Tag: IPL 2023

IPL 2023 Final | Chennai Super Kings beats Gujarat Titans by five wickets to win fifth title

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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pulled off a stunning heist to beat Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets and win its fifth Indian Premier League title, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in the wee hours of May 30.

Chasing a revised 171-run target in 15 overs after rain affected play, CSK needed 10 to win off the last two balls, only for Ravindra Jadeja to hoist Mohit Sharma straight down the ground for a six and follow it up with a glanced four to the fine-leg boundary.

Mohit, until then, had seemed set to defend 13 runs from the last over. He conceded just three off the first four deliveries, but missed his length trying to bowl yorkers off the last two as CSK matched Mumbai Indians’ record of five IPL trophies.

Sai Sudharsan’s terrific 96 (47b, 8×4, 6×6) had propelled defending champion GT to a mammoth 214 for four. The score was the highest any team had made in an IPL final, but CSK was left to chase a reduced target after a 20-minute shower three balls into its reply left the turf unplayable for nearly 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Two practice pitches at the extreme ends of the main 22-yard strip were mangled because the covers couldn’t be brought on in time. 

But once the contest restarted at 12.10 a.m., CSK scored at a rapid pace. Ruturaj Gaikwad (26, 16b, 3×4, 1×6) and Devon Conway (47, 25b, 4×4, 2×6) put on 74 runs in just 39 balls, and Ajinkya Rahane (27, 13b, 2×4, 2×6) and Shivam Dube (32 n.o., 21b, 2×6) continued in the same vein.

With 38 needed from three overs, Ambati Rayudu, turning out for the last time in the IPL, hammered Mohit for two sixes and a four (19, 8b, 1×4, 2×6). But Mohit, brought GT right back into the game by removing Rayudu and M.S. Dhoni (0) off back-to-back balls.

Mohammed Shami conceded just eight runs from the penultimate over leaving Mohit to defend 13. And just when the 34-year-old former CSK pacer appeared like getting the job done, Jadeja snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Trump card Rashid Khan had an ordinary day for GT, conceding 44 runs from three overs.

Earlier in the evening, all eyes were on Indian cricket’s crown prince Shubman Gill, who seemed set to own one of the game’s biggest stages. But Tamil Nadu batter Sai Sudharsan, who was bought by GT in the February 2022 auction at his base price of ₹20 lakh, ended up carving a niche for himself.

Coming in at the fall of Gill (67/1, eighth over) Sai Sudharsan’s was a superbly paced knock. His first 20 runs took as many as 17 balls, watchful as he was when Jadeja and Maheesh Theekshana bowled stifling lines (overs seven to 10, 24 runs).

But from the next 30 deliveries, he scored 76 golden runs to make his highest IPL score, in his 13th match.

GT, after being asked to bat, had a fine PowerPlay, with Wriddhiman Saha (54, 39b, 5×4, 1×6) and Gill (39, 20b, 7×4) combining to score 62 runs. CSK didn’t help itself, fluffing as many as three chances including a sitter by Deepak Chahar at square-leg when Gill was on three.

And the batter capitalised, looking resplendent for as long as he was in the middle. The 23-year-old hit Tushar Deshpande and Theekshana for a hat-trick of fours each, but his best shot came off Chahar, a trademark half-cut when barely allowed any room.

However, in the seventh over, Jadeja worked his magic, drawing Gill out of the crease and having him stumped, courtesy Dhoni’s lightning quick hands. That brought Sai Sudharsan to the middle, and after a few overs’ recce, he made the play.

CSK vs GT live score, IPL final live updates

He steered Matheesha Pathirana to the off-side boundary twice to get going, before smashing Jadeja and Theekshana for three sixes in the mid-wicket region. The half century (32b) came with a four behind point off Pathirana.

In the 17th over, Deshpande (4-0-56-0) was sent on a leather hunt. Sai Sudharsan lined up for a scoop, but the ball sailed over Dhoni for a six via a leading edge. The 21-year-old, who oozes orthodoxy, perhaps felt corrupted and came up with three sublime drives to the fence – down the ground, through cover and extra-cover.

And when Sai Sudharsan launched Pathirana (4-0-44-0) for back-to-back sixes at the start of the 20th – over extra-cover and a slog-sweep over long-on – a century seemed imminent, only for a yorker-length ball to trap him in front.

The runs were worth their weight in gold for GT, nearly helping the Hardik Pandya-led side defend its crown, before a miracle from CSK took the shine off.

Scoreboard

Gujarat Titans: Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha c Dhoni b Chahar 54 Shubman Gill st Dhoni b Jadeja 39 B Sai Sudharsan lbw b Pathirana 96 Hardik Pandya not out 21 Rashid Khan c Gaikwad b Pathiran 0 Extras: (B-1, LB-1, W-2) 4 Total: ( For 4 wickets in 20 overs) 214 Fall of wickets: 1-67, 2-131, 3-212, 4-214 Bowling: Deepak Chahar 4-0-38-1, Tushar Deshpande 4-0-56-0, Maheesh Theekshana 4-0-36-0, Ravindra Jadeja 4-0-38-1, Matheesha Pathirana 4-0 -44-2.

Total: ( For 4 wickets in 20 overs) 214

Fall of wickets: 1-67, 2-131, 3-212, 4-214

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad c Rashid Khan b Noor Ahmad 26 Devon Conway c Sharma b Noor Ahmad 47 Shivam Dube not out 32 Ajinkya Rahane c Shankar b Sharma 27 Ambati Rayudu c & b Sharma 19 MS Dhoni c Miller b Sharma 0 Ravindra Jadeja not out 15 Extras: (LB-1, W-4) 5 Total: (For 5 wickets in 15 overs) 171 Fall of wickets: 1-74, 2-78, 3-117, 4-149, 5-149 Bowling: Mohammed Shami 3-0-29-0, Hardik Pandya 1-0-14-0, Rashid Khan 3-0-44-0, Noor Ahmad 3-0-17-2, Josh Little 2-0-30-0, Mohit Sharma 3-0-36-3.

Total: (For 5 wickets in 15 overs) 171

Fall of wickets: 1-74, 2-78, 3-117, 4-149, 5-149

Chennai Super Kings bowling: Mohammed Shami 3-0-29-0, Hardik Pandya 1-0-14-0, Rashid Khan 3-0-44-0, Noor Ahmad 3-0-17-2, Josh Little 2-0-30-0, Mohit Sharma 3-0-36-3

The teams

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w/c), Deepak Chahar, Matheesha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana

Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha(w), Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Hardik Pandya(c), Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad, Mohammed Shami

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IPL 2023: MI vs SRH | Green, Rohit keep Mumbai hopes alive for a spot in play-offs

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Cameron Green’s magnificent maiden century (100 not out) and Rohit Sharma’s half century powered Mumbai Indians to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last league match of the IPL in Mumbai on May 21.

Mumbai knocked off the target of 201 with 12 balls and eight wickets to spare to accumulate 16 points from 14 matches. But their fate will be decided after the match in Bengaluru — which is experiencing rain — between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans later in the day.

If the contest between RCB and GT is washed out, Mumbai will make it to the final four, but if the hosts win, they will qualify on the basis of better Net Run Rate. MI currently have NRR of -0.044 as against +0.180 of RCB.

With an inferior NRR, MI had the improbable task of scoring 201 in 11.4 overs or 70 balls if they had to get past RCB on the table.

 

 

Green smacked eight fours and eight sixes during his unbeaten 100 which came off just 47 balls. He added 53 runs with Suryakumar Yadav (25 not out) for the unbroken third wicket to take MI over the line.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar drew the first blood when he dismissed Ishan Kishan (14) in the third over. Rohit got a lifeline in the fifth over when Sanvir Singh dropped a difficult catch at midwicket off Nitish Kumar Reddy.

But Green provided the impetus, as his four boundaries and a couple of sixes took MI to 60/1 after the powerplay.

While Green brought up his fifty off only 20 balls, in the ninth over, Rohit was off to a modest start, hitting his first six only on the 22nd ball that he faced.

Mumbai Indians Cameron Green in action during the Indian Premier League 2023 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Mumbai on May 21, 2023.
| Photo Credit:
AP

The MI skipper completed his second fifty of this IPL, off 31 balls, and his second-wicket stand with Green took the total past the 100-run mark. Soon after this, Rohit got another reprieve when Sanvir spilled a regulation catch at cover off Kartik Tyagi.

However, a sensational catch from Reddy had Mayank Dagar celebrating Rohit’s wicket wildly in the 14th over. Rohit’s 56 came off 37 balls (8x4s, 1x6s), having added 128 off 65 balls with Green.

 

Earlier, Unheralded Uttarakhand pacer Akash Madhwal nailed his yorkers consistently at the death as Mumbai Indians restricted Sunrisers Hyderabad to 200 for 5 in their final IPL encounter, here on Sunday.

With one eye on Bengaluru weather where RCB is taking on Gujarat Titans, Madhwal’s four-wicket haul ensured that SRH ended with at least 15 short of what could be considered a par-score on a flat Wankhede track.

This was after a century opening stand between seasoned opener Mayank Agarwal (83 off 45 balls) and rookie Vivrant Sharma (69 off 47 balls) threatened to take the game away, in the IPL here on Sunday.

The pair of Agarwal and Vivrant put on the best opening stand for SRH this season, reaching 53/0 after the powerplay without taking any undue risks, and eventually putting on 140 for the seventh century stand of this IPL.

Courtesy Madhwal’s 4 for 37, which included two lethal block-hole deliveries to clean up in-form Heinrich Klaasen (18) and Harry Brook (0), SRH managed only 26 in last three overs.

For a bowling unit that has allowed contests to drift away, here at the Wankhede Stadium on several occasions, MI made regular inroads to keep SRH within reach.

However, the task is an improbable one for MI as they will have to score 201 in just 11.4 overs, or in 70 balls, to overtake Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Net Run Rate.

Playing in his third game this season and for the first time as an opener, the left-handed Vivrant gave a fine example of himself with strokes on both the sides of the wickets.

Vivrant struck seven fours and a six to bring up his maiden IPL half-century in the 10th over, as SRH cruised in the first half of the contest unscathed and unperturbed by MI’s bowlers.

Agarwal too ended his drought, hitting a six and a four off Jason Behrendorff in the 13th over to bring up his first fifty of this season, and celebrated with a gesture that batters usually do upon reaching the three-figure mark – taking off the helmet and arms stretched wide.

On a benign pitch with extreme hot and humid conditions, there was also not much that the Mumbai bowlers could do, on what also has been batting-friendly surface here.

With no movement or turn off the surface, the MI bowlers had to contend with bowling disciplined line and lengths, and to their credit, they never really allowed the SRH openers to get away.

The first breakthrough came in the 14th over when Madhwal had Vivrat caught at deep mid-wicket, with his 69 off 47 balls (9 fours, 2 sixes) being the highest score since the first IPL for any Indian player in a debut innings.

Madhwal continued to use the short ball well and in the 17th over, he had Agarwal caught behind for 83, which came off 46 balls including eight fours and four sixes.

Scoreboard

Sunrisers Hyderabad Innings: Vivrant Sharma c sub (Ramandeep Singh) b Madhwal 69 Mayank Agarwal c Kishan b Madhwal 83 Heinrich Klaasen b Madhwal 18 Glenn Phillips c Kartikeya b Jordan 1 Aiden Markram not out 13 Harry Brook b Madhwal 0 Sanvir Singh not out 4 Extras (LB-5, NB-1, W-6) 12

Total (For Five Wickets In 20 Overs) 200

Fall of Wickets: 1-140, 2-174, 3-177, 4-186, 5-186.

Mumbai Indians bowling: Jason Behrendorff 3-0-36-0, Cameron Green 1-0-2-0, Chris Jordan 4-0-42-1, Akash Madhwal 4-0-37-4, Piyush Chawla 4-0-39-0, Kumar Kartikeya 4-0-39-0.

Mumbai Indians Innings: Ishan Kishan c Brook b Kumar 14 Rohit Sharma c Reddy b Dagar 56 Cameron Green not out 100 Suryakumar Yadav not out 25 Extras (LB-1, NB-4, W-1) 6

Total (For Two Wickets in 18 Overs) 201

Fall of Wickets: 1-20, 2-148.

Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-0-26-1, Nitish Reddy 3-0-35-0, Mayank Dagar 4-0-37-1, Kartik Tyagi 2.5-0-41-0, Umran Malik 3-0-41-0, Vivrant Sharma 1-0-19-0, Aiden Markram 0.1-0-1-0.



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IPL 2023: RR vs RCB | Rajasthan suffers batting collapse; Bangalore wins by 112 runs

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Rajasthan Royals dished out one of the most inexplicable batting performances of the Indian Premier League as they were dismissed for just 59, suffering a massive 112-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore in Jaipur on May 14.

Chasing 172 for a win, the Royals suffered a stunning batting collapse to be bundled out in just 10.3 over for the third lowest total in IPL history with only Shimron Hetmyer (35 off 19 balls) and Joe Root (10 off 15 balls) scoring in double-digit figures.

It was RR’s second lowest total as they just about managed to go past their earlier lowest of 58 against the same opponents in 2009 by one run.

RR batters failed to give a fight as they kept on playing shots when the situation demanded to stick for a while on a slow and tricky wicket.

RR vs RCB: live updates

RCB bowlers exploited the lack of application by RR batters and game sense as all of them returned with wickets. Wayne Parnell was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets for 10 runs from his three overs. Michael Bracewell and Karn Sharma took two wickets each while Mohammed Siraj and Glenn Maxwell got one each.

With the win, RCB jumped to the fifth spot with 12 points from 12 matches to be in contention for a play-off berth while RR moved down to sixth with 12 points from 13 matches.

The Royals lost five wickets for 25 runs in the powerplay with Parnell taking two, including that of Jos Buttler (0) and captain Sanju Samson (4).

But it was Siraj, who had opened the floodgates by getting the wicket of in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal (0). The youngster failed to control his shot and offered a simple catch to Virat Kohli at mid-off in the second ball of the RR run chase.

It was a rare instance as both RR openers got out for ducks as Buttler departed in the next over off a short and wide delivery off Parnell.

Two balls later, Samson was out as he committed for a shot too early and the ball ballooned up high in the air for Anuj Rawat to take a well-judged catch.

Three wickets down for 11 runs after two overs, the Royals survived the next two overs before Devdutt Padikkal, who came in as ‘Impact Player’ in place of Yuzvendra Chahal, was dismissed for four off Bracewell as Royals’ procession to the dressing room continued.

Root’s first IPL outing with the bat also turned out to be a nightmare as he was trapped LBW decision, becoming Parnell’s third victim.

Hetmyer was the only batter who gave a fight and he hit three consecutive sixes off Karn Sharma in the eighth over but finally got dismissed in the 10th over off the bowling of Glenn Maxwell.

Adam Zampa and KM Asif decided not to stretch Royals misery by getting out in the space of three balls in the 11th over in one of the most one-sided matches of the IPL.

Earlier, captain Faf du Plessis and Maxwell struck half-centuries as RCB posted a challenging 171 for 5 after opting to bat.

Du Plessis (55 off 44 balls) and Maxwell (54 off 33 balls) continued their strong form on a slower pitch but the Royals produced a disciplined bowling effort to stop RCB to a competitive total.

Anuj Rawat hit 29 not out off just 11 balls down the order to take the RCB total past the 170 mark as they added 51 runs in the last five overs.

Australian left-arm spinner Adam Zampa (4-0-25-2) and pacer KM Asif (4-0-42-2) were the most successful Royals bowlers while Sandeep Sharma got one wicket.

Kohli punished Sandeep for a boundary in the first over for bowling a short and wide ball, but he and du Plessis could not get too many boundaries after the introduction of spinners.

Zampa was introduced in the second over but was hit for a six by du Plessis in the fourth over. Ashwin and Chahal also did reasonably well as RCB could only score 42 for no loss in the powerplay.

The Royals got their first breakthrough in the form of Kohli (18 off 19 balls) in the seventh over with Asif claiming the prized wicket. The ball ballooned up in the air and Yashasvi Jaiswal took a fine catch.

RCB were unable to step up the gas as they were 78 for 1 at the halfway mark. But by then Maxwell had settled down and he began to impose himself on the RR bowlers.

Maxwell hit two fours off Sandeep in the 13th over and followed it up with a six off Ashwin in the next to push the scoring rate.

Du Plessis then reached his fifth half century of the season by smacking Asif for a six in the 15th over. But the in-form South African batter fell in the same over to become Asif’s second victim of the match.

Jaiswal was again the one who took the catch as du Plessis failed to clear him.

Du Plessis’ dismissal triggered RCB’s batting collapse as Mahipal Lormor (1) and Dinesh Karthik (0) were out two and four balls after the captain’s departure.

Scoreboard:

RCB batting: Virat Kohli c Jaiswal b Asif 18 Faf du Plessis c Jaiswal b Asif 55 Glenn Maxwell b Sandeep Sharma 54 Mahipal Lomror c Jurel b Zampa 1 Dinesh Karthik lbw b Zampa 0 Michael Bracewell not out 9 Anuj Rawat not out 29 Extras: (W-5) 5

Total: (For 5 wickets in 20 overs) 171

Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-119, 3-120, 4-120, 5-137

RR bowling: Sandeep Sharma 4-0-34-1, Adam Zampa 4-0-25-2, Yuzvendra Chahal 4-0-37-0, Ravichandran Ashwin 4-0-33-0, KM Asif 4-0-42-2.

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal c Kohli b Mohammed Siraj 0 Jos Buttler c Mohammed Siraj b Parnell 0 Sanju Samson c Anuj Rawat b Parnell 4 Joe Root lbw b Parnell 10 Devdutt Padikkal c Mohammed Siraj b Bracewell 4 Shimron Hetmyer c Bracewell b Maxwell 35 Dhruv Jurel c Lomror b Bracewell 1 Ravichandran Ashwin run out (Mohammed Siraj/Anuj Rawat) 0 Adam Zampa b Sharma 2 Sandeep Sharma not out 0 KM Asif c Kohli b Sharma 0 Extras: (LB-1, W-2) 3

Total: (All out in 10.3 overs) 59

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-6, 3-7, 4-20, 5-28, 6-31, 7-50, 8-59, 9-59, 10-59

Royal Challengers Bangalore bowling: Mohammed Siraj 2-0-10 -1, Wayne Parnell 3-0-10-3, Michael Bracewell 3-0-16-2, Karn Sharma 1.3-0 -19-2, Glenn Maxwell 1-0-3-1.

Starting XIs:

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Michael Bracewell, Wayne Parnell, Karn Sharma, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj.

Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Joe Root, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Adam Zampa, Sandeep Sharma, KM Asif, Yuzvendra Chahal.

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Morning Digest: April 30, 2023

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Home Ministry prepares Model Prisons Act 2023 to replace British-era law

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has prepared the ‘Model Prisons Act 2023’ that will replace a British-era law to overhaul the prison administration that will focus on the reformation and rehabilitation of inmates, it said on May 12. Among the salient features of the model Act are provisions of punishment for prisoners and jail staff for use of prohibited items such as mobile phones in jails, establishment and management of high security jails, open jail (open and semi-open), and provisions for protecting the society from the criminal activities of hardened criminals and habitual offenders.

Welfare without discrimination is true secularism: Modi

Giving a thrust to his welfare model, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that his government does not look at the religion or caste of beneficiaries while reaching out to them with various schemes and welfare programmes and there is no greater social justice than working for the happiness and convenience of the masses. He was in his home state Gujarat on Friday, for a day, to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for projects worth around ₹4,400 crore.

Indo-Pacific is a reality: S. Jaishankar in Dhaka 

The vision of the Indo Pacific Is reality in the 21st century External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar said on Friday in Dhaka. Addressing the 6th Indian Ocean Conference-2023 in the Bangladeshi capital Mr. Jaishankar noted the “Indo Pacific Outlook” of Bangladesh that was announced recently and cautioned against countries that do not want the region to become dynamic.

Supreme Court flags ‘serious lapses’ in implementation of Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment Act

The Supreme Court on May 12, in a judgment, said there are “serious lapses” and “uncertainty” in the implementation of the Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, leaving many working women no choice but to leave their jobs. A Bench of Justices A.S. Bopanna and Hima Kohli, in a 62-page judgment, said the “sorry state of affairs” concerning the anti-sexual harassment at workplace law even after a decade of its introduction was “disquieting”, and it was time for the Centre and States to take affirmative action.

Air India fined ₹30 lakh after pilot invites lady friend into cockpit

The DGCA on Friday imposed a fine of ₹30 lakh on Air India and suspended a pilot-in-command for a period of three months after he entertained a lady friend in the cockpit and demanded that she be served alcohol and snacks. “The CEO of Air India received a complaint from one of the operating crew members of the flight. However, the organisation did not take prompt corrective action despite this being a safety sensitive violation. Anticipating delayed response, the complainant approached the DGCA,” the regulator said in a press statement.

Cyclone Mocha to be stronger than expected

Cyclone Mocha, currently located in the eastern Bay of Bengal, is likely to be stronger than initially forecast but poses little threat to India, with all of its fury likely to be concentrated in Myanmar and parts of Bangladesh, suggests the latest forecast from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

We are keeping a watch on Pilot’s  yatra, says Congress’ Rajasthan in-charge

The Jan Sangharsh Yatra undertaken by senior leader Sachin Pilot is a “personal” one; the party was “keeping an eye on” it and would discuss it once Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge returns from Karnataka, All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said on May 12. “It his personal yatra, he is taking out the yatra on his own, we are keeping an eye on that and when Kharge ji comes back from Karnataka, all issues would be discussed,” he said.

No democracy in West Bengal under Mamata: Nadda

BJP national president J.P. Nadda on May 12 targeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for banning the film  The Kerala Story, alleging that there was no democracy under her rule in West Bengal. He was speaking at an event to launch a book, titled  Democracy in Coma: Silenced Voices of Women Victims in Bengal, authored by Sonali Chitrakar, Vijeta Singh Aggarwal, Shruti Maitra and Monika Agarwal Uniyal. Mr. Nadda said that Ms. Banerjee had banned  The Kerala Story despite the fact that the film had “nothing to do with any religion or State”.

Ten Kuki MLAs from Manipur demand ‘separate administration’ 

As many as 10 legislators from the hill districts of Manipur, which includes those from the ruling BJP have demanded a separate administration as the “State miserably failed to protect” them when the violence started on May 3. In a press statement, the 10 MLAs said the Government of Manipur tacitly supported the “unabated violence” by the majority Meitei community against the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi hill tribals, which has already partitioned the State and effected a total separation from the State of Manipur.

Gyanvyapi mosque case: HC allows revision plea for scientific survey of  Shiv Ling

The Allahabad High Court on May 12 allowed a revision petition demanding a scientific survey to determine the age of the purported Shiv Ling found inside the Varanasi-based Gyanvyapi mosque. The survey will be done by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) which, in its affidavit submitted in the court, maintained that it cannot do carbon dating of the structure due to technical reasons but offered to do the carbon dating of the embedded portions of the Shiv Ling along with some other ways like Ground Penetration Radar (GPR), excavation to name a few.

Elon Musk picks advertisement executive Linda Yaccarino as Twitter CEO

Elon Musk on May 12 said he has chosen top advertisement executive Linda Yaccarino as CEO of Twitter as he fights to reverse fortunes at the struggling platform he bought for $44 billion last year. In a tweet, Mr. Musk said he would remain in charge of design and technology at Twitter, with Ms. Yaccarino focusing primarily on business operations and turning Twitter into an “everything app” called X.

Fierce Gaza fighting renews as truce hopes fade

Israel and Gaza militants traded heavy fire Friday as hopes faded of securing a truce to end days of fighting that have killed dozens, all but one of them Palestinian. The violence has been met with international calls for de-escalation, with the European Union pushing Thursday for an “immediate comprehensive ceasefire”. Israel announced it was “striking Islamic Jihad targets” in the densely populated Palestinian territory, while AFP journalists saw air strikes hit Gaza City.

Erdogan rival says has evidence of Russia’s online campaign ahead of Turkey vote

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, main challenger of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, said on Friday his party has concrete evidence of Russia’s responsibility for the release of “deep fake” online content ahead of Sunday’s presidential elections. Asked why he tweeted on Thursday that Russia was responsible, he told Reuters: “If we did not have it [concrete evidence], I wouldn’t have tweeted.” The party did not contact the Russian embassy in Turkey over the issue, he added.

IPL 2023: MI vs GT | Suryakumar outshines all-round Rashid as Mumbai beats Gujarat

Suryakumar Yadav played some outrageous shots en route his maiden IPL hundred (103 not out) as his stunning knock outshone a superlative all-round show from Rashid Khan to set up Mumbai Indians’ 27-run win over Gujarat Titans in Mumbai on May 12. Invited to bat, MI posted 218 for 5 on the back of world number one T20 batter Suryakumar’s 103 not out off just 49 balls and then restricted GT to 191 for 8 to notch up their seventh win this season. This was MI’s fourth consecutive 200-plus score on their home ground.

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IPL 2023 | It’s RRR show: Russell, Rinku, Rana show keep Kolkata’s playoff hopes alive

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Rinku Singh added another bright chapter to his legend as a “finisher” with a last-ball boundary as Kolkata Knight Riders beat Punjab Kings by five wickets on May 8 to keep their IPL play-off hopes alive.

It was a complete ‘RRR’ show by KKR as skipper Nitish Rana’s half-century and Andre Russell adding muscle to the chase of 180 enabled Rinku to finish off the game with a 10-ball-21 not out.

Earlier, Varun Chakravarthy once again brilliantly spearheaded their bowling department to grab 3/26 as KKR put up a tidy bowling show to restrict PBKS to a below-par 179 for seven after the visitors opted to bat on a slow wicket.

In reply, KKR show batting show was led by Rana’s stellar effort when he promoted himself to No 3 and laid the foundation with a 38-ball 51 (6×4, 1×6).

On a wicket where the odd ball was gripping and batters struggled to find their timings, Rana stiched a crucial fifty-plus stand with Venkatesh Iyer (11) before Andre Russell and Rinku Singh sealed the issue.

Needing 56 off 28 balls after Rana became Rahul Chahar’s second victim, Russell went ballistic against Sam Curran smoking him for three sixes in four balls in a 20-run over to change the equation in favour of KKR who needed six off the last over.

But death over specialist Arshdeep Singh who had six to defend took it down the wire with four off first four balls. Arshedeep has often floundered of late failing to nail his yorkers.

There was more drama when Russell was ran out in the penultimate ball as a calm-headed Rinku Singh (21 not out; 10b) once again came to KKR’s rescue sealing the win with a boundary off the last ball.

The duo off Russell and Rinku put together a matchwinning 54 runs partnership from 26 balls.

Their second win in a row pushed KKR (-0.079) past Royal Challengers Bangalore (-0.209) to top-five on net run-rate as five teams are locked a mid table rush for playoff with 10 points.

Chahar bowled a brilliant 10th over conceding just three runs to have them 76/2 at the half-way stage as the home side still had a lot of work to do with 104 needed from the back-10.

But Rana turned it around, taking charge on Livingstone when he hit the PBKS part-time spinner for two fours and a six in a row in a 16-run over.

It was still not a cakewalk with legspinner Rahul Chahar quietly doing his role in his tidy 4-0-23-2.

He not only broke the fifty-plus stand between Rana and Venkatesh Iyer but also dismissed the duo in space of nine runs to keep PBKS hopes alive.

Earlier, KKR Impact Player Jason Roy (38; 24b) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (15; 12b) gave them a flying start when they cruised to 36 for no loss in four overs after they took Arshdeep Singh to cleaners in a 16-run over.

But the opening duo failed to convert their starts and got out in space of 16 deliveries when the match was evenly poised.

Nathan Ellis gave the breakthrough trapping Gurbaz LBW with a slower one, before Roy became the victim of Brar after he failed to clear deep midwicket.

On a day Sunil Narine (4-0-29-0) was decent but went wicketless yet again, Chakravarthy relished the slow nature of the track where the odd ball was gripping to return with excellent figures of 4-0-26-3 after PBKS opted to bat.

It would have been worse for PBKS but the duo of Shahrukh Khan (21 not out; 8b) and Harpreet Brar (17 not out; 9b) brilliantly stepped it up in the last two overs that yielded 36 runs in a 40-run unbroken stand that came off just 16 balls.

Fresh from his last over heroics when he defended nine runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chakravarthy removed the Punjab’s in-form duo of Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma that seemed to have broke their back in the middle overs.

Livingstone was looking at his destructive best, smashing Andre Russell for three fours in the fifth over.

Looking dangerous in his nine-ball 15, Livingstone was squared up by a perfect fast leg-break from Chakravarthy to be trapped plumb on his back-foot.

With Harshit Rana (3-0-33-2) grabbing two inside the powerplay, KKR had a perfect start reducing PBKS to 58/3.

Skipper Shikhar Dhawan (57; 47b) anchored the show in a Virat Kohli-like innings the other day against Delhi Capitals but the lefthander could never take off and was dismissed by KKR skipper Nitish Rana.

Dhawan put together 53 runs partnership with Jitesh Sharma (21).

Rana smartly bowled Chakravarthy once inside the powerplay and then in the 8th, 13th and 17th over as he finished his quota, cleaning up Rishi Dhawan with a wrong one.

Rishi (19; 11b) had his intention clear smashing Chakravarthy for a six in the first ball, but the KKR spinner had the last laugh.

On an Eden wicket that looked on the drier side from the outside, seamer Rana gave KKR a perfect start, striking twice in two overs after Prabhsimran teed off in style with three boundaries off Arora in the first over.

Gurbaz took Prabhsimran’s catch on second attempt and in his next over Rana had comeback man Bhanuka Rajapaksa for a three-ball duck.

Things however still tilted in favour of PBKS as in-form Liam Livingstone counter-attacked Andre Russell with three back-to-back fours in a 19-run over.

PBKS looked on course with 51/2 after five overs, when Chakravarthy trapped Livingstone plumb on his back-foot in a crucial turnaround for KKR.

Scoreboard

Punjab Kings innings: Prabhsimran Singh c Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Harshit Rana 12 Shikhar Dhawan c Arora b Rana 57 Bhanuka Rajapaksa c Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Harshit Rana 0 Liam Livingstone lbw b Varun 15 Jitesh Sharma c Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Varun 21 Sam Curran c Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Suyash Sharma 4 Rishi Dhawan b Varun 19 M Shahrukh Khan not out 21 Harpreet Brar not out 17 Extras: (B-4, LB-3, NB-2, W-4) 13

Total: (for 7 wickets in 20 overs) 179

Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-29, 3-53, 4-106, 5-119, 6-139, 7-139.

Kolkata Knight Riders bowling: Vaibhav Arora 3-0-32-0, Harshit Rana 3-0-33-2, Andre Russell 1-0-19-0, Varun Chakravarthy 4-0-26-3, Suyash Sharma 4-0-26-1, Sunil Narine 4-0-29-0, Nitish Rana 1-0-7-1.

Kolkata Knight Riders innings: Jason Roy c Shahrukh Khan b Harpreet Brar 38 Rahmanullah Gurbaz lbw b Ellis 15 Nitish Rana c Livingstone b Chahar 51 Venkatesh Iyer c Livingstone b Chahar 11 Andre Russell run out 42 Rinku Singh not out 21 Shardul Thakur not out 0 Extras: (LB-1, W-3) 4

Total: (For 5 wickets in 20 overs) 182

Fall of wickets: 1-38, 2-64, 3-115, 4-124, 5-178.

Punjab Kings bowling: Rishi Dhawan 2-0-15-0, Arshdeep Singh 4-0-39-0, Nathan Ellis 4-0-29-1, Sam Curran 3-0-44-0, Liam Livingstone 2-0-27-0, Harpreet Brar 1-0-4-1, Rahul Chahar 4-0-23-2.

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Morning Digest: May 1, 2023

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File photo of smoke rising from burning aircraft inside Khartoum Airport during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, Sudan
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Sudan Army, rival extend truce, despite ongoing clashes

Sudan’s Army and its rival paramilitary said on April 30 they will extend a humanitarian cease-fire a further 72 hours. The decision follows international pressure to allow the safe passage of civilians and aid but the shaky truce has not so far stopped the clashes. In statements, both sides accused the other of violations. The agreement has deescalated the fighting in some areas but violence continues to push civilians to flee. Aid groups have also struggled to get badly needed supplies into the country.

In a first, Raj Bhavans to start celebrating Statehood days

Around 30 Raj Bhavans will hold programmes to mark the Statehood day of Maharashtra and Gujarat on May 1 in what is a new initiative as part of the government’s thrust on celebrating the country’s cultural diversity and different traditions. Official sources said different Raj Bhavans will host people of Maharashtrian and Gujarati origins living in the respective State and also organise different programmes to highlight the cultural riches and cuisines of the two western States. 

Suspected Islamic State leader killed in Syria by Turkish intelligence services: Erdogan

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkish intelligence forces killed Islamic State leader Abu Hussein al-Qurashi in Syria. Mr. Erdogan said the intelligence organization had pursued Qurashi for a long time. Syrian local and security sources said the raid took place in the northern Syrian town of Jandaris, which is controlled by Turkey-backed rebel groups and was one of the worst-affected in the Feb. 6 earthquake that hit both Turkey and Syria.

Ukraine’s Defence Ministry deletes tweet allegedly depicting Goddess Kali following online outrage

A tweet posted by Ukraine’s Defence Ministry purportedly showing an image of Goddess Kali over a blast fume triggered online outrage following which the post was deleted. The Twitter handle @DefenceU posted the image with the caption “Work of Art”, triggering angry reactions from many Indian Twitter users who accused the Ukrainian Defence Ministry of insensitivity.

Ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls, CPI(M) to look at State-specific strategy 

At the end of the three-day meeting of the Central Committee, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s highest decision-making body, the party in a statement said the main task before the 2024 general elections is to “isolate and defeat” the BJP. And to achieve this, the party will work with other secular Opposition parties but electoral arrangements must be State-specific, as the political situation varies with each State. 

Nitish Kumar sidesteps query on fighting 2024 Lok Sabha poll

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on April 30 sidestepped a query about the possibility of contesting the next year’s Lok Sabha poll from his pocket borough Nalanda. Sitting MP Kaushalendra Kumar, who is serving his third consecutive term, had on Saturday said he was willing to give up the seat if his mentor wished to enter the fray. “Just leave it. Why do you worry ( chhodiye na aap log kahe chinta karte hain)”, said the longest-serving CM of the State, as he walked past the posse of reporters with a smirk on his face.

I’m fine with being a snake garland on the necks of people who are like Lord Shiva: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi again chose to respond to the Congress’ jibe of poisonous snake against him by saying that the snake was a garland on the neck of Lord Shiva and that he would accept being a snake on the necks of the people of the country, whom he considered Lord Shiva.  It may be noted that AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge had described Mr. Modi as a poisonous snake recently, triggering a controversy. 

Congress dubs 100th episode of Modi’s radio programme as maun ki baat

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat on April 30, the Congress took a dig at Mr. Modi for being “ maun” [silent] on key issues such as China, Adani, increasing economic inequalities and the wrestlers’ protest. The official Twitter handle of the party also targeted the Prime Minister for being silent on key issues such as alleged Chinese aggression, unemployment, price rise, among others.

Inadequate space for cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park: former Wildlife Institute of India official

Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP), which has seen the death of two cheetahs in less than a month, has “inadequate space” for these felines brought from Africa, a former official of the Wildlife Institute of India has claimed. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which is overseeing the ambitious cheetah reintroduction project in the country, has called a meeting in New Delhi on Monday in the wake of the death of two cheetahs out of the 20 felines translocated to KNP from Namibia and South Africa over the last eight months, an official said.

The Kerala Story an attempt to spread hate propaganda, says Pinarayi Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said the upcoming movie The Kerala Story was a product of the Sangh Parivar’s “factory of lies”. He said legal action would be taken against those involving themselves in antisocial activities. The statement comes at a time when the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) and their youth organisations have all opposed the movie in a united voice.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to hand over patrol vessel, landing craft to Maldives

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will hand over a fast patrol vessel and a landing craft to the Maldives as India’s “gift” during his visit to the island nation from May 1 to 3. During his visit, Mr. Singh will call on Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and hold talks with Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid and Defence Minister Mariya Didi.

Char Dham pilgrims stopped at Srinagar due to bad weather

Char Dham yatra has been stopped at Srinagar as a precautionary measure due to bad weather at Kedarnath and Badrinath, police said on April 30. On Saturday, Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar issued instructions in view of rain and snowfall during the Char Dham yatra and directed officials to be extra vigilant.

Tim David, Suryakumar Yadav fire Mumbai Indians to six-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals

Talented youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal’s maiden century (124) went in vain as Tim David struck three successive sixes in the final over as Mumbai Indians pulled off a stunning six-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League here on Sunday.

F1 2023 | Sergio Perez wins Azerbaijan GP in Red Bull 1-2

Sergio Pérez took advantage of a fortunately timed safety car to beat his teammate Max Verstappen to the win in the Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday, adding it to the sprint he won the day before, as Red Bull kept up its winning start to 2023. Verstappen started second behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc but swept past him on the long start-finish straight at the end of lap 3, the first lap on which drivers were allowed to use the DRS overtake assist system on the rear wing.

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IPL 2023 | CSK beat KKR by 49 runs in IPL

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Ajinkya Rahane, whose T20 game has undergone complete metamorphosis, smashed an eye-popping 29-ball-71 as Chennai Super Kings, buoyed by support from capacity Eden Gardens crowd, out-batted Kolkata Knight Riders by 49 runs in an IPL game, here on Sunday.

A transformed Rahane took Eden Gardens by storm with his sensational stroke-play which was complemented in equal measure by the muscular Shivam Dube (50 off 21 balls) and ever-consistent Devon Conway (56 off 40 balls) with CSK scoring an imposing 235 for 4 in 20 overs.

With Jason Roy pulling a hamstring while fielding, the chase was out of question and Dhoni’s young pace troika of Akash Singh (1/29 in 4 overs),Matheesa Pathirana (1/27 in 4 overs) and Tushar Deshpande (2/43 in 4 overs) along with seasoned spinners Moeen Ali (1/20 in 1 over), Maheesh Theekshana (2/32 in 4 overs) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/34 in 3 overs) restricted KKR to 186 for 8 in 20 overs.

Track KKR vs CSK LIVE scores here

Jason Roy (61 off 26 balls) coming in at No.5 due to hamstring niggle , did try his bit with a 19-ball half-century but 236 even with best of batting line-ups would have been a tall-order.

The win took CSK to top of the table with 10 points from seven games while KKR are now placed eighth among 10 teams after fifth defeat at halfway stage.

To add insult to injury, KKR didn’t get any home support as the 67,000 capacity Eden stands resembled a Sunflower as ‘Canary Yellow’ jersey filling up every corner of the venue.

They had come for their beloved Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s ‘Last Dance’ and CSK didn’t disappoint them either.

But for that credit goes to Rahane, who is surprising all and sundry each day with his positive intent. What is missing in KL Rahul is exactly what is there in Rahane but perhaps, the presence of Dhoni in that dug-out which is proving to be a clincher.

It was hard to fathom that the same Rahane had scored just 133 runs from seven matches at a strike rate of under 104 for KKR last season.

But Rahane seemed to have got a new lease of life after getting under the leadership of talismanic Dhoni as he continued his rampaging form for CSK with second fifty of the season.

Long perceived as a Test batter, the 34-year-old dished out some never-seen scoop shots, ruthless pulls laced with his signature drives, en route to his second fifty of the season.

Overall, he smashed sixes fours and five sixes in his 29-ball knock that came with a 244-plus strike rate. His fifty came of just 24 balls. His tournament strike-rate among specialist batters, who have faced a minimum of 100 balls, is just a shade below 190.

In all, CSK batters hit 18 sixes, exposing the plight of KKR bowlers in-front of a crowd, which for them was like playing at “home away from home”.

On a day, the Eden immersed in a sea of yellow, KKR bowlers ran for covers with Kiwi opener Devon Conway once again leading the charge with a 40-ball-56, his fourth half-century of the season.

Conway once again found a fine ally in Ruturaj Gaikwad (35; 20b) as the duo put together 73-run (45b) for the opening wicket, before Rahane unleashed his fury in his new avatar.

There was a brief solace for KKR when the spin duo of Suyash Sharma and Varun Chakravarthy dismissed Conway and Gaikwad respectively in the space of 37 runs.

With CSK run-rate going under-nine an over, Shivam Dube (50; 21b, 2×4, 5×6) and Rahane seized the momentum with a 85-run partnership (32b).

The duo hit four sixes, and a boundary in a row to step up the run rate.

It was Dube who broke free against Varun Chakravarthy en route to his 20-ball fifty, his second too this season.

Rahane then took his India teammate Yadav to cleaners with two sixes, including a scoop, following it up with an elegant cover drive.

KKR’s baffling team combination strategy in benching Shardul Thakur and handing debut to David Wiese proved to be an eyesore.

Kulwant Khejroliya, who had been brought in place of Thakur, took two wickets but leaked 44 runs in his two overs.

Sunil Narine was also a big let down for KKR and conceded 23 runs from his two overs without taking any wicket.

KKR had the grip on CSK’s innings following a tidy five-run opening over by Umesh Yadav.

Yet to open his account, Conway then got an easy reprieve when Wiese put down a return catch from his own bowling.

Thereafter, it was all about CSK who cut loose with the Kiwi opener going after Wiese, smashing him for a six and following it up with 14 runs in the next over.

His opening partner, Gaikwad too matched Conway in stroke-making as CSK cruised to 59 for no loss in the powerplay.

The duo once again put together a perfect platform in a 73-run opening stand (45b) for the likes of Rahane and Dube to finish with an elan.

Scoreboard

CSK batting: Ruturaj Gaikwad b Suyash Sharma 35 Devon Conway c Wiese b Varun 56 Ajinkya Rahane not out 71 Shivam Dube c Roy b Khejroliya 50 Ravindra Jadeja c Singh b Khejroliya 18 Mahendra Singh Dhoni not out 2 Extras: (NB-1,W-2) 3

Total: (For 4 wickets in 20 overs) 235

Fall of wickets: 1-73, 2-109, 3-194, 4-232

KKR bowling: Umesh Yadav 3-0-35-0, David Wiese 3-0-38-0, Varun Chakravarthy 4-0-49-1, Kulwant Khejroliya 3-0-44-2, Sunil Narine 2-0-23-0, Suyash Sharma 4-0-29-1, Andre Russell 1-0-17-0. 

KKR batting: Narayan Jagadeesan c Jadeja b Deshpande 1 Sunil Narine b Akash Singh 0 Venkatesh Iyer lbw b Ali 20 Nitish Rana c Gaikwad b Jadeja 27 Jason Roy b Theekshana 61 Rinku Singh not out 53 Andre Russell c Dube b Pathirana 9 David Wiese lbw b Deshpande 1 Umesh Yadav c Conway b Theekshana 4 Varun Chakravarthy not out 0 Extras: (LB-1, W-9) 10

Total: (For 8 wickets in 20 overs) 186

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-1, 3-46, 4-70, 5-135, 6-162, 7-171, 8-180

CSK bowling: Akash Singh 4-0-29-1, Tushar Deshpande 4-0-43-2, Maheesh Theekshana 4-0-32-2, Moeen Ali 1-0-20-1, Ravindra Jadeja 3-0-34-1, Matheesha Pathirana 4-0-27-1.

Teams

Kolkata Knight Riders: Nitish Rana (c), Narayan Jagadeesan (wk), Jason Roy, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, David Wiese, Kulwant Khejroliya, Suyash Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy.

Chennai Super Kings: M.S. Dhoni (c and wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Matheesha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande and Maheesh Theekshana.

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IPL 2023, GT vs. KKR | Hitting odds for six: Once asked to mop floor, KKR’s Rinku scripts surreal tale

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“You don’t have to tell anyone that you mop floors at a tuition centre. Just come in the morning, do the cleaning and leave. Nobody will know. But I didn’t like the idea,” Rinku Singh had once narrated his ordeal.

These were his father’s words to a young Rinku before he began playing at Under-16 level for Uttar Pradesh.

The family of seven, which included five sons, found father Khanchand’s meagre income from delivering LPG cylinders door-to-door insufficient for financial sustenance and most of them had to do odd jobs to make ends meet.

Life was tough for Mr. Rinku and his family.

However, his perseverance kept him going and now he has become a household name after his sensational power hitting in the IPL on the night of April 9.

“I am not educated enough to fall back on academics. It is only cricket that could have taken me forward, and it wasn’t just one of the options, but the only option,” his jaws tightened when he spoke to KKR’s official Youtube channel some time back during an interaction.

On April 9, the stockily-built 25-year-old from Aligarh didn’t just hit his U.P. teammate Yash Dayal for five consecutive sixes to pull off an incredible IPL win but each and every ball that soared over the ropes at the Narendra Modi Stadium was a statement in itself.

In the last few years, his family has been able to bid poverty goodbye with IPL money, but from now, he will enjoy IPL stardom.

Ian Bishop was on air when Mr. Rinku launched into Mr. Dayal’s back of the hand slower delivery.

“Rinku Singh, remember the name,” Mr. Bishop’s voice was something one would love to hear on a loop.

“My father struggled a lot, I come from a farmer’s family. Every ball that I hit out of the ground was dedicated to the people who sacrificed so much for me,” Mr. Rinku said after his match-winning knock.

In the 2021 domestic season, he had sustained a serious knee injury while going for a second run during a game for U.P., and underwent surgery. His father was so depressed that he had stopped eating for a few days before he made him understand that injuries are part of players’ lives.

That Aligarh Boy

Aligarh is considered a cultural hub in India with the famous Aligarh Muslim University still having its pride of place among the country’s elite academic institutes.

It has been a house of intellectuals, poets, social reformers, sportspersons (Major Dhyan Chand and Lala Amarnath) for nearly a century and half (148 years).

The biggest link of the city with sport is that it is the birthplace of former India hockey captain Zafar Iqbal.

But Aligarh belongs to Mr. Rinku too, whose father would often thrash all his five sons if they tried to give cricket precedence over studies.

“To play proper inter-colony or club matches, you needed to pool in money to buy a leather ball and my father would never give me money. Once I went to play a match in Kanpur and my mother borrowed ₹1000 from local grocery store to provide for my pocket money,” Mr. Rinku had recollected.

“Papa se hum paancho bhaiyon ko bahot maar padhi hai (All five brothers have got lot of thrashing from dad). My father was hawker, delivered LPG cylinders and when he wouldn’t be available for the job, we brothers had to fill in and father would sit with a stick till we hadn’t delivered,” the U.P. southpaw said.

An emotional Mr. Khanchand while talking to PTI on April 10 remembered the good old days.

“I had beaten up Rinku a number of times only for the reason I thought that he was wasting his time by playing cricket. Neither he would study, nor did he support me in my work,” Mr. Khanchand said.

Their poverty was the reason he got emotional as he didn’t have the means to buy a proper match bat for his son, which would cost in excess of ₹12,000.

“However, at times, I had become emotional seeing the passion towards cricket in Rinku,” Mr. Khanchand said, adding that he was helpless then.

Lifting the heavy LPG cylinder requires a lot of strength. Mr. Rinku and one of his brothers would often carry the cylinder on their bike and then travel through the bylanes of Aligarh to deliver it at homes and hotels.

“Hum paancho bhaiyon ne papa ke kaam mein bahot madad kari hain. (All five brothers have helped papa in his job).”

So when did his father finally stop beating him up for ignoring studies and playing cricket?

“There was a tournament called School World Cup being organised by DPS Aligarh and I was adjudged man of the tournament. That was the first time Papa had come to the ground to watch me.”

“I was presented with a motor-bike in front of him. Usdin ke baad unhone kabhie nahi mara (He never raised his hand after that day),” Mr. Rinku was seen laughing for the first time during the interaction.

Coming through ranks

He had his share of rejections as he was twice ignored during the UPCA’s U-16 trials though he himself admitted that he wasn’t ready for that level at the time.

But by 2012, he was ready and scored 154 on his Vijay Merchant Trophy debut and an innings like that in a BCCI tourney gave him confidence that he can play elite cricket if he worked hard.

Within a couple of years, he was in the U.P. U-19 team and was then directly inducted into U.P.’s one-day team. There has been no looking back after that.

Once you start playing competitive cricket, there are certain investments and kit is one of the major ones.

“At least five or six people really helped me in my journey. My childhood coach Masood Amini, Mohammed Zeeshan, who provided me with full kit, including cricket bats, Arjun Singh Fakira, Neel Singh and Swapnil Jain are some people I would always be grateful,” he had said.

Mr. Amini couldn’t be more proud about his student.

“Rinku has an X factor in him, which will take him to greater heights, and he will definitely make it to Team India. Rinku plays aggressive cricket, and can also become a good Test (cricket) batsman, because he has the capacity to switch his role as per the format of the game,” Mr. Amini said about his ward, who averages nearly 60 after 40 first-class games.

In the last three years, Mr. Rinku has moved his family into their new apartment in the city, the first thing he did with IPL money. He has cleared all outstanding loans of his family.

“Jo dikkate thi saari duur ho gayi, (All problems have been solved),” the happiness was palpable.

Mr. Rinku has the talent and ability, but after April 9, it can be safely said that he also has the heart to own the big stage in most difficult of circumstances.

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