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#VIDEO #enjoy #finisher #team #DCs #Ashutosh #win">VIDEO | I enjoy being a finisher for my team, says DC’s Ashutosh after win vs RR Delhi Capitals batting all-rounder Ashutosh Sharma said he relishes his role as a finisher after his side snapped a three-match losing streak with a seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in an IPL match here.
Ashutosh struck an unbeaten 25 off 15 balls, hitting four boundaries, as Delhi successfully chased down a daunting 226-run target with five balls to spare on Friday.
“I enjoy being a finisher for my team. The team has trusted me to bat in these situations and I enjoy playing in these moments. I always feel that as long as I am at the crease, I can win the game for my team,” Ashutosh said at the post-match press conference.
Chasing a stiff total, Delhi was laid a solid foundation by KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka, who stitched together a 110-run opening partnership.
“In T20 cricket nowadays, a lot depends on the opening partnership and the powerplay. Our openers played really well and because of that we were in the game throughout and could take it till the end,” Ashutosh said.
Delhi’s overseas pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Kyle Jamieson had earlier set the tone by removing Rajasthan’s explosive openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi inside the first two overs.
“We wanted to get their opening partnership out early, as they have been doing well in previous matches. That was our plan and it worked, which was good for us.” Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals batting coach Vikram Rathour admitted that poor execution with the ball cost his side the match.
“The bowlers couldn’t execute their plans again today. 226 we felt was enough on this surface, they should have been able to defend that.
“When you are defending that kind of total it is important to have a good powerplay. We gave away lots of runs and didn’t take any wicket,” he said.
Despite the defeat, Rathour drew positives from the batting effort, particularly the response after the early loss of openers. Skipper Riyan Parag led from the front with a 90 off 50 balls, while Dhruv Jurel contributed 42.
“We were consistently getting good starts. Both our openers were doing well for us in every match. So, this was the first time that both got out early. So as a team, I think it was important how we came out of that situation and how we played.
“The way Riyan and Jurel batted at that time, the partnership they built, and the way Donovan finished it, it was really good to see,” Rathour said.
Published on May 02, 2026
Delhi Capitals batting all-rounder Ashutosh Sharma said he relishes his role as a finisher after…
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#tournament #Kieron #Pollard #falls #short #SRH">‘We are very much in this tournament,’ says Kieron Pollard after MI falls short vs SRH
Kieron Pollard isn’t ready to concede the Indian Premier League (IPL) season just yet. Even as Mumbai Indians slumped to a sixth defeat in eight games — failing to defend 243 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium — the batting coach struck a note of defiance, insisting the fight within the group remains intact.
“We need to play that complete game of cricket to win a match because it’s getting difficult, the way the game is going,” Pollard said. “But what I can safely say, in the dressing room, the spirits of the guys —they are willing and wanting to fight.”
It has been a campaign of near-misses and unravelled moments for Mumbai Indians, now staring at the brink of elimination. Yet, Pollard was keen to place the setback in perspective.
“These things happen. You could have been worse off. At the end of it, we are still playing a game of cricket. There are a lot of other things more serious in life as well,” he said. “Two teams play. You win some, you lose some. We have been on the losing side. So yes, we have accepted that.”
Pollard, however, was quick to distinguish between acknowledging losses and conceding the campaign.
“When I said defeat, I didn’t want the headlines to be that Mumbai Indians are defeated. Mathematically and from a points perspective, we are still very much in the tournament,” he said.
“We have accepted losses because we have lost in the last couple of games. But overall, we have not accepted defeat in this tournament. We are still looking to go back, see what we can do and how far we can get.”
Published on Apr 30, 2026
Kieron Pollard isn’t ready to concede the Indian Premier League (IPL) season just yet. Even as Mumbai Indians slumped to a sixth defeat in eight games — failing to defend 243 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium — the batting coach struck a note of defiance, insisting the fight within the group remains intact.
“We need to play that complete game of cricket to win a match because it’s getting difficult, the way the game is going,” Pollard said. “But what I can safely say, in the dressing room, the spirits of the guys —they are willing and wanting to fight.”
It has been a campaign of near-misses and unravelled moments for Mumbai Indians, now staring at the brink of elimination. Yet, Pollard was keen to place the setback in perspective.
“These things happen. You could have been worse off. At the end of it, we are still playing a game of cricket. There are a lot of other things more serious in life as well,” he said. “Two teams play. You win some, you lose some. We have been on the losing side. So yes, we have accepted that.”
Pollard, however, was quick to distinguish between acknowledging losses and conceding the campaign.
“When I said defeat, I didn’t want the headlines to be that Mumbai Indians are defeated. Mathematically and from a points perspective, we are still very much in the tournament,” he said.
“We have accepted losses because we have lost in the last couple of games. But overall, we have not accepted defeat in this tournament. We are still looking to go back, see what we can do and how far we can get.”
Published on Apr 30, 2026
Kieron Pollard isn’t ready to concede the Indian Premier League (IPL) season just yet. Even…
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#Batters #dont #respect #bowlers #anymore #Muralitharan #SRHs #easy #chase">‘Batters don’t respect bowlers anymore’, says Muralitharan on SRH’s easy chase vs MI
Sunrisers Hyderabad continued to thrive in the high-scoring landscape of IPL 2026, chasing down a daunting total with authority, as assistant coach Muttiah Muralitharan pointed to a dramatic shift in batting approach across teams.
SRH successfully hunted down a target of over 200 with composure, powered by a blazing start in the powerplay and sustained aggression through the middle overs. Its openers laid the perfect platform, racing to nearly 80 in the first six overs — a trend that has become increasingly common this season — before the middle order ensured there were no late hiccups in the chase.
Reflecting on the game and the broader trend, Muralitharan admitted that bowlers are finding it tougher than ever to contain batters in the modern T20 setup.
“It is very difficult for a bowler nowadays. Every team’s openers don’t fear losing wickets. The average score has now gone up from 40 for one to eighty in six overs, that’s why the scores are going beyond 200,” he said in the post-match press conference.
SRH’s chase was calculated from the outset, with the team backing its knowledge of conditions. “We knew how the wicket would play, and chasing would be easy,” Muralitharan added, highlighting the clarity in the side’s approach.
The Sri Lankan legend also underlined the fearless mindset of contemporary batters, noting that reputation no longer guarantees restraint. “The batters are in top form, and they don’t respect any bowler, even if it is someone like Bumrah,” he remarked.
With another clinical chase under its belt, SRH reinforced its reputation as one of the most dangerous batting units this season — a side perfectly in tune with the evolving, high-risk, high-reward nature of T20 cricket.
Published on Apr 30, 2026
Sunrisers Hyderabad continued to thrive in the high-scoring landscape of IPL 2026, chasing down a daunting total with authority, as assistant coach Muttiah Muralitharan pointed to a dramatic shift in batting approach across teams.
SRH successfully hunted down a target of over 200 with composure, powered by a blazing start in the powerplay and sustained aggression through the middle overs. Its openers laid the perfect platform, racing to nearly 80 in the first six overs — a trend that has become increasingly common this season — before the middle order ensured there were no late hiccups in the chase.
Reflecting on the game and the broader trend, Muralitharan admitted that bowlers are finding it tougher than ever to contain batters in the modern T20 setup.
“It is very difficult for a bowler nowadays. Every team’s openers don’t fear losing wickets. The average score has now gone up from 40 for one to eighty in six overs, that’s why the scores are going beyond 200,” he said in the post-match press conference.
SRH’s chase was calculated from the outset, with the team backing its knowledge of conditions. “We knew how the wicket would play, and chasing would be easy,” Muralitharan added, highlighting the clarity in the side’s approach.
The Sri Lankan legend also underlined the fearless mindset of contemporary batters, noting that reputation no longer guarantees restraint. “The batters are in top form, and they don’t respect any bowler, even if it is someone like Bumrah,” he remarked.
With another clinical chase under its belt, SRH reinforced its reputation as one of the most dangerous batting units this season — a side perfectly in tune with the evolving, high-risk, high-reward nature of T20 cricket.
Published on Apr 30, 2026
Sunrisers Hyderabad continued to thrive in the high-scoring landscape of IPL 2026, chasing down a…