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Nikhil Narain

Articles by Nikhil Narain

No respite for bowlers as Royals, Knights dominate home advantage-less IPL

Record-breaking 200+ totals, Royals’ team effort and the all-round brilliance of narine – the latest trends, patterns and highlights from IPL 2024

Kolkata Knight Riders' Phil Salt (L) and Sunil Narine run between the wickets(AFP)

Cricket

Published on May 07, 2024 07:37 AM IST

ByNikhil Narain

Starc to Cummins: Big-ticket players finally making impact in IPL 2024

These were some of the highlights from our third feature in a series which tracks the performances of the 10 most expensive players in IPL 2024.

Cummins and Starc have showcased their bowling heroics at the death in the IPL 2024(AFP)

Cricket

Updated on May 06, 2024 10:03 AM IST

ByNikhil Narain, New Delhi

Sunil Narine: The most impactful player of IPL 2024 and by some distance

Narine’s blitzkrieg starts are the main reason why KKR have the upper hand in the powerplay and the best Net Run Rate in the tournament

Kolkata Knight Riders' Sunil Narine plays a shot(AP)

Cricket

Published on May 04, 2024 07:37 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

Rohit Sharma – How an all-time limited-overs great has underachieved in IPL

For someone with an outstanding batting record in limited-overs international cricket, Rohit Sharma hasn't been able to achieve the same success in IPL

Mumbai Indians batter Rohit Sharma runs between the wickets during the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium(PTI)

Cricket

Published on May 03, 2024 04:10 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

Shivam Dube's rise at CSK: How India star could be side's X-factor at T20 WC

CSK's Shivam Dube could just emerge as the X-factor for India in the mega event in America and the Caribbean.

Chennai Super Kings batter Shivam Dube plays a shot (PTI)

Cricket

Published on May 02, 2024 06:34 AM IST

ByNikhil Narain, New Delhi

With Rinku Singh relegated to reserves, who is India's finisher at World Cup?

Have India made a blunder by naming Rinku Singh in the reserves? With Hardik Pandya being the vice-captain, have they closed the door for Shivam Dube?

India's Rinku Singh and Sanju Samson during a practice session
(PTI)

Cricket

Updated on May 01, 2024 07:26 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain, New Delhi

Kohli scales mt. 500 at IPL 2024: What defines RCB icon's high-scoring rate?

RCB's Virat Kohli has been remarkably consistent in the IPL and piled on the big runs one season after the other.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli celebrates his fifty runs (AP)

Cricket

Published on Apr 30, 2024 11:01 AM IST

ByNikhil Narain, New Delhi

How Jake Fraser-McGurk’s powerplay blast has reversed Delhi Capitals’ fortunes

Jake Fraser-McGurk is blasting his way at the top of the order and is making a big impact for the Capitals as they make a dash for the playoffs.

Jake Fraser-McGurk had gone unsold at the IPL 2024 auction(AFP)

Cricket

Updated on Apr 29, 2024 07:32 AM IST

ByNikhil Narain

Is there a safe total in the IPL now?

There have already been eight 250-plus totals this season in the IPL.

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Heinrich Klaasen hits a six during a match.(AP)

Cricket

Published on Apr 28, 2024 12:59 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

Up, up and away: The Travis Head-Abhishek Sharma partnership is a game-changer

A statistical look at how every IPL franchise can benefit with a Abhishek Sharma-Travis Head kind of an opening pair at the top.

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma have been quite the revelation(ANI )

Cricket

Published on Apr 26, 2024 09:42 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

Has Rishabh Pant done enough to be India's first-choice wicketkeeper at T20 WC?

With the selectors set to pick the T20 squad for the World Cup next week, the knock against GT could not have come at a better time for the DC captain.

Cricket

Published on Apr 25, 2024 12:28 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

Sachin Tendulkar turns 51: Numbers which define the genius of the Master Blaster

On the 51st birthday of the living legend, Sachin Tendulkar, we look at a few numbers that define his glorious career.

Sachin Tendulkar turned 51 on Wendesday(PTI)

Cricket

Published on Apr 24, 2024 06:57 AM IST

ByNikhil Narain

CSK among 4 teams who will qualify for IPL 2024 playoffs, MI to get knocked out

The top four teams at the halfway mark will consolidate their positions even further and dominate their remaining fixtures, breaking away from the bottom six.

Chennai Super Kings' MS Dhoni (L), Ravindra Jadeja (R) and Deepak Chahar(AFP)

Cricket

Published on Apr 23, 2024 12:49 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

IPL mid-season review: Record-breaking SRH and exceptional Bumrah

The IPL 2024 started with a big advantage for the home team, but the pattern reversed after the initial set of matches.

CSK's MS Dhoni and RCB skipper Faf du Plessis with others during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match(PTI)

Cricket

Published on Apr 22, 2024 06:11 AM IST

ByNikhil Narain, New Delhi

Another season, same problem - Shocking bowling returns for RCB in IPL 2024

RCB's bowling has gone down by a few notches in this edition and RCB find themselves on the verge of playoff elimination this year.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj during the match against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League 2024(ANI)

Cricket

Published on Apr 20, 2024 06:02 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

Big ticket, flop show: Tracking the 10 most expensive players in IPL 2024

We track the highs and lows of the 10 big-ticket players including Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc in IPL 2024 as the season nears its halfway mark.

Pat Cummins (L) and Mitchell Starc were among the highest earners in the IPL 2024 auction(PTI)

Cricket

Published on Apr 19, 2024 06:43 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

Yashasvi a no-brainer, Hardik does not merit place in India's T20 WC squad

Does there need to be debate around Virat Kohli’s strike rate? Who occupies the crucial number 5 and 6 positions in the line-up?

Cricket

Published on Apr 17, 2024 09:21 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

IPL ticket price: Flying to Istanbul cheaper than watching Kohli in Bengaluru

IPL ticket price varies and depends on factors like the venue, day or evening match, teams contesting and brand value of the Indian and overseas stars playing.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli plays a shot at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru(AFP)

Cricket

Published on Apr 17, 2024 12:57 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

Record-breaking totals to most sixes: How batters are ruling the roost at IPL

We look at 10 numbers which have re-defined 2024 as the batter’s IPL.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's players exchange handshakes with other players after losing the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad by 25 runs
(ANI )

Cricket

Updated on Apr 16, 2024 07:38 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain, New Delhi

Hardik Pandya: No clarity in batting; inconsistent, expensive as bowler in IPL

Hardik Pandya returned to MI ahead of the 2024 season but his second homecoming hasn’t exactly been a bed of roses on and off the field.

Mumbai Indians bowler Hardik Pandya celebrates the wicket of Chennai Super Kings batter Daryl Mitchell (PTI)

Cricket

Updated on Apr 16, 2024 06:27 AM IST

ByNikhil Narain, New Delhi

MI vs CSK in numbers: All you need to know about IPL's ‘El Clasico’

Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings meet in a blockbuster IPL 2024 clash on Sunday.

MS Dhoni (L) and Rohit Sharma, the two most successful captains of CSK and MI, respectively. (IPL)

Cricket

Published on Apr 14, 2024 06:27 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

The genius of Boom Boom Bumrah in IPL 2024

That MI has the worst economy rate of 10.2 in this edition despite Bumrah’s exploits with the ball showcases how poor their other bowlers have fared as a unit.

Cricket

Published on Apr 13, 2024 08:58 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

Before criticising Virat Kohli's strike rate in IPL, take a look at these stats

Is the criticism of Virat Kohli's strike rate justified or is it motivated? Has he slowed down when nearing personal landmarks in the tournament?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli(PTI)

Cricket

Updated on Apr 11, 2024 07:47 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

Sensational stats reveal Rajasthan Royals are favourites to win IPL 2024

We look at some of the numbers which have defined the Rajasthan Royals' performance in IPL 2024.

Rajasthan Royals' Yuzvendra Chahal and skipper Sanju Samson(ANI)

Cricket

Updated on Apr 10, 2024 07:22 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

Abhishek Sharma 3.0 in IPL 2024: SRH star is devastating, aggressive, consistent

Abhishek Sharma – in his new avatar – dashing, aggressive and consistent – could well be the biggest game-changer for SRH this season.

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma plays a shot (ANI )

Cricket

Published on Apr 09, 2024 05:41 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

Gaikwad’s approach, sluggish Mitchell & Jadeja’s failures: CSK batting woes

CSK’s batting has come under the scanner – while Gaikwad is slow off the blocks against the new ball, Mitchell hasn’t had the best of starts to the season.

CSK stars Ruturaj Gaikwad, Daryl Mitchell and Ravindra Jadeja have failed to get going this season thus far.

Cricket

Published on Apr 08, 2024 06:30 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

Big bucks, not so big performance: Assessing IPL 2024's most expensive players

How the 10 most expensive players of IPL 2024 are faring in the tournament?

Mitchell Starc was expensive in the first two matches for KKR; Harshal Patel in action for PBKS(PTI)

Cricket

Published on Apr 07, 2024 08:16 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

RCB’s twin headaches in IPL 2024: Overseas runs drought, perennial bowling woes

‘Batters win matches but bowlers win tournaments’ still holds true! And maybe that explains why Royal Challengers Bengaluru have never won the IPL.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli and his captain Faf du Plessis (R)(AFP)

Cricket

Updated on Apr 06, 2024 06:26 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

IPL 2024 Early Trends: Run-rates, home advantage, KKR's aggression, MI's bowling

Here's are the statistical highlights from the first 17 matches of the IPL 2024.

Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head helped Sunrisers Hyderabad bludgeon 277 against Mumbai Indians. (PTI)

Cricket

Published on Apr 05, 2024 05:47 PM IST

ByNikhil Narain

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Nikhil Narain

Record-breaking 200+ totals, Royals’ team effort and the all-round brilliance of narine – the latest trends, patterns and highlights from IPL 2024

These were some of the highlights from our third feature in a series which tracks the performances of the 10 most expensive players in IPL 2024.

Narine’s blitzkrieg starts are the main reason why KKR have the upper hand in the powerplay and the best Net Run Rate in the tournament

For someone with an outstanding batting record in limited-overs international cricket, Rohit Sharma hasn't been able to achieve the same success in IPL

CSK's Shivam Dube could just emerge as the X-factor for India in the mega event in America and the Caribbean.

Have India made a blunder by naming Rinku Singh in the reserves? With Hardik Pandya being the vice-captain, have they closed the door for Shivam Dube?

RCB's Virat Kohli has been remarkably consistent in the IPL and piled on the big runs one season after the other.

Jake Fraser-McGurk is blasting his way at the top of the order and is making a big impact for the Capitals as they make a dash for the playoffs.

There have already been eight 250-plus totals this season in the IPL.

A statistical look at how every IPL franchise can benefit with a Abhishek Sharma-Travis Head kind of an opening pair at the top.

With the selectors set to pick the T20 squad for the World Cup next week, the knock against GT could not have come at a better time for the DC captain.

On the 51st birthday of the living legend, Sachin Tendulkar, we look at a few numbers that define his glorious career.

The top four teams at the halfway mark will consolidate their positions even further and dominate their remaining fixtures, breaking away from the bottom six.

The IPL 2024 started with a big advantage for the home team, but the pattern reversed after the initial set of matches.

RCB's bowling has gone down by a few notches in this edition and RCB find themselves on the verge of playoff elimination this year.

We track the highs and lows of the 10 big-ticket players including Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc in IPL 2024 as the season nears its halfway mark.

Does there need to be debate around Virat Kohli’s strike rate? Who occupies the crucial number 5 and 6 positions in the line-up?

IPL ticket price varies and depends on factors like the venue, day or evening match, teams contesting and brand value of the Indian and overseas stars playing.

We look at 10 numbers which have re-defined 2024 as the batter’s IPL.

Hardik Pandya returned to MI ahead of the 2024 season but his second homecoming hasn’t exactly been a bed of roses on and off the field.

Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings meet in a blockbuster IPL 2024 clash on Sunday.

That MI has the worst economy rate of 10.2 in this edition despite Bumrah’s exploits with the ball showcases how poor their other bowlers have fared as a unit.

Is the criticism of Virat Kohli's strike rate justified or is it motivated? Has he slowed down when nearing personal landmarks in the tournament?

We look at some of the numbers which have defined the Rajasthan Royals' performance in IPL 2024.

Abhishek Sharma – in his new avatar – dashing, aggressive and consistent – could well be the biggest game-changer for SRH this season.

CSK’s batting has come under the scanner – while Gaikwad is slow off the blocks against the new ball, Mitchell hasn’t had the best of starts to the season.

How the 10 most expensive players of IPL 2024 are faring in the tournament?

‘Batters win matches but bowlers win tournaments’ still holds true! And maybe that explains why Royal Challengers Bengaluru have never won the IPL.

Here's are the statistical highlights from the first 17 matches of the IPL 2024.

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