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Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers Bangalore (Image Credit: Twitter)
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IPL 2021: Top 5 Teams With The Biggest Win Margin In The League

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IPL 2021 is in its 14th edition. IPL is a T20 competition that was organized by the BCCI. Notably, the tournament was first held in the year 2008 and Rajasthan Royals (RR) won the tournament. Since then every year it is held and has become a fan-favourite tournament.

People of every age group enjoy the high octane and nail-biting encounters between the franchise teams. The cash-rich Indian T20 league is regarded as the World’s best T20 league ahead of CPL, PSL, LPL and it has witnessed some of the greatest cricket games of all time.

However, sometimes fans have also witnessed the dominance of one team which resulted in one-sided games. In this article, we will have a look at the most one-sided games played in the history of the tournament. However, our main focus will be on the victories based on the biggest run margin. Because in total 15 times, a team has won the game with 10 wickets in hand.

IPL Trophy
IPL Trophy. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Top 5 IPL Teams With The Biggest Win Margin In The Tournament

5. Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 130 runs

On April 23, 31st match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2013 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore saw the most extraordinary, explosive, exceptional, and destructive innings in the history of T20 Cricket. Pune Warriors India was facing Royal Challengers Bangalore and they won the toss and elected to field first. The Universe Boss Chris Gayle opened the innings with Tillakaratne Dilshan and he literally demolished the PWI bowling unit.

Chris Gayle slammed 175 against Pune Warrior in 2013
Chris Gayle slammed 175 against Pune Warrior in 2013 | Photo Credit: PTI.

Almost half of Chris Gayle’s inning was filled with boundaries as the West Indies opener smashed 13 fours and 17 sixers. The Universe Boss was going berserk against every bowler.

Meanwhile, in the end, he finished his knock at unbeaten 175 off 66 deliveries at a massive strike rate of 265.15. With the help of his century, RCB posted 263/5 on the board. During the chase, PWI was unable to give a tough fight to the opposition and in 20 overs they scored 133 at the loss of 9 wickets.

Meanwhile, the Virat Kohli-led RCB won the game by a humongous margin of 130 runs. Chris Gayle had scored the highest individual score and RCB’s total was the highest to date.

4. Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 138 runs

Team Royal Challengers Bangalore was in the records again when they locked horns with Kings XI Punjab ( now Punjab Kings) in the 40th match of IPL 2015 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore on May 6. The George Bailey led Kings XI Punjab won the toss and elected to field first inviting RCB to bat.

Opener Chris Gayle had a sensational outing as he scored 117 runs from just 57 balls. Also, Skipper Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers scored 32 and 47 respectively. Meanwhile, RCB posted 226 runs on the board.

RCB teammates Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers (Image Credit: Twitter)
RCB teammates Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, and AB de Villiers (Image Credit: Twitter)

During the chase Kings XI, Punjab (now Punjab Kings) were bowled out at the score of 88 in the 14th over. Notably, Axar Patel made the biggest contribution from the Punjab side scoring 40 runs from 21 balls. Only Wriddhiman Saha and Axar Patel scored double-digit runs. Meanwhile, Sreenath Aravind and Mitchell Starc were able to bag 4 wickets each from team RCB.

3. Kolkata Knight Riders won by 140 runs

Yet another RCB involvement, in the biggest win margin columns came this time on the losing side. The match was the 1st game of the inaugural edition of IPL at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore on April 18, 2008.

Brendon McCullum scored 158 runs off 73 balls in IPL 2008 opener.
Brendon McCullum scored 158 runs off 73 balls in IPL 2008 opener. | Photo Credit: BCCL

Royal Challengers Bangalore which was led by Rahul Dravid won the toss and they elected to field first. Meanwhile, KKR openers skipper Sourav Ganguly and Brendon McCullum opened for the first time in IPL. The openers had a 61 runs partnership and Sourav Ganguly was dismissed at 10.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum played a destructive knock of 158 off 73 balls to show the world what they are going to witness in the marquee Indian Premier League (IPL). His innings were filled with 10 fours and 13 maximums. Notably, he batted with a strike rate of 216.43. He helped KKR score 222/3. This was the only ton to date from a KKR batsman.

Meanwhile, during the chase RCB had a horrible run as all their main batters got out in single-digit scores. Only Praveen Kumar was able to score 18 runs and all the other players were dismissed under the score of 10 which resulted in RCB getting bowled out at 82 and losing the game by 140 runs. Ajit Agarkar-3, Ashok Dinda-2, and Sourav Ganguly-2 were amongst the wickets.

2. Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 144 runs

In the 44th match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016, Royal Challengers Bangalore faced off Gujrat Lions at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore. The Virat Kohli-led side lost the toss and was invited to bat first. The start was not at all good for RCB as they lost the opener, Chris Gayle, in the 4th over and they were at 19-1 in 3.5 overs.

However, after that fans witnessed a batting master class by two of the greatest batsmen of the generation. Former Proteas batsman AB De Villiers and Indian masterclass batsman Virat Kohli. Both the batsmen brought in the storm and destroyed the opposite bowling unit.

AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers (Image Credit: Twitter)

AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli added 229 runs for the 2nd wicket which is the record of highest partnership in the IPL. The captain of RCB scored marvellous 109 runs off 55 deliveries including 5 fours and 8 six at a strike rate of 198.18. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli’s mate AB de Villiers scored exceptional 129 runs off 52 balls including 10 fours and 12 sixes at a strike rate of 248.07. Notably, RCB posted 248 runs on the board in that IPL game.

Meanwhile, during the chase Gujrat Lions despite having star batters were bowled out at 104 and RCB won the game by 144 runs. Notably, in that match, RCB used as many as 9 bowlers. Apart from Aaron Finch’s 37, the likes of power hitters Dwayne Smith-7, Brendon McCullum-11, Ravindra Jadeja-21, Dinesh Karthik-2, and Dwayne Bravo-1 failed with the bat.

1. Mumbai Indians won by 146 runs

Team Mumbai Indians is currently sitting at the top in terms of the biggest winning margin in the history of the tournament. The match was the 45th game of the IPL 2017 at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi. The Rohit Sharma-led team was facing the team Delhi Daredevils (Capitals).

Delhi Capitals won the toss and they invited Mumbai Indians to bat first. Meanwhile, The decision turned out to be a horrible one for the Zaheer Khan-led franchise. As Mumbai batters went berserk against the DC bowling unit.

Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Instagram
Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Instagram

West Indies powerhouse Kieron Pollard & Lendl Simmons smashed 63 and 66 runs. Also Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya batted with a 207.14 strike rate and MI finished the innings at 212/3.

During the chase, Mitchell McClenaghan dismissed Sanju Samson on the very first ball. Before the power play ended Delhi Capitals were reduced at 35-5 and soon they were bowled out at the score of 66 which resulted in Delhi Capitals setting the record of the biggest loss in the history of IPL by 146 runs.

The likes of Karun Nair (21), Corey Anderson (10), and Pat Cummins (10) were the only cricketers to score double-digit runs as the likes of heavyweights Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and Marlon Samuels failing. Harbhajan Singh and Karn Sharma took 3 scalps apiece.

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Suresh Raina wants CSK to win IPL 2021 title for MS Dhoni | Photo Credit: PTI
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Suresh Raina Wants CSK To Win IPL 2021 For MS Dhoni

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Suresh Raina wants Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to end their title drought by winning the IPL 2021 trophy for MS Dhoni. The 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) can be MS Dhoni’s last one with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) if the charismatic leader of the Yellow Brigade opts to call time on an illustrious T20 career at the age of 40.

Suresh Raina, who shares a good camaraderie with MS Dhoni, wants CSK to win its 4th IPL title under leadership in the 14th season of the cash-rich league. There is no denying that former Team India superstars MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina share an exemplary bond. The duo also retired from international cricket on the same day-15th August 2020.

Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni
Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni

Suresh Raina: CSK Having Extra Confidence From MS Dhoni’s Captaincy

From representing Team India together to winning multiple titles at CSK, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni have been nothing but icons of the gentlemen’s game over the years. Nicknamed Chinna Thala, Suresh Raina played an instrumental role in CSK’s resurgence as the Yellow Brigade bounced back after recording their worst-ever finish last season in Suresh Raina’s absence.

With the 14th season of the cash-rich league being relocated to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the left-hander is optimistic about CSK securing a podium finish in the 2021 edition of the T20 tournament.

Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina (Image Credit: Twitter)

The left-handed southpaw wants the Chennai franchise to end their trophy drought in the 2nd leg of the IPL 2021. Speaking on Star Sports show Cricket Connected, Suresh Raina talked about MS Dhoni’s contributions in rebuilding the crestfallen side ahead of the second leg of the 14th season.

“Hopefully, when we go to Dubai, we will have a camp and we can again win it for him. I think the way we were playing this year, we were having some extra confidence from his captaincy and he was enjoying each other’s success,” Raina said. 

Suresh Raina was also pivotal in CSK’s dominance for close to 10 years with his street-smart and risk-free batting. Often coming in at number three, the southpaw would take the games away from the opposition. He has so far scored 5,491 runs in 195 innings(200 games) for CSK and Gujarat Lions averaging 33.07 and is 3rd highest run-scorer in IPL history. He managed 123 runs in 7 games in IPL 2021.

A couple of senior CSK players – Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh (now with KKR) – had pulled out of the tournament in IPL 2020 citing personal reasons. Their absence, especially, Suresh Raina not being with the team affected CSK’s batting a big time which resulted in CSK not reaching the playoffs for the first time in the IPL history.

Suresh Raina: Hopefully CSK Will Win IPL 2021 For MS Dhoni

Under MS Dhoni’s leadership, CSK has secured the 2nd spot in the IPL 2021 after playing seven matches. CSK is only behind table-toppers Delhi Capitals in the current IPL 2021 standings.

“He was giving freedom to all the players and having Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, and Ruturaj in the side, we had the momentum. Hopefully, we can do it again this year for MS,” Raina added.  

MS Dhoni (BCCI/IPL)
MS Dhoni (BCCI/IPL)

The inclusion of Moeen Ali and the stability in their batting order played a massive role in CSK’s revival in IPL 2021. As both Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu hadn’t played any competitive cricket before the IPL 2021, MS Dhoni went with Moeen Ali at No.3. The move paid off well as the English all-rounder amassed 206 runs at an average of 34.33 and a strike rate of 157.25.

Ambati Rayudu and Faf du Plessis, with 13 sixes each, have cleared the ropes on most occasions for CSK in IPL 2021. They are closely followed by Moeen Ali, who has hit 12 maximums thus far. Faf du Plessis continued from where he left in the UAE in 2020 scoring 320 runs in 7 matches at a strike rate of 145.45 including 4 fifties.

The platform laid by him and opener Ruturaj Gaikwad (196 runs at a strike rate of 128.94) eased the pressure on the middle order and went a long way enabling CSK to put up massive totals. Ambati Rayudu-136 runs, Ravindra Jadeja-131 runs, Suresh Raina-123 runs also were among runs.

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Cheteshwar Pujara Disappointed As He Went Unsold In 2016-17 IPL Auctions

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Cheteshwar Pujara never got an opportunity to play an IPL match at Rajkot as he went unsold at the 2016 and 2017 auctions. Ahead of the forthcoming IPL 2021, India’s Test batting mainstay Cheteshwar Pujara has revealed he was left disappointed when Gujarat Lions did not pick him for the 2016 and 2017 editions.

Dysfunctional Gujarat Lions’ home base was in Rajkot, which also happens to be his hometown. The side secured the services of his Saurashtra and India teammate Ravindra Jadeja but failed to show interest in him at the auction.

Cheteshwar Pujara. Image-PTI.
Cheteshwar Pujara. Image-PTI.

Cheteshwar Pujara Was Disappointed That He Wasn’t Picked In IPL 2016-17 Auctions

Cheteshwar Pujara, while speaking to Cricbuzz, stated he would have loved to don the Gujarat Lions jersey.

“Well, I was disappointed that I was not picked. But that was not in my control. It would have been nice if I was part of that side. That is in the past and I have moved on,” Cheteshwar Pujara said.

Gujarat Lions Players Celebrating During Vivo IPL 2017 Match 13: Andrew Tye’s brilliance helps Gujarat Lions get their first win of IPL 10
Gujarat Lions Players Celebrating During Vivo IPL 2017 Match 13 | IPL/Sportzpics

The Gujarat Lions joined the IPL along with the Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016. The BCCI introduced the two new franchises after suspending the Rajasthan Royals and the Chennai Super Kings for two seasons. Unfortunately, Cheteshwar Pujara never got an opportunity to play an IPL match at Rajkot as he went unsold at the 2016 and 2017 auctions. A Test specialist, Cheteshwar Pujara has often been out of favour for limited-overs cricket.

Cheteshwar Pujara Played 30 IPL Matches

While he is an automatic selection when it comes to Tests, he has been away from the white-ball limited-overs team since 2014. He first made it to the ODI team in 2013 and made his debut against Zimbabwe in July that year. His ODI career is only 5 games so far and he has been away from the squad since then. A regular in IPL from 2008 to 2014, he has been away from IPL since 2014 when he represented KXIP.

He has played 30 matches in the cash-rich league IPL, scoring 390 runs in 22 innings. He has one fifty to his name in the format. The 33-year-old, who last batted in IPL in 2014, was bought by three-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the 2021 IPL auctions.

Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara | Munir Uz Zaman/AFP

After completing the mandatory one-week quarantine period, in accordance with BCCI’s SOP, Cheteshwar Pujara donned the yellow jersey for the first time on Monday when he hit the nets for his first-ever CSK session before IPL 2021. He was accompanied by fellow new recruits in Krishnappa Gowtham and Robin Uthappa.

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Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina (Image Credit: Twitter)
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Suresh Raina Says He Has No Regrets For Not Playing IPL 2020

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Suresh Raina, the former Indian cricketer, said that he doesn’t have any regrets after pulling out of the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League where he should have represented Chennai Super Kings again.

Suresh Raina’s departure left a massive void in CSK’s middle-order and MS Dhoni’s men failed to make the playoffs for the first time in the history of the league. Suresh Raina is also the leading run-scorer for CSK after making his debut back in 2008 having scored 4527 runs in 164 matches averaging 33.29.

Suresh Raina, IPL 2020, IPL
Suresh Raina (Image Credit: IPL)

Suresh Raina Said He Did Not Have Regrets For Not Playing IPL 2020 As He Spent Time With His Family

On his decision to withdraw his name for the cash-rich IPL, Suresh Raina stated that he needed adequate time with his loved ones. He cherished the moments with his family. Moreover, the Uttar Pradesh-born cricketer talked about the gruesome incident where few of his relatives lost their lives in Pathankot during a robbery attempt which was another reason for his withdrawal.

“Why would there be any regret. I spent time with my kids and was there for my family. I really wanted to come back to my family. There was an incident in Punjab and they needed me (his uncle and cousins in Pathankot were murdered during a robbery),” Suresh Raina was quoted as saying to The Times of India.

Suresh Raina, IPL 2020, IPL
Suresh Raina with his wife and daughter (Image Credit: Twitter)

“My wife needed me here, too, during the pandemic. I have been playing for 20 years so I know I will do it again. But when your family needs you, you have to be there. I felt that was the wise thing to do at that time,” the left-hander added.

Suresh Raina who retired alongside MS Dhoni at 33 years of age from international cricket on 15th August 2020 was supposed to play IPL 2020 before he withdrew citing personal reasons. He and veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh’s withdrawal for personal reasons dealt a major blow to CSK. The team was placed 8th at one stage before successive wins in last 3 matches saw them placed at 7th spot.

Suresh Raina Has Represented Gujarat Lions Besides Chennai Super Kings

Earlier, N Srinivasan, the owner of the Chennai Super Kings, expressed his displeasure after Suresh Raina withdrew from the prestigious tournament in the United Arab Emirates. He stated that senior cricketers have learned to co-exist in CSK which is like a family.

“I don’t force anyone to do anything … sometimes success gets into your head. Cricketers are like prima donnas … like the temperamental actors of the olden days. Chennai Super Kings have always been like a family and all senior players have learned to co-exist,” Srinivasan told Outlook.

Suresh Raina, IPL 2020, IPL
Image Credit: IPL

In 193 IPL matches, Suresh Raina has scored 5368 runs at an average and strike-rate of 33.34 and 137.15 respectively. He also has one century and 38 half-centuries besides his name. In 2016 and 2017, he was a part of the Gujarat Lions and played 29 matches for the defunct franchise when CSK were suspended for two years alongside Rajasthan Royals.

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Brendon McCullum | IPL 10 |
Brendon McCullum plays a shot during IPL. Image: BCCI
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Brendon McCullum Spill Beans on the ‘Positive’ Drug Test During IPL 2016

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Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum finally opened up about a drug test which turned out to be positive during lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) way back in 2016 against domestic professional Twenty20 league franchise Delhi Daredevils.

McCullum, who was representing now defunct Gujarat Lions took a higher dose of medication after suffering from asthma. However, it was due to excessive pollution levels in New Delhi. This resulted in an excess of salbutamol, a drug used to treat asthma, in McCullum’s urine sample.

“There was a bit of a process to go through to make sure they had all the information and ticked off the areas they wanted to see, but we went through it all and [the BCCI] were actually pretty good to work with, in the end,” McCullum told stuff.co.nz.

BCCI approached McCullum. He got the help of medical experts from Sweden to issue a retroactive Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).

Image result for mccullum
BCCI

Don’t see as a failed drug test: Brendon McCullum

The 36-year-old veteran McCullum admitted that he doesn’t see it as a failed drug test. McCullum also revealed that he has no guilt or remorse for that One-off incident.

“I certainly don’t see it as a failed drug test. It was just a case of we just need to seek clarification and apply for this. I have no ill-feeling about [the process] and I also have no guilt or remorse about it because I needed a puff of my inhaler at that time,” he added.

McCullum smashed a whirlwind 36-ball 60 and led his team to a thrilling one-run win.

“As far as I am concerned it was just a matter of making sure we got everything signed off properly, rather than it being a failed drug test,” he added.

Also read: Sri Lanka trio admits to breaching Level 3 offence

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Ishan Kishan IPL 2018
Ishan Kishan says he always wanted to play for Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
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IPL 2018: Always Wanted to Play for Mumbai Indians – Ishan Kishan

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Mumbai Indians’ latest addition to their young brigade, Ishan Kishan, revealed he always wanted to play for the three-time IPL winners.

In an interaction with Kishan’s parents, they opened up on the IPL auction day and the nervousness around it.

For those unaware, the former Gujarat Lions opener was bagged by the Mumbai Indians for a whopping amount of INR 6 crores.

IPL 2018: Always Wanted to Play for Mumbai Indians - Ishan Kishan 1
Kishan with Under 19 coach of India, Rahul Dravid

The left-hander impressed one and all with his brand of cricket, opening for the Lions during the latter half of the tournament.

Read: Sandpaper Gate: Disgraced Australian Trio Likely to Appeal Against Ban

Kishan’s parents talked about the day of the auctions which saw his son and the southpaw go to the squad of the defending champions.

“We would never even dreamt that he would reach this level, but knew that someone would definitely pick him,” said Kishan’s father, Pranav Pandey, who is a builder by profession.

IPL 2018: Always Wanted to Play for Mumbai Indians - Ishan Kishan 2
Ishan Kishan was regular in the Gujarat Lions squad. Credits: SK

The Jharkhand player’s name acquired prominence after he was part of the U19 World Cup squad of 2016 in Bangladesh. India lost to the West Indies in the finals of the tournament.

Mumbai Indians’ Twitter handle, on the other hand, recently posted a snippet of the interaction.

Also Read: Jacques Kallis terms recent ball-tampering row as a ‘wake-up call.’

In the video, Kishan claims he was always looking forward to representing the Blue Giants of the IPL. The primary reason for his affinity for the Mumbai based franchise is due to the family-like atmosphere in the franchise.

Mumbai Indians, Samsung, Title Sponsorship,
Mumbai Indians to kick off their campaign on April 7 at home against CSK. Photo Credit: IPL.

Here’s the video

Also Read:

IPL 2018: Fit-Again Jofra Archer Set to Join Rajasthan Royals’ Camp Soon

IPL 2018: Here is the Complete List of Commentators for this Season

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Basil Thampi Suresh Raina
Basil Thampi has credited Suresh Raina for his improvement in the IPL.
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IPL 2018: Suresh Raina Supported Me Like a Brother – Basil Thampi

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One of the best young talents in the country, Basil Thampi has revealed his rise in Indian Premier League last season was because of Suresh Raina.

The 24-year old Kerala pacer had taken 11 wickets in the 12 IPL matches last season. He subsequently won the Emerging Player of the season for his performances.

With Gujarat Lions getting dissolved at the end of the last season, the talented pacer had attracted interest from various franchises in the auction this season. Sunrisers Hyderabad eventually bagged him for 95 Lakh INR.

The youngster is keen to take another step forward in his career with SRH this season. Under the able guidance of Bhuvneswar Kumar & Co., it would be a learning curve for him.

IPL 2018: Suresh Raina Supported Me Like a Brother - Basil Thampi 3
Gujarat Lions captain Suresh Raina has scored a total of 28 fifties in the history of IPL.

Thampi was quick to thank Suresh Raina for his progress in his career. The southpaw had given the youngster adequate chances to prove himself. The pacer would surely be keen to prove his worth once again, as he has been featuring India ‘A’ team constantly.

“Luckily, I had a good captain in Raina bhai. He supported me like a brother. Because it’s difficult for a newcomer to have played the number of matches I got to play last season (12 out of the total 14). He made me play, and I had good support from the management as well” Thampi was quoted as saying by Sportstar.

He also realised his improvements are because of the situations he was put in by Raina over the season. But he reckons bowling to all sorts of batsmen has helped his bowling.

“And because I played so much, I got to bowl to all kind of batsmen – be it classy, or hard-hitting. So, I got that confidence to bowl to everyone which was the one big benefit,” Thampi added.

Thampi will find it difficult to break into the bowling lineup of Sunrisers. The Hyderabad based team are known for their bowling prowess. They have once again assembled a ridiculously strong bowling unit.

Here is the newsfeed –

IPL 2018: Heinrich Klaasen named as the replacement for Steven Smith

IPL 2018: Suresh Raina wishes Stephen Fleming and Murali Vijay on their Birthday

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Tax Notice Worth 3 Crore Issued For Gujarat Lions

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Gujarat Lions, the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise has been asked to pay Rs.3 Crore as entertainment tax as the department has issued a notice against the franchise for the two games which Gujarat-based franchise played at their second home ground at Kanpur.

The franchise which was formed last year ahead of IPL 9 has a tradition of playing five games at their home ground at Rajkot and rest of the two home games at their second home ground at Kanpur. This time, they played their two home games against Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 10 and 13 at Kanpur.

Earlier, the notice was sent to the state association as they were deemed as the assessee but the state association transferred the burden of tax on the franchise stating that it had declared UPCA as the second home ground and association has no role in conducting the games.

Hence, the tax notice was sent to the franchise, going by which they have been asked to pay a tax on 3 Crore as an entertainment tax.

Gujarat Lions had an abysmal IPL season as they finished the tournament as the seventh-placed team with just four wins in their account. The table toppers of last year’s tournament had a poor bowling line-up which was the main reason behind them failing to emulate their success. Just when the team showed form, they lost the services of their star bowler Andrew Tye, who was ruled out due to a dislocated shoulder. Later, Brendon McCullum and Nathu Singh were also ruled out due to respective injuries which had an impact on team’s performance.

With BCCI yet to come up with an official word regarding status Gujarat and Rising Pune Supergiant in IPL, it will be interesting to see whether the franchise owners bid for the team again.

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Brendon McCullum | IPL 10 |
Brendon McCullum plays a shot during IPL. Image: BCCI
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IPL 2017: Brendon McCullum Tries To Clarify His IPL Pay, Kevin Pietersen Turns It Into Hilarious Banter

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The tenth edition of the Indian Premier League is just two matches away from its conclusion.

The soon-to-be-concluded season, that began on April 5 with last year’s finalists Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore locking horns against each other, has been as exciting and absorbing as the previous nine seasons.

The remaining three teams in the tournament and their fans are now bracing up for the final two games of the tournament which will end on May 21. But amidst all the excitement and buzz of the tournament, Gujarat Lions opener Brendon McCullum has raised up an unfortunate issue.

The former New Zealand skipper took to Twitter to clarify the air of uncertainty surrounding the salary he is being paid by his IPL franchise. Posting a news item that dissected the salary of the players in the IPL, McCullum said that he is still paid the same amount when he was playing with the now-suspended Chennai Super Kings instead of the amount reported by the news article.

Pointing out the mistake, he tweeted:“McCullum tweeted, “I was on $700k NZD not $1.67m NZD.  I wd have a bigger mower if that was the case.”

Clarifying his salary in another tweet, the swashbuckling opener tweeted:

“I get what i was on @ChennaiIPL. Yes i was bought for 7.5 crore but i dont get that. It was a salary cap deduction only.”

This is when former England batsman Kevin Pietersen joined the discussion. However, instead of empathising with McCullum, the cricketer-turned-commentator posted a hilarious message, pointing out that the former Kiwi international would soon join him in the commentary box that would not only ensure a better pay but would also give him a comfortable environment.

“Soon you’ll be with us in the comm box bud. Get lots more in there & don’t sweat!,” Pietersen tweeted.

McCullum took the tweet in a positive manner and replied by saying:

“Ahahahaha. Better pay, no pressure and finally i will average 50 in Test Cricket! Will be sweet as bro!! Haha.”

But with Pietersen luring McCullum with the lucrative prospects of the commentary box, the official Twitter handle of Indian Premier League soon joined the discussion and pointed out the rigours of the commentary job. The IPL handle posted an image of former Australian opener and commentator Matthew Hayden, drenched in the sweat.

However, Pietersen was not ready to accept that and tried to prove his point by tweeting:” Haydos just spilt a drink! ?.”

 

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IPL 2017: CCTV Footage Confirms Alleged Involvement Of Gujarat Lions Players In Spot-Fixing

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With every passing day, the recent spot-fixing scandal that has rocked the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League is taking a new turn. The police, on Thursday (May 11), had arrested the three bookies from a hotel where Gujarat Lions and Delhi Daredevils teams were staying after playing the match at the Green Park stadium. The three accused were identified as Ramesh Nayan Shah, a businessman from Thane Mumbai, Ramesh Kumar of Chunnigunj Kanpur and Vikas Chauhan of Pukhrayan, Kanpur Dehat.

During the interrogation, Ramesh Nayan Shah, a former Under-19 player of Maharashtra,  had claimed that two Gujarat Lions players were in touch with him. But the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption & Security Unit is currently busy in handing over the clean chits to the suspected players and have brought the whole investigation process under the scanner.

News outlet DNA has made a sensational revelation that the CCTV footage of the hotel’s 17th floor on which the three bookies were staying, has shown three prominent players of Gujarat Lions entering Room No 1733 along with mastermind bookie Bunty before the game against Delhi Daredevils in Kanpur on Wednesday (May 10). Interestingly, two of those players were earlier part of the now-suspended IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings. The Chennai-based franchise along with Rajasthan Royals was suspended before the 2016 edition on corruption charges.

The police have stated that the alleged players would be called for interrogation if needed but the way Bunty was allowed to leave the hotel premises so easily raises eyebrows especially that the police is now searching for him in Ajmer.

Sources have confirmed that Bunty had allegedly sent a text message to his Dubai link, confirming that “Gujarat’s players have been managed and they will lose the game”.

Gujarat had gone on to lose the match in a dramatic fashion even after posting a mammoth 195. With 9 runs needed from the final over, Amit Mishra had sealed the game in Delhi’s favour by hitting two consecutive boundaries.

The report further claimed that one of those two alleged Gujarat Lions players is the same whose name is believed to be in the list of 13 names submitted to Supreme Court in a sealed envelope by Justice Mukul Mudgal-led team in 2015 after the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal.

Meanwhile, the BCCI officials are miffed with the ACSU chief Neeraj Kumar for handing clean chits to all players without proper investigation.

“As per BCCI’s constitution, ACSU reports directly to Board president. Since the Board is in shambles right now, it is the duty of Committee of Administrators (COA) to ensure that thorough investigation is carried out in this case,” a senior BCCI official was quoted as saying by the news outlet.

Recalling the 2013 incident when former Rajasthan Royal players S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila were let off the hook despite being arrested by Delhi Police for their alleged involvement in match-fixing, the official said:

“ACSU chief was the Delhi’s police commissioner then. If he failed to nail any player then, how can you expect a different outcome now when he has no power whatsoever?”

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