10 overs in a no result and Sydney Thunder defending 132 against Melbourne Renegades.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
WBBL 2020 Match 18: AS-W vs MS-W Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
WBBL 2020 Match 18: AS-W vs MS-W Dream11 Prediction
Match Prediction
The Stars did win their previous encounter and with a formidable top 4, they will fancy their chances against the Strikers.
WBBL 2020 Match 17: HH-W vs MR-W Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | HH-W vs MR-W Dream11 Prediction Today | Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Renegades Key Players | Blacktown Pitch Report
Hobart Hurricanes and the Melbourne Renegades battle it out in Match 17 of the Women’s Big Bash League as both the teams are winless. The two teams are languishing at the bottom of the points table with two losses and two no results each in four games so far.
Both the teams haven’t got an opportunity to ply their trade in a 20-over match and it has been frustrating for them. The story of these two sides defines WBBL 06 so far, which is played across various venues in Sydney but the rain hasn’t allowed the tournament to gather any momentum.
In the previous game against the defending champions, Brisbane Heat the Hurricanes’ openers raced to 43-0 inside 4 overs but rain interruption meant that their opportunity to get a couple of points was washed out as the 5-over cutoff wasn’t achieved.
After the first two matches were abandoned due to rain, Renegades have lost their previous two games. In the previous game, they were done by Healy and Garner’s brilliance.
Renegades have won all the four matches in the last two seasons against the Hobart based side.
WBBL 2020 Match 17: HH-W vs MR-W Preview Dream11 – Nicola Carey will be key for Hobart Hurricanes
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Hobart Hurricanes
Nicola Carey was the only bowler who conceded at less than 6 RPO in the previous game against Heat and will be crucial against the Melbourne-based side.
Chloe Tyron and Rachel Priest lookedin good touch two games ago vs Brisbane Heat till rain abandoned play and will hope that they will get a shot at a completed game.
Corrine Hall has a good record vs the Renegades: 177 runs, avg. 44.25.
Melbourne Renegades
Amy Satterthwaite has scored 159 runs for MR vs HH (avg. 53.00).
Georgia Wareham has scored the most runs for MR in WBBL 06 so far (76), and is coming off a superb 54* (27) vs Sydney Sixers.
Molly Strano has the most wickets in MR-HH matches with 11 in 10 games.
Stats and Facts
Hobart Hurricanes lost 5 out of their last 6 matches and their last 4 games against the Renegades.
Hurricanes have never won while chasing against the Renegades
Hurricanes have won their last 3 matches at Blacktown International Sportspark while the Renegades have lost all the 3 matches they have played at this venue.
Blacktown International Sportsground Pitch and Weather Report
Thankfully, the weather forecast looks good for mid-week WBBL action. Mostly sunny weather is on the way for this afternoon clash.
In terms of the pitch itself, not a lot of WBBL action has taken place out at Blacktown. But, one can expect for the track to have a bit of grass on it as four matches will be played on this square in the next two days. There were two matches on this ground in WBBL 2019, with Sydney Thunder smashing 92/3 in 10 overs in a no result and Sydney Thunder defending 132 against Melbourne Renegades.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
WBBL 2020 Match 17: HH-W vs MR-W Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
WBBL 2020 Match 17: HH-W vs MR-W Dream11 Prediction
Match Prediction
Hurricanes, as well as the Renegades, have been winless in the tournament so far and were outplayed in their previous matches. But Renegades did show some spine and will start this encounter as favourites.
Shane Watson declares retriment from all forms of cricket: Reports | Shane Watson reportedly tells teammates that he will be retiring
After the last match of IPL 2020, Chennai Super Kings’s opener Shane Watson reportedly declared that he will be retiring from all forms of cricket. According to the Times of India report, last night after a convincing win Watson declared to his teammates that he would be retiring from all formats of the game.
The former Aussie player had already taken retirement from International matches before he was roped in by CSK in 2018 mega auction. His entry in CSK was celebrated with much aplomb as he had smashed one century in the finale helping the team lift their 3rd trophy.
“Watson was very emotional when he told the CSK dressing room after the last game that he would retire. He said that it was a great privilege for him to play for the franchise,” a source told TOI. The report also speculates that Watson might be added to the CSK support staff as the team looks to rebuild for the 2021 season. “He has always done very well against us, and Dhoni knows how important a player he could be if he is used properly at the top of the order,” a CSK official had said.
Watson had been enjoying his game on the pitch in this season. After a few misses, he had smashed two half-centuries this year. Before the start of the tournament, he even tweeted about how excited he was to return to back to the Yellow army.
Congrats #MSDhoni on an amazing international career. You should be so incredibly proud of what you achieved on the field as a player and as one of the great leaders. You were always a tough opponent to play against and now playing with you for @ChennaiIPL has been a real treat. pic.twitter.com/dQEaIWfyFl
“How exciting it was to be back with all of my mates for our first training session!!! It was so much fun. There was a little rust that won’t take long to go”, he said in one of his tweets.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
A few years back, English players were forbidden to play Indian Premier League however things have changed for the best over time. At the inaugural season of IPL, it coincidently clashed with County Championship season and New Zealand’s England tour, so the England and Wales Cricket Board had concerns about signing No Objection Certificates for the players who were already playing the other series for the country.
Taking that into account, Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen took the chance to note how things have changed while replying to a tweet by England Cricket wishing Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer all the best. “Good luck to our lads in today’s huge IPL game!”, the tweet read.
To which Pietersen replied, “Just imagine, Imagine this tweet 8/9 years ago. I am so happy these guys are benefitting positively from the IPL”. Earlier, he had criticised ECB for being jealous of the money that follows in the tournament.
Just imagine, IMAGINE this tweet 8/9 years ago…! ???
“A lot of people in English cricket like to explain their attitude to the IPL as an ideological problem. It’s a problem with India and money. The ECB doesn’t really know how to deal with India or money. Whenever the IPL comes up in conversation you can feel the meeting room grow uneasy. When the IPL started, all ECB could see was IPL’s money and its own jealousy. Also, English players want to play in the IPL but they are afraid of not being picked for the national team,” wrote Pietersen in his autobiography ‘KP’ in 2014.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
5 Under-Utilized Indian Players in IPL 2020 | 5 Indian players who haven’t played used as well as they should have in IPL 2020
The Indian Premier League (IPL) outfits often end up acquiring domestic talents aplenty. On match-days, they are spoilt for choices to pick cricketers from the Indian contingent and hence many individuals end up warming the bench more often than they deserve to.
Such is the nature of the tournament that the franchises wouldn’t allow these players to make a switch during the mid-season transfer window either, as they are wary of strengthening other teams at such a critical stage of the competition.
In some sides, these players tend to be rewarded for their patience whereas otherwise they are sent back to the auction table. In this piece, we take a look at five Indian cricketers whose potential wasn’t optimized in the 13th edition of the IPL.
5. Jagadeesha Suchith
5 Under-Utilized Indian Players in IPL 2020: Jagadeesha Suchith could have been used more
Kings XI Punjab have oscillated between multiple spin-bowling alternatives to find a consistent partner for Ravi Bishnoi. The likes of Krishnappa Gowtham, Harpreet Brar and Murugan Ashwin have been persisted with at different stages of the tournament. Ashwin proved to be a decent alternative but it is also intriguing that the KL Rahul-led side did not opt for Jagadeesha Suchith for even one of the games in IPL 2020.
The slow left-arm orthodox bowler is pretty valuable during the field restriction overs and can plug the flow of runs when required. He is wily in terms of altering the pace of his deliveries and is willing to offer flight to pluck a wicket or two as per the demand of the situation. Moreover, he can be more than handy with the bat and that could have added some more strength to Punjab’s lower middle-order. Overall, Suchith is quite a utilitarian player in the T20 format and Kings’ team management should possibly have tried him out in the playing XI at some point in the season.
4. Mahipal Lomror
5 Under-Utilized Indian Players in IPL 2020: RR could have used Mahipal Lomror more in 2020.
With the likes of Robin Utthapa and Yashasvi Jaiswal unable to deliver regularly, Rajasthan Royals lacked the services of a consistent Indian batsman. Even Sanju Samson’s stocks had faltered in the middle phases of the tournament. On the other hand, they played 19-year-old all-rounder Mahipal Lomror in only three games.
The southpaw has showed the intuitiveness with the willow to succeed in the T20 format and could have added some unpredictable and unorthodox element to the Royals’ middle-order. His temperament was visible in the match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on October 3. The Rajasthan-based team had succumbed to 31/3 at 4.1 overs when Lomror came out to bat. They lost Uthappa at 10.1 overs with the score reading merely 70.
Lomror stitched valuable partnerships with him and then Riyan Parag to score a valuable 47 runs from 39 deliveries and took the team to a challenging total of 154 runs eventually. Moreover, Lomror didn’t bowl a single over in his three matches either, something that adds an additional value to his overall stature as a cricketer. It would be safe to say that RR could have better utilized the lad’s skills and talents for their advantage this time around.
3. Basil Thampi
5 Under-Utilized Indian Players in IPL 2020: Basil Thampi has played just one match in 2020.
Sunrisers Hyderabad have adopted the approach of fielding an all-Indian pace attack in recent times. That allows them to play multiple foreigners in the batting lineup and accommodate Rashid Khan lower down the order. Opportunities arise for many domestic fast-bowlers through such a method, but Basil Thampi has not availed the benefits of the same this season. The 27-year-old bowls at a high pace, touching 140kmph, can hit the short of good length area and is adept at delivering yorkers too.
With Bhuvneshwar Kumar ruled out of the competition, it was perhaps the ideal situation to offer Thampi a run of matches and let him prove his mettle. Instead, he was drafted in for a solitary game, in which he conceded 46 runs in four overs and took one wicket. Post that, the pacer didn’t attain single opportunity. The fast bowler manages to induce enough zip and incisiveness in his deliveries and is capable of bowling different lengths in varying stages of the innings. Maybe, SRH could have had further success with the former Gujarat Lions player in their playing XI.
2. Wriddhiman Saha
5 Under-Utilized Indian Players in IPL 2020: Saha has provided great value late in the season.
One wouldn’t blame the SRH management for not inducting Wriddhiman Saha in the playing XI early on in the tournament, considering that Saha is not renowned for his batting capabilities in the shorter format. However, the wicketkeeper has made heads turn in his three matches so far for the Hyderabad-based franchise. Saha has notched 156 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 144.44, which includes a match-winning knock of 87 runs off 45 deliveries against the Delhi Capitals.
In the previous game, he scored a brisk 39 runs to steer the chase against RCB. Saha’s outings have kept the team in the hunt for a playoff spot. Not many would have favoured SRH to come out triumphant against the Capitals’ splendid bowling lineup but the team managed to rack up 219 runs on the board courtesy Saha’s knock. His sudden surge in form needs more pondering, though Hyderabad would possibly regret not playing him consistently earlier in the tournament.
1. Rahul Tripathi
5 Under-Utilized Indian Players in IPL 2020: Rahul Tripathi should be opening.
Rahul Tripathi has scored 687 out of total 949 runs in his IPL career as an opener. And yet, he was not started the innings with in five out of the 11 innings that he played this season.
The first time that he was promoted to the top of the order in this campaign was against CSK, in which Tripathi scored 81 runs in 51 deliveries and propelled the team to a winning total of 167 runs. He had a couple of underwhelming outings later on, but the constant alteration of his batting order tends to disrupt a player’s momentum.
The only season in which Tripathi opened the batting regularly was his breakthrough one with Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017, in which he notched 391 runs in 14 innings. It isn’t difficult to figure out that the 29-year-old is most comfortable at the top of the lineup, where he tends to be busy by taking quick singles and conveniently clears the infield to bag boundaries and set the base for a long innings furthermore.
For the past three seasons, Rahul Tripathi’s potential has never been maximized either by RR or KKR. The batsman would do further well if he finds another team that plays him at the spot where he deserves to in the next campaign of the IPL.
Written by Tarkesh Jha. Follow Tarkesh on Twitter today.
CSK fans rejoice as MS Dhoni is ‘definitely not’ leaving the yellow jersey | CSK skipper MS Dhoni says he is “definitely not” retiring from IPL cricket
The Chennai Super Kings fans should ‘definitely not’ worry about IPL 2021 because their ‘Thala’ will be back hopefully with much more finesse. It’s always difficult for the media to catch the World Cup-winning captain, therefore it seems like the very first thing Daniel Morrison, New Zealand cricket commentator asked MS Dhoni was is this his last match in the yellow jersey. And with his infectious smile, Dhoni said, ‘Definitely not”.
In no time, the two words started trending on social media, as the Yellow army celebrated the news. A lot of speculation was made about CSK’s duel with KXIP being Dhoni’s last match of his IPL career. Especially after the charismatic former captain announced his international retirement just before he embarked on the journey to UAE for 13th IPL season. But not once but twice, the CSK leader ensured that there is much more to come out from jersey No. 7.
Though the last match with Kings XI Punjab went in favour of the Yellow team, Mahi admitted that the year has not been in their favour. But, he vowed to come back strong.
“We will come back strong. That’s what we are known for. Yes, this has been a tough year. Yes, we are eighth on the table. This is one of the seasons where most of the teams played well or you can say, okay, one team played brilliantly, which is Mumbai Indians, and the rest all played badly to be in a big cluster”, said Dhoni in the post-match presentation.
“It was a difficult campaign. We committed a lot of errors. The last four games were a template of where we would like to be. Proud of the guys because if you’re lagging behind for 7-8 games, it becomes really difficult. It’s not easy, you won’t want to be in a dressing room that’s not enjoying cricket. Proud of them. A lot depends on what BCCI decides about the auction. We need to slightly change our core group and looks for the next ten years. At the start of the IPL we made a team that served us well for ten years. It’s time to hand it over to the next generation”, he said.
Talking about Dhoni signing jerseys after the match, Harsha Bhogle asked why the younger lot couldn’t hold themselves from getting these priced possessions this year. “Maybe they thought I would retire from the shorted format of cricket after retiring from the International game”, Dhoni said. “IPL 2021 is just a few months from now and that’s a good thing and hopefully there won’t be a lockdown”, he confirmed.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
