Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) came into the IPL 2024 Eliminator with six successive wins behind them, and Rajasthan Royals (RR) with five successive win-less games. But there really is no such thing as momentum in sport, and certainly not in a sport as fickle as T20.
Royals won an important toss, and their bowlers delivered a superb performance to restrict RCB to 172 at a venue where dew makes chasing significantly easier than setting targets.
It was a game of two halves, as RR got over the line with an over to spare despite a number of nervy moments in their chase.
It was also a game of two ends. One square boundary in Ahmedabad was significantly longer than the other, and the RR bowlers used this asymmetry brilliantly. RCB scored 51 for 6 in their odd-numbered overs, when the longer boundary was to the leg side for the right-hand batter, and 121 for 2 from the other end.
It wasn’t a coincidence that Trent Boult, Ravichandran Ashwin and Avesh Khan, RR’s best bowlers on the night, did the bulk of their bowling from the favourable end.
The imbalance existed even when RR batted: 111 for 1 in ten overs from one end, and 63 for 5 in nine overs from the other. It helped RR that they had right-left pairs occupying the crease for longer than RCB did, but not to a massive extent.
In the end, it came down to the total RCB put on the board Faf du Plesis their captain, admitted that they were about 20 runs short. He felt it was a 180 pitch when RCB batted, and a significantly higher-scoring one, thanks to the dew, when RR chased.
RR are now through to Qualifier 2 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Chennai on Friday. For RCB, this is another trophy-less season but one that will be remembered fondly for many years to come.
The game of two ends began early. Boult swung the new ball in an opening spell of three overs, and was inch-perfect with his lines and lengths: no room for the batters to free their arms, and no slot balls or long-hops. He conceded just six runs and two leg-byes in those three overs, and had du Plessis caught at deep midwicket to end an opening stand of 37.
At the other end, though, RCB clattered 42 in three overs. Virat Kohli using his feet routinely to step out or make room, looked ominous while rushing to 30 off 19 by the end of the powerplay.
Boult gave way to Ashwin from the end with the long leg-side boundary (for the right-hand batter), and that end continued to be hard to score off. Ashwin bowled beautifully, bowling at high pace, either into the pitch or right up at the batters’ feet, offering no room, and primarily using his carrom and reverse-carrom variations against RCB’s right-hand batters.
But he was also aided by the end he bowled from, and the fact that his first two overs came soon after RCB had lost big wickets. He bowled the seventh over soon after Boult had taken out du Plessis, and the ninth immediately after Kohli had fallen to Yuzvendra Chahal.
Kohli’s slog-sweep has been one of the stories of IPL 2024. The shot, brought out of cold storage after many years, has allowed Kohli to overturn a long-standing issue of slow scoring against spin, and given him an extra gear through the middle overs. On this day, though, he was out to his first slog-sweep, caught on the midwicket boundary.
RCB kept playing their shots when they could attack the short leg-side boundary, and took Chahal for 13 in the tenth over and Avesh for 13 in the 12th. In between, Dhruv Jurel, running in from long-on, put down a sitter to reprieve Rajat Patidar when he miscued a big hit off Ashwin.
But Ashwin didn’t let RR worry about that miss for too long, inducing a mis-hit from Cameron Green in the 13th over, his fourth, and following up with the dismissal of Glenn Maxwell, who ended a lean season with the bat by attempting to hit his first ball for six and picking out long-on.
Chahal bowled another expensive over, conceding 19 in the 14th, and when Patidar hooked Avesh for six at the start of the 15th – it was RCB’s first boundary in an odd-numbered over – it looked as though a 190-ish total was possible. But Avesh got a shortish delivery to get big on Patidar next ball, and caused him to miscue to a backtracking mid-off fielder.
He could have had two in two, producing a perfect first-ball in-ducker to have Dinesh Karthik adjudged LBW only for the decision, reviewed by the batter, overturned when the third umpire seemed to mistake bat hitting pad for an inside edge on to pad.
Karthik remained scratchy while scoring 11 off 13 in what is likely his final innings at the senior level, Avesh eventually getting him with a hard-length legcutter that climbed steeply on him in the 19th over. Mahipal Lomror gave RCB a bit of impetus towards the end with 32 off 17, which featured two leg-side sixes off Chahal, but their total of 172 seemed inadequate at the innings break.
There were two dropped chances early in the chase. The first was a difficult one – Green throwing himself to his left at slip and putting down an edge from Yashasvi Jaiswal in the third over – and the second a sitter – Maxwell shelling Tom Kohler-Cadmore at deep square-leg in the fifth. The two openers peppered the boundary either side of those misses – Yash Dayal particularly unfortunate to concede three fours to Jaiswal soon after having him dropped off his bowling – and RR ran to 45 for no loss by the end of the fifth.
Lockie Ferguson ended the powerplay with an excellent sixth over, conceding just two and bowling Kohler-Cadmore with a slower yorker. RR were still well on top, though, a fact they emphasised when Jaiswal and Sanju Samson took 17 runs – including a six and two fours, all towards the shorter boundary – off Swapnil Singh’s left-arm spin in the seventh over.
Green came on in the tenth over and began to make a serious impact with his hard lengths, conceding just 11 runs in three overs while having Jaiswal caught behind while attempting a scoop. He also helped run Jurel out, fumbling a brilliant, one-bounce throw from Kohli in the deep but somehow managing to break the wicket with the ball still in contact with his hands.
At the other end, RR lost Samson, leaving his crease too early to be stumped off a deliberate off-side wide from Karn Sharma. At the end of the 14th over, Royals were four down and needed 58 off 36.
One big over would close that gap, and it came in the 16th, with Shimron Hetmyer and Riyan Parag taking 17 off Green’s fourth. Then Hetmyer hit Dayal for a pair of fours in the 17th, bringing the equation down to 19 off 18.
There was still time for one last twist, however, with Mohammed Siraj bowling Parag for 36 with a full, straight one that he played across, and finishing the over by inducing a miscue from Hetmyer.
It left Royals needing 13 from 12 with two new batters at the crease, and an unlikely RCB win was still on the cards.Royman Powell though, finished it off, finding a bit of luck early in the 19th with a pair of edged fours off Ferguson before completing the job with a stylish straight six.
Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bengaluru 172/8 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 34, Virat Kohli 33, Cammeron Green 27, Mahipal Lomror 32; Ravichandran Ashwin 2-19, Trent Boult 1-16, Sandeep Sharma 1-48, Yuzvendra Chahal 1-43, Avesh Khan 3-44) lost to Rajasthan Royals 174/6 in 19 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 45, Riyan Parag 36, Tom Kohler Cadmore 20, Shimron Hetmyer 26; Mohammed Siraj 2-33, Cameron Green 1-28, Lockie Furgeson 1-37, Karn Sharma 1-19) by four wickets.
BCB appointed former national captain Habibul Bashar as mentor while Mizanur Rahman Babul and Nafis Iqbal will act as team manager of the Chattogram Royals [BCB]
The Bangladesh Cricket Board took over the ownership rights of Chattogram Royals for the remainder of the Bangladesh Premier League season. BCB vice-chairman Shakhawat Hossain, a member of BPL Governing Council, confirmed the development to Cricbuzz on Thursday.
Royals owner Kayum Rashed submitted a written request to the BCB, citing difficulties in continuing to run the team under the current circumstances and asked the board to take over the operations.
“We have taken over the ownership right of the team, and now the board will run the team,” Shakhawat told Cricbuzz. “We will sit with the players and discuss the next steps.”
According to the letter submitted to the board, and seen by Cricbuzz, Royals failed to attract sponsors.
“Since the acquisition of the franchise, there have been persistent and widespread speculations in various media outlets regarding the team’s uncertainty in participating in the tournament, as well as repeated questions surrounding the franchise’s financial and operational credibility. These rumours included, but were not limited to, allegations that franchise fees, bank guarantees, and players’ payments had not been made-despite the fact that such payments were not contractually required at those early stages,” it was stated in the letter.
“Unfortunately, no formal clarification or reassurance was issued to the media to counter these claims. As a direct consequence, the rumors gained traction across multiple platforms, severely impacting the reputation of Chattogram Royals. Several potential and confirmed sponsors, questioning the franchise’s credibility and the certainty of its participation in the tournament, withdrew from their partnerships.
“The withdrawal of sponsorship support has resulted in significant financial challenges, directly hampering the team’s preparation and jeopardizing its future prospects within the tournament. This situation arose not from any failure on our part to comply with contractual obligations, but rather from unchecked misinformation and the absence of authoritative clarification.
“In light of the above circumstances, and considering the substantial reputational and financial damage already sustained, I respectfully request the Bangladesh Cricket Board to take over from this point forward and assume the necessary responsibilities throughout the remainder of the tournament. This includes providing clear, timely communication to stakeholders and ensuring the integrity, stability, and smooth operation of the franchise within the BPL framework.
“I trust the Board will appreciate the seriousness of this matter and act in the best interests of the league, the franchise, and all associated stakeholders. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your guidance and support.”
Another BCB official said that their connection with dubious characters from the start of forming the team hit them hard in the long run considering the activities of those characters in their team jeopardized their reputation in the sponsorship market.
It is learnt, BCB appointed former national captain Habibul Bashar as mentor while Mizanur Rahman Babul and Nafis Iqbal will act as team manager of the Chattogram Royals.
Bashar was initially appointed as mentor of the team but left the position citing family issues though many feel he was uncomfortable seeing dubious characters in and around the franchise set-up, and as a result took up the decision. The move to change the set-up was aimed at stabilizing the franchise and ensuring the smooth running of the team for the rest of the tournament.
Many cricketers of the Royals decided to leave the team hotel on Wednesday (December 25) as they failed to receive money from the franchise till last night. The BPL is all set to commence at Sylhet on December 26 and it started with the expected move made by Royals owner. He insisted that he will pull out from the competition if things don’t turn his way.
Let us uphold the true meaning of Christmas following the guidance of Jesus Christ, and work together towards the shared goal of building a new nation filled with peace and harmony – PM
Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya in her Christmas message, called upon everyone to uphold the true meaning of Christmas following the guidance of Jesus Christ, and work together towards the shared goal of building a new nation filled with peace and harmony
The full text of the PM’s Christmas day message:
“As the month of December dawns, Christian devotees prepare to celebrate Christmas. The message of peace that echoed from Bethlehem with the birth of the infant Jesus continues to be honoured and revered by Christians across the world.
However, this year, the month of December has arrived not with the usual joy and festivity. It comes amid the sorrow, pain, and quiet anguish of thousands of our people affected by a natural disaster that has shaken the entire nation.
Yet, in keeping with the true meaning of Christmas and guided by the teachings of Jesus Christ, the people of our country have set aside their differences and come together in unity and solidarity to support those affected by the disaster. Through their actions, they have demonstrated to the world the values of love, compassion, and the noble teaching of Christ to love one another.
At this moment, we stand at a critical juncture where all communities must unite with a shared purpose and collective responsibility to rebuild the country and work together for the future of our nation.
We will continue to work tirelessly towards the common goal of building the “new country” envisioned by the many who have placed their trust in our government, and to ensure that their hopes and aspirations are fulfilled.
On this Christmas Day, let us renew our commitment to act together as citizens, guided by unity, love, compassion, and responsibility, in pursuit of our shared dream of a better tomorrow.
I extend my heartfelt wishes for a Merry Christmas to all Christian devotees in Sri Lanka and around the world.”
Shafali Verma took 27 balls to bring up her fifty [BCCI]
A quick glance at the head to head record is enough to show the gulf between India and Sri Lanka in women’s T20Is. Despite that, the manner in which India have swept Sri Lanka aside two games in a row would have surprised watchers and the hosts alike. The story in the second T20I followed a similar script to the first. Once again, India’s spinners squeezed Sri Lanka’s middle order before one of their top-order batters made easy work of the chase.
Left-arm spinners Vaishnavi Sharma and N Shree Charani picked up two wickets apiece after Sneh Rana, in the XI in place of the indisposed Deepti Sharma, sucked out the momentum from Sri Lanka’s batting. If it was Jemimah Rodrigues’ half-century in the first game, Shafali Verma was at her brutal best in the second, finishing on an unbeaten 69 in just 34 balls, to help India get to the 129-run target at a run-rate close to 11 an over with 49 balls to spare.
India went 2-0 up at the end of the Visakhapatnam leg, with the next three games to be played in Thiruvananthapuram.
Sri Lanka were jolted in the opening over after being asked to bat. Vishmi Gunaratne’s uppish drive was caught by Kranti Gaud in her follow-through. Chamari Athapaththu then started the charge. After the defeat in the first game, she asked her batters to step up and find ways of scoring. She was intent on leading from the front. She used her feet against Gaud to slash her in front of point. Two balls later, Gaud almost got back at the Sri Lanka captain.
Charani, who dropped two simple catches on Sunday, misjudged Athapaththu’s slash and conceded a six. She charged in from the boundary line and then ran back, missed the ball completely despite a leap. Athapaththu blazed away with the field restrictions on, scoring 31 off 24 balls out of Sri Lanka’s 38 in 5.3 overs at that stage.
After her dismissal, Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama continued to bat with high intent. They primarily scored square of the wicket and added 28 in the three-and-a-half overs. And then came the squeeze from India.
On a day she was newly crowned the No. 1 T20I bowler in the ICC rankings, Deepti missed a T20I for the first time since 2019 – after 92 straight games – because of a mild fever. Harmanpreet Kaur has often turned to her when in search of control, but on Tuesday, Rana fit into the role with ease.
Playing her first T20I in India since 2016 – she played 15 away from home in between – Rana’s first task was to stop a belligerent Athapaththu, and she delivered. She kept the Sri Lanka captain guessing with flight and dip before dismissing her. With Athapaththu itching to cut loose, Rana generously flighted one. It landed slightly shorter than Athapaththu expected because of the dip, and she ended up miscuing it to long-off.
Rana then returned with Perera and Samarawickrama scoring at a good tempo, bowled a maiden and that turned the tide. It allowed left-arm spinner Charani to slip in a few quiet overs, which resulted in Perera’s dismissal. Vaishnavi also returned to pick up her first international wicket, with Charani, who denied her in the first T20I by dropping a dolly at short fine leg, taking a simple catch at the same spot after Nilakshika Silva top-edged a sweep.
Sri Lanka hit 11 boundaries in the first nine overs, but could hit only two fours in the rest of their innings. They lost six for 24 to be restricted to a below-par total for the second game in a row, which was never going to challenge the hosts. Three run-outs for a second game in a row did not help matters either.
If Sunday was an opportunity missed by Shafali, she more than made up for it on Tuesday. She was happy to bide her time at the start, with Smriti Mandhana being the aggressor. Once Mandhana fell, caught at point in a bid to hit Kavisha Dilhari’s offspin inside out over the off side, Shafali took centrestage. Inoka Ranaweera’s left-arm spin with the field restrictions in place was just the tonic she needed.
Shafali hit Ranaweera for successive fours in the penultimate over of the powerplay – both by dancing down the track and lofting her over cover. She then took apart Athapaththu’s offspin, hitting here for 4, 6, 4 in the sixth over of the chase: first sweeping a short ball through backward square leg, then thumping a full ball straight into the sight-screen and then lifting one over extra cover.
With the in-form Rodrigues for company, there was no respite for Sri Lanka’s bowlers. Rodrigues also tore into Ranaweera, hitting her for two fours and a six as the left-arm spinner was taken for 31 in her two overs.
In an attempt to maintain the high tempo, Rodrigues holed out to long-on. Shafali soon completed her fifty from just 27 balls. She picked Shashini Gimhani’s left-arm wristspin from the hand and thumped her for back-to-back boundaries in a 12-run over that put India on the brink.
Sri Lanka earned a consolation when Malki Madara’s dipping yorker deceived Harmanpreet. But they knew, as Athapaththu conceded after the game, that the batters failed to make the helpful conditions count in successive games.
Brief scores: India Women 129 for 3 in 11.5 overs (Smriti Mandhana 14, Shafali Verma 69*, Jemimah Rodrigues 26, Harmanpreet Kaur 10; Malki Madara 1-22, Kavya Kavindi 1-3, Kavisha Dilhari 1-15) beat Sri Lanka Women 128 for 9 in 20 overs ( Chamari Athapaththu 31, Hasini Perera 22,Harshitha Samarawickrama 33, Kavisha Dilhari 14, Kaushini Nuthyangana 11; Kranti Goud 1-31, Sneh Rana 1-11, Shree Charani 2-23, Vaishnavi Sharma 2-32) by seven wickets
