Andy Flower, former Zimbabwe captain, has been appointed as the coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), as announced by the Indian Premier League franchise on Friday. This decision comes after the team bid farewell to Sanjay Bangar and cricket director Mike Hesson.

Flower’s coaching credentials include leading England to victory in the Twenty20 World Cup in 2010 and achieving success in franchise-based competitions, notably during his stint with the IPL’s Lucknow Super Giants.

In his new role, Flower will reunite with Bangalore skipper Faf du Plessis, with whom he previously collaborated at Saint Lucia Kings in the Caribbean Premier League.

Acknowledging the work of departing coaches Hesson and Bangar, Flower expressed excitement about working with Faf again, emphasizing their previous successful collaboration.

RCB stated that Flower’s coaching expertise will play a vital role in nurturing a “championship-winning mindset” within the team.

Despite boasting top names, including cricketing superstar Virat Kohli, Bangalore is yet to secure their maiden IPL title since their debut in 2008. In the 2023 IPL season, they finished sixth in the 10-team table, leading to the non-renewal of Hesson and Bangar’s contracts.

Flower’s two-year contract with Lucknow came to an end in July, and he was subsequently replaced by former Australia coach Justin Langer.

Virat Kohli Shines with Century as Royal Challengers Bangalore Defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL. In a remarkable Indian Premier League (IPL) match, former India captain Virat Kohli displayed his exceptional batting skills by smashing a brilliant century for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Meanwhile, South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen also showcased his prowess by hitting a century for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. This unique occurrence marked the first time in IPL history that both teams witnessed a century in a single game. Ultimately, Royal Challengers Bangalore emerged victorious with an eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Bangalore Takes Control of Playoff Fate with Crucial Victory. After securing a crucial victory, Bangalore now holds the reins of their playoff destiny, climbing into the fourth and final qualifying position. With 14 points, they are level with the Mumbai Indians but boast a superior net run rate. With one game remaining, a home match against the table-topping Gujarat Titans on Sunday, Bangalore aims to solidify its playoff berth.

In the pursuit of the hosts’ formidable 186-5, Virat Kohli ignited his innings by striking two consecutive fours. He continued to dominate, accumulating 10 boundaries and four sixes along the way. After 62 balls, Kohli notched his sixth IPL century, placing him at the top alongside Chris Gayle. This remarkable feat marked his first IPL century since 2019, achieved by smashing a six over deep midwicket off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Celebrating his achievement, the player fondly known as “King Kohli” raised his bat and dropped to his knees.

However, on the very next delivery, Kohli was caught at cow corner while attempting another aggressive shot. Reflecting on his innings, he stated, “My intent from the first ball was to take on the bowlers. Although there was a slight dip, I aimed to elevate the game at the right moment. I’m delighted that everything came together smoothly. I stay true to myself on the field, and it seems to resonate with the fans. It’s wonderful to witness their happiness when I perform.”

Faf du Plessis, Bangalore’s captain and opening partner, provided valuable support with a well-crafted 71 off 47 deliveries but fell just four balls after Kohli’s dismissal.

Leading the run-scoring charts in 2023, Virat Kohli has amassed an impressive total of 702 runs in 13 matches. Furthermore, his exceptional partnership of 172 runs with his opening partner set a new record for the most runs by an opening pair in a single IPL season.
With just four balls remaining, Michael Bracewell played a crucial role in guiding RCB to victory. Despite his outstanding performance, it was a bittersweet moment for Heinrich Klaasen, who achieved his first-ever IPL century in just 49 balls, making it the second-fastest century for his team at the bottom of the table. He reached the milestone with a six off Harshal Patel but was dismissed two balls later after scoring 104 runs.

Expressing his joy, the wicketkeeper-batsman stated, “It’s a pretty special feeling, especially with the incredible crowd support. I’m glad I achieved this milestone at home.” Klaasen had previously showcased his batting prowess by scoring a 54-ball century in an ODI match for South Africa against the West Indies in March.

Having completed 13 matches each, all IPL teams are now set for the final round of league matches starting on Friday. With 18 points, the Gujarat team is confirmed to finish at the top of the table. The Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants, both with 15 points, are the favorites to secure the remaining qualification spots. However, if Bangalore secures a victory against Gujarat and other results go in their favor, they have a chance to claim the second spot.

The Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Punjab Kings, all on 12 points, have only mathematical possibilities of qualifying for the playoffs.

Ahead of the highly anticipated World Test Championship (WTC) final, Virat Kohli affirms his commitment to maintaining his current technique and refrains from incorporating “fancy shots” into his repertoire for the Indian Premier League (IPL).

In a recent match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the esteemed Indian batsman showcased his prowess by scoring a magnificent century off just 63 balls, propelling the Royal Challengers Bangalore to an emphatic eight-wicket victory. Although Kohli ranks fourth among this season’s leading scorers with an impressive tally of 538 runs from 13 matches, his strike rate of 135.85 may seem relatively modest for a top-order batsman.

While his captain, Faf du Plessis, and teammate Glenn Maxwell have launched 36 and 30 sixes respectively, Kohli has struck 15, emphasizing his focus on consistency and technique rather than relying on flashy shot-making.

Kohli Values Technique over Flashy Shots, Stays Focused on Winning Matches. Following his outstanding performance, earning him the Player of the Match award, Virat Kohli emphasized his preference for a disciplined approach rather than relying on extravagant shots, especially considering the demanding cricket schedule throughout the year.

Kohli expressed, “I’ve never been a guy who tries so many fancy shots because we have to play 12 months of the year. It’s not about playing fancy shots and jeopardizing my wicket. We have test cricket after the IPL, so I must remain true to my technique and contribute to my team’s victories, which I take great pride in.” While Kohli had previously led India to the final of the inaugural WTC in 2021, where New Zealand defeated them, he has since passed the captaincy to Rohit Sharma.

However, his exceptional form will be crucial to India’s aspirations of clinching Test cricket’s grandest prize by triumphing over Australia at the Oval. Kohli’s remarkable innings not only equaled Chris Gayle’s record of six IPL centuries but also propelled Bangalore closer to securing a playoff berth as they currently occupy the fourth position in the points table.

Regarding criticism of his strike rate, Kohli brushed it off, emphasizing that his track record speaks for itself. He stated, “I don’t really care about what anyone says on the outside, to be honest, because that’s their opinion. When you’re in that situation yourself, you know how to win games of cricket, and I’ve done that for a long period of time. Playing the situation is what I take pride in, and it’s evident from my performance in crucial matches.”

Royal Challengers Bangalore came very close to the target of 227 runs set by Chennai on Monday (April 17) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, Du Plessis’s team had to leave the field after losing. Bengaluru batsman Virat Kohli has also been fined after the loss to Chennai. The highest-run match in the current season of IPL happened last night. Chennai and Bangalore scored 444 runs together. Batting first on this day, Chennai set a target of 227 runs to Plessy Kohli’s Bengaluru. In the end, RCB lost by 8 runs. After the loss to Chennai, Kohli also had to pay a fine for breaking the rules of the IPL. Kohli has been fined 10 percent of the match fee.

Meanwhile, the IPL authority said, “Kohli has admitted the violation of Article 2.2 of the IPL rules.”Kohli has been fined mainly because of his bad behavior on the field. However, the IPL authorities did not say which behavior of Kohli they fined. However, it is believed that the penalty was due to Kohli’s celebration after Shivam Dube’s dismissal. This is not the first time that players have been fined in this IPL. On Sunday (April 16), the captains of both teams were punished in the Kolkata-Mumbai match. Ritvik Shokin has been fined for excessive celebrations. And Suryakumar Yadav was penalized for getting involved in a fight.

IPL lovers witnessed devastating innings on Monday (April 10). And that destructive inning was played by Caribbean batsman Nicholas Pooran of Lakhnore. Puran’s innings of 62 runs off just 19 balls have set many records. Chennai Super Kings batsman Ajinkya Rahane had the fastest half-century before Pooran in the current IPL. He scored a 19-ball fifty against Mumbai. Puran topped the list topping him. He scored a 15-ball fifty against RCB.

Meanwhile, Puran’s 15-ball fifty is the joint-second fastest in IPL history. Before Pooran, Yusuf Pathan and Sunil Narine scored 15-ball half-centuries in IPL. Yusuf achieved this feat in 2014 and Narine in 2017. Against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Pooran scored 56 of his 62 runs with boundaries, which is 93.54 percent of Puran’s runs. Suresh Raina tops this list. He scored 87 runs for Chennai against Punjab in 2014, including 84 as a boundary. This Caribbean batsman has also made it to the list of players who scored more than fifty runs at the highest strike rate in IPL. Puran is fourth behind Pat Cummins, Suresh Raina, and Yusuf Pathan. Australian captain Pat Cummins topped the list with his 15-ball unbeaten 56 against Mumbai in 2022 for KKR at a strike rate of 373.33.

One of the few cricketers who stole the limelight in the latest edition of PSL is Saim Ayub. He scored 341 runs in 12 matches in a crowd of stars. Some great shots also came to his attention. So as a reward, he got a place in the national team at the age of 20.eSaim played for Pakistan in the last T20 series against Afghanistan. Shadab Khan’s series ended in a nightmare, but this young opener did not play too badly with the bat. Now the dream is to spread itself further. After fulfilling his dream of playing in the national team, Saim now wants to play in IPL with Virat Kohli. He said this in a recent interview. He said, ‘I want to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore. I also follow IPL.

I love their jersey and Virat Kohli plays for them. When I hear about IPL, the first thing that comes to my mind is Royal Challengers Bangalore. Because the captain of the team is Virat Kohli. Kohli is said to be one of the best batsmen of all time. Sime believes that too. He is also a fan of Kohli’s cricketing philosophy. This puck batter also respects Kohli as one of the best athletes in the world. In this context, Saim said, ‘I can’t say whether Kohli is my idol in terms of batting. But I am a big fan of his cricketing ethics. His journey from young cricketer to legend is my inspiration. He is also one of the best athletes in the world.’

IPL lovers enjoyed two breathtaking matches two days in a row. On Sunday (April 9), Kolkata made history by scoring five and six in the last over. And on Monday (April 10), Lucknow Super Giants gave another great match by beating Bengaluru in the last ball. Lucknow captain KL Rahul won the toss and decided to field first on the Bengaluru field. However, batting first, RCB got a huge collection of 212 runs with the bat of Kohli, du Plessis, and Maxwell.96 runs came from Bangalore’s opening pair. Even though Virat Kohli was dismissed for 61 runs off 44 balls, RCB’s batting rampage did not stop. Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell stormed down to number three with the team captain. Du Plessis was unbeaten on 79 off 46 balls. And Maxwell scored 59 runs off 29 balls. Meanwhile, chasing 213 runs, Lucknow was in danger at the beginning. They were knocked out of the match after losing 3 wickets out of 23 runs. But who knew that a Caribbean batter would turn this match around?

First, Australian all-rounder, Stoinis took charge of the team. Then Caribbean batsman Nicholas Pooran won the team. Stoinis played an inning of 65 runs off 30 balls. But Puran was the main hero to win the match. However, the drama of the match builds in the last over. Lakhnore needed only 5 runs in the last over. They lost 2 wickets while scoring these 5 runs. They needed one run off the last ball. Harshal Patel’s ball could not be batted but Avesh Khan ran. Dinesh Karthik failed to put the ball on the stamp and Lakhnow was assured of victory.

Kolkata Knight Riders got a big win at home despite losing to Punjab Kings by seven wickets in their rain-interrupted first match of this year’s IPL.

Kolkata (204/7) beat Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (123) by 81 runs at the Eden, Kolkata on Thursday night. KKR started the season with a loss but got a great win in the second match and Shah Rukh Khan, the leader of Kolkata, is very happy with such a victory. He went down to the field to meet the players. A video of Shah Rukh Khan with a defeated Kohli after the match has created quite a storm on social media.

In the video, King Khan asks Kohli to dance to the popular song ‘Jume Jho Pathane’ from the movie Pathan. Although Kohli was a bit hesitant at first, Shah Rukh took him by the hand and taught him the dance moves. And Kohli was also imitating Shah Rukh so the fans enjoyed this time of both.

This choreography video of the actor has already started going viral on Twitter. The fans of both the teams enjoyed the video a lot and termed this moment as the ‘moment of the day’. Bollywood King Shah Rukh Khan, the owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, watched the game with his daughter Suhana in Kolkata’s Eden on this day.

Bengaluru was bowled out for 123 runs in 17.4 overs chasing the target of 205 runs given by Kolkata. Kolkata’s right-arm leg-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy took four wickets for 15 runs. Kohli scored 21 off 18 balls and Faf du Plessis scored 23 off 12 balls. It was Kolkata’s first win in the second match at home after four years. On the other hand, Bengaluru’s first loss is in the second match.

Earlier, after losing the toss, Kolkata Knight Riders scored 204 runs for seven wickets in 20 overs thanks to two fifties. Afghan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 57 off 44 balls and Shardul Thakur scored 68 off just 29 balls. Bengaluru’s David Willey and Korn Sharma took two wickets each.

Kolkata Knight Riders are facing Royal Challengers Bangalore in the ninth match of the IPL. This is the Knights’ first match at home in this competition. Kolkata, who started their IPL campaign with a loss to Punjab Kings, are confident their team includes two Bengal cricketers Shahbaz Ahmed and Akash Deep. Dinesh Karthik is the former captain of Knight Riders. Apart from that, Kohli also has no less success in Eden. So Kolkata may not get the home-ground advantage in Thursday’s match. In a relief for Kolkata, Lockie Ferguson is fit to play after recovering from injury. It will increase the bowling power of the team. Practiced with the team at full speed for the last two days. He Kolkata is also giving importance to batting. The coach has warned the cricketers about getting out by playing bad shots. In the first match against Punjab, Kolkata had, however, indicated that he has prepared a special plan to stop Kohli. Faf du Plessis’ team is confident after losing Rohit Two Bengal cricketers Shahbaz and Akash can be played. Kohli, who got into a winning rhythm at the start of the contest, also doesn’t want to waste points. They will decide on the first eleven after seeing the wicket on the day of the match.

Although the winning combination is less likely to be broken.Sharma’s first match by a big margin. Almost all the cricketers in the team are in rhythm. So even though it is an away match, Bengaluru is not under pressure against Kolkata. o, pay the penalty of losing wickets continuously in the rain-interrupted match. Despite losing one wicket less, Nitish Ranade did not have to lose by 7 runs in the Darkworth-Lewis method. So the cricketers have been told not to throw wickets while being aggressive. When he met reporters on Wednesday, the Knight coach did not want to talk about the starting XI or the team’s plans. a stay in coach Chandrakant Pandit’s plan. Tim Southee may replace him. in pulling off a win against Virat Kohli. On the other hand, Kohli also doesn’t think about the away match. Although it is the home ground of Eden Knights, most of the cricketers of the team do not have much experience playing on this field. Bangalore will be in a somewhat advantageous position in this regard.