IPL 2022 | 'This is the Shubman we all want to see' - Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya led Gujarat Titans successfully registered a win by 14 runs against Delhi Capitals. Put into bat; opener Shubman Gill got off to a flying start. He smashed a quickfire 84 off 46 with 6 fours and 4 sixes and was undoubtedly the star with the bat in hand.


His knock helped Gujarat Titans post a competitive 171 on the board.


While chasing, Delhi got off to a shaky start as they lost their three key wickets within the power-play, courtesy of Lockie Ferguson's stunning spell. Later, Rishabh Pant tried his best with a knock of 43, but it was not enough as Ferguson's 4/28 dismantled their batting order, and they could only score 157 runs.


After the win, Hardik Pandya shared his happiness. He praised Ferguson and Shubman Gill for their stunning shows with the ball and the bat.


He said: "Really happy with the way boys are coming out and contributing. The kind of attack we have, we always felt that we could make a score that's 10 under-par look like 25 above. I thought there were periods were Delhi were ahead, but then that Lockie over really changed things for us. We were about 10-15 short. But with the bowling we have, I'm confident of making it up in the field. 


We were one bowler short with Aaron's injury, had to take it as deep as possible, and it worked for us. Till Rishabh was there, the game was in the balance, or maybe Delhi was ahead, and that over from Lockie really turned it for us. This is the Shubman we all want to see, and I hope all the other batters can take confidence from him.


Meanwhile, Lockie Ferguson, who won the Player of the Match, said: "Was one of those nights and with the kind of bowling partners I have, makes things very easy for me. It's great (to have a potent bowling unit) and helps spread calmness in the group. The pressure was coming from both ends with the ball, and it worked for us. I think it (bowling extra fast) is more instinctive. 


There was a lot of bounce on the surface, and I was looking to bang away on that hard length. But, instead, some gripped, and it worked for me with Rishabh's wicket. So, it was a good all-around performance from the bowlers. Hardik always gives us the confidence to play the game we want to play, and it's nice to have a captain who trusts your skills."


However, after the defeat, Delhi captain Rishabh Pant admitted that they could do well with the bat. But, he stated that they will bounce back soon as well.


He said: "I think that total was not so big according to the wicket. We could have batted well, especially in the middle overs. We lost three wickets in the powerplay and three in the middle. I think every match will be hard after losing so many wickets. Depending on the weather conditions (we will decide to bat or bowl first); but we are not thinking about that now, and we will see when we come back to Pune. 


He (Ponting) has been fantastic since day one. When you lose, you feel heartbroken, but if you keep improving and have a better environment, people can perform in the next match."

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IPL 2022 | James Neesham picks his teams to watch out for this season

New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham has picked Punjab Kings (PBKS) and the Shreyas Iyer-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as the two sides to watch out for in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). PBKS have assembled a power-packed batting line-up this season, and it was completely evident when they chased down a 200+ total in their opening game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. They faltered in their last outing against the Knight Riders, but the intent was for everyone to see. With Johnny Bairstow set to join the set-up, it will add a lot more potency to what is already a perfect batting unit. KKR, on the other hand, have claimed two wins in their first three games, and their powerplay bowling, coupled with the spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, is what sets them apart, feels Neesham. In an exclusive interview with Cricblog, Neesham said: "I think Punjab Kings have a solid looking line-up. Kolkata as well is another one; they have a high-quality spin through the middle like we do [Ashwin, Chahal] with Chakravarthy and Narine, so I think I look at those two teams and think they have a perfect chance of challenging at the backend of the competition." RR picked Neesham in the recent mega-auction, and the all-rounder was full of praise for his new skipper and talented batsman, Sanju Samson. "The thing that strikes me about Sanju is that you can see the quality of batsmen when you play against them in games, and you get a feel for how they strike the ball. But you don't understand until you can watch them train day after day and hit balls. Then, you really get a sense of how high-quality they are," said Neesham. "Sanju played a couple of shots at training a couple of days ago, and I looked across at Daryl Mitchell, and we just sort of looked at each other and went 'wow', that's a hell of a cricketer," he added. Neesham on what makes IPL the best tournament in the world The IPL is a platform where talent meets opportunity. It is also a platform where the who's who of world cricket come under one roof. It not only allows young cricketers to rub shoulders with the best in the world but also helps them learn and improve by just observing them. According to Neesham, this is what makes IPL the tournament that it is. "The quality of cricket is better than anywhere else in the world. You have four overseas players, and it's the best players in the world [in the tournament]," "Looking at our Rajasthan Royals, it's pretty ridiculous. Even training in the nets and seeing the talent of guys that aren't even in the playing XI, as far as guys like Navdeep Saini and Kuldeep Sen. Guys that bowl serious pace and struggling even to make the playing XI is a testament to how high-quality the tournament is," he added. For Neesham, the opportunity to rub shoulders and train with the likes of Samson and Jos Buttler is one of the best things about the IPL. "One of the best things about the IPL is living day-to-day with these guys that are so high-quality and watching how they train. Sanju is definitely one of those players. Jos Buttler is another I was excited to join when I looked at the team," the all-rounder signed off. Meanwhile, the Royals have started brilliantly in the 15th season. The Samson-led unit have won both games with comprehensive margins, including a 23-run win over five-time champions Mumbai Indians on Saturday afternoon.