Latest news with #18thIndianPremierLeague
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First Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
RCB coach Andy Flower comes to under-fire Venkatesh Iyer's support with a big statement: 'If he played for us...'
Venkatesh has come under heavy criticism for his underwhelming run in IPL 2025, scoring just 142 runs in 11 outings after getting bought back by the franchise for Rs 23.75 crore. Flower, however, believes he would have had a very different season had RCB bought him in the mega auction. read more Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach Andy Flower believes Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer would have had a much better season had she wore red instead of purple in the 18th Indian Premier League season. Reuters Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer had a forgettable run in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), collecting just 142 runs in 11 outings and not bowling a single delivery throughout the season. Venkatesh failed to justify his price tag of Rs 23.75 crore, which KKR had shelled out in the mega auction where they preferred him over title-winning captain Shreyas Iyer. His performance – along with that of several other members of the batting lineup – was also a major reason why the Ajinkya Rahane-led side finished eighth out of 10 teams just one year after winning their third title. Some reports even suggest Venkatesh could be released by the franchise ahead of the mini auction later this year, which could also be what fate has in store for head coach Chandrakant Pandit. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD RCB head coach backs Venkatesh Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who defeated Punjab Kings in the final in Ahmedabad on Tuesday to win their maiden title after years of heartbreaks, had made some smart purchases during the auction. Players such as Josh Hazlewood, who returned to the franchise after a brief stint with Chennai Super Kings, and Phil Salt ended up playing a key role in RCB finishing second on the points table before winning their maiden title with back-to-back victories over PBKS. Hazlewood finished as their leading wicket-taker while Salt formed a successful pairing with Virat Kohli at the top of the batting order. And RCB head coach Andy Flower feels Venkatesh would have done well this season had the franchise succeeded in buying him in the mega auction that took place in Jeddah last November. 'We really rated Venky (highly), that's why we went so hard for him. It was because we valued having a strong Indian core to our team. We wanted some exciting young cricketers and a left-hander in the top order. We didn't get him. I would like to think if he played for us, he would have had a really great season,' former Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batter Flower told ESPNCricinfo. RCB could still bring Venkatesh into their fold next year if KKR include him in their list of releases ahead of the retention deadline, which at the moment appears a likely prospect.
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First Post
25-04-2025
- Sport
- First Post
RCB vs RR: Josh Hazlewood back his strengths, helps Bengaluru end winless at home with one extraordinary over
Josh Hazlewood delivered one of the biggest twists of IPL 2025 after being tasked with bowling the crucial penultimate over, at a stage when Rajasthan Royals needed 18 to win from 12 balls. The Australian pacer ended up bowling his team to an 11-run victory, their first at the Chinnaswamy this season, with a haul of 4/33. read more Josh Hazlewood produced yet another match-winning performance for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Thursday, this time helping Rajat Patidar's side collect their first victory at their home ground this season. AP Rajasthan Royals just can't seem to catch a break at the moment. For the third time in as many games, the Royals found themselves getting off to a flying start, and got to a position from where they could have waltzed their way across the finish line. And for the third consecutive time, they've somehow found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The latest of those heartbreaks came in the 18th Indian Premier League (IPL) season came against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday. While Virat Kohli (70) and Devdutt Padikkal's (50) helped the Royal Challengers cross 200 for the first time at their home venue, Yashasvi Jaiswal's blazing 49 off 19 deliveries as well as Dhruv Jurel's knock of 47 off 34 balls had the Royals needing just 18 more to win from 12 balls with five wickets in hand. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD One would consider that a cakewalk in the T20 format, especially with a set batter at the crease, with his partner teeing off with a four and a six almost right away after arriving at the centre. And yet, all it took was one magical over for their chase to get derailed. After Delhi Capitals' Mitchell Starc and Lucknow Super Giants' Avesh Khan, it was Josh Hazlewood's turn to turn the game on its head with some outstanding death bowling. Hazlewood backs his strengths to deliver another stellar performance Thursday's performance at the Chinnaswamy wasn't Hazlewood's first match-winning performance this season; he had collected 2/22 in the season-opener at the Eden Gardens which had helped RCB restrict Kolkata Knight Riders under 180. Nearly a week later, his haul of 3/21 would help the Royal Challengers finally break 'Fortress Chepauk' for the first time in 17 years. And more recently, at the same venue where he produced his latest match-winning performance, it was Hazlewood's 3/14 that briefly rekindled RCB's hopes in a game where they were defending a modest 96-run target – albeit in a game that was reduced to 14 overs a side due to rain. On Thursday, the 'Bendemeer Bullet' got a rough welcome in the powerplay with Jaiswal smacking him for a hat-trick of boundaries after as many dots in his first over. Hazlewood would concede more boundaries to the same batter in his second over in the form of two fours and a six, but would get his revenge in the end with a change of angle. Potion so lethal, it proved to be fatal. 🥶 — Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) April 24, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Going around the wicket, Hazlewood pitched a short one to Jaiswal, aiming for his throat. The southpaw went for the pull, only to spoon it straight to Romario Shepherd at midwicket. The chase was a see-saw from thereon; while left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya had succeeded in slowing down Royals' charge in the middle overs with some tidy bowling and getting rid of RR captain Riyan Parag and Nitish Rana, the Royals' rampant charge in the first half of their chase meant the required rate wasn't going to climb beyond their reach so long as they got boundaries from time to time. By the time Hazlewood was brought back, RCB needed 46 from 24, with Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer at the crease. And he made an instant impact at the start of his new spell, not by employing a variety of tricks that pacers tend to use in the shortest format but by bowling the hard lengths that make him such a formidable bowler to face, especially in the Test arena. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Bowling over-the-wicket to Hetymer, he cramped the West Indian for room with a slightly back-of-length delivery bowling along the stumps, resulting in a faint tickle off the inside edge with the left-handed batter attempting to whip it towards midwicket. An extraordinary penultimate over The pressure, however, was on Hazlewood when he came in to bowl the crucial penultimate over, his final one for the evening, for veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar had leaked 22 in the previous over to reduce the equation to 18 off 12. And how does he respond? By making a last-minute adjustment to the well-set Jurel, who had already shuffled to his left, looking to manufacture space for a big hit. Jurel tried steering what was a full, wide delivery in the end square of the wicket, appearing to deflect the ball towards the keeper off the ground. Wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma was the only one who thought it wasn't a bump-ball, and that the batter had actually go an under-edge close to the ground for a clean catch to the keeper. Skipper Rajat Patidar Patidar backed his keeper's instinct, and the team was ultimately rewarded with a prized wicket. BIG MOMENT! What a review by #RCB as a well-set #DhruvJurel departed & opened the gates for #RCB's return in the game! 🙌🏻 First win at home for @RCBTweets in this season✅ Next up #IPLonJioStar 👉 #CSKvSRH | FRI, 25th APR, 6:30 PM | LIVE on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi… — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 24, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Chinnaswamy crowd, which had witnessed their team lose all of their home games this season, had suddenly regained its voice, and would go electric when Hazlewood made it two-in-two in the very next delivery, cramping Jofra Archer for room with a quick, short-of-length delivery outside off, resulting in a leading edge towards cover for the simplest of catches. The Aussie quick closed out his final over with back-to-back dots, signing off with a double-wicket over in which he conceded just one run. And what makes the over even more extraordinary is the circumstances under which it was bowled. 'First of all was sticking to your strengths. Knew the hard length was tough to hit on this wicket, mixing it up with the odd yorker, the slower balls and the order in which to bowl them was the way to go,' Hazlewood revealed after receiving the Player of the Match award. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The bounce is quite steep here throughout the whole tournament, getting that score was phenomenal. I feel that was well-above par and the guys did a really great job,' he added. Yash Dayal's job had become all the more easy thanks to Hazlewood's heroics in the 19th. If the left-arm pacer could stop MS Dhoni at this venue in a dramatic match against CSK with a spot in the playoffs at stake, defending 17 from with Parag gone would have seemed like a cakewak. And with Dubey and Wanindu Hasaranga departing in the first three balls, the latter run-out while charging back for a second, the Royal Challengers had already sealed their victory with three balls still left to be bowled.
Arab News
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Big hitters shine as unstoppable Indian Premier League begins
The 18th Indian Premier League has begun with a bang. Although not as big a one as the very first match in 2008, when Brendon McCullum smashed an unbeaten 158 off 73 deliveries in a total of 222 for Kolkata Knight Riders, it has generated some powerful batting displays. In the first five matches, an average of 208.7 runs has been scored per innings in the first five matches; in 2008, it was 152. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport In the last three years, the average has increased year on year from 165 in 2022 to 173 in 2023 and 175.5 in 2024. On the limited evidence available, this looks set to rise again in 2025. Various explanatory variables have been suggested. One is the preparation of pitches which are conducive to batting. Second is the increase in so-called matchups, in which batters target individual bowlers. This is based on a level of analysis and data not available in the IPL's early years. Amongst many outputs, current levels of analysis identify which bowlers are most vulnerable to being hit by particular batters. Thirdly, an expansion of teams in 2022 from eight to 10 may have caused a dilution in the quality of the player pool. The tournament rules that each squad can have a maximum of 25 players, of whom no more than eight can be overseas. In a playing 11, no more than four can be overseas players. The addition of two teams created a demand for more Indian players and it is a commonly held view that the pool of bowling talent in India is not as deep as the batting pool. A fourth variable is the introduction of an impact player in 2023. Each team is allowed to make one substitution throughout a match. In terms of team selection, a specialist batter can be played and then substituted by a bowler, who can bowl a full quota of overs, or a specialist bowler can be swapped for a batter. It is an initiative which does not sit well with purists, who believe cricket is an 11-person-per-team game based on carefully judged selection criteria that carry elements of risk. The impact player means selectors can spend less time assessing the optimum balance for an XI. A classic case of the impact which a substitute can have occurred in match four. Lucknow Super Giants scored 209 for eight and then reduced the Delhi Capitals to 65 for five in the seventh over. Ashutosh Sharma was introduced as an impact player and, together with Viprag Nigam, compiled a 55-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Further wickets fell right down to the final over when six runs were needed with only one wicket remaining. Sharma struck a six to win the game and catapult himself into the limelight. The IPL provides opportunities for heroes to emerge, sometimes those who were not previously household names. Sharma's innings of 66 from 31 deliveries will have provided some justification for those in favor of impact players. The IPL management regards itself as progressive and has this year lifted a ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball that was introduced in 2020 during the pandemic. This is good news for the beleaguered bowlers, as is that they will be allowed a choice of a new ball after the 10th over of the second innings, when dew can affect their ability to grip the ball firmly. It is not only on the pitch where the IPL is scoring heavily. Investment bankers Houlihan Lokey estimate the IPL's 2024 brand value to be $3.4 billion, an increase of $1.6 billion since 2022. This is second only to the National Football League, which has been running in the USA since 1920. All the indications point to the IPL's value continuing to increase in 2025. In addition to the title partner, TATA, the IPL website lists seven other central partners, an increase on 2024. Three associate partners are My11Circle, AngelOne and RuPay. There are four official partners: Wonder Cement, CEAT, Star Sports for broadcasting and JioHotstar for digital streaming. A major growth-driver will be broadcasting and streaming. The current IPL edition is the first to be broadcast on JioStar, which was formed following the merger of Star India and Viacom18. Its reach is achieved through 24 channels/platforms, plus JioHotstar and is underpinned by ownership of TV and digital rights for the tournament. This reach was witnessed in its coverage of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which became the second-highest rated One Day International in TV history, outside World Cup matches. It is understood JioStar has been able to achieve an increase in advertising rates for the IPL of over ten percent compared with 2024. The integrated nature of JioStar across the three viewing platforms of linear TV, mobiles and connected TVs provides brands with an opportunity to enhance their brand equity. In 2025, there is no competition for media spend from political election campaigns, the T20 World Cup or the Olympics. As a result, advertisers are allocating significant spend around IPL 2025. Team sponsorship revenues have also increased, thought to be in the order of 20 percent across the board compared with 2024. Mumbai Indians' tie-up with Lauritz Knudsen is rumored to have broken all IPL records for front-of-jersey. A combination of new and legacy sponsors has served to raise values. Although front-of-jersey is the prime piece of cricketing kit real estate, franchises have each attracted multiple sponsors for other parts of their kit and playing environment. The IPL now towers over the cricket world from both a playing and commercial standpoint. It has merged sport, entertainment and business in the creation of a highly visual brand. There have also been spin-off effects; a global franchise cricket product has emerged, whilst there have been economic benefits at both local and national levels in India. The IPL is now embedded in Indian culture, providing a vehicle of expression for its cricket-mad population. It shows no sign of slowing down — quite the opposite, in fact.
