Sports
WPL 2024: Shreyanka is always in for a fight; that’s the spark you are looking for, says Rangarajan
New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) With Harmanpreet Kaur at the crease alongside Amelia Kerr, Mumbai Indians had all the right to feel they had a chance to chase down 136 and enter the final at the expense of Royal Challengers Bangalore in front of more than 27,000 fans in the Eliminator at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Luckily for MI, with 20 runs needed off 18 balls, Harmanpreet had a reprieve in the start of 18th over when Richa Ghosh missed a stumping off Shreyanka Patil, leaving the crowd silent. But to their delight, after not giving any room for a big shot, the nerveless Shreyanka had the last laugh as Harmanpreet holed out to long-on to close the over.
That over from Shreyanka in a wonderful spell of 2-18 in four overs turned the match literally in RCB’s favour as MI fell short by five runs to give Smriti Mandhana & Co a shot at lifting the trophy when they face Delhi Capitals in the title clash on Sunday.
Previously in the game, after Yastika Bhatia was dropped in the fourth over, Shreyanka fetched the opening breakthrough for RCB by getting the ball to turn in and forcing Hayley Matthews to slog-sweep straight to deep mid-wicket.
A day before the Eliminator, head coach Luke Williams had said that Shreyanka was itching to put up a big performance in the playoffs. Now, after taking RCB to the final along with Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka’s impactful spell with the ball will be etched in the memories for a long time.
“I would be blatantly lying, not at the last two overs. But maybe when Harmanpreet’s stumping went through and we missed that, there was something inside me saying that if she had got out, we’re in with a sniff. But we got another opportunity (in the same over), and even though it was a regulation catch – taken by Sophie Devine in that pressure and with her experience showed why you need experienced players in the team, apart from Shreyanka Patil being an absolute champion.”
“From there, you start sniffing and you almost believe that it can be done. Lots of things happen when chasing becomes difficult, which could have been in MI’s mind. By the fifth or sixth over, we knew that 150-160 could be a good score. Though there were too many dot balls, I couldn’t pinpoint when the belief came in. But as soon as Harman got out, maybe that’s when we thought there’s something,” said Malolan Rangarajan, RCB assistant coach, in the post-match press conference.
Shreyanka was one of the breakout stars from WPL 2023 and went on to have a CPL stint, followed by making her India debut in both white-ball formats in the series against England and Australia.
A lot was expected from her in the Bengaluru leg of WPL 2024, her home-town. But she had an underwhelming time, taking only two wickets in nine overs, while conceding 100 runs. Shreyanka, though, made a stellar return in the Delhi leg of the competition, taking seven wickets in nine overs, while conceding 45 runs.
While she was bowling away from the batter’s reach in Bengaluru, sticking to stump-to-stump line, and going a little away from the wider lines has brought her rich rewards in Delhi.
“Just the growth of Shreyanka in the last 12-16 months, when we identified and then brought her into the set-up. You could see that she was not behaving like someone of her age or her experience. She was like, slightly above that. She was always in for the fight. That’s the spark you’re looking for. Everyone has the skill but it’s a dog fight which happens inside (on the field) and you’re up for it: Shreyanka always had that in her.”
“Her growth over the last 12 months – playing for India, leading South Zone team in the Zonal One-Days – it has developed her better and helped her understand her own game better. She herself was the first to admit that she didn’t start the tournament as well she would have liked. But she was also the first one to come up and say, ‘I am not bowling well’.”
“She didn’t need me or anyone else like Luke (Williams, head coach) and Courtney (Winfield-Hill, assistant coach) to go to her with that. She came and asked, ‘I am not bowling as well as I can. What can I do?’ She came up with the solutions too. Yes, we chipped in here and there, but that’s her character. When you see people like that, you know that when there are crunch moments, these characters will stand up and deliver.”
“Shreyanka is a warrior, especially to play with the injury she’s playing. Nobody would think that she has an injury as she goes into bat and sweeps the first ball. So these are characters that we are very proud to have in RCB and we are even prouder to see what she does for both the franchise and the country,” elaborated Rangarajan, also RCB’s head of scouting.
He also recalled what made Shreyanka stand out from the rest of the domestic players they were keeping their eyes on. “When we saw her playing for Karnataka, she was a 19-year-old playing for the senior team, bowling the tough overs. It wasn’t like she was just participating, she was delivering the yorkers under pressure. Along with her coach Arjun (Dev), she does center-wicket practice and simulation, and there’s nothing left to chance. The way she was practicing was different from our peers, and was slightly ahead of them.”
While Shreyanka has been at her best and found her mojo with the ball, one needs to realise that the match-winning performances are coming despite her little finger heavily taped, an injury which kept her out of two consecutive matches.
“If given an option, Shreyanka would have liked to play both the games. Like I said, that’s the character she is. The work she’s put in between those games, even when she was injured, we had rented out a couple grounds, had centre wickets for her, where she was bowling, and working on her different releases.”
“Because there was a moment where she wanted to release the ball a particular way and it was going out a different way. So, a lot of volume practice went into it with myself, with Luke and Courtney, all of us chipping in. So it was all very conscious practice and we simulated a lot.”
“Even in the nets we were simulating, like ‘okay so tomorrow you’re going to bowl to X player, this is how the player likes to score, this is what the player looks like if she wants to play a single. so let’s try to attack this line, we need the ball to end up at this length’.”
“She was very good with that. Admittedly she may not have executed as well as she wanted but she kept going when she was injured. Finally it’s all about the feel and the rhythm and I think somewhere in that (practice sessions) she found the rhythm again,” explained Rangarajan.
Heading to the stadium, one could see RCB’s red taking over as the preferred jersey choice amongst fans. The RCB jersey-wearing fans stood in line for around two hours before the match began and cheered their hearts out, hoping their team would make it to Sunday’s final, and guess what? They did!
Even on the metro ride home after the game, you couldn’t miss the fans wearing RCB jerseys and loudly cheering for the team, while talking about all the twists & turns in the game. A large part of their happiness was made possible by Shreyanka’s stellar efforts with the ball, ensuring they turn up on Sunday with the same fervour seen on Friday.
–IANS
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Bengaluru, Aug 22 (IANS) Shivamogga Lions’ woes continued as they suffered a 28-run defeat to the Mysore Warriors in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.
Mysore Warriors delivered a well-rounded performance, anchored by Karun Nair’s (45) swift knock, supported by a few other good contributions in the middle order, and highlighted by late-innings fireworks from J Suchith (22*) and Manoj Bhandage (23).
On the bowling front, Vidyadhar Patil (3/29) and Karthik CA (3/31) played crucial roles in restricting the Shivamogga Lions. Sharath HS’ (4/29) lethal spell with the ball and valiant efforts from Abhinav Manohar (46) and Nihal Ullal (46) with the bat couldn’t turn the tide in Shivamogga’s favour.
Chasing 180, Shivamogga Lions got off to a disastrous start, with Vidyadhar Patil’s lethal first over leading to the dismissals of Mohith Bangalore (2) and Dheeraj Mohan (0) in consecutive deliveries. Skipper Nihal Ullal (46) managed to crack a few early boundaries, but Hardik Raj (17) was also removed by Krishnappa Gowtham, leaving the Lions reeling at 41/3 by the end of the powerplay.
K Gowtham then engineered the run out of Rohan Naveen (11), further denting the chase. The in-form Abhinav Manohar (Impact Player) joined Ullal, and the duo breathed life into the innings, putting together a 70-run partnership in just 43 balls.
However, Ullal fell short of his first half-century of the season, leaving the Shivamogga Lions at 123/5 in 15.1 overs. Manohar also narrowly missed his milestone, holing out to K Gowtham off Karthik CA. Manohar’s 26-ball knock included four sixes and three fours, adding valuable runs to the total.
Karthik CA struck again two deliveries later, dismissing Shivraj S and leaving the Lions in deep trouble. With 47 runs needed from the final 18 balls, Ashok D tried to keep the chase alive by smashing a six and a four off Vidyadhar Patil, but perished in the same over, effectively ending Shivamogga’s prospects. Shivamogga Lions finished at 151/9 in 20 overs, enduring their sixth consecutive loss.
Batting first, Mysore Warriors faced an early challenge as Sharath HS unleashed a menacing spell. He struck in the powerplay, dismissing Karthik SU (8), and then returned in the seventh over to remove CA Karthik (30), who smashed three sixes in a 34-run stand with Karun Nair (45) and Harshil Dharmani (0).
Nair continued in fine touch and peppered the boundary with six fours and two sixes during his 23-ball stay before falling to Ashok D in the 11th over.
Kishan Bedare (17) steered the innings, forming a 28-run partnership with Nair and adding another 29 runs with Sumit Kumar (28) before being caught and bowled by Bharath Dhuri, leaving the Warriors at 116/5 in 16.1 overs. The depth of Mysore’s batting lineup came to the fore as Manoj Bhandage and J Suchith launched a late assault.
Vasuki Koushik, tasked with the 18th over, began with a six and a four from Sumit Kumar. Bhandage then took charge, hammering three consecutive sixes off Koushik in the same over before falling as Sharath’s fourth wicket in the 19th ending a blistering 23-run cameo off just seven balls. J Suchith, carried on the momentum, smashing two sixes and a four in an 8-ball flurry, pushing the Mysore Warriors to a competitive 179/7 in their 20 overs.
Brief scores: Mysore Warriors 179 for 7 in 20 overs (Karthik CA 30, Karun Nair 45, Sumit Kumar 28; Sharath HS 4-29) beat Shivamogga Lions 151/9 in 20 overs (Nihal Ullal 46, Abhinav Manohar 46 runs; Vidyadhar Patil 3-29, Karthik CA 3-31) by 28 runs.
–IANS
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Castle Rock (Colorado), Aug 22 (IANS) Indian Americans Sahith Theegala and Akshay Bhatia who failed to make it to the Top-10 last week at the St Jude Championships, the first of the three Play-offs events, will be looking for a better showing as they move towards the finale at the Tour Championships after that.
Last week Hideki Matsuyama, after leading by five at one time, had to birdie the last two holes to win the St Jude Championships. He became the first Asian to win a Play-off event and it was his 10th PGA Tour win, the highest from the continent.
Last week Bhatia was T-12, Rai was T-16 and Theegala was way behind in T-46, but all three have entered the second of the three Play-offs events.
World No, 2 Xander Schauffele, a two-time Major winner in 2024, was tied second last week with Viktor Hovland, while World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was fourth last week, though World No. 3 Rory McIlroy had a poor week in T-68 place.
Among Asians Korea’s Si Woo Kim has all to play for at the BMW Championship, the second of three FedExCup Playoffs events, in Colorado this week, with two big goals providing the drive for him to step up his game.
The four-time PGA TOUR winner tees up at Castle Pines Golf Club with the intention of breaking into the top-30 of the FedExCup points list and qualify for the Playoffs Finale, the TOUR Championship next week. Kim is presently ranked 44th after last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship.
A strong week is also required for Kim to keep alive his hopes of earning a spot in the International Team to face the U.S. Team in the Presidents Cup in Royal Montreal next month. Currently 14th on the team roster, the top-6 after this week’s BMW Championship will secure automatic spots, with captain Mike Weir naming six more picks after the TOUR Championship.
Compatriots Sungjae Im and Byeong Hun An, who are 10th and 15th respectively on the FedExCup rankings, are virtually assured of teeing up at the TOUR Championship, which will use a staggered-scoring format based on positions after this week.
Irrespective of how his week plays out, Kim is pleased to secure his top-50 status, which guarantees starts in all eight Signature tournaments next season.
–IANS
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New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) The packed schedule of men’s county cricket in 2025 will remain largely unchanged, despite concerns raised by the majority of players over the impact on their physical well-being.
According to a survey conducted by the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) earlier this season, more than 80 per cent of players expressed fears that the current schedule is too demanding and poses risks to their health.
However, despite these concerns, the 2025 schedule is set to continue as usual. Each county will still compete in a minimum of 14 County Championship matches, eight Metro Bank Cup fixtures, and 14 Vitality T20 Blast games. The changes for next season will be largely cosmetic, offering little relief for players concerned about the gruelling calendar.
The PCA has been advocating for adjustments that would spread out the T20 fixtures across the week, aiming to reduce tight turnarounds and introduce more consistent three-day breaks between Championship games.
“There’s definitely room for improvement in 2025 compared to 2024,” said Daryl Mitchell, the PCA’s interim chief executive, in an interview with ESPNcricinfo. “The schedule can definitely be managed better. Certainly, the Blast was very much looked at through a commercial lens, trying to squeeze as many games as possible into Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Utilizing the majority of the week is probably the way forward, trying to spread them out to give that time for recovery, travel, and preparation.”
The T20 Blast, in particular, has been the main point of debate when it comes to scheduling. The timing of the knockout stages has been a significant concern. In 2023, these stages were held immediately after the group matches in July, allowing counties to retain their overseas players. This year, however, the knockout stages will be pushed to September, giving clubs an extended six-week window to market and sell tickets for home quarter-finals.
While these adjustments offer slight improvements, the overall schedule remains packed, leaving many players apprehensive about how much more they can push themselves physically in the long term. Despite the calls for change, it appears that any significant reduction in the number of fixtures is unlikely in the future, with commercial considerations still driving much of the decision-making process around county cricket.
–IANS
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New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) After ending his T20I career with an elusive T20 World Cup title in Barbados, captain Rohit Sharma revealed that it was his dream to transform the team without thinking too much about the results.
Rohit-led Indian team ended the decade-long ICC title drought after beating South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 to lift their second title in the format. In 2023, the Men in Blue failed to win the World Test Championship and 2023 ODI World Cup under Rohit’s leadership after losing to Australia in the finals.
The swashbuckling opening batter also credited the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah, former head coach Rahul Dravid and chief selector Ajit Agarkar for their support in transforming the team and creating a fearless culture in the squad.
“It was my dream to transform this team and not worry too much about stats and results and also to make sure that we create an environment where people can go out and play freely, without thinking too much. I got a lot of help from my three pillars Jay Shah, Rahul Dravid and chairman of selector Ajit Agarkar. That was critical for me to do what I did. Obviously, not to forget players who came in at different points in time and helped the team to achieve what we have achieved today,” Rohit said in a video posted by BCCI on X.
On Wednesday, Rohit was awarded ‘Men’s International Cricketer of the Year’ while Dravid was accorded the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at Ceat Cricket Rating Awards 2023-24 in Mumbai. India’s batting stalwart Virat Kohli was named the ‘Men’s ODI Batter of the Year’ while on the bowling front, Mohammed Shami was awarded the ‘ODI Bowler of the Year’.
The 37-year-old batter finished as the second-highest run-getter in the T20 World Cup with 257 runs including three half-centuries and at a strike rate of 156.70. He played a major role in providing solid starts for the team on the slow pitches of the USA and the West Indies.
After lifting the title, Rohit joined Kohli to announce his retirement from the T20I. With 4,231 runs, Rohit is the leading run-getter in the format behind his teammate Kohli (4188 runs). Both batters will continue to play the other formats of the game. The duo last featured for India in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
–IANS
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Gotemba (Japan), Aug 22 (IANS) A year after being the youngest ever to make the cut at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Kartik Singh, now 14 years of age, is the highest ranked among the four Indians set to take part in the 15th AAC to be held in Japan.
As of date Kartik is the highest ranked Indian at 199 while the other three players to have received the invitation for this prestigious event are Krishnav Nikhil Chopra and Vedant Sirohi, both past participants in the event and Rakshit Dahiya will be in the four-player team.
Kartik Singh has also been named to the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup team. A regular winner in junior and amateur events, Kartik will spearhead the Indian challenge.
Apart from India’s Kartik Singh, there are seven others named to the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup International Team. They are Joshua Bai, Warut Boonrod, Xihuan Chang, Rayhan Latief, Khanh Hung Le, Thangwin Lee, Anh Minh Ngyuyen,
As many as 113 players have been confirmed for the Championship, which will be held October 3-6, 2024, at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba in Gotemba, Japan. A full list of confirmed players can be found. The field will be 120 with a few more names to be added by the Organisers.
India’s best ever placing has been second place by Rayhan Thomas, who was runner-up in Sentosa, Singapore in 2018. The Dubai-based Indian Rayhan has since turned professional, and last week won his first pro title on India’s Professional Tour of India Tour.
Krishnav, who plays college golf in the US, is the son of former India cricketer turned commentator, Nikhil Chopraa, who often takes the role of a caddie for his son.
Created in 2009, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was established by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), The R&A and the Masters Tournament to further develop amateur golf in the Asia-Pacific region.
The champion will receive an invitation to compete in the 2025 Masters Tournament and The 153rd Open, while the runner(s)-up will gain a place in Final Qualifying for The Open.
The confirmed list which has players from 38 APGC member organizations is highlighted by defending champion Jasper Stubbs of Australia and four players representing China inside the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking: Wenyi Ding (No. 4), Xihuan Chang (No. 36), Xiangyun Bai (No. 61) and Paul Chang (No. 97).
Ding finished runner-up to Stubbs in the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur while Xihuan Chang reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Junior Amateur in July.
Other top-100 participants include Vietnam’s Anh Minh Nguyen (No. 68) and Japan’s Rintaro Nakano (No. 78).
Notable past competitors include 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, and 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith. Over the Championship’s 14-year history, the Championship has served as a springboard to some of the world’s top players, including Matsuyama, Smith, Cameron Davis, Ryan Fox, Si Woo Kim, Satoshi Kodaira, Kyoung-Hoon Lee, Min Woo Lee, Keita Nakajima and C.T. Pan. Collectively, alumni of the Asia-Pacific Amateur have gone on to win 27 tournaments on the PGA Tour to date and more than 130 across the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.
As the host nation, Japan will lead the list of up to 43 APGC member nations represented with 10 players in this year’s field. A player from Japan has won four of the 14 editions of the Championship (Matsuyama/2010, 2011; Takumi Kanaya/2018; Nakajima/2021).
–IANS
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