Tag: IPL.

From a tough net session to ‘King Kohli reigns supreme in a run chase’

Royal Challengers Bangalore had a regular Match Day -1 practice at the MCA, BKC ground. At 18:58pm Virat Kohli strode out to the nets in the center and wrapped-up at 20:27pm.

He took on the pacers in the first one hour. He smashed the bowlers and the other net bowlers from the extra squad for a few sixes. Some trademark, stunning stuff, still far based on what he’s truly capable of, yet the one who looked lost in no place, may have, just may have, dug out a way.

After taking a break for 4-7 minutes, Kohli was again seen batting in the second nets where he took on the spinners. He smashed them for some glorious straight drives, some sixes. While he was looking in good touch, he did tend out to get bowled once and missed out on a few deliveries completely where he was seen talking to himself at point region.

The shots that were displayed that evening were something that reminded me of peak Virat Kohli.

On 19th May, Virat Kohli got back to form when Royal Challengers Bangalore needed him the most. He played a game of dominating innings against the Gujarat Titans that saved his team above water in the race for the playoffs.

“Intent” the newly loved word in the cricketing fraternity. On a damp night at the Wankhede Stadium, it was the solitary word that blazed like a bulb to you while watching Virat Kohli toy with Gujarat Titans attack in the PowerPlay.

The supernatural run-scorer, who has had a disappointing IPL 2022 up to this point, searched in his zone during a 54-ball 73-run knock. Kohli took two or three overs to get his eye in prior to setting out his expectations with lofts straight down and through the covers against Mohammed Shami. The rest fell into place without a hitch for him as the star batter became stronger to strength.

The two boundaries in the third over off Mohammed Shami were enough for the motors to start up. There were a number of inside-edges that turned out well for him; however Virat Kohli ensured he exploited them all.

Later, it was a knock that consisted of some luck and some shots. Kohli went downtown to smash a one-bounce four off Rashid and pulled Yash Dayal’s short length ball over mid-wicket that notched up RCB’s fifty inside the powerplay.

In the ninth over, he racked up his half-century in style through an eminent whip six off Rashid over mid-wicket. The former captain raised his bat to acknowledge. Kohli admired the divine beings, his hand raised towards the sky, offering his thanks for all the gifts from heaven he had today. The Wankhede were up on their feet.

All through the difficult situation in the ongoing IPL 2022, Kohli has been unlucky on several events. He was dismissed a couple of times in the most uncommon way.

While winning the Player of the Match award for his brilliant 73 off 54 balls, he referenced how he batted for 90 minutes non-stop in the nets yesterday to test his musicality.

“You need to keep the perspective right. You can forget the process in order to live up to the expectations. I have worked really hard. I batted 90 minutes in the nets yesterday. I came in very free and relaxed,” Kohli said.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man – Virat Kohli is absolutely an adherent of this adage. Beating his lean patch, the 33-year-old made a joke of Gujarat Titans bowling attack to keep RCB’s season playoff trusts alive.

For now, it’s just about praising a knock many had been desiring for. The fans in the stadium were on their feet and applauding what they had witnessed, the commentators were humming, social-media was loaded with accolades, and out there in the middle – it was Kohli and his propel.

What changed in those 90 minutes? His approach? His thought process? Did he learn something new? Did he ‘watch the ball’? We would never know. From a tough net session to ‘King Kohli reigns supreme in a run chase.’

‘Put your best foot forward and results will follow’ – In conversation with Luvnith Sisodia

The Indian Premier League has swiftly risen as a platform for young players to exhibit their abilities against the best in the world. Since the league’s initiation in 2008, it has offered a great platform for youngsters to showcase their talent.

Stashing deals, brushing shoulders with the greatest names in the game and displaying their talent in front of spectators has allowed many cricketers to take full advantage of their procured abilities and show the world who they are.

Royal Challengers Bangalore roped in 22-year-old Luvnith Sisodia and will be taking the field in the franchise spectacle. He is a wicket-keeping batter and can be a major name for RCB’s future considering the team’s preference in saddling young talents.

“Prior to the auction, I had attended selection trials for several teams. In those trials, I believe I put my best foot forward. Obviously, we have no control over what happens during the auction. This is how auction dynamics work. But, somewhere in the back of my mind, I was hoping to be drafted by a team,” said Luvnith on asking him if he was confident on bagging a deal.

“Dreams, they say, do come true. Yes, it does! RCB has always been a favorite of mine. Being from Bengaluru, one can only wish to be a part of this franchise. Growing up, I, like any other youngster in the city, wished to play for this franchise. Here I am – donning this jersey. It is all very surreal. I am grateful,” he added when he was asked what it is like to be part of a team that has been home to big names.

Karnataka have been one of the best domestic sides across competitions and formats in the last few years. The trophy cabinet at KSCA remains as a testament.

It wouldn’t be inappropriate to say Karnataka are the force to be reckoned with in domestic cricket in India. Luvnith Sisodia made his debut for Karnataka on 25 February 2019 in the 2018–19 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

“The pride you get playing for Karnataka is unbeatable. Such is the atmosphere around the team. I love how closely knit the teammates are. It feels more like a family. We have always been known to be a team that places a strong emphasis on the pillars of unity, both on and off the field. Every time I wear the Karnataka jersey, it feels like something special,” he said.

Since the IPL is held under different conditions and within the bio-bubble, how difficult is it to adhere to the guidelines? Luvnith said: “To be honest, the atmosphere in the camp is fantastic. You don’t feel like you are in a bubble or far away from home. It feels more like home. When you have this kind of environment, bio-bubble life isn’t too taxing. In my spare time, I enjoy playing PlayStation and watching movies.

RCB have started their practice sessions and match, upon asking him how his first encounter with the other players in the squad was, he said: “The preparation for the tournament has been good. I think I am in a good frame of mind. I also got a half-century in the match simulation.”

“Virat Kohli was the one player I was most excited to meet. I met him yesterday and showed him an old photo of myself with him. We had a good laugh. Overall, I have got along well with all my teammates,” he added.

RCB have shattered many records and scripted history as far as records are concerned. That one game Luvnith would have liked to be a part of was the match against Gujarat Lions back in 2016.

“The one game I wish I could have been a part of was when Virat and AB tormented the Gujarat bowling attack at the Chinnaswamy in 2016. I had the impression that I was watching Ronaldo and Messi play together,” said the prodigy.

The player whom you have always looked up to rather idolized. The 22-year-old said: “Virat Kohli. I have always looked up to him. I admire how he faces the challenges head on. He operates with extraordinary zeal. The way he has grown in stature from 2008 to 2022 should inspire any youngster. I have also enjoyed watching Yuvraj Singh bat in full flow. These are the two players who have had the most influence on me.”

Karnataka’s Luvnith Sisodia, with his 129-ball 312 blinder, rose above those limits, and regardless of whether that came at a corporate one-day tournament, a triple century is as of now not in the domain of implausible. This knock shot him into the spotlight quickly and his exhibition at the recent edition of the BCCI U25 Trophy, where he scored over 230, is proof that the big knock was not a coincidence.

“That day, I didn’t think of any milestones. I appeared to be in good shape. My only thought was to keep batting for as long as possible. That knock sort of put me in the spotlight. To be honest, I had no idea I would be at RCB the following year. Never ever in my wildest dreams.”

He has a place with the profoundly pursued type of cricketers in the realm of maturing franchise-based leagues: A hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batter who can win you games – A blend that is quite rare in cricket.

In days of gruesome competition on asking him about how he is working towards improving his keeping skills as well alongside batting, he said: “To be honest, I devote the same amount of time to both. As we all know, keeping wickets is a difficult job. I practice a lot to get better at it. Besides that, I do a lot of range-hitting to enhance my power-hitting game.”

Luvnith accompanies an attitude for destruction. He is generally ravenous for striking huge strikes; he is known for reverberating strikes, and he knows his work quite well. Likely in a ritzy sky, he will get a modest bunch of chances, yet the sort of expectation that he carries alongside himself can be an outright distinct advantage.

“I am someone who likes to keep it simple. I always believe in the process. Put your best foot forward and the results will follow eventually,” he says.

There is a sense of belief reeking out of the 22-year-old. This Karnataka player can possibly strike big for his IPL franchise as well as in the domestic circuit. One of the upcoming talents to watch out for – Luvnith Sisodia.

Indian Premier League – The Carnival Of Cricket

The long stretch of April denotes the Indian summer. For a quarter of a year, India is battered by heat waves and taking on temperatures. For cricket fanatics, it brings the merry period of T-20 extravaganza. The month of April likewise welcomes an isolated assessment on the situation with the alliance and its effect on the game referred to everyone as Indian Premier League.

There is a gathering of individuals who don’t think about it as cricket, for them, it is an incredible Indian carnival. They talk about insubstantial batting, falling apart spin, and powerlessness to adapt to great swing bowling, and alluring International players to contemplate where their loyalties are – with their country or the receptive group. These are a portion of the ideas that surface somehow or another or other.

The other section discusses the commitment of the IPL to the development of the game. It has changed the elements of the game. For fortunate or unfortunate, it relies upon a person’s viewpoint. Here we will take a gander at what IPL has meant for the sport of cricket and its drawn-out outcomes.

Mumbai and Bangalore are the two urban communities that have been the essence of Indian cricket. No team has won a larger number of titles in the homegrown field than these two, and what is significantly more entrancing is the way that both the states have delivered players who have consolidated together to shape extraordinary players.

With fans showing huge interest in the IPL, the matches from the Mumbai Indians vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore contention have added an additional flavor to the competition. Throughout the long term the two groups have been engaged for certain captivating experiences.

Reigning champions Mumbai Indians will take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the season opener of IPL 2021. Inferable from the COVID-19 circumstance, no group will play their matches at home, so it would be fascinating how groups adjust and change their systems likewise.

Match Details

Date- 9th April 2020

Time – 7:30 PM.

Venue – MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.

Pitch Conditions

The last match played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium helped the spinners, a pattern that could proceed in the IPL 2021 opener as well. The fundamental idea of the pitch might continue a similar way as it looked in the second Test among India vs. England as of late. A total of 160-170 could demonstrate a great total to defend on this ground.

Mumbai Indians

Indeed, even before the league starts, Mumbai Indians are undoubtedly clear of every other team. They have won consecutive IPLs and having held practically the very same squad that conveyed the fifth title in UAE some months ago. There’s no motivation to accept that Mumbai Indians can’t accomplish an uncommon three IPLs in succession.

While Quinton De Kock will miss the season opener game in view of a compulsory seven-day isolate period, Chris Lynn who was in the propelled structure during the Big Bash League is an incredible reinforcement choice.

Aside from a force-pressed batting unit, Mumbai Indians have the two best white-bowlers in their squad – Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult. Mumbai Indians spin bowling is one space of concern. Mumbai Indians are allotted to play nine games on a sluggish wicket considering their five matches in Chennai at the Chepauk and four in Motera Stadium, Ahmedabad), so the exhibitions of their spinners could have a say on how they toll this season.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

For their adversaries, Royal Challengers Bangalore, one more mission starts in the midst of high expectations and assumptions, which have now been compounded two or three major cash signings. Aside from the typical presumes Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, the Royal Challengers Bangalore presently have Glenn Maxwell in the middle order. Nonetheless, there are worries over his record in the IPL. The young southpaw – Devdutt Padikkal completed as the group’s driving run-scorer in IPL 2020, and has been in record-breaking structure for Karnataka in late homegrown rivalries.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore in the auctions obtained youthful Indian batsmen Mohammed Azharuddeen and Rajat Patidar at their base value and likewise snaffled the bowling all-rounder Suyash Prabhudessai.

While their batting unit looks very settled, everyone’s eyes will be on IPL debutant Kyle Jamieson, who will lead their bowling assault close by any semblance of Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini. All things considered, RCB hopes to have a fair group set up, equipped for taking care of business in IPL 2021.

The Indian Premier League is, quite simply, the most lucrative, star-studded cricket tournament in the world. Since its inception, it has had its fair share of attention owing to the players participating in the league. Huge sixes, diving and sliding stops, brilliant fielding, close finishes are all part of the show. All eyes are on the first ball that gets things underway tomorrow something that will be the start of the eventful two months of cricket.