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“Doing His Rehabs Well”: CSK Head Coach Provide Injury Update On Deepak Chahar

admin — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 12:29:43 +0000

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming provided a major update on frontline pacer Deepak Chahar’s injury status, saying he warming the sidelines with a ‘minor’ niggle and will be back in action soon. The five-time IPL champions will take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 34th match of the Indian Premier League at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Friday. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Fleming, a former Kiwi all-format skipper, said Chahar was well and truly on the recovery road and presently going through his rehabilitation phase.

The head coach, for good measure, reminded the media persons that 32-year-old bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who came in as a like-for-like replacement for Chhahar in Chennai’s previous match against the Mumbai Indians (MI), fared well.

“He is doing his rehabs well. It was a minor injury nothing to worry about. Shardul Thakur bowled well in the last match against Mumbai so we opted to give time to Chahar to recover well,” said Fleming on Chahar at the pre-match press conference.

Earlier, on Sunday, Thakur, replacing Chahar in the playing eleven, failed to pick up wickets but did manage to put a leash on the scoring rate, conceding just 35 runs in his full quota of four overs.

CSK will go into Friday’s game on the back of a victory over the Mumbai Indians (MI) by 20 runs. Led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, the Chennai franchise currently stands third in the IPL 2024 standings with 8 points, with 4 wins out of 6 games.

Chennai Super Kings Squad: Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Sameer Rizvi, MS Dhoni (Wk), Shardul Thakur, Tushar Deshpande, Mustafizur Rahman, Matheesha Pathirana, Nishant Sindhu, Moeen Ali, Mitchell Santner, Shaik Rasheed, Aravelly Avanish, Maheesh Theekshana, RS Hangargekar, Simarjeet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary, Prashant Solanki, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Richard Gleeson, Deepak Chahar.

Lucknow Super Giants Squad: Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul (Wk/C), Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Shamar Joseph, Yash Thakur, Manimaran Siddharth, Prerak Mankad, Arshad Khan, Krishnappa Gowtham, Amit Mishra, Kyle Mayers, Ashton Turner, Matt Henry, Naveen-ul-Haq, Devdutt Padikkal, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Mayank Yadav, Arshin Kulkarni.

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“That’s The Biggest Quality He Possesses”: Shardul Thakur On CSK Captain MS Dhoni

admin — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 10:44:25 +0000

Fresh from a title-winning run with Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, India all-rounder Shardul Thakur is now looking forward to his IPL homecoming with the Chennai Super Kings where he expects to “grow” under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni after a not-so-great season last year. Thakur was part of the CSK squad from 2018 to 2021 before plying his trade with Delhi Capitals (2022) and Kolkata Knight Riders (2023). He will return to CSK this season after being bought for Rs 4 crore.

“Honestly, I did not have a great IPL last year,” Thakur told PTI Videos in an interview.

Thakur averaged 14.13 with the bat and managed seven wickets in the 11 IPL games he played last year.

“I am very excited to play under Mahi Bhai. There is something or the other that you take away from the game when you are playing with him. He is standing behind the stumps, guiding you, allowing you to grow,” he said on the sidelines of the Ranji Trophy final against Vidarbha here on Thursday which the hosts won by 169 runs for a 42nd title.

Thakur said Dhoni’s leadership style is driven by the philosophy of allowing individuals to flourish.

“I think that’s the biggest quality that he possesses, he gives a lot of freedom to players and asks them to take ownership of their performances, and I am excited to join CSK again, I will say I am playing for a team that values family and values family culture,” said the all-rounder.

Thakur will be joined by new entrants like youngster Sameer Rizvi and New Zealand all-rounders Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra in the CSK dugout.

Reflecting on Mumbai’s brilliant Ranji campaign this year, Thakur lavished praise on his teammates and the Mumbai Cricket Association for the winning run.

On his part, Thakur struck a hundred in the semifinal against Tamil Nadu and contributed a 75-run knock in the first innings of the final against Vidarbha.

“I started off very late, I played a couple of Vijay Hazare games for the team and then I came back to the team only in the second last league game, the sixth league game, But all the boys, coaches, and support staff they have been working really hard, from the month of June till now,” he said.

“I think the process for everyone started from the month of June whether it is fitness, game-related, polishing their skills, each and every thing…in Mumbai, for three-four months you can’t have any cricket because of rains “…Today we were 15 of us but there are three to four members of our team who were not in the squad today but you know they have played one or two odd games at some point in time and they have done well in that game so “…overall the credit, I would give right from the MCA management because association, supported us each and every time, the coaches, the support staff, physiotherapists, trainers, everyone and the boys of course,” Thakur said.

Thakur was particularly impressed with 19-year-old Musheer Khan, who became the youngest player of the match winner in a Ranji final after his brilliant second innings hundred that helped Mumbai set Vidarbha a mammoth target of 538.

“I think the way he (Musheer Khan) is batting and contributing in the field, they way he is fielding and the way he is bowling, I think he is mature enough to play at the highest level of cricket in the Ranji trophy or the IPL,” Thakur said.

“We hardly find these kinds of players who are already ready when they come to the Ranji trophy and he is one of them,” he pointed out.

“…it’s always pleasing to see youngsters coming in and performing straight away. The kind of maturity that he has shown in the last three games is just unreal to see,” he signed off.

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“Did Not Have Money To Buy Shoes”: Ignored India Star Reveals Early Days Of Struggle, Teammate Who Helped Him

admin — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 15:00:29 +0000

In the Ranji Trophy final, Mumbai are eyeing their 42nd title. They are facing Vidarbha and are in a strong position. The final is also an emotional one for the Mumbai team as on of their veterans Dhawal Kulkarni will retire at the end of the season. It was at the insistence of the team, Kulkarni put off his retirement till the end of the season. Shardul Thakur, who is also playing for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy final revealed how Kulkarni helped him in his early days of struggle.

“It (playing his last FC game) was (an) extremely emotional moment for him and me also, because I have watched him since childhood. He has helped me also at times with my bowling. When I did not have money to buy the shoes, he gave me a few pairs of shoes also. So, he has helped me a lot,” Thakur told reporters on Sunday.

“I love to play in tough situations, tough conditions. The kind of life that I have lived travelling far from Palghar all the way to Mumbai with the kit bag in train. You know it was not easy. So, I think that has toughened me up. And whenever I face a tough situation, challenging situation, it’s no different. I just use that mindset that I had as a kid growing up,” he said.

Meanwhile, Senior left-arm spinner Shams Mulani feels that Mumbai team cannot afford to be complacent despite having an overall lead of 260 runs after two days in the Rnji Trophy final against Vidarbha.

Mumbai produced an all-round show on the second day at the Wankhede Stadium to take complete command, bowling out Vidarbha for a mere 105 in the first innings to earn a big 119-run lead.

In their second innings, Mumbai were jolted twice early on but skipper Ajinkya Rahane (58 not out) and Musheer Khan (51 not out) led a resolute fightback with an unbeaten 107-run stand for the third wicket to take second innings score to 141/2.

“Three days are left (in the game). We have not thought about anything else other than batting. Yes, we have got a healthy lead but we will look to build on it and see how we can improve and take the game away from them as much as possible,” Mulani told the media after stumps.

“Right now, we feel that we need to bat. There’s no target in mind because we are just thinking that it’s just 141. We are not thinking of the lead as of now. It’s just 141 for two and we will bat along — the game is still a long way to go,” he added.

Mulani said Rahane’s timely unbeaten fifty was worth celebrating like a century for the Mumbai dressing room.

“We celebrated like it was a hundred because we knew how important this small milestone for him is. For the team, for himself, in this situation, it was very important that he stays on the wicket,” Mulani said.

The domination for Mumbai was, however, set up by veteran Dhawal Kulkarni, who snaffled two key wickets on first day evening and bowled a measly spell of 11-5-15-3 while adding one more dismissal to his kitty.

Mulani said to see former India medium pacer Kulkarni excelling in his final game of his career was “emotional”.

“It was emotional moment for all of us. For him, obviously it was very emotional. But coming the way he did —he didn’t play the last four games but it didn’t feel like he has not played,” Mulani said.

With PTI inputs

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“Saw The Comment Shardul Thakur Made”: Rahul Dravid’s Blunt Take On Pacer’s ‘Scheduling’ Remarks

admin — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 07:46:13 +0000

Indian cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid suggested that the domestic cricket scheduling should go through an ‘all-round review’ after players like Shardul Thakur and R Sai Kishore expressed their concerns. Shardul said that players need more breaks between the matches in order to avoid injury and his sentiments were echoed by Sai Kishore. Following India’s win over England in the fifth Test match in Dharamsala, Dravid was asked about the concerns and he said that the BCCI should consult the players who are “going through the grind and putting their bodies on the line.”

“I’ve heard the same as well. I saw some of the comments Shardul, I think, made. And in fact some of the boys who’ve come into the team as well, also comment about how tough the domestic schedule is, especially in a country like India with the amount of travel involved. So yeah, we need to hear the players. That’s a very important thing in a lot of these things,” Dravid said.

“You need to hear your players, because they are the ones going through the grind and putting their bodies on the line, and if there are enough voices saying that, then yeah, I think there’s some need to look at it, and see how we can manage our schedules.”

Dravid also urged the BCCI to look into the scheduling of other competitions like Duleep Trophy and Deodhar Trophy to manage the pressure on the cricketers.

“It’s a long season already in India. It’s tough,” Dravid said. “The Ranji Trophy is a long season, and if you add a Duleep and a Deodhar on top of that…Last year, if I’m not mistaken, the Duleep started in June, it was just a month after the IPL, and your problem in this situation is your best players, the guys who are pushing for selection for India, are the ones that end up playing the most cricket. Because they keep getting selected at the next level, more and more, and their teams are the ones probably who are playing the semi-finals and the finals, or that kind of situation. They are the ones who end up playing a lot of cricket, and you also want them to be playing for India, and India A tours, and so it can get quite tough on a lot of those boys, and maybe we need to hear them out.”

“Maybe we need to re-look and see whether some of the tournaments that we are conducting are necessary in this day and age or if they are not necessary. There needs to be an all-round review [involving] coaches and players, especially the guys who are part of the domestic circuit,” he added.

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Mumbai vs Vidarbha Final, Ranji Trophy Day 2, Live Score: Bhupen Lalwani Departs For 18, Mumbai 2 Down vs Vidarbha

admin — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 06:51:36 +0000

Mumbai vs Vidarbha Final, Ranji Trophy 2024, Live© Twitter

Mumbai vs Vidarbha Final, Ranji Trophy 2024, Live Updates:Harsh Dubey has provided Vidarbha with their second breakthrough as he dismissed Bhupen Lalwani for 18. Musheer Khan has now been joined by Ajinkya Rahane as two-down Mumbai aim for a stable partnership. On the other hand, Vidarbha bowlers will be aiming for some more wickets, in order to bounce back in the game. Earlier, Three-wicket hauls by Tanush Kotian, Dhawal Kulkarni, and Shams Mulani, helped Mumbai bundle out Vidarbha for 105 in the Ranji Trophy final. Mumbai currently lead by 119 runs. For Vidarbha, Yash rathod scored 27 while Atharva Taide scored 23.

Here are the Live Updates of Day 2 of Ranji Trophy final match between Mumbai and Vidarbha:

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March11202413:46 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: OUT

OUT!!! Harsh Dubey has provided Vidarbha with their second breakthrough as he dismissed Bhupen Lalwani for 18. Lalwani smashes it hard for a maximum but fails to time it properly as Mohit Kale intercepts and takes a brilliant catch at the mid-wicket. Second wicket gone for Mumbai.

MUM 34/2 (11.2 overs)

March11202413:19 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: OUT

OUT!!! Yash Thakur has provided Vidarbha with their first wicket as he dismissed Prithvi Shaw for 11. Shaw gets completely bamboozled by the perfectly pitched delivery as the ball misses the bat and rattles up the stumps. First wicket gone for Mumbai.

MUM 26/1 (6.2 overs)

March11202412:52 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: 2nd session begins

Hello and welcome to the second session on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy final between Mumbai and Vidarbha. After bowling out Vidarbha for 105 and taking a lead of 119 runs, Mumbai have come out to bat. For Mumbai, Prithvi Shaw and Bhupen lalwani have started the proceedings while Umesh Yadav will be bowling the first over for Vidarbha.

March11202412:15 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: Vidarbha 105 all out

Mumbai (224) bundled out Vidarbha for 105 on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy final. For Vidarbha, Yash rathod scored 27 while Atharva Taide scored 23. For Mumbai, Shams Mulani, Dhawal Kulkarni, and Tanush Kotian scalped three wickets each. Vidarbha now trail by 119 runs.

March11202412:06 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: OUT

OUT!!! Tanush Kotian strikes again and this time, he dismisses Yash Thakur for 16. Thakur tries to go for a big hit but fails to time the shot properly as the ball lands safely into the hands of Tushar Deshpande at the mid-off. Ninth wicket gone for Vidarbha.

VID 104/9 (44 overs)

March11202411:56 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: OUT

OUT!! Tanush Kotian has provided Mumbai with another breakthrough as he dismissed Yash Rathod for 27. Rathod completely fails to judge the spinning delivery as the ball hits the under-edge and rattles up the stumps. A big blow for Vidarbha as one of their batters is now dismissed. eighth wicket gone for Vidarbha.

VID 97/8 (41.2 overs)

March11202411:53 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: OUT

OUT!!! Shams Mulani has taken his third wicket of the day and this time, Harsh Dubey became his prey and departed for 1. Dubey tries to steal a boundary but the ball hits the edge and Bhupen Lalwani takes a brilliant catch at the square leg. Seventh wicket gone for Vidarbha.

VID 87/7 (38.2 overs)

March11202411:29 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: OUT

OUT!!! Shams Mulani strikes again and this time, he dismisses Akshay Wadkar for 5. Wadkar tries to be defensive but the ball ends up hitting the edge and wicketkeeper Hardik Tamore makes no mistake and takes a brilliant catch. Sixth wicket gone for Vidarbha.

VID 85/6 (36 overs)

March11202411:19 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: OUT

OUT!!! Shams Mulani has joined the party in style as he dismissed Aditya Thakare for 19. Mulani hits on the pads of Thakare as the on-field umpire signals LBW out. Fifth wicket gone for Vidrabha as Mumbai take control.

VID 79/5 (35 overs)

March11202411:04 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: Rathod-Thakare solid

The duo of Yash Rathod and Aditya Thakare have successfully stabilized the innings for Vidarbha. The duo is standing solid and forming a good partnership, in order to keep the scoreboard moving for Vidarbha. On the other hand, Mumbai bowlers are desperately aiming to break this strong partnership and take control in the game. Currently, Vidarbha trail by 153 runs.

VID 71/4 (32 overs)

March11202410:21 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: 4-down Vidarbha steady

After losing the wicket of Atharva Taide, Yash Rathod joined hands with Aditya Thakare at the crease. The duo is currently forming a steady partnership as four-down Vidarbha are showing a cautious approach. Mumbai bowlers are aiming for another wicket to maintain their dominance in the game.

VID 46/4 (23 overs)

March11202409:55 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: OUT

OUT!!! Dhawal Kulkarni has provided Mumbai with an important breakthrough as he dismissed Atharva Taide for 23. Taide tries to play a defensive shot but the ball hits the edge and wicketkeeper Hardik Tamore makes no mistake and takes a brilliant catch behind the stumps. Fourth wicket gone for Vidarbha.

VID 39/4 (17.4 overs)

March11202409:47 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: Taide-Thakare steady

The duo of Atharva Taide and Aditya Thakare is forming a good partnership. In the previous over of Dhawak Kulkarni, the duo scores five runs, which include a boundary from Thakare. Vidarbha need more of these overs to gain the momentum.

VID 38/3 (16 overs)

March11202409:32 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: We are underway

The Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy final between Mumbai and Vidarbha begins. Atharva Taide (21*) and Aditya Thakare (0*) have resumed the proceedings for Vidarbha. The duo will aim to form a god partnership and provide their side with some momentum. On the other hand, Dhawal Kulkarni will be bowling the first over of the day for Mumbai.

March11202409:23 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: Shardul’s brilliant knock

All-rounder Shardul Thakur played a brilliant knock of 75 runs and helped Mumbai reach 224 on Day 1 against Vidarbha. Despite having a good opening partnership, Mumbai lost wickets in a quick succession. But, Shardul’s knock helped Mumbai post a decent total.

March11202409:20 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: Vidarbha reeling at 31/3

After a wonderful show with the ball, Vidarbha struggle with the bat on Day 1 as they lost three wickets with only 31 runs on the board. Earlier in the day, Vidarbha bundled out Mumbai for 224. Currently, the visitors are trailing by 193 runs.

March11202408:58 (IST)

Ranji Trophy Final Live: Hello

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Day 2 of Ranji Trophy final match between Mumbai and Vidarbha, straight from the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Stay tuned for all the live updates.

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Rahul Dravid’s Blunt Take On Scheduling Concerns Amid BCCI’s Red-Ball Cricket Push

admin — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 15:51:22 +0000

Indian cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid suggested that the domestic cricket scheduling should go through an ‘all-round review’ after players like Shardul Thakur and R Sai Kishore expressed their concerns. Shardul said that players need more breaks between the matches in order to avoid injury and his sentiments were echoed by Sai Kishore. Following India’s win over England in the fifth Test match in Dharamsala, Dravid was asked about the concerns and he said that the BCCI should consult the players who are “going through the grind and putting their bodies on the line.”

“I’ve heard the same as well. I saw some of the comments Shardul, I think, made. And in fact some of the boys who’ve come into the team as well, also comment about how tough the domestic schedule is, especially in a country like India with the amount of travel involved. So yeah, we need to hear the players. That’s a very important thing in a lot of these things,” Dravid said.

“You need to hear your players, because they are the ones going through the grind and putting their bodies on the line, and if there are enough voices saying that, then yeah, I think there’s some need to look at it, and see how we can manage our schedules.”

Dravid also urged the BCCI to look into the scheduling of other competitions like Duleep Trophy and Deodhar Trophy to manage the pressure on the cricketers.

“It’s a long season already in India. It’s tough,” Dravid said. “The Ranji Trophy is a long season, and if you add a Duleep and a Deodhar on top of that…Last year, if I’m not mistaken, the Duleep started in June, it was just a month after the IPL, and your problem in this situation is your best players, the guys who are pushing for selection for India, are the ones that end up playing the most cricket. Because they keep getting selected at the next level, more and more, and their teams are the ones probably who are playing the semi-finals and the finals, or that kind of situation. They are the ones who end up playing a lot of cricket, and you also want them to be playing for India, and India A tours, and so it can get quite tough on a lot of those boys, and maybe we need to hear them out.”

“Maybe we need to re-look and see whether some of the tournaments that we are conducting are necessary in this day and age or if they are not necessary. There needs to be an all-round review [involving] coaches and players, especially the guys who are part of the domestic circuit,” he added.

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“International Comeback Is Far”: In-form India Star’s Response Despite Ranji Trophy Heroics

admin — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 12:16:33 +0000

Shardul Thakur‘s sizzling 109 and Tanush Kotian‘s unbeaten 74 offset R Sai Kishore‘s six-wicket haul, putting Mumbai in command by powering them to a 207-run first-innings lead over Tamil Nadu on the second day of the Ranji Trophy semifinal on Sunday. Ultimately, Mumbai won the match by an innings and 70 runs. Thakur, meanwhile, admitted that an international comeback for India is not on the cards despite his maiden century across formats. “I think international comeback is far from now because the Test team is out already for the fifth game (against England) and after this we are going into the IPL.

“It’s far, I am not thinking that far. But yes, scoring a century is a big, big relief and also it was very important for the team at that point of time,” he added.

Shardul Thakur on Sunday said that the BCCI will have to relook next year’s Ranji Trophy schedule as playing 10 matches with just three-day gaps between games could lead to injuries to players. Thakur said it’s difficult for players to adjust to the three-day gap between knockout matches, which was not the case earlier. “B”It’s difficult because we are playing first-class games in (a) three days’ gap – that has never happened in Ranji Trophy season ever,” Thakur told the media here after making a fine century in the semifinal against Tamil Nadu.

“You know the schedule is becoming tighter and tighter. If boys keep playing like this for two more seasons, there will be lot of injuries across the country. “Next year, they (the BCCI) have to re-look at it and give more break,” he added.

He said few years back players got more days in between matches in Ranji Trophy.

“When I remember playing Ranji Trophy back in the days, good 7-8 years back, (the) first three games used to have (a) three-day break and then it was (a) four-day break and knockouts were played on five-day breaks.

“Now this year, we have seen that all the games have been played on (a) three-day gap. It is extremely tough on domestic players to expect them to play ten games in a row with just (a) three-days gap if (a) team makes it to the finals.

“Also, when nine teams were in the group, one team would get a break in (the) round-robin system. Now only eight teams being in one group, everyone plays each other, so that break has gone now,” Thakur added.

Thakur backed his statement by citing the example of his team Mumbai, which has had to juggle between available resources.

He agreed that the current scheduling has not left enough time for the pacers to recover.

“Yeah, 100 per cent because Mohit (Avasthi) also had an injury in the sixth game,” he said.

Avasthi was rested from the league stage contest against Chhattisgarh by Mumbai as he is also believed to have developed a hamstring-related issue.

“He played five games in a row. He had a huge workload because Tushar (Deshpande) was also selected for India A. He was not available. Dhawal (Kulkarni) was playing alternate games, looking at his age and workload. Royston (Dias) is fairly new,” said Thakur.

“He (Mohit) operated a lot in those first five games and then he had an injury so he had to miss a game. I think that is because there is not enough spacing between the games,” Thakur added.

Tamil Nadu skipper R Sai Kishore, who has led his side into Ranji Trophy knockouts for the first time in seven years while also crossing the 50-wicket mark this season, agreed with Thakur.

“A few players feel the same thing. Fast bowlers are extra tired because you travel on one day. For me, I don’t train much because of the three-day thing,” Sai Kishore said.

“I bowl directly match-to-match so the load on my body is fine. I don’t strain myself in training pre-match. I am managing myself that way but should be harder for the fast bowlers,” he added.

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Amid BCCI’s Push For Domestic Cricket, India Star Slams Ranji Trophy Schedule

admin — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 04:23:09 +0000

Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur on Sunday called for much longer breaks between Ranji Trophy games in order to help players get more time for recovery and preparations and lessen injuries. Thakur registered his maiden first-class century during Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy semifinal against Tamil Nadu on Sunday. Due to his century and a great fightback by the lower order, Mumbai leads by 207 runs. Following the end of the day’s play, Shardul termed the current schedule of having just a three-day interval between matches as “difficult” and “tight”. He pointed out that the breaks between games used to be bigger when he had been playing Ranji seven to eight years back.

“If boys keep playing like this for two more seasons, there will be a lot of injuries across the country,” said Thakur.

“Next year, they [the BCCI] have to re-look at it, and give more [of a] break. When I remember playing Ranji Trophy back in the day, good seven to eight years back, [the] first three games used to have [a] three-day break, and then it was [a] four-day break, and knockouts were played [with] five-day breaks,” added Thakur.

With the Indian Premier League (IPL) window getting bigger due to the number of franchises being increased to 10, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been forced to fit all senior men’s domestic cricket within a much smaller window. This has, according to many prominent first-class cricketers, questioned the relevance of tournaments like Duleep Trophy, Deodhar Trophy, zonal first-class and ODI competitions, which usually open a domestic season.

Teams have also experienced travel fatigue. Shardul said that it is extremely difficult for players to play ten games with a three-game gap if a team makes it to the finals.

“Now this year, we have seen that all the games have been played [with a] three-day gap. It is extremely tough on domestic players to expect them to play ten games in a row with just a three-day gap if [a] team makes it to the finals,” said Thakur.

“Also, when nine teams were in the group [in the old format], one team would get a break in [the] round-robin system. Now with only eight teams being in one group, everyone plays each other, so that [extra] break has gone now,” he added.

Thakur pointed out that the scheduling, for instance, was extremely gruelling on Mumbai’s pacers, with Mohit Avasthi rested in a league stage match against Chhattisgarh due to a hamstring issue after having played five successive games. He also said that Mohit has had a massive workload because Tushar Deshpande was playing for India A at one point, veteran Dhawal Kulkarni was ageing as well and Royston Dias is a fairly new player.

“Yeah, 100 per cent (on schedules being grueling) because Mohit [Avasthi] also had an injury in the sixth game,” said Thakur.

“He played five games in a row. He had a huge workload because Tushar [Deshpande] was also selected for India A. He was not available. Dhawal [Kulkarni] was playing alternate games looking at his age and workload. Royston [Dias] is fairly new.”

“He [Mohit] operated a lot in those first five games, and then he had an injury so he had to miss a game. I think that is because there is not enough spacing between the games,” concluded.

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“BCCI Has To Re-Look”: India Star On Packed Domestic Cricket Schedule

admin — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 14:29:55 +0000

India and Mumbai all-rounder Shardul Thakur on Sunday said that the BCCI will have to relook next year’s Ranji Trophy schedule as playing 10 matches with just three-day gaps between games could lead to injuries to players. Thakur said it’s difficult for players to adjust to the three-day gap between knockout matches, which was not the case earlier. “B”It’s difficult because we are playing first-class games in (a) three days’ gap – that has never happened in Ranji Trophy season ever,” Thakur told the media here after making a fine century in the semifinal against Tamil Nadu.

“You know the schedule is becoming tighter and tighter. If boys keep playing like this for two more seasons, there will be lot of injuries across the country. “Next year, they (the BCCI) have to re-look at it and give more break,” he added.

He said few years back players got more days in between matches in Ranji Trophy.

“When I remember playing Ranji Trophy back in the days, good 7-8 years back, (the) first three games used to have (a) three-day break and then it was (a) four-day break and knockouts were played on five-day breaks.

“Now this year, we have seen that all the games have been played on (a) three-day gap. It is extremely tough on domestic players to expect them to play ten games in a row with just (a) three-days gap if (a) team makes it to the finals.

“Also, when nine teams were in the group, one team would get a break in (the) round-robin system. Now only eight teams being in one group, everyone plays each other, so that break has gone now,” Thakur added.

Thakur backed his statement by citing the example of his team Mumbai, which has had to juggle between available resources.

He agreed that the current scheduling has not left enough time for the pacers to recover.

“Yeah, 100 per cent because Mohit (Avasthi) also had an injury in the sixth game,” he said.

Avasthi was rested from the league stage contest against Chhattisgarh by Mumbai as he is also believed to have developed a hamstring-related issue.

“He played five games in a row. He had a huge workload because Tushar (Deshpande) was also selected for India A. He was not available. Dhawal (Kulkarni) was playing alternate games, looking at his age and workload. Royston (Dias) is fairly new,” said Thakur.

“He (Mohit) operated a lot in those first five games and then he had an injury so he had to miss a game. I think that is because there is not enough spacing between the games,” Thakur added.

Tamil Nadu skipper R Sai Kishore, who has led his side into Ranji Trophy knockouts for the first time in seven years while also crossing the 50-wicket mark this season, agreed with Thakur.

“A few players feel the same thing. Fast bowlers are extra tired because you travel on one day. For me, I don’t train much because of the three-day thing,” Sai Kishore said.

“I bowl directly match-to-match so the load on my body is fine. I don’t strain myself in training pre-match. I am managing myself that way but should be harder for the fast bowlers,” he added.

Thakur, meanwhile, admitted that an international comeback for India is not on the cards despite his maiden century across formats.

“I think international comeback is far from now because the Test team is out already for the fifth game (against England) and after this we are going into the IPL.

“It’s far, I am not thinking that far. But yes, scoring a century is a big, big relief and also it was very important for the team at that point of time,” he added.

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Shardul Thakur Points Finger During Fiery Celebration After 1st Ranji Trophy Ton. Ajinkya Rahane’s Reaction Says It All

admin — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 12:44:54 +0000

Shardul Thakur‘s sizzling 109 and Tanush Kotian‘s unbeaten 74 offset R Sai Kishore‘s six-wicket haul, putting Mumbai in command by powering to a 207-run first-innings lead over Tamil Nadu on the second day of the Ranji Trophy semifinal on Sunday. Thakur’s sensational counterattacking hundred, featuring 13 fours and four sixes from a mere 104 balls, pulled Mumbai out of doldrums after they were reduced to 106 for seven at one stage.

At stumps, Mumbai were 353 for 9 at stumps against TN’s first innings’ 146, with Sai Kishore causing the maximum damage.

Sai Kishore (6/97) ran through a chunk of Mumbai’s batting line-up, while Shreyas Iyer (3) fell to pacer Sandeep Warrier as Tamil Nadu levelled up with the hosts for the first time in the game.

But Thakur launched a stunning onslaught, putting each of Tamil Nadu bowlers under severe pressure while forging vital partnerships along the way to take Mumbai far ahead in the game.

Thakur teamed up with Hardik Tamore (35) for a crucial 105-run stand for the eighth wicket and took Mumbai further ahead in the company of Kotian, adding another 79 runs for the ninth wicket.

Using his blade to perfection, Thakur was adroit with his hands to pierce gaps at will and did not miss out clearing the field with disdain four times for maximums — one of which also brought up his maiden century across formats.

Shardul Thakur gets to his century in style

What a time to score your maiden first-class

The celebrations say it all @imShard | @IDFCFIRSTBank | #RanjiTrophy | #MUMvTN | #SF2

Follow the matchhttps://t.co/9tosMLk9TT pic.twitter.com/3RI9Sap6DO

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) March 3, 2024

Thakur, who also struggled with an ankle-related issue along the way, finally fell to Kuldeep Sen (2/65) in the third session, which brought the pair of Kotian and Tushar Deshpande together again after their heroics in the last match.

Coming off a 232-run stand for the 10th wicket in the previous match, Kotian and Deshpande picked from where they left off to put on another 63-run unbeaten stand for the 10th wicket.

With Deshpande (17 not out) joining him much later in his innings, Kotian excelled in this innings like a specialist batter, cracking 10 fours from 109 balls to get to 74 not out.

If it were not for yet another rearguard from their tailenders, who shone in the quarterfinal as well, Mumbai would not have ended the day’s play with a massive lead, for most of their key batters cut a sorry figure.

On a cloudy morning with breeze sweeping across the field here at the BKC Ground, Sai Kishore’s decision to open the bowling in conditions conducive to seamers raised a few eyebrows.

But the Tamil Nadu skipper and leading wicket-taker this Ranji Trophy only validated his move with relentless pressure on the Mumbai batters, delivering a superb 17-6-28-4 in the first session, and took a break only after sending down 22 overs at a stretch.

After nightwatchman Mohit Avasthi (2) was stumped, Sai Kishore ended his counterpart Ajinkya Rahane‘s 67-ball vigil for a mere 19 (2x4s) by getting him caught at the first slip.

Rahane strode out confidently to defend on the front foot but only to have the ball kissing the outside edge and being collected by Baba Indrajith at the first slip.

Mumbai’s woes compounded when Iyer, pounded by lack of runs and loss of central contract, was cleaned by Tamil Nadu pacer Warrier for a mere three.

But Musheer (55 off 131 balls, 6x4s) continued to take giant strides, shouldering the responsibility of getting runs for his side from the other end. The 18-year-old also made no retorts when Tamil Nadu fielders, both in front and behind him, tried to unsettle him.

However, a lapse in concentration saw Musheer’s innings ending prematurely when his backfoot was caught ‘on line’ at the crease with N Jagadeesan quick in taking off the bails.

Brief scores: Tamil Nadu 146 trail Mumbai 353/9 in 100 overs (Musheer Khan 55, Shardul Thakur 109, Tanush Kotian 74*; R Sai Kishore 6/97) by 207 runs.

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