In the second day of the IPL mega auction, Punjab Kings grabbed South African pacer Marco Jansen for a whopping Rs seven crore, along with all-rounder Krunal Pandya for Rs 5.75 crore and batsman Nitish Rana for Rs 4.20 crore. Other notable players like Ajinkya Rahane, Kane Williamson, Prithvi Shaw and Shardul Thakur did not receive any bids, highlighting the importance of strategic purchases in the competitive world of IPL auctions.
As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) prepares to announce the team for the upcoming Australia series, all eyes are on veteran batsman Cheteshwar Pujara. With his impressive record against Australia in the last two tours, Pujara's experience could prove crucial for India's success. Meanwhile, selectors must also decide whether to give younger players a chance or stick with Pujara's proven abilities. Despite not featuring for India since the World Test Championship final, Pujara has continued to score runs, with his most recent appearance in the Ranji Trophy showcasing his skill and determination. With India facing challenges in the fast bowling department, the inclusion of players like Nitish Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, and Yash Dayal is also being considered. Mohammed Shami, who is crucial for India's bowling attack, might not be able to fully recover in time for the first matches of the series.
The Indian Navy ships of the First Training Squadron have arrived in the port city of Bandar Abbas, Iran for a joint training deployment in the Persian Gulf. This visit marks an important step in strengthening maritime cooperation between India and Iran. During the visit, the ships will participate in various activities to enhance maritime security and interoperability between the two navies. This visit highlights India's commitment to promoting regional cooperation in line with the vision of SAGAR.
Mumbai will welcome back experienced players Shreyas Iyer and Shardul Thakur for their upcoming Irani Cup match against the Rest of India. With Ajinkya Rahane leading the squad, the Mumbai team will aim to continue their success in the five-day first-class fixture. Thakur's all-round abilities and Iyer's comeback will be a boost for the team, who are eager to make a mark in the tournament. Despite a mediocre performance in the Duleep Trophy, Iyer will be hoping to make a strong case for a spot in the Indian team.
The Rest of India squad for the Irani Trophy has been announced, with Ruturaj Gaikwad named as the captain. The team will face off against Mumbai, the 2023/24 Ranji champions, from October 1st to 5th. Dhruv Jurel and Yash Dayal, currently with Team India, will join the ROI squad but their participation is subject to them not being selected for the second Test against Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur, Shreyas Iyer, and Ajinkya Rahane will feature for Mumbai, while Sarfaraz Khan was released from the Indian squad for the Test, with the MCA selection committee set to pick their squad for the game on Tuesday.
Former Indian captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, suffered a surprise exit in the match against Punjab Kings when Harshal Patel caught him off guard with a slower ball that knocked his off-stump. Dhoni came in after Shardul Thakur's dismissal for a quickfire 17 but failed to make an impact and was dismissed for 0. Patel ended with an impressive 3 wickets, giving away just 24 runs in his 4 overs, making him the second-best bowler for Punjab Kings after Rahul Chahar. Some experts have questioned the Chennai franchise's decision to send Dhoni down the batting order, stating that he could have been more impactful if he had been promoted earlier.
In an exciting Indian Premier League 2024 match, Punjab Kings' Rahul Chahar took 3 crucial wickets to restrict Chennai Super Kings to 167 runs in 20 overs. CSK struggled with their batting, losing wickets at regular intervals but managed to get a late boost from Shardul Thakur's quick 17 runs. PBKS captain Sam Curran's decision to bowl first proved to be effective as his team's bowlers, including Harshal Patel and Arshdeep Singh, also picked up wickets. Follow the action and live score updates of PBKS vs CSK on May 5, 2024.
In a highly anticipated match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, the CSK bowling duo of Tushar Deshpande and Shardul Thakur delivered a spectacular performance, conceding only a combined total of five runs in two overs and picking up crucial wickets. Despite a promising innings from MI's Matheesha Pathirana, the batsmen were unable to chase down CSK's total of 206. CSK bowling coach Eric Simons credited the exceptional bowling effort for the team's victory.
In a crucial game for both teams, Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and elected to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings at Ekana Cricket Stadium. LSG made one major change to their playing eleven with New Zealand pacer Matt Henry replacing Shamar Joseph, while CSK dropped star players Shardul Thakur and Daryl Mitchell. Chennai, who thrashed Mumbai Indians in the last game, made two surprise changes to their starting eleven today, with English spin all-rounder Moeen Ali and pacer Deepak Chahar returning to the team.
In a home game in Chennai, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and chose to bowl first against KKR. CSK made three changes to their lineup, with Mustafizur Rahman replacing Mukesh Choudhary and Shardul Thakur and Sameer Rizvi returning to the team. KKR fielded an unchanged eleven. Both teams are looking to secure a win and move up in the IPL standings.