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Hindustan Times
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
RCB set to play fourth IPL final after huge PBKS win - How did Kohli and co fare in 2009, 2011 and 2016
Royal Challengers Bangalore cruised to their fourth IPL final, first since 2016, after securing a massive eight-wicket win against the Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 on Thursday. Virat Kohli and co chased down a below-par 102-run target with 10 overs to spare in Mullanpur after RCB's bowlers put up a top show. The 2011 finalists will now travel to Ahmedabad to play the final on June 3. Opener Phil Salt top-scored for RCB with 56 runs off 27 balls. In the first innings, Suyash Sharma led the bowling attack by picking three prized wickets. Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Romario Shepherd, and Yash Dayal also featured in the wickets column. Read More: 'Who is this guy?': Virat Kohli taunts Musheer Khan; debutant told to reply 'You know my brother. He hit 150 for India' The 2009 IPL, held in South Africa, saw RCB reach their first final under captain Anil Kumble. Finishing third in the league stage with eight wins from 14 matches, RCB advanced through the semifinals by defeating Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by six wickets, thanks to a disciplined bowling effort and Ross Taylor's 46 off 27. In the final on May 24, 2009, in Johannesburg, RCB faced Deccan Chargers (DC), led by Adam Gilchrist. DC posted 143/6, with Herschelle Gibbs scoring 53 off 48 and Andrew Symonds contributing 33 off 21. Chasing 144, RCB started poorly, losing Jacques Kallis and Manish Pandey early to reach 26/2. Roelof van der Merwe's 32 off 21 and Ross Taylor's 27 offered hope, but disciplined bowling from DC's Pragyan Ojha (3/28) and Harmeet Singh triggered a collapse. RCB finished at 137/9, falling six runs short. In 2011, RCB, under the captaincy of Daniel Vettori, topped the league stage with nine wins from 14 matches, earning a direct spot in Qualifier 1. Despite losing to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by six wickets in Qualifier 1, RCB bounced back, defeating Mumbai Indians by 43 runs in Qualifier 2 to reach their second IPL final. CSK batted first in the final, posting a formidable 205/5, driven by a 159-run opening partnership between Michael Hussey (63 off 45) and Murali Vijay (95 off 52). RCB's bowling struggled, with Chris Gayle's inclusion as a replacement for the injured Dirk Nannes proving pivotal earlier in the season but less effective in the final. Chasing 206, RCB faltered early, losing openers Mayank Agarwal and Chris Gayle within three overs. Saurabh Tiwary's unbeaten 42 off 34 provided some resistance, but RCB managed only 147/8, losing by 58 runs. Virat Kohli, then a rising star, scored 35 off 32 but couldn't anchor the chase. Chris Gayle's explosive form earned him the Man of the Tournament award, but RCB's batting collapse handed CSK their second IPL title. Read More: 'I made it pretty clear. I wanted full autonomy': Ponting's non-negotiable demand after leaving Delhi Capitals The 2016 season was a high point for RCB, led by Kohli, who delivered a record-breaking performance, amassing 973 runs in the season, the most in a single IPL campaign, including four centuries. RCB finished second in the league stage with eight wins from 14 matches. Their playoff journey saw them defeat Gujarat Lions by four wickets in Qualifier 1 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, securing their third final appearance. The final, on May 29, 2016, in Bengaluru, pitted RCB against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). SRH posted 208/7, powered by David Warner's 69 off 38 and Ben Cutting's unbeaten 39 off 15. RCB's bowling, led by Yuzvendra Chahal and Shane Watson, struggled to contain SRH's late surge. In response, RCB started strongly with a 114-run opening stand between Chris Gayle (76 off 38) and Virat Kohli (54 off 35). However, after Gayle's dismissal, wickets fell quickly, with AB de Villiers (5) and KL Rahul (11) failing to fire. Kohli's departure triggered a collapse, and despite a late effort from Shane Watson (26 off 16), RCB finished at 200/7, falling eight runs short.
The South African
12-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Where is Proteas legend Lance Klusener now?
It has now been two decades since we last saw Lance Klusener play in the colours of the Proteas. Nicknamed 'The Zulu,' Klusener was well-known for his aggressive batting style, his ability to bowl effectively, and his knack for taking wickets during critical moments. Although he played in 171 One Day Internationals and 49 Test matches, Klusener is most remembered for his remarkable performance in the 1999 World Cup, where he almost led the Proteas to the final. His baseball-style backlift and thunderous hitting made him a legend in South African cricket. He was named Man of the Tournament during the 1999 World Cup, where he truly shone. The following year, he was recognised as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2000. Lance Klusener made his international debut in 1996 and peaked between 1998 and 2001. Unfortunately, after the 2003 World Cup, he played only a handful of matches due to ongoing ankle injuries and a public dispute with then South African captain Graeme Smith. After retiring from all forms of cricket in 2010, the former Proteas all-rounder transitioned into coaching. From 2012 to 2016, he served as head coach of the Dolphins, a team he represented during his playing career. Subsequently, Klusener had a brief tenure with the Zimbabwe national team and then joined Rajshahi Kings in the Bangladesh Premier League as head coach. He has also worked as a batting coach for the Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Since 2022, Lance Klusener has been the head coach of the Durban's Super Giants in SA20. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Express Tribune
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Pak snub at Azlan Cup shocks ex-Olympians
Former hockey Olympians Hasan Sardar, Tauqir Dar and Imran Butt have lamented the shock omission of the Pakistan team from this season's Azlan Shah Cup Hockey Tournament, scheduled to start in Ipoh, Malaysia from Nov 22. It was reported in the media on Wednesday that Pakistan has been excluded from the 2025 edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup, despite finishing as runners-up in the previous edition. The exclusion was also confirmed on the official website for the tournament which did not include Pakistan among the participating teams. "I amazed at this development since Pakistan and Malaysia enjoy very cordial relations and our team has always participated and done exceedingly well in the Azlan Shah Cup," said former captain Hasan Sardar, one of the game's all-time greats who won the gold medal for Pakistan in 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, while speaking to Telecom Asia Sport ( "I am sure it is due to the incompetence and lack of coordination on the part of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), otherwise there is no reason that Pakistan does not get invited to Azlan Shah Cup. "The reason given for the snub which says PHF owes a debt to Malaysian Federation is rather ambiguous and we donot know much details on that, but I am sure the PHF has messed up things to face this ouster," said Hasan, who was the Man of the Tournament in the 1982 Hockey World Cup in Mumbai for scoring 11 goals. Ex-Olympian Tauqir Dar also expressed surprise at the development. "It is not good for the Pakistan's hockey as well as for the tournament itself, as our country has almost been a regular participant in the Azlan Shah Cup and last year it also ended up as runner-up after losing the final to Japan," said Dar, a member of the Pakistan team which won the Olympic gold in Los Angeles in 1984 under the captaincy of late forward player Manzoor Junior. "It would have been great if Pakistan was there because fans all over the world await the Pak-India clash in all the sports and it was likely that our team would have met India in the tournament which would have been a prime attraction for the fans," he added. Dar suggested the PHF to make a contact with the FIH and the Asian Hockey Federation as well to plead their case to include their team as it would be a great opportunity for the Pakistani players to hone their skills by playing against the top ranked teams of the world. "This was an ideal chance for the Pakistan team to play the world's top ranked teams and I will suggest that PHF should still try to get entry in the Azlan Cup," Dar concluded. Former Pakistan goalkeeper Imran Butt, while commenting on Pakistan's omission from Azlan Shah Cup, said the PHF must come out with a solid explanation for this development and should clarify whether Pakistan received an invitation for the tournament in the first place or not. "If the move to leave out Pakistan from the tournament has been initiated by the Malaysian Hockey Federation, then the PHF should strongly take up this issue with the FIH as well as with the Asian Hockey Federation which is being currently headed by our own Tayyab Ikram Sahab," said Imran who represented the country in 156 international matches including three World Cups and London Olympics 2012. "Pakistan players would have got tremendous exposure in the Azlan Cup because some of the top teams in the world are competing there including Germany, Belgium, India and others. It is a great setback that our team has been snubbed like this," said Imran who was part of Pakistan team which earned silver medal at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Meanwhile, PHF secretary Rana Mujahid in a press conference held on Wednesday totally rejected the issues of any dues of MHF being pending with his federation. "The Malaysian Hockey Federation has never lodged any complaint to the PHF about any dues. We have very friendly relations with the MHF," secretary PHF said.
