PCB chief Ramiz Raja wants Pakistan team to channel their frustration into performance on field

The inclusion of Hasaranga and Chameera have added a new dimension to the RCB squad feels Kohli

Ahead of the 2nd season of IPL, Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli feels that the inclusion of the Sri Lankan duo Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera will add a different dimension to their team in their bid to win their first competition in 14 years. Bangalore have managed to acquire the services of the mystery spinner and the fast bowler as replacements for Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson. The Australian duo has opted out of the tournament. Meanwhile Tim David and George Garton has also joined RCB as replacements for Daniel Sams and Finn Allen. RCB is currently occupying the 3rd spot in the points table with 5 wins from 7 encounters. Kohli feels that it is indeed a blessing for them to acquire the services of two players who are familiar with the conditions in UAE. RCB restarts their campaign on 20th September (Monday) with a game against the Kolkata Knight Riders. "We have made changes, we've got a few replacements. Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa who were with us in the first leg, made a decision not to play in the second leg for reasons which are absolutely understandable," Kohli was quoted as saying by PTI. "The replacements we have got for those guys are two players who know these conditions, the conditions in the sub continent around this time are similar. Wanidu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera have played so much cricket in Sri Lanka and know how to play in pitches like these. Their skill sets will be of huge help to us. "We haven't spoken at all on what we have missed out on because players have pulled out. We feel stronger, the new additions have given us a new dimension,” the RCB skipper added. RCB is among the three teams who are yet to win the IPL. While they started brilliantly in the previous season before falling off their radar in the second half, RCB will look to continue the good work which got them five victories in the first half of this season. "Having played the game for so long at this level you understand that whether you are seven wins in a row you have to start the eighth with the same passion and commitment and professionalism. "Whether you have no wins out of five games you still have to find motivation and the passion inside to go out and change the result. You can't take anything for granted. "On the outside, there are many analyses and data points but the game is not played on that. The game is never about information from the outside it is about reaction, belief in certain moments, game plans and making sure you have the will and commitment to execute those plans,” he further quipped.

T20 Blast | Semi Final: Somerset bowlers do it with the bat, steal victory under Hampshire’s nose

“What an incredible game,” said Nasser Hussain in the commentary box and it was nothing short of incredible as Somerset scored 48 runs off the last 16 balls losing just one wicket on their way to a famous semi-finals win on the Finals day in the Vitality Blast 2021, England’s premier domestic T20 tournament. With all their top batting brass back in the hut and bowing all-rounders, lesser-known for their big-hitting abilities at the crease and 46 runs needed from the last three overs, nobody gave Somerset any chance to win, especially having lost their skipper and highest run-scorer in this innings, Tom Abell. The two bowlers left to ball the three overs and defend 45 runs had the figures of 1-10 from two overs (Bradley Wheal) and 2-8 from three overs (Chris Wood). The batters at the crease to face them were Ben Green (8 from 10 balls) and Craig Overton (1 from 1 ball). In such circumstances, no one in their right mind would think that Hampshire would lose the game and Somerset would win it. But what transpired in the next 16 balls was magical (if you ask a Somerset fan) and disastrous (if you ask a Hampshire fan) at the same time. After landing two good yorkers in the 18th over, Wheal was hit for four and two sixes, while there was a dropped catch on the fifth ball. The equation suddenly became 28 to get from 12 balls. Wood, who had been phenomenal up until then was called in. And as they say, pressure does its own tricks, the left-arm pacer bowled a full toss on the legs which Green deposited over the square leg boundary for a six, it was just over the boundary ropes though, but that’s all that was needed. Two doubles followed another harrowing six and the equation was suddenly just 12 runs needed from 8 balls. However, just as everyone thought that the game was done, Wood got rid of Green and gave Hampshire another chance to take their fairy tale comeback story to the finale. With another double on the last ball, the equation became 10 from the last six balls and death over specialist Wheal had the ball. The specialist, however, looked really under pressure and surprising to say, didn’t use even a single slower ball, after a good yorker and a lucky full toss going just for a single, the equation came down to 8 from four balls and with Josh Lavy, a bowler at the crease, it was hoped that the match would be really going down to the wire. However, Wheal delivered a ball, which was fuller than good length and Lavy with the old bowler’s hoik hit it hard enough to just get it over diving long on for a six. And that was it, with two to win from the last three balls, skipper James Vince called in the field and Wheal missed another yorker which was flicked over the in the field for a four. Somerset players joined their hero with the bat and ball on the ground to celebrate a win which never seemed a possibility when they were 105-7 at the end of the 17th over. Earlier in the day, after inviting Hamphsiret to bat, having won the toss, Somerset had the match under their control throughout the first innings as they reduced them to 26-3 in the first four overs and then kept chipping away at their wickets. Joe Weatherley was the only Hampshire batter under control of things as he scored 71 off 50 balls and put together crucial stands with Liam Dawson, Chris Wood and James Fuller. Riding on that end of the innings momentum, Hampshire started brilliantly with the ball and reduced the team from Taunton to 34-5 in seven overs. From there on, Abell, first with Lewis Gregory and then with Green tried his best to get as close to the target as possible up until he was removed after completing his eighth T20 fifty. Somerset now await the winners between the second semi-final between Sussex and Kent currently taking place at the same venue, Edgbaston.

Anrich Nortje feels IPL in UAE a perfect preparation ahead of the T20 World Cup

Following an impressive performance in his maiden IPL season in 2020, South African speedster Anrich Nortje is geared up for the second half of IPL 2021 and stated that playing in similar conditions ahead of the T20 World Cup will surely be a massive advantage for players being a part of the cash-rich league. Norje was one of the premier fast bowlers for Delhi Capitals in 2020 scalping out 22 wickets at an average of 23.27 and an economy rate of 8.39. He proved to be the perfect foil for Kagiso Rabada and along with his Proteas teammate, the quick helped his side qualify for the finals of the tournament for the very first time. Capitals decided to go with Chris Woakes in the first half of the tournament and the English all-rounder did a commendable job providing his franchise with crucial breakthroughs in the powerplay. However, with Woakes set to miss the second half of the IPL, Nortje is expected to get a look in. "It's definitely a massive advantage to play the IPL before the T20 World Cup. We have a chance to acclimatize to the conditions and get first-hand experience of the kind of wickets here in the UAE. The sooner we get the information about the kind of wickets here, the better it will be for all of us,” Nortje was quotes as saying by the Hindustan Times. Nortje did admit to the fact that the Capitals need to the assess the conditions in UAE first before they start the tournament. Capitals had a good start to the first half of the tournament and are currently at the top of the points table with 6 wins from 8 games. “I think each team is looking to assess everything as much as possible, but, firstly we have to assess the conditions for the IPL as it certainly is a big tournament in itself and then we will get to the T20 World Cup," added Nortje. "It was here where things started to happen for me in the IPL, but I am looking to take it match by match this season. There's a lot coming up, even after the IPL. We have to try and remember what we did here the last time we were here and try and implement that again. Hopefully, we can repeat what we did in the UAE the last time we were here," the fast bowler concluded.

IPL 2021 | CSK vs MI Preview: Carnival emerges from Covid shadow with clash of titans

Not many sides in the history of the Indian Premier League have played as many high-stake games as the Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians have played in their journey, and hence it is only fitting that the 14th edition of the league is being relaunched with a contest between the two sides led by MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. The Chennai Super Kings have won the IPL trophy on three occasions while the Mumbai Indians have been the indisputable kings of the competition winning the championship as many five times. As they have been the best sides in multiple editions of the tournament, they have had the privilege of opening the competition on numerous occasions. However, the game on September 19 in Dubai will be the first of its kind as never been in its history of 14 years that the IPL was stopped midway through the season and was split into two halves. These are unprecedented times and the IPL has not been spared either in two consecutive years. When Dhoni and Rohit will walk out to the middle for the toss for the first time in UAE this year, it would be a triumph of the IPL after the long and hard shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic that had gripped both its present and future earlier this year. MO-Factor and Super Kings’ grand comeback MS Dhoni and his men struggled terribly in the last edition of the IPL as none of their main strengths such as the batting department and spinners was at the top of their game. They struggled to contain the opposition batsmen with the ball while their batsmen were grappling with the loss of form and diminishing power to hit the ball out of the ground at will. They showed some sparks towards the end of the season to win six games in the competition however it all came after the “ship” that had too many holes sank in the ocean. There were obituaries written about their fate in the coming seasons if they were not to change their style of play and bring a massive change in personnel. MS Dhoni stuck with his trusted lieutenants and instead focussed on achieving the needful. The results are there for everyone to witness as the Super Kings have made a stellar comeback in the 14th season winning five out of their first seven games. The move to bring Moeen Ali at the top of the order along with an in-form Faf du Plessis has provided them significant enforcement at the top of the order which was their Achilles heels in the last season. Moeen was at the top of his game with the ball as well and along with spinners such as Ravindra Jadeja and Karn Sharma formed a dependable lineup to give Dhoni wicket-taking opportunities in the middle phase of the games. Mumbai’s different start, Hardik a concern Rohit Sharma’s men have made a reputation of slow starters who stutter at the start of any season before transforming themselves into a beast and invincible side. They have had quite a bit of remarkable wins so far in the season and Rohit would hope the players will be fresh and ready to go with their best form from the word go. However, they would be circumspect about the form of Hardik Pandya, who has been a constant force behind their always going up the journey in the recent past. He was completely out of sorts in the first half of the tournament on the slower and spinning pitches of Chennai and his fortunes did not change on India’s tour of Sri Lanka as well where he struggled to get his timing right. He forms a formidable core of strength for the Mumbai side and with injury clouds over his bowling along with lacklustre form with the bat will make the men in blue significantly weaker in the business end of the tournament. Match Details Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians: Match no.: 30 Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai Time: 19:30 IST (14:00 GMT), 18:00 Local Broadcast: Star Sports network, Disney +Hotstar Pitch and weather The pitch and the Dubai International Cricket Stadium offers stroke makers excellent opportunities to hit through the line while also keep the bowler in the game with good assistance to spinners in the middle phase of the game. Boundaries will be of decent size and it will help the spinners in providing flight to the batsmen albeit that seems to be luxury with brutal six hitters against spinners on both sides. There is no chance of rain in Dubai and humility at a level of 40 per cent will only come in handy for pace bowlers to swing the new Kookaburra ball. Team News CSK The Super Kings will have to manage their plans in the first game of the revamped part without the duo of Faf du Plessis and Sam Curran. Curran arrived late in the biosecure bubble and undergoing quarantine while du Plessis has an injury concern will not play the first game. Moeen Ali should be available to play and in all likelihood will accompany Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top of the order which will give Suresh Raina his old position of number three in the batting order. The middle-order picks itself with the trio of Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni with Dwayne Bravo and Shardul Thakur to follow. The presence of Bravo, Shardul and also Deepak Chahar will give the Super Kings abetting depth and will allow the top order to bat freely. Imran Thair should start in the playing XI with a toss-up between Lungi Ngidi and Josh Hazlewood as the only out-and-out pace bowler in the playing XI. Probable XI Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, MS Dhoni (C& WK), Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir, Josh Hazlewood. Mumbai Indians The Mumbai Indians are a lot more settled side than the Super Kings and there are at best only two spots up for debate. The batting order looks menacing with Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock and Suryakumar Yadav forming the top order while the likes of Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, and Pandya brothers taking control of the middle order. The duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult are certain to be the two pacers while there is a direct fight between Nathan Coulter-Nile and Adam Milne for the third pacer’s slot in the playing XI. Rahul Chahar has impressed one and all in the first part of the competition with his leg-breaks and is all set to continue in the first game of the second part as well. Probable XI Rohit Sharma (C), Quinton de Kock (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Adam Milne, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah. CSK vs MI: Fantasy XI Quinton de Kock (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar Captain Picks: Moeen Ali Vice-captain: Rohit Sharma