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First Post
2 days ago
- Sport
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IPL boss begs Virat Kohli not to retire if RCB win the final; wants him to reverse Test retirement
IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal has urged Virat Kohli to continue playing IPL and reconsider his Test retirement ahead of the IPL 2025 final. Dhumal praised Kohli's fitness and compared his commitment to cricket with tennis legends Federer and Djokovic. read more IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal has made a big statement about Indian cricket star Virat Kohli ahead of the big final. Dhumal requested Kohli to keep playing in the IPL, even if Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally win the trophy this year. He also urged Kohli to change his mind and not retire from Test cricket. Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket last month, just days before the BCCI announced the squad for the England series. Meanwhile, there have been speculations that Kohli might retire from the IPL as well if RCB manage to lift the elusive title this season. RCB are in the IPL 2025 final, slated to be held on 3 June. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD IPL Chairman requests Kohli not to retire Speaking about Kohli's fitness, Dhumal said, _"_Fitness that Virat has, he is probably fitter than he was in season 1. I want Virat to continue playing even after RCB wins the trophy. The whole country would want Virat to continue, and I would want him to reconsider his decision to retire from Test Cricket." 'I hope that he doesn't take retirement from IPL, he is the greatest ambassador for the sport. His commitment to cricket is equivalent to what Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic is to Tennis, so I want him to continue,' he added. More from First Cricket PBKS vs MI, IPL 2025 Qualifier 2: What happens if the Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians match gets washed out? VIDEO | IPL Chairman Arun Singh Dhumal wants Virat Kohli to reconsider his retirement from test cricket. He also wants Virat to continue playing IPL even if RCB wins the trophy this time. He has also drawn a parallel between Virat Kohli in cricket and Roger Federer and Novak… — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 1, 2025 Will Kohli retire from IPL if RCB win final? Kohli had announced retirement from T20Is after winning the T20 World Cup last year. He stepped down from red-ball cricket following a dismal Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia and before the start of the new World Test Championship cycle for India. Kohli will now only be available in ODIs for the national side. Kohli recently won the ICC Champions Trophy for India in Dubai and has been RCB's top run-scorer this IPL season, helping them reach the final. However, if RCB clinch their first-ever IPL title, there are concerns that Kohli might consider retiring from the game. Dhumal's request has come keeping that in mind. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
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First Post
21-05-2025
- Sport
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IPL 2025: From Iyer reviving PBKS' fortunes to Pant and Dhoni's struggles, hits and misses this season
With the 2025 Indian Premier League currently in its final stretch with just a week left in the league phase, we revisit some of the highs and lows from the season so far, including Shreyas Iyer leading Punjab Kings into the playoffs after 11 years while leading by example. read more Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant had become two of the most expensive players in IPL history at the mega auction in November, but only one of them has delivered as batter and as captain this season. AP The 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is in its final stretch currently with exactly week left in the league phase, starting with Wednesday's crucial meeting between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals. The season has come to a point where all teams except MI and DC have either already qualified for the playoffs, or have already bowed out of the race, thus making the upcoming match something of a virtual quarter-final . STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It certainly has been a roller-coaster of a season so far, one that got underway on 22 March and would have been over this Sunday had it not been for the mayhem that broke out in South Asia following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The IPL, after all, had to be put on hold for a week due to an armed conflict between India and Pakistan earlier this month, resulting in the league being put on hold only for the second time in its history. More from First Cricket Future of India-Pakistan cricketing relations expected to dominate Jay Shah's first ICC Annual Conference as Chairman The season has also had its fair share of highs and lows – both individually as well as when taking team performances into account. Here's a recap of all the hits and misses so far this season: Hits: Iyer, youngsters, RCB and more Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer had become two of the most expensive players in IPL history in the player auction in November after getting acquired for Rs 27 crore and Rs 26.75 crore respectively. However, only one of them has delivered this season – with bat as well as with leadership skills, with Iyer steering Punjab Kings into the IPL playoffs for the first time in 11 years while scoring 435 runs at an average of 48.33 and a strike rate of 174.70 respectively. The middle-order batter thus highlighted the fact that he deserved as much credit for Kolkata Knight Riders' triumph last season as mentor Gautam Gambhir, who has since joined the Indian team as their head coach, or coach Chandrakant Pandit and the rest of the team. And the fact that he has reunited with head coach Ricky Ponting, whom he had formed a successful pairing with at Delhi Capitals, has only helped Punjab's cause. Another major talking point this season, and one that has been something of a recurring theme, is how impressive the debutants have been and why the IPL remains a boon for Indian cricket. Bihar batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest to play an IPL match after getting included for the home game against Lucknow Super Giants, and ended up hitting his first ball for a six. Two games later, he would smash the fastest IPL century by an Indian and the second-fastest overall with a 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans. At age 14, Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashed the second-fastest century in IPL history. Image: Reuters PBKS opener Priyansh Arya has been just as impressive, having struck a 39-ball century against Chennai Super Kings in Mullanpur. And like Suryavanshi, he too has cemented himself at the top of the batting order. MI, meanwhile, have had left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar and Vignesh Puthur collect four and three wickets respectively on IPL debut. Let's not forget Chennai Super Kings' Ayush Mhatre either, who struck 32 off 15 against Mumbai Indians on debut and nearly helped his struggling team defeat Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium with a valiant 94 off 48. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And speaking of RCB, how can we forget how stellar a job Rajat Patidar has performed in his maiden season as captain of the iconic franchise, following the decision to part ways with Faf du Plessis ahead of the mega auction. The Royal Challengers had snuck into the playoffs last season after a victory over CSK in their final league match, but have looked dominant this year, especially with their 50-run victory at Chepauk – a venue where they had not beaten the Super Kings since the inaugural season in 2008. Misses: Pant, Dhoni, KKR and more Coming back to the original point of comparing Iyer and Pant, while one has led his team from the front and has steered a franchise known for being 'perennial underachievers' into the playoffs, the other has been a flop with the bat as well as as captain. Not only has Pant endured his worst season with the bat, scoring just 135 runs in 12 outings at an average and strike rate of 12.27 and 100 respectively, his team also became the latest to bow out of the playoffs race on Monday following a six-wicket loss in a must-win game against Sunrisers Hyderabad at home. Pant has had his highs and lows during his eight-year association with Delhi Capitals, as well as with the Indian team. However, to fail to deliver after being paid what is an astronomical amount in the cricketing world certainly will pinch a lot more than usual. Pant isn't the only senior wicketkeeper-batter whose underwhelming performance with the bat has proved to be a major hurdle for his team. The 18th IPL season witnessed MS Dhoni return to captaincy after a season-ending injury to Ruturaj Gaikwad last month. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD MS Dhoni has hardly made an impact with the bat in what has been a forgettable season for the Chennai Super Kings. AP 'Captain Cool' however, has scored just 196 runs in 13 outings this season at an average and strike rate of 24.50 and 135.17 respectively so far this year. And what makes those numbers even more worrying is the fact that he has hardly made any contribution in a winning cause, walking out to bat when there only are a few overs left to deal with in an innings even if it means he has to bat as low as No 9. Dhoni has been struggling with his fitness ever since he underwent a knee surgery in 2023, and the fact that he isn't able to run around or bat beyond a handful of overs certainly should make the legendary captain and finisher as well as the franchise think if he can continue playing in the IPL at the age of 43. Another senior Indian player who hardly delivered this season is Mohammed Shami, who was benched by the Sunrisers Hyderabad after collecting just six wickets in nine matches in his first IPL season in two years, averaging more than fifty as a result. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And when speaking of teams that have flopped this season, how can we forget Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad – the two finalists last season who currently are playing for pride, with the former having been knocked out after their match against RCB on Saturday ended in a washout. The Knight Riders had bought Rahane during the final round of bidding in the mega auction in November and announced him as the captain shortly before the season got underway. And while Rahane has been in a lot better a form compared to other captains such as Pant and Dhoni, scoring 375 runs in 12 appearances this season (ave: 37.50; SR: 146.48). However, the fact remains that Rahane hasn't quite been able to recreate the magic Iyer had created with the franchise last year, and the fact that key players like Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh haven't lived up to their expectations has also affected their fortunes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In SRH's case though, they had retained captain Pat Cummins as well as the explosive opening pair of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma and the middle-order duo of Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Reddy. Key players have had their moments of brilliance on the field, from Abhishek's brilliant 141 and his 171-run opening stand with Head against PBKS to Cummins' three-wicket hauls against DC (3/19) and MI (3/26). However, the fact remains that the team hardly clicked as a unit this season, and the star names simply failed to deliver when the team needed them the most.
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First Post
20-05-2025
- Sport
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'This would be my advice...': MS Dhoni sends powerful message to CSK youngsters after another flop show
MS Dhoni has shared a crucial advice for youngsters after CSK's 10th loss in IPL 2025. Chennai Super Kings lost to Rajasthan Royals by 6 wickets on Tuesday. After the match, Dhoni sent a strong message to CSK youngsters. read more Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni had a clear message for the youngsters after his team suffered another disappointing loss in the IPL 2025 season, this time against Rajasthan Royals. Akash Madhwal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi performed well for RR as they ended the season with a 6-wicket win over CSK on Tuesday. While Dhoni praised a few individual efforts, he pointed out what the youngsters need to improve on going forward. This was the 10th match that CSK lost this season and they have just one game left. This is arguably the worst season for CSK in their IPL history. Even if they win their last league game, CSK will likely remain at the bottom of the points table due to their poor NRR. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Dhoni's advice to youngsters Speaking after the match, Dhoni said, 'It was a good total, Brevis' innings was really nice. He took risks, and that's the phase we want to improve. The run rate was up but we lost one or two more wickets early.' He also mentioned young bowler Anshul Kamboj, who impressed with the new ball. 'Kamboj is good, he gets a lot of movement and his deliveries hit you harder than expected. He's done well bowling three overs in the powerplay, which is never easy.' More from First Cricket Future of India-Pakistan cricketing relations expected to dominate Jay Shah's first ICC Annual Conference as Chairman But the highlight of Dhoni's post-match chat was his advice to the young players in the CSK squad. 'They have to try for consistency. If you're aiming for a 200-plus strike rate, then being consistent becomes difficult. They have the ability to hit sixes at any point, but it's important not to take pressure when expectations rise. It's about reading the game. That would be my advice to all the youngsters who have done well — don't lose focus and keep learning.' With the season almost done, CSK's focus will now shift to rebuilding and Dhoni has already acknowledged it. After the toss on Tuesday, Dhoni said that they have already started the rebuilding process for next season. They have asked the batters to play more freely and express themselves. RR beat CSK by 6 wickets Rajasthan Royals chased down a target of 188 with six wickets in hand. Royals' 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi once again stole the spotlight with a superb 57 off 33 balls. He formed a 98-run partnership with Sanju Samson (41) that set the platform for an easy chase. Earlier, Ayush Mhatre helped CSK score 187. The young batter smashed 43 off 20 balls, keeping CSK in the fight. Dewald Brevis (42) and Shivam Dube (39) also chipped in, but CSK's middle order collapsed once again. Dhoni himself scored just 16 off 17 balls, unable to provide the big finish. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Yudhvir Singh and Akash Madhwal were the stars with the ball for Royals, picking up three wickets each.
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First Post
20-05-2025
- Sport
- First Post
MS Dhoni reveals CSK's plans for next IPL season, wants batters to play freely: 'Already started that process'
Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni has confirmed that the team's rebuilding process for IPL 2026 is already underway after a poor 2025 season. read more New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday said the rebuilding process for next year has already begun for the team after a forgettable campaign in the ongoing Indian Premier League. CSK are struggling in the bottom of the points table after a wretched campaign in which they became the first team to be knocked out of the playoffs reckoning. Dhoni, under whose captaincy the franchise has won five IPL titles in the past, had handed over leadership duties to Ruturaj Gaikwad before the start of 2024 season but was brought back to lead the side after an injury to the much younger skipper. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I think we have already started that process,' Dhoni said at the toss for their penultimate match against Rajasthan Royals here. 'When it comes to our batting department, we want to express ourselves. That's what we did in the last few games. We want to move ahead with it. More from First Cricket Future of India-Pakistan cricketing relations expected to dominate Jay Shah's first ICC Annual Conference as Chairman 'Bowling, we have gone for some runs. Maybe we need one extra bowler who can bowl after the powerplay. We have done well in the last couple of games and we want to continue in the same way,' the talisman added. CSK have just six points after 12 matches this season, a performance that is a far cry from their incredible exploits of the past when they often dominated the league. Dhoni said the team got down to focus on planning for the future once their playoff hopes were over this season. 'One of the main things when we were out of the tournament was to get answers. It's about getting that combination right and getting that one player in the XI who you can target in the auction. 'At the start of the season, we struggled in the batting department. We have improved in it. It's about sealing your spot for the players going forward.' After the game against RR, CSK will end their campaign with a match against Gujarat Titans. 'When you are in pressure, you find yourself looking for options. In these games, you have the opportunity to express yourself and play your shots. What we have seen from the other teams is that you can play good cricketing shots and have a good strike rate,' said Dhoni. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
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First Post
20-05-2025
- Sport
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England coach reveals mindset ahead of India Test: 'No bigger opportunity than playing against the best'
England head coach Brendon McCullum has set the tone ahead of the India Test series. He also warned against taking Zimbabwe lightly in the lead-up match. read more England head coach Brendon McCullum has revealed the team's mindset as they prepare for the upcoming Test series against India. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, McCullum said that the team is no longer just trying to improve but aiming to become a side that every English fan can be proud of. McCullum sets bold goal for England team The former New Zealand skipper believes the timing is right to aim for something big. England are slated to host India for a five-match Test series starting on 24 June. It will be their first major red-ball contest of the new cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) for both teams. England have performed poorly in the first three editions of the WTC and would want to make amends this time around. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We're not trying to pick this team up any more. It's a matter of taking this team from a good team into being something English people are really proud of. We're actually travelling pretty good but there's an opportunity now. We're working from a position of strength but now's the time where we shoot for the stars,' McCullum said. More from First Cricket Future of India-Pakistan cricketing relations expected to dominate Jay Shah's first ICC Annual Conference as Chairman McCullum on facing India McCullum also highlighted how the challenge of facing India is something the team is excited about. The last time India toured England, they managed to draw the series. However, McCullum and his boys would want to hand India a defeat this time to start their campaign on a high. 'There's no greater opportunity than playing in big series against the best opposition on the biggest stage under the brightest lights to be able to test that,' he said on the upcoming series against India. Before they face India, England will take on Zimbabwe in a historic Test match, the first time in 22 years the African side will play red-ball cricket in England. McCullum warned against underestimating any opponent. 'This game has an amazing ability to bring you back down to earth if you don't have the respect for the game or the respect for the opposition. We go into it as favourites so we need to make sure we're rock hard fit and ready to go and make good decisions under pressure,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
