GT's Ishant Sharma looks past playoffs in DC clash: Every game important
Gujarat Titans pacer Ishant Sharma has insisted that neither he nor his team are solely focused on their upcoming clash against Delhi Capitals on May 18. While a win will guarantee GT a place in the IPL 2025 playoffs, Ishant stressed the importance of targeting all remaining league fixtures with equal intensity to ensure a top-two finish — a position that provides an added advantage in the playoff format.advertisementCurrently, sitting second on the points table with 16 points from 11 matches, the Shubman Gill-led side have shown consistent form throughout the season, unlike DC, whose campaign has dipped in the second half. Speaking in the Star Sports Press Room, Ishant stated that finishing in the top two remains their key objective."I would say it's not just one game that's important — every game matters. Especially in a tournament like this, where you have to work really hard to earn those two points. We've had matches where the outcome was decided in the final over, or a single situation — like a key wicket — changed everything. So I wouldn't say only this match is crucial. In the league phase, every single game carries weight, particularly if you're not finishing in the top two," Ishant Sharma told India Today via Star Sports Press Room.advertisement"You can't approach it thinking, 'We'll make it to the qualifier and then take it easy,' because if you do that, you might end up finishing third or fourth. That's not how we operate as a team. We don't get complacent. We play every game with full intensity. If you leave the field thinking you could have done more, that means you didn't give your 100%. We always want to walk off knowing we gave it our all," he added.GT's remaining matches after the DC game include home fixtures against Lucknow Super Giants and Chennai Super Kings. Securing a top-two spot would allow GT a safety net via Qualifier 2 should they falter in Qualifier 1.The upcoming match at Arun Jaitley Stadium holds special significance for Ishant, who returns to his original home ground in New Delhi. With pacers Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj also in red-hot form, GT's pace attack will be looking to exploit DC's volatile batting unit — a line-up that, despite inconsistency, still possesses the ability to change games in a short span.Stay updated on IPL 2025 with India Today! Get match schedules, team squads, live score, and the latest IPL points table for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Plus, keep track of the top contenders for the IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap. Don't miss a moment!
IN THIS STORY#IPL 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
29 minutes ago
- The Hindu
From UAE cap to TNPL dreams: Karthik Meiyappan's return home
Playing international cricket is a distant dream for many. Featuring in a World Cup is even rarer. Taking a hat-trick in one? Almost unthinkable. But Karthik Meiyappan has lived it. At 22, the UAE leg-spinner etched his name into cricketing history with a hat-trick against Sri Lanka during the 2022 T20 World Cup in Geelong — barely 100 kilometres from the birthplace of his idol, Shane Warne. Despite Karthik's efforts against Sri Lanka, UAE lost the game by 79 runs. | Photo Credit: AFP Two-and-a-half years later, the former UAE international is back in Tamil Nadu, turning out for the Siechem Madurai Panthers, which signed him for Rs 9.2 lakh ahead of the 2025 Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). 'Playing the World Cup itself was a great experience. It's extremely hard to dream about a hat-trick. You can dream about a four-wicket haul or a good spell, but a hat-trick just happens by itself. I planned the over really well — the hat-trick was a byproduct of that,' recalled Karthik in a conversation with *Sportstar*. Now 24, Karthik has already played 31 ODIs and 15 T20Is for the UAE. His family moved to the Emirates when he was seven, and cricket soon replaced the chessboard in his new home. 'I made the move to Dubai and chess wasn't a big thing over there — that's how I picked up cricket. And, when I was about 12 or 13, that's when I took it up professionally,' he said. 'I started off as a fast bowler, but I didn't have the build. My father was a leggie so I switched,' he added. ALSO READ | From 'stumper' ball to Purple Cap leader in TNPL 2025: Esakkimuthu's wild ride After moving between Abu Dhabi and Dubai in his early years, he joined the Desert Cubs Academy and was mentored by coach Aruna Bandaranayake — his gateway into age-group cricket and eventually the national team. 'Cricket over there is great. The quality of the players who come through over there — they play first-class and they move out and then they try to make a living,' he explained. Net bowler stints Karthik's rise also included important behind-the-scenes roles. He was a net bowler for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2020, and for Chennai Super Kings in 2021 when the IPL was moved to the UAE. In 2024, he joined Sunrisers Hyderabad as a net bowler — a stint that sharpened his game further. 'It was good to come back here and then get an opportunity with SRH right away. And it was a great franchise. Spending time with quality batters and bowling against them, you always keep getting better. That's the best way to get better as a bowler. And that was a lovely experience,' he said. His time with SRH was disrupted by injury. 'I spent about two months there but it was cut halfway with a split webbing. I was out for about three weeks. But I'm grateful that they called me back into the set-up again.' What made the experience more valuable was the access to world-class spin minds. 'It was lovely to pick [Muttiah] Muralitharan and [Daniel] Vettori's brains — to understand how they went about their game and try to get in their inputs and apply that into my game. I think that was a lovely experience.' Return to Tamil Nadu His decision to return to Tamil Nadu wasn't impulsive. The TNPL had been on his radar for years. 'I was playing Under-19s for UAE when I was about to move back to Chennai for my higher studies and cricket, but then I made my men's debut and there was an U-19 World Cup so I stayed back,' said Karthik. 'I wouldn't say it's a gamble. It's more of the belief that I have in my game. I am grateful that I am getting to play this tournament and obviously we know what kind of a platform this is for players to go through from Tamil Nadu and play in the IPL — so that's the main goal for me coming back here.' This isn't his first taste of franchise cricket either. He's been part of the Desert Vipers and Sharjah Warriors in the ILT20, and the Vancouver Knights in the Global T20 Canada, where he shared dressing rooms with some of the format's top names. 'In ILT20 I was with Wanindu Hasaranga. He's someone that I can relate to because I feel like my bowling is kind of similar to him. He's been kind enough to give his inputs. And, Imran Tahir — I've had chats with him as well,' said the Panthers bowler. He knows that leg-spinners have little margin for error in the TNPL. 'Being a leg-spinner in TNPL or GT20 or a bowler in general in T20 is pretty challenging because the circumference of the ground is pretty small and the crosswinds are pretty strong. Even the half-hits go for a six. If you can pull off a great spell over here, you've done really well. The batters are also really good players of spin.' Red-ball reboot While white-ball cricket shaped him, Karthik is now investing in red-ball skills in Tamil Nadu. He played three games in the TNCA first division for Alwarpet CC last year and is still adjusting to its demands. 'In Dubai, we predominantly play white-ball. Coming here, red-ball was a big challenge for me. But that's the purest form of the game, right? I feel like there's a lot of things that I have to learn and adjust,' he said. 'A lot of the players say that if you bowl really well with red, then white becomes extremely easy for you. But, the fact that I grew up with white and come into red — it's a completely different dimension for me.' READ MORE | TNPL 2025: Middle-order 'impact' key as Mukilesh looks to break into Tamil Nadu team after consistent run 'I grew up playing with the Kookaburra as well. SG is something new and it feels completely different. I've been having a chat with a lot of the players who play with SG over here just to get an insight into what they do.' Having served as a net bowler for multiple IPL teams and with international experience already under his belt, Karthik is betting on the TNPL and red-ball cricket to open doors in the Indian domestic circuit. 'I can only put my best foot forward and hope for the best. I'm 100% sure if I do put up a good performance in the season, it'll probably open the doors for me. All the experience will come into play at some point, and I'm looking forward to it,' he said.
India.com
38 minutes ago
- India.com
Rinku Singh Priya Saroj love story: How KKR star life changed in 4 minutes...
In these collection of pictures, we take an inside look into the love story of newly-engaged couple Rinku Singh and MP Priya Saroj. KKR star cricketer Rinku Singh got engaged to Member of Parliament Priya Saroj in a lavish function in Lucknow on Sunday. Rinku Singh and Priya Saroj met for first time in Delhi through the KKR cricketer's teammate, according to media report. Rinku Singh and Priya Saroj friendship translated into love over the course of one and half years. Families of Rinku and Priya met to consent for their marriage last year. Image credit: Source: Instagram Rinku Singh's life got changed in 4 minutes when he smashed Yash Dayal for 5 sixes in final over in IPL 2023 match between GT and KKR at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. That is how Priya Saroj first found out about Rinku Singh. Image credit: Source: Instagram Rinku Singh was retained for Rs 13 crore by Shah Rukh Khan's KKR ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction last year. Rinku Singh and Priya Saroj wedding is set to take place on November 18, according to media reports. Rinku Singh and Priya Saroj engagement was attended by 300 guests including former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at Centrum Hotel in Lucknow.
The Hindu
38 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Bengaluru stampede, RCB's IPL win, South Korea presidential election, and more: The week in 5 charts
(1) 11 die in stampede at RCB cup celebration What began as a day of rapturous celebration over the IPL victory of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) turned into one of crushing tragedy in Bengaluru on Wednesday (June 4, 2025) evening when 11 people died and 33 were injured after a massive build up of fans at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium led to chaos and stampede. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced a magisterial enquiry into the incident that drew sharp criticism over failed crowd management by the opposition. The tragedy unfolded near the gates of the stadium, where thousands of fans had gathered to mark RCB's historic first title win in 18 years. Overcrowding and narrow passageways led to a deadly rush. Mr. Siddaramaiah admitted that while the stadium could hold around 32,000 people, well over 2 lakh had gathered there. Doctors attributed all the deaths to asphyxia, a condition arising when the body is deprived of oxygen, causing unconsciousness or death. (2) Floods and landslides hit northeast India Rains and landslides wreaked havoc in the country's northeast over the past week, damaging infrastructure and resulting in deaths. Over 9 lakh people were affected by last week's floods in Assam alone, as per information released by the Disaster Management Division. Rivers flowed above the danger mark at several locations along the Brahmaputra in Assam, leading to flood alerts being issued. The region recorded over 700 landslides, with Mizoram alone recording around 550 landslides. The week saw more rainfall than normal for the period across the northeast, with the departure being 312% in Mizoram. The damage can be attributed to poor infrastructure coupled with the uniquely challenging geography of the northeast exacerbating flood and landslide risk after heavy rains. (3) Royal Challengers Bengaluru lift maiden IPL title Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their maiden title with a six-run victory over Punjab Kings in the final here on Tuesday (June 3, 2025), ending an 18-year wait for the coveted trophy. 'This win is as much for the fans as it is for the team. It has been 18 long years. I've given this team my youth, prime and experience. I've tried to win it every season, and I gave it everything I have. To finally have the IPL title is an unbelievable feeling. I never thought this day would come, I was overcome with emotion after the last ball was bowled,' Kohli told after the famous win. Punjab Kings bowlers did more than a decent job to restrict Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 190 for nine. However, their batters could not deliver under pressure as the Shreyas Iyer-led side could only manage 184/7 in 20 overs. None of the Punjab Kings batsmen stood up to the pressure built by RCB bowlers except some crucial knocks Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh and Josh Inglis. Shashank Singh played a lone battle with wickets crumbling at the other end. Krunal Pandya was the standout RCB bowler ending with two wickets for 17 runs in four overs. (4) Lee Jae-myung elected South Korea's new President South Korea's liberal opposition candidate Lee Jae-myung was elected President early on Wednesday (June 4, 2025), a victory that would cap months of political turmoil triggered by the stunning but brief imposition of martial law by now-ousted conservative leader Yoon Suk Yeol. It was unclear whether Mr. Lee's election would cause any major, immediate shift in South Korea's foreign policy. Mr. Lee, previously accused by critics of tilting toward China and North Korea and away from the U.S. and Japan, has repeatedly stressed South Korea's alliance with the U.S. as the foundation of its foreign policy. The toughest external challenges awaiting a new president are U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policy and North Korea's advancing nuclear program. But experts say whoever becomes President can't do much to secure major progress in South Korea's favor on those issues. His critics view him as a dangerous populist who relies on political division and backpedals on promises too easily. On foreign policy, Mr. Lee has has vowed to pursue pragmatic diplomacy. He has promised to solidify a trilateral Seoul-Washington-Tokyo partnership, a stance that isn't much different from the position held by South Korea's conservatives. (5) U.S. President imposes visa ban for 12 countries U.S. President Donald Trump announced entry bans and restrictions for citizens from 20 countries on Wednesday (June 4, 2025) following a terror attack in Boulder, Colorado a day earlier. The attack was orchestrated by a man who supported Palestine against a rally held by a group of people rallying for the freeing of Israeli hostages in Gaza. In its aftermath, Mr. Trump's restrictions were pitched as a national security protection measure. While Mr. Trump announced suspension of immigrant and non-immigrant visas for 13 countries, he announced partial suspensions of certain non-immigrant visa categories (B-1,B-2,B-1,2, F, M, J) for seven others along with suspension of all future immigrant visa issuing. The order does not apply to visas already issued. In 2023, over 1,76,000 visas were issued for people from these countries by the U.S. under the notified categories. Over 42,000 of these were issued to Cubans. While Mr. Trump pointed to overstaying, deficient screening and terrorism concerns, refugee aid groups denounced the move, calling it divisive. The ban took effect on June 9, 2025.
