In a tough battle against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), Delhi Capitals (DC) faced difficulties following Jake Fraser-McGurk’s historic performance. Fraser-McGurk set records with his lightning-fast fifty in just 15 balls during DC’s chase of 267 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Despite his remarkable feat, DC found themselves in trouble, with six wickets down against SRH.

SRH starts with an amazing performance and continues

Travis Head led the charge for SRH with a blistering 89 off 32 balls, while Abhishek Sharma added firepower with a quickfire 46 off just 12 balls as SRH posted a daunting total of 266 for 7. Notably, SRH achieved the milestone of being the first team in IPL history to score 250 plus runs on three occasions. They also created history by scoring 125 runs without loss in the first six overs, setting a new T20 powerplay record.

Social media is ablaze as fans express disappointment

See Also: IPL 2024: Jake Fraser McGurk registers the record of third fastest fifty

Rishabh brings 44 runs in 35 balls. However, DC’s batting lineup struggled to match SRH’s dominance, ultimately losing the match by a margin of 67 runs. Despite Fraser-McGurk’s heroics, Rishabh Pant and the rest of the DC team couldn’t replicate the same level of performance, leading to their defeat against SRH.

Royal Challengers Bangalore Women scripted history by clinching their first-ever title in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), defeating Delhi Capitals Women in a thrilling final by eight wickets. This victory marked a significant milestone for RCB Women, while Delhi Capitals Women faced disappointment for the second consecutive season.

RCB’s First Title Win in WPL

Royal Challengers Bangalore Women displayed exceptional skill and determination in a highly anticipated final showdown, securing their maiden title in the WPL. The team’s victory showcased their resilience and ability to perform under pressure, signaling a new era of success for RCB Women in the league.

See Also: Netizens troll Kohli after RCB women win WPL

DC’s Loss in Consecutive WPL Finals

On the other hand, Delhi Capitals Women endured heartbreak again as they suffered their second consecutive loss in the WPL final. Despite their strong performances throughout the season, Delhi Capitals Women faltered in the final hurdle, unable to claim the coveted title.

Match Summary: RCB-W vs. DC-W Final

In the final match between Royal Challengers Bangalore Women and Delhi Capitals Women, RCB Women displayed exceptional batting and bowling prowess to outclass their opponents. After bundling out Delhi Capitals Women for 113 runs, RCB quickly chased down the target, reaching 115/2 in 19.3 overs.

RCB’s Dominance in the Final

Royal Challengers Bangalore Women asserted their dominance right from the start of the final match. Openers Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine provided a steady start in the powerplay, laying the foundation for RCB’s successful run chase. Despite losing early wickets, RCB’s middle order, led by Ellyse Perry and Richa Ghosh, ensured a comfortable victory for the team.

RCB Women Skipper In Post Match Presentation

Smriti said, “For RCB, it’s a lot more. I’m not the only one who won the trophy, the team has won the trophy. I’m not the person to talk about what I feel. This is in top five maybe. Obviously a World Cup would top it. Have a message for the fans – the most loyal fanbase. One statement that always comes up is Ee Sala Cup Namde. Now it’s Ee Sala Cup Namdu. Kannada is not my first language but it was important to say it for the fans.”

DC’s Batting Collapse

Delhi Capitals Women faced a batting collapse as they struggled to build partnerships and capitalize on their early momentum. Despite solid starts from Meg Lanning and Shefali Verma, Delhi Capitals Women lost wickets regularly, failing to post a competitive total on the board.

RCB’s Clinical Bowling Performance

Royal Challengers Bangalore Women’s bowlers delivered a clinical performance led by Sophie Molineux, Shreyanka Patil, and Sobhana Asha. The bowlers maintained pressure on the Delhi Capitals Women’s batting lineup, picking up crucial wickets at crucial junctures to restrict their opponents to a modest total.

Rishabh Pant’s journey of rehabilitation following a near-fatal accident in 2022 has exhibited considerable promise, hinting at his potential participation in the forthcoming Indian Premier League season. As per the latest reports, Pant has actively engaged in a warm-up game in Alur, near Bengaluru, marking his return to the field after a prolonged absence.

Sources within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and his IPL franchise have suggested that the 26-year-old cricketer is set to lead the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, albeit solely as a batter, with another player designated as the team’s wicketkeeper.

Rishabh Pant’s Remarkable Road to IPL 2024: A Journey of Recovery and Renewed Leadership

Recent reports indicate that Pant’s mobility remains unhindered, with reports affirming his ability to run and bat with the same agility and freedom as prior to the December 2022 accident that ruled out him for nearly 15 months. Presently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, Pant also received treatment in London last month, facilitated by the BCCI.

There exists a tangible sense of optimism surrounding Pant’s potential IPL involvement, contingent upon clearance from NCA authorities. While the Delhi Capitals franchise demonstrates confidence in Pant’s leadership, they have opted to assign wicketkeeping duties to another player, with David Warner having led the team in Pant’s absence during the previous IPL season.

SEE ALSO: Gujarat Titans’ Star Player Suspended for 12 Months from ILT20 due to Contract Violation

The scheduling of the IPL remains pending, with dates expected to be finalized following the Election Commission of India’s announcement of general election dates. The IPL calendar will be adjusted accordingly based on election schedules across various states, with tentative plans aiming for a commencement on March 22 or 23 and concluding on May 26, a Sunday.

The progress of Rishabh Pant’s recovery and his potential return to competitive cricket signify a significant milestone, sparking excitement among fans and stakeholders as anticipation mounts for IPL 2024.

Delhi Capitals’ Australian head coach, Ricky Ponting, revealed during a press conference in Melbourne, following his appointment as the head coach of Major League Cricket team Washington Freedom, that David Warner, who recently retired from the longest formats of the game, is poised to continue leading the Capitals for the second consecutive season in IPL 2024, should Rishabh Pant remain unavailable.

Warner rejoined the Delhi-based franchise two seasons ago during the IPL 2022 Mega player auction. Signed by the management under Ponting’s guidance for 6.25 crores, the dynamic left-handed batsman reunited with his inaugural Indian Premier League team after an eight-year hiatus.

During those eight years, Warner experienced a rollercoaster journey, from achieving the pinnacle of his career to facing significant challenges. Following his stint with the Delhi Capitals, formerly known as Daredevils before 2019, Warner secured his maiden ICC trophy with the Cricket World Cup 2015 victory in Australia.

In 2016, as the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad since 2014, Warner guided the team to their inaugural IPL title after the franchise rebranded from Deccan Chargers to SRH. However, two years later, his career took a drastic turn with the infamous Australian Sandpaper scandal during a match in South Africa.

He was implicated in the scandal along with Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, resulting in all three receiving one-year bans from the ICC for all international cricket activities. Warner and Smith’s IPL contracts were also suspended for that season. The repercussions were so severe that Sunrisers Hyderabad went as far as asking Warner not to join the team in the country, despite his role as the franchise’s captain.

Can David Warner Guide Delhi to Their First IPL Title After His Spectacular Comeback?

After making his return, David Warner led SRH to consecutive playoffs in 2019 and 2020, followed by an 8th-place finish in the 2021 season, which ultimately marked his final one with the team. In the mega auction of February 2022, Delhi Capitals reacquired him for over 6 crores. Warner’s performance at the top of the order yielded 432 runs, and he assumed the captaincy role last year in the absence of Pant, who was recovering from a severe car crash in December 2022.

Although Warner’s batting performance was somewhat frustrating, he still managed to score over 500 runs. However, DC’s overall performance was disappointing, resulting in a 9th-place finish in the league table. Head coach Ricky Ponting has suggested that a similar captaincy arrangement might be in place for the upcoming season, as they anticipate that their acquisitions from the December auction will bolster the Capitals’ prospects.

“We have a talented squad that, to be honest, hasn’t quite lived up to its potential over the past few years, so there’s some groundwork ahead of us.” – Ricky Ponting informed journalists in Melbourne.

Meanwhile, the schedule for the 17th season of the Indian Premier League is still pending, but there are indications that it will likely commence in early March and wrap up by May. This timing aligns with the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to take place in the USA and West Indies, starting in June.

SEE ALSO:Spencer Johnson Substitutes Nathan Ellis in Australia’s T20 Squad for West Indies Tour

Delhi Capitals (DC) navigated an intriguing IPL 2024 auction, securing nine players for a total expenditure of ₹19.05 crore, leaving them with ₹9.90 crore in their remaining purse.

The team kicked off the auction on a positive note by acquiring the in-form English middle-order batter, Harry Brook, for ₹4 crore, double his base price. Brook’s addition addressed the team’s need for solidity in the middle order, an area that posed challenges for DC in the previous IPL season.

Following this, DC secured the explosive South African wicketkeeper-batter Tristan Stubbs for the base price of ₹50 lakh, aiming to bolster their batting lineup and address concerns related to finishing games in Rishabh Pant’s absence.

Encountering challenges in bidding for certain players, DC had to wait until the section featuring uncapped players to make their next signing. Former SunRisers Hyderabad wicketkeeper Ricky Bhui became the team’s third addition, providing further depth to their squad.

In a surprising move, DC then invested ₹7.20 crore to sign 18-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra, making him the team’s most expensive signing for the day. Impressed by his performance in age-group cricket and domestic competitions, DC secured Kushagra, who has demonstrated the ability to play impactful knocks in the middle order.

See Also:Rajasthan Royals IPL 2024 Squad-Full Player List, Auction Purchases, Remaining Purse

The team also addressed their need for fast bowlers, opting for the talented pacer from Jammu and Kashmir, Rasikh Dar Salam, at a price of ₹20 lakh, bypassing popular choices like Kartik Tyagi.

With a significant portion of their purse still untouched, DC went on a spending spree in the latter part of the auction. They secured Australian seamer Jhye Richardson for ₹5 crore, Player of the Tournament in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023, pacer Sumit Kumar for ₹1 crore, West Indies ODI captain Shai Hope for ₹75 lakh, and UP all-rounder Swastik Chikara for ₹20 lakh, further fortifying their squad for the upcoming season.

DC Retained Players:

Newly Added Players to DC Team 2024:

Squad Strength – 25 (Indian – 17, Overseas – 8)

Purse Remaining – INR – 9.90 Crore

Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma is “pretty disappointed” with his batting performance in IPL 2022 but he is confident of turning it around in the coming days. In 14 games, Rohit managed just 268 runs at an average of 19.14 and a strike rate of 120.17. It is also the first time that he failed to score a single half-century in an IPL season.”A lot of things that I wanted to do didn’t happen,” he said after Mumbai’s last league game. “But this has happened with me earlier as well, so it’s not something I am going through for the first time.

“I know cricket doesn’t end here; there is a lot of cricket ahead. So I need to take care of the mental aspect and think about how I can return to form and perform. It’s only a minor adjustment and I will try to work on that whenever there is some time off.”Rohit’s performance had an impact on the team’s fortunes as well. Mumbai suffered eight successive losses at the start of the season, and while they won four of their last six games, it wasn’t enough to avoid the wooden spoon.

“It was a bit disappointing season for us as we couldn’t execute our plans at the start of the tournament,” Rohit said. “And we know that in tournaments like the IPL, you have to build that momentum.”Initially, when we kept losing games one after another, that was a difficult time. For us, what was important was to make sure that whatever we had planned, we came out and tried those things. It didn’t happen exactly the way we wanted to.”But it happens sometimes when you have a new team as some players take some time to understand their roles.

Must Read: Fielding and Impressive Fielders over the years: 2022

This season was a nightmare for Rohit and MI, will come back much stronger next year

Certain guys were playing for the first time for this franchise. And they play different roles when they play for their country, for their state, or in different leagues. And when they come here, they get different roles. So it takes a little time to get adjusted.”In the second half of the campaign, Rohit said, the whole team did well, in both batting and bowling departments, which was a big positive. “When you have to win matches or tournaments, you have to perform like that,” he said.’

Performing with both bat and ball was something Delhi Capitals failed to do, according to their head coach Ricky Ponting. Ponting was all praise for his bowlers but felt his batters let the team down, and as a result, they couldn’t make it to the playoffs.”If I look at our entire season, it’s pretty fair to say that our bowling group have probably done a better job on a whole than our batting group,” he said. “Our batting group has been really inconsistent and probably haven’t scored the amount of runs that we should have scored.

“I’m not making excuses, but we’ve had quite an interrupted season with Covid, injuries and other illnesses that we’ve had through our camp. So it’s been one of those up-and-down and inconsistent seasons.”We’ve all been delighted with Khaleel Ahmed, Chetan Sakariya in the games he played. Kuldeep Yadav has been one of the finds of the tournament. You always know what you’re going to get with Axar Patel. Shardul [Thakur] had some really good games at the back end of the tournament as well. So I think it’s fair to say that on a whole, our bowling group probably did outperform our batting group.

“But right through the tournament we just haven’t been able to put very good games of cricket together. In the first half, we played some good cricket without being very good. I pretty much demanded of the guys to find a way to turn that good into very good in the back half of the tournament and we were probably a little bit better in the back half. But you know we’ve come up a game short and that’s disappointing for everybody.”

Delhi Capitals survived a scare before Shimron Hetmyer played a match-winning cameo to steer them to a thrilling three-wicket victory against Chennai Super Kings in their IPL match in Dubai on Monday. With the victory, Delhi has gone on the top of the standings with 20 points. Despite the fact that both the teams have already qualified for the play-offs the match was of paramount importance. Both Chennai and Delhi want to finish on the top spot to avoid the jitters of going through a grueling eliminator. The team, which finishes on the top of the table will play in the first qualifier with the fourth-placed team.

The winner of the first qualifier will directly book a spot in the final of the tournament. In the eliminator, the second and the third-placed finishers will take on each other. The winner of the eliminator will play with the loser of the first qualifier. The winner of the second qualifier will meet the winner of the first qualifier in the title showdown. Shradul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja wreaked havoc as Delhi kept on losing the wicket at regular intervals and struggled in the chase of the modest total of 136/5. Shikhar Dhawan gave a blazing start to Delhi and added 24 runs with Prithvi Shaw before Deepak Chahar got rid of the latter to break the dangerous-looking opening-wicket stand.

After the departure of Shaw, Dhawan carried on the good work and shared a 27-run stand for the second wicket with Shreyas Iyer. So dominant was Dhawan, that in the 27-run partnership, Iyer’s contribution was only two runs, 25 came off the bat of Dhawan. After Iyer was dismissed cheaply, the onus fell on the shoulders of Pant and Dhawan to take the match forward. Dhawan took the back seat and preferred to play the sheet-anchor role as Pant did most of the scoring. Jadeja struck in quick successions and dismissed Pant and Ripal Patel as Delhi was reduced to 93/4.

Suddenly, what should have been an easy target turned into a herculean task. Shradul Thakur also swung into action and sent back Ashwin and Dhawan within a space of five balls to leave Delhi tottering at 99-6. Hetmyer took the charge in his hands and added 36 runs with Patel for the seventh wicket to bring the equation down to two needed off four balls before Bravo removed the latter to tilt the match again. But Rabada smashed a boundary to put all the doubts to rest as Delhi reached the target for the loss of seven wickets with two balls remaining.

Must Read: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is happy to bag two points against SRH, keeping IPL 2021 alive.

Changes in IPL points table after this match

Earlier, Avesh Khan and Axar Patel ran through the top-order of the Chennai batting line-up. Chennai batsmen did not look like a pale shadow of what they were against Rajasthan. Delhi’s bowling is undisputedly strongest in the tournament. The pair of Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada makes a lethal combination. But of late, it is the duo of spinner Patel and pacer Khan who are making the waves. After getting off to a decent start, Chennai’s innings were derailed in the middle by Patel and Khan, who bowled in tandem to push them on the back foot.

Ruturaj Gaekwad and Faf Du Plessis put up 28 runs for the first wicket before Patel broke the partnership to give Delhi the first breakthrough. The wily spinner had the former South African captain caught by Iyer. Nortje also struck two overs later as Gaikwad, the centurion of the last match against Rajasthan, holed out to Ashwin after a watchful 13 off as many balls as Chennai lost their second wicket with just 39 runs on the board. Moeen Ali again failed with the bat as he became the second victim of Patel after scoring just 5 runs as Chennai was reduced to 59-3.

Dhoni was caught by Pant off Khan while trying to propel the score to a fighting total as Chennai mustered 136/5. This is the third consecutive match Rabada has gone wicket-less, though he was economical, conceding only 21 runs from his four overs.

T Natarajan tests positive for Covid-19 today.

Sunrisers Hyderabad player T Natarajan tested positive for Covid-19 on wednesday who underwent a RT-PCR test. SRH are scheduled to resume their game later today against Delhi Capitals at Dubai. 

The six members who have been identified as close contacts are Vijay Shankar(Player), Vijay Kumar (Team Manager), Shyam Sundar(Junior Physiotherapist), Anjana Vannan(Doctor), Tushar Khedkar (Logistics Manager) and Periyasamy Ganesan (Net Bowler). The BCCI stated that Natarajan has isolated himself from the rest of the squad and is currently not showing any symptoms as of now. “The rest of the squad including the close contacts who went through RT-PCR, tested negative. As a result, tonight’s game between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals will go ahead at the Dubai International Stadium” the official IPL mail announced.

This news has put a lot of fans and cricket experts in stress as T Natarajan is considered to be go-to bowler for Sunrisers Hyderabad during the death overs. SRH are hoping to turn tables around as they are currently at the 8th position in the points table. This is the first match of SRH in the second leg of IPL. Let us wish Natarajan for a speedy recovery and get ready to catch the live action at Dubai today at 7:30 IST.

Two-time IPL runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have departed for Dubai from Bengaluru on Sunday ahead of the second leg of IPL 2021 in UAE. They become the sixth franchise to leave for the gulf country ahead of the start of the tournament on September 19. The franchise posted pictures on social media before the team boarded the flight to Dubai. “The RCB family en route UAE!

Indian pacer Navdeep Saini tweeted a picture of him with his RCB teammates Devdutt Padikkal and Shubhang Hegde, captioning it ‘back benchers’. Other members like Mohammed Azharuddin and Sachin Baby shared their pictures from the flight. The Indian players along with support staff and management underwent a six-day quarantine in Bengaluru from August 21. After landing in Dubai, the team will undergo another six days of quarantine before hitting the ground for training.

The franchise has signed the Sri Lankan duo of Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera apart from Singapore’s Tim David and England’s George Garton as replacement players. With Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson, Finn Allen, and Scott Kuggeleijn unavailable for the second leg of IPL 2021, the quartet was roped in as replacements by RCB.

Royal Challengers Bangalore will resume their campaign in IPL 2021 on September 20 against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. They are currently in third place in the points table with five wins and two losses in seven matches.

Must Read: CPL 2021: St Kitts and Nevis Patriots secured Second Victory; Crushed Guyana Amazon Warriors by 8 wickets

Punjab Kings also leave for remainder IPL 2021

IPL 2014 runners-up Punjab Kings have left for Dubai from Mumbai on Sunday. After reaching the city, they will undergo the mandatory six-day hotel quarantine before starting their training for the second leg of IPL 2021. The franchise took to social media to share the pictures of their players Shahrukh Khan, Mandeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Ishan Porel, head coach Anil Kumble and batting coach Wasim Jaffer in travel gear inside the flight before taking off for Dubai.

On Saturday, the Indian players, support staff, and management of the team had assembled in Mumbai before their departure to UAE. Punjab will be the fifth franchise to land in the gulf country ahead of the remaining matches of IPL 2021.

Earlier, Punjab had signed Australian pacer Nathan Ellis and England spinner Adil Rashid as replacements for the Australian pace duo of Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith for the UAE leg of IPL 2021. This will be the first stint in the IPL for both Ellis and Rashid. Punjab is currently ranked sixth in the points table with three wins and five losses in eight matches. They will start their IPL campaign against Rajasthan Royals on September 21 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Delhi Capital began their traing at UAE, after quarantine.

IPL 2020 runners-up Delhi Capitals began their first training session after completing the mandatory six-day quarantine in Dubai. The Indian players, support staff, and management had reached Dubai from New Delhi on August 21. The franchise took to social media to share pictures of the players training at the ICC Academy in Dubai on Saturday evening after the quarantine period was over. They also posted a video of Shreyas Iyer coming down the pitch and hitting a six. Other members like Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Lukman Meriwala, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Pravin Dubey, and Siddharth Manimaran were seen practicing as well.

Iyer, who had missed the first leg of IPL 2021 due to a shoulder injury, was already in Dubai to prepare for the second leg of the tournament scheduled to begin on September 19 in the UAE. Iyer had been practicing with assistant coach Pravin Amre for two weeks before the team arrived in Dubai.

During the first ODI against England in March, Iyer had sustained a shoulder injury that needed surgery and missed the remainder of the series and the first half of IPL 2021 in India. In his absence, Rishabh Pant led the team till the second wave of COVID-19 halted the tournament. Delhi is currently the table toppers with six wins and two losses from eight matches. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings were the first to reach UAE and began training sessions ahead of the tournament.

The second leg of the IPL 2021 will begin with Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 19. Delhi will resume its campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the same venue on September 22.