Shikhar Dhawan remains a big name in world cricket. Dhawan is one of the most prolific batters for Team India in white-ball formats. In his 15-year-long T20 career, after debuting for Delhi in 2007, the swashbuckling left-hander created history by becoming the first Indian player to hit 1000, or more, fours in T20 cricket.

Dhawan achieved this feat during his IPL franchise Punjab Kings' (PBKS) face-off versus Gujarat Titans (GT) in match 16 of the IPL 2022 edition, on Friday evening (April 8). Overall, he became the fifth player to join the elusive 1000-four club in the shortest format.&nbsp;

INDIANS WITH MOST 4s

1000*: Shikhar Dhawan

917: Virat Kohli

875: Rohit Sharma

779: Suresh Raina

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-rohit-sharma-talks-about-hunger-and-desperation-in-mi-dressing-room-after-kkr-loss-469426">WATCH: Rohit Sharma talks about 'hunger' and 'desperation' in MI dressing room after KKR loss</a>

Here's the overall list:

Most 4s in T20 Cricket History:

Chris Gayle - 1132 
Alex Hales - 1054 
David Warner - 1005 
Aaron Finch - 1004 
Shikhar Dhawan - 1001*

Eventually, Dhawan was out for a 30-ball 35, including 4 fours. The left-hander once again got a start in the 15th season, however, he couldn't make the most of it after falling to Rashid Khan in the 11th over.&nbsp;In addition, Dhawan also extended his lead in the list of most IPL fours as his overall&nbsp;tally now reads 668.

The left-handed opener Dhawan has scored more than 5,880 runs in the IPL and remains only&nbsp;behind Virat Kohli, who leads the scoring charts with 6,341 runs.&nbsp;

Shikhar Dhawan remains a big name in world cricket. Dhawan is one of the most prolific batters for Team India in white-ball formats. In his 15-year-long T20 career, after debuting for Delhi in 2007, the swashbuckling left-hander created history by becoming the first Indian player to hit 1000, or more, fours in T20 cricket.

Shikhar Dhawan remains a big name in world cricket. Dhawan is one of the most prolific batters for Team India in white-ball formats. In his 15-year-long T20 career, after debuting for Delhi in 2007, the swashbuckling left-hander created history by becoming the first Indian player to hit 1000, or more, fours in T20 cricket. Dhawan achieved this feat during his IPL franchise Punjab Kings' (PBKS) face-off versus Gujarat Titans (GT) in match 16 of the IPL 2022 edition, on Friday evening (April 8). Overall, he became the fifth player to join the elusive 1000-four club in the shortest format. INDIANS WITH MOST 4s 1000*: Shikhar Dhawan 917: Virat Kohli 875: Rohit Sharma 779: Suresh Raina ALSO READ | WATCH: Rohit Sharma talks about 'hunger' and 'desperation' in MI dressing room after KKR loss Here's the overall list: Most 4s in T20 Cricket History: Chris Gayle - 1132 Alex Hales - 1054 David Warner - 1005 Aaron Finch - 1004 Shikhar Dhawan - 1001* Eventually, Dhawan was out for a 30-ball 35, including 4 fours. The left-hander once again got a start in the 15th season, however, he couldn't make the most of it after falling to Rashid Khan in the 11th over. In addition, Dhawan also extended his lead in the list of most IPL fours as his overall tally now reads 668. The left-handed opener Dhawan has scored more than 5,880 runs in the IPL and remains only behind Virat Kohli, who leads the scoring charts with 6,341 runs.

IPL 2022: Shikhar Dhawan joins historic club, becomes 1st Indian with 1000-plus fours in T20 cricket

Anil Kumble coached India for a year, from early 2016 to mid-2017. The former Indian captain's tenure was a quite a tale in itself. While he led India to considerable success across formats, his term came to an end unceremoniously after a fallout with then skipper Virat Kohli.

As a result, Kohli got the upper hand and Kumble was succeeded by ex all-rounder Ravi Shastri who later forged a lethal pair with the former. Former Auditor General (CAG)&nbsp;Vinod Rai reflected on Kumble's coaching saga. He&nbsp;revealed how he had to involve Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar when he felt Kohli and Kumble weren't on the same page.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/younger-members-of-the-team-felt-intimidated-by-anil-kumble-vinod-rai-reveals-chat-with-virat-kohi-468541">Younger members of the team felt intimidated by Anil Kumble: Vinod Rai reveals chat with Virat Kohli</a>

"See, I have on record said that we couldn’t have got a better coach than Kumble and we could have treated a cricketing legend like him much better. I find it intriguing that he was given a one-year term in 2016, while his predecessor (Ravi Shastri) was given two years term. Kumble was not only given one-year tenure but also there was no extension clause in his contract. Had there been an extension clause, I would have readily extended it," said Rai in conversation with&nbsp;FirstPost.

He further opined, "It was on this issue that Ram Guha was upset. He wanted us to automatically extend his term. Now, just imagine if we had extended the term, and somebody only to embarrass the CoA had gone to court, he could have easily stalled our move. So, I decided to follow the process and let Kumble be an automatic inclusion in the process."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-was-unhappy-with-anil-kumble-for-not-standing-up-for-players-claims-former-bcci-official-450649">Virat Kohli was unhappy with Anil Kumble for 'not standing up for players', claims former BCCI official</a>

Rai added, But when Virat Kohli raised the issue of younger players being intimidated by Kumble’s disciplinarian approach, I took the lead in speaking to Sachin Tendulkar. I saw myself as a rank outsider. Why would players listen to me? But if someone like Sachin (Tendulkar), Sourav (Ganguly) or VVS (Laxman) speaks to the team management or the players, there is a greater chance of a breakthrough. Still, I believe the entire episode could have been handled 100 times better."

Eventually, many firmly believe that the entire Kumble-Kohli saga could've been handled in a much better way. With the former leg spinner being one of India's biggest match-winners to date, his exit from the head coach position remains one of the forgettable chapters of Indian cricket.

Anil Kumble coached India for a year, from early 2016 to mid-2017. The former Indian captain's tenure was a quite a tale in itself. While he led India to considerable success across formats, his term came to an end unceremoniously after a fallout with then skipper Virat Kohli.

Anil Kumble coached India for a year, from early 2016 to mid-2017. The former Indian captain's tenure was a quite a tale in itself. While he led India to considerable success across formats, his term came to an end unceremoniously after a fallout with then skipper Virat Kohli. As a result, Kohli got the upper hand and Kumble was succeeded by ex all-rounder Ravi Shastri who later forged a lethal pair with the former. Former Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai reflected on Kumble's coaching saga. He revealed how he had to involve Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar when he felt Kohli and Kumble weren't on the same page. ALSO READ | Younger members of the team felt intimidated by Anil Kumble: Vinod Rai reveals chat with Virat Kohli "See, I have on record said that we couldn’t have got a better coach than Kumble and we could have treated a cricketing legend like him much better. I find it intriguing that he was given a one-year term in 2016, while his predecessor (Ravi Shastri) was given two years term. Kumble was not only given one-year tenure but also there was no extension clause in his contract. Had there been an extension clause, I would have readily extended it," said Rai in conversation with FirstPost. He further opined, "It was on this issue that Ram Guha was upset. He wanted us to automatically extend his term. Now, just imagine if we had extended the term, and somebody only to embarrass the CoA had gone to court, he could have easily stalled our move. So, I decided to follow the process and let Kumble be an automatic inclusion in the process." ALSO READ | Virat Kohli was unhappy with Anil Kumble for 'not standing up for players', claims former BCCI official Rai added, But when Virat Kohli raised the issue of younger players being intimidated by Kumble’s disciplinarian approach, I took the lead in speaking to Sachin Tendulkar. I saw myself as a rank outsider. Why would players listen to me? But if someone like Sachin (Tendulkar), Sourav (Ganguly) or VVS (Laxman) speaks to the team management or the players, there is a greater chance of a breakthrough. Still, I believe the entire episode could have been handled 100 times better." Eventually, many firmly believe that the entire Kumble-Kohli saga could've been handled in a much better way. With the former leg spinner being one of India's biggest match-winners to date, his exit from the head coach position remains one of the forgettable chapters of Indian cricket.

When Virat Kohli raised issue, I spoke to Sachin Tendulkar: Vinod Rai recalls Anil Kumble's coaching stint

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have been on a roll after a loss in their opening game of IPL 2022. Since their defeat to Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT), the LSG franchise have made it three wins in a row following their triumph over the Delhi Capitals (DC) in match 15 of IPL 2022&nbsp;on Thursday evening (April 7).

Chasing a modest 150, LSG rode on Quinton de Kock's 80 and finishing knocks from Krunal Pandya and their young sensation Ayush Badoni (3-ball 10 not out) when the match went to the final over to win by six wickets. Following the winning runs, Badoni made heads turn by copying former Indian and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli's celebration style.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/drunk-mi-player-dangled-me-off-a-15th-floor-balcony-yuzvendra-chahal-shares-shocking-experience-469326">'Drunk MI player dangled me off a 15th floor balcony': Yuzvendra Chahal shares shocking experience</a>

With five needed off equal number of balls, Badoni joined Krunal in the middle and displayed nerves of steel to win the game for his side with a four and a six after a dot ball. Here's how he imitated Kohli after the winning runs:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
VIRAT KOHLI INFLUENCE ON YOUNGER GENERATION. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AyushBadoni?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AyushBadoni</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2022</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ViratKohli%F0%93%83%B5?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ViratKohli𓃵</a> <a href="https://t.co/GdadsAFIXV">pic.twitter.com/GdadsAFIXV</a>
— Hemant Singh (@hemant18326) <a href="https://twitter.com/hemant18326/status/1512272488381657091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-how-kkrs-pat-cummins-trained-at-the-nets-ahead-of-his-joint-fastest-ipl-fifty-in-mi-tie-469139">Watch: How KKR's Pat Cummins trained at the nets ahead of his joint-fastest IPL fifty in MI tie</a>

Heaping praise on the young Badoni, captain KL Rahul said at the post-match presentation, "He (Badoni) has held his nerve everytime he has gone into bat and he's delivered for us under pressure. Great learning for him, important for him to keep working hard and stay humble."

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have been on a roll after a loss in their opening game of IPL 2022. Since their defeat to Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT), the LSG franchise have made it three wins in a row following their triumph over the Delhi Capitals (DC) in match 15 of IPL 2022 on Thursday evening (April 7).

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have been on a roll after a loss in their opening game of IPL 2022. Since their defeat to Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT), the LSG franchise have made it three wins in a row following their triumph over the Delhi Capitals (DC) in match 15 of IPL 2022 on Thursday evening (April 7). Chasing a modest 150, LSG rode on Quinton de Kock's 80 and finishing knocks from Krunal Pandya and their young sensation Ayush Badoni (3-ball 10 not out) when the match went to the final over to win by six wickets. Following the winning runs, Badoni made heads turn by copying former Indian and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli's celebration style. ALSO READ | 'Drunk MI player dangled me off a 15th floor balcony': Yuzvendra Chahal shares shocking experience With five needed off equal number of balls, Badoni joined Krunal in the middle and displayed nerves of steel to win the game for his side with a four and a six after a dot ball. Here's how he imitated Kohli after the winning runs: VIRAT KOHLI INFLUENCE ON YOUNGER GENERATION. #AyushBadoni #IPL2022 #ViratKohli𓃵 pic.twitter.com/GdadsAFIXV — Hemant Singh (@hemant18326) April 8, 2022 × ALSO READ | Watch: How KKR's Pat Cummins trained at the nets ahead of his joint-fastest IPL fifty in MI tie Heaping praise on the young Badoni, captain KL Rahul said at the post-match presentation, "He (Badoni) has held his nerve everytime he has gone into bat and he's delivered for us under pressure. Great learning for him, important for him to keep working hard and stay humble."

IPL 2022: Ayush Badoni imitates Virat Kohli’s celebration style after LSG's win over DC - WATCH

India and Pakistan haven't played a bilateral series since early 2013. Due to the political tension between the neighbouring countries, both sides continue to meet each other only in multi-nation or ICC events. During last year's T20 World Cup, in the UAE, the two Asian giants squared off against each other in the Super 12 round, which was a sellout in no time.

Thus, Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja remains hopeful of a fruitful talk with the Sourav Ganguly-led Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to convince their counterpart for a bilateral series in 2024-25. For the unversed, PCB will hold talks with the BCCI in Dubai, from April 7-10, and is expecting a favourable response from the latter, keeping politics aside.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/yuvraj-is-not-one-of-those-dhoni-is-paddy-upton-feels-ex-india-captain-a-massive-high-pressure-player-468850">Yuvraj is not one of those, Dhoni is: Paddy Upton feels ex-India captain a 'massive high-pressure' player</a>

As per PTI, Ramiz is planning to the senior BCCI officials on the sidelines of the ICC event and&nbsp;extend his proposal of a four-nation tournament along with discussing matters on the Asia Cup.

In a recent interview, Ramiz had mentioned that since the BCCI is being led by a cricketer, he has his hopes&nbsp;pinned&nbsp;on not leaving&nbsp;fans deprived&nbsp;of&nbsp;India-Pakistan bilateral series.

"India-Pakistan (2022 T20 World Cup) tickets were sold in one day, we don't have a political perspective on things and if a fellow cricketer is leading the BCCI, we should be approachable to each other since we don't know politics," said Ramiz.

"I'll talk to Ganguly regarding a four-nation tournament. The future of cricket is in triangular and four-nation competitions. Twenty20 leagues are taking away eyeballs from bilateral cricket, of which the novelty factor is decreasing," he further added.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/being-a-cricketer-i-have-suffered-ex-pakistan-captain-on-why-he-doesnt-want-his-son-to-take-up-cricket-468854">'Being a cricketer, I have suffered': Ex-Pakistan captain on why he doesn't want his son to take up cricket</a>

After the New Zealand tour of Pakistan got cancelled at the last minute in September 2021, with the tourists citing security concerns, the Men in Green have got back to hosting games and recently held an all-format series against Australia. Thus, Ramiz remains confident of Pakistan getting more hosting rights in the future and has a window open in the 2024-25 to host India.&nbsp;

India and Pakistan haven't played a bilateral series since early 2013. Due to the political tension between the neighbouring countries, both sides continue to meet each other only in multi-nation or ICC events.

India and Pakistan haven't played a bilateral series since early 2013. Due to the political tension between the neighbouring countries, both sides continue to meet each other only in multi-nation or ICC events. During last year's T20 World Cup, in the UAE, the two Asian giants squared off against each other in the Super 12 round, which was a sellout in no time. Thus, Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja remains hopeful of a fruitful talk with the Sourav Ganguly-led Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to convince their counterpart for a bilateral series in 2024-25. For the unversed, PCB will hold talks with the BCCI in Dubai, from April 7-10, and is expecting a favourable response from the latter, keeping politics aside. ALSO READ | Yuvraj is not one of those, Dhoni is: Paddy Upton feels ex-India captain a 'massive high-pressure' player As per PTI, Ramiz is planning to the senior BCCI officials on the sidelines of the ICC event and extend his proposal of a four-nation tournament along with discussing matters on the Asia Cup. In a recent interview, Ramiz had mentioned that since the BCCI is being led by a cricketer, he has his hopes pinned on not leaving fans deprived of India-Pakistan bilateral series. "India-Pakistan (2022 T20 World Cup) tickets were sold in one day, we don't have a political perspective on things and if a fellow cricketer is leading the BCCI, we should be approachable to each other since we don't know politics," said Ramiz. "I'll talk to Ganguly regarding a four-nation tournament. The future of cricket is in triangular and four-nation competitions. Twenty20 leagues are taking away eyeballs from bilateral cricket, of which the novelty factor is decreasing," he further added. ALSO READ | 'Being a cricketer, I have suffered': Ex-Pakistan captain on why he doesn't want his son to take up cricket After the New Zealand tour of Pakistan got cancelled at the last minute in September 2021, with the tourists citing security concerns, the Men in Green have got back to hosting games and recently held an all-format series against Australia. Thus, Ramiz remains confident of Pakistan getting more hosting rights in the future and has a window open in the 2024-25 to host India.

PCB chairman Ramiz Raja pins hopes of bilateral series between India-Pakistan in 2024-25

From Buttler's special ton to DK-Shahbaz Ahmed's fireworks: How RCB ended RR's unbeaten run

Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Rajasthan Royals by four wickets in the Indian Premier League here on Tuesday. Sent to bat, Jos Buttler scored an unbeaten 70 off 47 balls, while Shimron Hetmyer (42 not out) and Devdutt Padikkal (37) also made valuable contributions to power the Royals to 169 for 3.

In reply, Dinesh Karthik smashed an unbeaten 44 off 23 balls and stitched a match-winning 67-run partnership with Shahbaz Ahmed (45 off 26) to lead RCB to their second win of the tournament. For RCB, Wanindu Hasaranga (1/32), Harshal Patel (1/18) and David Willey 1/29 took a wicket each.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-buttlers-special-ton-to-dk-shahbaz-ahmeds-fireworks-how-rcb-ended-rrs-unbeaten-run-468713">From Buttler's special ton to DK-Shahbaz Ahmed's fireworks: How RCB ended RR's unbeaten run</a>

Brief Score: 
Rajasthan Royals: 169 for 3 in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 70 not out, Shimron Hetmyer 42 not out; Wanindu Hasaranga 1/32, Harshal Patel 1/18, David Willey 1/29) lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore: 173 for 6 in 19.1 overs (Dinesh Karthik 44 not out, Shahbaz Ahmed 45; Yuzvendra Chahal 2/15) by 4 wickets.

Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Rajasthan Royals by four wickets in the Indian Premier League here on Tuesday. Sent to bat, Jos Buttler scored an unbeaten 70 off 47 balls, while Shimron Hetmyer (42 not out) and Devdutt Padikkal (37) also made valuable contributions to power the Royals to 169 for 3.

Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Rajasthan Royals by four wickets in the Indian Premier League here on Tuesday. Sent to bat, Jos Buttler scored an unbeaten 70 off 47 balls, while Shimron Hetmyer (42 not out) and Devdutt Padikkal (37) also made valuable contributions to power the Royals to 169 for 3. In reply, Dinesh Karthik smashed an unbeaten 44 off 23 balls and stitched a match-winning 67-run partnership with Shahbaz Ahmed (45 off 26) to lead RCB to their second win of the tournament. For RCB, Wanindu Hasaranga (1/32), Harshal Patel (1/18) and David Willey 1/29 took a wicket each. ALSO READ | From Buttler's special ton to DK-Shahbaz Ahmed's fireworks: How RCB ended RR's unbeaten run Brief Score: Rajasthan Royals: 169 for 3 in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 70 not out, Shimron Hetmyer 42 not out; Wanindu Hasaranga 1/32, Harshal Patel 1/18, David Willey 1/29) lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore: 173 for 6 in 19.1 overs (Dinesh Karthik 44 not out, Shahbaz Ahmed 45; Yuzvendra Chahal 2/15) by 4 wickets.

IPL 2022: Dinesh Karthik, Shahbaz Ahmed propel RCB to stunning 4-wicket win over RR

Jos Buttler has been in top form in the IPL 2022 edition. After scoring 35 in Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals (RR)'s season-opener, versus the one-time winners Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), the Englishman slammed an impressive 68-ball 100 in Rajasthan's second game, i.e. versus the Mumbai Indians (MI). In RR's third encounter, versus Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Tuesday evening (April 05), Buttler has continued his rich vein of form and returned with an unbeaten 70, at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

While it was another class inning from Buttler, he ensured Samson &amp; Co. got to a good total; 169-3 in 20 overs (after they were asked to bat first). Courtesy his knock, the swashbuckling keeper-batter entered the 100-sixes club. Thus, he has joined some big names in the cash-rich league who have smashed more than 100 maximums in the tournament. Overall, he became the 26th player to enter the elite club.&nbsp;

Overall, the list is spearheaded by Universe Boss Chris Gayle with AB de Villiers, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni and Kieron Pollard following suit.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mi-star-ishan-kishan-shares-a-hilarious-incident-on-how-ms-dhonis-hand-gestures-left-him-puzzled-468663">MI star Ishan Kishan shares a hilarious incident on how MS Dhoni's hand-gestures left him puzzled</a>

Most sixes hit in IPL

Chris Gayle - 357

AB de Villiers - 251

Rohit Sharma - 232

MS Dhoni - 222

Kieron Pollard - 215

Virat Kohli - 212

Suresh Raina - 203

David Warner - 201

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/photos/from-chris-gayle-to-kieron-pollard-big-hitters-with-most-sixes-in-ipl-467502">From Chris Gayle to Kieron Pollard: Big-hitters with most sixes in IPL</a>

The players to have smashed 100, or more, sixes also include the likes of Shane Watson, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, Yuvraj Singh, Sanju Samson and many others. Buttler's tally now stands at 103 after his unbeaten knock versus RCB at the Wankhede. In addition, he became the Orange Cap holder during his knock versus RCB.

At the innings break, Buttler told the broadcasters, "The surface feels a little bit soft. The slower balls and Hasaranga with his googly was slow off the wicket. We'll have to see if it changes with the dew. It was frustrating, but sometimes you have to suck it up and keep going. (On the dew) We're definitely in the game, but a lot will depend on the conditions. I'll still back my bowlers to defend it."

Jos Buttler has been in top form in the IPL 2022 edition. After scoring 35 in Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals (RR)'s season-opener, versus the one-time winners Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), the Englishman slammed an impressive 68-ball 100 in Rajasthan's second game, i.

Jos Buttler has been in top form in the IPL 2022 edition. After scoring 35 in Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals (RR)'s season-opener, versus the one-time winners Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), the Englishman slammed an impressive 68-ball 100 in Rajasthan's second game, i.e. versus the Mumbai Indians (MI). In RR's third encounter, versus Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Tuesday evening (April 05), Buttler has continued his rich vein of form and returned with an unbeaten 70, at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. While it was another class inning from Buttler, he ensured Samson & Co. got to a good total; 169-3 in 20 overs (after they were asked to bat first). Courtesy his knock, the swashbuckling keeper-batter entered the 100-sixes club. Thus, he has joined some big names in the cash-rich league who have smashed more than 100 maximums in the tournament. Overall, he became the 26th player to enter the elite club. Overall, the list is spearheaded by Universe Boss Chris Gayle with AB de Villiers, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni and Kieron Pollard following suit. ALSO READ | MI star Ishan Kishan shares a hilarious incident on how MS Dhoni's hand-gestures left him puzzled Most sixes hit in IPL Chris Gayle - 357 AB de Villiers - 251 Rohit Sharma - 232 MS Dhoni - 222 Kieron Pollard - 215 Virat Kohli - 212 Suresh Raina - 203 David Warner - 201 ALSO READ | From Chris Gayle to Kieron Pollard: Big-hitters with most sixes in IPL The players to have smashed 100, or more, sixes also include the likes of Shane Watson, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, Yuvraj Singh, Sanju Samson and many others. Buttler's tally now stands at 103 after his unbeaten knock versus RCB at the Wankhede. In addition, he became the Orange Cap holder during his knock versus RCB. At the innings break, Buttler told the broadcasters, "The surface feels a little bit soft. The slower balls and Hasaranga with his googly was slow off the wicket. We'll have to see if it changes with the dew. It was frustrating, but sometimes you have to suck it up and keep going. (On the dew) We're definitely in the game, but a lot will depend on the conditions. I'll still back my bowlers to defend it."

IPL 2022: Jos Buttler joins big names as RR opener enters 100-sixes club during RCB encounter

Anil Kumble served as Team India's head coach for a year, from early 2016 to mid-2017. While he had a successful run as the head coach of the senior men's team, his tenure ended unceremoniously following his infamous fallout with then captain Virat Kohli.

As a result, Kumble's tenure came to an end after India's massive 2017 Champions Trophy final loss, to Pakistan, and the former leg-spinner was replaced by Ravi Shastri at the top job. A lot has been said and written about Kohli's relationship with Kumble and how the two created differences, which led to the ouster of the latter.&nbsp;

In his book&nbsp;Not Just a Nightwatchman, former Auditor General (CAG)&nbsp;Vinod Rai&nbsp;has revealed that Kohli had stated that “young members of the Indian team felt intimidated by Kumble”. While Rai maintained that the relationship between Kohli and Kumble was quite strained and going downhill,&nbsp;things could've been handled in a much better way than how it finally turned out to be.

"In my conversations with the captain and team management, it was conveyed that Kumble was too much of a disciplinarian and hence the team members were not too happy with him. I had spoken to Virat Kohli on the issue and he did mention that the younger members of the team felt intimidated by the way he worked with them,” Rai has written in his book.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-was-unhappy-with-anil-kumble-for-not-standing-up-for-players-claims-former-bcci-official-450649">Virat Kohli was unhappy with Anil Kumble for 'not standing up for players', claims former BCCI official</a>

“We had long conversations with Kumble after he had returned from the UK. He was obviously upset about the manner in which the entire episode had panned out. He felt he had been unfairly treated and a captain or team should not be given so much importance. It was the duty of the coach to bring discipline and professionalism into the team and as a senior, his views should have been respected by the players,” Rai further wrote.

<section>
“They felt that the differences were fairly severe and maybe it was only the CAC that would be best suited to have a thorough discussion with both of them. Soon, the CAC met in London and interacted with the two separately, in a bid to resolve the issue. After deliberations over three days, they decided to recommend Kumble’s reappointment as the head coach,” Rai&nbsp;pointed out&nbsp;in his book.

The Kohli-Kumble partnership was short-lived, however, the duo enjoyed a dream run as captain-coach for a year. During Kumble's coaching period, India were unbeaten at home -- in four back-to-back Test series -- whereas they also reached the summit clash of the 2017 Champions Trophy, in England and Wales.&nbsp;

After Kumble's departure, Shastri took over as the head coach and formed a lethal pair with Kohli till 2021 end.&nbsp;
</section>

Anil Kumble served as Team India's head coach for a year, from early 2016 to mid-2017. While he had a successful run as the head coach of the senior men's team, his tenure ended unceremoniously following his infamous fallout with then captain Virat Kohli.

Anil Kumble served as Team India's head coach for a year, from early 2016 to mid-2017. While he had a successful run as the head coach of the senior men's team, his tenure ended unceremoniously following his infamous fallout with then captain Virat Kohli. As a result, Kumble's tenure came to an end after India's massive 2017 Champions Trophy final loss, to Pakistan, and the former leg-spinner was replaced by Ravi Shastri at the top job. A lot has been said and written about Kohli's relationship with Kumble and how the two created differences, which led to the ouster of the latter. In his book Not Just a Nightwatchman, former Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai has revealed that Kohli had stated that “young members of the Indian team felt intimidated by Kumble”. While Rai maintained that the relationship between Kohli and Kumble was quite strained and going downhill, things could've been handled in a much better way than how it finally turned out to be. "In my conversations with the captain and team management, it was conveyed that Kumble was too much of a disciplinarian and hence the team members were not too happy with him. I had spoken to Virat Kohli on the issue and he did mention that the younger members of the team felt intimidated by the way he worked with them,” Rai has written in his book. ALSO READ | Virat Kohli was unhappy with Anil Kumble for 'not standing up for players', claims former BCCI official “We had long conversations with Kumble after he had returned from the UK. He was obviously upset about the manner in which the entire episode had panned out. He felt he had been unfairly treated and a captain or team should not be given so much importance. It was the duty of the coach to bring discipline and professionalism into the team and as a senior, his views should have been respected by the players,” Rai further wrote. “They felt that the differences were fairly severe and maybe it was only the CAC that would be best suited to have a thorough discussion with both of them. Soon, the CAC met in London and interacted with the two separately, in a bid to resolve the issue. After deliberations over three days, they decided to recommend Kumble’s reappointment as the head coach,” Rai pointed out in his book. The Kohli-Kumble partnership was short-lived, however, the duo enjoyed a dream run as captain-coach for a year. During Kumble's coaching period, India were unbeaten at home -- in four back-to-back Test series -- whereas they also reached the summit clash of the 2017 Champions Trophy, in England and Wales. After Kumble's departure, Shastri took over as the head coach and formed a lethal pair with Kohli till 2021 end.

Younger members of the team felt intimidated by Anil Kumble: Vinod Rai reveals chat with Virat Kohli

Match 13 of the IPL 2022 edition will see the one-time winners Rajasthan Royals (RR) face the three-time runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday evening (April 5).&nbsp;

Both sides are coming into this game on the back of a win in their previous outing. While RCB beat the two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a low-scoring thriller last week, RR emerged on top of the five-time winners Mumbai Indians (MI) in a high-scoring encounter on April 2 (Saturday) to remain unbeaten after their opening two fixtures.&nbsp;

So far, RR have played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune and at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai. Thus, they will be tested at the Wankhede, where the pitch has tested the batters and has assisted the pacers in the powerplays. It will be interesting to see how they respond to the change in conditions at the iconic stadium.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rr-vs-rcb-ipl-2022-prediction-today-who-will-win-rajasthan-royals-vs-royal-challengers-bangalore-match-468479">RR vs RCB, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore match?</a>

Predicting RR's XI for RCB fixture

Given that RR have a settled line-up, with their batters expressing themselves and having a lot of variety in the bowling department, they might not be willing to make wholesome changes in the line-up. Nonetheless, they would be hoping for a turnaround from Yashasvi Jaiswal, who hasn't performed so far in the two games (scoring 20 and 1). The other chink in RR's armour can be their sixth bowling option. They will hope for their main bowlers to strike at regular intervals as&nbsp;Riyan Parag is their only additional option if one from their bowling unit has an off-day

Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (c &amp; wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Navdeep Saini, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishna

Match 13 of the IPL 2022 edition will see the one-time winners Rajasthan Royals (RR) face the three-time runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday evening (April 5).

Match 13 of the IPL 2022 edition will see the one-time winners Rajasthan Royals (RR) face the three-time runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday evening (April 5). Both sides are coming into this game on the back of a win in their previous outing. While RCB beat the two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a low-scoring thriller last week, RR emerged on top of the five-time winners Mumbai Indians (MI) in a high-scoring encounter on April 2 (Saturday) to remain unbeaten after their opening two fixtures. So far, RR have played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune and at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai. Thus, they will be tested at the Wankhede, where the pitch has tested the batters and has assisted the pacers in the powerplays. It will be interesting to see how they respond to the change in conditions at the iconic stadium. ALSO READ | RR vs RCB, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore match? Predicting RR's XI for RCB fixture Given that RR have a settled line-up, with their batters expressing themselves and having a lot of variety in the bowling department, they might not be willing to make wholesome changes in the line-up. Nonetheless, they would be hoping for a turnaround from Yashasvi Jaiswal, who hasn't performed so far in the two games (scoring 20 and 1). The other chink in RR's armour can be their sixth bowling option. They will hope for their main bowlers to strike at regular intervals as Riyan Parag is their only additional option if one from their bowling unit has an off-day Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Navdeep Saini, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishna

IPL 2022: Will table-toppers go unchanged? Predicting Sanju Samson-led RR's likely playing XI vs RCB

Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul became the fifth Indian cricketer to score fifty half centuries in T20 cricket during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday. It was a steady knock from the opener as he brought up his fifty in just 40 deliveries.<o:p></o:p>

Thanks to the half century, Rahul joined an elite list headed by Virat Kohli who has scored 76 fifties and India skipper Rohit Sharma who has 69 fifties to his name. The other two cricketers in the list are Shikhar Dhawan with 63 fifties and former Chennai Super Kings batsman Suresh Raina with 53 fifties.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-srh-skipper-kane-williamson-pulls-off-sharp-catch-to-dismiss-quinton-de-kock-watch-468340" hreflang="en">Kane Williamson pulls off sharp catch to dismiss Quinton de Kock - WATCH</a>

This was also Rahul’s 28th IPL fifty and he is currently tied with Kolkata Knight Riders opener Ajinkya Rahane as ninth in the list of cricketers with the most half centuries in the tournament.<o:p></o:p>

Rahul started his IPL career with Royal Challengers Bangalore and although he had a good outing in 2016, he was released by the franchise. He moved to Punjab Kings and even led the side in 2019 and 2020 – two seasons which saw consistent performances from the cricketer with the bat.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-bowler-imitates-jasprit-bumrahs-bowling-action-during-sheffield-shield-final-watch-468313" hreflang="en">Australian bowler imitates Jasprit Bumrah's bowling action during Sheffield Shield final - WATCH</a>

Ahead of the IPL 2022 season, Rahul parted ways with the Punjab franchise and was retained by Lucknow Super Giants ahead of the mega auction for a mammoth INR 17 crore. The Karnataka cricketer did not start the tournament well as he was caught on the first ball against Gujarat Titans but he came back strong with a well-played 40 against the defending champions Chennai Super Kings.<o:p></o:p>

Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul became the fifth Indian cricketer to score fifty half centuries in T20 cricket during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday.

Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul became the fifth Indian cricketer to score fifty half centuries in T20 cricket during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday. It was a steady knock from the opener as he brought up his fifty in just 40 deliveries. Thanks to the half century, Rahul joined an elite list headed by Virat Kohli who has scored 76 fifties and India skipper Rohit Sharma who has 69 fifties to his name. The other two cricketers in the list are Shikhar Dhawan with 63 fifties and former Chennai Super Kings batsman Suresh Raina with 53 fifties. Also read | Kane Williamson pulls off sharp catch to dismiss Quinton de Kock - WATCH This was also Rahul’s 28th IPL fifty and he is currently tied with Kolkata Knight Riders opener Ajinkya Rahane as ninth in the list of cricketers with the most half centuries in the tournament. Rahul started his IPL career with Royal Challengers Bangalore and although he had a good outing in 2016, he was released by the franchise. He moved to Punjab Kings and even led the side in 2019 and 2020 – two seasons which saw consistent performances from the cricketer with the bat. Also read | Australian bowler imitates Jasprit Bumrah's bowling action during Sheffield Shield final - WATCH Ahead of the IPL 2022 season, Rahul parted ways with the Punjab franchise and was retained by Lucknow Super Giants ahead of the mega auction for a mammoth INR 17 crore. The Karnataka cricketer did not start the tournament well as he was caught on the first ball against Gujarat Titans but he came back strong with a well-played 40 against the defending champions Chennai Super Kings.

IPL 2022: KL Rahul scores 50th T20 fifty, joins Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in elite list

Virat Kohli and Cristiano Ronaldo are, undoubtedly, superstar athletes in the modern era. While one has conquered several highs in the gentlemen's game, both for Team India and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the other has also taken football forward with his fitness, skills, talent, agility and presence, be it for Portugal or various club teams he has represented so far.

It is also not an unknown fact that Kohli is a huge Ronaldo fan. Recently, during an interaction, the 33-year-old Kohli shared what he will do if he woke up on one fine day and becomes Ronaldo. Stepping in as the superstar footballer, Kohli revealed what he will do in a recent video posted by the RCB Youtube channel.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-chris-gayle-virat-kohli-to-ab-de-villiers-superstar-batters-with-most-ipl-hundreds-463535">From Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli to AB de Villiers - Superstar batters with most IPL hundreds</a>

Firstly,&nbsp;the former Indian captain was asked about his favourite athlete of all time. Without any hesitation, he was quick to respond and said, "Cristiano Ronaldo." To this, he was asked&nbsp;what is the first thing that he would do if he woke up as the Portugal skipper, the former RCB captain&nbsp;replied, "I would do a scan of my brain [if he was Ronaldo] and see where all that mental strength comes from (smiles)."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-manchester-uniteds-hopes-of-a-top-four-finish-dented-after-draw-against-leicester-city-467922">Premier League: Manchester United's hopes of a top-four finish dented after draw against Leicester City</a>

Kohli is currently part of the three-time runners-up RCB franchise in the ongoing IPL 2022 edition in India. On the other hand, Ronaldo wasn't part of Manchester United's 1-1 draw versus Leicester City in the Premier League encounter on April 2 (Saturday).&nbsp;

Virat Kohli and Cristiano Ronaldo are, undoubtedly, superstar athletes in the modern era. While one has conquered several highs in the gentlemen's game, both for Team India and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the other has also taken football forward with his fitness, skills, talent, agility and presence, be it for Portugal or various club teams he has represented so far.

Virat Kohli and Cristiano Ronaldo are, undoubtedly, superstar athletes in the modern era. While one has conquered several highs in the gentlemen's game, both for Team India and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the other has also taken football forward with his fitness, skills, talent, agility and presence, be it for Portugal or various club teams he has represented so far. It is also not an unknown fact that Kohli is a huge Ronaldo fan. Recently, during an interaction, the 33-year-old Kohli shared what he will do if he woke up on one fine day and becomes Ronaldo. Stepping in as the superstar footballer, Kohli revealed what he will do in a recent video posted by the RCB Youtube channel. ALSO READ | From Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli to AB de Villiers - Superstar batters with most IPL hundreds Firstly, the former Indian captain was asked about his favourite athlete of all time. Without any hesitation, he was quick to respond and said, "Cristiano Ronaldo." To this, he was asked what is the first thing that he would do if he woke up as the Portugal skipper, the former RCB captain replied, "I would do a scan of my brain [if he was Ronaldo] and see where all that mental strength comes from (smiles)." ALSO READ | Premier League: Manchester United's hopes of a top-four finish dented after draw against Leicester City Kohli is currently part of the three-time runners-up RCB franchise in the ongoing IPL 2022 edition in India. On the other hand, Ronaldo wasn't part of Manchester United's 1-1 draw versus Leicester City in the Premier League encounter on April 2 (Saturday).

Virat Kohli reveals what he would do first if he woke up as Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo

Madhya Pradesh batter Rajat Patidar has been roped in by Royal Challengers Bangalore as a replacement for injured Luvnith Sisodia for the remainder of the Indian Premier League season, the franchise said on Sunday.

Patidar, who has scored 861 runs with the help of seven half-centuries at an average of 30.75 and strike-rate of 138.64 in 31 T20s, had previously represented the RCB franchise four times.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-is-not-finished-mohammad-kaif-makes-big-prediction-about-ms-dhonis-ipl-future-467983">'He is not finished': Mohammad Kaif makes big prediction about MS Dhoni's IPL future</a>

The 28-year-old from Indore has also scored 2588 runs in 39 first-class matches at an average of 40.43 with seven hundreds and 14 fifties. 
The right-handed batter will join RCB for Rs 20 lakh.

RCB have played two matches so far this season and won and lost a game each.

They will take on Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday at the Wankhede Stadium here.

Madhya Pradesh batter Rajat Patidar has been roped in by Royal Challengers Bangalore as a replacement for injured Luvnith Sisodia for the remainder of the Indian Premier League season, the franchise said on Sunday.

Madhya Pradesh batter Rajat Patidar has been roped in by Royal Challengers Bangalore as a replacement for injured Luvnith Sisodia for the remainder of the Indian Premier League season, the franchise said on Sunday. Patidar, who has scored 861 runs with the help of seven half-centuries at an average of 30.75 and strike-rate of 138.64 in 31 T20s, had previously represented the RCB franchise four times. ALSO READ: 'He is not finished': Mohammad Kaif makes big prediction about MS Dhoni's IPL future The 28-year-old from Indore has also scored 2588 runs in 39 first-class matches at an average of 40.43 with seven hundreds and 14 fifties. The right-handed batter will join RCB for Rs 20 lakh. RCB have played two matches so far this season and won and lost a game each. They will take on Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday at the Wankhede Stadium here.

IPL 2022: Rajat Patidar replaces injured Luvnith Sisodia in Royal Challengers Bangalore squad

Shikhar Dhawan will be looking to add two massive milestones to his already illustrious career when Punjab Kings face Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Sunday.<o:p></o:p>

The left-hander already has the most number of fours (660) in IPL history and he is just seven boundaries away from completing 1000 fours in T20 cricket. With 993 fours, Dhawan is fifth in the list of cricketers with the highest number of boundaries in the shortest format of the sport.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/alyssa-healy-breaks-adam-gilchrists-record-with-a-stunning-knock-against-england-in-womens-wc-final-467885" hreflang="en">Healy breaks Gilchrist's record with a stunning knock in Women's WC final</a><o:p></o:p>

The list is topped by West Indies batsman Chris Gayle (1132) followed by Alex Hales (1054) and David Warner (1054). Australia skipper Aaron Finch is fourth with 998 boundaries to his name.<o:p></o:p>

Dhawan will also become the only Indian cricketer to score 1000 boundaries in his T20 career with Virat Kohli being a distant second in the list with 917 boundaries. Incidentally, Dhawan is also extreme close to breaking Kohli’s record of scoring the most number of runs against CSK.<o:p></o:p>

Kohli has scored 948 runs against the Chennai team and currently, Dhawan is just 41 runs behind.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-return-of-jonny-bairstow-punjab-kings-predicted-xi-against-chennai-super-kings-467928" hreflang="en">Return of Bairstow? Punjab Kings predicted XI against Chennai Super Kings</a>

Dhawan was picked by Punjab Kings for INR 8.25 crore in the mega auction ahead of IPL 2022 after two good seasons with Delhi Capitals. Dhawan looked promising against Royal Challengers Bangalore as he scored 43 to lay the foundation for the run chase but failed to score big against KKR.<o:p></o:p>

Punjab Kings will be looking to get back to winning ways after they were beaten by KKR in their previous encounter after chasing down a mammoth target of 206 against RCB.<o:p></o:p>

Shikhar Dhawan will be looking to add two massive milestones to his already illustrious career when Punjab Kings face Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Sunday.

Shikhar Dhawan will be looking to add two massive milestones to his already illustrious career when Punjab Kings face Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Sunday. The left-hander already has the most number of fours (660) in IPL history and he is just seven boundaries away from completing 1000 fours in T20 cricket. With 993 fours, Dhawan is fifth in the list of cricketers with the highest number of boundaries in the shortest format of the sport. Also read | Healy breaks Gilchrist's record with a stunning knock in Women's WC final The list is topped by West Indies batsman Chris Gayle (1132) followed by Alex Hales (1054) and David Warner (1054). Australia skipper Aaron Finch is fourth with 998 boundaries to his name. Dhawan will also become the only Indian cricketer to score 1000 boundaries in his T20 career with Virat Kohli being a distant second in the list with 917 boundaries. Incidentally, Dhawan is also extreme close to breaking Kohli’s record of scoring the most number of runs against CSK. Kohli has scored 948 runs against the Chennai team and currently, Dhawan is just 41 runs behind. Also read | Return of Bairstow? Punjab Kings predicted XI against Chennai Super Kings Dhawan was picked by Punjab Kings for INR 8.25 crore in the mega auction ahead of IPL 2022 after two good seasons with Delhi Capitals. Dhawan looked promising against Royal Challengers Bangalore as he scored 43 to lay the foundation for the run chase but failed to score big against KKR. Punjab Kings will be looking to get back to winning ways after they were beaten by KKR in their previous encounter after chasing down a mammoth target of 206 against RCB.

IPL 2022: Shikhar Dhawan on verge of breaking multiple records against Chennai Super Kings

Former Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni is on the cusp of two massive milestones as the defending champions take on Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Sunday.<o:p></o:p>

Dhoni is just three sixes away from entering the Top 5 list of cricketers with most number of maximums for one team in T20 cricket. West Indies batsman Chris Gayle, who has played for a number of IPL teams over the years, tops the list with 263 sixes for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-chris-jordan-rajvardhan-hangargekar-to-feature-csks-predicted-playing-xi-for-punjab-kings-clash-467936">IPL 2022: Jordan to feature? CSK's predicted playing XI for Punjab Kings clash</a><o:p></o:p>

Kieron Pollard, Chris Gayle’s compatriot and Mumbai Indians superstar, has 249 sixes to his name while AB De Villiers and Virat Kohli have 240 and 226 sixes respectively for the RCB franchise.<o:p></o:p>

The fifth position currently belongs to Dhoni’s long-time CSK teammate Suresh Raina who has slammed 219 sixes for the Chennai franchise before parting ways with them in 2022.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/csk-vs-pbks-ipl-2022-prediction-today-who-will-win-chennai-super-kings-vs-punjab-kings-match-467870" hreflang="en">IPL 2022, CSK vs PBKS prediction: Who will win Chennai vs Punjab match?</a><o:p></o:p>

Dhoni will also become the second Indian cricketer ever to play 350 T20 matches in their career when he takes the field against Punjab Kings. The only other Indian player to achieve this feat is Rohit Sharma who has played 372 matches. Suresh Raina has made 336 T20 appearances.<o:p></o:p>

Chennai Super Kings have not started their IPL 2022 campaign well as they slumped to back-to-back defeats against Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants. Dhoni has shown flashes of form with a half century against KKR and a quickfire 16 off 6 balls against Lucknow but a weak bowling attack has resulted in the Ravindra Jadeja-led side losing two of their matches this season. <o:p></o:p>

Former Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni is on the cusp of two massive milestones as the defending champions take on Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Sunday.

Former Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni is on the cusp of two massive milestones as the defending champions take on Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Sunday. Dhoni is just three sixes away from entering the Top 5 list of cricketers with most number of maximums for one team in T20 cricket. West Indies batsman Chris Gayle, who has played for a number of IPL teams over the years, tops the list with 263 sixes for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Also read | IPL 2022: Jordan to feature? CSK's predicted playing XI for Punjab Kings clash Kieron Pollard, Chris Gayle’s compatriot and Mumbai Indians superstar, has 249 sixes to his name while AB De Villiers and Virat Kohli have 240 and 226 sixes respectively for the RCB franchise. The fifth position currently belongs to Dhoni’s long-time CSK teammate Suresh Raina who has slammed 219 sixes for the Chennai franchise before parting ways with them in 2022. Also read | IPL 2022, CSK vs PBKS prediction: Who will win Chennai vs Punjab match? Dhoni will also become the second Indian cricketer ever to play 350 T20 matches in their career when he takes the field against Punjab Kings. The only other Indian player to achieve this feat is Rohit Sharma who has played 372 matches. Suresh Raina has made 336 T20 appearances. Chennai Super Kings have not started their IPL 2022 campaign well as they slumped to back-to-back defeats against Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants. Dhoni has shown flashes of form with a half century against KKR and a quickfire 16 off 6 balls against Lucknow but a weak bowling attack has resulted in the Ravindra Jadeja-led side losing two of their matches this season.

IPL 2022: MS Dhoni three sixes away from joining Virat Kohi in T20 elite list

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are squaring off against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 8 of the IPL 2022 edition on Friday (April 1), at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

After a fine start to their 15th season, with a five-wicket win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on March 27, the one-time runners-up Punjab will aim to make it two wins in a row.&nbsp;

In the previous encounter, the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith and Liam Livingstone combined to take Punjab home in a tall run-chase of 206. Against KKR, they will hope for a similar&nbsp;performance by the batters.&nbsp;

For Shikhar, he is 8 fours away from becoming the first-ever Indian (fourth overall) to a massive T20 feat. At present, Dhawan has 992 fours and is eight away from entering the 1,000-four club.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-ms-dhoni-becomes-first-wicketkeeper-to-reach-impressive-t20-milestone-467442">IPL 2022: MS Dhoni becomes first wicketkeeper to reach impressive T20 milestone</a>

List of players to have hit 1000 or more fours:

Chris Gayle - 1132 
Alex Hales - 1054 
David Warner - 1005

Indians to have hit the most fours in T20 history:

Shikhar Dhawan - 992 
Virat Kohli - 917 
Rohit Sharma - 875 
Suresh Raina - 779 
Gautam Gambhir - 747

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-ms-dhoni-gautam-gambhirs-interaction-goes-viral-after-lsg-beat-csk-in-a-run-fest-watch-467420">IPL 2022: MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir's interaction goes viral after LSG beat CSK in a run-fest - WATCH</a>

Dhawan debuted for the PBKS franchise in IPL 2022 during their season-opener, versus RCB, and returned with an impressive 29-ball 43, studded with 5 fours and a six. He will be eager to make a big score in the PBKS-KKR encounter on Friday evening.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are squaring off against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 8 of the IPL 2022 edition on Friday (April 1), at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are squaring off against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 8 of the IPL 2022 edition on Friday (April 1), at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. After a fine start to their 15th season, with a five-wicket win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on March 27, the one-time runners-up Punjab will aim to make it two wins in a row. In the previous encounter, the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith and Liam Livingstone combined to take Punjab home in a tall run-chase of 206. Against KKR, they will hope for a similar performance by the batters. For Shikhar, he is 8 fours away from becoming the first-ever Indian (fourth overall) to a massive T20 feat. At present, Dhawan has 992 fours and is eight away from entering the 1,000-four club. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: MS Dhoni becomes first wicketkeeper to reach impressive T20 milestone List of players to have hit 1000 or more fours: Chris Gayle - 1132 Alex Hales - 1054 David Warner - 1005 Indians to have hit the most fours in T20 history: Shikhar Dhawan - 992 Virat Kohli - 917 Rohit Sharma - 875 Suresh Raina - 779 Gautam Gambhir - 747 ALSO READ | IPL 2022: MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir's interaction goes viral after LSG beat CSK in a run-fest - WATCH Dhawan debuted for the PBKS franchise in IPL 2022 during their season-opener, versus RCB, and returned with an impressive 29-ball 43, studded with 5 fours and a six. He will be eager to make a big score in the PBKS-KKR encounter on Friday evening.

IPL 2022: PBKS opener Shikhar Dhawan 8 fours away from becoming first Indian to attain massive T20 feat

Pakistan and Australia were involved in a run-fest in the second and penultimate ODI at the Gadaffi Stadium, Lahore on Thursday evening (March 31). After losing the series opener by 88 runs, Babar Azam &amp; Co. bounced back in style to complete a record run-chase to level the three-match series.&nbsp;

After opting to bowl first, Pakistan bowlers were hammered by the Aaron Finch-led Australian side.&nbsp;Ben McDermott's 104, Travis Head's 89, Marnus Labuschagne's 59 and vital knocks from Marcus Stoinis and Sean Abbott propelled the Aussies to a mammoth 348-8 in 50 overs. In reply, the home side rode on centuries from opener Imam-ul-Haq (106) and skipper Babar's 114 to finish the match with six wickets and an over to spare. With this victory, the Men in Green&nbsp;recorded their highest successful run-chase in the 50-over format. In addition, this became the fifth-highest total for Australia that ended up in a losing cause.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pak-vs-aus-babar-azam-imam-ul-haq-shine-as-hosts-complete-record-run-chase-in-2nd-odi-level-series-467360">Pak vs Aus: Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq shine as hosts complete record run-chase in 2nd ODI, level series</a>

Courtesy another memorable performance, Babar not only helped his side level the three-match series at home but he also achieved a new record. The 27-year-old Babar has now become the fastest to 15 ODI centuries, surpassing the likes of Hashim Amla, Virat Kohli, David Warner, etc.

Here's the list of top-5 fastest players to reach 15 ODI centuries:

Babar Azam (Pakistan) - 83 innings* 
Hashim Amla (South Africa) - 86 innings 
Virat Kohli (India) - 106 innings 
David Warner (Australia) - 108 innings 
Shikhar Dhawan (India) - 108 innings

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/it-is-wrong-no-doubt-about-that-former-cricketers-slam-ms-dhoni-over-csk-captaincy-situation-after-lsg-loss-467353">It is wrong, no doubt about that: Former cricketers slam MS Dhoni over CSK captaincy situation after LSG loss</a>

For the unversed, Pakistan hadn't beaten Australia in 16 consecutive matches across all forms of the game, however, the hosts have turned the tables in an emphatic fashion with a memorable win in the second ODI in Lahore.&nbsp;

At the post-match presentation, Babar stated, "I think that opening partnership set the foundation for Pakistan and Babar came in and played brilliantly. When you lose the toss, it doesn't make much of a difference. The wicket played really well throughout. I thought we did quite well with the ball and when Pakistan took the risks, it came off and it can happen in ODI cricket with only 4 fielders out during the middle overs."

The third and final ODI will be held at the same venue on Saturday (April 2).

Pakistan and Australia were involved in a run-fest in the second and penultimate ODI at the Gadaffi Stadium, Lahore on Thursday evening (March 31). After losing the series opener by 88 runs, Babar Azam & Co.

Pakistan and Australia were involved in a run-fest in the second and penultimate ODI at the Gadaffi Stadium, Lahore on Thursday evening (March 31). After losing the series opener by 88 runs, Babar Azam & Co. bounced back in style to complete a record run-chase to level the three-match series. After opting to bowl first, Pakistan bowlers were hammered by the Aaron Finch-led Australian side. Ben McDermott's 104, Travis Head's 89, Marnus Labuschagne's 59 and vital knocks from Marcus Stoinis and Sean Abbott propelled the Aussies to a mammoth 348-8 in 50 overs. In reply, the home side rode on centuries from opener Imam-ul-Haq (106) and skipper Babar's 114 to finish the match with six wickets and an over to spare. With this victory, the Men in Green recorded their highest successful run-chase in the 50-over format. In addition, this became the fifth-highest total for Australia that ended up in a losing cause. ALSO READ | Pak vs Aus: Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq shine as hosts complete record run-chase in 2nd ODI, level series Courtesy another memorable performance, Babar not only helped his side level the three-match series at home but he also achieved a new record. The 27-year-old Babar has now become the fastest to 15 ODI centuries, surpassing the likes of Hashim Amla, Virat Kohli, David Warner, etc. Here's the list of top-5 fastest players to reach 15 ODI centuries: Babar Azam (Pakistan) - 83 innings* Hashim Amla (South Africa) - 86 innings Virat Kohli (India) - 106 innings David Warner (Australia) - 108 innings Shikhar Dhawan (India) - 108 innings ALSO READ | It is wrong, no doubt about that: Former cricketers slam MS Dhoni over CSK captaincy situation after LSG loss For the unversed, Pakistan hadn't beaten Australia in 16 consecutive matches across all forms of the game, however, the hosts have turned the tables in an emphatic fashion with a memorable win in the second ODI in Lahore. At the post-match presentation, Babar stated, "I think that opening partnership set the foundation for Pakistan and Babar came in and played brilliantly. When you lose the toss, it doesn't make much of a difference. The wicket played really well throughout. I thought we did quite well with the ball and when Pakistan took the risks, it came off and it can happen in ODI cricket with only 4 fielders out during the middle overs." The third and final ODI will be held at the same venue on Saturday (April 2).

Pak vs Aus: Babar Azam surpasses Amla, Kohli to become fastest to 15 ODI tons during Lahore run-fest

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) locked horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30). After a terrific start to the 15th season, beating the defending champions and five-time winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK), KKR fought hard versus Faf du Plessis-led RCB before falling short to lose a low-scoring thriller by three wickets.

Being asked to bat first, at the&nbsp;Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai, KKR franchise were bundled out for 128 in 18.5 overs as the big guns such as Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, captain Shreyas Iyer, Andre Russell, Sam Billings, etc. couldn't make the most of their chances in the middle. With the ball in hand, KKR kept RCB on the toes -- courtesy Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee -- before Sunil Narine curtailed the run-flow.

While many praised Shreyas Iyer for his leadership and bowling changes, former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer feels he missed a trick by not making Nitish Rana bowl in the middle overs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-ms-dhoni-on-cusp-of-joining-virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-and-shikhar-dhawan-in-t20-elite-list-467192">IPL 2022: MS Dhoni on cusp of joining Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan in T20 elite list</a>

"I was surprised that Shreyas Iyer did not bowl Nitish Rana when there were two left-handers there and Chakravarthy was clearly struggling against them. One or two overs from Rana would have meant that Russell wouldn't have had to bowl. He could have bowled Venkatesh Iyer earlier if Russell was struggling. Things could have been a little bit different if he had saved Chakravathy's over there and used it for right-handers.

"Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee made a match out of it by getting RCB 17/3 in the powerplay. KKR would have had a better chance if Chakravarthy had bowled better," the former cricketer-turned-expert Jaffer said on&nbsp;ESPNCricinfo.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dinesh-karthik-is-as-close-as-it-gets-to-ms-dhoni-faf-du-plessis-lauds-rcbs-finisher-after-kkr-win-467160">Dinesh Karthik is as close as it gets to MS Dhoni: Faf du Plessis lauds RCB's finisher after KKR win</a>

After this loss, KKR will now face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 2 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The two-time winners will now like to move past the missed opportunities versus RCB and return to winning ways versus the Punjab franchise.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) locked horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30). After a terrific start to the 15th season, beating the defending champions and five-time winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK), KKR fought hard versus Faf du Plessis-led RCB before falling short to lose a low-scoring thriller by three wickets.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) locked horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30). After a terrific start to the 15th season, beating the defending champions and five-time winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK), KKR fought hard versus Faf du Plessis-led RCB before falling short to lose a low-scoring thriller by three wickets. Being asked to bat first, at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai, KKR franchise were bundled out for 128 in 18.5 overs as the big guns such as Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, captain Shreyas Iyer, Andre Russell, Sam Billings, etc. couldn't make the most of their chances in the middle. With the ball in hand, KKR kept RCB on the toes -- courtesy Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee -- before Sunil Narine curtailed the run-flow. While many praised Shreyas Iyer for his leadership and bowling changes, former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer feels he missed a trick by not making Nitish Rana bowl in the middle overs. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: MS Dhoni on cusp of joining Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan in T20 elite list "I was surprised that Shreyas Iyer did not bowl Nitish Rana when there were two left-handers there and Chakravarthy was clearly struggling against them. One or two overs from Rana would have meant that Russell wouldn't have had to bowl. He could have bowled Venkatesh Iyer earlier if Russell was struggling. Things could have been a little bit different if he had saved Chakravathy's over there and used it for right-handers. "Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee made a match out of it by getting RCB 17/3 in the powerplay. KKR would have had a better chance if Chakravarthy had bowled better," the former cricketer-turned-expert Jaffer said on ESPNCricinfo. ALSO READ | Dinesh Karthik is as close as it gets to MS Dhoni: Faf du Plessis lauds RCB's finisher after KKR win After this loss, KKR will now face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 2 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The two-time winners will now like to move past the missed opportunities versus RCB and return to winning ways versus the Punjab franchise.

'I was surprised that Shreyas Iyer did not...': Wasim Jaffer on KKR captain's decision-making vs RCB

MS Dhoni is on the cusp of joining an elite list as defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) face newcomers Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Thursday.<o:p></o:p>

Dhoni is just 15 runs away from joining Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina and Robin Uthappa in the list of Indian cricketers who have completed 7000 runs in T20s. Former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Kohli leads the list with 10,326 runs in the shortest format of the sport followed by Rohit (9936 runs) and Punjab Kings opener Dhawan with 8818 runs.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-suresh-raina-ms-dhoni-and-ab-de-villiers-were-the-most-challenging-to-bowl-to-says-sandeep-sharma-467156" hreflang="en">EXCLUSIVE: Raina, Dhoni &amp; ABD were the toughest to bowl to - Sandeep Sharma</a>

The two other names in the list are – former CSK batsman Suresh Raina who has 8654 runs under his belt and Dhoni’s current teammate Robin Uthappa who has scored 7070 runs in his T20 career.<o:p></o:p>

Dhoni was the top-scorer for CSK in their season opener against Kolkata Knight Riders as he scored his first half-century in almost three years to steady the innings after an early collapse. However, that was not enough as KKR marched on to a five-wicket victory thanks to Ajinkya Rahane’s batting.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/universe-boss-show-not-over-yet-chris-gayle-kicks-off-preparations-for-ipl-2023-see-pic-467065" hreflang="en">Universe Boss' show not over yet! Gayle kicks off preparations for IPL 2023</a>

During the encounter, Dhoni also became the oldest cricketer to score an IPL fifty surpassing Rahul Dravid’s record when he scored 65 off 51 deliveries against Delhi Daredevils in 2013.<o:p></o:p>

Oldest Indian to score an IPL fifty:<o:p></o:p>

40y 262d - MS Dhoni v KKR, 2022<o:p></o:p>

40y 116d - Rahul Dravid v DC, 2013<o:p></o:p>

39y 362d - Sachin Tendulkar v DC, 2013<o:p></o:p>

Dhoni stepped down as CSK skipper ahead of IPL 2022 and passed the baton on Ravindra Jadeja.<o:p></o:p>

MS Dhoni is on the cusp of joining an elite list as defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) face newcomers Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Thursday.

MS Dhoni is on the cusp of joining an elite list as defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) face newcomers Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Thursday. Dhoni is just 15 runs away from joining Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina and Robin Uthappa in the list of Indian cricketers who have completed 7000 runs in T20s. Former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Kohli leads the list with 10,326 runs in the shortest format of the sport followed by Rohit (9936 runs) and Punjab Kings opener Dhawan with 8818 runs. Also read | EXCLUSIVE: Raina, Dhoni & ABD were the toughest to bowl to - Sandeep Sharma The two other names in the list are – former CSK batsman Suresh Raina who has 8654 runs under his belt and Dhoni’s current teammate Robin Uthappa who has scored 7070 runs in his T20 career. Dhoni was the top-scorer for CSK in their season opener against Kolkata Knight Riders as he scored his first half-century in almost three years to steady the innings after an early collapse. However, that was not enough as KKR marched on to a five-wicket victory thanks to Ajinkya Rahane’s batting. Also read | Universe Boss' show not over yet! Gayle kicks off preparations for IPL 2023 During the encounter, Dhoni also became the oldest cricketer to score an IPL fifty surpassing Rahul Dravid’s record when he scored 65 off 51 deliveries against Delhi Daredevils in 2013. Oldest Indian to score an IPL fifty: 40y 262d - MS Dhoni v KKR, 2022 40y 116d - Rahul Dravid v DC, 2013 39y 362d - Sachin Tendulkar v DC, 2013 Dhoni stepped down as CSK skipper ahead of IPL 2022 and passed the baton on Ravindra Jadeja.

IPL 2022: MS Dhoni on cusp of joining Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan in T20 elite list

Virat Kohli remains the poster boy of Indian cricket despite not being the captain across formats. In mid-September, the superstar cricketer announced that he will resign as the shortest format's&nbsp;captain post India's campaign in the 2021 T20 World Cup, in the UAE.

Post the T20 WC, radical changes were made in the Team India setup. While Kohli was sacked as the ODI skipper, he also went onto step down as the Test captain in early 2022. Amid all this, he had already given up Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) captaincy after Bengaluru's end of campaign in IPL 2021. Thus, resuming as a pure batter for India and the RCB franchise, Kohli's brand valuation has taken a dip as well.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dinesh-karthik-is-as-close-as-it-gets-to-ms-dhoni-faf-du-plessis-lauds-rcbs-finisher-after-kkr-win-467160">Dinesh Karthik is as close as it gets to MS Dhoni: Faf du Plessis lauds RCB's finisher after KKR win</a>

According to a report filed by&nbsp;TimesofIndia, the 33-year-old Kohli's brand valuation has shrunk from around $238 million in 2020 to $186 million in the next year (2021). Despite the dip, the former India and RCB skipper continues to hold&nbsp;the top spot in the top celebrity endorser list. This is for the fifth consecutive time that he has retained the No. 1 spot&nbsp;in India's top celebrity endorser list, staying ahead of the likes of Ranveer Singh (second), Akshay Kumar (third), Alia Bhatt (fourth) and MS Dhoni (fifth). Moreover, India's full-time captain Rohit Sharma occupies the 13th spot (with brand value of USD 32.2 million).

On the other hand, Dhoni's brand valuation has also seen an increase (to $61 million).&nbsp;"There were rumours that Dhoni quit the Indian Premier League (IPL). But he turned it around by taking Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to a win and transitioning to the role of a mentor for the national team,” Aviral Jain, MD, Duff &amp; Phelps (A Kroll Business) told TOI. He further added, "Dhoni has become a timeless brand similar to Sachin Tendulkar."

“Brand value is directly proportional to eyeballs, focus and the chemistry the brand is able to create among its users and fans. More so in the case of a persona brand from the world of cricket,” said Harish Bijoor who is the founder of Harish Bijoor Consults.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-suresh-raina-ms-dhoni-and-ab-de-villiers-were-the-most-challenging-to-bowl-to-says-sandeep-sharma-467156">EXCLUSIVE: Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and AB de Villiers were the most challenging to bowl to, says Sandeep Sharma</a>

“Kohli’s brand valuation is down. It is bound to be. He no longer sports the India captain’s cap. He no longer bears the RCB mantle, as well. New names occupy these positions today. As each of them deepen their brand valuation, Kohli will weaken his. It’s all part of the game. Part of the game is called branding!,” Bijoor pointed out.

At present, both Dhoni and Kohli are involved in the IPL 2022 edition. Dhoni has stepped down as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain whereas Kohli-starrer RCB is being led by Faf du Plessis.

Virat Kohli remains the poster boy of Indian cricket despite not being the captain across formats. In mid-September, the superstar cricketer announced that he will resign as the shortest format's captain post India's campaign in the 2021 T20 World Cup, in the UAE.

Virat Kohli remains the poster boy of Indian cricket despite not being the captain across formats. In mid-September, the superstar cricketer announced that he will resign as the shortest format's captain post India's campaign in the 2021 T20 World Cup, in the UAE. Post the T20 WC, radical changes were made in the Team India setup. While Kohli was sacked as the ODI skipper, he also went onto step down as the Test captain in early 2022. Amid all this, he had already given up Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) captaincy after Bengaluru's end of campaign in IPL 2021. Thus, resuming as a pure batter for India and the RCB franchise, Kohli's brand valuation has taken a dip as well. ALSO READ | Dinesh Karthik is as close as it gets to MS Dhoni: Faf du Plessis lauds RCB's finisher after KKR win According to a report filed by TimesofIndia, the 33-year-old Kohli's brand valuation has shrunk from around $238 million in 2020 to $186 million in the next year (2021). Despite the dip, the former India and RCB skipper continues to hold the top spot in the top celebrity endorser list. This is for the fifth consecutive time that he has retained the No. 1 spot in India's top celebrity endorser list, staying ahead of the likes of Ranveer Singh (second), Akshay Kumar (third), Alia Bhatt (fourth) and MS Dhoni (fifth). Moreover, India's full-time captain Rohit Sharma occupies the 13th spot (with brand value of USD 32.2 million). On the other hand, Dhoni's brand valuation has also seen an increase (to $61 million). "There were rumours that Dhoni quit the Indian Premier League (IPL). But he turned it around by taking Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to a win and transitioning to the role of a mentor for the national team,” Aviral Jain, MD, Duff & Phelps (A Kroll Business) told TOI. He further added, "Dhoni has become a timeless brand similar to Sachin Tendulkar." “Brand value is directly proportional to eyeballs, focus and the chemistry the brand is able to create among its users and fans. More so in the case of a persona brand from the world of cricket,” said Harish Bijoor who is the founder of Harish Bijoor Consults. ALSO READ | EXCLUSIVE: Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and AB de Villiers were the most challenging to bowl to, says Sandeep Sharma “Kohli’s brand valuation is down. It is bound to be. He no longer sports the India captain’s cap. He no longer bears the RCB mantle, as well. New names occupy these positions today. As each of them deepen their brand valuation, Kohli will weaken his. It’s all part of the game. Part of the game is called branding!,” Bijoor pointed out. At present, both Dhoni and Kohli are involved in the IPL 2022 edition. Dhoni has stepped down as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain whereas Kohli-starrer RCB is being led by Faf du Plessis.

Kohli No. 1 in top celebrity endorser list despite brand valuation dip, Dhoni's climbs to $61 million: Report

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) went past Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a thrilling match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30), at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai. Chasing a paltry 129, RCB were made to work hard for their runs before Shahbaz Ahmed's 20-ball 27 and finishing knocks from Harshal Patel-Dinesh Karthik propelled the side home.

Being asked to bat first, KKR only managed 128 all-out in 18.5 overs as Wanindu Hasarange's 4 for&nbsp;20, Akash Deep's 3 for 45 and Harshal Patel's 2 for 11 did the trick for Bengaluru. In reply, RCB lost big guns such as skipper Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli early in the run-chase before Shahbaz's vital knock and DK-Harshal's boundaries took RCB to their maiden win of the season. After the game, Faf lavished huge praise on Karthik and compared his finishing skills to Chennai Super Kings (CSK)'s former skipper MS Dhoni.

The RCB skipper said at the post-match presentation, "The runs were never a problem. We just needed to have wickets in hand. DK is as close as it gets to MS Dhoni when it comes to being ice cool. I rely on other people for help. We have great people in the camp."

Du Plessis added, "Close small margins game are very important at the start. Small score, we just tried to be positive but very good bowling from their seamers. The ball swung a little more earlier but today there was seam and bounce. Two three days ago, it was 200 and today it was 130. We would like to be more convincing."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-just-rcb-being-rcb-fans-hilariously-troll-faf-du-plessis-cos-comical-usage-of-drs-vs-kkr-467144">IPL 2022: 'Just RCB being RCB' - Fans hilariously troll Faf du Plessis &amp; Co.'s comical usage of DRS vs KKR</a>

After two games, DK has been on a roll. He is yet to be dismissed in the 15th season and has played two gem of an innings, 32* (14) versus Punjab Kings (PBKS) followed by a match-winning 7-ball 14 not out. He has a strike-rate of&nbsp;219.04, including 4 fours and an equal number of sixes. He will be eager to carry on in a similar stread and make a case for selection in India's 2022 T20 World Cup squad.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) went past Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a thrilling match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30), at the Dr.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) went past Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a thrilling match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30), at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai. Chasing a paltry 129, RCB were made to work hard for their runs before Shahbaz Ahmed's 20-ball 27 and finishing knocks from Harshal Patel-Dinesh Karthik propelled the side home. Being asked to bat first, KKR only managed 128 all-out in 18.5 overs as Wanindu Hasarange's 4 for 20, Akash Deep's 3 for 45 and Harshal Patel's 2 for 11 did the trick for Bengaluru. In reply, RCB lost big guns such as skipper Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli early in the run-chase before Shahbaz's vital knock and DK-Harshal's boundaries took RCB to their maiden win of the season. After the game, Faf lavished huge praise on Karthik and compared his finishing skills to Chennai Super Kings (CSK)'s former skipper MS Dhoni. The RCB skipper said at the post-match presentation, "The runs were never a problem. We just needed to have wickets in hand. DK is as close as it gets to MS Dhoni when it comes to being ice cool. I rely on other people for help. We have great people in the camp." Du Plessis added, "Close small margins game are very important at the start. Small score, we just tried to be positive but very good bowling from their seamers. The ball swung a little more earlier but today there was seam and bounce. Two three days ago, it was 200 and today it was 130. We would like to be more convincing." ALSO READ | IPL 2022: 'Just RCB being RCB' - Fans hilariously troll Faf du Plessis & Co.'s comical usage of DRS vs KKR After two games, DK has been on a roll. He is yet to be dismissed in the 15th season and has played two gem of an innings, 32* (14) versus Punjab Kings (PBKS) followed by a match-winning 7-ball 14 not out. He has a strike-rate of 219.04, including 4 fours and an equal number of sixes. He will be eager to carry on in a similar stread and make a case for selection in India's 2022 T20 World Cup squad.

Dinesh Karthik is as close as it gets to MS Dhoni: Faf du Plessis lauds RCB's finisher after KKR win

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) locked horns with each other in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday (March 30) at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai. While many expected it to be a high-scoring affair, it turned out to be a low-scoring thriller which went down to the wire before Faf du Plessis &amp; Co. got off the mark in the points table.&nbsp;

Opting to bowl first, RCB restricted KKR to a paltry 128 all-out in 18.5 overs as Wanindu Hasaranga's 4 for 20, Akash Deep's 3 for 45 and Harshal Patel's 2 for 11 restricted the Shreyas Iyer-led KKR outfit for a below-par score. In reply, KKR bowlers did a great job to stretch the game till the end overs before Shahbaz Ahmed's impressive 20-ball 27&nbsp;and finishing knocks from Harshal-Dinesh Karthik propelled the Bengaluru side past the finish line.

Despite the win, RCB were hilariously trolled during the KKR game for their comical usage of the DRS during KKR's last-wicket stand between Varun Chakravarthy-Umesh Yadav. In the 16th over, bowled by Harshal, RCB went for the DRS despite the ball clearly hitting Varun's bat instead of the pad. Here's how they were trolled on the social media platform:

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-moeen-to-replace-santner-predicting-ravindra-jadeja-led-csks-playing-xi-for-lucknow-tie-467105">IPL 2022: Moeen to replace Santner? Predicting Ravindra Jadeja-led CSK's playing XI for Lucknow tie</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/oa1YHk995c">pic.twitter.com/oa1YHk995c</a>
— That-Cricket-Girl (@imswatib) <a href="https://twitter.com/imswatib/status/1509198939274477569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
DRS king RCB 😌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvKKR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvKKR</a> <a href="https://t.co/XElYjxaO9I">pic.twitter.com/XElYjxaO9I</a>
— ᴀʙʜʀᴀɴɪʟ ᴅᴜᴛᴛᴀ (@The_AbD22) <a href="https://twitter.com/The_AbD22/status/1509196833767436288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
RCB joined the worst DRS review with BAN. <a href="https://t.co/7aeWRCxhiw">pic.twitter.com/7aeWRCxhiw</a>
— 𝙎𝙧𝙞 (@Thanda_soru) <a href="https://twitter.com/Thanda_soru/status/1509192493765898249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
RCB having FUN with DRS <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKRvsRCB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKRvsRCB</a> <a href="https://t.co/pCcGL6vLXC">pic.twitter.com/pCcGL6vLXC</a>
— Naidu - Bhushan (@Bhushansz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bhushansz/status/1509206447481319425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
RCB took DRS for LBW where the ball was hitting to bat clearly instead of pad, Just RCB being RCB.
— The Winter Guy ❄️ (@The_WinterGuy) <a href="https://twitter.com/The_WinterGuy/status/1509192132569210880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/david-willey-takes-exceptional-catch-running-backwards-to-send-nitish-rana-packing-against-kkr-watch-466995">David Willey takes exceptional catch running backwards to send Nitish Rana packing against KKR - WATCH</a>

At the post-match presentation, RCB skipper Faf stated, "Very happy. Close small margins game are very important at the start. Small score, we just tried to be positive but very good bowling from their seamers. The ball swung a little more earlier but today there was seam and bounce. Two three days ago, it was 200 and today it was 130. We would like to be more convincing."

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) locked horns with each other in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday (March 30) at the Dr.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) locked horns with each other in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday (March 30) at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai. While many expected it to be a high-scoring affair, it turned out to be a low-scoring thriller which went down to the wire before Faf du Plessis & Co. got off the mark in the points table. Opting to bowl first, RCB restricted KKR to a paltry 128 all-out in 18.5 overs as Wanindu Hasaranga's 4 for 20, Akash Deep's 3 for 45 and Harshal Patel's 2 for 11 restricted the Shreyas Iyer-led KKR outfit for a below-par score. In reply, KKR bowlers did a great job to stretch the game till the end overs before Shahbaz Ahmed's impressive 20-ball 27 and finishing knocks from Harshal-Dinesh Karthik propelled the Bengaluru side past the finish line. Despite the win, RCB were hilariously trolled during the KKR game for their comical usage of the DRS during KKR's last-wicket stand between Varun Chakravarthy-Umesh Yadav. In the 16th over, bowled by Harshal, RCB went for the DRS despite the ball clearly hitting Varun's bat instead of the pad. Here's how they were trolled on the social media platform: ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Moeen to replace Santner? Predicting Ravindra Jadeja-led CSK's playing XI for Lucknow tie pic.twitter.com/oa1YHk995c — That-Cricket-Girl (@imswatib) March 30, 2022 × DRS king RCB 😌#RCBvKKR pic.twitter.com/XElYjxaO9I — ᴀʙʜʀᴀɴɪʟ ᴅᴜᴛᴛᴀ (@The_AbD22) March 30, 2022 × RCB joined the worst DRS review with BAN. pic.twitter.com/7aeWRCxhiw — 𝙎𝙧𝙞 (@Thanda_soru) March 30, 2022 × RCB having FUN with DRS #KKRvsRCB pic.twitter.com/pCcGL6vLXC — Naidu - Bhushan (@Bhushansz) March 30, 2022 × RCB took DRS for LBW where the ball was hitting to bat clearly instead of pad, Just RCB being RCB. — The Winter Guy ❄️ (@The_WinterGuy) March 30, 2022 × ALSO READ | David Willey takes exceptional catch running backwards to send Nitish Rana packing against KKR - WATCH At the post-match presentation, RCB skipper Faf stated, "Very happy. Close small margins game are very important at the start. Small score, we just tried to be positive but very good bowling from their seamers. The ball swung a little more earlier but today there was seam and bounce. Two three days ago, it was 200 and today it was 130. We would like to be more convincing."

IPL 2022: 'Just RCB being RCB' - Fans hilariously troll Faf du Plessis & Co.'s comical usage of DRS vs KKR

Virat Kohli is one of the fittest crickets in the world and has been an inspiration for several young players, who look up to the former India and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain. Kohli's love and dedication to fitness is a secret to none and his work ethic has been praised by many.

Kohli was not the fittest of cricketers when he had started out for Team India in international cricket but brought several changes in his lifestyle and diet to undergo a stunning transformation. One of the best batters in the world at present, Kohli has been one of the most consistent performers for his teams across all formats.

Recently, Sri Lankan batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who is playing for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, heaped praise on Kohli. The Punjab Kings star is looking forward to meeting Kohli and getting some advice for him on fitness having been dropped from the Sri Lankan team earlier this year due to fitness issues.

Rajapaksa also called Kohli the Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket, comparing the Indian superstar with the Portuguese football icon. Even at 37, Ronaldo remains one of the fittest athletes in the world and continues to break records for his club and country.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/expecting-600-runs-from-virat-kohli-in-ipl-2022-rcb-legend-makes-bold-prediction-for-former-skipper-466934">Expecting 600-plus runs from Virat Kohli in IPL 2022: RCB legend makes bold prediction for former skipper</a>

"Outside of the team, Virat Kohli is always someone I could speak to and get some advice on fitness. He’s at another different level when it comes to fitness. To me, he is the Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket for sure. The work he puts in, you can obviously see the results. You can compare him to anyone when it comes to fitness or even skills-wise. He plays so hard and you can learn a lot by talking to him," Rajapaksa told PTI in an interview.

The Sri Lankan batter, who impressed on his IPL debut with a crucial knock of 22-ball 43 against RCB in their opening game, stressed the importance of fitness for cricketers and said he has been working hard on his body to ensure he can be on top of his game.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/would-be-great-to-see-virat-kohli-babar-azam-open-in-ipl-akhtar-predicts-price-tag-of-pakistan-captain-466900">Would be great to see Virat Kohli, Babar Azam open in IPL: Akhtar predicts price tag of Pakistan captain</a>

"As a player, you need your fitness but it could be different from person to person. For me, of course, skill comes first and then the fitness. But if you are not fit enough, you definitely can’t perform. I’m actually working hard on my fitness. Whenever I get a free day I hit the gym early in the morning," said Rajapaksa.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Virat Kohli is one of the fittest crickets in the world and has been an inspiration for several young players, who look up to the former India and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain.

Virat Kohli is one of the fittest crickets in the world and has been an inspiration for several young players, who look up to the former India and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain. Kohli's love and dedication to fitness is a secret to none and his work ethic has been praised by many. Kohli was not the fittest of cricketers when he had started out for Team India in international cricket but brought several changes in his lifestyle and diet to undergo a stunning transformation. One of the best batters in the world at present, Kohli has been one of the most consistent performers for his teams across all formats. Recently, Sri Lankan batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who is playing for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, heaped praise on Kohli. The Punjab Kings star is looking forward to meeting Kohli and getting some advice for him on fitness having been dropped from the Sri Lankan team earlier this year due to fitness issues. Rajapaksa also called Kohli the Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket, comparing the Indian superstar with the Portuguese football icon. Even at 37, Ronaldo remains one of the fittest athletes in the world and continues to break records for his club and country. Also Read: Expecting 600-plus runs from Virat Kohli in IPL 2022: RCB legend makes bold prediction for former skipper "Outside of the team, Virat Kohli is always someone I could speak to and get some advice on fitness. He’s at another different level when it comes to fitness. To me, he is the Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket for sure. The work he puts in, you can obviously see the results. You can compare him to anyone when it comes to fitness or even skills-wise. He plays so hard and you can learn a lot by talking to him," Rajapaksa told PTI in an interview. The Sri Lankan batter, who impressed on his IPL debut with a crucial knock of 22-ball 43 against RCB in their opening game, stressed the importance of fitness for cricketers and said he has been working hard on his body to ensure he can be on top of his game. Also Read: Would be great to see Virat Kohli, Babar Azam open in IPL: Akhtar predicts price tag of Pakistan captain "As a player, you need your fitness but it could be different from person to person. For me, of course, skill comes first and then the fitness. But if you are not fit enough, you definitely can’t perform. I’m actually working hard on my fitness. Whenever I get a free day I hit the gym early in the morning," said Rajapaksa.

Virat Kohli is Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket: Punjab Kings star lavishes praise on former RCB skipper

A lot will be riding on Virat Kohli's shoulders as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head into a new era under the captaincy of Faf du Plessis. RCB got off to a shaky start in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as they lost their opening game against Punjab Kings by five wickets. They will be looking to bounce back when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their next game on Tuesday (March 30).

Ahead of their game against KKR, RCB legend AB de Villiers spoke about the team's chances this season and backed Kohli to have a big season for the franchise. De Villiers, who is one of the legends of the game, believes Kohli can go on to score over 600 runs this season after being relieved from the pressure of captaincy.

"Everyone knows about Faf du Plessis coming in as captain. I think the most exciting thing for me is Virat not being captain and releasing a bit of the pressure, really just going out there and freeing up. I am expecting a very big season from Virat. I am thinking 600+ runs from him this year," said AB de Villiers on VUSport Streaming channel on YouTube.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/truth-is-bitter-parthiv-patel-shares-cryptic-tweet-after-his-comments-on-kohli-bumrah-go-viral-466890">'Truth is bitter': Parthiv Patel shares cryptic tweet after his comments on Kohli, Bumrah go viral</a>

De Villiers retired from all forms of cricket after the conclusion of IPL 2021 last year and is not part of the RCB squad anymore. However, he remains one of the ardent supporters of the franchise and is hopeful of some brilliant performances from the youngsters in the franchise in IPL 2022.

"He (Kohli) will be in Faf's ear, but Faf is also very experienced as well. He has got good cricketing training on him and he would allow Virat and some of the youngsters to just go and free up, and just enjoy the IPL," said De Villiers.

"I don’t know what to expect (from RCB) but I expect some individuals to really rise in this IPL from the RCB setup," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-rcb-vs-kkr-head-to-head-record-trivia-stats-and-squads-466921">IPL 2022: RCB vs KKR - Head to head record, trivia, stats and squads</a>

In De Villiers' absence, Kohli will have a lot more run-scoring responsibilities on his shoulder as the former South Africa star was a pillar in the RCB batting line-up over the years. De Villiers and Kohli won several matches together for the team and were one of the most prolific duos in the history of the tournament.

While De Villiers has retired, RCB is also missing the services of star Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell for the start of the season. Maxwell is currently busy due to his marriage and is expected to join the rest of the squad soon for the ongoing season.

&nbsp;

A lot will be riding on Virat Kohli's shoulders as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head into a new era under the captaincy of Faf du Plessis. RCB got off to a shaky start in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as they lost their opening game against Punjab Kings by five wickets.

A lot will be riding on Virat Kohli's shoulders as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head into a new era under the captaincy of Faf du Plessis. RCB got off to a shaky start in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as they lost their opening game against Punjab Kings by five wickets. They will be looking to bounce back when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their next game on Tuesday (March 30). Ahead of their game against KKR, RCB legend AB de Villiers spoke about the team's chances this season and backed Kohli to have a big season for the franchise. De Villiers, who is one of the legends of the game, believes Kohli can go on to score over 600 runs this season after being relieved from the pressure of captaincy. "Everyone knows about Faf du Plessis coming in as captain. I think the most exciting thing for me is Virat not being captain and releasing a bit of the pressure, really just going out there and freeing up. I am expecting a very big season from Virat. I am thinking 600+ runs from him this year," said AB de Villiers on VUSport Streaming channel on YouTube. Also Read: 'Truth is bitter': Parthiv Patel shares cryptic tweet after his comments on Kohli, Bumrah go viral De Villiers retired from all forms of cricket after the conclusion of IPL 2021 last year and is not part of the RCB squad anymore. However, he remains one of the ardent supporters of the franchise and is hopeful of some brilliant performances from the youngsters in the franchise in IPL 2022. "He (Kohli) will be in Faf's ear, but Faf is also very experienced as well. He has got good cricketing training on him and he would allow Virat and some of the youngsters to just go and free up, and just enjoy the IPL," said De Villiers. "I don’t know what to expect (from RCB) but I expect some individuals to really rise in this IPL from the RCB setup," he added. Also Read: IPL 2022: RCB vs KKR - Head to head record, trivia, stats and squads In De Villiers' absence, Kohli will have a lot more run-scoring responsibilities on his shoulder as the former South Africa star was a pillar in the RCB batting line-up over the years. De Villiers and Kohli won several matches together for the team and were one of the most prolific duos in the history of the tournament. While De Villiers has retired, RCB is also missing the services of star Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell for the start of the season. Maxwell is currently busy due to his marriage and is expected to join the rest of the squad soon for the ongoing season.

Expecting 600-plus runs from Virat Kohli in IPL 2022: RCB legend makes bold prediction for former skipper

India skipper Rohit Sharma and veteran batter Virat Kohli moved down a rung each to be placed 8th and 10th, respectively, in the latest ICC Test rankings released on Wednesday.

Rohit, who continued to remain the top-ranked Indian in the batters' chart, moved down a place to 8th. He has 754 points, while Kohli, who has 742 rating points moved to the 10th position.

Ravindra Jadeja retained the top position among all-rounders, while Ravichandran Ashwin displaced West Indies' Jason Holder to be second.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-rcb-vs-kkr-head-to-head-record-trivia-stats-and-squads-466921">IPL 2022: RCB vs KKR - Head to head record, trivia, stats and squads</a>

Ashwin and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah continued to hold on to their second and fourth positions, respectively, in the bowlers' chart.

In the ODI rankings, Kohli remained static on second while Rohit climbed up a place to fourth.

Bumrah, who is the only Indian in the top 10 among bowlers, remained at the sixth spot.

India skipper Rohit Sharma and veteran batter Virat Kohli moved down a rung each to be placed 8th and 10th, respectively, in the latest ICC Test rankings released on Wednesday.

India skipper Rohit Sharma and veteran batter Virat Kohli moved down a rung each to be placed 8th and 10th, respectively, in the latest ICC Test rankings released on Wednesday. Rohit, who continued to remain the top-ranked Indian in the batters' chart, moved down a place to 8th. He has 754 points, while Kohli, who has 742 rating points moved to the 10th position. Ravindra Jadeja retained the top position among all-rounders, while Ravichandran Ashwin displaced West Indies' Jason Holder to be second. ALSO READ: IPL 2022: RCB vs KKR - Head to head record, trivia, stats and squads Ashwin and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah continued to hold on to their second and fourth positions, respectively, in the bowlers' chart. In the ODI rankings, Kohli remained static on second while Rohit climbed up a place to fourth. Bumrah, who is the only Indian in the top 10 among bowlers, remained at the sixth spot.

ICC Test Rankings: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma slip further; Ravi Ashwin becomes No. 2 among all-rounders

Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be up against old rivals Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30). After losing their season-opener to Punjab Kings (PBKS) -- by five wickets in defence of 206 -- RCB will be desperate to get off the mark in the points table when they face last year's runners-up KKR.

Talking about Virat Kohli, the former RCB captain will also be eager to score a big knock versus the Kolkata outfit. He showed good intent during his unbeaten 29-ball 41 versus Mayank Agarwal's PBKS and, thus, will be looking to carry forward the momentum this time around as well.&nbsp;

Ahead of the RCB-KKR face-off, Kohli is also on the verge of attaining an elite feat. If Kohli scores three more fours versus KKR, he will join Shikhar Dhawan in becoming only the second batter in IPL history to have 550, or more, fours. At present, Dhawan tops the list with 657 fours to his name. On the other hand, David Warner comes third in the list (525 fours).&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/would-be-great-to-see-virat-kohli-babar-azam-open-in-ipl-akhtar-predicts-price-tag-of-pakistan-captain-466900">Would be great to see Virat Kohli, Babar Azam open in IPL: Akhtar predicts price tag of Pakistan captain</a>

Talking about RCB's first game in IPL 2022, they were asked to bat first versus Punjab at the Dr DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai on Sunday (March 27). Posting 205-2, riding on Faf du Plessis' 88, Kohli's 41 not out and Dinesh Karthik's 14-ball 32*, Bengaluru couldn't defend the big total as Punjab went past the finish line in the last over with five wickets in hand.

Will RCB get their first points of the season in the KKR face-off? Only time will tell...

Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be up against old rivals Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30).

Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be up against old rivals Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30). After losing their season-opener to Punjab Kings (PBKS) -- by five wickets in defence of 206 -- RCB will be desperate to get off the mark in the points table when they face last year's runners-up KKR. Talking about Virat Kohli, the former RCB captain will also be eager to score a big knock versus the Kolkata outfit. He showed good intent during his unbeaten 29-ball 41 versus Mayank Agarwal's PBKS and, thus, will be looking to carry forward the momentum this time around as well. Ahead of the RCB-KKR face-off, Kohli is also on the verge of attaining an elite feat. If Kohli scores three more fours versus KKR, he will join Shikhar Dhawan in becoming only the second batter in IPL history to have 550, or more, fours. At present, Dhawan tops the list with 657 fours to his name. On the other hand, David Warner comes third in the list (525 fours). ALSO READ | Would be great to see Virat Kohli, Babar Azam open in IPL: Akhtar predicts price tag of Pakistan captain Talking about RCB's first game in IPL 2022, they were asked to bat first versus Punjab at the Dr DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai on Sunday (March 27). Posting 205-2, riding on Faf du Plessis' 88, Kohli's 41 not out and Dinesh Karthik's 14-ball 32*, Bengaluru couldn't defend the big total as Punjab went past the finish line in the last over with five wickets in hand. Will RCB get their first points of the season in the KKR face-off? Only time will tell...

IPL 2022: Virat Kohli on the cusp of joining Shikhar Dhawan in elite feat during RCB vs KKR clash

The first edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) remains the only season where Pakistani players took part in the cash-rich league. Since then, their participation has remained a distant dream due to the political tension between India and Pakistan since 2008.&nbsp;

Nonetheless, it doesn't stop the experts and former cricketers from making predictions about the price tag of the current lot of Pakistan players had they been a part of the IPL in present times. In this regard, the Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar made a bold claim by predicting Pakistan captain Babar Azam's price tag in the IPL.

In a chat with Sportskeeda, Akhtar said, "It would be great to see Babar Azam and Virat Kohli opening the innings together in the IPL one day. What an exciting moment that would be. In the auction, Babar would go for 15-20 crore INR and could be the most expensive Pakistan player."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/aakash-chopra-requested-me-to-not-break-his-ribs-shoaib-akhtar-recalls-his-kkr-days-during-ipl-2008-466728">Aakash Chopra requested me to not break his ribs: Shoaib Akhtar recalls his KKR days during IPL 2008</a>

Along with Babar, Pakistan have quite a few talented cricketers such as Shaheen Afridi, Md Rizwan, Shadab Khan, etc. who can gain big-fat cheques in the IPL. However, this remains a distant dream at present seeing the political relationship between the two neighbouring countries.

At present, the IPL 2022 edition has started on an emphatic note and has given fans plenty to cheer for after the five completed&nbsp;games so far. On the other hand, Babar-led Pakistan are involved in a three-match ODI series versus Australia at home. They lost the series opener, on Tuesday (March 29), by 88 runs.

The first edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) remains the only season where Pakistani players took part in the cash-rich league. Since then, their participation has remained a distant dream due to the political tension between India and Pakistan since 2008.

The first edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) remains the only season where Pakistani players took part in the cash-rich league. Since then, their participation has remained a distant dream due to the political tension between India and Pakistan since 2008. Nonetheless, it doesn't stop the experts and former cricketers from making predictions about the price tag of the current lot of Pakistan players had they been a part of the IPL in present times. In this regard, the Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar made a bold claim by predicting Pakistan captain Babar Azam's price tag in the IPL. In a chat with Sportskeeda, Akhtar said, "It would be great to see Babar Azam and Virat Kohli opening the innings together in the IPL one day. What an exciting moment that would be. In the auction, Babar would go for 15-20 crore INR and could be the most expensive Pakistan player." ALSO READ | Aakash Chopra requested me to not break his ribs: Shoaib Akhtar recalls his KKR days during IPL 2008 Along with Babar, Pakistan have quite a few talented cricketers such as Shaheen Afridi, Md Rizwan, Shadab Khan, etc. who can gain big-fat cheques in the IPL. However, this remains a distant dream at present seeing the political relationship between the two neighbouring countries. At present, the IPL 2022 edition has started on an emphatic note and has given fans plenty to cheer for after the five completed games so far. On the other hand, Babar-led Pakistan are involved in a three-match ODI series versus Australia at home. They lost the series opener, on Tuesday (March 29), by 88 runs.

Would be great to see Virat Kohli, Babar Azam open in IPL: Akhtar predicts price tag of Pakistan captain

Former India wicket-keeper batter Parthiv Patel shared a cryptic tweet after his comments involving Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah went viral on social media recently. Patel, who played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during his playing days, had claimed he had once asked Kohli to try Jasprit Bumrah for RCB before the fast bowler went on to make a name for himself in the IPL.

During a conversation on Cricbuzz, Parthiv had revealed that he had informed Kohli about Bumrah in 2014 when the Indian pacer was an unknown entity. However, Kohli had brushed off his suggestions in a rather ignorant manner and said players like Bumrah won't be of much help to a team like RCB.

"In 2014, when I was at RCB, I told Kohli there's this bowler named Bumrah. Have a look at him. Virat replied saying 'Chhor na yaar. Ye Bumrah-Vumrah kya karenge?' (Leave it. What will such players do?" Parthiv had said on Cricbuzz.

The former RCB wicket-keeper batter's comments soon went viral on social media as fans reacted to Kohli's alleged reaction on Bumrah becoming the talk of the town. Kohli, who has stepped down as captain of RCB, was criticised by many for failing to spot Bumrah's talent as the fast bowler has now become one of the best in the world.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/horrible-decision-3rd-umpire-slammed-after-kane-williamsons-controversial-dismissal-against-rr-in-ipl-2022-466769">'Horrible decision': 3rd umpire slammed after Williamson's controversial dismissal against RR&nbsp;</a>

Parthiv took to Twitter recently to share a cryptic tweet that seems to be in relation to the fans' reaction to his revelation about the episode involving Kohli and Bumrah."Neem patta aur sach dono kadwa hai (Neem leaves and truth are both bitter)," Parthiv tweeted.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
neem patta aur sach 
dono kadwa hai!
— parthiv patel (@parthiv9) <a href="https://twitter.com/parthiv9/status/1508494428595400705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/what-will-he-do-when-virat-kohli-brushed-away-parthiv-patels-suggestion-to-try-jaspit-bumrah-for-rcb-466302">'What will he do': When Kohli brushed away Parthiv Patel's suggestion to try&nbsp;Bumrah for RCB</a>&nbsp;

Bumrah made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians in the year 2013 and has since been retained by the franchise. The Indian fast bowler has become an integral member of the Mumbai Indians squad and has been one of the most prolific wicket-takers in the IPL over the years. Bumrah has 130 wickets to his name at an average of 23.37 in 107 matches in his IPL career so far.

&nbsp;

Former India wicket-keeper batter Parthiv Patel shared a cryptic tweet after his comments involving Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah went viral on social media recently.

Former India wicket-keeper batter Parthiv Patel shared a cryptic tweet after his comments involving Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah went viral on social media recently. Patel, who played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during his playing days, had claimed he had once asked Kohli to try Jasprit Bumrah for RCB before the fast bowler went on to make a name for himself in the IPL. During a conversation on Cricbuzz, Parthiv had revealed that he had informed Kohli about Bumrah in 2014 when the Indian pacer was an unknown entity. However, Kohli had brushed off his suggestions in a rather ignorant manner and said players like Bumrah won't be of much help to a team like RCB. "In 2014, when I was at RCB, I told Kohli there's this bowler named Bumrah. Have a look at him. Virat replied saying 'Chhor na yaar. Ye Bumrah-Vumrah kya karenge?' (Leave it. What will such players do?" Parthiv had said on Cricbuzz. The former RCB wicket-keeper batter's comments soon went viral on social media as fans reacted to Kohli's alleged reaction on Bumrah becoming the talk of the town. Kohli, who has stepped down as captain of RCB, was criticised by many for failing to spot Bumrah's talent as the fast bowler has now become one of the best in the world. Also Read: 'Horrible decision': 3rd umpire slammed after Williamson's controversial dismissal against RR Parthiv took to Twitter recently to share a cryptic tweet that seems to be in relation to the fans' reaction to his revelation about the episode involving Kohli and Bumrah."Neem patta aur sach dono kadwa hai (Neem leaves and truth are both bitter)," Parthiv tweeted. neem patta aur sach dono kadwa hai! — parthiv patel (@parthiv9) March 28, 2022 × Also Read: 'What will he do': When Kohli brushed away Parthiv Patel's suggestion to try Bumrah for RCB Bumrah made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians in the year 2013 and has since been retained by the franchise. The Indian fast bowler has become an integral member of the Mumbai Indians squad and has been one of the most prolific wicket-takers in the IPL over the years. Bumrah has 130 wickets to his name at an average of 23.37 in 107 matches in his IPL career so far.

'Truth is bitter': Parthiv Patel shares cryptic tweet after his comments on Kohli, Bumrah go viral

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be up against the two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30). After losing their season-opener to Punjab Kings (PBKS), the RCB camp will be eager to turn the tables and get off the mark in the points table.

Talking about RCB's first game, they were asked to bat first at the Dr DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai versus the Punjab franchise. Despite a measured start, RCB exploded in the last ten overs courtesy fireworks from Faf du Plessis (88), Virat Kohli (41*) and Dinesh Karthik's majestic 14-ball 32 not out. While their batters had a ball in the last ten overs, RCB bowlers conceded plenty in the death overs to concede the game to PBKS, in defence of 205/2.

The batting will once again be spearheaded by captain Faf, Virat, DK whereas the likes of Sherfane Rutherford, David Willey, Wanindu Hasarange, etc. will aim to contribute with some lusty blows. RCB's main worry will be their bowlers. Having the advantage of playing at the same venue, they will be expected to come up with better plans and use the dimensions of the ground wisely.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rcb-vs-kkr-ipl-2022-prediction-who-will-win-royal-challengers-bangalore-vs-kolkata-knight-riders-match-466843">RCB vs KKR, IPL 2022 prediction: Who will win Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders match?</a>

Predicting RCB's XI for KKR clash: While the manner of defeat against PBKS would have hurt RCB, given they should've defended the tall score, the Bengaluru-based franchise shouldn't worry much as it is just the start of the season. Thus, they should ideally refrain from making wholesome changes. Finn Allen's power-hitting and all-round services can come in handy but it won't be fair to make&nbsp;Sherfane or one among Willey-Hasarange warm the bench&nbsp;after just one game. The rest of the&nbsp;line-up should also be persisted before Glenn Maxwell-Josh Hazlewood become available.

Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, David Willey, Harshal Patel, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be up against the two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30).

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be up against the two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30). After losing their season-opener to Punjab Kings (PBKS), the RCB camp will be eager to turn the tables and get off the mark in the points table. Talking about RCB's first game, they were asked to bat first at the Dr DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai versus the Punjab franchise. Despite a measured start, RCB exploded in the last ten overs courtesy fireworks from Faf du Plessis (88), Virat Kohli (41*) and Dinesh Karthik's majestic 14-ball 32 not out. While their batters had a ball in the last ten overs, RCB bowlers conceded plenty in the death overs to concede the game to PBKS, in defence of 205/2. The batting will once again be spearheaded by captain Faf, Virat, DK whereas the likes of Sherfane Rutherford, David Willey, Wanindu Hasarange, etc. will aim to contribute with some lusty blows. RCB's main worry will be their bowlers. Having the advantage of playing at the same venue, they will be expected to come up with better plans and use the dimensions of the ground wisely. ALSO READ | RCB vs KKR, IPL 2022 prediction: Who will win Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders match? Predicting RCB's XI for KKR clash: While the manner of defeat against PBKS would have hurt RCB, given they should've defended the tall score, the Bengaluru-based franchise shouldn't worry much as it is just the start of the season. Thus, they should ideally refrain from making wholesome changes. Finn Allen's power-hitting and all-round services can come in handy but it won't be fair to make Sherfane or one among Willey-Hasarange warm the bench after just one game. The rest of the line-up should also be persisted before Glenn Maxwell-Josh Hazlewood become available. Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, David Willey, Harshal Patel, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj

IPL 2022: Will RCB remain unchanged after PBKS loss? Predicting Faf du Plessis & Co.'s playing XI for KKR tie

Match 6 of the ongoing IPL 2022 edition will see the two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) square off with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Dr DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai on Wednesday evening (March 30).&nbsp;

This will be the second game for both the franchises in the 15th season. While the new edition has just began, KKR will be confident with their spirited start as they romped past the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by six wickets in the season-opener at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Everything clicked for the KKR unit, with early strikes from the pacers to spinners choking the CSK batters before their batters led them to an easy win.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-rr-captain-sanju-samson-gives-cheeky-reply-to-danny-marrisons-title-drought-question-post-srh-win-466833">IPL 2022: RR captain Sanju Samson gives cheeky reply to Danny Marrison's title-drought question post SRH win</a>

If one has to be critical and point out a few flaws, KKR bowlers did go for a few in the last few overs as CSK managed to post 131 for 5. At one stage, it seemed they would be restricted to anything below 120. On the other hand, KKR closed the run-chase in the penultimate over. Nonetheless, it was a big win and the newly-formed KKR franchise made a statement in their first encounter.&nbsp;

On the other hand, similar problems persist&nbsp;with the RCB franchise. The three-time runners-up rode on fine knocks from skipper Faf du Plessis (88), Virat Kohli's 29-ball 41* and Dinesh Karthik's 14-ball 32 not out to post 205-2 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first in their season-opener versus the Punjab Kings (PBKS). Nonetheless, their death-bowling didn't stand up as RCB conceded the game in the final over, losing by five wickets.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/updated-ipl-2022-points-table-after-rjasthan-royals-vs-sunrisers-hyderabad-clash-466775">Updated IPL 2022 points table after Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad clash</a>

Match prediction for KKR vs RCB clash:&nbsp;The venue is expected to remain good&nbsp;for batters. Expect some big hits from the likes of Faf, Kohli, Andre Russell, Shreyas Iyer, Karthik, Venkatesh Iyer, etc. Both teams will fancy bowling first. If RCB lose the toss and are made to bowl second, their death-bowling will once again be challenged. On the other hand, KKR have variety in their bowling department, which gives them a certain edge for the encounter.

Match 6 of the ongoing IPL 2022 edition will see the two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) square off with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Dr DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai on Wednesday evening (March 30).

Match 6 of the ongoing IPL 2022 edition will see the two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) square off with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Dr DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai on Wednesday evening (March 30). This will be the second game for both the franchises in the 15th season. While the new edition has just began, KKR will be confident with their spirited start as they romped past the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by six wickets in the season-opener at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Everything clicked for the KKR unit, with early strikes from the pacers to spinners choking the CSK batters before their batters led them to an easy win. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: RR captain Sanju Samson gives cheeky reply to Danny Marrison's title-drought question post SRH win If one has to be critical and point out a few flaws, KKR bowlers did go for a few in the last few overs as CSK managed to post 131 for 5. At one stage, it seemed they would be restricted to anything below 120. On the other hand, KKR closed the run-chase in the penultimate over. Nonetheless, it was a big win and the newly-formed KKR franchise made a statement in their first encounter. On the other hand, similar problems persist with the RCB franchise. The three-time runners-up rode on fine knocks from skipper Faf du Plessis (88), Virat Kohli's 29-ball 41* and Dinesh Karthik's 14-ball 32 not out to post 205-2 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first in their season-opener versus the Punjab Kings (PBKS). Nonetheless, their death-bowling didn't stand up as RCB conceded the game in the final over, losing by five wickets. ALSO READ | Updated IPL 2022 points table after Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad clash Match prediction for KKR vs RCB clash: The venue is expected to remain good for batters. Expect some big hits from the likes of Faf, Kohli, Andre Russell, Shreyas Iyer, Karthik, Venkatesh Iyer, etc. Both teams will fancy bowling first. If RCB lose the toss and are made to bowl second, their death-bowling will once again be challenged. On the other hand, KKR have variety in their bowling department, which gives them a certain edge for the encounter.

RCB vs KKR, IPL 2022 prediction: Who will win Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders match?

KL Rahul has become an all-format player for Team India in current times. While Rahul dons the role of an opener in Tests and T20Is, the right-hander plays in the middle-order for India in the 50-over format. However, he wasn't a regular starter in all forms of the game a few years back.&nbsp;

In the 2019 ODI World Cup, Rahul was part of India's middle-order before Shikhar Dhawan's injury promoted him as an opener along with Rohit Sharma. Rahul returned with 361 runs in his maiden 50-over World Cup, with a century and two fifties. Despite his good run with the willow in the showpiece event, Rahul was part of India's T20I, ODI and Test squads for the following&nbsp;West Indies tour, however, he was dropped from the playing XI in the white-ball series.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-looked-at-anushka-sharma-in-shock-virat-kohli-recalls-ab-de-villiers-shocking-ipl-retirement-466667">'I looked at Anushka Sharma in shock' - Virat Kohli recalls AB de Villiers' shocking IPL retirement</a>

Rahul recently spilled the beans on his sudden omission from India's playing XI. In a chat with Gaurav Kapoor in the new season of Breakfast with Champions, Rahul said, "I remember in 2019, I think we played the World Cup and right after it, we went to the West Indies for a series. I played the World Cup, I did decently well and then we went into the series and I got dropped. I was messaging him, he said 'Come by the pool. I'm having a drink'. It was his 300th game the next day so he was very happy and he had some friends over. So I went. I was by the pool. He came, sat with me, spoke to me that why are you not playing."

Rahul then revealed how Universe Boss Chris Gayle came to his aid and lifted his spirits. "You know, I obviously was frustrated because I played the World Cup and I'm not playing this. Makes no sense. So, I was just talking to him and he's like 'See you can always say that you're not playing because of 100 other reasons but it's in your hands whether you play or not. If 70 is not enough, get 150. If you are getting 150, get 200 if that's not enough. That's how you need to look at things. If a 600-run IPL season is not enough, then get 800. Or like you're getting 50s, 60s in the World Cup, you should have converted that and gotten 100-120s. Then no one has the power to drop you'," he further added.

<section>
ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-kl-rahul-dismissed-for-golden-duck-on-debut-for-lucknow-super-giants-466467">IPL 2022: KL Rahul dismissed for golden duck on debut for Lucknow Super Giants</a>
Rahul is currently involved in the ongoing IPL 2022 edition, where he is leading one of the two debutant teams, i.e. the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Rahul-led LSG lost their season-opener to Gujarat Titans (GT) by 5 wickets at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Monday (March 28).</section>

KL Rahul has become an all-format player for Team India in current times. While Rahul dons the role of an opener in Tests and T20Is, the right-hander plays in the middle-order for India in the 50-over format.

KL Rahul has become an all-format player for Team India in current times. While Rahul dons the role of an opener in Tests and T20Is, the right-hander plays in the middle-order for India in the 50-over format. However, he wasn't a regular starter in all forms of the game a few years back. In the 2019 ODI World Cup, Rahul was part of India's middle-order before Shikhar Dhawan's injury promoted him as an opener along with Rohit Sharma. Rahul returned with 361 runs in his maiden 50-over World Cup, with a century and two fifties. Despite his good run with the willow in the showpiece event, Rahul was part of India's T20I, ODI and Test squads for the following West Indies tour, however, he was dropped from the playing XI in the white-ball series. ALSO READ | 'I looked at Anushka Sharma in shock' - Virat Kohli recalls AB de Villiers' shocking IPL retirement Rahul recently spilled the beans on his sudden omission from India's playing XI. In a chat with Gaurav Kapoor in the new season of Breakfast with Champions, Rahul said, "I remember in 2019, I think we played the World Cup and right after it, we went to the West Indies for a series. I played the World Cup, I did decently well and then we went into the series and I got dropped. I was messaging him, he said 'Come by the pool. I'm having a drink'. It was his 300th game the next day so he was very happy and he had some friends over. So I went. I was by the pool. He came, sat with me, spoke to me that why are you not playing." Rahul then revealed how Universe Boss Chris Gayle came to his aid and lifted his spirits. "You know, I obviously was frustrated because I played the World Cup and I'm not playing this. Makes no sense. So, I was just talking to him and he's like 'See you can always say that you're not playing because of 100 other reasons but it's in your hands whether you play or not. If 70 is not enough, get 150. If you are getting 150, get 200 if that's not enough. That's how you need to look at things. If a 600-run IPL season is not enough, then get 800. Or like you're getting 50s, 60s in the World Cup, you should have converted that and gotten 100-120s. Then no one has the power to drop you'," he further added. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: KL Rahul dismissed for golden duck on debut for Lucknow Super Giants Rahul is currently involved in the ongoing IPL 2022 edition, where he is leading one of the two debutant teams, i.e. the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Rahul-led LSG lost their season-opener to Gujarat Titans (GT) by 5 wickets at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Monday (March 28).

KL Rahul recalls being sidelined despite a good CWC'19 for India, reveals how Chris Gayle lifted his spirits

Soon after the end of IPL 2021, AB de Villiers dropped a bomb. The former South African captain announced his retirement from all forms of the game in mid-November and, thus, ended his ten-year-long association with the Virat Kohli-starrer Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise.

During his IPL career, de Villiers represented the Delhi Daredevils (now known as the Delhi Capitals) but spent majority of his days at the RCB camp. Overall, he signed off with 5,162 runs -- sixth-most overall -- but ended up scoring 4,491 runs from 128 matches for the Bengaluru-based franchise and led them to the playoffs on five occasions. However, he couldn't help RCB end their title-drought.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-padikkal-or-jaiswal-as-buttlers-opening-partner-predicting-sanju-samson-led-rrs-playing-xi-vs-srh-466642">IPL 2022: Padikkal or Jaiswal as Buttler's opening partner? Predicting Sanju Samson-led RR's playing XI vs SRH</a>

Recently, former RCB captain Virat Kohli recalled de Villiers' retirement. The two had become one of the most successful batting pairs in IPL, combining together to lead RCB to some mammoth scores and memorable wins.

“It’s very strange I mean, I clearly remember when he decided to finally call it a day. He sent me a voice note, we were coming back from Dubai after the (T20) World Cup. I got a voice note from AB de Villiers while we were driving back home. I opened it and while I was listening to it, I looked at Anushka in shock. My face fell to which she questioned, I showed her the message and the voice note from AB and she exclaimed, ‘Don’t tell me!’. She knew," Kohli said on RCB&nbsp;Bold Diaries.

He further revealed, "I kind of had the impression and was guessing it in the last IPL. Our rooms were next to each other, and we would walk the same way and disperse, every time we walked to our room and he would see me outside, he would be like ‘I want to see you for coffee, one of these days. I kept getting nervous and was like ‘I am not sitting with you because I think there is something coming’ to which he always said ‘No man there is nothing, I just want to have a chat with you, it’s been a while and he never speaks like that because we interact all the time. So, I knew something is brewing up. It is a very strange feeling I got very emotional. The voice note was very emotional as well for me when he said, ‘Look I don’t have it in me anymore. I have shared so many moments with him, highs and lows, everything we have been through he was right next to me."

<section>
ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/old-vintage-virat-kohli-aakash-chopra-praises-former-rcb-skipper-for-his-unbeaten-41-vs-pbks-466370">Old vintage Virat Kohli: Aakash Chopra praises former RCB skipper for his unbeaten 41 vs PBKS</a>

Before signing off, Kohli opined that he will think about ABD and his contributions for RCB if they manage to win their maiden title in the ongoing season. "The other day, it got me thinking, if we manage to win the title in the coming seasons, I would be very emotional thinking about him first. Rather than what I would experience after such hard work of so many years, I would actually think of him. It would still mean a lot to him even if he is watching the game from home. He is a special human being as he has touched everyone, and we all can vouch for that. He has been amazing, and I don’t think there is one person who can say that AB de Villiers has not contributed to their lives in some way or the other,” Kohli added.

RCB got off to a losing start in IPL 2022, going down to Punjab Kings (PBKS) by five wickets on Sunday (March 27).
</section>

Soon after the end of IPL 2021, AB de Villiers dropped a bomb. The former South African captain announced his retirement from all forms of the game in mid-November and, thus, ended his ten-year-long association with the Virat Kohli-starrer Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise.

Soon after the end of IPL 2021, AB de Villiers dropped a bomb. The former South African captain announced his retirement from all forms of the game in mid-November and, thus, ended his ten-year-long association with the Virat Kohli-starrer Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise. During his IPL career, de Villiers represented the Delhi Daredevils (now known as the Delhi Capitals) but spent majority of his days at the RCB camp. Overall, he signed off with 5,162 runs -- sixth-most overall -- but ended up scoring 4,491 runs from 128 matches for the Bengaluru-based franchise and led them to the playoffs on five occasions. However, he couldn't help RCB end their title-drought. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Padikkal or Jaiswal as Buttler's opening partner? Predicting Sanju Samson-led RR's playing XI vs SRH Recently, former RCB captain Virat Kohli recalled de Villiers' retirement. The two had become one of the most successful batting pairs in IPL, combining together to lead RCB to some mammoth scores and memorable wins. “It’s very strange I mean, I clearly remember when he decided to finally call it a day. He sent me a voice note, we were coming back from Dubai after the (T20) World Cup. I got a voice note from AB de Villiers while we were driving back home. I opened it and while I was listening to it, I looked at Anushka in shock. My face fell to which she questioned, I showed her the message and the voice note from AB and she exclaimed, ‘Don’t tell me!’. She knew," Kohli said on RCB Bold Diaries. He further revealed, "I kind of had the impression and was guessing it in the last IPL. Our rooms were next to each other, and we would walk the same way and disperse, every time we walked to our room and he would see me outside, he would be like ‘I want to see you for coffee, one of these days. I kept getting nervous and was like ‘I am not sitting with you because I think there is something coming’ to which he always said ‘No man there is nothing, I just want to have a chat with you, it’s been a while and he never speaks like that because we interact all the time. So, I knew something is brewing up. It is a very strange feeling I got very emotional. The voice note was very emotional as well for me when he said, ‘Look I don’t have it in me anymore. I have shared so many moments with him, highs and lows, everything we have been through he was right next to me." ALSO READ | Old vintage Virat Kohli: Aakash Chopra praises former RCB skipper for his unbeaten 41 vs PBKS Before signing off, Kohli opined that he will think about ABD and his contributions for RCB if they manage to win their maiden title in the ongoing season. "The other day, it got me thinking, if we manage to win the title in the coming seasons, I would be very emotional thinking about him first. Rather than what I would experience after such hard work of so many years, I would actually think of him. It would still mean a lot to him even if he is watching the game from home. He is a special human being as he has touched everyone, and we all can vouch for that. He has been amazing, and I don’t think there is one person who can say that AB de Villiers has not contributed to their lives in some way or the other,” Kohli added. RCB got off to a losing start in IPL 2022, going down to Punjab Kings (PBKS) by five wickets on Sunday (March 27).

'I looked at Anushka Sharma in shock' - Virat Kohli recalls AB de Villiers' shocking IPL retirement

virat-kohli

Virat Kohli, News on Virat Kohli, stories on Virat Kohli, articles on Virat Kohli, Virat Kohli stories at Wion, Virat Kohli news, Virat Kohli latest news

virat kohli