Screengrab of Ed Sheeran playing cricket with Rajasthan Royals.© Rajasthan Royals

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) seamer Tushar Deshpande shared some inspirational words from MS Dhoni that motivated him ahead of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Deshpande, who had initially struggled in the competition, played a crucial role in CSK’s fifth title victory, solidifying his position in the bowling unit. During the 2023 season, CSK faced a significant injury crisis within their pace bowling department, with Ben Stokes, Deepak Chahar, Sisanda Magala, Simarjeet Singh, and Mukesh Choudhary all sidelined by serious injuries.

In their absence, Deshpande led the attack alongside young talents like Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Matheesha Pathirana, and Akash Singh. Deshpande rose to the challenge, taking 21 wickets in 16 matches with an economy rate of 9.92.

Deshpande recounted a motivating conversation with Dhoni at Chepauk during the IPL 2023 preparation camp.

“You have everything to succeed at international level. But you have to be calm during your run-up. Don’t get distracted by the crowd. Just take a deep breath, stay calm and bowl.’ If Mahi tells you that you have everything to be successful at international level, boss, that itself is an achievement,” Deshpande told ESPNcricinfo.

Despite an expensive spell in the season-opening loss to the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad, Dhoni encouraged him to persevere.

“Mahi came to me and said, ‘You haven’t made any mistakes. You bowled all good balls. It was not your day today. In the next match repeat the same,” he said.

His ability to take wickets in challenging situations has been crucial. He mentioned another instance where Dhoni’s advice had a significant impact on his approach.

Dhoni advised him to stick to his strengths and believe in himself during a match simulation in the nets.

“I was bowling good yorkers, but suddenly I bowled a bouncer and got hit for a 100-metre six. He asked me, ‘Kyun daala bouncer?’ [Why did you bowl the bouncer?] I told him I thought he was expecting the yorker. He told me, ‘Don’t play cricket in the mind. Yorker is a yorker and no one can hit you,’ ” Deshpande noted.

“He was telling me we keep trying to play ahead of the game instead of staying in the present. The other thing he told me is to focus on my fitness, which is important for fast bowlers,” he told ESPNcricinfo.

Deshpande made his national debut during the tour of Zimbabwe in July 2024, where he recorded figures of 1-30 and secured his spot for the subsequent match.

India vs Zimbabwe Live Streaming 5th T20I: When, Where To Watch Match?© AFP

Shubman Gill can wrap up his first series win as India captain today as the team take on Zimbabwe in the fourth T20I of the five-match series. India head into the contest with a 2-1 lead. After a shock defeat in the first game, India bounced back in tremendous style with a 100-run win. The third T20I was a closer affair, with a valiant Zimbabwe falling just 23 runs short. Ahead of a decisive fourth T20I, let’s take a look at India’s possible XI for the game.

1. Shubman Gill (c) – The captain stays, having been India’s top run-scorer in two of the three T20Is, including a solid 66 in the previous T20I.

2. Yashasvi Jaiswal – Having returned from the third T20I, Jaiswal contributed 36 off 27 balls and will surely keep his place in the side.

3. Abhishek Sharma – The swashbuckling southpaw may have been demoted to no. 3, but there is no case for him to be dropped for the rest of the series after his exceptional century in the second T20I.

4. Ruturaj Gaikwad – The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain has quietly adapted well to middle-order duties, and narrowly missed out on a second successive half-century in the third T20I. Gaikwad is India’s leading run-scorer in the series so far.

5. Sanju Samson (wk) – Another player who joined after India’s T20 World Cup 2024 celebrations, Samson should keep his place in the XI as the wicket-keeper batsman.

6. Rinku Singh – Rinku Singh showed his finishing power in the second T20I with a 22-ball 48, and will keep his place in the side.

7. Shivam Dube – Despite playing every game for India in the T20 World Cup, Dube is expected to continue in the XI against Zimbabwe, being one of the more senior players in the squad.

8. Washington Sundar – Washington is making a great case for a regular India spot in the post-Ravindra Jadeja era in T20Is, having impressed with both bat and ball so far in the series. He finished with figures of 3/15 and won the ‘Player of the Match’ in the third T20I.

9. Ravi Bishnoi – The leg-spinner was the world’s no. 1 T20I bowler not too long ago, and will surely play every match in the series.

10. Tushar Deshpande – With Avesh Khan going for runs in the third T20I, a debut could be on the horizon for CSK star Tushar Deshpande.

11. Khaleel Ahmed – The left-arm seamer has been brilliant up front, and showed his class once again in the third T20I, giving away just 15 runs in his four-over spell.

A young-Indian cricket team under National Cricket Academy head VVS Laxman left for Zimbabwe to play a five-match T20I series starting in Harare on July 6. The team will be led by Shubman Gill while the likes of youngsters Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma have been rewarded for their exploits in the last IPL with maiden India call-ups. Skipper Gill, the reserve opener for the T20 World Cup, was on a break and will link up with the Zimbabwe-bound squad directly in Harare from the US.

The BCCI took to X to post pictures of those who boarded the flight, which includes Sharma, Parag, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Tushar Deshpande and NCA head Laxman.

Five members of the squad — Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh and Khaleel Ahmed were either part of the T20 World Cup-winning team or were travelling reserves are stranded in Barbados due to hurricane Beryl. They will join the squad later.

With Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja retiring form the shortest format of the game, the T20 series against Zimbabwe will provide the youngsters with the perfect opportunity to cement their places in the team for future series.

Jet

Set

Zimbabwe #TeamIndia | #ZIMvIND pic.twitter.com/q3sFz639z7

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 1, 2024

pic.twitter.com/todNGWOyxM

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 1, 2024

India’s squad for T20I series against Zimbabwe: Shubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 6-match winning streak came to an end in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Eliminator clash against Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday. RCB posted a fighting total of 172/8 on the board and even managed to unnerve Rajasthan Royals batter to some extent but the score was never going to be enough for Faf du Plessis and Co to go through. As RCB missed out on another chance to go all the way in the tournament, courtesy of their defeat against RR in the Eliminator, Chennai Super Kings star Tushar Deshpande shared an Instagram story mocking the Bengaluru side. But later, deleted it.

Taking to Instagram, the CSK pacer Deshpande shared a story that read: “CSK fans are built different” with a picture of ‘Bengaluru Cant’ railway station. Understanding the backlash over such a post, Deshpande then deleted it.

Tushar Deshpande’s Instagram story. pic.twitter.com/bXSed8pf7Y

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 22, 2024

As for the match, chasing 173, Rajasthan ended with 174/6 as Rovman Powell (16 not out) provided the finishing touches in a tense finish.

As he has done several times before this season, Riyan Parag (36 off 26) showcased deep resolve in an adverse situation to help Rajasthan stay alive in the tournament. It was Royals’ first win after four losses and an abandoned game.

2008 winners Royals face Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai on Friday for a place in the IPL final.

The returning Shimron Hetmyer also played his part to perfection, scoring a crucial 26 off 14 balls.

In a contest wherein fortunes swung from one side to another, RR remained ahead with impactful performances throughout even though Mohammed Siraj (2/33) raised late hopes for RCB with wickets of Parag and Hetmyer in the 18th over, With 13 needed off last two overs, Powell found two fours off Lockie Ferguson to seal the deal in favour of his side.

Earlier, it was Yashasvi Jaiswal (45 off 30) who gave them the impetus at the top.

Off to an unconvincing start with his initial runs coming off the outside edge, Jaiswal grew in confidence when Yash Dayal fed him a few deliveries to capitalise on and the RR opener cracked four fours in the third over to break the shackles.

At the other end, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (20) also hit a couple of fours against Siraj and while getting a lifeline from Glenn Maxwell, who spilled a sitter at deep square leg off Dayal.

With RR’s acceleration rapidly shaving runs off the target, RCB needed a breakthrough and Lockie Ferguson provided the first success when he foxed Kohler-Cadmore with a slow yorker which crashed into the stumps.

The gradual progression of Jaiswal’s innings saw the batter finding his rhythm, but the extreme heat sapped him out completely having faced a mere 29 balls.

In between the ninth and the 10th over, Jaiswal received on-field treatment and got back up only to play a loose shot — an attempted ramp off Cameron Green but only gloved it to the ‘keeper.

Soon after, Karn Sharma dealt a body blow by having Sanju Samson (17) stumped.

With their tails up, RCB continued making inroads with Dhruv Jurel (8) being run out after a brilliant effort from Virat Kohli and Cameron Green. Kohli fired a sharp throw from deep midwicket to the non-striker’s end, where Jurel was found short of his crease.

RR were firmly under pressure heading into the 15th over when they chose to go after Green, who had been all over them with three tidy overs and a wicket up until then.

Hetmyer smacked the Australian for a six and Parag followed his partner in hitting another, while also finding a four to collect 17 runs.

With PTI inputs

IPL 2024, Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings Live Cricket Score© BCCI