All posts tagged: khaleel ahmed

CSK lose Nathan Ellis with injury for entire season

CSK lose Nathan Ellis with injury for entire season

Published by Webster

3 min readUpdated: Mar 19, 2026 06:05 PM IST With just over a week to go for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, Chennai Super Kings have been dealt a huge blow with Australian seamer Nathan Ellis ruled out of the tournament. The Indian Express understands that Ellis, who was supposed to be the leader of the pace pack, has suffered a hamstring injury, and won’t be able to recover in time, forcing the franchise to look at alternate options. The absence of Ellis weakens what is already a thin pace pack without much IPL experience. Having let go of Matheesha Pathirana, Chennai were pinning their hopes on Ellis as a reliable option for death overs. Ellis absence means CSK will face a hard time in finding a reliable alternate as he came with a definite role in this team. Apart from Ellis, the other pace pack in the squad includes New Zealand’s Matt Henry – a seamer who had a terrific T20 World Cup recently and Jamie Overton. The England all-rounder could now …

‘Knew what he was trying’: Priyansh Arya talks about how he targetted R Ashwin and his batting philosophy | Ipl News

‘Knew what he was trying’: Priyansh Arya talks about how he targetted R Ashwin and his batting philosophy | Ipl News

Published by Webster

With a witty one-liner, uttered with an expressionless face, Priyansh Arya reveals his batting ethos: “Attacking batsmen hamesha out hothe tho woh bahut gandha hi lagta hain.” Attacking batsmen look ugly when they get out. He was not talking about the aesthetics of six-hitting, but his immunity to the criticisms that blow his way when the attacking strokes he lives by nails his end too. He clarifies: “Not just me, look at every attacking batsman. It’s part of the game, and I don’t think about failures, or whether this shot could get me out or not, when I am batting. I just watch the ball, and look to hit it,” he says. His thoughts, like his batting, have an irreducible simplicity. He only sees wide open spaces on the field, and a hard ball that will fly off the blade. So the first-ball duck against Rajasthan Royals didn’t inhibit him from hitting a first-ball six against Chennai Super Kings. Even the most enthusiastic IPL greenhorn would have exercised restraint the second time around. But why …

‘It was an incredible knock of the highest standard’: Kane Williamson lauds Nitish Rana for 81-run innings vs Chennai Super Kings | Ipl News

‘It was an incredible knock of the highest standard’: Kane Williamson lauds Nitish Rana for 81-run innings vs Chennai Super Kings | Ipl News

Published by Webster

New Zealand batter Kane Williamson lauded Nitish Rana’s batting in the Sunday’s match against Chennai Super Kings, calling it a knock of the highest standard. The former Kiwi skipper also praised the fielding of Rajasthan Royals, saying that it was big factor in the Royals’ 6-run win over the 5-time champions CSK. “Nitish is an excellent player of spin, but he got his innings started against the seam, using the pace well. He accessed the areas behind square nicely and perhaps came in at No. 3 due to the left-hand, right-hand combination. It was an incredible knock of the highest standard, and I think that’s key for him moving forward in this tournament,” Williamson said. “Rajasthan Royals have several other talented batters, but today, Nitish was the match-winner. That said, in a game like this—on a surface where the margins are so fine—I believe Rajasthan Royals’ fielding is what truly got them across the line,” he added. Story continues below this ad In the match, Rana’s explosive 81 off 36 balls, laced with 10 fours …

CSK vs MI: Super Kings return to familiar ploy as trio of tweakers take down Mumbai | Ipl News

CSK vs MI: Super Kings return to familiar ploy as trio of tweakers take down Mumbai | Ipl News

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Chennai Super Kings’ plan to fall back on the spin formula works as Noor Ahmad’s 4/18 chokes Mumbai Indians on way to 4-wicket win With Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Rahul Tripathi in the squad, Chennai had a decision to make regarding their openers. With Tripathi mostly batting at No.3 in the past, it looked Rachin and Ruturaj Gaikwad would be the opening pair. But coming out for the chase of 156, Chennai sprung a surprise, as Tripathi walked out with Rachin – the pair were the preferred choice in the practice matches with Gaikwad dropped to No 3. It was a bold call, for the right-hander is known to get off the blocks slowly. Coming out in the second over after Tripathi’s dismissal, it was Gaikwad who took the limelight with his crisp shots as Rachin struggled with his timing. Story continues below this ad The skipper started off with two textbook square drives off Trent Boult and then brought out his cuts as boundaries flowed in the Powerplay. With Jasprit Bumrah missing, Mumbai …

Ranji Trophy: Khaleel Ahmed steals Karun Nair’s thunder on first day of Rajasthan-Vidarbha game | Cricket News

Ranji Trophy: Khaleel Ahmed steals Karun Nair’s thunder on first day of Rajasthan-Vidarbha game | Cricket News

Published by Webster

On an overcast Thursday morning, Karun Nair had the opportunity to take centrestage once again with his imperious form. However, despite settling in after coming out in the fifth over, the red ball wasn’t quite pinging off the Vidarbha No.4’s bat on a two-paced strip at the quaint and dusty KL Saini Stadium, hosting a Ranji Trophy game after 13 winters. The first half of the opening session was disconcerting for the Vidarbha batters after the visitors chose to bat first as left-arm quick Khaleel Ahmed set up the day for Rajasthan. Keeping a close tab on proceedings from his cow-corner station was national selector Ajay Ratra. A stoic Nair had done most things right to keep Vidarbha afloat, playing only what he had to and rarely venturing towards inviting deliveries. All five of Nair’s boundaries came behind the stumps as he waited to play the ball late and under his eye. Nair was particularly cautious on the outside half of his bat against a menacing Khaleel, whom he had whipped left and right during …

Champions Trophy puzzles: Will selectors give Yashasvi Jaiswal maiden ODI call-up? Will Suryakumar Yadav find a return route? Is Ravindra Jadeja’s time up? | Cricket News

Champions Trophy puzzles: Will selectors give Yashasvi Jaiswal maiden ODI call-up? Will Suryakumar Yadav find a return route? Is Ravindra Jadeja’s time up? | Cricket News

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Their spots in the Test team for the tour of England later may be under a shadow of doubt, but when the selection panel headed by Ajit Agarkar pick the squad for the Champions Trophy on Friday, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be certainties. While the inclusion of the duo is a straight-forward call in the format where India are seeking their first trophy since the 2013 Champions Trophy, there are plenty of deliberations over other slots with ace spinner Kuldeep Yadav far from certain for the tournament that begins on February 19. After a hectic tour to Australia, India have a fortnight’s break before the five-match T20Is against England followed by the three ODIs, which will be a precursor to the Champions Trophy. With India set to play all their matches in Dubai, they have a clear-cut edge over others in terms of the familiarity with the conditions. However, the big difference this time is they are playing in February and March, a period which is late-winter months, which means the pitches may …

IPL 2024: Delhi Capitals beat Lucknow Super Giants, but neither team likely to advance | Ipl News

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SYNOPSIS: Abhishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs and Ishant Sharma overcome the assault from Nicholas Pooran and Arshad Khan as Delhi end league engagements with a win After the auction where Delhi Capitals (DC) spent a whopping Rs 7.2 crore on Kumar Kushagra, back in Kolkata, Abishek Porel, watching the action with his cousin Ishan Porel, said: “Puro season bench e boshte hobe (Will have to sit on the bench the entire season).” Abishek’s concern was justified because with Rishabh Pant back, Delhi had five wicketkeeper-batsmen in their squad. But at the pre-season camp in Kolkata, Sourav Ganguly and Pravin Amre told the youngster that he would be playing all the games and Porel repaid the trust with some impactful knocks. The youngster totalled 327 runs with a strike rate of 158.51. On Tuesday evening, the left-hander scored his second IPL fifty in just 21 balls. Few of the shots he played through the covers would make even Ganguly proud. He whipped, caressed, swivelled, pulled and drove the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bowlers with authority. Delhi had …

Umran Malik not groomed, Mayank Yadav not considered, will selectors consider Arshdeep Singh or Khaleel Ahmed for T20 World Cup? | Cricket News

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Only six months ago, at the World Cup on home soil, India’s new- ball bowlers were the talk of the town. Now with the T20 World Cup little over a month away, India are fretting over their new-ball bowlers with Mohammed Shami out injured and Mohammed Siraj struggling for form in the Indian Premier League. As things stand, India’s only hope in the pace department remains Jasprit Bumrah, the lone one who has an X-factor attached to his name. In the next few days, India’s selection committee headed by Ajit Agarkar has to name the provisional 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup to be held in the USA and Caribbean in June. While they definitely have a few hard decisions to make in terms of whom to leave out in batting and wicketkeeping, it is in the bowling front that India have key calls to take, especially on how to construct an attack. The choices seem to be straightforward for spinners with Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi being obvious choices. However, when …

DC get off the mark as Rishabh Pant finds his groove and MS Dhoni’s blaze falls short for CSK | Ipl News

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Synopsis: Throwback Dhoni and magical Pathirana thrust to defeat by a back-to-near best Pant and a utilitarian bowling group Hope buzzed. The past flickered. For 20-odd minutes, this was 2005 Visakhapatnam again. A dashing young batsman, with hair like peaceful waves, would shred the bowlers to all parts of the ground and enter the heart, head and consciousness of a nation. The hair still flowed, the bat still whirled. Dhoni carved Anrich Nortje for a one-handed six, he clumped Khaleel Ahmed for a six over extra cover, he pulled and heaved, generated thunderous power and had the crowd in pure raptures. Yet, he lost, if at all that matters. He almost rendered the result inconsequential—the spectators would take home the Dhoni blaze, even though his knock could not deny Delhi Capitals a 20-run win and first points of the season. Unfashionable, utilitarian The ensemble cast of Delhi Capital bowlers looks unfashionable, comprises of castaways, outliers and part-timers. Apart from Anrich Nortje, none evokes fear, forget dread. But on Sunday, their spectacular collectivism dismantled CSK’s ammo-packed …