Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Home hero Hardik has newcomers Gujarat flying high in IPL

Home hero Hardik has newcomers Gujarat flying high in IPL

Surprise-package Gujarat Titans have taken the IPL by storm in their debut season with a cleverly assembled and astutely coached team led by the all-round talents of local star Hardik Pandya.

Founded by global venture fund CVC Capital for $690 million, Gujarat on Sunday stunned four-time champions Chennai Super Kings to sit atop the 10-team standings of the money-spinning Twenty20 tournament.


Their batting has exceeded expectations with Hardik and South Africa's David Miller leading the way with stellar performances in the early half of the season.

Gujarat-born Hardik has excelled with both bat and ball, accumulating 228 runs in five matches and claiming four wickets during economical pace-bowling spells.

The team also shone in his injury-enforced absence, their stunning three-wicket win over Chennai coming off the back of an unbeaten 94 by Miller and a batting blitz by stand-in skipper Rashid Khan.

"The team has been selected well, led well and coached well. You can see they picked the kind of players they wanted and got the kind of balance they wanted," sports journalist Sharda Ugra told AFP.

"And in the choice of Hardik Pandya, he was picked as a kind of symbolic representative of cricket in Gujarat. He carries the aura of a superstar."

Gujarat netted the 28-year-old Hardik and Rashid for $2.08 million each in the Indian Premier League draft pick.

They also paid $1.32 million in the auction for New Zealand's Lockie Ferguson, who leads the pace pack alongside Indian veteran Mohammed Shami.

"Look at the quality of their bowling," said Ugra.

"They have got Rashid Khan. They have got express pace in Lockie Ferguson and they have got Mohammed Shami, so that is three straight 'team of the IPL' kind of players."

Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade and India's up-and-coming batting star Shubman Gill have also had a telling impact on the team's early success.

- 'Surprise-package' -

The selection of Ashish Nehra as coach made for a low-key appointment in contrast to other teams, such as Mahela Jayawardene at the Mumbai Indians and Kolkata's Brendon McCullum.

But his straightforward style is paying off and television images of the former Indian pace bowler strategising on paper in the dugout as other team coaches work off computers has made an impression on pundits.

"Paper or laptop, it's how Nehra is working his mind to convince the players and get the best out of them," former India spinner Pragyan Ojha told specialist website Cricbuzz.

The team staff also features World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten of South Africa as head of batting and mentor, and former England international Vikram Solanki as director of cricket.

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer called Gujarat a "surprise-package", but warned Hardik must stay fit if they are to maintain momentum at the business end of the tournament.

Gujarat next play two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday and it remains to be seen whether they can keep up their charge all the way to the play-offs.

Fellow debutants Lucknow Super Giants, led by KL Rahul, are fourth in the table.

"Both the new teams are playing good-quality cricket and producing great results for their fans," Ugra said.

More For You

Jofra Archer

Archer was part of the squad for the second Test at Edgbaston but did not play. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Archer ‘ready to go’ for third India Test, says McCullum

ENGLAND coach Brendon McCullum said pacer Jofra Archer is "ready to go" as he considers bringing him back for the third Test against India, following a four-year absence due to injury.

Archer was part of the squad for the second Test at Edgbaston but did not play. India won that match by 336 runs on Sunday, levelling the five-match series at 1-1.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sanjog Gupta

Gupta previously served as CEO of JioStar Sports, a role he took up following the $8.5 billion merger between Reliance Industries and Walt Disney’s Indian media assets in November last year. (Photo: X/@HomeOfCricket)

X/@HomeOfCricket

Sanjog Gupta appointed ICC CEO, succeeds Geoff Allardice

THE International Cricket Council (ICC) has named Sanjog Gupta as its new chief executive officer, replacing Geoff Allardice. The announcement was made on Monday.

Gupta previously served as CEO of JioStar Sports, a role he took up following the $8.5 billion merger between Reliance Industries and Walt Disney’s Indian media assets in November last year. He becomes the ICC’s seventh CEO.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lando Norris

Norris moves to four wins in 2025

Getty Images

Lando Norris savours special Silverstone win despite injury

Key points

  • Lando Norris wins the British Grand Prix at Silverstone for the first time
  • Celebrations briefly disrupted after he was hit in the nose by trophy
  • McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri penalised, costing him potential victory
  • Norris moves to four wins in 2025, just one behind Piastri
  • Drivers now head into a two-week summer break before Belgian GP

Lando Norris fulfils dream with British GP victory

Lando Norris described winning his home race at Silverstone as a “very, very special” moment, despite picking up a minor injury during the post-race celebrations. The McLaren driver delivered a brilliant performance in constantly changing weather conditions to secure his first British Grand Prix win and fourth of the season.

The race also highlighted the strength of the McLaren team, with both Norris and Oscar Piastri showing exceptional pace. However, a controversial penalty handed to Piastri during a safety car period ended hopes of a 1-2 finish for the team.

Keep ReadingShow less
India vs England

The win was India’s first Test victory in nine matches at Edgbaston, where they had previously suffered seven defeats and a draw.

Getty Images

India level series with big win over England as Akash Deep takes 10 wickets

INDIA defeated England by 336 runs in the second Test at Edgbaston on Sunday, levelling the five-match series 1-1. Akash Deep, playing in place of rested pacer Jasprit Bumrah, took 10 wickets in the match — his first 10-wicket haul in Test cricket.

England were bowled out for 271 while chasing a target of 608. Deep took 6-99 in the second innings, ending with match figures of 10-147 — the best of his eight-Test career so far.

Keep ReadingShow less
Shubman-Gill-Getty

Gill's 430 runs in the match made him only the fifth batter to score over 400 in a single Test. (Photo: Getty Images)

Gill sets Test record as England face massive chase at Edgbaston

INDIA captain Shubman Gill became the first batter in Test history to score 250 and 150 in the same match, before Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep struck early to put India in control of the second Test at Edgbaston on Saturday.

Gill followed his first-innings 267 with 161 off 162 balls in the second innings. India declared at 427-6 after tea on the fourth day, setting England a target of 608 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Keep ReadingShow less