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Starc to KKR, Sets IPL Auction Record

After an eight-year absence, the Australian left-arm pacer Starc is making a comeback to IPL. The auction room buzzed with excitement as a bidding war unfolded, and the price quickly surged beyond Rs. 7.00 Cr in a heartbeat…reports Asian Lite News

Australia pacer Mitchell Starc became the most expensive player in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history as he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a record-breaking Rs 24.75 crore in the third round of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 mini-auction held here on Tuesday.

The Australian left-arm pacer Starc is returning to IPL action after eight years. The auction room buzzed with excitement as the bidding war escalated, and the price tag soared over Rs. 7.00 Cr in the blink of an eye.

The Mumbai Indians seized control of the bidding frenzy, establishing a clear lead at Rs. 9.60 Cr. Just when it seemed like they were in the driver’s seat, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made a dramatic entry into the fray, throwing their hat into the ring with a bid of Rs. 9.80 Cr. The Gujarat Titans, not to be left behind, entered the intense competition after the bid crossed the Rs. 10.00 Cr mark.

The Kolkata Knight Riders, displaying unwavering determination, made a bold move, holding their ground at Rs. 18.75 Cr. However, the Gujarat Titans responded with an audacious bid of Rs. 20.50 Cr, breaking new ground and setting the stage for the player to potentially become the league’s priciest asset.

The Kolkata Knight Riders, were not ready to surrender and made a calculated bid of Rs. 20.75 Cr for the pacer, making him the most expensive acquisition in the history of the IPL.

The Gujarat Titans, not ready to concede defeat, swiftly countered with a bid of Rs. 23.50 Cr, leaving the auction room in a state of uproar.

Finally, with a winning bid of Rs. 24.75 Cr, the Kolkata Knight Riders emerged triumphant, securing the player amidst cheers and applause.

West Indian speedster Alzarri Joseph was bought by Royal Chalengers Bangalore (CSK) for Rs 11.5 Cr. The young and fiery fast bowler, known for his blistering pace and ability to rattle the stumps, became the centre of a fierce bidding war that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

As the auctioneer’s voice resonated through the room, CSK wasted no time in opening the bidding for Joseph, signalling their interest in the talented West Indian. Joseph, who had previously plied his trade for JSK in the South African T20 league, was now at the centre of attention as the bidding war unfolded.

The Delhi Capitals (DC) were quick to join the fray, determined not to let go of this potential game-changer. The bid escalated rapidly, with Deccan Chargers taking the lead at 3 crore, showcasing their eagerness to secure Joseph’s services.

The excitement reached new heights when the Lucknow Supergiants (LSG) entered the scene, driving the bid past the 4 and 5-crore marks.

Known for his ability to crank up the speedometer to north of 140kph and deliver two bouncers in an over, Joseph had suddenly transformed from a 13th-round CPL pick to one of the most sought-after players in the IPL auction room.

LSG, determined to bolster their bowling attack, seized the initiative, pushing the bid to 6.4 crore. However, the unexpected twist came when former Zimbabwe cricketer and coach Andy Flower, who had previously worked with Joseph at St Lucia Kings in the CPL, entered the scene. The reunion sparked a bidding frenzy, and soon Joseph’s price tag skyrocketed to an eye-watering 10 crore.

RCB, known for their aggressive approach, outmaneuvered LSG with a whopping bid of 11.5 crore, putting them in the driver’s seat for securing Joseph’s services.

The room fell silent as CSK deliberated their options, realising they were running out of financial firepower. Ultimately, the gavel fell, and Alzarri Joseph was officially sold to RCB for 11.5 crore, marking a momentous chapter in the young West Indian’s career.

Indian Chetan Sakariya was sold to KKR for Rs 50 lakh, Umesh Yadav was bought by GT for Rs 5.8 Cr, whereas LSG got the service of Shivam Mavi for Rs 6.4 Cr.

Sri Lanka’s left-arm pacer and the most expensive player in the Lankan Premier League (LPL) Dilshan Madushanka entered the bidding war at 50 lakh as LSG opened the bidding war. Mumbai Indians entered the fray and raised the price to Rs 3 Cr. After a tussle between LSG and MI, it was Mahela Jayawardene, who held his nerve till the end and claimed the service of Madushanka for Rs 4.6 Cr.

ALSO READ: Uncapped Indian Players in Focus for IPL Auction Teams

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Mumbai thrash Lucknow, advance to Qualifier 2

Madhwal turned the tide effectively in Mumbai’s favour, finishing with an exceptional 5/5 in 3.1 overs, which is the best-ever bowling figure in IPL playoffs history…reports Asian Lite News

Pacer Akash Madhwal picked a sensational five-wicket haul (5/5) and helped Mumbai Indians advance to Qualifier 2 of IPL 2023 with a thumping 81-win over Lucknow Super Giants in Eliminator at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, here on Wednesday.

Winning the toss on a pitch, where Lucknow skipper Krunal Pandya had quipped he would have liked to bat first too, Mumbai made 182/8, Cameron Green and Suryakumar Yadav chipped in with 41 and 33 respectively, while Tilak Varma hit a 22-ball 26.

But the real impetus came from impact player Nehal Wadhera, who slammed a crucial 23 off 12 balls, including hitting 14 runs in the final over, to take Mumbai to a challenging total. In reply, Lucknow were 68/2 in eight overs at one point in their chase of 183. But from there, they fell like a pack of cards to be 101 all out in 16.3 overs.

Madhwal turned the tide effectively in Mumbai’s favour, finishing with an exceptional 5/5 in 3.1 overs, which is the best-ever bowling figure in IPL playoffs history as well as most economical five-fer in the tournament and, the best bowling performance by an uncapped Indian player.

Mumbai were also aided by three hara-kiri run-outs from Lucknow’s batting to book their spot in Qualifier 2, where they will face defending champions Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday, to determine who faces Chennai Super Kings in Sunday’s title clash.

Chasing 183, Mumbai made the breakthrough in the second over as Madhwal had Prerak Mankad slicing to deep point. Two overs later, Mayers miscued pull to mid-on off Chris Jordan.

Mumbai could have got their third wicket had Nehal Wadhera not misjudged the catch of Marcus Stoinis while running in from deep cover in the fifth over. From there, Stoinis swung off Cameron Green for four, before pulling twice off Hrithik Shokeen for back-to-back boundaries through square leg and mid-wicket.

He followed it up with a straight six down the ground as 18 runs came off the last over of power-play. But he was losing support from the other end as Krunal holed out to long-on of Piyush Chawla in the ninth over.

Madhwal’s return in the tenth over truly broke the game open for Mumbai — Ayush Badoni’s off-stump was sent for a cartwheel ride, followed by Nicholas Pooran nicking behind to fall for a golden duck.

A collision with Deepak Hooda while taking the second run resulted in Stoinis being run-out, followed by Krishnappa Gowtham falling in the same fashion. Madhwal had Ravi Bishnoi caught at long-on, before another horrible mix-up resulted in Hooda being run-out. Madhwal completed his five-fer with a yorker hitting the base of Mohsin Khan’s off-stump to seal an emphatic win for Mumbai.

Earlier, Mumbai looked all set for a 200-plus total, racing to 98/2 at half-way mark. But Naveen-ul-Haq halted Mumbai’s charge by using his slower deliveries to pick 4/38, with Yash Thakur and Mohsin Khan taking 3/34 and 1/24 respectively.

Mumbai were off to a flying start as Ishan Kishan used late-cut twice while steering once to collect three boundaries through third man region while Rohit Sharma smacked high over long-on for six and went down on one knee to sweep for four against Krunal and Gowtham.

Lucknow found success when Rohit danced out of his crease to loft, but hit straight to extra cover off Naveen, while Kishan fell after nicking behind while trying to cut off Thakur. Green was up and running immediately with a cut for four and was lucky in getting another boundary off an outside edge.

He feasted on full and short balls from Krunal to hit three beautiful boundaries, followed by timing the drive in the gap off him between mid-off and cover for another four. Suryakumar, who got off the mark with a ramp off Thakur for six in the power-play, repeated the shot off Mohsin for the same result, with Green pulling the pacer ferociously for another maximum.

Naveen brought out the knockout punch in the 11th over — an off cutter forced Suryakumar to hole out to long-off, followed by another slower delivery castling Green through the gate. It caused a slowdown as Mumbai got only 26 runs off the next four overs, though Tilak launched Bishnoi for a huge six over deep mid-wicket.

Tilak pulled Naveen for a six, before Tim David joined the party with a square-drive four off Thakur. But Mumbai suffered another slowdown as David holed out on a full toss to long-on off Thakur, followed by Tilak getting out in the same fashion off Naveen.

Wadhera swept Thakur twice for fours and pulled a six over deep square leg to take Mumbai above 180, before slicing to deep point on the last ball of the innings, which was enough for the five-time champions to keep their dream alive for finals.

Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians 182/8 in 20 overs (Cameron Green 41, Suryakumar Yadav 33; Naveen-ul-Haq 4/38, Yash Thakur 3/34) beat Lucknow Super Giants 101 all out in 16.3 overs (Marcus Stoinis 40; Akash Madhwal 5/5) by 81 runs

ALSO READ: Chennai march into their 10th IPL final

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IPL 2023: Stage set for 1st Qualifier

Both CSK and GT have been similar in their approach and it will be an evenly-poised contest at Chepauk when these two heavyweights collide in the first Playoff match of the season….reports Asian Lite News

The stage is all set for the big clash between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings in the Qualifier 1 match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium with a focus on the key players from both sides.

The two teams had locked horns in the opening match of IPL 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in which Hardik Pandya’s side had emerged victorious by 5 wickets at home against the team led by M.S Dhoni.

While defending champions Gujarat Titans will be banking on their strong bowling unit led by Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan, who lead the standings for most wickets with 24 wickets apiece. Four-time champions Chennai Super Kings will be looking up to their successful opening pair of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway to provide them with a strong start on Tuesday.

Gujarat Titans will be relying heavily upon their star spinner Rashid Khan on the spin-friendly Chepauk track, feels former India cricketer Virender Sehwag, who reckons the Afghanistan spin sensation will be the trump card for the defending champions.

“Rashid Khan is the trump card for Gujarat. If they want wickets, they bring him. And then the way Hardik has used Rashid, it is commendable. Rashid likes to break partnerships and now he has become the most successful bowler of this season on the basis of his excellent performance,” said the former India opener.

Both CSK and GT have been similar in their approach and it will be an evenly-poised contest at Chepauk when these two heavyweights collide in the first Playoff match of the season.

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar while highlighting the similarities between the two teams claimed the two are tactically similar teams and that will make the contest between them interesting.

“Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans have been very similar teams tactically. Both these teams don’t look to make too much of changes and the leadership group keeps the atmosphere light in the dressing room. The battle between these two in Playoffs will be an interesting one,” Manjrekar told Star Sports’ Cricket Live.

Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh believes the home condition will give CSK a slight advantage but the Dhoni-led side hasn’t been able to convert Chepauk into an impregnable fortress this year, unlike in the past, but the Playoffs experience will bode this team well.

“The contest between CSK and GT will be intense as both teams know how to win big games. CSK playing at home is a big advantage, they know the conditions well but somewhere their performance at home hasn’t been foolproof this year. So this makes things interesting but CSK looks a completely different side when it plays in the Playoffs. I am really looking forward to this match,” Harbhajan Singh said.

The in-form opening pair of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway has been one of the reasons for CSK’s dominance in IPL 2023. Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh said the duo will have to play a crucial role in the Playoffs stage for CSK.

“Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway come to the ground with full preparation. They have been complimenting each other very well this season. They have given good starts to CSK and scored runs in abundance and entertained the spectators. The team whose openers play well, tend to score well and that is why CSK are in a good position today,” Harbhajan told Star Sports’ Cricket Live.

Titans and CSK finished first and second in the standings following the preliminary group stage.

Tuesday’s Qualifier 1 will be a test for consistent performance during IPL 2023 and the team that keeps their nerve will emerge winner and reach the final.

ALSO READ: Kohli’s ton in vain as Gujarat oust RCB

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Punjab Kings beat Rajasthan Royals in nail-biting thriller

For Royals, captain Sanju Samson top scored with 42 off 25 while Shimron Hetmyer made a crucial 36 off 18 to take the game into the final over….reports Asian Lite News

A captain’s knock of an unbeaten 85 by Shikhar Dhawan along with Prabhsimran Singh’s 60 followed by a four-fer by Nathan Ellis helped Punjab Kings (PBKS) clinch a final-over thriller against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Match 8 of the IPL 2023 here at Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Dhawan’s unbeaten 85 along with Prabhsimran Singh’s maiden half-century helped PBKS set a 198-run target. In reply, after a slow start, Royals turned the momentum into their favour but fell short of 5 runs in front of Sam Curran’s brilliant display in the final over.

For Royals, captain Sanju Samson top scored with 42 off 25 while Shimron Hetmyer made a crucial 36 off 18 to take the game into the final over.

RR started the chase with a strange batting line-up as Ravichandran Ashwin came in to open with Yashasvi Jaiswal because Jos Buttler had gone off the field immediately after taking a catch in the last over of the Punjab Kings’ innings.

Chasing 198, the Royals got off to a dismal start as they were reduced to 26/2 within four overs. Then skipper Sanju Samson and Buttler took the Punjab bowlers to cleaners with their well-timed shots before Nathan Ellis caught and bowled the big fish Buttler for 19. The royals were reeling at 57/3 at the end of the powerplay.

Ellis struck again in the 11th over to pile further misery on the Royals as he trapped skipper Samson for 42, reducing RR to 91/4. Then, Riyan Parag infused life into the game with a six over mid-wicket off Rahul Chahar in the 12th over. He then pumped over the long-on for another one in the next over.

Ellis claimed his third scalp in the 15th over, dismissing Parag for 20 off 12. In the same over, he cleaned up Devdutt Padikkal on a length ball, picking up his fourth wicket and making the task tougher for the Royals.

Then, Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel went for hits to keep the Royals’ hopes alive, bringing the equation to 34 runs in 12 balls. In the penultimate over, Dhruv Jurel slammed a couple of fours and a six, bringing the equation to 16 in 6.

Sam Curran started the final over by giving a single and a double. On the third ball of the over, Hetmyer got run out, and 12 were needed off three balls to win. But Curran held his nerve and gave away just seven runs off the next three deliveries as PBKS wrapped up the win.

Earlier batting first, Prabhsimran and Dhawan gave PBKS a strong start as they posted 63 for no loss at the end of the Power-play.

Afterwards, RR bowlers kept PBKS’ run rate in check with just two big hits coming in the next four overs. In between, Prabhsimran completed his maiden IPL half-century off 28 deliveries with a single in the eighth over before falling to Holder in the tenth over for 60.

Halfway through, PBKS were 92 for 1. In the 11th over PBKS suffered a blow as Bhanuka Rajapaksa was taken off the field by the physios after getting hit in the forearm on his right hand by Dhawan’s shot.

Jitesh Sharma then came out to join Dhawan and the duo accelerated the run rate with their calculated batting and stitched a 66-run stand for the second wicket, which Chahal broke in the 16th over, dismissing Jitesh for 27.

On the very first ball of the 17th over, Ravichandran Ashwin cleaned up Sikander Raza for 1 as the Royals lost two wickets in no time. In the final over, Holder got his second in the form of Shahrukh Khan.

With 45 runs coming off the last three overs for the loss of two wickets, PBKS posted a total of 197 for four in 20 overs.

Brief scores: Punjab Kings 197/4 in 20 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 86 not out, Prabhsimran Singh 60; Jason Holder 2-29) beat Rajasthan Royals 192/7 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 42, Shimron Hetmyer 36; Nathan Ellis 4-30, Arshdeep Singh 2-47) by 5 runs

ALSO READ: Gujarat Titans beat Delhi Capitals by 6 wickets
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Gujarat Titans beat Delhi Capitals by 6 wickets

With 46 needed off the last five overs, it was anyone’s game till Gujarat tilted in their favour…reports Asian Lite News

Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan picked three wickets each while B Sai Sudharsan slammed an impressive 62 not out with David Miller and Vijay Shankar playing crucial roles in Gujarat Titas’ defeating Delhi Capitals by six wickets in match seven of IPL 2023 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.

On a pitch that had plenty of pace and bounce, Shami and Rashid picked 3-41 and 3-31 respectively while Alzarri Joseph dazzled with 2/29. In chasing 163, Sudharsan and Shankar played some good solid cricket in their 53-run partnership for the fourth wicket after losing three wickets in power-play.

The duo looked for boundaries while also rotating the strike at the same time. It meant that they were able to keep up with the run rate through risk-free cricket before Shankar fell in the 14th over.

With 46 needed off the last five overs, it was anyone’s game till Gujarat tilted in their favour. David Miller pulled Mukesh Kumar for six, and then lofted over wide long-on for the same result. He then ended the 16th over with a powerful drive through cover for four, as 20 runs came off it.

Sudharsan got his fifty in 44 balls with a delightful ramp off Anrich Nortje in the 17th over, followed by a massive swivelled six over fine leg. Miller then uppishly drove off Khaleel Ahmed for four in the 18th over, before finishing off the chase with 11 balls to spare.

Wriddhiman Saha got the chase off to a flier, punching and lofting impact player Ahmed for back-to-back boundaries, before ending the over with a superb pick-up shot for six. Shubman Gill welcomed Mukesh in the next over with two exquisitely-timed fours through the off-side.

Nortje struck on his first ball of the tournament, disturbing Saha’s with a scorching nip-backer in the third over, before uprooting Gill’s off-stump with another feisty delivery in his next over.

Sudharsan wowed everyone with his scoop off Nortje for six, before flicking Ahmed through mid-wicket for four. But the left-arm pacer signed off from power-play by forcing Hardik Pandya to play at a length delivery which he nicked behind to Abishek Porel.

Post power-play, Sudharsan survived a caught behind appeal off Kuldeep as replays showed flat line when the ball went past the bat. He joined forces with Shankar, the impact player, to get Gujarat’s chase back on track.

While Sudarshan made full use of width from Mukesh to drive him through extra-cover, Shankar produced some eye-catchy boundary shots, like lofting over Kuldeep’s head, pulling stylishly off Mitchell Marsh and Ahmed.

New Delhi, Apr 04 (ANI): Gujarat Titans’ Sai Sudharsan brings up his half-century during the match against Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, at Arun Jaitley Stadium, in New Delhi on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)

The 53-run partnership ended when Marsh trapped Shankar lbw and got the decision in his favour via DRS, as the crowd found its voice back. Miller survived an lbw off Kuldeep with replays showing the ball missing leg-stump in the 15th over. From there, Miller and Sudharsan took Gujarat home without any hiccups.

Earlier, Shami got some help from the pitch in an eventful opening over. An away swinger against Warner disturbed the off-stump, but the bail was unmoved. Though he also cut him in size, Shami was unable to find control, giving away seven wides.

Prithvi Shaw then took on Shami in his next over by flaying a cut over the slip cordon for four. But Shami had the last laugh by having Shaw caught on a pull at mid-on. The senior India pacer had more success with the new ball by castling Marsh.

A scratchy Warner got a move on when he slapped Shami through point for four, before pulling Pandya through the square leg for another boundary. He welcomed Joseph in the seventh over with a brace of boundaries – a smash over mid-off was followed by steering over backward point.

Just when it looked like Warner was set at the crease, he chopped on off Joseph in the ninth over. Joseph then dismissed Rilee Rossouw with a brute 146kph delivery that took the shoulder edge of an awkward fend and was caught brilliantly by diving backward point.

Debutant Porel looked good in his 11-ball 20, including pulling Yash Dayal over square leg for six after being hit on the helmet by a Joseph bouncer, before Rashid castled him in the 13th over.

With Sarfaraz Khan struggling to get going despite Josh Little dropping his catch in the 12th over, Axar injected some momentum with pull and drive off Rashid and Joseph for boundaries, followed by a stunning loft off the leg-spinner for six.

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After sweeping off Rashid, Sarfaraz’s painful stay came to an end on the very next ball of the 17th over when he miscued a sweep to deep square leg. Aman Khan slog-swept Rashid for six, but sliced straight to extra cover off the leg-spinner.

But Axar continued to do some late-hitting for Delhi, lofting cleanly over long-off for six off Josh Little. In the final over, he brought out a lovely one-handed smash over wide long-on off Shami for six. But two balls later, in a bid to go big, A’ar sliced to deep cover. Anrich Nortje’s last ball four took Delhi to above 160.

Brief scores:

Delhi Capitals 162/8 in 20 overs (David Warner 37, Axar Patel 36; Rashid Khan 3-31, Mohammed Shami 3-41) lost to Gujarat Titans 163/4 in 18.1 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 62 not out, David Miller 31 not out; Anrich Nortje 2-39, Mitchell Marsh 1-24) by six wickets

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