Latest news with #Malolan
India Gazette
26-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
"A good wake up call...": RCB spin bowling coach on loss to SRH ahead of final league stage game
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 26 (ANI): Ahead of his side's final league stage game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) spin bowling coach Malolan Rangarajan spoke on how the loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) after a long break was a 'good wake-up call' and the focus remains on bowling well and putting pressure on opponents. RCB will have a golden chance to seal a qualifier one spot and get themselves a double shot at the IPL final if they secure a win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Lucknow on Tuesday. If they secure a win, they will end the season with a total of 19 points after nine wins, four losses and a no result. Depending on the result of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) versus Mumbai Indians (MI) clash, they could get to occupy the top two spots if they win. RCB lost their previous game to SRH as the IPL season resumed after a long break due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. After their May 17 clash against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was washed out due to rain, the SRH clash on May 23 marked the resumption of their campaign. Speaking in the pre-match presser, Malolan said, 'It is a fact that we lost the last game after a big break. It is down to a lot of reasons, not having played in the last 3 weeks, and being a little rusty. It has been documented very well that it was a good knock on the chin for us, a good wake-up call and now looking forward, even though we have guaranteed a place in one of the playoff games, it is important to focus on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and what is going to happen in the Ekana Stadium and that is what we are focusing on, how best we can start bowling, how can we put pressure back on the opponents, so we will be focusing on that. Once that is done, we will look at how and who we play in the playoffs.' The spin bowling coach said that while chasing 232 runs in their previous match, they could have done better with the bat as they lost their last seven wickets for just 16 runs. 'But again, I am not going to dwell on the result of what happened. We could have reacted better. We had a few issues that we had to deal with. As far as what came out of the meeting, hopefully you will see that on the ground tomorrow. Like we had a few challenges in M Chinnaswamy Stadium when we played the first few games. I think we have thought of ways we can address what had gone wrong,' he added. Speaking on the pressure of RCB never winning an IPL title, Malolan said, 'England had won the FIFA World Cup in 1966, but yes, it is true that we have not won the IPL title. And we are doing what we can to ensure we become a more consistent and better team. If you look at the last five to six years, RCB has become a more consistent franchise. Whatever people used to say, I don't know if it is true or not, but people used to say that our batting was very good and bowling not so much.' 'It feels like we have a balanced team, which gives a little balance to our output. So, our thinking, like all the teams', is to win. What happened in the past is not the responsibility of the current players. It is the responsibility of the current players, which is there today and tomorrow's match. So, if we win, it will be good, but I know everyone, I know each and every player and everyone knows what their wish is and what they want to do. So, there is definitely no pressure where we have not won, because we think how we want to play,' he added. Squads: Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Swapnil Singh, Liam Livingstone, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara, Blessing Muzarabani Lucknow Super Giants Squad: Mitchell Marsh, Aryan Juyal, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, William ORourke, Akash Maharaj Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Manimaran Siddharth, David Miller, Arshin Kulkarni, Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Matthew Breetzke, RS Hangargekar, Yuvraj Chaudhary. (ANI)
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'England won the FIFA World Cup in 1966 … ': RCB coach's bold take on IPL title drought
Image credit: BCCI/IPL NEW DELHI: Ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) final league-stage match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), the team's spin bowling coach Malolan Rangarajan addressed the media, reflecting on their recent loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). He described the defeat, which came after a long break, as a "good wake-up call" and emphasised that the focus remains on bowling effectively and putting pressure back on the opposition. RCB are on the verge of sealing a spot in Qualifier 1, which would give them two shots at reaching the IPL final. A win over LSG in Lucknow on Tuesday would take them to 19 points, with nine victories, four defeats, and one no result. Depending on the outcome of the Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians clash, a win could also push RCB into the top two. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! RCB resumed their IPL campaign against SRH on May 23, following a three-week break. Their earlier fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders on May 17 had been washed out due to rain. The break, triggered by cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan, left the team out of match practice. 'It is a fact that we lost the last game after a big break. It is down to a lot of reasons, not having played in the last 3 weeks, and being a little rusty. It has been documented very well that it was a good knock on the chin for us, a good wake-up call and now looking forward, even though we have guaranteed a place in one of the playoff games, it is important to focus on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and what is going to happen in the Ekana Stadium and that is what we are focusing on, how best we can start bowling, how can we put pressure back on the opponents, so we will be focusing on that. Once that is done, we will look at how and who we play in the playoffs,' Malolan said at the pre-match press conference. More Than a Team: The Rise of CSK & the Whistle Podu Army Reflecting on their batting performance in the SRH game, where they were bowled out while chasing 232 and lost their last seven wickets for just 16 runs, Malolan admitted there were areas they could have handled better. 'But again, I am not going to dwell on the result of what happened. We could have reacted better. We had a few issues that we had to deal with. As far as what came out of the meeting, hopefully you will see that on the ground tomorrow. Like we had a few challenges in M Chinnaswamy Stadium when we played the first few games. I think we have thought of ways we can address what had gone wrong,' he said. Addressing the long-standing pressure on RCB to win their maiden IPL title, Malolan drew an analogy to England's World Cup drought and pointed out the strides the franchise has made in recent seasons. Shubman Gill story: From a remote village near the border to India's Test captain 'England had won the FIFA World Cup in 1966, but yes, it is true that we have not won the IPL title. And we are doing what we can to ensure we become a more consistent and better team. If you look at the last five to six years, RCB has become a more consistent franchise. Whatever people used to say, I don't know if it is true or not, but people used to say that our batting was very good and bowling not so much,' he said. 'It feels like we have a balanced team, which gives a little balance to our output. So, our thinking, like all the teams', is to win. What happened in the past is not the responsibility of the current players. It is the responsibility of the current players, which is there today and tomorrow's match. So, if we win, it will be good, but I know everyone, I know each and every player and everyone knows what their wish is and what they want to do. So, there is definitely no pressure where we have not won, because we think how we want to play,' he added. India Test squad vs England: Ajit Agarkar full press conference Squads: Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Swapnil Singh, Liam Livingstone, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara, Blessing Muzarabani Lucknow Super Giants Squad: Mitchell Marsh, Aryan Juyal, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, William ORourke, Akash Maharaj Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Manimaran Siddharth, David Miller, Arshin Kulkarni, Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Matthew Breetzke, RS Hangargekar, Yuvraj Chaudhary. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Mint
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Mint
'A good wake up call...': RCB spin bowling coach on loss to SRH ahead of final league stage game
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 26 (ANI): Ahead of his side's final league stage game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) spin bowling coach Malolan Rangarajan spoke on how the loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) after a long break was a "good wake-up call" and the focus remains on bowling well and putting pressure on opponents. RCB will have a golden chance to seal a qualifier one spot and get themselves a double shot at the IPL final if they secure a win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Lucknow on Tuesday. If they secure a win, they will end the season with a total of 19 points after nine wins, four losses and a no result. Depending on the result of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) versus Mumbai Indians (MI) clash, they could get to occupy the top two spots if they win. RCB lost their previous game to SRH as the IPL season resumed after a long break due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. After their May 17 clash against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was washed out due to rain, the SRH clash on May 23 marked the resumption of their campaign. Speaking in the pre-match presser, Malolan said, "It is a fact that we lost the last game after a big break. It is down to a lot of reasons, not having played in the last 3 weeks, and being a little rusty. It has been documented very well that it was a good knock on the chin for us, a good wake-up call and now looking forward, even though we have guaranteed a place in one of the playoff games, it is important to focus on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and what is going to happen in the Ekana Stadium and that is what we are focusing on, how best we can start bowling, how can we put pressure back on the opponents, so we will be focusing on that. Once that is done, we will look at how and who we play in the playoffs." The spin bowling coach said that while chasing 232 runs in their previous match, they could have done better with the bat as they lost their last seven wickets for just 16 runs. "But again, I am not going to dwell on the result of what happened. We could have reacted better. We had a few issues that we had to deal with. As far as what came out of the meeting, hopefully you will see that on the ground tomorrow. Like we had a few challenges in M Chinnaswamy Stadium when we played the first few games. I think we have thought of ways we can address what had gone wrong," he added. Speaking on the pressure of RCB never winning an IPL title, Malolan said, "England had won the FIFA World Cup in 1966, but yes, it is true that we have not won the IPL title. And we are doing what we can to ensure we become a more consistent and better team. If you look at the last five to six years, RCB has become a more consistent franchise. Whatever people used to say, I don't know if it is true or not, but people used to say that our batting was very good and bowling not so much." "It feels like we have a balanced team, which gives a little balance to our output. So, our thinking, like all the teams', is to win. What happened in the past is not the responsibility of the current players. It is the responsibility of the current players, which is there today and tomorrow's match. So, if we win, it will be good, but I know everyone, I know each and every player and everyone knows what their wish is and what they want to do. So, there is definitely no pressure where we have not won, because we think how we want to play," he added. Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Swapnil Singh, Liam Livingstone, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara, Blessing Muzarabani Lucknow Super Giants Squad: Mitchell Marsh, Aryan Juyal, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, William ORourke, Akash Maharaj Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Manimaran Siddharth, David Miller, Arshin Kulkarni, Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Matthew Breetzke, RS Hangargekar, Yuvraj Chaudhary. (ANI)
Indian Express
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Virat Kohli doesn't need to put in extra hours training to face spin, says RCB spin-bowling coach
A 'genius' like Virat Kohli doesn't need to put in extra hours perfecting his play against spin, said RCB spin-bowling coach Malolan Rangarajan on the Indian superstar's improved strike rate against spinners this Indian Premier League. Questions have been raised over Kohli's play against spinners in the middle overs even previously in the IPL but talking about last year, Malolan said it wasn't fair to single out Kohli. 'It wasn't only Virat last season who was not batting at the desired strike rate. It was the whole team. So I think the whole team got together. And that's precisely what happened. That's part one,' said Malolan on the eve of the away game against Delhi Capitals here on Sunday. 'Part two is about Virat Kohli as the individual. He does not need to go and practice extra against left-arm spin and leg spin. He's batted for 20-25 years. 'He's a genius. He just has to decide what he wants to do and how he wants to take down a particular bowler. 'And it's very evident that someone like Virat, even after having played for so long, he's constantly looking at what more he can do. Which is, to me, unbelievable.' Kohli was the leading run getter in IPL 2024 with 741 runs with his strike rate against pace and spin being 168.79 and 137.9 respectively. More than halfway into the current season, his strike rate against pace and spin stands at 147.76 and 140.57. Kohli could also end up topping the run-scorers' list if his team goes deep in the tournament. 'The attitude with which he comes into every training session, every match. So, Virat, I don't think he did anything specifically physically (on his spin play). 'Batting more of left-arm spin, batting more leg spin. It was just the group coming together and acknowledging the fact that we weren't good enough last year,' Malolan added further.
NDTV
26-04-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
"Does Not Need Practice": RCB Coach Bullish About Virat Kohli Despite Spin Struggles
A 'genius' like Virat Kohli doesn't need to put in extra hours perfecting his play against spin, said RCB spin-bowling coach Malolan Rangarajan on the Indian superstar's improved strike rate against spinners this Indian Premier League. Questions have been raised over Kohli's play against spinners in the middle overs even previously in the IPL but talking about last year, Malolan said it wasn't fair to single out Kohli. "It wasn't only Virat last season who was not batting at the desired strike rate. It was the whole team. So I think the whole team got together. And that's precisely what happened. That's part one," said Malolan on the eve of the away game against Delhi Capitals here on Sunday. "Part two is about Virat Kohli as the individual. He does not need to go and practice extra against left-arm spin and leg spin. He's batted for 20-25 years. "He's a genius. He just has to decide what he wants to do and how he wants to take down a particular bowler. "And it's very evident that someone like Virat, even after having played for so long, he's constantly looking at what more he can do. Which is, to me, unbelievable." Kohli was the leading run getter in IPL 2024 with 741 runs with his strike rate against pace and spin being 168.79 and 137.9 respectively. More than halfway into the current season, his strike rate against pace and spin stands at 147.76 and 140.57. Kohli could also end up topping the run-scorers' list if his team goes deep in the tournament. "The attitude with which he comes into every training session, every match. So, Virat, I don't think he did anything specifically physically (on his spin play). "Batting more of left-arm spin, batting more leg spin. It was just the group coming together and acknowledging the fact that we weren't good enough last year," Malolan went on further. Bethell is destined for greatness England batter Jacob Bethell is yet to get a game for RCB this season but Malolan rates him very highly. "He's destined for greatness. I think England have a genuine superstar in the making. Selfishly, even RCB will be very happy to have caught him slightly early in the cycle," said Malolan who also performs the role of a scout at RCB. Has role of anchors regained relevance? The pitches have played slower this season but the likes of Virat Kohli and K L Rahul have thrived on that challenge. Not so long ago, experts had predicted the death of the anchor's role in the shortest format but, without getting into that debate, Malolan has said his team has found a formula to succeed on slow pitches this season. "Role of an anchor, I can only talk about how we are thinking. We rather address it as how we can assess a situation and adapt accordingly. "Because in the days of an anchor, I don't know if 200 scores were breached as easily. Chinnaswamy has been challenging this year as a pitch. Last year also it wasn't as high scoring as it was previously. We've realised that there might be a formula of how we score runs. "You look at games we've played against CSK. We're not particularly inclined to think about having an anchor. Because you see the way Virat is batting, he's more aggressive. "Every time there's an opportunity for him to step on the pedal, he does it. Salt, we all know how he bats. It's only IPL and any T20 cricket is about how you're able to shift the momentum," the former Tamil Nadu spinner added.
