"Three Mystery Spinners...": Ex India Bowling Coach On KKR's Plan To Tame Hardik Pandya's GT

08.04.2023 - 13:01 sports.ndtv.com

On a high after Suyash Sharma's dream IPL debut, Kolkata Knight Riders are mulling playing three spinners against defending champions Gujarat Titans, bowling coach Bharat Arun said on Saturday.

The relatively unknown 19-year-old from Delhi was a welcome addition to KKR's "mystery" spin lineup of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, as the trio claimed nine wickets between them to bowl out Royal Challengers Bangalore for 123 in a chase of 205 in their previous outing.

On a pitch that aids pace and bounce, KKR would not shy away from bowling the trio in tandem again. "With the impact player rule it gives us a lot of options, we would be excited to go with three mystery spinners, as you would call it," Arun said during a media interaction.

Suyash was included as the impact player in place of Venkatesh Iyer in their match against RCB at Eden Gardens on Thursday, a move that paid off with the youngster claiming 3/30 to mark a splendid debut. "That's something on the go.

cricket Kolkata Knight Riders on Hardik Pandya Eden Gardens Shreyas Iyer Nitish Rana Gujarat Titans India Delhi county Kings Kolkata Bangalore

Yash Dayal has not featured for Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 since conceding 31 runs in the final over against Kolkata Knight Riders. The young fast bowler was taken to the cleaners by Rinku Singh who slammed five sixes in the final five balls of the match to clinch the match for his team. The loss was quite unsettling for the youngster and a lot of questions have been asked about his absence from the side since that game. Following GT's win over Mumbai Indians on Tuesday, skipper Hardik Pandya provided a crucial update about Dayal and his availability.

Gujarat Titans Predicted XI vs Mumbai Indians, IPL 2023: Will Alzarri Joseph Replace Noor Ahmad?

Gujarat Titans will be squaring off against five-time champions Mumbai Indians in their next IPL 2023 match on Tuesday. The defending champions pulled-off a thrilling win against Lucknow Super Giants in their previous clash, where they defended a low total of 136. In the match, debutant Noor Ahmad and Mohit Sharma were the pick among the bowlers as they scalped two wicket each. Noor was given his debut cap in the absence of Alzarri Joseph. As Joseph is fit to play, he is expected to take Noor's place in the Playing XI against MI.

Watch: MS Dhoni Gives Rare Aggressive Reaction As CSK Youngster Bowls Out KKR Star Jason Roy

Under MS Dhoni, Chennai Super Kings have been playing with great confidence. They have so far won five of their seven games and are sitting right at the top of the points table. While speculation is rife that this might be Dhoni's last IPL season, the 41-year-old great himself saying that it's the 'last phase' of his career, the World Cup-winning captain's leadership has been astute. He has been guiding the young bowlers like Tushar Deshpande and Maheesh Theekshana with perfection, while veterans alike Ajinkya Rahane has played with renewed energy under him.

Mumbai Indians Look To Sort Bowling Woes In Clash Against Gujarat Titans

Their three-game winning streak snapped after a loss to Punjab Kings, five-time champions Mumbai Indians will look to address their poor death over bowling when they take on a resurgent Gujarat Titans in their IPL match in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. After a familiar poor start, MI enjoyed a hat-trick of wins but their impressive run was cut short by Punjab Kings with a 13-run win on Saturday. Mumbai were let down by their death over bowling as they conceded 96 runs in the final five overs to allow PBKS post 214 for 8, and they will have to sort out their bowling ahead of the GT clash.

Watch: "Bhai-valry" - Hardik Pandya Sledges Brother Krunal Pandya In IPL 2023. His Reaction Is Viral

The sibling rivalry between Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya was at the full display as Gujarat Titans took on Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 on Saturday. When Krunal walked out to bat at No. 3 for LSG, Hardik was seen exchanging words with his brother as he got ready to take strike. In a video posted by the digital broadcaster JioCinema, the GT skipper could be heard shouting instructions to his teammates about how to dismiss Krunal. Hardik tried to get any emotion out of his brother but Krunal did not pay any attention and just adjusted his gloves and helmet.

Watch: Contrasting Emotions Of KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya Say It All After LSG's Terrible Last Over vs GT

Mohammed Shami and Mohit Sharma produced one of the best death-bowling performances in T20 cricket, as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper KL Rahul's half-century went in vain with Gujarat Titans (GT) clinching a seven-run win over the hosts in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Lucknow. Chasing 136 runs, KL Rahul started off by playing another maiden over. But he went on a rampage from the third over, smashing Mohammed Shami for three successive fours and Rashid Khan for two straight boundaries in the fifth over. Kyle Mayers was the anchor on the other end, with KL acting as an accelerator. LSG crossed the 50-run mark in 5.3 overs.