Shreyas Iyer’s first IPL entury helped Punjab Kings break a six-match losing streak and keep their playoffs hopes alive. PBKS are now in the top four and will remain there should Rajasthan Royals lose their final game of the season against Mumbai Indians. Also, for PBKS will hope Kolkata Knight Riders won’t win big against Delhi Capitals, who are now eliminated.

A weakened Lucknow Super Giants – they fielded only two overseas players in the XII, with Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram going home – were beaten with 12 balls and seven wickets to spare.

LSG had a hit-and-miss powerplay. Overs two, three and four produced just eight runs. Overs one, five and six produced 58 runs. Ayush Badoni walked in ahead of Rishabh Pant at No. 4, when the innings was going nowhere. Badoni himself was 2 off 5 before suddenly surging to 42 off 16.

Josh Inglis was 16 off 6 with four boundaries. From there, he made just 10 off the next 15 balls. Just when it looked like he had lost all form – including instances where his favourite ramps were failing him – the Australian batter found another high-scoring period, hitting 29 off nine balls. He brought up his fifty during this second burst and was largely the reason why LSG could get to a total of 196.

Yuzvendra Chahal was crucial to PBKS’ bowling effort. He dismissed Badoni, though credit for that should go to Prabhsimran Singh, who had the batter stumped with smart glovework. Badoni made the mistake of thinking the ball was dead as soon as he played and missed. It was not. Prabhsimran waited for the moment he knew was coming – Badoni resetting his position in the crease. Just as his back foot went up he flipped the bails off.

Pant, who began the season as an opener, then wanted to be LSG’s No. 3 spot, came in at No. 5 today. He faced 14 balls from Chahal and hit him for two boundaries. But the legspinner won the battle in the end, concentrating on keeping the ball wide of the left-hander’s reach. Chahal could have dismissed Pant for 20 off 19 had Iyer taken a simple catch at extra cover. But Iyer’s drop didn’t matter much, because Chahal still dismissed him on 26 off 22.

This week, the newly appointed Cricket Interim Committee held its first media briefing and all those who attended returned to office marvelling at the finesse and grace with which committee head Eran Wickramaratne held his own. It wasn’t a briefing conducted on a placid SSC featherbed. There were bouncers, yorkers and even the occasional beamer, but Eran negotiated them all like a seasoned campaigner who had long ago mastered the art of surviving hostile spells – first in the banking sector and then at the UNP.

Royalists like Ranil Wickremesinghe and Ravi Karunanayake could learn a thing or two from their old schoolmate. This man is class personified.

Eran spoke passionately about cricket’s mandate to entertain the public. He reiterated that the game belonged to nobody but the adoring fans and that everyone involved – players, coaches, umpires and administrators – were merely custodians duty-bound to safeguard it. He was also quick to remind everyone that he was only a temporary guardian of the game, a refreshing contrast to an era not too long ago when certain individuals behaved as if cricket would collapse without them occupying the throne.

Former opening batter Sidath Wettimuny handled the opening overs before Eran took strike. On any given day, following Sidath is a tough act. He is articulate, thoughtful and commands enormous respect. But Eran slipped into the innings seamlessly, outlining the timeframe for a new constitution and explaining why some democratic elections – including those of Sri Lanka Cricket – had become deeply flawed exercises. Any institution that is headed by an individual who overstays his welcome is doomed to fail. SLC is one. UNP is the other.

Many wondered why Eran had been entrusted with heading the Interim Committee. He revealed that he had worked closely with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during their years in opposition and that his dream of building a corruption-free society may well have struck a chord with the President.

Credit must go to AKD as well.

Sri Lanka Cricket had become the sort of institution most politicians preferred not to touch with a barge pole. Successive Executive Presidents turned a blind eye to allegations of abuse of power, corruption and the alarming lack of foresight that steadily drove the game into the rough. Some may even have benefited from cricket’s vast financial muscle during election campaigns.

But AKD played this innings shrewdly, like a captain who knew exactly when to attack and when to defend. There has been no ICC suspension, individuals many believed untouchable have been forced to swallow humble pie and for the first time in years, there is genuine hope that the game can be steered back on course.

Looking at what AKD has achieved, the likes of J.R. Jayewardene and Gamini Dissanayake – both former presidents of Sri Lanka Cricket – might well be having a quiet chuckle from above. The political party they once led eventually turned a blind eye to what unfolded at Maitland Place under Ranil Wickremesinghe’s stewardship. Much like the UNP itself, Sri Lankan cricket too lost direction and nosedived badly. Then came complete outsiders in the form of the NPP and they have at least taken the first meaningful steps towards dragging the sport out of the mire.

Hats off to the comrades.

While Eran Wickramaratne and Prakash Schaffter have their sights fixed firmly on constitutional reforms and governance, cricketing matters are being handled by the trio of Sidath Wettimuny, Roshan Mahanama and Kumar Sangakkara. Wettimuny heads the Cricket Committee while Sangakkara, currently in India coaching IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals, has joined discussions remotely.

Sidath explained how the number of schools playing cricket had multiplied because of the game’s immense popularity, but at the same time the country lacked qualified coaches to cater to the growing demand. One of the committee’s immediate priorities, therefore, is improving the standard of coaching education and broadening the horizons of those entrusted with nurturing young cricketers.

Sidath also elaborated on other pressing areas that require urgent attention – improving umpiring standards, producing better pitches and restoring professionalism to the system. They are not glamorous fixes that win applause overnight, but as every good cricket man knows, strong foundations matter more than flashy cover drives.

by Rex Clementine ✍️

Tempers flared ‌between Virat Kohli and Travis Head in ⁠the Indian ⁠Premier League, as the former India captain refused to shake hands with the Australian ⁠batter after Head’s Sunrisers Hyderabad handed Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru a crushing 55-run defeat.

The two exchanged ⁠heated words when Kohli opened for Bengaluru, looking to chase down a daunting target of 256. During the exchange, a visibly angry Kohli was seen gesturing towards ‌Head to come and bowl.

Kohli also mockingly made the “impact player” substitution gesture, a reference to Head, who is primarily a batter, often being replaced by Hyderabad for a specialist bowler after the Australian finishes batting.

Head did not have much ⁠time to take Kohli up on ⁠his invite, as the Bengaluru opener fell soon after, scoring 15 off 11 balls. The Australian, however, bowled an over later ⁠in the game and dismissed Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar.

As the teams lined ⁠up to shake hands after ⁠the match, Head held out his hand but Kohli looked straight ahead and walked past him.

Friday’s win left third-placed Hyderabad on ‌equal points with Bengaluru, but Kohli’s side remained top of the table with a superior net run ‌rate. ‌Both teams have qualified for the IPL playoffs starting Wednesday.

[Aljazeera]