All posts tagged: mark boucher

Mark Boucher blown away by MS Dhoni frenzy: ‘Never seen fans this crazy for anyone’

Mark Boucher blown away by MS Dhoni frenzy: ‘Never seen fans this crazy for anyone’

Published by Parlour News

Whenever Indian cricket and its rich history are discussed, one name that inevitably comes up is MS Dhoni. For cricket fans, especially in India and Chennai, he is not just a player but an emotion — an icon who helped redefine India on the global stage and bridged the gap between India and traditional cricketing powerhouses like Australia. His unforgettable six with the famous helicopter shot in the 2011 ODI World Cup final against Sri Lanka at the iconic Wankhede Stadium ended India’s 28-year wait for the trophy and cemented his legacy forever. MS Dhoni (C) greets the fans after the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 match between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad (HT_PRINT) While his achievements in India colours remain unmatched, Dhoni’s contribution to Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League feels equally significant. Under his leadership, CSK became one of the most successful and consistent franchises in IPL history, winning five titles and turning the iconic M. A. Chidambaram Stadium into a fortress backed by the passionate ‘Yellow Army.’ However, …

Why Virat Kohli credited Mark Boucher for guiding him during his early years

Why Virat Kohli credited Mark Boucher for guiding him during his early years

Published by Webster

In the first IPL season, a young Virat Kohli, playing for RCB, found a guide in former South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher. Boucher, Kohli said, wanted to ‘help young Indian players’ and he took Kohli under his wings and even helped him practice during net sessions. “Actually of all the players I played with initially, Mark Boucher had the biggest impact on me as a young kid. He was the only guy I saw who came with the mindset that I am going to come in and help some of the young Indian players. And he saw me play and saw a bit of potential and he figured out what my weaknesses could be. If I want to go to the next level this is what I have to do, without me asking anything. I was like okay. He took me to the nets and said we are going to work on the short ball, nobody is going to give you a chance in international cricket if you can’t pull the ball,” Kohli told ‘RCB …

“Some Great Charity…”: Ex-India Star Blasts Rajasthan Royals For Investing In Youngsters

“Some Great Charity…”: Ex-India Star Blasts Rajasthan Royals For Investing In Youngsters

Published by Webster

Rajasthan Royals are having a forgettable campaign in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). After losing six of their eight matches so far, RR are positioned at the eighth spot in the points table. Their last two defeats were the most heartbreaking as the Rajasthan-based franchise lost the games in close encounters. In the match against Delhi Capitals, RR gave a tough fight to take the match into the super over but they lost. Later against Lucknow Super Giants, RR got a brilliant start in the chase of 181 but fell short by just two runs.  Apart from losing the games, RR also faced a setback as their skipper Sanju Samson suffered a chest injury against DC and had to miss the LSG match. In his absence, young batter Riyan Parag led the team. Seeing RR’s debacle in the ongoing season, former India batter Ambati Rayudu criticised the inaugural champions for investing in young players every year.  “I’ve always had this question in my mind when it comes to RR: …

IPL 2025: Big Score From Rohit Sharma Coming Soon, He’s In The Zone Again, Says Mark Boucher

IPL 2025: Big Score From Rohit Sharma Coming Soon, He’s In The Zone Again, Says Mark Boucher

Published by Webster

After Mumbai Indians’ secured a four-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2025, former South African cricketer Mark Boucher believes a big score is around the corner from Rohit Sharma, observing that he appeared poised for playing a match winning knock. In the chase of 163 at the Wankhede Stadium, Rohit slammed 26 off 16 balls and hit three sixes, signalling that he was in the mood to play a big knock. But he gave a catch to cover off Pat Cummins, and departed in the powerplay. Eventually, MI completed the chase in the 19th over to secure their second straight win of IPL 2025. “Rohit Sharma took it upon himself to go after the bowlers. We saw some good old-fashioned Rohit Sharma sixes – big ones too. I liked his attitude. He put the bowlers under pressure and created scoring opportunities. He was just past the 30-mark – a big score is coming very soon. He’s looking in that zone again,” said Boucher on JioStar. The star of MI’s win over SRH …

New IPL Rule Leading To Lower Totals? South Africa Great Says “Check The Scores…”

New IPL Rule Leading To Lower Totals? South Africa Great Says “Check The Scores…”

Published by Webster

Three Kolkata Knight Riders batters – Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Andrich Nortje – failed the gauge test and had to replace their bat during the IPL 2025 match against Punjab Kings on Tuesday. The inspections were done as part of the new IPL regulations that stipulates a certain measurement for the bats. “The triangle-shaped plastic gauge has the dimensions of a legal bat printed on it: depth 2.68 inches, width 4.33 inches, edges 1.61 inches. The curve, or the bulge of the bat, seen on the lower non-hitting side of the bat, needs to be within 0.20 inches,” the rule stated. South Africa legend Dale Steyn gave a cheeky take on the rule and said that the scores have gone down from its implementation. “Umpires have a new toy. Batters coming in with their 2nd choice bats… Check the scores… haha,” Steyn posted on X (formerly known as Twitter). Umpires have a new toy. Batters coming in with their 2nd choice bats… Check the scores… haha — Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) …

“Not A Good Thing…”: Ex-MI Coach Sends Big Warning To Team, Namedrops Jasprit Bumrah

“Not A Good Thing…”: Ex-MI Coach Sends Big Warning To Team, Namedrops Jasprit Bumrah

Published by Webster

Mark Boucher, the former South Africa cricketer who served as Mumbai Indians head coach in last two seasons of the IPL, said the side always looks a lot better when Jasprit is there, adding that his absence for the initial matches of IPL 2025 isn’t a great sign for them. Bumrah is currently undergoing rehab at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (formerly the National Cricket Academy) in Bengaluru for a lower back injury which prevented him from bowling in the second innings of fifth Test at Sydney. Since then, Bumrah has been out of action and even missed India’s triumphant Champions Trophy campaign. “Mumbai Indians without Jasprit Bumrah is straight away not a good thing. He’s probably the world’s best T20 bowler, and the fact that he can bowl in the powerplay and the death overs makes him a match winner in his own rights. Mumbai Indians with Jasprit Bumrah are always going to be a lot better team. “I would love to have had Jasprit Bumrah in my first season (when he …

“Even Hardik Pandya Would’ve Been Disappointed…”: Coach Mark Boucher’s Honest Take On MI Skipper

Published by Webster

After finishing their disastrous campaign at the bottom of the points table, Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mark Boucher acknowledged the team’s difficulties while emphasising the need for patience and careful consideration before making changes. After losing to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 18 runs, Mumbai’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season came to an abrupt end, finishing last in the IPL standings. Boucher addressed Hardik Pandya’s captaincy and batting struggles and acknowledged the all-rounder’s leadership potential. The MI head coach believes Pandya will learn from this experience and emerge a stronger leader. Hardik had one of his worst seasons with both bat and ball and his captaincy also received criticism in the end. “Even Hardik would’ve been disappointed with his performance. From a captain’s perspective, he had some excellent games,” Boucher said in a post-match press conference. Boucher believes Pandya will grow as a leader and gain knowledge from this experience. “There’s a lot of stuff going around him that clouds his thoughts now and again, which is also challenging for …

Mark Boucher on Rohit Sharma’s future with Mumbai Indians: ‘Who knows what’s going to happen’ | Ipl News

Published by Webster

Even as Rohit Sharma roared back into form with a scintillating 68 off 38 balls against the Lucknow Super Giants on Friday, his future with the Mumbai Indians is still up in the air. With the Wankhede giving their beloved ex-skipper a standing ovation after the innings in their last match of the IPL season, a surreal feeling hung over the ground. Even MI’s head coach Mark Boucher couldn’t confirm Rohit’s future with the franchise after a rollercoaster season which saw the 5-time IPL winning captain replaced by Hardik Pandya only to finish last in the points table. “To be honest, there hasn’t been many conversations about Rohit’s future at all. I spoke to him last night or the night before, just to do a little review of the season,” Boucher said on Friday. “I said, ‘what’s next for Rohit Sharma?’ He said to me, ‘the (T20) World Cup’. (And) that’s perfect. That’s all I need to know about what Rohit Sharma’s future is.” “For me, he’s a master of his own destiny. It’s a …

Hardik Pandya’s thoughts this season were clouded by lot of stuff going on around him, says Mumbai Indians coach | Ipl News

Published by Webster

After Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2024 campaign ended with another defeat, team’s head coach Mark Boucher admitted that the MI faithful’s reaction to the change at the helm in captaincy had affected them. Before the IPL 2024 season started, Mumbai Indians changed their captain: handing over the reins to Hardik Pandya. This angered fans, who were miffed by the treatment of long-time captain Rohit Sharma, who led the team to five IPL titles. “I think that if (Hardik) was here, he’d also be disappointed in his performances (in the season). From a captain’s perspective, I thought he had some good games. There’s a lot of stuff going on around him that maybe clouded his thoughts every now and again, which I said is tough for him as a leader as well,” said Boucher after Mumbai lost their final game of the IPL to the Lucknow Super Giants by 18 runs. Mumbai ended the season at the bottom of the 10-team standings, with eight points from their 14 games. Hardik Pandya’s woes didn’t end with the end …

Rohit Sharma’s Smashing Reply When Asked By Coach Boucher “What’s Next?” On MI Future

Published by Webster

After finishing the IPL 2024 season at the bottom of the points table, Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mark Boucher looked back and spoke his heart on a number of challenges the team faced over the last two months. After losing to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Mumbai’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season came to an abrupt end, finishing last in the IPL standings. As MI’s disastrous season ended in the IPL 2024, Boucher was asked about the future of former skipper Rohit Sharma with the team and the head coach said that the opener is a master of his own destiny. In MI’s last match of the season, opener Rohit showed the erratic nature of T20I by going through a slump after a bright start to the season. “For me, he is a master of his own destiny. It’s a big auction next season who knows what’s going to happen?” Boucher said in a post-match press conference. Talking about the former MI skipper’s performance, Boucher said it was a season of …