Sunit Jangir

Sunit Jangir

9474 Articles

As a Senior Editor at Sacnilk, Sunit Jangir leads our coverage on Indian cinema, box office analytics, and global entertainment trends. Passionate about Cricket, Sunit Jangir is an avid sports lover. He finds inspiration in other people's life stories and try to absorb them. Though introvert by nature, he doesn't feel shy when the topic is cinema and sports, particularly cricket.

Articles Written By Sunit Jangir

I might not be fit for Afghanistan Test - Says Wriddhiman Saha
2933 days ago
Cricket

I might not be fit for Afghanistan Test - Says Wriddhiman Saha

Wriddhiman Saha, who got injured while playing in the second qualifier, doesn't seem to be an optimist about his selection in a one-off Test match against Afghanistan. ## However, the BCCI hasn't named his replacement yet that means they wanted to give him enough time to recover before the match. The BCCI is keeping a close watch on Wriddhiman Saha's injury.## "The BCCI is keeping a track of my injury on a day-to-day basis. The decision lies with them," Saha said. To be honest, I might not be fit for that game. It's not in my hands," Saha said.## However, Saha is not clear about the situation whether he will be playing or not. "I don't know the exact situation, so I cannot comment on whether I would be taking part in the Afghanistan Test," he said on Thursday. "The BCCI doctor will have the final say," he added. ## The concerned doctor will examine afresh X-ray plate of the injured thumb before deciding whether Saha needs to undergo a surgery. "The doctor will take a call next week," he stated.## Keep in mind, Wriddhiman Saha got his thumb injured while batting in the second qualifier against Kolkata Knight Riders. However, he kept playing further but didn't look comfortable in his whole innings. He also seemed to be in trouble while keeping.## Saha had a forgettable season of Indian Premier League. In the injury mered season, the right-hand wicketkeeper-batsman could score only 122 runs in 11 matches. But he believes that his T20 form will not affect his Test match form.## "I couldn't bat the way I wanted to in the IPL. But Test and T20 are different ball games. I hope to do well in the longer version," he remarked. ## "Every match is difficult. When you play at home, there is actually more pressure. Nobody expects us to lose a Test match at home," he said.## For more and latest news about Cricket, Stay tuned to us. ## Thanks for Reading!

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Nothing is bigger than playing for India - KL Rahul
2934 days ago
Cricket

Nothing is bigger than playing for India - KL Rahul

India, the number two ODI team after England, has always been lack of consistency at number 4 in the batting order. Despite being ruthless in ODIs, India will want to fill the number four slot before the World Cup. KL Rahul could be the one. Even though his place in ODI side has been uncertain but He is hopeful that his recently concluded IPL form, will help him cement his place in ODI side.## "My childhood dream is to play the World Cup and if the team management wants me to bat No 4, I am ready to do it because nothing is bigger than playing for India. I hope to continue with my recent form in ODIs too," Rahul told TOI on the sidelines of an event in Chandigarh.## Rahul, who had scored 659 runs in 14 matches in IPL 2018, said that he is ready for every challenge thrown to him. He is even ready to sacrifice his opening slot to give some solidity at number 4.## "Right now my aim is to score runs for my country and it doesn't matter if it is coming as an opener or in the middle order. As long as I am performing these things don't matter but the final decision is taken by the team management. If they want me to bat at No 4, then I am up for the challenge," said Rahul.## Mind you, India had tried as many 10 players at number 4 since 2015 world cup. But none of them could hold his place for the longer period.## KL Rahul is preparing for the one-off Test against Afghanistan. It will be a historic Test for Afghanistan as they will be playing their first ever Test match starting June 14. Afghanistan has included five spinners in their squad to challenge batting heavyweight India. When Rahul was asked about Afghanistan's spin-heavy squad, he said,## "No doubt they are a very talented squad with some really good spinners. That's their strength but we will play to our strength."## However, Rahul will have extra responsibility on his shoulders to provide a good start to India as Virat Kohli has opted out himself from this match.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

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Ashwin did a good job as a captain - KL Rahul
2935 days ago
Cricket

Ashwin did a good job as a captain - KL Rahul

Kings XI Punjab had an odd-even season of Indian premier league. They started the season with a bang and won 5 out of first 7 matches. But the later half of the season didn't go in their way as they could manage to win only 1 out of next 7 matches. And resulted in they failed to make it to the playoffs.## Lack of consistency and too much dependency on KL Rahul and Chris Gayle also hurt KXIP. Apart from this, many questions were raised on Ashwin's captaincy that he did allow too many changes in playing XI which was not required at that point. However, KL Rahul think completely opposite this.## "Obviously, it was a bit up and down because of the results but, we had a good time together. The first half was obviously a great way to start the tournament. And unfortunate for us and the captain that the second half did not go our way. But, yeah it was a great learning and I am sure it was a great experience for him (Ashwin) as a captain," Rahul told kxip.in.## "Handling a young team is never easy, but, I think he did a great job. He's given a lot of feedback to the players, what he thinks about where they can improve so these boys will definitely come back stronger, and his leadership would have helped a lot of players, a lot of bowlers, especially," the dashing opener said.## KL Rahul was among the top run-getters in this IPL. With 659 runs in 14 matches in an impressive average of 54.91, was also the top scorer for the KXIP. He scored fastest fifty of this season (14-balls) against Delhi Daredevils and rated it his favourite moment of this IPL.## "I think it's the first game when I got a 14-ball 50. It was absolutely unbelievable! I completely outdid myself there.## "I still am amazed that I got the fastest fifty in the IPL ever and it kind of set the tone for the reason of the season as well. I am grateful for a lot of things this season. I have made great friends along the way, great memories, there has been a lot of learning," he said.## It was a shame that KXIP couldn't qualify for the playoffs despite they were on the top of the points table in first half. Also, it was the first instance when the purple cap holder team (Andrew Tye- 24 wickets) couldn't make it to the playoffs.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

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Losing AB is like taking Kohli out of the Indian Team - Graeme Smith
2936 days ago
Cricket

Losing AB is like taking Kohli out of the Indian Team - Graeme Smith

Since AB de Villiers has retired from International cricket it's been an emotional few days for his fans as well as former players. South Africa's former skipper Graeme Smith said that AB's retirement came as a big blow to South Africa. He compared AB's retirement with India's superstar Virat Kohli and said that losing AB is like Virat Kohli quitting Indian team.## "To lose a player like AB, he's irreplaceable. There are also quality players there but it's like taking Virat Kohli out of the Indian team. SA lose an X-factor player, who can single-handedly win you a game," Smith stated.## "Ultimately people will be very disappointed because they are going to miss him, just because he was that brilliant. They wanted to see him play more," Smith added.## Keep in mind, AB de Villiers announced his retirement on 23 May. His decision came out as a shock to the many players as he was expected to play in 2019 world cup. Especially after knowing that de Villiers was in excellent form. He had very good home series against Australia and also was in top form in recently concluded Indian Premier League.## "I thought definitely he would retire after the 2019 World Cup. But when he made his comeback and did so well in the home summer in South Africa, had a really good IPL, I didn't even think about it," Smith added.## However, Smith also believes that responsibility of his family and constant traveling might have played a big role in his decision. Perhaps the pressure of international cricket has made de Villiers really tired.## "There are not many players who have played for 14-15 years that can travel nine, 10, 11 months a year, deal with the pressures, plus the family pressures, it's very, very difficult. ## "The guy has played international cricket for around 15 years. More than anything he has the right to decide when he's had enough. He will have his own reasons for that, you got to respect that," Smith noted.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

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Wriddhiman Saha likely to miss Afghanistan Test
2936 days ago
Cricket

Wriddhiman Saha likely to miss Afghanistan Test

India's wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha is doubtful for Afghanistan Test after he got injured while batting in the second qualifier against KKR on May 25. The 33-year-old will be closely monitored by the BCCI's Medical Team in the lead up to the one-off Test against Afghanistan.## The BCCI Media Release said: "Mr. Wriddhiman Saha suffered an injury to his right thumb while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the VIVO IPL Qualifier 2 against Kolkata Knight Riders on 25th May 2018 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. He has been advised rest for 5-6 weeks and he can play only after this period"## "To determine the future course of injury management, Mr. Saha will see a specialist and the BCCI Medical Team will continue to monitor his progress".## Shah has been India's regular wicketkeeper since MS Dhoni retired from the Test cricket. This is the second time in this year when Saha got injured. ## He had missed out the second and third test match against South Africa and Parthiv Patel then took his position in both matches.## Even in this year IPL, he missed out five matches due to injury before playing in the second qualifier. But it was his bad luck that he got injured again and missed out the final. ## Shreevats Goswami replaced him in the final. However, he had a miserable season with the bat as he had scored only 122 runs in 11 matches.## BCCI likely to announce the replacement soon as India is scheduled to play in Afghanistan's first ever Test starting from June 14. ## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us. ## Thanks for the reading.

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I play all the matches with the same attitude - Shikhar Dhawan
2937 days ago
Cricket

I play all the matches with the same attitude - Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan had a wonderful season of Indian Premier League with the bat. He scored 497 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad and was among the top ten batsmen in leading run-getter. But unfortunately, Sunrisers lost in the final against Chennai Super Kings and missed to win the title for the second time.## The 32-year old swashbuckling left-hander was participating in Ceat Cricket Rating Award on Monday 28th May where he awarded Ceat international batsman of the year. In an exclusive interview to TOI, Dhawan said that he is ready for the upcoming overseas challenge. And also talked about India-Afghanistan's historic Test and challenges playing against Rashid Khan.## Here is an interview was given by him to TOI:## How would you sum up the Sunrisers' IPL campaign this time?## It was good. We lost our captain (David Warner) before the tournament began. Then Kane Williamson came along and he had a wonderful season. He's a good captain. I had a good season too. We played in the final, though the result didn't go our way. Overall, we played good cricket and enjoyed the season.## How much of a setback was losing Warner before ball one this season? When he was ruled out, did you expect to be given the captaincy?## Of course, it was a huge setback to lose Warner. He's such a big player. My name was being discussed by people about captaincy, but the (SRH) management thought that Kane was the right choice. That's normal. Williamson is an experienced captain. He's calm, and took the team along, like a family. He's amazing, and he led from the front.## You must have played a lot of Rashid Khan in the Sunrisers nets. How do you see the threat in the Test match against Afghanistan?## Of course. When I played him for the first time, I found him tough to deal with. However, now I'm used to playing him. If I play (in the XI), it'll be a good challenge to play against him. I'll look forward to scoring runs off him!## With Murali Vijay and KL Rahul around, you're never sure of your place in the Test side. How difficult is it to compete with such quality batsmen for a spot in the side?## There's always pressure. There's pressure to retain your spot in every team. It's a good thing for Indian cricket that there's so much competition (for the opening slot). All three of us are experienced. Rahul has done so well in the IPL, and in the (Test) series against Australia before that.## You have a decent pace attack now. Do you think that you'll do well in England this time? Yes, our team is experienced. Our bowlers are fit. Bhuvneshwar (Kumar) has been rested for the Test against Afghanistan, so he'll be fresh for England. We have other quality bowlers too. So, our bowling and batting both are good. Of course, the English wickets offer a different challenge. The faster we adapt to English conditions, the better it will be. We have to be good in all the departments, and that includes slip catching as well. England is a formidable side at home. We've to play exceptional cricket to beat them.## Your last tour to England (in 2014) wasn't great. You were dropped after failing in the first two Tests. Are you looking to set the record straight this time?## Absolutely. That tour wasn't great, but I learned a lot from that. Now, I'm going to play in England after four years. I've gained a lot of experience in this period. I'm a better player than what I was the first time. I'm confident that this time, I'll do well by the grace of God. Hopefully, things will go my way.## Are you hopeful that your captain, Virat Kohli, too will do well in England, unlike the last time?## Of course. The good thing is that all our batsmen are technically sound. They all have a burning desire (to do well). Sab like dil she khelte hain (everyone plays with a passion). Everyone tries to do well. I don't think anyone wouldn't want to do well. Everyone wants to be a hero of a match, and God willing, that will happen.## In South Africa, you were dropped after failing in the first Test. How frustrating was that?## That's part of the game. The (team) management would have felt that KL was a better option than me at that moment. Of course, it was hard (on me) at that point, but you have to take it in your stride and keep working. So, when I was dropped, I was working on my fitness and in the nets. When I got a chance in the ODIs, I did well. I was happy at the end of the day.## You have a fantastic One-day record, but do you think you can do better in Test cricket?## Of course. It's not that my Test record is bad presently. I have an average of 42, and I've played Tests consistently for the last four-five years. I hope in my journey ahead from here, I improve my Test record. According to me, an average of 42 is also good. Maybe, it isn't for you! In the ODIs, my average is 44-45, so 42 is good. Till now, I have played only 20-30 Tests, so it takes time. Everything takes time. Of course, I could have done well. I did my best. Sometimes it worked for me, sometimes it didn't. Now with more experience, I am sure that things are going to go my way more.## How do you manage to raise your game and deliver so consistently in the big tournaments, be it World Cup or the Champions Trophy?## See, I am a big believer in process. I have the same attitude even if I play here, or in an ICC tournament. Naturally, my records have been good in ICC events, but it's not like that I play there with a different attitude. I play with the same attitude, the same way, whether I play in the IPL or the Ranji Trophy or for the Indian team.## You wife wasn't keeping too well in recent times? How tough has this phase been for you in that sense?## I knew that she was to be operated, so I wanted to be there (last year). And I was there for her. At that particular moment, I felt that was more important than cricket. It's not like I don't value cricket, but at that moment it was necessary for me to be there for my wife, so I chose to do that. Of course, I missed playing then, but then when I came back, I started playing again.## Who's your favourite batsman in international cricket?## AB de Villiers. He's a great batsman and more than that he's a gem of a person too. A great leader. I have learned a lot of things by just watching him. I'm happy that I played against him.## Any targets that you have set for yourself?## Nothing as such. There's a lot of cricket left in me now. I want to do better and better for me, and for the country. I want to keep playing for as long as I can because I made it to the Indian team late in my career. I still have that passion within me. I know I can achieve a lot more. I want to make up for that lost time. Meri book Abhi baaki hai (I'm still hungry for more success).## With the packed overseas season for the next one year, Team India will be hoping that Shikhar Dhawan keeps continuing his fine form. Before going to England, India will play against Afghanistan's first ever Test match, starting from June 14. After that India will play 3 T20s against Ireland in Ireland before heading to Englan for 3 T20s, 3 ODIs, and 5 Tests## Thanks for the reading.

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Tendulkar's words infuse positive energy - Says Rashid Khan
2937 days ago
Cricket

Tendulkar's words infuse positive energy - Says Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan had a wonderful season of IPL this Year. The number one T20I bowler was among the top wicket-takers in this IPL with 21 wickets in 16 matches. He also played some handy knocks with the bat too. His knock against Kolkata Knight Riders in the second qualifier was among the top knocks of this IPL.## Rashid Khan simply was the top performer in IPL which concluded on Sunday. Sachin Tendulkar, the batting maestro was full of praise of Rashid Khan after his performance against KKR in the second qualifier on May 25. He tweeted,## Always felt @rashidkhan_19 was a good spinner but now I wouldn’t hesitate in saying he is the best spinner in the world in this format. Mind you, he’s got some batting skills as well. Great guy.— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) 25 May 2018 ## However, Rashid Khan got to know about this tweet when he boarded to team bus post-match.## "When I got into the bus, a friend sent me a screenshot of the tweet and I was shocked to see it. I was thinking for like 1-2 hours before I could eventually reply. I really didn't know what to write, but finally, I replied," Rashid told TOI on Monday.## "The whole of Afghanistan seemed to have seen that tweet. Tendulkar is very, very famous there and everyone was surprised that he had such high praise for me. Statements like these motivate young players and infuse positive energy," he added.## Here is the tweet what he replied, Thanks a trillion Sachin sir, your words give me great persuations 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙏— Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) 25 May 2018 ## Rashid Khan adjudged the best T20 bowler at the Ceat awards on Monday night. Going further, Rashid will join ICC World XI team who play against West Indies on 31st May at Lords Cricket ground. And later he will be the part of Afghanistan's historic first ever Test match against India in India.## Thanks for the reading.

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Age is just a number, fitness matters the most - MS Dhoni
2938 days ago
Cricket

Age is just a number, fitness matters the most - MS Dhoni

Chennai Super Kings made a remarkable comeback to win their 3rd IPL title after they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday, May 27. CSK had been consistent throughout the tournament and finished second on the points table in the league stage.## CSK was the team who had not many young players yet they came out as victorious. There had been a lot talk about their age and fitness but in the end, CSK proved that age is just a number.## Mahendra Singh Dhoni who always believe in fitness, had said that if you have fitness then age become pointless. ## "By the team, you reach the finals everybody knows their roles. The fielders have to adjust their roles while fielding, but while batting the styles are well known. So if somebody is finding it difficult in the middle, you know the incoming batsmen wouldn't find it easy as well. [On Bravo sitting with pads on] He keeps doing it on his own. There was no plan as such; with Faf playing Rayudu had to come down at four. But Bravo is someone who pads quite easily and stays ready. Very difficult to recall what the earlier championship wins were. A lot of people talk about stats, so tonight is 27th, my jersey number is seven and this is the seventh final for us. Enough reasons to win it. But none of these reasons matter, what matters is that we've won it in the end" ## Source: IPLT20.com ## "We talked a lot about age but what matters is the fitness. Rayudu, for example, is 33, he's someone who is fit, covers a lot of ground. Even if he plays a few games where he spends a lot of time on the ground and in the field, he never complains. So it is the fitness that really matters more than the age aspect. What captains want are players who move well in the field. It doesn't matter which year a player is born in, whether you are 19 or 20 - you have to be agile. You have to accept your shortcomings. For example, if I push Watson to stop a single, there is a very good chance that he'll burst his hamstring and won't be available for the next game. So what you tell yourselves is that they have to commit and try, but there's no point getting injured for a single"## "No plans to celebrate as of now. We are going to Chennai tomorrow, meet a few people, the fans and some people who are close to the franchise. But we'll have a get-together in the hotel and celebrate," said Dhoni while talking in the presentation ceremony. ## Chennai has been the most successful franchise in IPL history. They made to playoffs in every season they had played while seven times they made it to the finals.## On the other hand, it was heartbreak for Sunrisers Hyderabad. They played brilliantly throughout the season. Their bowling had been the best till the final but they failed to make it when it matters the most.## "We thought it would be very competitive total. It was a good surface but slower balls were holding. Hats off, Shane Watson comes and gets 120 not out in the final. It's frustrating but CSK were deserved winner. They certainly showed their experience. A new bunch of guys in SRH, a great bunch of guys in the unit. Showed great character. It was a great experience leading this side, shame that we couldn't win the final, but there are a lot of positives. Every team is trying to find the balance between bat and ball" ## "No doubt having a quality bowling attack with bowlers who can control the death overs and also likes of Rashid are all great asset to have. As a team, we look back fondly on the season. It's a collective effort from the team. I enjoyed the captaincy and it was nice to contribute to the team with the bat personally," said Williamson.## Thanks for the reading.

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IPL 2018 - Top 5 Moments
2938 days ago
IPL

IPL 2018 - Top 5 Moments

Indian Premier League has been finished and has to be said that it was one of the most successful seasons in IPL history. This season of IPL has seen some greats knocks, great piece of bowling and some extraordinary effort in fielding which did entertain all of us.## Here we are bringing you the top 5 moments of this IPL which we believe were the best among all.## #5. Trent Boult's one-handed stunner## Fielding has been one of the best parts in this season where some brilliant catches were taken. But we find Trent Boult who took a one-handed catch at the deep square leg boundary to send Virat Kohli back. It was hard to believe how did he manage to hold it. He was standing so near to boundary line and almost touched it.## #4. CSK's fairytale comeback## Chennai Super Kings return to IPL after two years of the ban. It was an emotional moment for the everyone as IPL's most loved franchise was making his comeback. They start their campaign with a stunning win against MI in Mumbai and later they won the title at the same venue after beating SRH in final.## #3. Kane Williamson's captaincy## Kane Williamson has been very impressed with his captaincy in absence of David Warner. It was only his captaincy which won the match against KKR in the second qualifier where he trapped Andre Russell in mind game. He also scored 735 runs (most by any) and led his team through to the final. However, they had lost it against CSK.## #2. Shane Watson's 117* in final## Shane Watson's form has been one of the highlights of this season. His knock of 117* off 57 balls in final shows his class where he single-handedly took the match away from SRH. He also scored 555 runs in 15 matches he played.## #1. Rashid Khan's 34* & 3/19 in second qualifier## Rashid Khan was one of the most valuable players in this IPL. His performance in the second qualifier top moment in this IPL where he first helped SRH to post a good total with his blitzing cameo of 34* off 10 balls and later dismissed KKR's middle order with 3 for 19. He was also the second highest wicket-taker (21 wickets) in this IPL.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

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Champions are back to where they belong
2938 days ago
IPL

Champions are back to where they belong

It has been a roller coaster journey for Chennai Super Kings. Coming back after two years of the ban and win the title, tells their story. From the match one, they looked a champion side. They found a different hero in every different match which makes them a true champion side. There will be no exaggeration to say that Champions are back to where they belong.## CSK was playing its 7th Indian Premier League final in nine seasons they have played. In previous six attempts, they came out as victorious on two occasions.## Here is the reaction of CSK players after the title triumph:## "Very amazing. It's been a roller coaster of emotions. Good to come away with a win and lucky to be part of an IPL winning side. Not many people get to experience such a moment. It's lovely to have the death bowling responsibility on your shoulders and take it in your stride, one ball at a time in a pressure situation and it is great to help the team win." - Lungi Ngidi## "It has been good. This is a special moment. The team did not play together for the last two years. We had to move from Chennai after one game. For most of the guys, this is their first time. We were able to keep focus and do it. Nothing is better than winning finals. We always said the experience will help in crunch times. Watson batted on one leg and despite the hamstring, his experience helped him. Watson is a world-class player." - Dwayne Bravo## "I was really fortunate to have such a season for Chennai. I worked really hard for it and am glad that I could hit the winning runs. Initially, the wicket looked a little slow, it was damp, got much quicker and I am glad we could chase it down." - Ambati Rayudu## "It is great. Last year I was part of final, but couldn't win it. But this year we won it and it is incredible. I am feeling at top of the world. I think I had the last game in my mind, had to bowl well in the death. More often than not you get hit in this format. Today I was on top of my game and executed the plans." - Shardul Thakur## "I enjoyed bowling with the new ball. I have been waiting for my chance and this year I got my chance. Thanks to Mahi bhai for believing in me; batting, bowling and fielding. It is everyone's dream to play in the IPL and win it, one of my dreams have come true." - Deepak Chahar## "Brilliant the way we came out and chased it down. To see what Watson, what he brings to the table, you know how many runs you might get, it is always changeable. Fourth IPL title for me and I am glad. I mean considering that Kane was in good form and they had a lot of middle-order batsmen who were right-handers, Dhoni was right that he needed someone who would take the ball away from the batsman. We have seen wrist spinners bowling more and more overs in the IPL compared to finger spinners. But I hope it would change next year. Well done to Karn and glad to be on the winning side." - Harbhajan Singh## "Each year has been different for us. We stayed pretty consistent with the core of our team when others kept chopping and changing. It's one thing that players are older, but it's the professionalism that we got to look into as well. MS Dhoni handles me (smiles). It's about man-management. When he goes on the field he can do the things. There's a lot of trusts as well and it's a nice relationship to have with him." - Stephen Fleming## "It's been a special season, to be honest. To get a special season especially after the last season with RCB. It means a lot to be with a franchise like CSK. After those first ten balls, I was only hoping to catch up to at least a run-a-ball. Bhuvi is really good with the new ball and was lucky to get the opportunity to catch up. It was good that I got a couple of boundaries to hit and get on par to take it from there. The good thing is that I wouldn't be playing for the next three-four months; feels great. It gives me plenty of time to recover. Throughout the back end of the tournament I was hanging on for dear life, Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni have been looking after me really well and I am really glad to contribute like I did tonight." - Shane Watson## "By the team you reach the finals everybody knows their roles. The fielders have to adjust their roles while fielding, but while batting the styles are well known. So if somebody is finding it difficult in the middle, you know the incoming batsmen wouldn't find it easy as well. [On Bravo sitting with pads on] He keeps doing it on his own. There was no plan as such; with Faf playing Rayudu had to come down at four. But Bravo is someone who pads quite easily and stays ready. Very difficult to recall what the earlier championship wins were. A lot of people talk about stats , so tonight is 27th, my jersey number is seven and this is the seventh final for us. Enough reasons to win it. But none of these reasons matter, what matters is that we've won it in the end. We talked a lot about age but what matters is the fitness. Rayudu for example is 33, he's someone who is fit, covers a lot of ground. Even if he plays a few games where he spends a lot of time in the ground and in the field, he never complains. So it is the fitness that really matters more than the age aspect. What captains want is players who move well in the field. It doesn't matter which year a player is born in, whether you are 19 or 20 - you have to be agile. You have to accept your shortcomings. For example if I push Watson to stop a single, there is a very good chance that he'll burst his hamstring and won't be available for the next game. So what you tell yourselves is that they have to commit and try, but there's no point getting injured for a single. No plans to celebrate as of now. We are going to Chennai tomorrow, meet a few people, the fans and some people who are close to the franchise. But we'll have a get-together in the hotel and celebrate." - MS Dhoni## Thanks for the reading.

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Watson special help CSK to win the 3rd IPL title
2938 days ago
IPL

Watson special help CSK to win the 3rd IPL title

Chennai Super Kings made a fairy-tale comeback to win their 3rd IPL title after they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Sunday (May 27). It proved to be a one-sided affair in the end as CSK comfortably won the match with 9 balls to the spare in reply of 179. Thanks to Shane Watson's second hundred in this IPL.## As it happened## In this final, it was Chennai Super Kings who won the toss and opted to field first. Sunrisers Hyderabad lost Shreevats Goswami early. After that Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson took charge and put on a 51-run stand off 40 balls before Ravindra Jadeja bowled out Dhawan. He scored 26 off 25 balls. However, Kane Williamson was going strong and scored 47 off 36 balls. After the wicket of Williamson, Yusuf Pathan took responsibility on his own shoulder and scored a quick-fire 45* off 25 balls. He added 34 runs with Carlos Brathwaite (21 off 11) and lifted SRH to 178 after 20 overs. It was good to defend in final.## In reply of 179, it was one man show. Despite losing Faf du Plessis(10) on 16, CSK never looks in any sort of trouble. Shane Watson and Suresh Raina took the game completely away from SRH by putting a match-winning partnership of 117 off 57 balls. However, Raina could only contribute 32 off 24 balls. Later, Watson and Ambati Rayudu added 48 runs together for the 3rd wicket and help CSK to win their 3rd IPL title in seven attempts. In this process, Watson scored his 4th IPL century (2nd of this season).## Williamson continued his purple patch## Going into this match, skipper Kane Williamson had a huge responsibility on his shoulders. Not only as a captain but as a batsman. However, he didn't disappoint with his performance. After the first wicket, he ensured that SRH reaches to a good total. Firstly, he put on a solid partnership with Dhawan and later, he added quick 37 off 22 balls with Shakib Al Hasan. Before he got out, SRH had already reached to 101 in 12 overs.## Shakib Al Hasan 23 off 15, Yusuf Pathan's quickfire 45* off 25 balls and Carlos Brathwaite's cameo of 21 off 10 balls ensured that SRH put on a good total of 178 to defend.## Shane Watson's one-man show dismiss SRH's challenge## At the halfway stage, 178 was looking very good to defend especially after the bowling SRH had. But once the chase began, SRH looked ordinary against Shane Watson. However, he took his time to get set and scored his first run after 10 balls. But once he got set, he took SRH's bowlers all around the park. His assault came hard on Sandeep Sharma who conceded 52 runs in his 4 overs including a 27-run over. Watson was very careful against Rashid Khan and Bhuvneshawar Kumar. His partnership with Raina ensured that CSK didn't score much in last overs.## After losing Raina, SRH might sense a comeback but Rayudu didn't allow them to bounce back in this game. He made only 16* off 19 balls but put on match-winning partnership off 48* with Watson. Watson remained unbeaten on 117 off 57 balls including 11 fours and 8 sixes and awarded Man Of The Match## An ordinary night for SRH bowlers## It was one of those days when SRH's bowlers failed to make an impact. Their premier bowlers, however, didn't concede too many runs but going wicketless didn't help SRH cause. Sandeep Sharma had a forgettable match as he gave away 52 runs in his 4 overs and picked 1 wicket. Siddarth Kaul also had a bad night as he conceded 43 runs in just 3 overs.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for reading.

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IPL 2018 - Top Ten Batsmen
2939 days ago
IPL

IPL 2018 - Top Ten Batsmen

Indian Premier League 2018 is being one of the most successful seasons of IPL history. More than 19,500 runs been scored in this IPL, it tells that how it's been dominated by batsmen.## Batting has been one of the best parts of this season. There are seven players who have scored more than 500 and three players have scored more than 600 runs in this IPL. While so many other players also performed brilliantly throughout the season.## We are presenting you, top ten batsmen, who performed exceedingly well in this season of Indian Premier League-## 10. Shikhar Dhawan(SRH) - Shikhar Dhawan is at number 10 in the highest run-getter list in this IPL. He has scored 497 runs with an average of 38.23 in 16 innings and is the second highest run scorer for SRH after Kane Williamson. He also scored 4 fifty plus score with a strike rate of 136.91 in this tournament.## 9. Dinesh Karthik (KKR) - Dinesh Karthik was the top run-getter for KKR with 498 runs in 16 innings with an average of 49.80 and scored 2 fifty plus scores. He also led KKR to the qualifier where they lost to SRH. Most of the time he played a finisher role for his side.## 8. Suryakumar Yadav (MI) - It has been a disappointing season for the Mumbai Indians where they failed to qualify for the playoffs. But Suryakumar Yadav had been consistent for them throughout the season. He had scored 512 runs with an average of 36.57 in 14 innings and was the highest run-getter for his team.## 7. Virat Kohli (RCB) - RCB skipper is at number 6 in highest run-getter list with 530 runs in 14 innings. Despite his brilliant batting display, he failed to lead his side to the playoffs. He scored with an outstanding average of 48.18 and strike rate of 139.10.## 6. Jos Buttler (RR) - This IPL has been outstanding for Jos Buttler. Even though first half of the IPL hasn't been good for him but since he started batting as an opener, he recorded five consecutive fifties after that. He scored 548 runs with an excellent average of 54.80 in 13 innings and also was the highest scorer for Rajasthan Royals.## 5. Shane Watson (CSK) - Shane Watson is the only batsmen who struck 2 hundred in this IPL season. And he didn't disappoint his team with his performance. After Ambati Rayudu, he is the second highest run-getter for his team with 555 runs with 39.64(average) in 15 innings. He also scored two fifty-plus scores for his side. Because of Watson's ton in IPL final, CSK won IPL trophy easily. ## 4. Ambati Rayudu (CSK) - It has been the year to remember for Ambati Rayudu in which he scored his maiden IPL hundred. He has scored 602 runs in 16 innings and the highest run-getter for the CSK. He's been recalled to the Indian team for England tour in both ODIs and T20s, thanks to his brilliant form.## 3. KL Rahul (KXIP) - KL Rahul arguably has been the best batsman of this IPL. He has scored 659 runs with and an amazing average of 54.91 in 14 innings. But it is pity that even his best season with the bat could not take KXIP through playoffs. Lack of middle order contribution hurt KXIP most.## 2. Rishabh Pant (DD) - Well, everyone is saying that Rishabh Pant is the future of Indian cricket. His ability to strike the ball hard makes him the special player. Even though he couldn't help DD to qualify but his performance grabbed the attention of big names of cricket. He has scored 684 runs in 14 innings with an average of 52.61. His knock of 128* against RCB has been the highlight of this season.## 1. Kane Williamson (SRH) - Kane Williamson is the highest run-getter in this IPL and likely to remain on the top. He has scored 735 runs in 17 innings with an average of 52.50 and scored 8 fifty plus scores (most by any in this IPL). He also led SRH to the final where they lost from CSK on Sunday, May 27 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.## Follow for more...

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