Category Uncategorized

From planning to protest against the IPL to becoming fans of the league

Rahul Misra23-Apr-2017In the middle of the previous decade, cricket fans in India were introduced to a new spectacle. The BCCI, in all its wisdom, paraded its top brass on television and proposed the Indian Premier League. Supposedly perfect for an evening out with friends and family, the matches would finish in three hours. You know, like baseball.I still remember the disgust with which my circle of friends discussed the new competition. Our beloved game was being demolished, sold to the television gods for prime-time revenues. What about the battle between bat and ball, we asked, our collective voices high-pitched with indignation. What about the delicious build-up to the final hour? Imagine our horror when we realised that the game blessed by WG Grace and Ranjitsinhji would now have cheerleaders.We couldn’t have been more annoyed if our quiet neighbourhood pub was being replaced by a screeching karaoke bar. Or if our favourite local fish-and-curry restaurant was demolished for a fast-food joint. Might as well tear up Eden Gardens and put a shopping mall on the pitch.We felt we were being betrayed. After a few beers, we even drew up plans to raise banners of protest outside the BCCI office. But then we were a bunch of couch commentators. Talkers, not doers. By the next morning, our indignation had given way to a headache and a hangover, but our decision to boycott stood firm. Or so we thought.One of the chaps in our group was more of a football fan. Every set of friends has at least one of them. He couldn’t stand Test cricket, thought draws after five days were a colossal waste of time, and believed David Beckham was a greater sportsman than Sachin Tendulkar. Always the odd one out, he couldn’t understand why we were so fussed. From his point of view, cricket was finally becoming a tad interesting.He was the one who secretly got us tickets. After raining our anger down at him, the rest of us looked at each other and shrugged. It was a Mumbai Indians match. Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya in the same team, opening the batting together. We couldn’t really resist that, could we?So when the day of the match arrived, all of us grudgingly headed to the stadium, promising ourselves we wouldn’t enjoy it. It probably took about five overs for our resolve to fly out of the stadium like those huge sixes that the batsmen unleashed. By the end, we were dancing the in the aisles while the cheerleaders twirled their pom-poms.Ten years have passed since then. I no longer live in India and that circle of friends has spread to different parts of the world. Last month, I saw a tweet from that football-loving friend praising Cheteshwar Pujara’s 525-ball vigil against Australia. I buzzed him and imagine my surprise when he said it was the best match he had ever seen!If it wasn’t for the initial taste of the IPL, perhaps he would never have gotten converted. T20 is cricket’s teaser, that free cocktail that gets people in the door and encourages them to hang around for the seven-course dinner. They come in for the sixes and stay for the maiden overs.As for me and the rest of my friends, we have enthusiastically supported our chosen teams for the past decade. Let’s just say that while we enjoy our quiet beers, that doesn’t mean we can’t sing a mean rendition of “We are the Champions” on karaoke.Want to be featured on Inbox? Send your articles to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line.

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2015Rahane led the way for India, making his maiden Test century at home•BCCIHe was dismissed by Imran Tahir for 127 but R Ashwin brought up his sixth Test fifty and pushed the hosts ahead•BCCIKyle Abbott, however, bowled India out for 334 soon after lunch•Associated PressRavindra Jadeja then struck thrice in five overs to leave South Africa tottering at 62 for 4•BCCIAB de Villiers showed everyone that the Delhi pitch had no demons in it, with a fluent 42•Associated PressThe rest of the line-up could not measure up though, as six single-digit scores suggest•BCCIJadeja picked up a five-for and Ashwin chipped in with two wickets to bowl South Africa out for 121•BCCI

Plays of the day from the seventh ODI between Sri Lanka and England in Colombo

Alan Gardner and Andrew Fidel Fernando16-Dec-2014The headwear
When Fawad Alam bowled with his cap on backwards during the recent series between Pakistan and Australia, it caused a bit of a stir. Joe Root is not quite as part-time as Alam but, when called upon to chip in with a few overs here, he promptly came in off a few steps and delivered the ball with his head still covered, peak pointing down the wicket. He then took his cap off and gave it to the umpire but not before a few comparisons with Geoffrey Boycott had been made. Proof, if any were needed, that cricket can be a strange game.The premature arm-raise
Chris Woakes returned to bowl during the batting Powerplay and targeted Dinesh Chandimal with a familiar short-pitched attack. A wild hack resulted in a top edge that went soaring in the direction of third man and Woakes immediately threw his hands up in celebration. He might have hesitated had he realised who the fielder running in was, though. Harry Gurney is not the man you would pick to catch for your life and on this occasion he didn’t even get close, there was no attempt at a dive and the ball then spun past him anyway, nearly going for four. Woakes’ hands dropped to his sides and on the replay he could be seen exclaiming: “Harry!”The good bad impressions
When you have hit 13,158 runs in each other’s company, across formats, perhaps it is inevitable that bad habits are shared, along with the good times. Batting for the final time in ODIs at home, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara fell mimicking mistakes more often seen at the opposite end of their bromance. Jayawardene had batted imperiously for his 28, but sent a leg-side half-tracker down the gullet of fine leg. Sangakkara had collected his 33 with typical care, but in his efforts to gently manoeuvre the field, chipped an offspinner straight to short midwicket.The compensatory celebrations
Colombo had wanted to see Sangakkara and Jayawardene rack up some milestones with the bat, but as neither managed to get past the thirties, it fell to the other senior batsman, Tillakaratne Dilshan, to give the full house its fill. He was most emphatic when celebrating his ton. Completing the two that took him to triple-figures, Dilshan dropped his bat by the wicketkeeper, his helmet at short third man, leapt, punched the air, and blew two kisses to the same stand that houses the dressing room. He was more reserved, but no less joyful when celebrating his wickets, embarking on a skip around one side of the pitch after his second scalp.Colombo gets its wish
Sangakkara has been involved in more ODI dismissals – 480 – than any other wicketkeeper in history. Jayawardene is by a huge margin the most prolific catch-taker (among non-wicketkeepers) in 50-over cricket, having successfully pouched 215 off the blade. But never before have the two combined on any scorecard. When Angelo Mathews tossed Jayawardene the ball with one England wicket remaining, the 25,000-strong crowd began baying for their perfect finish. Almost by their force of will, it came together. James Tredwell walked past a turning offspinner in Jayawardene’s second over, and Sangakkara whipped off the bails, as the stadium erupted, and the team broke out in big grins.

The man himself has told, but we can’t quite be content with that now, can we?

Andy Zaltzman25-Feb-2013News of Kevin Pietersen’s characteristically unorthodox retirement from limited-overs international cricket shook this nation to its core. The Queen, just days before celebrating her Jubilee by being plonked on a flotilla and fired down the Thames, was reportedly “beside herself”, after booking a two-week holiday in Sri Lanka for her and the Duke of Edinburgh to coincide with the World Twenty20 this autumn.Pietersen’s partial retirement was an announcement that, whilst not quite in the category of Elvis Presley appearing at an emotional press conference at Lord’s announcing that he was (a) still alive, (b) available for selection for England in all formats, and (c) turning down an IPL contract to focus on playing for Kent, was nonetheless still a shock.From a cricketing perspective, whether you are an England supporter, player, administrator, or none of the above, Pietersen’s premature exit from the shorter forms of the international game is a massive disappointment. Albeit not quite as massive a disappointment as it would have been if Elvis Presley, at the end of that emotional press conference, had pulled off a mask to reveal that he was in fact Kent skipper Robert Key.Inevitably, within seconds of the announcement, in which Pietersen declared unequivocally why he had taken this rather drastic step ‒ due to the physical demands of the international schedule on his ageing body ‒ speculation began as to why Pietersen had taken this rather drastic step. Was it to concentrate on his Test career? To maximise his potential T20 earnings? To spend more time with his family? Or, as some outlandish conspiracy theorists suggested, due to the physical demands of the international schedule on his ageing body?Time will tell. Pietersen has already told, but time will also tell. As will the number of T20 contracts he hoovers up over the next few years. Personally, I think his stated reasons are understandable. Cricket, like most professional sports in the increasingly competitive 21st-century era, has been busily trying to squeeze eggs out of any even vaguely golden, silvery or bronze-tinted geese. In a summer when it was apparently impossible to schedule even a four-Test series against South Africa, let alone the five Tests it merited, Pietersen can be forgiven for looking at the calendar of 13 ODIs and thinking that it would be hard to maintain his focus and enthusiasm throughout. I am sure many England supporters are thinking the same. This absurd menu of 50-over porridge now looks even less appetising without England’s most exciting player.As the current make-up of the West Indian team testifies, players are being forced to make choices that there is no good reason for them being forced to make. Cricket’s calendar urgently needs to see a psychiatrist. Its behaviour is increasingly irrational, and it is starting to alienate even those who love it. It clearly has deep-seated issues that need addressing, before it does itself irreparable harm. And, like the rest of us, it needs to find a satisfactory life-balance between money and spiritual well-being.● Pietersen’s ODI career has been a rather baffling journey, but his back-to-back hundreds in Dubai in February suggested that he could have gone on to become a dominant, potentially tournament-winning one-day opener and England’s best-ever ODI batsman (not an especially hotly contested category, admittedly) (barely even warmly contested) (he possibly/probably is that anyway, but his overall ODI career has nevertheless been something of a disappointment) (in his first ten and final two innings combined, he averaged a supernatural 178, and scored five centuries – in the 104 innings over six and a half years in between, his average was a distinctly human 34, and he hit four hundreds) (so the feeling persists that ODI cricket had not seen as much of the best of Pietersen as it should have).His retirement is also a sizeable baseball bat to the midriff of England’s hopes of retaining the World T20 title they won in the Caribbean two years ago, in which Pietersen was the dominant influence, scoring 73 not out (off 52 balls), 53 (off 33), 42 not out (off 26), and 47 (off 31) in the four successive victories that took England to their first major limited-over trophy. He can stake a claim to being the best batsman to date in the short history of T20 internationals, a format in which he scored consistently and rapidly ‒ he was out in single figures just four times in 36 innings, and scored 40 or more 14 times, more than any other player, ahead of Brendon McCullum (12 times in 47 innings).However, if his voluntary streamlining of his England schedule results in him being mentally, physically and technically fresh for Test cricket in the next few Ashes-laden years, few will complain.● Amongst the innumerable reasons for the West Indies’ continued failure as a Test team is the high turnover of players. From the completely pointless 2009 two-Test series in England, eight of the England XI were playing at Trent Bridge in this year’s second Test. Of the remaining three, Onions was in the squad, and Bopara close to it. Only the retired Collingwood is out of the Test picture.Of the 2009 West Indian XI that capitulated so meekly it looked like they were trying to fast-track themselves to inheriting the earth (a possible legacy of the Allen Stanford era), only two remain – Shivnarine Chanderpaul and the recently recalled Denesh Ramdin. Fidel Edwards played in the Lord’s Test, but the rest have gone their various ways, including paceman Jerome Taylor, who, having destroyed England in a series-winning blitz in Jamaica just months previously, has gone on to play only one more Test after the 2009 series.Taylor now seems engaged in an endless squabblathon with the impenetrable mystic entity that is the WICB. Part of the elongobicker revolves around the allegation that his fitness is not up to the standards required to represent West Indies in a Test match. Having seen the not-entirely-Bruce-Reid-esque girth of Ravi Rampaul at Trent Bridge, this raises suspicions that Taylor had succumbed to a diet of battered cheese and lard ice-cream, and ballooned to the size of an unusually gluttonous sumo wrestler, and that, aside from issues of declining form, he logistically cannot be squeezed out of the dressing room door onto the field of play. Or that the WICB has still not mastered the delicate art of player management. Your call.● I promised in my last blog that this blog would feature Marlon Samuels. I am now promising that the next blog will feature Marlon Samuels. If you are Marlon Samuels, I apologise. The rest of you, I expect to take this grievous disappointment with good grace.● Kent captain Robert Key has announced the release of his new single, a catchy rock’n’roll number entitled “Jailhouse Rock”.

The most impressive aspect of South Africa’s performances on the way to the quarter-finals has been the way they have tried different tactics in all their matches, and almost all have paid off

Firdose Moonda in Mirpur24-Mar-2011Three matches stand between South African cricket and history. Not just any three matches: three knockout matches. It’s reached that stage of the tournament that South Africa has never summited before. As much as they don’t want to be reminded of it, they have always looked capable of going all the way; now more so than ever, because of the new attitude and sharpness of focus that they’ve come into this tournament with.South Africa were unusually experimental in choosing their XV, including 11 World Cup debutants, three frontline spinners and leaving out experienced finishers like Mark Boucher and Albie Morkel. Their squad was not picked based on reputation, but rather they were the 15 players that the selection committee thought would best suit conditions in the subcontinent: people who could bowl and bat against spin; combinations that would exude subtlety and not brute force; and those who were being rewarded for seasons of good form. It was a clear break away from the norm.Everyone, they said, was on an equal footing; this wouldn’t be an effort by 11 playing members and four water boys, but a collective mission in which everybody would be integral. The players wouldn’t go on this journey alone; the coaching staff and the support staff, which includes the psychologist who was with the Springbok rugby team when they became World Champions in 2007, would be with them every step of the way. All of them arrived wearing green wristbands with, among other things, the abbreviation RAFT – resilience, adaptability, faith, trust – as a way to remind themselves of what they were coming out to achieve.This is the kind of softer thinking that wasn’t there before, although they were able to retain the element that made it seem as though they were preparing to go to war and there was more at stake to this than a trophy. Even when you add pride and take into account the long wait South Africa have had for this, there was something bordering on gimmicky about the build-up.It may have been driven and borrowed from what happened during the football World Cup in South Africa nine months ago. Then, an initiative called Football Friday encouraged people to wear the national team jersey on Fridays, which got switched to a cricket initiative in the World Cup period. Some of the football marketing bordered on jingoistic and the marketers this time threatened to go mad again. Luckily, the team did not.Their actions on the field have reflected a seriousness, dedication and commitment that have created a real reason to believe that this tournament will be different. Every match has had its standout moment or period of brilliance for South Africa; in each contest they’ve had a plan that’s worked.There was the masterstroke of opening the bowling with Johan Botha against West Indies’ left-handed opening pair. He removed Chris Gayle with his third ball. There was the way they built an innings of 351 for 5 against Netherlands after a slow start, with JP Duminy’s 40 off 15 balls propelling them at the end. In the third game, they exploited the weakness of Kevin Pietersen by using left-armer Robin Peterson to open the bowling, and he was able to bag not just one but three early wickets. The rest of that match didn’t go according to plan and the batting collapsed on a difficult pitch, exposing what then looked like a fragile middle order.Come game four, against India, that was rectified. The bowling attack had to do a powerful reining in job when the Indian batsmen got off to a flier, but then it was up to the batting to chase down a big total. AB de Villiers’ half-century was the core and then Faf du Plessis, Botha and Peterson finished it off. By that stage, South Africa looked to have played the perfect game, seeing off pressure and winning when it mattered, but they didn’t take the foot off the brake.Against Ireland, the middle order had to perform again and then Morne Morkel’s exemplary use of extra bounce sealed the match. Bangladesh saw the strength of the reserves come through, with Lonwabo Tsotsobe’s opening spell showing that five weeks on the sidelines had only had an enhancing effect on his bowling.Throughout the group stage, South Africa’s performances have been the result of careful planning and intelligent execution. They’ve shown more flexibility than South African teams have ever displayed in the past. They have not been scared to innovate, to try different strategies and to take risks. More importantly, they have also been able to improvise when it’s been needed most, because the ride to the top of the group has had its moments of stickiness.When they lost early wickets against West Indies, de Villiers and Hashim Amla’s level heads carried the chase; when they were off to a slow start against the Dutch, they left the burst for the right moment; the loss to England, on a tricky surface and in a pressure situation was turned into a positive, one the team say they have learned from and will know how to deal with when the situation comes around again; they treated Ireland and Bangladesh as a strong team should treat a lesser one; and now they find themselves three matches away from greatness.Smith has said they won’t change their attitudes; they’ll keep playing their process-driven form of cricket and they know the results will come. They may need to change something tactically; they may need to think on their feet and adjust their game plans, as in the space of 100 overs the game will change. They may need to change with it, but from what South Africa have shown, they will.

Stats highlights from the first one-day international between India and Pakistan in Guwahati

S Rajesh and HR Gopalakrishna05-Nov-2007

At 29 years old, Chucky Lozano is experiencing his first MLS season with expansion side San Diego FC

• Has recorded six goals and six assists in 19 matches
• Aims to return to the Mexican national team
• Highlighted the level of competition in MLS

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  AUSTIN, Texas – San Diego FC's Hirving Lozano is relishing his first MLS All-Star experience, though he admits will be odd to face opponents from Liga MX – a league he knows well.

  “It’ll be strange to go up against teams from my country, but we have to go out and win,” the Mexican forward said ahead of Wednesday’s match at Q2 Stadium.

  While Lionel Messi’s availability remains uncertain, Lozano hopes to share the field with the Argentine star.

  “It would be great for all of us – for the league and especially for the fans, who are the most important,” he said.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lozano sees the All-Star Game as a valuable chance to connect with elite players across MLS.

  “It’s a really special experience," he said. "There are a lot of high-level players here. Hopefully, we get the win, and everyone enjoys the game – you can see the quality on both sides, from Liga MX and MLS."

  Since arriving this season at expansion club San Diego FC, Lozano has made an immediate impact. With six goals and six assists in just 19 appearances, he’s helped lead the team to the top of the Western Conference.

  “I’m really happy with how I’ve adapted,” he said. “I’m enjoying myself, getting to know players from other teams – it’s been a great experience.”

  Reflecting on the level of competition in the U.S., Lozano said, “MLS is a league that really emphasizes physicality, speed, and strength. You see a lot of powerful, fast players. It’s very different from some of the countries where I’ve played before.”

• AFP
  

  WHAT LOZANO SAID

  San Diego will kick off their Leagues Cup campaign on July 29 against Pachuca, the club at which Hirving Lozano made his professional debut – and a place he still calls home.

  "It will be a very special moment," he said. "I came out of Pachuca, it’s my home. It’s a very important part of my life and my football career. Honestly, playing against them will be a very special moment. It’s something beautiful – hopefully it’ll be a great match."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Lozano hasn’t played for the Mexican national team since March 2024. Although he was named to the preliminary squad for last month’s Gold Cup, he was ultimately ruled out due to injury. Still, the 29-year-old attacker remains focused on earning a spot in El Tri’s 2026 World Cup roster.

  “I’m motivated and working hard to make it to the World Cup,” Lozano said. “I love the national team, I love being there. I’m doing everything I can to be at my best.”

Leroy Sane vowed to prove himself after Julian Nagelsmann left him out of Germany’s squad, insisting he knows exactly what the coach demands.

Omitted from squad after Galatasaray switchSane respects Nagelsmann’s honest feedbackDetermined to hit form and returnFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

German international Sane’s omission from Nagelsmann’s Germany squad came as the big surprise ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia and Northern Ireland. The 29-year-old winger, who left Bayern this summer to join Galatasaray on a free transfer, was left out of the squad as Nagelsmann questioned the competitiveness of the Turkish Super Lig compared to the Bundesliga.

Sane had been hoping to cement his place in the national team setup but now faces the challenge of proving himself from afar. Despite starting all of Gala’s league matches so far, contributing one goal and one assist, the national coach made it clear that the winger must “stand out more” if he is to return to the DFB setup.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Sane’s exclusion underlines the fine balance for German internationals playing outside Europe’s top leagues. While his move to Gala brought Champions League football, with tough group stage fixtures against Liverpool, Atletico Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt, Nagelsmann’s comments about the “worse league” highlight how national team coaches weigh domestic competition when making selections.

For Sane, who has 70 caps since debuting in 2015, the setback puts added pressure on him to deliver standout performances in Turkey and especially on the European stage. 

WHAT SANE SAID

Sane spoke in detail about his omission from Germany’s squad during an interview with , saying: “The exchange with Julian Nagelsmann has always been good and, above all, very open and honest, that's what I value most about him. I know exactly what he wants to see from me, of course, it's primarily up to me.”

Despite the disappointment, he remains determined to fight his way back while at Galatasaray, adding:: “After the international break, things are really getting started now. I like the two games a week the most, too, to really gain momentum and get into a good rhythm. Only then will the season really start. Four games and four wins were already an extremely important step for us, even if, of course, not everything was 100 percent perfect.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SANE?

For Sane, the path back into the Germany squad is clear but demanding and he must dominate in Turkey’s top flight and shine in Europe. His ability to link up with Ilkay Gundogan at Gala could prove decisive, offering a platform to show Nagelsmann that he can still perform at the highest level.

MatériaMais Notícias

Primeiro time carioca a estrear na Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, o Flamengo vai encarar um velho conhecido nesta segunda-feira. O Floresta esteve na sua chave no ano passado e viu o Rubro-Negro sair de campo com uma goleada por 4 a 0. A confiança do Lobo passa pelos pés de uma promessa que tem nome inspirado em ídolo: Iarley Gilberto.

+Flamengo x Floresta-CE: onde assistir, escalações e tudo sobre jogo da Copinha

Artilheiro do Campeonato Cearense Sub-17 de 2020 e marcado por boas médias de gols pelo clube, Iarley Gilberto teve seu nome de batismo influenciado por um ídolo que começou sua carreira no futebol cearense e rodou o mundo. Natural de Bocaina, no interior do Piauí, o jovem do Floresta é xará de Iarley, que iniciou carreira no Ferroviário e rodou por clubes como Real Madrid, Ceará, Boca Juniors e Internacional, onde conquistou o título do Mundial de Clubes de 2006.

RelacionadasFlamengoEx-técnico do Flamengo projeta Victor Hugo entre os melhores jogadores do paísFlamengo02/01/2023FlamengoRival da estreia do Flamengo na Copinha, Floresta-CE confia em ‘xará’ de artilheiro e no ímpeto do seu elencoFlamengo02/01/2023

O atacante do Floresta contou ao LANCE! como aconteceu a escolha do seu nome de batismo.

– Meu pai escolheu o meu nome por conta do próprio Iarley. Ele estava no auge e, de fato, teve uma carreira brilhante – disse.

+ MERCADO DA BOLA: veja as movimentações do seu time de coração

Em seguida, Iarley Gilberto detalhou como lida com o fato de ser atacante em um estado na qual seu xará se destacou.

– É uma responsabilidade tranquila por ter o nome de um cara que teve uma carreira brilhante. Busco trilhar o mesmo caminho para chegar aonde ele chegou ou, quem sabe, até mais longe – garantiu.

O atacante descarta que seu nome chegue a intimidar adversários.

– Não, não chega a ter medo. Até porque, na nossa profissão, ninguém tem medo de ninguém, e sim um reconhecimento pelo trabalho que o outro vem fazendo – afirmou.

Treinador da categoria de base do Lobo, Raimundo Wagner demonstra confiança no jovem.

– Está indo bem, é habilidoso e vai pela segunda vez para a competição. Há mais alguns remanescentes da edição anterior que chegam amadurecidos para disputar essa Copinha que é tão difícil, exige foco e muita preparação – declarou.

À PROCURA DO ‘JOGO PERFEITO’

O técnico do Floresta reconhece que a partida será bastante desafiadora. E não falta empenho para a competição.

– Tentaremos fazer um jogo perfeito. A gente sabe que, até pela tradição, o Flamengo é forte. Tenho acompanhado alguns jogos deles no Estadual e em outras competições e eles vêm muito bem. Vamos jogar de maneira reativa, impondo dificuldades. Estamos muito focados, nos preparamos muito para esta competição – assegurou.

Iarley Gilberto também aguarda um duelo bastante pesado nesta estreia do Floresta.

-A gente espera um jogo bastante difícil, por conta de ser o Flamengo, que é uma das melhores base do Brasil. Mas a gente trabalhou bem e estamos na expectativa de fazer um grande jogo – e acrescentou:

– Sabemos que o Flamengo levanta troféus com frequência, mas assim que a bola rolar, vamos à luta – completou.

Raimundo Wagner também traçou um panorama sobre a chave, que tem ainda Aparecidense e XV de Jaú.

– Temos visto jogos do XV de Jaú e eles contam com jogadores de qualidade também. Sabemos que todas as partidas serão difíceis, mas tentaremos pontuar. Nosso objetivo é fazer o melhor possível para passar de fase – afirmou.

Iarley Gilberto fez uma projeção sobre o que o torcedor pode esperar para o Floresta que estreia na competição.

-Um time bastante organizado, que tem raça e que vai buscar sempre as vitórias.

Além do jogo contra o Floresta nesta segunda-feira, às 21h45, o Flamengo enfrenta ainda o Aparecidense, no dia 5, às 21h45, e contra o XV de Jaú, às 19h30 no dia 8.

Rajasthan Royals are on top of the table, but a win for LSG will close the gap to just two points

Karthik Krishnaswamy26-Apr-20244:04

Economy over wickets – Ashwin’s role at Royals this season?

Match detailsLucknow Super Giants (Fourth – P8, W5, L3) vs Rajasthan Royals (First – P8, W7, L1)
Lucknow, 7.30pm (2pm GMT)Big pictureForm is a fickle thing in T20, but if there’s such a thing, LSG and RR are the two form teams of IPL 2024, the only two with two or more wins in a row leading up to their meeting in Lucknow. Both teams sit in the top four at the moment, and RR, who already have 14 points, could have one foot in the playoffs if they win on Saturday night.This is a contest between broadly similar teams: both have strong top orders and occasionally get into a muddle with middle-order roles, and both have excellent attacks with plenty of variety. It’s hard to pick a favourite. LSG have won three of their four home games so far this season, but RR are perfectly equipped to compete on whatever surface Ekana throws up, whether it’s slow and low black soil or true, bouncy red.Both teams are looking ominous if you go by the metric of key players finding form midway through the season. Yashasvi Jaiswal did so with a match-winning century in RR’s most recent game, against Mumbai Indians on April 22, and Marcus Stoinis matched him in LSG’s most recent game, against Chennai Super Kings on April 23.Everything points to a tight and tactically interesting contest, and if you need anything else to whet your appetite, there’s the prospect of Mayank Yadav returning to action.Form guideLucknow Super Giants WWLLW (last five matches, most recent first)
Rajasthan Royals WWWLWYashasvi Jaiswal found form with a hundred in his previous game against MI•BCCIPrevious meetingBoth teams were playing their first match of IPL 2024 when they met in Jaipur on March 24. An unbeaten 82 from Sanju Samson led Royals to a total of 193, and LSG were in the hunt thanks to half-centuries from KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran. It came down to a gettable 65 from 36 balls with both of them at the crease, but a terrific end-overs display led by Sandeep Sharma sealed a 20-run win for Royals.Team news and impact player strategyLucknow Super Giants
Mayank Yadav, who has missed LSG’s last four matches with an abdominal issue, bowled in the nets in the lead-up to Saturday’s game. S Sriram, the team’s assistant coach, said Mayank is “pretty close” to a comeback. If he returns, Yash Thakur could make way for him. LSG have not used M Siddharth’s left-arm spin in recent games, but he remains an interesting option to come off the subs bench and take the new ball if needed.Likely XII 1 Quinton de Kock, 2 KL Rahul (capt & wk), 3 Marcus Stoinis, 4 , 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Ayush Badoni, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Mohsin Khan, 12 .Rajasthan Royals
Sandeep Sharma returned from injury and took match-turning figures of 5 for 18 in RR’s last match, against Mumbai Indians. He is likely to keep his place and share the new ball with Trent Boult. If a black-soil pitch is rolled out in Lucknow, there is a chance Royals could bring in Keshav Maharaj as their third spinner.Likely XII: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 , 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Dhruv Jurel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Trent Boult, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Sandeep Sharma, 12 .In the spotlightQuinton de Kock has had a quiet IPL by his standards. He averages just 28.50 after eight innings, and while he’s made three fifties, all of them have come at strike rates below 145. LSG would love it if he found some of his old fluency, but the RR attack may present him a stern test: he has T20 strike rates of below 125 against all their key bowlers – Boult, Sandeep, Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin.Marcus Stoinis also found form with a match-winning 63-ball 124 against CSK•BCCIHe’s taken just one wicket in seven matches this season, at an average of 240.00, but R Ashwin will tell you (as he has on his YouTube channel) that wicket-taking is becoming irrelevant in T20. He may be right on one hand, since his economy rate (8.88) is nearly identical to that of Yuzvendra Chahal (8.83), who happens to have taken 13 wickets this season. What is different and possibly worrying is that Ashwin hasn’t tied left-hand batters down to his usual extent: his economy rate of 8.68 against left-handers is his worst of any IPL season. LSG could have de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Krunal Pandya and possibly Devdutt Padikkal in their top eight; can Ashwin dominate his favourite match-up like he’s done for so many years?Pitch and conditionsRed soil or black soil? It’s the question to ask in the lead-up to every game in Lucknow, and it’s a potentially tricky one for the home side ahead of this game. LSG love controlling games with their spinners on black-soil pitches, but Royals come here with one of the best spin attacks in the competition.Stats that matter Royals have won three of their four matches against LSG so far. The two teams have never met in Lucknow, however. Mayank Yadav has the best middle-overs economy rate (5.00) and average (7.00) of any bowler in IPL 2024 (minimum 30 balls bowled in that phase). Sanju Samson is five hits away from becoming the 10th member of the 200 sixes club in the IPL. Quotes”You’ve got to keep that white noise away. That’s the skill of really good teams. You can’t look too much at what others are doing. We have no control over that. We’ve got to turn up every day and be the best that we can be, and then, we’ll definitely qualify [for the playoffs] if we do that.”
“We’ve played eight matches and won seven of them, and in those seven matches we’ve had six different Man of the Match [winners]. So everyone in the team has been contributing. This is the biggest thing that wins matches. Whenever there’s a requirement, a different player [steps up]. It’s not like just one player is winning us games.”