Haris Rauf's feisty act in MLC contest, threatens to hurl ball as batter backs off to avoid accident
A small mix-up led to a funny moment in the ongoing Major League Cricket, during a match between MI New York and San Francisco Unicorns in the Oakland Coliseum, California. During the first innings, with MI NY batting and the Unicorns bowling, Haris Rauf shared a light moment with batter Tajinder Singh, as the two players were involved in a minor clash.
In the 15th over, with Tajinder new to the crease and Rauf steaming in, the Pakistan pacer fired a quick and fast one at the new batter's pads. Appealing for LBW, Rauf then turned towards the umpire, and back towards where the ball had rolled into his path. Picking the ball up quickly, Rauf looked ready to fire at the stumps in case Tajinder was out of his ground — but instead, looked up to see the batter right in his path.
Tajinder quickly backpedalled with a hand up to protect himself just in case Rauf released the ball, but the bowler held on despite miming the action of a throw. That was the extent of the moment, however, with no bad blood between the two as they shared a laugh with each other.
Rauf could be seen walking back to his mark with a smile on his face, seeing the funny side of the matter. Rauf would have the last laugh, too: despite going on to concede 58 runs in the last 5 overs to a Kieron Pollard explosion, and set to chase 183, San Francisco Unicorns could thank a remarkable batting display by Xavier Bartlett to take them home.
A top order collapse in the powerplay meant that the Unicorns had to rely on the middle order to get over the line. Bartlett was supported by Rauf, who came in at number 9 and was at the non-striker's end when the Australian player hit the winning six.
The Unicorns have won three out of three games to start the season, with Rauf being a big part of their success thus far. The Pakistan international is currently the leading wicket-taker in this year's tournament, topping the charts with 9 wickets in just three matches.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
29 minutes ago
- Mint
Mitchell Johnson slams Josh Hazlewood for prioritising IPL over WTC final
Mitchell Johnson, former Australian fast bowler has criticized Josh Hazlewood for his participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) instead of focusing on the preparations for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa. Hazlewood's decision to return to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the IPL's crucial stages, despite injury concerns, has sparked debate about his priorities after the Aussies lost to the Proteas in the WTC summit clash. Josh Hazlewood played a significant role in RCB's first-ever IPL title win on June 3, defeating Punjab Kings by six runs in the final. The 34-year-old pacer was in top form, claiming 22 wickets in 12 matches at an impressive average of 17.54 and at an economy rate of 8.77. His contribution was vital to RCB's success, but his decision to prioritize the IPL has drawn scrutiny. In contrast to his IPL heroics, Hazlewood had an underwhelming performance in the WTC final, where Australia suffered a five-wicket defeat to South Africa. He managed just one wicket in each innings, failing to make a significant impact. "We have seen concerns about Hazlewood's fitness in recent years, and his decision to prioritise returning to the delayed Indian Premier League over his national team preparations raised eyebrows," Johnson wrote in his column in West Australian. Mitchell Johnson also emphasized the need for Australia to plan beyond their current star-studded bowling attack. The bowling line-up includes Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, and Hazlewood. He cautioned against relying solely on these experienced players and urged the selectors to groom younger players for Test cricket. "Our successful 'big four' bowling attack of Mitchell Starc, Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Nathan Lyon can't be taken for granted as a lock going forward either. If veteran players are sticking around just for the Ashes as a send-off, it does beg the question of whether that's the right mindset. It's crucial that we embrace the future and build confidence in selecting our next Test players," added Johnson. The focus of the Australian team will now shift to an upcoming three-match Test series against the West Indies in the Caribbean, starting January 25, 2026. The first Test will be held at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. With Hazlewood's fitness and form under the spotlight, all eyes will be on how he performs in this crucial series.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
‘This isn't school cricket, you bloody...': Yuvraj Singh faced the wrath of Steve Waugh, then started swearing
Sledging Yuvraj Singh is not the best of ideas. England great Andrew Flintoff found out the hard way in the 2007 T20 World Cup when the India white-ball legend unleashed hell on pacer Stuart Broad, smashing him for six sixes in an over in a Super Six stage match at Durban. After achieving the rare feat, Yuvraj even pointed his bat towards Flintoff, with whom he had been involved in a heated argument not too long ago. But this was not always the case. When Yuvraj first turned up for India as a 19-year-old, he wasn't nearly as feisty as Flintoff found him to be seven years later. In fact, arguing or swearing on the field was the last thing on the all-rounder's mind while playing cricket. It was his debut against Australia that changed everything. Yuvraj's father Yograj Singh, a former India cricketer, revealed how sledging from the Australian team led by the legendary Steve Waugh taught Yuvraj to be tough and give it back. Yograj said Waugh, who only played a couple of ODIs against Yuvraj, told the India batter to get up and face the music when he was hit by a bouncer. "For me, it's a war fought by gentlemen. While you are on the field, there are times you are just going through the motions and people should understand this. I don't know whether you have heard what Australians do on the field. They abuse everything which is in the world. They use every harsh word in the dictionary. I remember when Yuvraj was hit by a ball and he fell. Steve Waugh came and said, 'Get up, this is not school cricket, you bloody kid'," Yograj told Inside Sports. Yograj then went on to add that what transpired between Yuvraj and Flintoff was only because his son had learnt to swear and give it back to the opposition after getting the wrath from Waugh. "And he just got up and he was standing. And then he would swear like this and what happened with Flintoff and Yuvi," Yograj added. Yuvraj was Player of the Match on his international debut in the Champions Trophy quarterfinal against Australia in 2000 in Nairobi, Kenya. Coming in to bat at No.5, the youngster fresh from success in the U19 World Cup, took on the best of the Australian bowlers on his way to a stroke-filled 84 off 80 balls that included 12 boundaries that helped India post 265/9. Yuvraj always displayed tremendous fielding skills. He took a sharp catch to dismiss Ian Harvey and then Australia a body blow by running out Michael Bevan, one of the best finishes of the game. India won the match by 20 runs after bowling Australia out for 245 to advance to the semi-final of the tournament. Yograj said emotions are bound to fluctuate when players represent their country, so one shouldn't harp too much about it. "You are still friends when you go out. Everybody is not the same. Emotions go, forgive them. Obviously, at the end of the day, you are friends. You say sorry to each other and that is over. Have a big heart. Don't get into all these petty things. There is nonsense going on, fining kids and all this kind of stuff. It doesn't matter," he added.
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
England vs India: Root chasing two Indian legends during five-match series
New Delhi [India], June 16 (ANI): As England prepare for their home Test match series against India, plenty of eyeballs will be on star batter Joe Root, for whom, scoring runs at a monstrous rate and converting them into record-breaking centuries has become a habit during the decade of the 2020s. During this mouth-watering five-match series starting from June 20, Root will continue his pursuit of two Indian greats. While Root will be chasing legendary Sachin Tendulkar's all-time run tally of 15,921 runs, he will also be aiming to surpass Rahul Dravid to have the highest-ever batting average among all players to have featured in this highly competitive series. Root's run tally stands at 13,006 runs in 153 Tests at an average of 50.80, with 36 centuries and 65 fifties and a best score of 262. He is England's top run-getter in Tests and overall fifth. Even a moderately-scoring series of 373 runs will take him past Australian legend Ricky Ponting (13,378 runs in 168 Tests at an average of 51.85 with 42 tons), making him the second-highest run-getter in Test cricket. Knowing Root's level of dominance against India, nothing is impossible for Root in the space of these five Tests and 10 innings. Against India in 30 Tests, he has made 2,846 runs at an average of 58.08, with 10 centuries and 11 fifties. His best score is 218. In home conditions against India, Root's batting average shoots up to 74.95. He has made 1,574 runs in 15 Tests and 25 innings, seven centuries, and five fifties. His best score is 180*. With batters having at least 1,500 runs in India-England matches, Root has the second-highest average of 58.55, next to Dravid, who has a stunning batting average of 60.93. A century or two could take Root over the Indian icon. Root ended the previous WTC cycle with 1,968 runs in 22 Tests and 40 innings, at an average of 54.66, with seven centuries and seven fifties, best individual score of 262. He would be raring to carry on with this momentum. He could become the first-ever batter to score 6,000 runs in WTC history. He is currently at the top of the charts with 5,543 runs in 64 matches at an average of 51.80, 18 centuries, and 21 fifties in 117 innings. The Test series will kickstart on June 20 at Leeds. The English squad: Ben Stokes (Durham) - Captain, Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Sam Cook (Essex), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire). (ANI)
