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Why bowling in tandem with Rashid is giving Sai Kishore the advantage

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Gujarat Titans’ left-arm spinner Sai Kishore has said that bowling in tandem with Rashid Khan makes his job of taking wickets easier, and added that he tries to “pick up something from each IPL game” to try and get better.

Gujarat Titans, who will take on Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens here on Tuesday in Qualifier 1, have the services of one of the best spinners in the world in Rashid Khan and batters heave a sigh of relief when he completes his over. But Kishore says rival batters are misled into thinking that they can take advantage of his bowling immediately after Rashid has completed his over, and fall prey to his bowling.

Kishore began his IPL career with Chennai Super Kings but never got the opportunity to play for the franchise before he was snared by the Titans in the mega auction this year. While the 25-year-old has got limited opportunities, Kishore has made a mark in the three games he has played so far this season, taking three wickets in three games, with a best of 2/7 and a superb economy of 5.80 in the 10 overs he has bowled.

Asked if he enjoyed bowling with the illustrious Afghanistan spinner, Kishore said, “Definitely. Because when people find it hard to go after Rashid, they’ll go after me, which is nice. When we both bowl together, they want to go after someone else, so it makes the job (of taking wickets) easier. And when you have five bowlers who can do that, obviously it’s going to… he (Rashid) might get hit some days but most days it’s going to be under control.”

On whether he has picked up some of the bowling tricks from Rashid, Kishore said that his bowling is modelled on different lines, adding that the Afghanistan cricketer was someone who was at the top of his game and could “bowl with pace and deviate the ball both sides”.

“Rashid is someone who can bowl with pace and deviate the ball both sides. That’s Rashid’s game. It’s a game that’s so hard to get — but once you get that game, you don’t have to do much. Just have to bowl that length.

“My game is about game awareness, speed variations, changing the releases, changing the angles, being smart, reading the batters. So for my game, more than the skill, it’s all in the head for me. That’s the beauty of cricket, different skillsets. Like some batsmen can sweep, some can’t. Some are good down the ground; some are good with the pull. I see it that way. I’m very comfortable in my game and confident in my own skillsets.

“So I don’t look to pick up something from others. Unless my game is going blatantly wrong in one direction. I always try to pick up something from each game that I watch. I try and watch all the IPL games, try and get better with my own game,” added Kishore.

He showered praise on Rashid, saying that the bowler was “one of the great competitors”.

“The overall game sense that Rashid brings to the table, I think he has been one of the great competitors that I’ve seen. Just wants the tough overs, wants to do that for the team. That competitive intensity is very nice to have. Two bowlers bowling in tandem, it’s very good to see. If two people can show up like that, it’s going to be very hard for the batters.”

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IPL 2025: Suryakumar set for big celebration after bagging first POTM award in 13 games

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Mumbai, May 22: In a brilliant Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season in which he has emerged as the top scorer for Mumbai Indians and produced 25-plus scores in 12 matches in a row, Suryakumar Yadav’s wife Devisha spotted a big anomaly—the batter known for his 360-degree batting has not won a single Player of the Match award.

Suryakumar Yadav rectified that abnormality on Wednesday as he hammered a 43-ball 73 on a slightly sluggish wicket that was offering a turn to the spinners and helped Mumbai Indians reach 180/5, laying the foundation for a 59-run victory against Delhi Capitals in Match 63 of IPL 2025 at the Wankhede Stadium. He equalled the record for the most successive 25-plus scores in T20 cricket, joining Temba Bavuma at 13.

SKY and Naman Dhir hammered 48 runs in the last two overs, which lifted Mumbai Indians from 132/5 to 180 and gave the bowlers a good target to defend.

Mitchell Santner (3-11) and Jasprit Bumrah (3-12) then helped the five-time winners bundle out Delhi Capitals for 121, secure a 59-run win, and seal the fourth and final spot in the playoffs. Suryakumar Yadav was adjudged the Player of the Match (POTM) for his brilliant knock.

“It has been thirteen games now, my wife told me a sweet story. She said I have gotten all the awards, but not the POTM award. This award is really special today. From the team’s point of view, the knock was important today. And this trophy is for her (my wife), and it was important (for me) to play till the end,” said Suryakumar Yadav after accepting the award.

The 34-year-old batter, who is now third in the Orange Cap race with 583 runs, behind Gujarat Titans duo Sai Sudharsan (617) and Shubman Gill (601), said they will have their usual celebration with a big cake for this innings.

“She waits for such moments, and we celebrate them when we go back, so really looking forward to it. It was really important for a single batter to bat till the end – we knew there was a 15-20 run over somewhere. The way Naman came in and shared that energy with me (was great),” said Suryakumar Yadav.

Delhi Capitals’ stand-in captain Faf du Plessis felt that they were excelled in the field on Wednesday but were disappointed with the bat to lose the match.

He said his bowlers did well for most of the match but were undone by the way Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir snatched it by hammering 48 runs in the last two overs.

“Momentum is a real thing in cricket. The way they counter-punched to get almost 50 in the last two overs…undoing the work of the first 17-18 overs, we lost that momentum. If you look at the two teams, it was a case of David and Goliath. I enjoy that because it gives you the opportunity to play as a team,” said the South African.

“Sums up our season – we have been cold either in the batting or the bowling in the last seven or eight games. Perhaps a fair reflection (that we did not qualify),” said Faf.

He admitted that Delhi Capitals missed their regular captain and top spinner Axar Patel on this wicket.

“Axar on a wicket like that, the way Mitchell Santner bowled…Axar is that kind of class, proven international bowler who, on a wicket like that, would have loved to bowl. But he was very sick. Starcy (Mitchell Starc) is a fantastic bowler, but a spinner on a wicket like this is worth gold. I am a big believer that you never take it (momentum) for granted,” said Faf du Plessis.

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Sports

LSG’s Digvesh gets one game suspension, SRH batter Abhishek fined 25 pc of match fees for on-field altercation

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Lucknow, May 20: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) spinner Digvesh Rathi and Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Abhishek Sharma are penalised for their ugly verbal spat during their IPL 2025 match on Monday.

Digvesh has been fined 50 per cent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct. This was the LSG spinner’s third Level 1 offence under Article 2.5 this season and hence he accumulated two demit point for a total of five, which result in a one-game suspension.

“Digvesh Singh, Bowler, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) has been fined 50 per cent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during his team’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Monday.

“This was his third Level 1 offence under Article 2.5 this season and hence, he has accumulated Two Demerit Points, in addition to Three Demerit Points he had accumulated earlier – One Demerit Point against Punjab Kings on April 01, 2025 and Two Demerit Points against Mumbai Indians on April 04, 2025.

“As he now has Five Demerit Points this season – which result in a one-game suspension – Digvesh will now be suspended for LSG’s next game – against Gujarat Titans on May 22, 2025 in Ahmedabad,” the statement from IPL read.

Meanwhile, SRH batter has been fined 25 per cent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during the match and accumulated one demerit point as this was his first offences under IPL code og conduct.

“Abhishek Sharma, All-rounder, Sunrisers Hyderabad has been fined 25 per cent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during his team’s match against Lucknow Super Giants,” the statement further read.

“This was his first Level 1 offence under Article 2.6 this season and hence, he has accumulated One Demerit Point,” it added.

The incident happened during the 8th over of SRH’s chase when Digvesh got Abhishek out with a catch in the deep and celebrated with his usual notebook gesture. But soon after, the two got into a heated argument, and the umpires along with LSG captain Rishabh Pant had to step in quickly.

Replays showed Digvesh making a gesture to Abhishek after the dismissal, which may have led to the argument.

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Crime

Chadian national held at Mumbai airport with gold worth Rs 3.86 cr hidden in slippers

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Mumbai, May 17: In a major crackdown on gold smuggling, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai, arrested a Chadian national who arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) from Addis Ababa, after seizing 4,015 grams of gold worth Rs 3.86 crore ingeniously concealed in the heels of his slippers.

Acting on specific Intelligence, DRI officers intercepted the male passenger shortly after his arrival in Mumbai. Upon conducting a personal search, the officers discovered multiple foreign-origin gold bars cleverly hidden inside the modified heels of the man’s slippers.

In his voluntary statement recorded by officials, the Chadian national admitted to concealing the gold in this unusual manner to bypass customs checks and evade legal detection. The gold was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and the passenger was placed under arrest.

Officials stated that further investigations are underway to trace the origin and intended recipients of the smuggled consignment and to determine if the incident is linked to a broader smuggling network.

This seizure adds to a growing list of recent smuggling attempts intercepted by vigilant DRI officials.

In an earlier case from April 2025, DRI Mumbai had seized foreign-origin gold worth Rs 6.30 crore from a passenger who had arrived at CSMIA from Bangkok. The gold, hidden in specially designed compartments of the passenger’s luggage, was also seized under the Customs Act, with the individual arrested immediately.

The DRI continues to maintain a strict vigil at international entry points, using a combination of Intelligence gathering and surveillance to thwart attempts at smuggling precious metals and other contraband. The agency reiterated its commitment to cracking down on such offenses, which pose a serious threat to economic stability and border security.

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