Latest news with #PlayeroftheMatch
India Gazette
3 hours ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
"Don't believe everything you see on internet": Shubman Gill ends rift rumours with Hardik Pandya
Mullanpur (Punjab) [India], May 31 (ANI): India Test skipper Shubman Gill put an end to speculation of any tension between him and all-rounder Hardik Pandya during the Eliminator in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Mumbai Indians (MI) on Friday. There were rumours circulated on social media that GT skipper Gill didn't shake hands with Hardik during the time of the toss at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh. Gill silenced the critics as he took to Instagram and wrote, 'Nothing but love (Don't believe everything you see on the internet) @hardikpandya95.' Chasing a mammoth total of 229 in the Eliminator, Gill was sent back to the pavilion after scoring just 1 run, whereas Hardik played a quickfire knock of 22 runs from just nine balls, which was laced with three maximums in his innings which came at a whopping strike rate of 244.44. Recapping the match, a brilliant half-century by Sai Sudharsan and his partnership with Washington Sundar went in vain as fine death bowling effort from the five-time champions helped the Blue and Gold franchise eliminate the 2022 champions from the competition with a 20-run win at Mullanpur. With this win, MI will now play Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Ahmedabad on June 1 for a spot in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on June 3. MI won the toss and elected to bat first. They started off with a bang, with Jonny Bairstow (47 in 22 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) and Rohit Sharma taking on pacers really well. Rohit went on to score his third fifty in IPL knockouts, making 81 in just 50 balls, with nine fours and four sixes. He also completed his 7,000 IPL runs, becoming the second batter to do so. Fine cameos from Suryakumar Yadav (33 in 20 balls, with a four and three sixes), Tilak Varma (25 in 11 balls, with three sixes) and Hardik Pandya (22* in nine balls, with three sixes) took MI to 228/5. Sai Kishore (2/42) and Prasidh Krishna (2/53) were the top bowlers for GT. In the run chase, GT lost skipper Shubman Gill early. However, Sai Sudharsan (80 in 49 balls, with 10 fours and a six) stitched half-century partnerships with Kusal Mendis (20 in 10 balls, with a four and two sixes) and Washington Sundar (48 in 24 balls, with five fours and three sixes), keeping GT ahead of the required rate. However, some fine death bowling prevented them from winning as MI restricted GT to 208/6 in 20 overs. Trent Boult (2/56) was the top bowler for MI. Jasprit Bumrah, Richard Gleeson, Ashwani Kumar and Mitchell Santner got one each. Rohit Sharma was awarded Player of the Match for his exceptional batting performance. (ANI)
Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Full list of most Player of the Match (PoTM) awards in IPL: Rohit's 81 vs GT helps him win 21st PoTM; Extends his unique record
Full list of most Player of the Match (PoTM) titles in IPL: As Mumbai Indians reached the penultimate stop of the Indian Premier League after beating Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator in Mullanpur on Saturday, Rohit Sharma was adjudged the Player of the Match (PoTM) for his match-defining 81 off 50, which laid the base for the five-time champions to put a big total on the board. After deciding to bat first, the Hardik Pandya side got off to a blazing start thanks to their latest replacement, England's Jonny Bairstow. It didn't seem as if Bairstow was playing his first game in this IPL 2025 and took Prasidh Krishna — the Purple Cap holder this season — to the cleaners right from the get-go with ease. In an innings which had multiple reprieves for former India Test captain Rohit punished GT for their mistakes. Rohit was dropped by Gerald Coetzee when he was batting on just three off Krishna before GT's replacement keeper Kusal Mendis grassed his catch in the very next over when the Mumbai batter was batting on 12. After that, Rohit was just flawless. He struck nine fours and four sixes, to become the first Indian to hit 300 maximums in IPL en route to his 81. He added 84 for the opening wicket in just 44 deliveries before stitching another fifty-stand, this time with Suryakumar Yadav for the third wicket. His third wicket stand with Tilak Varma was worth 43 off 22 before he was dismissed when Rashid Khan caught him, finally, off Krishna. His slambang innings helped MI post 228, which eventually turned out to be sufficient as MI beat GT by 20 runs, making it into Qualifier 2, where they will face Punjab Kings for a place in the final, which will be against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. This was Rohit's 21st PoTM in IPL, the most by any Indian and overall third-most after AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle. De Villiers, who played for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru throughout his career, was instrumental in numerous wins for his teams and won the Player of the Match award for a record 25 times. Gayle sits second with 22 awards. Among Indians, Virat Kohli (19) sits second, MS Dhoni (18) sixth, and Yusuf Pathan (16) is ninth in the list. Another big match winners like David Warner, Sunil Narine, Shane Watson and Andre Russell also find themselves in the top 10 list of players with the most PoTM.
India Gazette
7 hours ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
"Players known for stepping up in knockouts": AB de Villiers on MI's performance in Eliminator
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 31 (ANI): After the completion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash between the Gujarat Titans (GT) and Mumbai Indians (MI), former South Africa captain AB de Villiers reflected on the Hardik Pandya-led side's clinical knockout performance in the Eliminator of the 18th edition of the cash-rich league. A brilliant half-century by Sai Sudharsan and his partnership with Washington Sundar went in vain as fine death bowling effort from the five-time champions helped the Blue and Gold franchise eliminate the 2022 champions from the competition with a 20-run win at Mullanpur on Friday. With this win, MI will now play Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Ahmedabad on June 1 for a spot in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on June 3. Speaking on MI's victory on Kuhl Fans Match Centre Live on JioHotstar, JioStar expert AB de Villiers said, 'The players known for stepping up in knockouts faced their fears and delivered. No one gave GT a chance at the halfway mark, but MI held their nerve - especially Jasprit Bumrah, who just keeps delivering in the big moments. A key turning point was Sai Sudharsan's dismissal. He'd nailed that shot all season, but it didn't come off when it mattered most. Everything seemed to go wrong for GT - dropped catches, hit wickets, chaotic moments - yet they still made it a contest.' Coming to the match, MI won the toss and elected to bat first. They started off with a bang, with Jonny Bairstow (47 in 22 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) and Rohit Sharma taking on pacers really well. Rohit went on to score his third fifty in IPL knockouts, making 81 in just 50 balls, with nine fours and four sixes. He also completed his 7,000 IPL runs, becoming the second batter to do so. Fine cameos from Suryakumar Yadav (33 in 20 balls, with a four and three sixes), Tilak Varma (25 in 11 balls, with three sixes) and Hardik Pandya (22* in nine balls, with three sixes) took MI to 228/5. Sai Kishore (2/42) and Prasidh Krishna (2/53) were the top bowlers for GT. In the run chase, GT lost skipper Shubman Gill early. However, Sai Sudharsan (80 in 49 balls, with 10 fours and a six) stitched half-century partnerships with Kusal Mendis (20 in 10 balls, with a four and two sixes) and Washington Sundar (48 in 24 balls, with five fours and three sixes), keeping GT ahead of the required rate. However, some fine death bowling prevented them from winning as MI restricted GT to 208/6 in 20 overs. Trent Boult (2/56) was the top bowler for MI. Jasprit Bumrah, Richard Gleeson, Ashwani Kumar and Mitchell Santner got one each. Rohit Sharma was awarded Player of the Match for his exceptional batting performance. (ANI)
India.com
9 hours ago
- Sport
- India.com
This Is The Year For RCB: AB de Villiers Backs RCB To End Title Drought In IPL 2025
Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers has expressed strong support for his former IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), backing them to clinch their maiden title in the 2025 season. Through the course of the IPL 2025, RCB have been nothing short of formidable. En route to Qualifier 1, RCB rewrote the history books as they became the first team in the IPL to win all their designated away matches in the league stage. And while Rajat Patidar's captaincy has been exemplary, former skipper Virat Kohli has chipped in with more than 600 runs and eight half-centuries, which is the most by any batter this season. Whenever Kohli has scored a fifty while RCB have batted second this season, they have never lost the game. IPL 2025 is also the fifth time that Kohli has scored more than 600 runs in a season. Kohli setting the standards isn't new in the sport; however, what's stood out for RCB is the kind of support he has had from the others. Nine other batters have registered half-centuries through the season, with the likes of Tim David, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Devdutt Padikkal, and captain Patidar, to name a few, playing important roles for the team. Amongst the bowlers, five have bagged more than eight wickets in the tournament so far, with Josh Hazlewood (21 wickets) leading the charge. Krunal Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have picked 15 wickets each, while the dynamic leg-break bowler Suyash Sharma has eight scalps of his own. South African Lungi Ngidi, Romario Shepherd, and even Liam Livingstone have taken important wickets. These scintillating performances have not only propelled RCB to the final of IPL 2025 but have also seen them rewrite the history books with nine different players winning the Player of the Match awards. Following RCB's commanding eight-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1, de Villiers stated, "I'm very happy that RCB is in the final... hopefully, this will be the year for RCB". De Villiers also highlighted the significant role of Virat Kohli, describing him as the "ultimate team man" and expressing confidence in Kohli's potential to deliver a match-winning performance in the final. He noted Kohli's intense focus and leadership qualities, stating, "I do not doubt in my mind he's going to play a big hand in the final". RCB's journey to the final has been marked by impressive performances. With momentum on their side and de Villiers' endorsement, RCB fans are hopeful that 2025 will finally be the year their team lifts the IPL trophy.
News18
10 hours ago
- Sport
- News18
'Settling In Quickly': England's Nat Sciver-Brunt On Successful Start To Captaincy
Last Updated: Nat Sciver-Brunt lauds England's strong start under new leadership after a 108-run win over West Indies, with Sciver-Brunt as captain and Charlotte Edwards as head coach. Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt praised England's impressive start under new leadership after they outperformed the West Indies by 108 runs in Derby, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. This victory was significant not only because of its margin but also because it symbolised a new chapter with Sciver-Brunt leading the team for the first time in ODIs and Charlotte Edwards beginning her tenure as head coach. 'The team did brilliantly. The opening partnership was stunning; they understood the conditions well, played brilliantly, accelerated effectively in the middle overs, and set us up for a great score," Sciver-Brunt told Sky Sports. 'With the change of leadership and coach, I'm most proud of how quickly we've settled in and committed to the things we wanted to do – forming huge partnerships and having top batters in towards the end of the innings." The tone was set early by Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont, who rewrote the record books with a massive 222-run opening stand, England's highest in women's ODIs. Jones, opening the innings for the first time since 2019, rewarded the team management's faith with a maiden ODI century, a knock 12 years in the making. Her fluent 122 off 121 balls, supported by Beaumont's 11th century, propelled England to a commanding total and ensured a celebratory mood in the dressing room. 'It's pretty special," Jones said after receiving the Player of the Match award. 'I've played quite a few ODIs, and finally scoring a hundred feels amazing. I was thrilled when Lottie (Charlotte Edwards) suggested opening. She backed me, and having that partnership with Tammy meant a lot." The bowlers then supported the batters with ruthless precision. Making her 50-over debut, Linsey Smith stole the show with a five-wicket haul, becoming only the second woman to claim a five-for on ODI debut for England. The left-arm spinner, who made her T20 debut in 2018, had waited seven years for this moment and made every delivery count. 'It's all a bit surreal," said the 30-year-old Smith. 'To make my debut and help the team win with a performance like that, I'm over the moon. I never wanted to give up on my dream of playing ODIs. People have reminded me how long it's been since my T20 debut, but I'm proud I stayed the course." Smith was ably supported by fellow debutant Emily Arlott, who also took two wickets and removed the dangerous Hayley Matthews to derail the West Indies' chase. England's control with the ball ensured that the visitors never seriously threatened the target, continuing their dismal run after being whitewashed in the T20I series. (with IANS Inputs) First Published:
