So far in the ICC Word Cup Qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe, the West Indies have had it relatively easy.
Firstly, they picked up a 39-run win over the USA on Sunday then a dominant 101-run win over Nepal on Thursday.
On Saturday, they are expected to face their first big test when they take on the hosts, Zimbabwe, who are also undefeated after two games.
Zimbabwe have had a pair of successful chases in their first two encounters. They needed only 44.1 overs and lost only two wickets on their way to overhauling 290 made by Nepal in their first game before needing even less time, 40.1 overs to be exact, to chase down 315 against the Netherlands in their second game.
West Indies batsman, Nicholas Pooran, says the Caribbean side is looking forward to the challenge of the in-form Zimbabweans.
“We expect the fans to come out and support Zimbabwe,” Pooran said.
“We’re playing international cricket and the home fans normally come out and support so it’s just going to be a normal game for us but again, the Zimbabwe fans are really passionate as well so we’re looking forward to the opportunity and the challenge against them,” Pooran added before emphasizing that every game they play in this tournament should be considered big.
“Every game is a big game so we don’t want to get into the habit of saying that USA or Nepal aren’t big games. They’re all big games but, in saying that, it’s nice to have batsmen that are in form going into a game like that. We all know that we need to be consistent and keep putting our hands up when the team needs us to,” he said.
The 27-year-old, who also got 115 against Nepal in the last game, also commented on the early start times of the matches and the condition of the Zimbabwean pitches.
“It makes the games very even,” said Pooran of the early start times.
“Obviously, the games are starting at 9:00 am here and there’s some moisture in the pitch. We know as a group that we need to fight that period out and, if we do that, it can be a really good cricketing pitch. I think the game becomes very equal and it’s all about who embraces the moment,” he added.
As it relates to the conditions, “it’s beautiful” was Pooran’s response.
“Coming from the Caribbean, I personally didn’t expect the wickets to be that good in Zimbabwe but I’ll take this any day,” he added.
The West Indies secured a 101-run win over Nepal in their ICC World Cup Qualifying fixture at the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe on Thursday.
After being put in to bat, the Windies amassed 339-7 from their 50 overs thanks to classy hundreds from Captain, Shai Hope (132) and Nicholas Pooran (115).
They then restricted Nepal to 238 all out in 49.4 overs with Jason Holder (3-34) leading the way with the ball.
Pooran spoke about his knock in a post-match interview.
“It was one that the team needed. I’m happy that I was there to contribute and raise both hands at the end,” Pooran said about his knock which came off just 94 balls and included 10 fours and four sixes.
Pooran joined Hope, at the crease with the West Indian reeling at 55-3 in the 16th over and the pair then combined to put on an excellent 216-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Only Shivnarine Chanderpaul and current assistant coach, Carl Hooper, have had a higher fourth wicket partnership on ODIs for the West Indies. The pair put on 226 against South Africa in East London in 1999.
The partnership also put the pair tenth on the all-time fourth wicket partnerships list in ODIs.
Pooran also heaped praise on his Captain whose 132 came off 129 balls and included 10 fours and three sixes.
“For the last couple years, Shai has been that batsman in ODI cricket for us and we depend on him heavily. He knows that and everyone knows that and I’m happy that he’s there performing when we need him the most,” Pooran said.
The West Indies scored 339-7 despite only getting 33 runs from their top three. Pooran believes this shows the potential of this team with the bat.
“There’s a lot of potential on our team but, in saying that, we don’t have much time in this tournament. We need to put words into action and we need guys to put their hands up for the team. That’s the only way we’re going to move forward,” he said.
With this win, the West Indies join hosts, Zimbabwe, with two wins from as many games and the pair will do battle on Saturday.
“Saturday’s going to be important for both teams. We’re going to recover tomorrow, turn up on Saturday and hopefully we can play our best game and continue to move on in this tournament,” he said.
Pooran also reiterated the importance of these qualifiers for the West Indies.
“It’s very serious, not only to us, but to the people in the Caribbean. We need to qualify, there’s no doubt about it and we know that as players and we’re trying our best to put things in place,” he said.
Player of the Match Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran scored centuries and Jason Holder took three wickets as the West Indies defeated Nepal by 101 runs in Harare on Thursday.
Having set the Nepalese a winning target of 340, West Indies bowlers, not helped by a several dropped catches, combined to restrict their opponents for 238 and achieve their second win from as many games in the ICC World Cup qualifiers.
Aarif Sheikh was the top scorer with 63 for the Nepalese team, who also got contributions of 42 from Gulsan Jha and 30 from Captain Rohit Paudel.
Jason Holder was the best of the bowlers with 3-43 from his 10 overs with Akeal Hosein 2-49 and Keemo Paul 2-63.
Nepal were fortunate not to have been dismissed for much less as the West Indies spilled several catches in the field. Alzarri Joseph suffered the most with three catches dropped off his bowling as he finished with figures of 2-45.
Earlier, having been sent to bat, West Indies recovered from a poor start that saw them lose two wickets with only nine runs on the board to score 339-7.
Shai Hope scored 132, his 15th ODI century while Nicholas Pooran scored 115. The Caribbean men also got useful scores of 32 from Brandon King and Rovman Powell 29.
Lalit Rajbanshi was the best of the Nepalese bowlers with 3-52.
Hope said he was happy to have been able to overcome some early challenges and the loss of two early wickets to score an important 100 for his team.
“I believe the rhythm was a bit off. I am just happy that I came good for the team. We were put on the backfoot there...happy to get the team over the line today. The key was absorbing as much pressure as possible and then find a way to transfer that pressure in the back end,” he said, revealing that Pooran’s arrival of the crease helped him turn things around.
“Pooran made it a lot easier for me. The aim was to take it as deep as possible give us the best chance towards the end. I don't think I hit the targets where I wanted to but happy to just bat as deep as I possibly could there. The team really needed me. They bowled well, must commend their bowlers, especially their spinners, they stuck to their task well.
“We batted well in that period to overcome their spin threat. There's obviously room for improvement, so we need to make sure we are ticking those boxes going into the next game.”
With the win the West Indies go top of Group A with four points from their two matches to date.
Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran each scored hundreds as West Indies recovered from another bad start to post 339-7 from their 50 overs in their ICC World Cup qualifier match against Nepal at Harare on Thursday.
Hope scored 132 and Pooran 115 as the West Indies recovered from 55-3 to post their highest score so far in search of their second win in the qualifiers.
After being sent in to bat, West Indies lost the wickets of Kyle Mayers and Johnson Charles for one and nought, respectively, with only nine runs on the board in the fifth over.
However, Hope and Brandon King stabilized the situation somewhat before King was bowled by Sandeep Lamicchane for 32 to have the West Indies in trouble on 55-3.
Hope and Pooran turned things around with a fourth-wicket partnership of 216 that put the West Indies in command. Hope got to his 50 in 73 balls and included five fours and a six as the West Indies wrested back control of proceedings.
Pooran, meanwhile, was more efficient, smashing three fours and a six in his 50 that came from just 51 balls.
As the pair exerted their dominance on Nepal’s bowlers, the 100 partnership came up in 94 balls. It took them 32 additional deliveries to bring up the 150-run partnership with Pooran being the dominant partner with 83 of those crucial runs. Hope’s contribution was 66 as the West Indies picked up momentum to push the scoring rate above six runs an over.
Hope got to his 15th ODI hundred from just 107 balls with Pooran’s second ODI ton coming off just 81 balls and included nine fours and four sixes.
The 200-run partnership was achieved in just 159 balls as the Caribbean men eyed a score of 350.
The partnership was broken in the 44th over when Pooran was dismissed, out caught and bowled by Dipendra Singh Airee for 115.
Rovman Powell added a quick-fire 29 from just 14 balls as the West Indies past 300 runs.
The West Indies lost two wickets in the 50th over bowled by Lalit Rajbanshi. Hope was caught by Bhim Sharki at long off for a magnificent 132 and Keemo Paul was bowled off the final ball of the innings leaving Jason Holder unbeaten on 16.
Rajbanshi was the best of the Nepalese bowlers with 3-52.
Veteran players Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine are among six players retained by the four-time CPL champions, Trinbago Knight Riders ahead of the 2023 season scheduled to begin in August.
TKR have also confirmed the retention of Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran, Akeal Hosein and Jayden Seales.
The Knight Riders have also secured the services of Dwayne Bravo who will be returning to the franchise from the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. They will also have Mark Deyal as part of their setup in 2023 with the batter joining the Knight Riders from the Saint Lucia Kings.
The decision to retain the aforementioned players is good news for Head Coach Phil Simmons.
“We are very happy to be able to retain most of the Caribbean players from last year’s TKR squad. The experience of Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, and Nicholas Pooran coupled with Dwayne Bravo’s return gives our squad a very strong core,” the former West Indies head coach declared.
“In youngsters like Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, and Mark Deyal, we have some of the best young talent from Trinidad representing TKR.
“We’re looking forward to the remaining international signings, and I am excited by the player draft coming up soon to complete the roster and put together a strong squad for CPL 2023.”
The overseas players and draft picks will be announced during the Republic Bank CPL draft show which will be broadcast at the end of June.
The tournament gets underway on 16 August with the final taking place on 24 September. There will be matches in Barbados, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago.
Nicholas Pooran once again played a starring role to help the Lucknow Super Giants beat the Kolkata Knight Riders by one run at Eden Gardens on Saturday and seal a playoff spot.
After KKR won the toss and elected to field first, LSG, propelled by an aggressive 58 from Pooran, posted 176-8 off their 20 overs.
Pooran’s knock came off just 30 balls and included four fours and five sixes. He was well supported by Quinton De Kock (28) and Prerak Mankad (27).
Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur and Vaibhav Arora all took two wickets, each, for the Knight Riders.
Then, despite a fighting 67* from Rinku Singh and 45 from Jason Roy, KKR finished their reply 175-7 off 20 overs, falling agonizingly short of the win.
Ravi Bishnoi led the way with the ball for Lucknow with 2-13 from his four overs while Yash Thakur also took a pair of wickets.
Nicholas Pooran and Prerak Mankad starred as the Lucknow Super Giants beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) fixture at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday.
South African wicketkeeper batsman Heinrich Klaasen led the way with a 29-ball 47 as the Sunrisers posted 182-6 off their 20 overs after winning the toss. Opener Anmolpreet Singh (36) and captain Aiden Markram (28) also made good contributions against 2-24 from Krunal Pandya.
The successful Super Giants chase was then led by Mankad, who brought up his maiden IPL fifty on the way to a top-score of 64* off 45 balls including seven fours and two sixes.
He was joined in the end by Pooran who smashed the Sunrisers bowling to all parts on the way to a brutal 44* off just 13 balls, hitting three fours and four sixes in the process.
Australian Marcus Stoinis also contributed 40 as Lucknow reached 185-3 in 19.2 overs.
Lucknow are now fourth in the table with 13 points from 12 games.
Nicholas Pooran smashed the joint-third fastest 50 in Indian Premier League history to help the Lucknow Super Giants to a stunning one-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday.
Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell all made half-centuries at the Mangalam Chinnaswamy Stadium as Bangalore set Lucknow a seemingly daunting target of 213, but Pooran's incredible 62 off 19 deliveries led the Super Giants to an improbable win.
Lucknow won the toss and put RCB in to bat first, before openers Kohli (61 from 44) and Du Plessis put up 96 for no loss until the former was dismissed with the third ball of the 11th over.
Maxwell came in for Kohli, and he (59 off 29) and Du Plessis (79 not out) went on to plunder 115 from just 50 balls before Mark Wood (1-32) took the Australian batsman's leg stump out of the ground with the penultimate ball of the innings, as Royal Challengers finished with a formidable 212-2.
The Super Giants' chase took a huge blow within three balls as in-form danger man Kyle Mayers was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj without a run on the board, and Wayne Parnell (3-41) took the wickets of both Deepak Hooda and Krunal Pandya in the fourth over to leave Lucknow's hopes seemingly hanging by a thread.
However, Marcus Stoinis gave them a chance with his 65 off 30 and Pooran made the fastest half-century in this season's IPL before he was finally caught by Shahbaz Ahmed off Siraj's (3-22) bowling.
Lucknow would go on to win in remarkable fashion, needing one off the final delivery of the innings when Harshal Patel missed the stumps while trying to mankad the non-striker.
Harshal would eventually bowl the last ball, and though his delivery beat Avesh Khan, wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik fumbled as the Super Giants batsmen completed the run to secure an extraordinary victory.
Bangalore's big three all fire in defeat
The Royal Challengers' top three batsmen all played excellent knocks with Kohli, Du Plessis and Maxwell accounting for all but one of their team's runs, excluding extras.
It was only the fifth time in IPL history that each of a team's top three all made half-centuries and the first time Bangalore had achieved that feat. However, their efforts were still not enough to get their team over the line.
Pooran innings changes the game
The Super Giants' hopes looked slim after Stoinis and KL Rahul fell within three balls of each other, but Pooran's introduction swung the match back in their favour.
He went at a strike rate of 326.31, smashing four fours and seven maximums to set up his team-mates to go on and win the game.
The West Indies Senior Men’s Selection Panel on Tuesday named Roston Chase as the replacement for Obed McCoy in the 15-member squad for the T20 International Series (T20I) against South Africa starting on March 25.
McCoy was named in the original squad subject to medical clearance but has been ruled out of the upcoming series due to a knee injury.
Lead Selector, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes, said: “Roston gets an opportunity in the upcoming series as we see him being a versatile player who can be called upon at any stage in the game. We want to wish Obed the best with his rehabilitation programme and hope to see him back in West Indies colours soon.”
The three-match T20I Series bowls off on Saturday 25 March at SuperSport Park in Centurion.
The second match will be at the same venue the following day, while the third match will be at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Tuesday 28 March.
The T20I Series is preceded by a three-match One-Day International (ODI) Series.
The first two matches will be at Buffalo Park in East London on March 16 and March 18, with the final contest on March 21 at JB Marks Oval Potchefstroom.
T20I SQUAD
Rovman Powell (Captain)
Kyle Mayers (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Yannic Cariah
Johnson Charles
Roston Chase
Sheldon Cottrell
Jason Holder
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Nicholas Pooran
Raymon Reifer
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
West Indies white ball match schedule in South Africa
Thursday, 16 March: 1st ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)
Saturday, 18 March: 2nd ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)
Tuesday, 21 March: 3rd ODI at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom
Saturday, 25 March: 1st T20Is at SuperSport Park, Centurion
Sunday, 26 March: 2nd T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion
Tuesday, 28 March: 3rd T20I at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (night)
The Cricket West Indies (CWI) Senior Men’s Selection Panel, on Monday, announced the One-Day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) squads for the upcoming series against South Africa.
The West Indies will play three ODIs on March 16, 18 and 21, followed by three T20Is on March 25, 26 and 28.
In the ODIs, Shai Hope will have his first series as captain with allrounder Rovman Powell appointed as the new vice-captain. In the T20Is, captain Rovman Powell will be supported by a new vice-captain in batting allrounder Kyle Mayers.
Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel has earned a recall to the ODI squad on the back of his performances during the CG United Super50 Cup last November.
He was the joint leading wicket-taker spearheading the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force bowling attack, taking 15 wickets in seven matches at an average of 14.2. He last played ODIs for the West Indies at the ICC Cricket World Cup in July 2019.
Left-arm pacer Obed McCoy has been named in the T20I squad subject to medical clearance. Fast bowler Jayden Seales remains unavailable for selection following a knee injury and subsequent surgery, while another fast bowler Anderson Phillip has returned to training but is not yet match-fit.
Lead Selector the Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes said: “We have had some injuries to our fast-bowling pool so therefore we see Gabriel as an ideal fit heading into South Africa, and the surfaces we expect to play on. It is felt that we need someone to get those early wickets and he is the kind of bowler that can do that. Judging from his performances in the CG United Super50 Cup, he is potentially a wicket-taking option up front.”
Haynes added: “For the T20Is, we have an experienced squad. What we are looking for is to form a cohesive unit and look at the players who we believe can form the nucleus as we build towards doing very well and challenging when we host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in June 2024.”
FULL SQUADS
One-Day Internationals
Shai Hope (Captain)
Rovman Powell (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Yannic Cariah
Keacy Carty
Roston Chase
Shannon Gabriel
Jason Holder
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Nicholas Pooran
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
T20 Internationals
Rovman Powell (Captain)
Kyle Mayers (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Yannic Cariah
Johnson Charles
Sheldon Cottrell
Jason Holder
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Obed McCoy
Nicholas Pooran
Raymon Reifer
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
White ball schedule in South Africa
Thursday, 16 March: 1st ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)
Saturday, 18 March: 2nd ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)
Tuesday, 21 March: 3rd ODI at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom
Saturday, 25 March: 1st T20Is at SuperSport Park, Centurion
Sunday, 26 March: 2nd T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion
Tuesday, 28 March: 3rd T20I at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (night)
Shai Hope and Rovman Powell have been named captains of the West Indies white-ball teams, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced.
Hope is the new captain of the West Indies Men’s One-Day International (ODI) team and Rovman Powell as the new captain of the West Indies Men’s T20 International (T20I) team.
Hope, the wicketkeeper/batter and Powell, the batting all-rounder, take over from Nicholas Pooran, who stepped down from the positions last November following the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia.
The first assignments for both captains will be the upcoming tour of South Africa in March where the West Indies face the Proteas in three ODIs and three T20Is from 16 to 28 March, following two matches in the ICC World Test Championship.
Each captain will be heavily involved in strategy and planning leading up to the next ICC World Tournaments. In ODI cricket, the West Indies are likely to need to qualify for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, with the qualifiers scheduled to be held in Zimbabwe in June. In T20I cricket, the West Indies will be hosting the next ICC T20 World Cup with the USA in June 2024.
Hope is selected as ODI captain after demonstrating strong leadership on and off the field and experiencing the vice-captain role over a number of Series since 2019. He became vice-captain for a second time in June 2022 and played his 100th ODI for the West Indies against India in July last year. Hope has played 104 ODIs and was recently selected in the ICC ODI Team of the Year for 2022.
“It is a tremendous honour and privilege to be appointed captain of any West Indies team,” Hope said of his appointment.
“To lead a team that is of such incredible significance not only to myself and my teammates but to our legion of fans the world over, is something one dreams of as a child.
“The rich history and legacy that our region and our brand of cricket is so famous and loved for, requires no intricate explanation. I would like to thank CWI for entrusting me with this immense opportunity. To navigate West Indies cricket in the right direction will be my fundamental priority and a task that I shall be unwaveringly committed to. With the support of my team-mates and our dedicated fans, I look forward to a long and fulfilling tenure as captain of the West Indies One-Day International team.”
CWI’s Selection Panel recommended Powell as T20I captain, referencing his demonstrated leadership acumen and tactical ability when acting as the West Indies T20I vice-captain and as captain for Jamaica in 2022 with double success in both regional competitions.
He led Jamaica winning firstly the Caribbean Premier League with the Tallawahs in September before captaining the Jamaica Scorpions to the CG United Super50 Cup title in November.
“I’m truly humbled and grateful to be given this amazing opportunity to lead the West Indies. For me, this a huge vote of confidence and I see this as the greatest honour of my career,” Powell said.
“To be asked to ‘carry the flag’ for the people of the Caribbean, there’s no bigger role in cricket in the region — a job previously held by some of the greatest servants of West Indies cricket.
“I also want to thank CWI for allowing me to guide the team in the coming years as we set sights on the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which we will be jointly hosting with the USA next year. I’m a passionate cricketer who believes in leading from the front and always giving 100 percent. “
Match schedule in South Africa
21 to 24 February: vs South Africa Invitational XI at Willowmoore Park, Benoni
28 February to 4 March: 1st Test at SuperSport Park, Centurion
8-12 March: 2nd Test at the Wanderers, Johannesburg
Thursday, 16 March: 1st ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)
Saturday, 18 March: 2nd ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)
Tuesday, 21 March: 3rd ODI at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom
Saturday, 25 March: 1st T20Is at SuperSport Park, Centurion
Sunday, 26 March: 2nd T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion
Tuesday, 28 March: 3rd T20I at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (night)
Kieron Pollard’s half-century was not sufficient to prevent the MI Emirates from going down to a four-wicket loss to Gulf Giants in Qualifier 2 in Sharjah on Friday.
With the win Gulf Giants booked a place in Sunday’s 2023 ILT20 final where they will face Desert Vipers.
Coming off their emphatic eight-wicket victory over Dubai Capitals on Thursday MI Emirates looked a jaded team, scoring 167-5 from their 20 overs.
Pollard scored an unbeaten 57 from 35 balls while Nicholas Pooran contributed with 29 and opener Mohammad Waseem, 31.
Chris Jordan took 2-25 and David Wiese 2-31.
In reply, James Vince played a gem of an innings, scoring unbeaten 83 including the winning runs, a four off Fazalhaq Farooqi as Gulf Giants scored 168-6 from 18.1 overs.
Farooqi took 2-27 and Rashid Khan, 2-40 in the losing cause. Dwayne Bravo took 1-27.
Half-centuries from Andre Fletcher and Nicholas Pooran spurred MI Emirates to a convincing eight-wicket win over the Dubai Capitals at Sharjah and a place in Qualifier 2 to face Gulf Giants on Friday.
Unbeaten half-centuries from Alex Hales and Sherfane Rutherford led the Desert Vipers to a comfortable seven-wicket win over the MI Emirates in their DP World IL T20 fixture at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
The Emirates’ innings got off to the worst possible start with openers Muhammad Wasim (5) and Vritiya Aravind (3) being removed within the first three overs after the Vipers won the toss and elected to field first.
Grenadian Andre Fletcher and former West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran then combined to put on 43 for the third wicket before Fletcher fell in the ninth over for 21 to leave them 53-3.
Captain Kieron Pollard then joined Pooran at the crease and the pair batted excellently, eventually bringing up their 100-run partnership in the 19th over, the same over which saw Pooran bring up a well-compiled 50.
Pollard brought up his 50, his second in a row, in the previous over with a trademark straight six.
The partnership reached 116 when Pooran was finally dismissed, bowled by Tom Curran in the final over for 57.
In the end, the Emirates closed their innings 169-5 off 20 overs with Pollard not out on 67 from 39 balls including one boundary and six sixes.
The Vipers chase was rocked early when Trent Boult removed Rohan Mustafa for one in the first over to bring captain Collin Munro to the crease.
Hales and Munro put on a partnership before Munro was removed by a spectacular catch from Kieron Pollard for 41 in the eighth over.
One brought two for the Emirates as Samit Patel got his second wicket in the over, removing Sam Billings for just one to leave the Vipers 76-3 bringing Sherfane Rutherford to the crease.
At the halfway stage of the chase, the Vipers were 101-3 with Hales (34) and Rutherford (18) going smoothly.
The pair continued along and Hales brought up his fifth score of 50+ in a row in the 15th over before a single in the 16th over brought up Rutherford’s 50 off just 26 balls.
The match was ended in the 17th over when Rutherford hit a boundary and then a single to lead the Vipers to their fourth win in five games.
Hales ended up unbeaten on 62 from 44 balls while Rutherford faced 29 balls for his 56. Hales’ knock included six fours and two sixes while Rutherford hit four fours and three sixes.
Scores: MI Emirates 169-5 from 20 overs, Desert Vipers 170-3 from 17.3 overs.
The preparations for the IPL 2023 are underway, and all ten franchises have completed their squads after buying their preferred players at the recently concluded IPL auction.
Sam Curran became the most expensive player in IPL’s history after Punjab Kings bought him for 18.50 crore. Meanwhile, Ben Stokes and Cameron Green also went big.
One surprising pick that went for big money was West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran. Lucknow Super Giants spent 16 crore (US$ 2 million) on the 27-year-old, which left many shocked.
Pooran has had his moments of fame in the IPL, but his overall stats are disappointing, which is why the fans felt that Pooran has been overpaid by the KL Rahul-led franchise.
In 47 matches in his IPL career, Pooran has scored just 912 runs, including four fifty-plus scores.
LSG’s global mentor, Gautam Gambhir, responded to the trolls and criticism for Pooran and justified the big spending on the Caribbean star.
Gambhir said that he does not judge a player by last year’s performance but looks at its impact on the game.
“I do not look at the last season. I look at a player’s ability and impact. Pooran can win us 2-3 matches, and with age on his side, we wanted him to build the team around him.”
Gambhir took an indirect dig on old-school players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who score fifty-plus runs but at an underwhelming strike rate.
“The tournament is not about scoring 500-600 runs in a season. It is about winning matches by scoring impactful runs.”
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