"Body Language Not Like Virat Kohli...": Sunil Gavaskar On India Batter's Lean Patch

20.03.2023 - 09:03 sports.ndtv.com

Team India kick-started the three-match ODI series with a brilliant five-wicket win in the first match on Friday. Opted to bowl first, the hosts restricted Australia at 188 after Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami scalped three wickets each.

Later, Team India suffered an early loss of wickets as they were five down with only 83 runs on the board. It was then KL Rahul, who stood up and played an unbeaten knock of 75 runs off 91 balls and took the Hardik Pandya-led side across the line, in just 39.5 overs.

Rahul's magnificent knock left everyone utterly impressed as the batter was earlier going through a lean patch and had lost his place in the team, after back-to-back failures.

After Team India's triumph in the first ODI, former India batter Sunil Gavaskar praised Rahul and drew a brilliant comparison between him and star batter Virat Kohli.

cricket Australia Cricket Team on Virat Kohli Star Sports Ravindra Jadeja Australia India

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach Chandrakant Pandit was happy with rookie spinner Suyash Sharma's "fighting attitude", saying it was very difficult for rival batters to pick the the 19-year-old from Delhi. Suyash made a huge impact in his debut IPL game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, picking up the prize wickets of pinch-hitter Dinesh Karthik, Anuj Rawat and tail-ender Karn Sharma as KKR thrashed Faf du Plessis' side by 81 runs at the Eden Gardens on Thursday night. "We have seen him (Suyash) at trial matches. He is very quick in the air, and it's very tough to pick him. It's just the inexperience; but he showed a fighting attitude," sald Pandit after the match.

"Life Can Put You In A Pickle": Like Cricket, Virat Kohli Brings Out His A-Game In Poetry Too

Virat Kohli takes the spotlight, whenever he is on the cricket field. Since his U-19 days, when he led India to a world title, Kohli has been a player who has been widely followed due to his exploits. His achievements are noteworthy too. Kohli is now second to only the great Sachin Tendulkar in terms of international centuries (75). He has already been part of a World Cup-winning team. However, the one tournament that Kohli hasn't yet won is the IPL. Since the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kohli has only played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). This time too, expectations are high from the team and Kohli.

From Chris Gayle To Sunil Gavaskar: How Greats Reacted To Virat Kohli's 'Carnage' Against Mumbai Indians Bowlers

Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli truly turned on a spectacle of batting as he and Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Faf du Plessis made light work of the 172-run chase against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match on Sunday. Du Plessis was named the player of the match for his 43-ball 73 but it was Kohli who ended up as RCB's top-scoring batter, scoring an unbeaten 82 off 49 balls to take the team over the line. As the match concluded, the cricketing world went ga-ga over Kohli's performance, with Chris Gayle even predicting a season 2016-like show where the India batter nearly scored 1000 runs in the campaign.

IPL 2023: "May See 600-Run Season" - Ex-RCB Star On India Batter. Not Virat Kohli Or Rohit Sharma

Defending champions Gujarat Titans got their 2023 IPL campaign off to a flying start with a five-wicket win over the Chennai Super Kings. For Chennai, Ruturaj Gaikwad put on a sensational batting performance in the first innings, scoring 92 runs (50b, 4x4, 9x6) to help Chennai put 178 runs on the board. Gujarat led by Shubman Gill's 63 runs (36b, 6x4, 3x6) comfortably chased down the total in front of a packed crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Gujarat's Rashid Khan was the player of the match for his all-round show. He picked up the key wickets of Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes and also scored 10 runs off just three balls.

Sunil Gavaskar, Harbhajan Singh Give Clear Verdict On 'Impact Player' Rule In IPL 2023

The 'Impact Player' in the Indian Premier League 2023 has garnered everyone's attention from the day BCCI announced its introduction in this edition. In the opening match of IPL 2023 between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings, one thing that was on everyone's mind was how the teams are going to use it and who will be the designated 'impact players'. While teams in IPL are taking nascent steps on how to ace it, the experts, meanwhile, have given thumbs up to the 'Impact Player' on Star Sports, the official TV broadcasters of IPL. Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar gave his thumbs up to the new rule introduced by the BCCI as it has increased the curiosity quotient of everyone involved in IPL. The legendary India cricketer believes the teams might need some time to ace this new rule.

Watch: Sunil Chhetri Stuns Virat Kohli And Co. With Flying Catch In Royal Challengers Bangalore Practice

Preparations are going on in full flow in the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) camp ahead of their opening game of the season against Mumbai Indians at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday. On Friday, RCB had a special guest as Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri attended one of their training sessions. In a video shared on social media, Chhetri was seen interacting with the RCB players, Director of Operations Mike Hesson and the support staff. However, the highlight of the clip was the diving catch he took during the practice session which left the RCB players completely stunned.