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Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh’s bowling heartening, says CSK coach Fleming

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With the IPL 2022 season done and dusted for Chennai Super Kings, albeit prematurely, the team has hit the ‘experimentation mode’ and their chief coach Stephen Fleming is quite satisfied with the way the young bowlers are shaping up for the upcoming seasons.

On Thursday, defending a meagre 97 against Mumbai Indians — another team that has failed to live up to its billing this season — CSK gave the new ball to Mukesh Choudhary and Simarjeet Singh. Mukesh, the 25-year-old left-arm pacer from Bhilwara, Rajasthan, made an immediate impact with the new ball, taking three wickets for 23 runs in his four overs, while Simarjeet, the 24-year-old pacer from Delhi, took the wicket of Rohit Sharma and bowled a tidy four overs.

Fleming said he saw this as a positive sign for the franchise going forward.

“There are some really positive signs. I thought the new ball bowling from Simarjeet and Mukesh was outstanding. They have been developing, Mukesh all the way through the season, and for him to feel confident enough to bowl a spell like that and Simarjeet in four games and they have made some good gain. So, that is a positive with Deepak Chahar to come back into the side. They are some good options with the new ball.”

Pace bowler Chahar has not been able to play a single match for CSK this season because of the injury he sustained at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru while rehabilitating.

“I thought it was really impressive. They really gave us an opportunity and both of them bowled well. Mukesh in particular had the ball really swinging well and Simarjeet has got some deceptive pace, so we are really positive about that pairing going forward. It is just disappointing that we did not have more runs to play with, but out of the ashes came those two. So, it was a good way to look at it,” Fleming said.

“We are not far away, but we have got a couple of holes that seem to pop up at the wrong time. We are not as good as we need to be, we know that. We try to find some positive pieces when we move forward. Now that we are out of the competition, we have got an opportunity with two games to give some other guys an opportunity and hope we find something there as well.”

The head coach added that he was surprised by the way the pitch behaved.

“I think it took us by surprise, it looked very good at the start. And, we were never able to get any partnerships. We just seemed to nick everything down the leg side with no DRS, we didn’t get any momentum to post a score. We did get some assistance in the second innings with the ball, so I would say the expectations were of a high-scoring game and as it turned out, a score of 140 or 150 might have been competitive. So, we were a little surprised by the assistance that was on offer.

“Yes, we have got some work to do. We are really positive about the next two games to see if some guys will take the opportunity, which they will get and we just have to finish in the same way. Keep looking for the positives for the next season. We are still learning about our squad like most teams are, and hopefully we can learn over the next couple of games, and what I can say is there’s not much margin between having a great season and a not so great season. We’ve been through enough of these seasons to know that. We’re not going to tune too much over, but we do need to improve in some areas.”

Fleming said Super Kings were unlucky as there was no DRS in the initial stages of the match, but said it was a part of the game.

“It was a little bit unlucky that it happened at that time, yeah we are a little bit disappointed but it is a part of the game. A chain of events that were not in our favour but we should be better than that. It certainly was not a great start.”

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Market volatility over Greenland issue to continue due to ‘few sticking points’: Report

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New Delhi, Jan 24 : Investors are likely to remain on edge over the proposed US framework on Greenland, and near-term volatility related to this issue can continue, a report has said.

The report from Bank of Baroda said that market participants are awaiting more details that could determine whether negotiations succeed or unravel.

“Going ahead, investors are likely to await more details of the deal, as there are a few sticking points which can derail the negotiations. Hence, some volatility can be expected,” the report said.

Several analysts expect the arrangement to resemble an update of the existing security agreement between the US and Denmark, which was signed in 1951, the report noted.

Further negotiations will follow in due course which will cover areas such as US military presence in Greenland, as well as use of its mineral resources and sovereignty, said Aditi Gupta, Economist, Bank of Baroda.

US President Donald Trump has framed Washington’s interest in Greenland as driven by national security concerns, but the island’s largely unexplored mineral wealth including oil, gas and rare earth elements is of interest to US, the report said.

“The announcement of a framework deal between the US and NATO has helped to soothe investors’ nerves, however the details of the deal are still fuzzy,” it added.

Geo-political tensions escalated and markets went into turmoil after the US President intensified rhetoric to annex Greenland and threatened economic measures against European countries that oppose US plans. In response, several European nations, including France, Germany, Sweden amongst others increased military deployment in Greenland, further escalating tensions.

Trump had announced a 10 per cent additional tariff on goods from the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Netherlands and Finland from February 1, 2026. The rate was expected to increase to 25 per cent by June 1, 2026.

Later, he backed off from his threat of imposing tariffs on European countries along the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.

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‘Journey of going against assumptions, opinions and perceptions continues’: Bumrah on completing 10 years in int’l cricket

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New Delhi, Jan 23: India’s fast bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah marked a decade in international cricket on Friday and reflected by saying it’s a continuation of ‘going against assumptions, opinions and perceptions’.

Bumrah made his debut in international cricket in the ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2016 and returned with figures of 2-40. He was the highest wicket-taker in the T20I leg of the tour, where India won the series 3-0.

Since then, Bumrah has become one of the world’s greatest fast bowlers across formats. “10 years of living the dream of the child who fell in love with the sport that made him feel alive like nothing in this world ever could. The journey of going against assumptions, opinions and perceptions and keeping the belief alive continues, with the love and support of family and God. Waheguruji da shukr eda he baba ji mehraan bhariyaan hath rakheen. Satnam Waheguru,” Bumrah posted on his Instagram on Friday.

So far, Bumrah has picked 234 Test wickets in 52 matches at an average of 19.79. In 89 ODIs, he has claimed 149 wickets at an average of 23.55, while in 83 T20I, he has taken 103 wickets at an average of 18.17.

Bumrah’s best Test innings figures are 9-86, and he has 16 five-wicket hauls in Tests, while picking two five-fors in ODIs. He also became the first Indian fast bowler to reach the number one spot in the ICC Test bowling rankings.

Bumrah is also the recipient of the ICC Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, awarded to the Men’s Cricketer of the Year, for his exceptional performances in 2024. He also won the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year in 2024 for picking 71 wickets in 13 matches. Bumrah also won the Player of the Tournament award in India for winning the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup for picking 15 wickets at an average of 8.26.

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Kohli is tied to the job of scoring runs, not to an image: Gavaskar

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Indore, Jan 19: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes Virat Kohli’s greatest strength lies in his ability to remain unshackled by expectations and play purely according to the situation after the talismanic batter scored a century in the third ODI against New Zealand.

While Virat Kohli scored his 54th ODI hundred, continuing his rich vein of form, India fell short against New Zealand, who were powered by centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips.

“The thing about Virat is that he’s not tied down to an image. Many players feel pressured to play the way people expect them to. Virat isn’t like that. He’s tied to the job at hand, and that job is to score runs.” Gavaskar told Jio Star

“Sometimes he starts watchfully and then opens up; sometimes he attacks early and then spreads the field. He’s not governed by expectations of how he should play. He plays according to the situation. That temperament is the key,” Gavaskar said.

Gavaskar also shed light on the Men in Blue’s loss. He felt India’s problems began with a poor start throughout the series. “Once New Zealand crossed 300, it was always going to be difficult. If the target had been around 290, it might have been possible. But India kept losing early wickets, including KL Rahul, who was in good form.

“Unless Virat got substantial support, it was always going to be tough, and he got very little of it. As they say, well begun is half done. India never began well, and that’s one of the main reasons they couldn’t chase these scores,” he added.

Praising allrounder Harshit Rana for his late contribution, Gavaskar said the youngster showed clarity in his role. “He batted exactly like a lower-order batter should, without worry and without expectations. He knew his job was to swing the bat. If it came off, great. If not, no worries,” he said.

He also highlighted the learning opportunity for young players batting alongside a legend like Kohli. “To bat with someone like Virat Kohli is a privilege. When such players talk to you at the end of an over and say, ‘keep going’ or ‘good shot’, those are memories you carry for life,” Gavaskar said.

Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull lauded the visitors for their composure and depth, calling the series win a reflection of New Zealand’s strong development system.

“This is a special performance. Players like Jayden Lennox and Kristian Clarke came in on their first tour and stood tall in tough conditions. It shows how strong New Zealand’s pathway system is. To lose seven ODI series in a row in India shows how hard it is to win here. These players have managed to do what no one else has. It’s a brilliant achievement,” he added.

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