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Deadspin | Sidney Crosby, Penguins top Flyers, stay alive in playoff series  Apr 25, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images   Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist Saturday as the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins stayed alive with a 4-2 victory over the host Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.  Rickard Rakell also scored a goal and set up another for Pittsburgh, which had been outscored 11-4 while dropping the first three games of the series. Penguins coach Dan Muse opted to start Arturs Silovs in net instead of Stuart Skinner, and Silovs responded with 28 saves in a crisp performance.  Denver Barkey and Travis Konecny scored for Philadelphia, which will have another chance to win the best-of-seven series Monday when the teams reconvene for Game 5 in Pittsburgh. Dan Vladar, playing with a right arm injury, turned aside 17 shots for the Flyers.  Pittsburgh opened the scoring with 5:36 left in the first period on a creative setup by Erik Karlsson. Five seconds into a power play, Karlsson’s feed from behind set up Crosby’s smooth one-timer that skimmed off Vladar and into the net for a 1-0 advantage.  Crosby’s 72nd career postseason goal was the only tally of the first period, but the Penguins made it 2-0 just 1:03 into the second. Vladar turned it over behind the net to Rakell, who dove into the crease to swat the puck in before the Flyers’ netminder could recover.  Philadelphia got on the board with 4:20 left in the second period on Barkey’s first career playoff goal. The 20-year-old got position on Karlsson in the crease and Trevor Zegras put it right on his stick for a tap-in tally.   Travis Sanheim hit the post shortly thereafter, leaving Philadelphia facing a 2-1 deficit heading into the third.  The Penguins extended their lead to 3-1 on Kris Letang’s goal 4:27 into the final session. Crosby won a battle along the boards and kicked the puck to his longtime teammate, who skated in with plenty of room and blasted a slap shot past Vladar.  The Flyers got back within a goal on Konecny’s one-timer with 12:57 left, but Connor Dewar’s empty-netter with just under a minute remaining ended the hosts’ late comeback hopes.  Silovs’ best saves included a clutch stop on Zegras near the end of the first period and a pad save on Tyson Foerster’s partial breakaway with about six minutes left in the second.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Sidney #Crosby #Penguins #top #Flyers #stay #alive #playoff #series

Deadspin | Sidney Crosby, Penguins top Flyers, stay alive in playoff series
Deadspin | Sidney Crosby, Penguins top Flyers, stay alive in playoff series  Apr 25, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images   Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist Saturday as the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins stayed alive with a 4-2 victory over the host Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.  Rickard Rakell also scored a goal and set up another for Pittsburgh, which had been outscored 11-4 while dropping the first three games of the series. Penguins coach Dan Muse opted to start Arturs Silovs in net instead of Stuart Skinner, and Silovs responded with 28 saves in a crisp performance.  Denver Barkey and Travis Konecny scored for Philadelphia, which will have another chance to win the best-of-seven series Monday when the teams reconvene for Game 5 in Pittsburgh. Dan Vladar, playing with a right arm injury, turned aside 17 shots for the Flyers.  Pittsburgh opened the scoring with 5:36 left in the first period on a creative setup by Erik Karlsson. Five seconds into a power play, Karlsson’s feed from behind set up Crosby’s smooth one-timer that skimmed off Vladar and into the net for a 1-0 advantage.  Crosby’s 72nd career postseason goal was the only tally of the first period, but the Penguins made it 2-0 just 1:03 into the second. Vladar turned it over behind the net to Rakell, who dove into the crease to swat the puck in before the Flyers’ netminder could recover.  Philadelphia got on the board with 4:20 left in the second period on Barkey’s first career playoff goal. The 20-year-old got position on Karlsson in the crease and Trevor Zegras put it right on his stick for a tap-in tally.   Travis Sanheim hit the post shortly thereafter, leaving Philadelphia facing a 2-1 deficit heading into the third.  The Penguins extended their lead to 3-1 on Kris Letang’s goal 4:27 into the final session. Crosby won a battle along the boards and kicked the puck to his longtime teammate, who skated in with plenty of room and blasted a slap shot past Vladar.  The Flyers got back within a goal on Konecny’s one-timer with 12:57 left, but Connor Dewar’s empty-netter with just under a minute remaining ended the hosts’ late comeback hopes.  Silovs’ best saves included a clutch stop on Zegras near the end of the first period and a pad save on Tyson Foerster’s partial breakaway with about six minutes left in the second.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Sidney #Crosby #Penguins #top #Flyers #stay #alive #playoff #seriesApr 25, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist Saturday as the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins stayed alive with a 4-2 victory over the host Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

Rickard Rakell also scored a goal and set up another for Pittsburgh, which had been outscored 11-4 while dropping the first three games of the series. Penguins coach Dan Muse opted to start Arturs Silovs in net instead of Stuart Skinner, and Silovs responded with 28 saves in a crisp performance.

Denver Barkey and Travis Konecny scored for Philadelphia, which will have another chance to win the best-of-seven series Monday when the teams reconvene for Game 5 in Pittsburgh. Dan Vladar, playing with a right arm injury, turned aside 17 shots for the Flyers.

Pittsburgh opened the scoring with 5:36 left in the first period on a creative setup by Erik Karlsson. Five seconds into a power play, Karlsson’s feed from behind set up Crosby’s smooth one-timer that skimmed off Vladar and into the net for a 1-0 advantage.

Crosby’s 72nd career postseason goal was the only tally of the first period, but the Penguins made it 2-0 just 1:03 into the second. Vladar turned it over behind the net to Rakell, who dove into the crease to swat the puck in before the Flyers’ netminder could recover.


Philadelphia got on the board with 4:20 left in the second period on Barkey’s first career playoff goal. The 20-year-old got position on Karlsson in the crease and Trevor Zegras put it right on his stick for a tap-in tally.

Travis Sanheim hit the post shortly thereafter, leaving Philadelphia facing a 2-1 deficit heading into the third.

The Penguins extended their lead to 3-1 on Kris Letang’s goal 4:27 into the final session. Crosby won a battle along the boards and kicked the puck to his longtime teammate, who skated in with plenty of room and blasted a slap shot past Vladar.

The Flyers got back within a goal on Konecny’s one-timer with 12:57 left, but Connor Dewar’s empty-netter with just under a minute remaining ended the hosts’ late comeback hopes.

Silovs’ best saves included a clutch stop on Zegras near the end of the first period and a pad save on Tyson Foerster’s partial breakaway with about six minutes left in the second.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Sidney #Crosby #Penguins #top #Flyers #stay #alive #playoff #series

Apr 25, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist Saturday as the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins stayed alive with a 4-2 victory over the host Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

Rickard Rakell also scored a goal and set up another for Pittsburgh, which had been outscored 11-4 while dropping the first three games of the series. Penguins coach Dan Muse opted to start Arturs Silovs in net instead of Stuart Skinner, and Silovs responded with 28 saves in a crisp performance.

Denver Barkey and Travis Konecny scored for Philadelphia, which will have another chance to win the best-of-seven series Monday when the teams reconvene for Game 5 in Pittsburgh. Dan Vladar, playing with a right arm injury, turned aside 17 shots for the Flyers.

Pittsburgh opened the scoring with 5:36 left in the first period on a creative setup by Erik Karlsson. Five seconds into a power play, Karlsson’s feed from behind set up Crosby’s smooth one-timer that skimmed off Vladar and into the net for a 1-0 advantage.

Crosby’s 72nd career postseason goal was the only tally of the first period, but the Penguins made it 2-0 just 1:03 into the second. Vladar turned it over behind the net to Rakell, who dove into the crease to swat the puck in before the Flyers’ netminder could recover.

Philadelphia got on the board with 4:20 left in the second period on Barkey’s first career playoff goal. The 20-year-old got position on Karlsson in the crease and Trevor Zegras put it right on his stick for a tap-in tally.

Travis Sanheim hit the post shortly thereafter, leaving Philadelphia facing a 2-1 deficit heading into the third.

The Penguins extended their lead to 3-1 on Kris Letang’s goal 4:27 into the final session. Crosby won a battle along the boards and kicked the puck to his longtime teammate, who skated in with plenty of room and blasted a slap shot past Vladar.

The Flyers got back within a goal on Konecny’s one-timer with 12:57 left, but Connor Dewar’s empty-netter with just under a minute remaining ended the hosts’ late comeback hopes.

Silovs’ best saves included a clutch stop on Zegras near the end of the first period and a pad save on Tyson Foerster’s partial breakaway with about six minutes left in the second.

–Field Level Media

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इंदौर में किडनैपर्स के फोन में मिली 25 कॉल रिकॉर्डिंग, बच्चों को फेंकने की थी साजिश

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IPL 2026: Pat Cummins says Vaibhav Suryavanshi is his new favourite player after century in RR vs SRH <div id="content-body-70907800" itemprop="articleBody"><p>With Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the absurd has been the normal.</p><p>A sub-40-ball hundred is probably a once-in-a-career occurrence for a good T20 batter. On Saturday, at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, Sooryavanshi smashed his second such hundred. At this point, no one should be surprised.</p><p>Almost a year after he had reeled in a 35-ball ton against Gujarat Titans at the same venue, Sooryavanshi eviscerated a stunned Sunrisers Hyderabad to score a 36-ball century.</p><p>If the context has eluded you, these two are the second and third-fastest hundreds in the history of IPL. Absurd? Not anymore.</p><p><b>ALSO READ | <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ipl/rr-vs-srh-ipl-2026-match-highlights-result-score-report-sooryavanshi-century/article70906488.ece" target="_blank">MATCH REPORT: Ishan-Abhishek partnership trumps Sooryavanshi ton as Sunrisers ease past Royals</a></b></p><p>Unfortunately for Sooryavanshi, he ended the day on the losing side, after Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma orchestrated a masterful SRH chase.</p><p>Nevertheless, with his blazing hundred, Sooryavanshi earned himself a brand-new admirer – SRH skipper Pat Cummins.</p><p>“Yeah, I think he’s my new favourite player. He hits the ball so hard, and it’s great to watch. It’s good fun,” said Cummins in the post-match press conference.</p><p>Cummins could afford to be this magnanimous because his side had triumphed on the day of his return from injury.</p><div class="inline_embed article-block-item"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Vaibhav Sooryavanshi brings up his second IPL hundred in just 36 balls for Rajasthan Royals! 💯</p><p>The second-fastest and third-fastest IPL centuries both belong to this 15-year-old sensation. 🔥</p><p>Read about his rise, mindset, and RR’s auction strategy: <a href="https://t.co/bCaywySJhs">https://t.co/bCaywySJhs</a></p><p>He… <a href="https://t.co/3Y5TyjFTAJ">pic.twitter.com/3Y5TyjFTAJ</a></p>— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) <a href="https://twitter.com/sportstarweb/status/2048061720246284401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2026</a></blockquote></div><p>Even if we were to take away that fact, there is the cold, hard truth of what he had witnessed and experienced.</p><p>Earlier in the day, as the Aussie pacer ran into bowl to Sooryavanshi in the second over – their first-ever meeting – the Royals opener was in scorching touch.</p><p>He had just torn into Praful Hinge in the first over, belting him for four consecutive sixes, to four parts of the ground – a pull, a whip of the pads and two sumptuous lofted drives past long on and long off.</p><p>Before Saturday, no player had ever hit four sixes in the first over of an IPL game. With Sooryavanshi, logic flies out of the window, as do records.</p><p>What was also evident was that this first-over decimation was Sooryavanshi’s way of payback, as Hinge had dismissed him for a first-ball duck earlier this season.</p><p>And we cut back to Cummins. Over his short but eventful IPL career, Sooryavanshi has almost always made a point to assert himself early on against the opposition’s premier bowler.</p><p>Jasprit Bumrah wasn’t spared, nor was Josh Hazlewood. There was no reprieve for Cummins either.</p><p>The SRH skipper had parked two fielders in the leg-side outposts and dished out a shortish delivery, sliding it away from Sooryavanshi.</p><p>The seemingly obvious trap had no impact on the Royals opener. Without even retreating to his back foot, he flat-batted the ball for a six in front of the leg-side square.</p><p>“You’ve got to be right on the money as a bowler, because if you’re not, it’s going a long way. He’s impressive. He’s had a great start to his career. I like the way he plays,” admitted Cummins.</p><p>At the end of the second over, Sooryavanshi had faced six deliveries and had dispatched five of them beyond the fence. Even for him, this was an unsustainable momentum to maintain.</p><p>Even as he consolidated, the boundaries kept flowing to all parts of the ground. Scarily for opposition bowlers – of the present and the foreseeable future – there were glimpses of an evolving batter.</p><p>Sooryavanshi displayed a rare touch of innovation when he employed a reverse hit to score a four against left-arm wrist spinner Shivang Kumar.</p><p>Even more outrageous was the way he picked an off-cutter from Sakib Hussain early and dismissively swept it away for a six over square leg.</p><p>When you thought Sooryavanshi can’t surprise you anymore, he finds a way to do so. What is normal anymore?</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 26, 2026</p></div><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> #IPL #Pat #Cummins #Vaibhav #Suryavanshi #favourite #player #century #SRH

Deadspin | Whitecaps continue hot home streak, down Rapids  Apr 25, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN;  Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Zack Steffen (1) watches the shot from Vancouver Whitecaps FC forward Brian White (24) (not pictured)as it goes into the goal during the first half at BC Place. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images   Brian White scored a brace to lead the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Colorado Rapids on Saturday night.  Cheikh Sabaly also scored a goal for Vancouver (8-1-0, 24 points), which won its fourth straight match, all at home. Yohei Takaoka made two saves for the Whitecaps, who remained three points behind the first-place San Jose Earthquakes, a 3-2 winner over St. Louis City earlier Saturday, in the Western Conference standings.  Rafael Navarro scored a goal and Zack Steffen finished with five saves for Colorado (4-5-1, 13 points).  Vancouver took a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute when Sabaly drilled a right-footed shot from the middle of the box into the right corner. Thomas Muller notched an assist on the play with a one-touch pass from the left wing.  White made it 2-0 midway through the period, taking a long through pass from Andres Cubas outside the left side of the penalty box and then curling a right-footed shot around Steffen and into the far right corner of the net.   Colorado was coming in off a 0-0 draw at Los Angeles FC on Wednesday that saw the Rapids finish with 72.5% possession. They cut the lead to 2-1 in the 32nd minute when Navarro put in a left-footed rebound of his own shot from inside the 6-yard box.  Vancouver appeared to regain a two-goal lead in the 77th minute when Bruno Caicedo knocked in a rebound of his own shot near the middle edge of the 6-yard box. However, the goal was overturned after a lengthy VAR review for a handball when it was determined the ball hit Caicedo in the arm after his original shot was blocked by Lucas Herrington.  The Whitecaps then made it 3-1 eight minutes later when Caicedo fielded a long through pass from Sebastian Berhalter on the left wing and crossed a pass to White in the center of the box. White then smashed a left-footed shot into the left corner of the net for his eighth goal of the season.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Whitecaps #continue #hot #home #streak #RapidsApr 25, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Zack Steffen (1) watches the shot from Vancouver Whitecaps FC forward Brian White (24) (not pictured)as it goes into the goal during the first half at BC Place. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images

Brian White scored a brace to lead the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Colorado Rapids on Saturday night.

Cheikh Sabaly also scored a goal for Vancouver (8-1-0, 24 points), which won its fourth straight match, all at home. Yohei Takaoka made two saves for the Whitecaps, who remained three points behind the first-place San Jose Earthquakes, a 3-2 winner over St. Louis City earlier Saturday, in the Western Conference standings.

Rafael Navarro scored a goal and Zack Steffen finished with five saves for Colorado (4-5-1, 13 points).

Vancouver took a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute when Sabaly drilled a right-footed shot from the middle of the box into the right corner. Thomas Muller notched an assist on the play with a one-touch pass from the left wing.


White made it 2-0 midway through the period, taking a long through pass from Andres Cubas outside the left side of the penalty box and then curling a right-footed shot around Steffen and into the far right corner of the net.

Colorado was coming in off a 0-0 draw at Los Angeles FC on Wednesday that saw the Rapids finish with 72.5% possession. They cut the lead to 2-1 in the 32nd minute when Navarro put in a left-footed rebound of his own shot from inside the 6-yard box.

Vancouver appeared to regain a two-goal lead in the 77th minute when Bruno Caicedo knocked in a rebound of his own shot near the middle edge of the 6-yard box. However, the goal was overturned after a lengthy VAR review for a handball when it was determined the ball hit Caicedo in the arm after his original shot was blocked by Lucas Herrington.

The Whitecaps then made it 3-1 eight minutes later when Caicedo fielded a long through pass from Sebastian Berhalter on the left wing and crossed a pass to White in the center of the box. White then smashed a left-footed shot into the left corner of the net for his eighth goal of the season.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Whitecaps #continue #hot #home #streak #Rapids">Deadspin | Whitecaps continue hot home streak, down Rapids  Apr 25, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN;  Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Zack Steffen (1) watches the shot from Vancouver Whitecaps FC forward Brian White (24) (not pictured)as it goes into the goal during the first half at BC Place. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images   Brian White scored a brace to lead the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Colorado Rapids on Saturday night.  Cheikh Sabaly also scored a goal for Vancouver (8-1-0, 24 points), which won its fourth straight match, all at home. Yohei Takaoka made two saves for the Whitecaps, who remained three points behind the first-place San Jose Earthquakes, a 3-2 winner over St. Louis City earlier Saturday, in the Western Conference standings.  Rafael Navarro scored a goal and Zack Steffen finished with five saves for Colorado (4-5-1, 13 points).  Vancouver took a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute when Sabaly drilled a right-footed shot from the middle of the box into the right corner. Thomas Muller notched an assist on the play with a one-touch pass from the left wing.  White made it 2-0 midway through the period, taking a long through pass from Andres Cubas outside the left side of the penalty box and then curling a right-footed shot around Steffen and into the far right corner of the net.   Colorado was coming in off a 0-0 draw at Los Angeles FC on Wednesday that saw the Rapids finish with 72.5% possession. They cut the lead to 2-1 in the 32nd minute when Navarro put in a left-footed rebound of his own shot from inside the 6-yard box.  Vancouver appeared to regain a two-goal lead in the 77th minute when Bruno Caicedo knocked in a rebound of his own shot near the middle edge of the 6-yard box. However, the goal was overturned after a lengthy VAR review for a handball when it was determined the ball hit Caicedo in the arm after his original shot was blocked by Lucas Herrington.  The Whitecaps then made it 3-1 eight minutes later when Caicedo fielded a long through pass from Sebastian Berhalter on the left wing and crossed a pass to White in the center of the box. White then smashed a left-footed shot into the left corner of the net for his eighth goal of the season.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Whitecaps #continue #hot #home #streak #Rapids

India all-rounder Deepti Sharma’s breakout show against South Africa in the fourth T20I has provided a timely boost ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup, with the seasoned campaigner saying self-belief and tweaks to her bowling helped her snap a prolonged lean patch and return to form at the right time.

Deepti had endured a prolonged lean run with both bat and ball since the T20I series in Australia in February, managing just one double-digit score in nine matches across formats before her unbeaten 36 and match-winning five-for in India’s 14-run win over South Africa on Saturday — a timely return to form that eased selection concerns ahead of the T20 World Cup in England and Wales in June.

ALSO READ | Match report: Maiden T20I fifer for Deepti Sharma as India manages 14-run win over South Africa

Even though the host had already sealed the series 3-1 with one game to spare, Deepti, a vital cog in India’s maiden ODI World Cup-winning campaign, said unwavering self-belief through a prolonged slump helped her fight her way out of the hole.

“First is, I always keep believing in myself and second is line and length, which line I have to bowl. And basically today, I was more focused on my offspin ball other than the little faster one,” said the spin-bowling all-rounder after her sterling show on Saturday.

She said that approach gave her confidence, while adding the dew made it tricky for bowlers to judge their pace, but discussions within the bowling group helped them make the right adjustments.

“Yeah, because it was a little dewish over here. So, we just had a conversation with the bowlers as well. Just bowl in the right areas and that will give you results,” added Deepti, who had gone wicketless in the previous three T20Is here and managed just two runs, a lean run that had also contributed to India’s heavy defeats.

On the batting front, Deepti said she and Richa Ghosh (34 not out) had decided to preserve their wickets and bat deep, a plan that helped India post a competitive 185 for five through an unbroken 65-run stand.

Deepti then capped the effort with a stellar bowling spell as India restricted the Proteas to 171 for nine in the chase.

“I think Richa batted well. She finished well. And we were just talking that we have to play till the 20th over and make sure we will have a good partnership. And then we finished well. So, we’re calculating each and every over and that’s how we played there,” added the 28-year-old Deepti.

She added that despite the series defeat, India would carry plenty of learnings into the T20 World Cup, along with renewed self-belief drawn from the way the team responded.

“I think a lot of positive from this series. And especially today’s game gave us a lot of confidence going forward and future games as well. Whenever we play, we play as a team, as a bowling unit or as a batting unit. Same belief we have to keep going forward as well,” she said.

“I think, as a bowling unit and as a batting unit, both played really well (on Saturday).So, we will see then how we will do it (in the final game) and definitely will finish well as well,” concluded Deepti.

Published on Apr 26, 2026

#Selfbelief #bowling #helped #overcome #lean #patch #Deepti #Sharma">Self-belief and bowling changes helped overcome lean patch: Deepti Sharma  India all-rounder Deepti Sharma’s breakout show against South Africa in the fourth T20I has provided a timely boost ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup, with the seasoned campaigner saying self-belief and tweaks to her bowling helped her snap a prolonged lean patch and return to form at the right time.Deepti had endured a prolonged lean run with both bat and ball since the T20I series in Australia in February, managing just one double-digit score in nine matches across formats before her unbeaten 36 and match-winning five-for in India’s 14-run win over South Africa on Saturday — a timely return to form that eased selection concerns ahead of the T20 World Cup in England and Wales in June.ALSO READ | Match report: Maiden T20I fifer for Deepti Sharma as India manages 14-run win over South AfricaEven though the host had already sealed the series 3-1 with one game to spare, Deepti, a vital cog in India’s maiden ODI World Cup-winning campaign, said unwavering self-belief through a prolonged slump helped her fight her way out of the hole.“First is, I always keep believing in myself and second is line and length, which line I have to bowl. And basically today, I was more focused on my offspin ball other than the little faster one,” said the spin-bowling all-rounder after her sterling show on Saturday.She said that approach gave her confidence, while adding the dew made it tricky for bowlers to judge their pace, but discussions within the bowling group helped them make the right adjustments.“Yeah, because it was a little dewish over here. So, we just had a conversation with the bowlers as well. Just bowl in the right areas and that will give you results,” added Deepti, who had gone wicketless in the previous three T20Is here and managed just two runs, a lean run that had also contributed to India’s heavy defeats.On the batting front, Deepti said she and Richa Ghosh (34 not out) had decided to preserve their wickets and bat deep, a plan that helped India post a competitive 185 for five through an unbroken 65-run stand.Deepti then capped the effort with a stellar bowling spell as India restricted the Proteas to 171 for nine in the chase.“I think Richa batted well. She finished well. And we were just talking that we have to play till the 20th over and make sure we will have a good partnership. And then we finished well. So, we’re calculating each and every over and that’s how we played there,” added the 28-year-old Deepti.She added that despite the series defeat, India would carry plenty of learnings into the T20 World Cup, along with renewed self-belief drawn from the way the team responded.“I think a lot of positive from this series. And especially today’s game gave us a lot of confidence going forward and future games as well. Whenever we play, we play as a team, as a bowling unit or as a batting unit. Same belief we have to keep going forward as well,” she said.“I think, as a bowling unit and as a batting unit, both played really well (on Saturday).So, we will see then how we will do it (in the final game) and definitely will finish well as well,” concluded Deepti.Published on Apr 26, 2026  #Selfbelief #bowling #helped #overcome #lean #patch #Deepti #Sharma

Match report: Maiden T20I fifer for Deepti Sharma as India manages 14-run win over South Africa

Even though the host had already sealed the series 3-1 with one game to spare, Deepti, a vital cog in India’s maiden ODI World Cup-winning campaign, said unwavering self-belief through a prolonged slump helped her fight her way out of the hole.

“First is, I always keep believing in myself and second is line and length, which line I have to bowl. And basically today, I was more focused on my offspin ball other than the little faster one,” said the spin-bowling all-rounder after her sterling show on Saturday.

She said that approach gave her confidence, while adding the dew made it tricky for bowlers to judge their pace, but discussions within the bowling group helped them make the right adjustments.

“Yeah, because it was a little dewish over here. So, we just had a conversation with the bowlers as well. Just bowl in the right areas and that will give you results,” added Deepti, who had gone wicketless in the previous three T20Is here and managed just two runs, a lean run that had also contributed to India’s heavy defeats.

On the batting front, Deepti said she and Richa Ghosh (34 not out) had decided to preserve their wickets and bat deep, a plan that helped India post a competitive 185 for five through an unbroken 65-run stand.

Deepti then capped the effort with a stellar bowling spell as India restricted the Proteas to 171 for nine in the chase.

“I think Richa batted well. She finished well. And we were just talking that we have to play till the 20th over and make sure we will have a good partnership. And then we finished well. So, we’re calculating each and every over and that’s how we played there,” added the 28-year-old Deepti.

She added that despite the series defeat, India would carry plenty of learnings into the T20 World Cup, along with renewed self-belief drawn from the way the team responded.

“I think a lot of positive from this series. And especially today’s game gave us a lot of confidence going forward and future games as well. Whenever we play, we play as a team, as a bowling unit or as a batting unit. Same belief we have to keep going forward as well,” she said.

“I think, as a bowling unit and as a batting unit, both played really well (on Saturday).So, we will see then how we will do it (in the final game) and definitely will finish well as well,” concluded Deepti.

Published on Apr 26, 2026

#Selfbelief #bowling #helped #overcome #lean #patch #Deepti #Sharma">Self-belief and bowling changes helped overcome lean patch: Deepti Sharma

India all-rounder Deepti Sharma’s breakout show against South Africa in the fourth T20I has provided a timely boost ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup, with the seasoned campaigner saying self-belief and tweaks to her bowling helped her snap a prolonged lean patch and return to form at the right time.

Deepti had endured a prolonged lean run with both bat and ball since the T20I series in Australia in February, managing just one double-digit score in nine matches across formats before her unbeaten 36 and match-winning five-for in India’s 14-run win over South Africa on Saturday — a timely return to form that eased selection concerns ahead of the T20 World Cup in England and Wales in June.

ALSO READ | Match report: Maiden T20I fifer for Deepti Sharma as India manages 14-run win over South Africa

Even though the host had already sealed the series 3-1 with one game to spare, Deepti, a vital cog in India’s maiden ODI World Cup-winning campaign, said unwavering self-belief through a prolonged slump helped her fight her way out of the hole.

“First is, I always keep believing in myself and second is line and length, which line I have to bowl. And basically today, I was more focused on my offspin ball other than the little faster one,” said the spin-bowling all-rounder after her sterling show on Saturday.

She said that approach gave her confidence, while adding the dew made it tricky for bowlers to judge their pace, but discussions within the bowling group helped them make the right adjustments.

“Yeah, because it was a little dewish over here. So, we just had a conversation with the bowlers as well. Just bowl in the right areas and that will give you results,” added Deepti, who had gone wicketless in the previous three T20Is here and managed just two runs, a lean run that had also contributed to India’s heavy defeats.

On the batting front, Deepti said she and Richa Ghosh (34 not out) had decided to preserve their wickets and bat deep, a plan that helped India post a competitive 185 for five through an unbroken 65-run stand.

Deepti then capped the effort with a stellar bowling spell as India restricted the Proteas to 171 for nine in the chase.

“I think Richa batted well. She finished well. And we were just talking that we have to play till the 20th over and make sure we will have a good partnership. And then we finished well. So, we’re calculating each and every over and that’s how we played there,” added the 28-year-old Deepti.

She added that despite the series defeat, India would carry plenty of learnings into the T20 World Cup, along with renewed self-belief drawn from the way the team responded.

“I think a lot of positive from this series. And especially today’s game gave us a lot of confidence going forward and future games as well. Whenever we play, we play as a team, as a bowling unit or as a batting unit. Same belief we have to keep going forward as well,” she said.

“I think, as a bowling unit and as a batting unit, both played really well (on Saturday).So, we will see then how we will do it (in the final game) and definitely will finish well as well,” concluded Deepti.

Published on Apr 26, 2026

#Selfbelief #bowling #helped #overcome #lean #patch #Deepti #Sharma

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