In a thrilling opening match of IPL 2024 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Titans under the captaincy of Shubman Gill showcased exceptional death bowling skills to secure a narrow six-run victory over the formidable Mumbai Indians on Sunday. Despite Mumbai’s valiant efforts in chasing a target of 169, they fell short, managing only 162/9 in their allotted 20 overs, despite noteworthy performances from Rohit Sharma and Dewald Brevis, both scoring over 40 runs. Notably, this win also marks Shubman Gill’s maiden triumph as captain in the IPL, adding a significant milestone to his leadership journey.

Jasprit Bumrah makes a remarkable comeback

Jasprit Bumrah made a spectacular comeback to the Indian T20 League, leaving fans in awe with his stellar performance. In a nail-biting moment during the match, Bumrah delivered an impeccable yorker, aiming precisely at the off stump with great speed and a slight inward movement.

The batsman, Wriddhiman Saha, tried to defend the ball but missed it entirely. The result was electrifying as the ball crashed into the off stump, sending it flying. Bumrah couldn’t contain his excitement and jubilantly sprinted away in celebration.

Rohit Sharma shines but not able to bring the result

The experienced Indian captain, who recently relinquished his leadership role in the Mumbai Indians, started his IPL campaign with a bang. Rohit Sharma, the seasoned batsman, showcased his class by scoring a quick and fluent 43 runs, making the chase appear effortless.

However, Sharma’s innings took a turn when he attempted a sweep shot against R Sai Kishore on the very first ball of the 13th over and got dismissed. Unfortunately for Mumbai Indians, Sharma’s departure signaled a downward spiral for the team as they struggled to recover from the setback.

Mohit Sharma and Umesh Yadav steals the heart

In a surprising turn of events, Mohit Sharma took two wickets while giving away 32 runs against a formidable Mumbai Indians lineup. Umesh Yadav played a crucial role in the final overs, helping Gujarat Titans secure an unexpected victory in the last over of the match. Umesh successfully defended 19 runs, proving instrumental in the team’s win.

Mumbai Indians faced a setback as they lost four wickets in the final two overs of their chase. Tilak Varma, Gerald Coetzee, Hardik Pandya, and Piyush Chawla were the victims of the late onslaught. A special mention goes to Spencer Johnson, who made an impressive debut by bowling a superb 19th over.

Despite facing a tough challenge, Spencer managed to take two wickets while conceding just 8 runs. It was a remarkable performance, especially considering he had given away 17 runs in his first over of the innings. His resilience and skill in the face of pressure played a pivotal role in Gujarat Titans’ victory.

Shubman Gill and veteran Wriddhiman Saha started well when Gujarat Titans batted first against Mumbai Indians. They hit some good shots against the opening bowlers, Hardik Pandya and Azmatullah Omarzai. But then, Jasprit Bumrah took a couple of wickets and slowed them down. The pitch was tricky, and the batters found it hard to score freely against Bumrah, who is one of the best bowlers in T20 cricket.

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Shubman Gill, Gujarat’s captain, acknowledged the challenge of dewy conditions but praised his team’s composure. He credited spinners Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore for their pivotal roles in managing the situation. Gill lauded Mohit Sharma as a game-changer, emphasizing his consistent performances. He also thanked the home crowd for their unwavering support in both day and night matches.

Indian fast bowler Umesh Yadav is eyeing a comeback to the ODI format during the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 34-year-old last played an ODI for India in December 2019 and has since struggled with injuries, which have limited his opportunities with the national team.

Yadav, who has played 75 ODIs for India, is confident that he can make a successful comeback and is targeting the 2023 IPL as a platform to showcase his abilities. The right-arm pacer has been in good form in the IPL, representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

“I am focusing on the upcoming IPL and performing well for RCB. I believe that a good performance in the IPL will help me in making a comeback to the Indian team in the ODI format. I have been working hard on my fitness and skills, and I am confident that I can perform at the highest level.”

Yadav said, speaking to the media.

Talking to the media about his ambitions to play in the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023, Umesh said that he needed to do well in the IPL 2023 to stake a claim in the Indian squad.

“The ODI World Cup is played after every four years and this can be my last opportunity to be a part of it. So I need to do well in IPL and make a comeback in ODI format. As I said the World Cup comes after every four years and I’m not sure if I’ll be around then. Hence I want to make this season count and not wait for another four years.”

He said.

Umesh Yadav has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket and has a good record in the IPL

He has taken 119 wickets in 121 IPL matches at an economy rate of 8.45. His ability to bowl fast and swing the ball has made him a potent weapon for RCB, and he will be looking to replicate his form in the upcoming season.

Yadav’s comeback to the Indian team will depend on his performance in the IPL, and he will face tough competition from the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Deepak Chahar. However, Yadav is up for the challenge and is looking forward to the opportunity.

“I know that the competition for places in the Indian team is tough, but I am ready for the challenge. I have played enough cricket to know what it takes to perform at the highest level, and I am confident that I can make a successful comeback,”

Yadav added.

Umesh Yadav has indeed made the statement that “This can be my last World Cup,” it suggests that he is aware of the challenges of making a comeback to the Indian team and is looking to make the most of his opportunities. It also indicates that he may be considering retiring from international cricket after the next World Cup.

“Guys like Umesh, Shami don’t need to be playing a particular format to succeed at it. They have proven themselves. It’s the quality. Young guys need to prove themselves but not them. If they are fit and available they will be called back. We don’t need to look at the form. We saw how well Umesh Yadav bowled in the IPL. He bowled pretty well. He gives us an option to use upfront with the new ball, swings the ball, bowls fast so not much debate about him,”

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma had then said about Umesh Yadav’s comeback to India’s T20I team.

In conclusion, Umesh Yadav is targeting the 2023 IPL as a platform to make a comeback to the Indian ODI team. The fast bowler is working hard on his fitness and skills and is confident of performing well in the IPL. If he can replicate his form from previous IPL seasons, Yadav could become a vital asset for India in the ODI format.

In a major blow to the Indian team, the leading pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 due to a back stress fracture. The Board of Control for Cricket in India informed about Bumrah’s condition a few minutes before the toss took place at the 1st T20I between India and South Africa. The 28-year-old pacer has missed the Asia Cup 2022 due to his back issue. He made a comeback to the T20I team in the Australia series. But registered his worst performance in the 3rd T20I by giving away 50 runs in 4 overs.

The news of Bumrah’s exclusion from the T20 World Cup 2022 will be a big concern for the team which now needs a death bowling expert to replace him. Jasprit Bumrah is the second senior player to be ruled out of the T20 World Cup. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is also out of the ICC mega event as he is recovering from a knee injury.

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Bumrah is out for World Cup with a Stress Fracture; Shami, Umesh, and Chahar could get a slot

The selectors will have a hard time choosing Bumrah’s replacement as his void will be difficult to fill which is why he is considered as one of the top T20I bowlers. Mohammad Shami will be considered for the experience he brings with him. But he hasn’t played a T20I since the last T20 World Cup in November 2021. Among the other options, Deepak Chahar and Umesh Yadav are the current contenders as both of them are getting opportunities.

Umesh Yadav was picked for one match against Australia where he picked 2 wickets in 2 overs. He looked in great form in the IPL 2022 season, playing for Kolkata Knight Riders. Deepak Chahar has been picked for under-going India vs South Africa T20I series. He looks in good shape after coming back from an injury. A major plus point for Chahar is his ability to score a few crucial runs with the bat.

Umesh Yadav is a fixture in the IPL having moved around from team to team since 2010. He struggled for opportunities early on, and once he got opportunities he struggled with control, making him one of the more expensive bowlers in the league. Over his career, Umesh Yadav has grown into a fine fast bowler. He solved India’s search for a raw fast bowler in 2010, and is one of the best bowlers while playing at home. His white ball exploits are also good from time to time, but control has been an issue.

He had a good time in his first stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders. Gautham Gambhir managed to get the best out of him back then, but expensive death overs made him struggle. With Bangalore, Virat Kohli found a way to make Yadav effective again. He often used Yadav at one go with the new ball as Yadav picked some key wickets with the swinging ball upfront. His success was short-lived though as Yadav’s form up front prompted Kohli to use him at other moments of the game leading to the creation of Umesh Yadav, the run-machine.

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With a bad season, Yadav’s stocks fell badly. He was bought at base price by the Delhi Capitals, benched the whole season and went unsold in the first round of the IPL 2022 Auctions. Umesh Yadav’s name popped up later in the day though and he was fortunate to be picked up at base price again by the Kolkata Knight Riders. Back in a franchise which gave him some success in the past, Umesh Yadav, one of the lower-priced players was given the responsibility of taking the new ball in the first game.

Opening the bowling of a new season with a new captain, Umesh Yadav immediately respected Iyer’s trust and broke the game open. He took two early wickets to begin the tournament well, and continued the good work in his next game. Against Bangalore, Umesh Yadav took up further responsibilities as a miser in the attack. With a small target to defend, Iyer used Yadav upfront to pick up early wickets, but also kept a couple over for later. He used Umesh Yadav like a trump card, and bought him on for breakthroughs as Yadav delivered yet again.

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His best though has come against the Punjab Kings. With Umesh Yadav in flying form, Shreyas Iyer continued to not only restrict him with the new-ball, but trusted him in the latter half too. He gave a brilliant performance, taking four wickets and breaking the back of the Punjab Kings. The chase was all to easy and Umesh Yadav finished with the man of the match award. He went on to make a record as well. His man-of-the-match award allows him to hold the record of most man of the match awards against a team as Yadav has enjoyed a lot of success against the Kings in the past.

Umesh Yadav is off to a dream start now, and has been doing well through the pandemic. With limited opportunities coming his way, Yadav stepped up brilliantly in the games he got during the Australia and England tour, and is now coming to the party in the IPL. He still has a lot of pace, touching 140 with ease, is moving the ball around with control like a pro, and has found a home in the Kolkata Knight Riders. He came to the franchise when he was relatively young, but in his peak as an Indian bowler, and is now back a much more mature bowler.

Three games in, Umesh Yadav’s aggression and talent is finally on display. He holds the purple cap and the fact that he was bought for base price in the second round of the auction makes people realize how fortunate the Kolkata Knight Riders for such an effective bargain buy.

Umesh Yadav continued his dream run with a four-wicket haul before Andre Russell returned to his brutal best to fire KKR to an easy six-wicket win over Punjab Kings at Wankhede on Friday. Umesh (4/23), coming into the season with just two games over two IPL seasons and going unsold initially at the auction, produced career-best T20 figures to help KKR dismiss Punjab for a below-par 137 in 18.2 overs. It was supposed to be a straightforward chase but Rahul Chahar raised Punjab’s hopes with a double-wicket maiden to reduce KKR to 51 for four.

However, Russell (70 not out off 31 balls) came out in the middle and changed the game with his barrage of sixes, eight in total, to make it a cakewalk in just 14.3 overs. He smashed three sixes off Odean Smith in an over that went for 30 runs. No rope is long enough when Russell is going all guns blazing and he was in that kind of zone on Friday night. The Jamaican dasher fittingly ended the game with a couple of sixes off Liam Livingstone’s friendly leg-breaks. It was KKR’s second win in three games while Punjab suffered their first loss of the season after the win over RCB.

Earlier, KKR bowlers stifled a power-laden Punjab Kings batting line-up. With heavy dew setting in later half of the games, fielding first has become a no-brainer this IPL and KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer called it right at the toss. Punjab, which had successfully chased 200 plus in their opening game, enjoyed a good powerplay that yielded 62 for 3 in six overs. Veteran pacer Umesh, who has been proving his critics wrong this season., once again provided the breakthrough early in the game, removing opposition skipper Mayank Agarwal, who was found plumb in front after missing a rather straight and full delivery in the first over of the match.

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Russell, Umesh star as Kolkata Knight Riders win their match by 6 wickets to spare

Sri Lankan Bhanuka Rajapaksa (31 off 9) who had produced a match-winning knock in the first game, looked in sensational touch at the Wankhede Stadium. In his brief stay in the middle, the top-order batter hammered three fours and as many sixes, mostly towards the mid-wicket region, leaving the spectators in awe. His breathtaking effort was perhaps the lone bright in otherwise underwhelming innings. Iyer was impressed with his leadership. He brought back Umesh in the middle overs to ensure there was no fightback from Punjab. He also employed a slip in the 15th over and was rewarded for that with the wicket of Rahul Chahar.

His new ball partner Tim Southee and KKR’s retained spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine were also too good for the Punjab batters. Livingstone (19 off 16) could convert his start while India U-19 star Raj Angad Bawa found the going tough for the second game in a row. Kagisa Rabada (25 off 16), playing his first game of the seasons, saved Punjab the blushes by getting much-needed boundaries to take the total close to 140. KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer called it right at the toss. Punjab, which had successfully chased 200 plus in their opening game, enjoyed a good powerplay that yielded 62 for 3 in six overs.

Veteran pacer Umesh, who has been proving his critics wrong this season., once again provided the breakthrough early in the game, removing opposition skipper Mayank Agarwal. It was supposed to be a straightforward chase but Rahul Chahar raised Punjab’s hopes with a double-wicket maiden to reduce KKR to 51 for four. He smashed three sixes off Odean Smith in an over that went for 30 runs. No rope is long enough when Russell is going all guns blazing and he was in that kind of zone on Friday night.

With the third Test coming up, India may have a small headache picking Ishant Sharma or Umesh Yadav. Mohammad Siraj suffered a hamstring injury in the first innings of the second Test, and was limited in his bowling. He still bowled with injury, but the fire Siraj brings to the bowling attack was missing, and his pace was down. Over the past two series, Siraj has grown into one of India’s top Test bowlers, and there is a chance of him being rested, to look after his injury.

With Siraj sitting out, India will have to pick one out of Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav. Both bowlers are vastly experienced and were once the attack leaders. While Ishant Sharma has struggled for rhythm in recent times, Umesh Yadav has been at his best. With a lot of options though, Umesh couldn’t find a place in the eleven despite his brilliant form.

Umesh last played at the Oval, which was his first game in the fourth match of a five-match series. After waiting for an opportunity, Umesh Yadav bowled nicely, and took some key wickets using the unpredictable nature of the surface to his advantage. His ability to move the ball both ways was on display nicely, but even on days where the surface doesn’t help, Umesh Yadav can be a handful. He is among the fastest bowlers in the squad, and is skiddy in nature. With his skillset, Yadav can target the stumps well, but at times is a bit expensive due to his nature of bowling.

Ishant Sharma missed the Oval Test due to an injury, but may have been out even if fit. His form in Headingly was dipping, and the rhythm was completely off. Ishant Sharma got another chance in Kanpur, but couldn’t impress. He has shown glimpses of his early self, spraying the ball around and conceding runs easily.

Ishant’s lack of rhythm though could be due to the nature of his injuries. Since the beginning of 2020, Ishant Sharma was on and off with injury, and missed a few Tests during the period. While he was valuable in Lords, getting India into the game with key wickets, Ishant Sharma struggled in Headingly, putting doubts over his form and future again.

With an injury in the side, Sharma may get a chance to find his flow again. He has a slight advantage over Umesh Yadav due to his height. Height is a factor in which India has been lacking this series, as the South African pacers are considerably taller, and have been able to make better use of the inconsistent bounce on offer. While Ishant is no longer a hit the deck bowler, his height could still come as an advantage even as he sticks to his style of bowling full and swinging the ball.

If India however feels they need a faster bowler, who could also swing the ball both ways, Umesh Yadav will be the likely pick, despite his tendency to go for runs. Both bowlers have been apart of the set-up for a long time, and will be eager to get out their and make a stake for themselves as regular members again.