Captaincy has helped Hardik temper his emotions, feels Shami

Friday, May 13

Captaincy has helped Hardik temper his emotions, feels Shami

Gujarat Titans, are the first team to secure their place in the playoffs of the Indian Premier League and one of the mainstays in the bowling unit of the Titans, Mohammed Shami, has credited the role of Hardik Pandya as a skipper. 

Thursday, May 12

Rohit Sharma wished a bright future for Mumbai Indians left hander Tilak Varma following his unbeaten 34 off 32 balls in the win over Chennai Super Kings on Thursday. The teenager has been in sublime form in his debut IPL season with 368 runs from 12 matches at an average of 40.89.

Wednesday, May 11

Gill is a quality technician: Solanki

Gujarat Titans' director of cricket Vikram Solanki lavished praise on opener Shubman Gill who scored an unbeaten 63 off 49 balls in Tuesday's win over Lucknow Super Giants.

Tuesday, May 10

We took learnings from previous defeat: Hardik Pandya

Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya praised the collective strength of his team following their 62-run win over Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday.

Learned a lot from Rayudu and Dhoni: Jitesh Sharma

Punjab Kings' keeper-batter Jitesh Sharma was delighted by the backing he received from batting great Virender Sehwag, who felt that the Vidarbha man should be considered for a spot in the national team.

My intent is always to be positive and aggressive: Venkatesh Iyer

Like Pat Cummins, the 27-year-old opening batter too made his comeback for the Knights in their clash against Mumbai with a scintillating 24-ball 43. Following the crucial win for KKR, Iyer stated that his intent at the top of the order is always to be positive and aggressive despite the circumstance. 

Was always ready to be called up when needed: Cummins

Pat Cummins, who made a stellar comeback into the KKR setup, with figures of 3/22 stated that he was training hard and was always ready to be called-up for the franchise when required. Cummins also credited Andre Russell, who he believes is ready to bowl a four-over spell. 

Bumrah's efforts were special, batters let us down: Rohit

Following yet another loss in the campaign for Mumbai Indians, skipper Rohit Sharma put down the loss to Mumbai's terrible batting. However, at the same time, Rohit was quick in praising the efforts of the 28-year-old speedster, Jasprit Bumrah, who ended with a spell of 5/10 in his four overs. 

Dhoni helped me with the guideline of playing straight-batted stroke: Conway

One of the impressive aspects of Devon Conway's performance against Delhi Capitals was the authority with which he took on the spinners, especially Kuldeep Yadav, by using a straight bat and punishing the full balls comfortably. Later, he credited MS Dhoni for guiding him to play that way.

I fully back every decision Pant takes on field: Ponting

Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting said he fully backs whatever decision Rishabh Pant makes on the field and feels "it's easy to make judgments from outside". Under Pant, Delhi have lost six of the 11 matches they have played so far in the Indian Premier League 2022, including the 91-run thrashing at the hands of Chennai Super Kings on Sunday.

If we don't qualify for playoffs, it's not the end of the world: Dhoni

Chennai Super Kings have been very mediocre in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2022, but on Sunday (May 8), the Men in Yellow had a “perfect” game against Delhi Capitals.

They outplayed us in all departments: Rishabh Pant

Delhi Capitals suffered a 91-run defeat against the Chennai Super Kings in an evening encounter at DY Patil Stadium. The Rishabh Pant-led side endured a tough start to the day with a positive case in the camp. While the match commenced as per schedule, Delhi were dismal with their performance on the field. 

Sunday, May 8

Moody backs pace sensation Umran Malik to come back stronger

The head coach of the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Tom Moody, is not worried about Umran Malik's lean patch in the last three games. The fast bowler went wicketless and said the side were doing their best to ensure the youngster learns from his experience. 

I'm a wicket-taking bowler: Hasaranga

Sri Lankan leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga weaved his magic at the Wankhede Stadium and scalped a match-winning five-wicket haul against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in an afternoon encounter on Sunday.

The 24-year old was purchased for a whopping 10.75 crore in the mega auction ahead of the Indian Premier League and revealed the clarity of his role as a wicket-taking bowler in the Royal Challengers Bangalore side was helping him in the ongoing competition.  

Genuine pace of Umran Malik will be hard to ignore: Ian Chappell

Former Australian skipper feels Umran Malik and his express pace will be a valuable commodity for the Indian side. 

Venkatesh Iyer working hard in the nets, trying to get his form back: Brendon McCullum

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer was dropped from the team after he managed just 132 runs in nine matches and bowled just three overs for the team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. But head coach Brendon McCullum says that he is working hard in the nets and will come back stronger.

Saturday, May 7

KKR didn't get the basics right: Shreyas Iyer

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer admitted that his team failed to read the pitch at the MCA Stadium in Pune following their 75-run loss against Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday.

Chasing 177, KKR lost opener Baba Indrajith for a duck in the first over followed by Shreyas' wicket in the fourth over and never recovered.

Jaiswal's knock was the best I've seen in a while: Hetmyer

Rajasthan Royals batter Shimron Hetmyer lavished praise on opener Yashasvi Jaiswal following his match-winning knock of 68 off 41 balls against Punjab Kings on Saturday.

Jaiswal, who was benched for the past few matches after a string of poor performances, led the chase of 190 with nine boundaries and two sixes as RR got over the line with two balls to spare.

To keep fast bowlers injury-free is the first challenge: Shanker Basu

With the increasing demands of fitness levels in modern-day sport, fitness has become of paramount importance. More so for the fast bowlers, for whom injuries are occupational hazards. Strength and conditioning coach of RCB, Shanker Basu, who has played a huge role in shaping the fitness levels of many Indian players, spoke about the challenges he faces while training the pacers and why they need a totally different workout schedule.

Rookie mistakes cost us: Hardik

Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya felt that their batters had let the team down after losing a thriller to Mumbai Indians by five runs on Friday at the Brabourne Stadium. Chasing 178, Gujarat lost Pandya and Rahul Tewatia to run-outs in the last two overs as Daniel Sams gave away just three runs from his final over.

For the first time, GT lost two matches in a row which extended their wait to seal a top-two finish. Pandya felt that the bowling efforts were not matched by the batters.

Friday, May 6

The plan was to bowl wide and slow: Sams

Mumbai Indians pulled off a stunning five-run victory over Gujarat Titans on Friday at the Brabourne Stadium as they defended 9 runs off the final over. Pacer Daniel Sams, who shouldered the tough task against Rahul Tewatia and David Miller, said he was committed to bowl slow and away from the batter's reach without worrying whether it could result in a wide.

Thursday, May 5

"One of the best innings I have seen for Delhi" - Pant heaps praise on Warner

David Warner scored unbeaten 92 runs off 58 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad to help Delhi Capitals to 207/3, which they successfully defended to secure their fifth win of the tournament. Warner slammed 12 fours and three sixes while registering a 122-run partnership with Rovman Powell that now have helped them to the No. 5 position on the points table.

Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant was all praise for the opener's grand knock, saying it was one of the best innings he was witnessed from the sidelines. 

Win over CSK, RCB’s most important one of IPL 2022: Josh Hazlewood 

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) brought their three-match losing streak to an end with a 13-run win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Wednesday (May 4) and snuck into the top four of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 points table. 

Hazlewood bowled yet another spell against his former team, finishing with figures of 1 for 19 from his four overs as RCB successfully defended 173. Speaking of the match, Hazlewood said this was RCB’s most important victory of the tournament so far.

Not concerned about Ravindra Jadeja's form: Stephen Fleming

Despite Ravindra Jadeja's poor form with the bat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming that he is not concerned with the form of the all-rounder.  

Jadeja has scored just 116 runs in 10 matches at 19.33 and with ball in hand, he has snared five wickets at an economy rate of 7.52. 

Wednesday, May 4

RCB are moving in the right direction: Faf du Plessis

Following his side's victory against the Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday, RCB skipper Faf du Plessis asserted that his side are definitely moving in the right direction. The RCB skipper, however, hoped for the Top 4 batters to take more responsibility and bat deep. 

CSK were let down by poor batsmanship: MS Dhoni

On the back of CSK's 13-run loss to RCB, skipper MS Dhoni blamed bad batsmanship for his side's inability to chase down the 173 posted by RCB. Dhoni insisted that the batters did not play the situation well. 

Thought about leaving RCB, but my loyalty to the franchise trumped everything: Kohli

Virat Kohli, who has been with RCB since the inaugural edition of the competition in 2008, has revealed that, in the years gone by, he’s had thoughts about leaving the franchise, but ultimately decided not to due to his unwavering loyalty to the franchise. Speaking about RCB, Kohli said that he sees the franchise as family. 

Getting cap from Rohit bhai gave me confidence to do well: Tilak Varma

Find of the season for Mumbai Indians this year, young Tilak Varma has said that getting the cap from skipper Rohit Sharma gave him the confidence to perform well. With 307 runs, Tilak is currently the highest run-getter for Mumbai this season.

We are trying to keep things simple in all facets of the game: David Miller

While Hardik Pandya had said that he batted first to get his team out of their comfort zone and set a target, Gujarat Titans (GT) batter David Miller reckons that with the amount of dew around, opting to bowl first after winning the toss would have been sensible. 

After opting to bat, GT managed to put up just 143 on the board and ended up losing to Punjab Kings (PBKS) the match by eight wickets, with 24 balls to spare.

While admitting that the loss was a hard pill to swallow, Miller said that the team is keeping things simple in every facet of the game.

Wanted Jonny Bairstow to play with free mind at the top: Sandeep Sharma

Punjab Kings (PBKS) fast bowler Sandeep Sharma says the idea to send Jonny Bairstow to open the innings was so that the Englishman can play with a free state of mind. Bairstow has tasted a lot of success in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the top of the order and we could see more of him in that position in the matches to come.

Tuesday, May 3

We are trying to get the best out of Bairstow: Mayank Agarwal

Punjab Kings skipper Mayank Agarwal attested that the franchise are trying everything they can to bring the best out of the struggling Jonny Bairstow. On Tuesday, Bairstow was promoted to open the batting, with Mayank dropping to the middle-order.

‘We weren’t even close to par’ - Hardik Pandya

Following his side's 8-wicket loss against Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya rued his side's tame effort with the bat. Batting first, GT posted a mere 143 despite batting all 20 overs.

Dhoni sir has now asked me to be ready to bowl at the death - Mukesh Choudhary

Mukesh Choudhary, who has been CSK's go-to powerplay bowler this season, has revealed that CSK skipper MS Dhoni has asked him to start preparing to bowl at the death. Choudhary has only bowled 27 balls at the death all season, with 68% of his overs coming in the powerplay.

Those sixes off Cottrell instilled self-belief in Tewatia: Gavaskar

It was his five sixes in an over from Sheldon Cottrell at Sharjah during the 2020 edition of IPL which instilled self-belief in Rahul Tewatia that he belongs to this level, feels the legendary Sunil Gavaskar.

Trying to perform anchor's role after 7-8 years in IPL: Rana

Kolkata Knight Riders batter Nitish Rana said having plied his trade in the Indian Premier League for a considerable number of years, he is now trying to adapt to the role of an anchor, which was on full display against Rajasthan Royals on Monday (May 2).

Consistency is the most important thing in terms of calling wides: Sangakkara

Rajasthan Royals’ Director of Cricket and head coach Kumar Sangakkara feels that the umpires should be more consistent while calling wides.

Monday, May 2

Chopping and changing is not my way but there was a need for change: McCullum

KKR head coach Brendon McCullum revealed that there have been 'myriad reasons' why KKR have had to make the number of changes they've made. McCullum also lauded the spirit shown by the KKR players, managing to stay upbeat despite losing 5 games on the bounce.

Rinku Singh is a future asset for KKR: Shreyas Iyer

Following Rinku Singh's nerveless match-winning 42* at the Wankhede, skipper Shreyas Iyer lavished praise on the youngster and labeled him a 'future asset' for the Knight Riders. Rinku deservedly earned the Man of the Match award for blasting 42* off 23 balls.

We could have batted a bit better: Sanju Samson

Following the defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders, skipper Sanju Samson insisted that it was with the bat that his side lost the game. Batting first, RR could only post 152/5, and the total was comfortably chased down by KKR.

Sunday, May 1

Captaincy burdened Jadeja's performances: Dhoni

Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni felt that captaincy affected Ravindra Jadeja's performances and preparations which prompted him to relinquish the role.

We have to make the most out of remaining matches: DC bowling coach

Delhi Capitals' fast-bowling coach James Hopes said it was difficult for him pinpoint the turning point of their six-run defeat against Lucknow Super Giants, as he was confident the team can make it to the playoffs.

Kuldeep thriving in DC's positive environment: Ponting

Delhi Capitals (DC) spinner Kuldeep Yadav is thriving in the positive environment around the team, says head coach Ricky Ponting. 

The wrist-spinner is the second-highest wicket-taker in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 with 17 scalps and was reduced to the bench by his previous franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), with whom he found very little support, especially in the last 2-3 years.

158 would have been enough if dew hadn't played a part: Ravichandran Ashwin

Rajasthan Royals (RR) spinner Ravichandran Ashwin reckons that a score of 158 would have been enough had the dew not played a massive role. In the end, Mumbai Indians (MI) went on to win the game by five wickets with four balls remaining.

It was Ashwin's cameo of 21 off 9 with the bat that eventually took RR past 150 and with the ball, he got the big wicket of Rohit Sharma for just two. the off-spinner reckons, his side were about 10-15 runs short in the end.

Win over RR will spread a lot of positivity within MI camp: Suryakumar Yadav

Mumbai Indians (MI) finally got off the mark in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 with a five-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai on Saturday (April 30).

MI rode on a brilliant half-century from Suryakumar Yadav and his 81-run stand with Tilak Varma for the third wicket to take them home before the bowlers had done a brilliant job to restrict RR to 158 for 6.

The India batter reckons that this victory will spread a lot of positivity within the camp.

Saturday, April 30

Our real potential came out today: Rohit

Rohit Sharma was full of praise for his bowlers as Mumbai Indians got their first victory of IPL 2022 with a five-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals at the DY Patil Stadium.

Huge step in the right direction: Du Plessis on Kohli's fifty

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf Du Plessis felt that Virat Kohli's 53-ball 58 against Gujarat Titans on Saturday was a step in the right direction as he hoped for big scores from his top-four batters.

Gujarat reminds me of Rajasthan's title-winning team of 2008: Kevin Pietersen

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has likened Gujarat Titans (GT) to Rajasthan Royal's (RR) title-winning team from 2008, under the leadership of Shane Warne.

GT are currently top of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 table having picked up 14 points from 16 available. 

Friday, April 29

We could've extended the chase: Arshdeep

Punjab Kings pacer Arshdeep Singh felt that losing a couple of extra wickets at the beginning proved vital in their 20-run defeat against Lucknow Super Giants on Friday at the MCA Stadium in Pune.

Chasing 154 on a tricky pitch, Punjab lost their top three by the eighth over with 58 runs on the board. The wicket of key batter Liam Livingstone further added pressure as they restricted to 133/8 in 20 overs.

It was stupid cricket with the bat: KL Rahul

Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul were dissatisfied with their teams' batting performances on a tricky surface at the MCA Stadium in Pune.

Chopping and changing isn't ideal: Southee

New Zealand pacer Tim Southee opened up on Kolkata Knight Riders' struggles with their opening pair in batting, saying chopping and changing isn't ideal but the team is still trying to find the right combination in the ongoing IPL. KKR have used four different opening combinations in this edition but didn't bear fruit as the team suffered its fifth loss on the trot on Thursday night to lie at the seventh position in the points table.

Arshdeep keeps it simple and that’s the key to his success: Swann

Arshdeep Singh has been phenomenal in the death overs. The left-arm seamer from Punjab Kings has an economy of just 5.7 in the 17-20 phase and has rightly become the talk of the town. Six overs across five innings is a pretty good sample size, as his economy is the best amongst bowlers who have bowled at least three overs in this phase. In those six overs, not once he has leaked more than eight runs. And, former England offspinner Graeme Swann thinks the reason why Arshdeep has been so successful is because he keeps it simple and doesn’t try too many variations.

I believe Rishabh Pant will go on and captain the national side: WV Raman

In an exclusive conversation with cricket.com, former India player WV Raman said that Rishabh Pant will surely lead India in the future.

We need to stick together and play fearless cricket: Shreyas Iyer

Things have gone bad to worse for the Kolkata Knight Riders in this edition of the Indian Premier League as they have lost their fifth consecutive game in the tournament, casting a doubt over their qualification in the final four of the competition. 

Thursday, April 28

Surprised with the way KKR have handled Venkatesh Iyer: WV Raman

Former India player WC Raman is not impressed with the way Kolkata Knight Riders have handled Venkatesh Iyer. 

Without a doubt, Umran Malik should play for India: Swann

Despite being on the losing side, a 22-year-old Umran Malik is the talk of the town. Until 2020, the right-arm speedster wasn’t anywhere close to the Indian Premier League, only beginning his journey with the cricket ball. After being a net bowler for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Malik was promoted to the ranks mid-way during IPL 2021. 

Tewatia and I believed that we could win the game: Rashid opens up after win

Gujarat are a team out of syllabus, they do not have a sole performer, they have a team which combines to be deadly. Against the Sunrisers, it was the duo of Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan who turned the encounter with some smashing. In the post-match presentation, Rashid opened up on his conversation with Tewatia. 

It is a game of fine margins, could have gone either way: Williamson

With 35 runs required off 12 deliveries, there would have been a breathing space for the Sunrisers bowlers against any opposition but Gujarat Titans. This season, the Titans have made it a living habit to win games from improbable situations, including the one against Hyderabad on Wednesday.  Against two of Sunrisers’ best bowlers of the tournament, Marco Jansen and T Natarajan, the duo of Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia did the unthinkable. The duo took 13 runs off the Indian left-arm seamer’s over before plummeting the South African all-rounder for 25 runs. 

Wednesday, April 27

Arshdeep could walk into the Indian side: Ravi Shastri

Young left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh could soon be walking into the national T20 side after consistent performances in the IPL over the last three seasons, feels former India coach Ravi Shastri.

Rajasthan set to pay tribute to Shane Warne’s legacy against MI

Rajasthan Royals will celebrate the extraordinary life of legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne, who died recently, during their Indian Premier League match against Mumbai Indians here on Saturday.

It will be wise of Virat Kohli to take a break: Ravi Shastri

In the wake of Virat Kohli’s downfall in the cash-rich league, Ravi Shastri said that it will be wise for the 33-year-old to draw the balance and take a break from the tournament.

I am sure Virat Kohli will win us our upcoming crunch games: Sanjay Bangar

Virat Kohli's poor form with the bat continued against Rajasthan Royals (RR), where he scored a 10-ball nine as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) went down to Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 29 runs. 

Kohli has scored just 128 runs at 16 this season, but head coach Sanjay Bangar has thrown his weight behind the former RCB skipper saying that he would win them crunch matches this season going ahead.

Tuesday, April 26

Our top-four lacked consistency: Du Plessis

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf Du Plessis admitted that the team's top-four need to put in consistent performances following the 29-run loss to Rajasthan Royals.

We don't want to throw Hangargekar and do damage: CSK coach Fleming

When asked if Under-19 World Cup star Rajvardhan Hangargekar will be given a chance this season given CSK's depleted bowling unit, Fleming said "at some stage, but we have to be careful I know he's performed really well at the U-19 level but this (IPL) is a step up."

Change of personnel and approach worked for Punjab: WV Raman

Bold changes in their playing XI and change in their batting approach clicked perfectly for Punjab Kings against Chennai Super Kings, according to WV Raman.

Monday, April 25

Punjab Kings captain Mayank Agarwal heaped praise on pacers Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada for their death bowling in the 11-run win over Chennai Super Kings.

Sunday, April 24

We played some irresponsible shots: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma felt that failing to build partnerships and being unable to stay at the crease for long contributed to Mumbai Indians' 36-run loss against Lucknow Super Giants.

Saturday, April 23

It's a bad day at the office: Du Plessis

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf Du Plessis felt that his team need to put the nine-wicket defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad behind them after a shambolic batting collapse.

I don't think this is my comeback: Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya said he does not view his current good form as a comeback into the national team set up as he lauded his bowlers' performance against Kolkata Knight Riders.

I would loss all my hair by IPL end: Hardik Pandya

Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya was pleased with his team's win over Kolkata Knight Riders in an another nail-biting finish to stay top of the table.

Disappointing what happened in the last over, not what we stand for: Shane Watson

Delhi Capitals (DC) assistant coach Shane Watson was not happy with the way things went down in the final over in the game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday (April 22) and says that is not what his team stands for.

Needing 36 to win off the final over, Rovman Powell smashed three sixes off the first three deliveries, but the third delivery looked like it was over the waist. After much protest from the two batters on the field and everyone in the dugout, the umpires termed it legal, without consulting the third umpire.

Friday, April 22

I think we could have checked that no ball: Rishabh Pant

In a high-voltage clash at the Wankhede stadium, Jos Buttler smashed his third century of the season to power the Rajasthan Royals to a 15-run win and help the team move to the top position in the points table. 

With 36 runs needed off the final over, Rovman Powell smashed three sixes to get the equation down to 18 off the last three balls. However, a full toss around the waist height on the third delivery created a lot of drama, with Delhi fuming over the call. 

Finch jumped in excitement after getting a call from KKR as Hales' replacement

Upset after not finding any takers in the IPL mega auction, Australia white-ball captain Aaron Finch "jumped" in excitement on getting a call from Kolkata Knight Riders to join the side as a replacement for Alex Hales.

Hales pulled out of the tournament, citing bubble fatigue, opening the gate for Finch, who joined KKR at his base price of Rs 1.5 crore.

T20 is a cruel format, and MI need to grab crunch moments: Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar, the mentor of the Mumbai Indians, called T20 cricket a "cruel" format where small margins are crucial and suggested that the team should go out and win the crunch moments to arrest their slide.

The five-time champions have endured a disastrous campaign this season and lost seven consecutive games, creating an unwanted record of becoming the first team to lose their first seven matches in a row. 

Former MI player Chris Lynn claims there could be factions within Rohit Sharma-led side

Chris Lynn, the former player of the Mumbai Indians, claims that there could be factions within the group as he noticed "11 individuals" rather than a "team of 11" in its disastrous campaign in this edition of the Indian Premier League. 

Shaw dealing in boundaries has taken my quick twos out of equation: Warner

The swashbuckling David Warner says Prithvi Shaw, his opening partner at Delhi Capitals, is taking the pressure off him and "my quick twos out of the equation" with his equally aggressive approach in the ongoing IPL.

Need to back their ability and give them confidence: Jayawardene on Rohit, Kishan

Mumbai Indians (MI) registered an unwanted record of being the first team to lose seven consecutive matches in an Indian Premier League (IPL) season, going down by three wickets in a thrilling contest against Chennai Super Kings CSK) at the DY Patil Stadium on Thursday (April 21).

There have been questions over the form of MI openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan, but head coach Mahela Jayawardene doesn't feel the need to panic saying that their abilities need to be backed and should be given confidence.

Thursday, April 21

Was hard for us to play freely: Rohit

Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma felt his team did well with the ball but a below par total against Chennai Super Kings prevented them from playing freely.

DC aiming for consistency against RR: Lalit Yadav

Delhi Capitals allrounder Lalit Yadav called for the team to get consistent ahead of their clash Rajasthan Royals on Friday.

Wednesday, April 20

I don't want to dig too deep into the loss, says Mayank 

Punjab Kings captain Mayank Agarwal felt that his team needs to forget the nine-wicket loss against Delhi Capitals after falling short with both the bat and the ball.

MI need collective effort to break season duck, says Unadkat

Mumbai Indians pacer Jaydev Unadkat called for a collective effort from his bowling unit to beat defending champions Chennai Super Kings on Thursday.

Tuesday, April 19

We needed a big innings in the top-order: KL Rahul

Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul felt his team were short of a good partnership and failed to restrict Royal Challengers Bangalore with the ball in the 18-run defeat.

We played good game but then made some silly mistakes: McCullum

Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Brendon McCullum said his team made some "silly mistakes" which cost them the game against Rajasthan Royals on Monday (April 18).

"It's been little frustrating" - Nick Knight on Kohli's current form

In IPL 2022, Virat Kohli hasn't really set the stage on fire. The former captain does have a couple of 40s to his name and has actually looked in decent touch. He has been run-out on two occasions and Knight feels Kohli just needs that one big score to return back to his absolute best.

Difficult to look past Jos Buttler as the best opener in T20s: Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith was mighty impressed by Jos Buttler’s heroics and stated that he is possibly the best opener in the T20s at the moment.

My plan was to bat through the end: Shreyas Iyer

Despite a valiant knock from skipper Shreyas Iyer, Kolkata Knight Riders lost by 7 runs against Rajasthan Royals, extending their losing run to 4 games this season. Iyer batted till the 17th over, genuinely coming close to scoring a century but as soon as he was dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal, a spree started.  A dejected Iyer disclosed that his plan was to bat till the end, letting the batter at the other end try and hit Chahal from the other end.

Monday, April 18

Captaincy comes naturally to Shreyas Iyer: Ravi Shastri

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri feels captaincy comes naturally to Shreyas Iyer, who has impressed in his first season as Kolkata Knight Riders captain.

Shreyas was given the responsibility of leading KKR ahead of the IPL 2022 and the Mumbaikar has done a decent job so far, with his team winning three and losing as many matches from six outings.

'DK you'll be playing the finisher's role,' Karthik reveals chat with Bangar post IPL auction

Dinesh Karthik has been in sensational form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, having already smashed 197 runs in six innings at a strike-rate of 209. Most recently, he scored a 34-ball 66 against Delhi Capitals (DC) to help Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to a 16-run victory.

Karthik, who was bought in the IPL 2022 auction for INR 5.5 crore, revealed that a conversation with head coach Sanjay Bangar helped him prepare for the season better. 

Rashid scoring 25 runs against Jordan was game-changing: Miller

David Miller played yet another match-winning knock for Gujarat Titans (GT) on Sunday (April 17) to help his side register their fifth win of the season. Miller's unbeaten 51-ball 94, along with the stand-in skipper Rashid Khan's 40 off 21, propelled GT to a three-wicket victory in Pune.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fast bowler Chris Jordan had a day to forget as he conceded 58 runs from 3.5 overs. His spell included the 18th over, which Rashid took full toll of by hitting 25 runs to tilt the match in his side's favour.

Sunday, April 17

I consider myself an allrounder: Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan relished the thrilling win over Chennai Super Kings as Gujarat Titans' stand-in skipper as he led from the front with a stunning 40 off 21 balls.

I'm glad that Umran is in my team: Markram

SRH batter Aiden Markram hailed young speedster Umran Malik who claimed four wickets in the win against Punjab Kings.

We were late to adjust to the pitch: Shikhar Dhawan

Punjab Kings' stand-in skipper Shikhar Dhawan felt his team need to be patient to see a reversal of fortunes following their third loss of IPL 2022 against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Saturday, April 16

It is a special day and a special hundred: KL Rahul

The skipper led from the front in his 100th IPL appearance and smashed an unbeaten 103 off 60 deliveries, studded with nine fours and five sixes to hand Mumbai their sixth successive defeat.

The 29-year old termed his match-winning hundred against the five-time champions a "special one."  

Rohit Sharma rues lack of partnerships after 18-run loss to Lucknow

Things are going bad to worse for the Mumbai Indians in this edition of the Indian Premier League. The Rohit-Sharma led side suffered their sixth consecutive loss after falling short by 18 runs in the afternoon encounter against Lucknow Super Giants at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. 

"It is hard to put into words. We felt it was definitely chasable, but we needed to build partnerships in the middle," Rohit said in a post-match interview. 

We were not good enough: Jasprit Bumrah

The five-time champions of the Indian Premier League, Mumbai Indians, suffered an 18-run defeat against the Lucknow Super Giants in the afternoon clash on Saturday (April 16) at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. 

Jasprit Bumrah, who has been the standout bowler for the Mumbai side, admitted that they were not good enough after slumping to their sixth successive defeat in their IPL campaign.

Ravi Shastri backs RCB to make it to the playoffs

Former coach of the Indian side, Ravi Shastri, is backing the Royal Challengers Bangalore to make it to the playoffs in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League after playing some good cricket under Faf du Plessis. 

Hardik's relaxed attitude and performance infused energy into the group: Lockie Ferguson

Skipper Hardik Pandya's philosophy of playing "not just to win" and "to entertain" has infused energy and life into Gujarat Titans' stellar campaign in IPL-15, feels pace spearhead, Lockie Ferguson.

When asked how the new skipper has measured up with his leadership skills, Ferguson was generous in his praise.

Friday, April 15

Markram hails Rahul Tripathi

Sunrisers batter Aiden Markram hailed Rahul Tripathi, who scored 71 off 37 balls in their seven-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Brabourne Stadium on Friday.

Hardik has taken brave decisions as skipper: Rashid Khan

The skipper of the Titans produced an all-around performance to power Gujarat to their fourth win in the tournament. In a post-match press conference, Rashid Khan shared insights on the performance of Hardik and his impact on the team. 

Thursday, April 14

Captaincy is fun and allows me to take responsibility: Hardik Pandya

Gujarat Titans' Hardik Pandya described captaincy as 'fun' following their table-topping win over Rajasthan Royals on Thursday.

I was wowed by Samson's striking ability: James Neesham

New Zealand allrounder James Neesham hailed RR captain Sanju Samson as a quality cricketer and hoped for big things in the future for him as a captain.

I am not concerned about Rohit's form: Jayawardene

Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene said he is not too worried about Rohit Sharma's form and it's only a "matter of time" before the skipper comes good and plays that big knock in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2022. 

Middle overs will decide the outcome of Rajasthan-Gujarat clash: Nannes

The Titans have been superb in the powerplay but their bowlers have struggled big time in the middle overs. They have operated at an economy of 9.5 in that phase, which is the second-worst in the tournament.

Brevis seems like a looming superstar for South African cricket: Graeme Smith

Dewald Brevis stood tall to prove that his U19 World Cup performance was no fluke as he played a fine knock against Punjab Kings in Pune and briefly gave all Mumbai fans the hopes of guiding the side to a victory. Even though Mumbai ended up on the losing side, his performance was top-notch and gave a sneak peek at what he can do in the future. In an exclusive interview with Cricket.com, Smith stated that Brevis has all the elements to become a superstar of South African cricket. 

We showed great intent but we were a lot smarter too: Mayank Agarwal

Batting-wise, Punjab also put up a very admirable performance, with skipper Mayank Agarwal leading the way with a 32-ball 52 and he established a 97-run opening partnership with Shikhar Dhawan, who scored 70 runs himself. Later on, in the innings, Jitesh Sharma and Shahrukh Khan provided the impetus to ensure that Punjab finished with a total to win them the game. Agarwal applauded the approach, stating that they are smarter in the way they batted on Wednesday night.

Wednesday, April 13

We're trying to find different ideas but nothing seems to be working now: Rohit Sharma

While the bowling hasn’t clicked for Mumbai this season, there is plenty of introspection to do as well as far as their decision-making is concerned. For reasons completely known to them, they continued to bench Tim David despite betting big on him during the auction. Other decisions like playing Ramandeep Singh early on made a little sense as well. Speaking in the post-match interview, Rohit Sharma conceded that they were trying different combinations in order to find the winning formula.

Can't see why Umesh would not do well for India in T20 cricket: Southee

In 2008, when Tim Southee was making waves in competitive cricket as a 19-year-old, Umesh Yadav had only started considering a career in the sport. Nearly a decade and a half later, Southee, a year younger and 366 international wickets ahead of Umesh, is so impressed with his Kolkata Knight Riders teammate's bowling in IPL-15, that the New Zealander is backing him to wear the India jersey again in the shortest format, having last played a T20I more than three years ago.

We are late already, this will happen a lot going forward: Ashwin on retiring himself out

Ravichandran Ashwin batted at No. 6 for Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday but left the field after two balls in the 19th over to make way for Riyan Parag. He had scored 28 off 23 before retiring himself out. He feels the IPL is already late in using "retired out" as a tactical move and after becoming the first one to do so, the India spinner expects to see a lot more of it in the near future.

Mental strain from leading India could have taken a toll on Rohit Sharma: Graeme Smith

MI skipper Rohit Sharma has not been at his best with the bat or with his leadership this season and former South Africa captain questions if it has to do with him leading India across formats.

I am able to do things I did in domestic cricket in IPL: Shivam Dube

The 2022 edition could well be a breakthrough season for all-rounder Shivam Dube, who feels he is finally able to translate his domestic form into the IPL. The Chennai Super Kings all-rounder paved the way for his team's first win of the season with an unbeaten 95 against RCB on Tuesday night.

Nobody can fill in for Harshal Patel: Nick Knight

The feeling of security Harshal Patel can provide for Royal Challengers Bangalore cannot be replicated by any other player in his absence, according to former England opener Nick Knight. RCB conceded 215 runs in 20 overs against Chennai Super Kings at the DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday as they succumbed to a 23-run defeat.

We missed variety in our bowling attack: Du Plessis

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis said his team felt the absence of Harshal Patel following their 23-run defeat against Chennai Super Kings at the DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday.

Tuesday, April 12

Kane Williamson doesn't make me sit easy on the couch: Nannes

Kane Williamson is one of the most pleasing batsmen to watch and on Monday, he laid the foundation for Sunrisers Hyderabad's second victory. But Dirk Nannes doesn't approve of his method. He explains why Williamson makes him nervous or pull his hair sometimes.

We were 10 runs short: Hardik Pandya

Both Hardik Pandya and Kane Williamson reflected on the match with some valuable insights. Pandya feels 170 was the par score while for Williamson, it was about building partnerships in the run chase. 

Monday, April 11

Gujarat have bowlers who can bowl at any stage of the game: Nannes

Gujarat Titans have one of the best bowling units in the Indian Premier League 2022 and former Netherlands and Australia paceman Dirk Nannes believes they have bowlers for all three phases of the game.

Got one call wrong, should have sent Parag ahead of Rassie: Sangakkara

Rajasthan Royals' director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara feels they could have sent Riyan Parag ahead of Rassie van der Dussen. Making his IPL debut, the South African batted at No. 4 but could only manage four runs.

Will try to be unpredictable with batting order, says KL Rahul

Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul said that their plans to surprise Rajasthan Royals didn't quite pay off as he rued the lack of partnerships which derailed their chase of 166 on a tricky Wankhede pitch on Sunday. 

Teams could use retired out more effectively: Russel Arnold

Former Sri Lanka allrounder Russel Arnold felt that IPL teams can be prompted to use retired out more effectively following Rajasthan Royals' decision to call back Ravichandran Ashwin during the match against Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday.

Sunday, April 10

Difficult to set a field to Shaw: Shreyas Iyer

KKR captain Shreyas Iyer explained that he was clueless about what field to set against Prithvi Shaw during the match against Delhi Capitals.

We were a bit clueless: Shreyas Iyer after DC loss

KKR captain Shreyas Iyer felt that his team were undone by the opening partnership between David Warner and Prithvi Shaw.

It's just a matter of getting the first win: Zaheer Khan on MI's season

Indian Premier League's (IPL) most successful franchise Mumbai Indians (MI) are struggling this season with four losses on the trot but their Director of Cricket Zaheer Khan feels it's just a matter of finding that "one win" and missing "spark" to get their campaign back on track.

Zaheer, however, is aware that a string of defeats may lead to self-doubt among the players.

Enjoying the company of Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis: Anuj Rawat

Following a match-winning 47-ball 66 against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Pune, 22-year-old Anuj Rawat says that he is enjoying being in the company of Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis in the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) camp. 

Rawat's innings propelled RCB to their third successive victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. 

We're coming a distant second, need to find some rhythm: Stephen Fleming

Following a fourth straight loss in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach reckons his side are falling behind in every facet of the game and as a result finishing a distant second.

CSK succumbed to an eight-wicket defeat at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Saturday (April 9) to further add to their woes.

We went with the combination that would be ideal: Rohit Sharma

While the batting being an area of concern for Rohit Sharma and the team management, they opted to slot only two overseas players in the side, much to the surprise of all the fans.  

In the post-match interview, Rohit shared insights on the strategy behind the move and said, "Just went with the combination that would be ideal. We chose the best from whatever we had."

Saturday, April 9

We were 20-25 runs short, admits Ravindra Jadeja

In the southern derby, the Sunrisers Hyderabad registered a comprehensive eight-wicket win against the Chennai Super Kings in the afternoon encounter at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. 

After being asked to bat first, Chennai never really got going with the bat and managed to post 154 runs in the first innings and succumbed to their fourth loss. 

Ravi Shastri proposes a life ban for offender after Chahar's revelation

Former Head Coach of the Indian side, Ravi Shastri has proposed a life ban for the player involved in Yuzvendra Chahal's allegations of physical harassment during his stint with the Mumbai Indians in the 2013 edition of the Indian Premier League. 

Always wanted to have responsibility as it makes you better: Hardik on captaincy

Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is reveling in his new role as the leader of Gujarat Titans, saying extra responsibility and challenges have made him a better cricketer. Pandya notched his third win as skipper in the IPL on Friday (April 8) when Gujarat Titans beat Punjab Kings by six wickets.

The new entrants have a 100 percent record in the league, having won all their three matches played so far. They sit second on the points table. Pandya has been contributing with the bat, besides bowling a full quota of four overs while also captaining the side.

'These questions are only raised due to the result,' Arshdeep on Odean's overthrow

Punjab Kings (PBKS) fast bowler Arshdeep Singh has defended teammate Odean Smith after his overthrow in the final over resulted in Rahul Tewatia getting bacon on strike. With 12 runs needed off the last two deliveries, Tewatia hit back-to-back sixes to help Gujarat Titans (GT) to a nail-biting victory.

Arshdeep, however, played the incident down saying that these questions have arisen since PBKS lost the game. 

Last over could have been anyone's game and we back Odean: Mayank Agarwal

In one of the most dramatic games in this edition of the Indian Premier League, Gujarat Titans have managed to seal an improbable six-wicket win at the Brabourne Stadium.  With 12 runs needed off the last two deliveries, Rahul Tewatia smashed consecutive sixes to help the Titans edge past the Punjab Kings in a nail-biting encounter. 

While it was a tough pill to swallow for Mayank Agarwal and the Punjab Kings after being in control of the game during the death overs, the skipper was proud of the efforts the team has put on a hard day. 

Friday, April 8

Shubman Gill is one of the finest talents in world cricket: Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri, the former Head Coach of the Indian side, heaped praises on young batter Shubman Gill after his exploits in the last encounter against the Delhi Capitals. 

The right-handed batter scored 84 off 46 deliveries at a strike rate of 182.61 to help the Titans register their second win of the season. 

Shane Bond expects turnaround from MI bowlers after 3 losses

Shane Bond expects a turnaround from Mumbai Indians bowlers soon, but he said the five-time champions will have to stick to their plans, starting with Friday's IPL game against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Despite being winless so far in their first three games, the MI bowling coach said he is not worried about their below-par effort with the ball.

Someone from MI told me that if I don't sign transfer papers, I won't get into XI: Robin Uthappa

One of the most destructive top-order batters in the Indian Premier League, Robin Uthappa, made a startling revelation during his time for the Mumbai Indians in the inaugural edition of the tournament. 

While the player transfers are a usual norm in the football leagues around the world, after the inaugural edition of the IPL, it was introduced in cricket as well, and Uthappa was among the first few to be transferred. However, the 36-year revealed a horrifying truth about his experience with the transfer. 

He was very drunk and hung me from the balcony of the 15th floor: Chahal's startling revelation from IPL 2013

The leading wicket-taker for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, Yuzvendra Chahal, was picked by the Rajasthan Royals for 6.5 crores in the mega auctions ahead of this edition of the tournament. 

While he became a household name after plying his trade for the Boys in Red, the 31-year old was first picked by the Mumbai Indians in 2011. 

In conversation with Rajasthan Royals on their Youtube show, Chahal revealed a shocking truth while narrating an incident from his Mumbai Indians stint. 

Rishabh Pant calls for improved showing with the bat in middle overs

Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Rishabh Pant says his team needs to quickly sort out the "pattern" of losing wickets in a bunch and play fewer dot balls in the middle overs to turn things around after suffering successive defeats in the IPL.

Capitals opened their IPL season with a win over formidable Mumbai Indians but slumped to two consecutive defeats to Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants.

Rohit Sharma urges MI to show 'hunger and desperation' to turn things around

Following Mumbai Indians' (MI) third loss in as many matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, skipper Rohit Sharma has urged his players to show hunger and desperation to come out on top in the upcoming matches.

MI kicked off the season with a four-wicket loss at the hands of Delhi Capitals (DC) and followed that up with losses at the hands of Rajasthan Royals (23 runs) and Kolkata Knight Riders (5 wickets) in the following matches.

Bowling to Rahul, Gayle, Maxwell in the nets took my fear away: Vaibhav Arora

Fast bowler Vaibhav Arora was Punjab Kings' (PBKS) net bowler in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, where he says bowling to the likes of KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Glenn Maxwell and others took away the fear factor from him.

Arora made his way to the Himachal Pradesh Ranji side in the 2019-20 season and in 2021, he made his List A and T20 debut for his state.

In T20s, it’s not about how you start, but how you finish: Holder on Gowtham's spell

Drafted into his first Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 game ahead of Manish Pandey, Krishnappa Gowtham bowled a top spell against Delhi Capitals (DC), finishing with 1 for 23 from four overs, which included the big wicket of the well-set Prithvi Shaw (61 off 34) and also a maiden to Rishabh Pant.

In his first eight balls of his spell, Shaw had ripped into Gowtham, hitting the off-spinner for three fours and a six, before the latter got the better of the batter.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) all-rounder Jason Holder heaped praise on the Indian spinner for the impact he had on the game.

Thursday, April 7

Can't complain about dew: Pant

Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant felt his team were 10-15 runs short in the defeat against Lucknow Super Giants.

We need to be ruthless in finishing off games: Jayawardene

Mumbai Indians have endured a torrid start to the season, losing three games in a row and the team's head coach Mahela Jayawardene feels the five-time IPL champions need to adopt a ruthless attitude to finish off games.

Responsibility of leadership impacts KL Rahul: Graeme Smith

Smith feels that the burden of captaincy impacts Rahul the way he bats. However, the former South African batter feels someone like Manish Pandey will have to step up if the team management wants Rahul to bat more freely.

Wednesday, April 6

I am more surprised: Pat Cummins after his record-equalling fifty

Pat Cummins surprised himself after smashing a stunning 56 not out off just 15 balls against MI on Thursday to help KKR to a four-wicket win. The Australian pacer also equalled KL Rahul's record for the fastest IPL fifty in 14 balls as he hit six sixes and four boundaries.

Harshal Patel is RCB's unsung hero: Graeme Smith

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith hailed Harshal Patel as the unsung hero for Royal Challengers Bangalore following their four-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday.

Was telling myself I was not done yet: Karthik

Dinesh Karthik felt that the countless hours of training are yielding results following his stunning efforts of 44 not out off 23 balls helped Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.

Mumbai is like a bogey team for KKR: Swann

Kolkata Knight Riders have a horrible record against Mumbai Indians (only seven wins in 29 encounters) but former England offspinner Graeme Swann believes Shreyas Iyer and Co. couldn’t have asked for a better time to take on the five-time champions. Mumbai are yet to win a game in the Indian Premier League 2022, while Kolkata have won two of their three matches. 

Tuesday, April 5

Tim David wants to use Pollard's experiences to add to his game

Mumbai Indians' young recruit Tim David is keen to use legendary all-rounder Kieron Pollard's experience to improve his game and come out as a better player after IPL-15. Pollard has been a Mumbai Indians veteran and one of IPL's all-time greats.

Will be looking at Chahal as a weapon against RCB: Graeme Smith

Former South Africa skipper Graeme Smith wants Royal Challengers Bangalore to unleash Wanindu Hasaranga against in-form Rajasthan Royals batters Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson. Having won both their encounters, Rajasthan are still unbeaten in this tournament.

Krunal is very under-rated, he always does a good job: Swann

Former England spinner Graeme Swann heaped heavy praise on Lucknow Super Giants’ bowling unit after they defended a par score of 169 against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday (April 4). Avesh Khan and Jason Holder shared seven wickets between them, while Krunal Pandya claimed two crucial wickets in the middle overs to give Lucknow their second win of the season.

Plan is to not only hit boundaries, but choose smart shots: KL Rahul

Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul wants his batting unit to put pressure on the opposition by playing aggressive but risk-free cricket, look for the fours and sixes, but also "choose smart shots".

Monday, April 4

Prasidh has all the attributes to be successful for India in all formats: Buttler

Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Jos Buttler reckons fast bowler Prasidh Krishna has all the attributes to be a successful bowler for India in all three formats.  The 26-year-old, who made his debut last year, has gone on to pick up 18 One-Day International (ODI) wickets in seven matches at 16.72.

After a good stint with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Prasidh was roped in by RR for INR 10 crore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 auction.

Don't have to look anywhere else but to MS Dhoni for advice: Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja is feeling the heat at the start of his captaincy stint at CSK but he is glad to have the cool head of MS Dhoni to rely upon in high-pressure situations, even allowing himself to field outside the circle.

The defending champions have lost all three of their matches this season. Less than a week before the IPL opener on March 26, Dhoni had handed over the captaincy to Jadeja.

There was pressure but I had belief in myself: Vaibhav Arora

Vaibhav Arora led the Punjab Kings' (PBKS) bowling attack against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), finishing with impressive figures of 2 for 21 on his debut for the franchise. 

He was picked by PBKS for a price of INR 2 crore in the IPL 2022 auction from a base price of INR 20 lakh. Arora admitted that there were nerves, but his good performances at the domestic circuit gave him the confidence to perform well. 

Shubman Gill one of the most talented players in world cricket: Ravi Shastri

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has hailed Shubman Gill as one of the best players not just in India, but in world cricket.

Gill roared back to form with a 46-ball 84 for Gujarat Titans (GT) against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Saturday (April 2) after falling for a duck in the first game. “He is pure talent. That guy is one of the most talented players in the country and in world cricket, to be honest," Shastri said on Star Sports.

Everyone holds their breath when Livingstone bats: Mayank

Punjab Kings captain Mayank Agarwal hailed Liam Livingstone following the Englishman's superb allrounder performance that set up a 54-run victory over defending champions Chennai Super Kings on Sunday at the Brabourne Stadium.

Coming in at 14/2 in the second over, Livingstone smacked five towering sixes and five boundaries in his 32-ball 60 and claimed 2-25 as CSK were skittled out for 126 in 18 overs. Livingstone also took a stunning return to dismiss Dwayne Bravo for a first-ball duck.

Sunday, April 3

Only thought when Kishan, Tilak were batting was to not panic: Navdeep Saini

When Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan were going great guns, it looked like Mumbai Indians (MI) could pull off a victory, but when the 81-run stand was broken, it gave Rajasthan Royals (RR) an opportunity to bounce back into the game.

It was Navdeep Saini who took a brilliant catch in the deep to dismiss Kishan for 54. Saini, who finished with figures of 3 for 36 from his three overs revealed that the thought within the team was not to panic during the partnership and to execute the set plans.

Saturday, April 2

This is the Shubman Gill we all want to see: Hardik

Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya lavished praise on Shubman Gill and the balance that his team has following the win over Delhi Capitals.

It's early days. We can learn: Rohit Sharma

Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma said his team has more learning to do after losing to Rajasthan Royals and pointed to the positives from the game such as Jasprit Bumrah's bowling and the batting performances from Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma.

We didn’t want to take a risk against Rahul Chahar: Andre Russell

The 33-year-old Jamaican all-rounder trashed the Punjab bowling to all parts but was very careful in dealing with the Indian leg-spinner, Chahar, who got the ball to drift and turn. In the post-match presentation, Russell revealed that the Knights did not want to take a risk against Chahar during the run chase.

Punjab missed a trick by not bowling Rabada against Russell: Arnold

In the post-match show on Cricket.com, former Sri Lankan all-rounder Russell Arnold was critical of Punjab’s decision of not using their ace-bowler Kagiso Rabada against the big Jamaican Russell. 

Needed to work hard as I grew old: Umesh Yadav

Player of the Match, Umesh Yadav, insisted that he has constantly had to work hard in the nets, especially with him only playing the red-ball format for the Men in Blue.

We were stunned by Punjab's approach: Shreyas Iyer

In the post-match presentation, Kolkata Knight Riders' skipper Shreyas Iyer expressed his opinion over Punjab’s approach with the bat, stating that it came as shock for the Knight Riders. 

It was a 170 kind of wicket: Mayank reflects on Punjab's poor batting

In the post-match presentation, reflecting on the performance, Punjab Kings' skipper Mayank Agarwal insisted that the conditions were rather a 170 kind of wicket, having began well on 62/3. 

IPL's ticketing partner says crowd capacity increased to 50 per cent

IPL's ticketing partner BookMyShow on Friday said that audience capacity for the current season has been increased to 50 per cent from April 6.

Zaheer Khan confirms the return of Suryakumar Yadav

Mumbai Indians Director of Cricket Zaheer Khan, ahead of his side’s second clash, talked about Suryakumar Yadav’s return, on Mumbai’s slow start in the IPL while stressing on the mistakes.

Bowlers' availability a big confidence booster for Royals: Sangakkara

Kumar Sangakkara, Rajasthan Royals' Director of Cricket and Head coach, said that the availability of a full-strength bowling lineup is a real confidence booster for the team at a time when many sides are struggling with their overseas recruits.

One bad game doesn’t define Punjab’s bowling: Russell Arnold

Despite Punjab Kings being taken to the cleaners by Royal Challengers Bangalore, speaking exclusively to Cricket.com, Russell Arnold feels that the game wasn't a definite definition of Punjab's bowling attack.

We didn't want to take risks against Bravo: Badoni

Lucknow's Indian sensation Ayush Badoni opened up on his and Evin Lewis' decision to not take risks against IPL's all-time leading wicket-taker, Dwayne Bravo, in the side's six wicket win over Chennai Super Kings.

Stephen Fleming compares the Brabourne surface to Niagara Falls

Chennai Super Kings Head Coach Stephen Fleming likened the dew to Niagara Falls in terms of wetness and stated that it was not plausible for a spinner to be effective on this surface.

Badoni is a great find for India and white-ball cricket: KL Rahul

Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul lavished praise on youngster Ayush Badoni after the 22-year old helped them beat defending champions Chennai Super Kings on Thursday at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

"Actually loved it" - McCullum happy with KKR's batting intent despite defeat

Shreyas Iyer and Co. lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore because of a poor batting display but Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Brendon McCullum was still pleased with the intent his batters showed on Wednesday (March 30). On a surface that was offering variable bounce, Kolkata were bundled out for 128 in 18.3 overs. They were reduced to 44/3 in the powerplay but the likes of Iyer, Sunil Narine, Sam Billings and Andre Russell kept playing their shots, however, things didn’t quite go as planned.

We are jumping the gun if we think Bishnoi is under the pump: Dirk Nannes

Former Netherlands and Australia seamer Dirk Nannes feels that the presence of England all-rounder Moeen Ali will give Chennai Super Kings a slight advantage over Lucknow Super Giants when the two sides come face to face against each other on Thursday (March 31). He also offered his support to Bishnoi who was slammed for a six and two fours in his final over in the previous game.

Pace and accuracy are Hasaranga's greatest strengths: Swann

Accuracy and pace are Wanindu Hasaranga's biggest strengths which opens up exciting prospects for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2022, according to former England spinner Graeme Swann. The Sri Lankan allrounder's 4-20 on Wednesday laid the foundation for RCB's narrow three-wicket win against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.

DK as cool as Dhoni in close finishes: Du Plessis

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Faf du Plessis likened Dinesh Karthik's composure in close finishes to that of Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni following their narrow victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Wednesday.

Wednesday, March 30

Andre Russell has been an inspiration to me: Odean Smith

West Indies all-rounder Odean Smith, who knocked the stuffing out of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) a couple of nights ago says he considers Andre Russell as his inspiration. 

Smith was bought by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for INR 6 crore and bludgeoned an 8-ball 25* against RCB to take his side over the line, in pursuit of 206.

Sanju Samson has the power to clear any ground in the world: Ravi Shastri

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri praises Sanju Samson for his brilliant knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 at the MCA Stadium, Pune. The RR skipper scored 55 off just 27 deliveries, with three fours and five sixes punctuating his innings.

Shastri, who was recently replaced by Rahul Dravid as Team India's head coach, reckons Samson has the power to clear any ground in the world.

No-balls unacceptable in this form of the game: Tom Moody

It was a day to forget for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who were crushed by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 61 runs in their opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season.

SRH fell well short in pursuit of 211 and head coach Tom Moody pins it on the four no-balls bowled, one of which also the wicket of Jos Buttler on 0. He eventually went on to score 35 off 28.

Just want to win as much as possible and contribute to the team's victory: Samson

The last two years have seen a complete transformation in Sanju Samson's approach. From being a highly inconsistent player, who thrives on certain match-winning innings, Samson has added consistency to his repertoire to ensure that Rajasthan Royals are strongly beneficial by the same. 

That particular trait was visible in his batting against Sunrisers Hyderabad tonight as he led from the front with a scintillating 27-ball 55 to power his team to an imposing 210 for 6.

Tuesday, March 29

Got to get your chin up when T20 throws some curveballs at you: Williamson

Sunrisers Hyderabad got off the worst start possible in their opening encounter of the season, being reduced to 37/5 in 10 overs after conceding a mammoth total of 210 runs to Rajasthan Royals. 

Prasidh Krishna, who had an ER of 9.58 in his IPL career before this game, conceded just two runs in his first three overs and SRH could never really recover from that. Kane Williamson, the SRH skipper, feels that it was one odd game for them and they need to stand up in situations like these to face the challenges ahead.

Would be emotional thinking about de Villiers if RCB win IPL title: Kohli

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter Virat Kohli says he will be emotional thinking about AB de Villiers of the franchise would go on to win its maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title this year.

After 11 seasons with RCB, de Villiers announced his retirement from all forms of cricket after the IPL last year. 

Gautam Gambhir backed me, advised me to play my natural game: Ayush Badoni

Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) young sensation Ayush Badoni, who smashed 54 off 41 on debut against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Monday (March 28) says he is grateful to Gautam Gambhir, who has constantly backed him.

Fifties from Badoni and Deepak Hooda (55), helped LSG put up a competitive 158 on the board, but eventually ended up on the losing side.

Knew we could chase 40 in the last 3 overs at Wankhede: David Miller

South Africa batter David Miller said that Gujarat Titans (GT) were confident of chasing down even 40 of the final three overs. As it turned out, GT needed just 29 runs to win in the final three overs against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), which they did with five wickets and a couple of deliveries to spare.

You're going to hear about Abhinav Manohar in the future: Hardik Pandya

Abhinav Manohar's little cameo at the end helped Gujarat Titans (GT) register their first-ever win in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, pipping fellow newcomers Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by five wickets at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday (March 28).

Skipper Hardik Pandya was impressed with the way the 27-year-old performed and has earmarked him as someone we would hear about a lot in the future.

Dew made it difficult for us, says KL Rahul after opening loss

Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul felt that his team was in the contest till the 15th over before the dew factor affected their chances against Gujarat Titans on Monday. 

LSG, making their IPL debut against new entrants Gujarat, failed to defend a total of 159 on a batting-friendly pitch at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Monday, March 28

South Africa's IPL players were put in unavoidable situation: Dean Elgar

South Africa's Test captain Dean Elgar said that he had chats with his compatriots and understood why they chose to play in the IPL 2022 instead of the Test series against Bangladesh beginning on March 31.

Elgar, without revealing much, said that those players had to prioritise IPL after being put in a tough spot.

Punjab Kings keen to have a women's team

Punjab Kings' co-owner Ness Wadia expressed the franchise's eagerness to own a women's team following the BCCI's announcement on Friday to start a six-team Women's IPL from next year.

Reports said that the existing franchises will be given a chance to own a team in the tournament, following which the Board will invite bids from others.

Assured game time at DC behind Kuldeep's performance, says Axar

"It's all about the mindset. He was struggling in the IPL as his place was not secured for KKR. He was not sure whether he will play all their matches," Axar said in the post-match press conference.

After struggling to nail a starting berth at Kolkata Knight Riders in the last two seasons, the left-arm spinner strangled the middle overs against MI in their opening match of the 2022 season. 

Kuldeep had played just six games for KKR, including just one last season which also put his place in the national team in jeopardy.

Sunday, March 27

Disappointed with opening loss, but it's not the end: Rohit Sharma

Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma felt that his team did well against Delhi Capitals, but fell short in the bowling department after losing their IPL 2022 opener by four wickets.

After reducing DC to 77/5 in 10 overs while defending 178, MI put down a crucial catch as Lalit Yadav (48 not out off 38 balls) and Axar Patel (38 not out off 17 balls) added 74 in just 40 balls to take the game away from them.

Message from McCullum is to play fearless cricket: Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane played an aggressive knock in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 opener against Chennai Super Kings, scoring 44 off just 34 deliveries. His knock set up a terrific platform for the team as they went on the beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by six wickets in Mumbai on Saturday (March 26).

After being on and out of the XI in the IPL over the last few years, Rahane grabbed the opportunity with both hands. A lot of it has to do with the confidence shown by head coach Brendon McCullum, who said has told everyone to play fearless cricket, which gave Rahane the license to play his natural game.

Dhoni and I spoke about relinquishing captaincy during last season: Fleming

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming says MS Dhoni spoke to him about giving up captaincy during last season. However, the timing to actually relinquish captaincy was Dhoni's call.