Former Indian captain Virat Kohli hasn't had a great run at the highest level in the post-Covid era. Before the pandemic struck worldwide, Kohli had registered his 70th international ton -- second-most among Indians and third-overall -- but has struggled to reach the triple-figure mark&nbsp;in any format at any level since November 2019.

Even in the IPL 2022 edition, where Kohli represented Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) sans captaincy duties, the 33-year-old ended with his second-worst season, after IPL 2010, and returned with 341 runs (with two half-centuries) at an average of 22.73 and a strike rate of&nbsp;115.98. Thus, he has been given some time off from the 22-yard cricket strip, which had been a piece of popular advice by many former cricketers after seeing his struggles during IPL 15. Amid all this, former Pakistan all-rounder and captain Shahid Afridi joined the bandwagon and commented on Kohli's dry run.

Speaking to Samaa TV, Afridi talked about 'attitude' and pointed out, "In cricket, attitude matters the most. That is what I talk about the most. Do you have the attitude towards cricket or not? That Kohli, earlier in his career, wanted to be the No. 1 batsman in the world… is he still playing cricket with the same motivation? That is the big question. He has the class. But does he really even want to be No. 1 again? Or does he think he has achieved everything in life. Now just relax and pass time? It's all about attitude."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/eng-vs-nz-joe-root-joins-virat-kohli-steve-smith-in-elite-list-goes-past-ex-indian-openers-run-tally-487682">Eng vs NZ: Joe Root joins Virat Kohli, Steve Smith in elite list; goes past ex-Indian opener's run-tally</a>

Since Afridi talked about being 'No. 1', Kohli is at the tenth spot for batters in ICC Test rankings and at the third position in ODIs. In T20Is, he is not even in the top 20 (21st position).

At present, Kohli is enjoying some family time and is not part of the Rohit Sharma-less Indian squad for the ongoing home T20Is versus South Africa. He will return for the one-off Test versus hosts England, in July.

Former Indian captain Virat Kohli hasn't had a great run at the highest level in the post-Covid era. Before the pandemic struck worldwide, Kohli had registered his 70th international ton -- second-most among Indians and third-overall -- but has struggled to reach the triple-figure mark in any format at any level since November 2019.

Former Indian captain Virat Kohli hasn't had a great run at the highest level in the post-Covid era. Before the pandemic struck worldwide, Kohli had registered his 70th international ton -- second-most among Indians and third-overall -- but has struggled to reach the triple-figure mark in any format at any level since November 2019. Even in the IPL 2022 edition, where Kohli represented Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) sans captaincy duties, the 33-year-old ended with his second-worst season, after IPL 2010, and returned with 341 runs (with two half-centuries) at an average of 22.73 and a strike rate of 115.98. Thus, he has been given some time off from the 22-yard cricket strip, which had been a piece of popular advice by many former cricketers after seeing his struggles during IPL 15. Amid all this, former Pakistan all-rounder and captain Shahid Afridi joined the bandwagon and commented on Kohli's dry run. Speaking to Samaa TV, Afridi talked about 'attitude' and pointed out, "In cricket, attitude matters the most. That is what I talk about the most. Do you have the attitude towards cricket or not? That Kohli, earlier in his career, wanted to be the No. 1 batsman in the world… is he still playing cricket with the same motivation? That is the big question. He has the class. But does he really even want to be No. 1 again? Or does he think he has achieved everything in life. Now just relax and pass time? It's all about attitude." ALSO READ | Eng vs NZ: Joe Root joins Virat Kohli, Steve Smith in elite list; goes past ex-Indian opener's run-tally Since Afridi talked about being 'No. 1', Kohli is at the tenth spot for batters in ICC Test rankings and at the third position in ODIs. In T20Is, he is not even in the top 20 (21st position). At present, Kohli is enjoying some family time and is not part of the Rohit Sharma-less Indian squad for the ongoing home T20Is versus South Africa. He will return for the one-off Test versus hosts England, in July.

'Is he still playing cricket with same motivation?' Afridi talks about 'attitude' as he dwells on Kohli's form

Joe Root has been in sensational form of late. After taking England to an impressive five-wicket win courtesy of his ton in the series opener of the three Tests versus New Zealand, at Lord's, the former skipper registered yet another triple-figure knock on Day 3 of the second and penultimate Test versus the Tom Latham-led New Zealanders, at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.&nbsp;

After the Kiwis made a mammoth 553 all-out, riding on Daryl Mitchell's 190 and Tom Blundell's 106, England were 147-2 when Root came in the middle, along with Ollie Pope. While Pope also scored a memorable century, Root slammed his 27th ton in the format. By virtue of his knock, he has now equalled with other Fab Four members such as Virat Kohli and Steve Smith in terms of Test match hundreds. While Kohli had reached his 27th ton in whites in late 2019, Smith scored his last hundred in early 2021.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/you-took-it-personally-moeen-ali-alastair-cook-involved-in-yet-another-on-air-argument-watch-487539">'You took it personally': Moeen Ali, Alastair Cook involved in yet another on-air argument - WATCH</a>

Interestingly, the 31-year-old Root had only 17 Test tons at the end of 2020. Since the start of 2021, he has scored 10 centuries as his incredible form continues. The Trent Bridge ton was also the quickest for Root. Courtesy of his knock, Root also went past former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar's run-tally (10,112). The Englishman, who remains unbeaten on 163, is now the 12th highest run-scorer in the purest format.

At stumps on Day 3 of the second Test, England are 473-5, trailing New Zealand by only 80 runs with Root and Ben Foakes in the middle. Will Root convert his hundred into a double ton on Day 4?

Joe Root has been in sensational form of late. After taking England to an impressive five-wicket win courtesy of his ton in the series opener of the three Tests versus New Zealand, at Lord's, the former skipper registered yet another triple-figure knock on Day 3 of the second and penultimate Test versus the Tom Latham-led New Zealanders, at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

Joe Root has been in sensational form of late. After taking England to an impressive five-wicket win courtesy of his ton in the series opener of the three Tests versus New Zealand, at Lord's, the former skipper registered yet another triple-figure knock on Day 3 of the second and penultimate Test versus the Tom Latham-led New Zealanders, at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. After the Kiwis made a mammoth 553 all-out, riding on Daryl Mitchell's 190 and Tom Blundell's 106, England were 147-2 when Root came in the middle, along with Ollie Pope. While Pope also scored a memorable century, Root slammed his 27th ton in the format. By virtue of his knock, he has now equalled with other Fab Four members such as Virat Kohli and Steve Smith in terms of Test match hundreds. While Kohli had reached his 27th ton in whites in late 2019, Smith scored his last hundred in early 2021. ALSO READ | 'You took it personally': Moeen Ali, Alastair Cook involved in yet another on-air argument - WATCH Interestingly, the 31-year-old Root had only 17 Test tons at the end of 2020. Since the start of 2021, he has scored 10 centuries as his incredible form continues. The Trent Bridge ton was also the quickest for Root. Courtesy of his knock, Root also went past former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar's run-tally (10,112). The Englishman, who remains unbeaten on 163, is now the 12th highest run-scorer in the purest format. At stumps on Day 3 of the second Test, England are 473-5, trailing New Zealand by only 80 runs with Root and Ben Foakes in the middle. Will Root convert his hundred into a double ton on Day 4?

Eng vs NZ: Joe Root joins Virat Kohli, Steve Smith in elite list; goes past ex-Indian opener's run-tally

Rishabh Pant didn't have an ideal start to his stint as the captain of the Indian team after South Africa thrashed the hosts by seven wickets in the 1st T20I of the five-match series at the Arun Jaitely Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday (June 09). South Africa chased down a massive target of 212 runs comfortably to go 1-0 up in the series and bring an end to India's winning streak of 12 matches in T20Is.

Asked to bat first in the game, India got off to a good start with openers Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad adding 57 runs for the first wicket. After Gaikwad's departure on 23 off 15 balls, Kishan continued his assault from one end and slammed a brilliant 76 off just 48 deliveries laced with 11 fours and three sixes.

He added an 80-run stand for the second wicket with Shreyas Iyer (36) before skipper Pant (29 off 16) and Hardik Pandya (31 off 12) propelled India to 212 runs in 20 overs. While India were expected to defend the target comfortably, the South African batters dominated the proceedings during the run-chase.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cant-ask-rohit-sharma-and-kl-rahul-to-drop-themselves-to-make-me-play-in-team-india-ishan-kishan-486834">Can't ask Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to drop themselves to make me play in Team India: Ishan Kishan</a>

David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen were the heroes with the bat for the Proteas with unbeaten half-centuries apiece. While Miller scored a quickfire 54 off 31 balls, Van der Dussen scored 75 off 46 balls to take South Africa over the line with five balls to spare and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

With the loss, Pant joined former India skipper Virat Kohli on an unwanted list of captains who have lost their first game for the Men in Blue. Kohli had lost his first match as an India captain against England in Kanpur in 2017. Kohli and Pant are the only two captains to have lost in their respective first matches as captains for India.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-hardik-pandya-surprisingly-refuses-single-to-dinesh-karthik-in-20th-over-during-ind-sa-1st-t20i-486817">WATCH - Hardik Pandya surprisingly refuses single to Dinesh Karthik in 20th over during 1st T20I</a>

Pant was appointed as the stand-in skipper of the Indian team for the ongoing five-match series against South Africa after an injury to KL Rahul ahead of the first ODI. Rahul was earlier supposed to lead the team in the absence of regular captain Rohit Sharma, who is not part of the squad as he has been rested post the recently-concluded&nbsp;IPL 2022.

&nbsp;

Rishabh Pant didn't have an ideal start to his stint as the captain of the Indian team after South Africa thrashed the hosts by seven wickets in the 1st T20I of the five-match series at the Arun Jaitely Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday (June 09).

Rishabh Pant didn't have an ideal start to his stint as the captain of the Indian team after South Africa thrashed the hosts by seven wickets in the 1st T20I of the five-match series at the Arun Jaitely Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday (June 09). South Africa chased down a massive target of 212 runs comfortably to go 1-0 up in the series and bring an end to India's winning streak of 12 matches in T20Is. Asked to bat first in the game, India got off to a good start with openers Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad adding 57 runs for the first wicket. After Gaikwad's departure on 23 off 15 balls, Kishan continued his assault from one end and slammed a brilliant 76 off just 48 deliveries laced with 11 fours and three sixes. He added an 80-run stand for the second wicket with Shreyas Iyer (36) before skipper Pant (29 off 16) and Hardik Pandya (31 off 12) propelled India to 212 runs in 20 overs. While India were expected to defend the target comfortably, the South African batters dominated the proceedings during the run-chase. Also Read: Can't ask Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to drop themselves to make me play in Team India: Ishan Kishan David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen were the heroes with the bat for the Proteas with unbeaten half-centuries apiece. While Miller scored a quickfire 54 off 31 balls, Van der Dussen scored 75 off 46 balls to take South Africa over the line with five balls to spare and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. With the loss, Pant joined former India skipper Virat Kohli on an unwanted list of captains who have lost their first game for the Men in Blue. Kohli had lost his first match as an India captain against England in Kanpur in 2017. Kohli and Pant are the only two captains to have lost in their respective first matches as captains for India. Also Read: WATCH - Hardik Pandya surprisingly refuses single to Dinesh Karthik in 20th over during 1st T20I Pant was appointed as the stand-in skipper of the Indian team for the ongoing five-match series against South Africa after an injury to KL Rahul ahead of the first ODI. Rahul was earlier supposed to lead the team in the absence of regular captain Rohit Sharma, who is not part of the squad as he has been rested post the recently-concluded IPL 2022.

Rishabh Pant joins Virat Kohli in unwanted list after India lose first T20I against South Africa by 7 wickets

Pakistan got off to a winning start in their ongoing three-match ODI series against West Indies at home with a comprehensive five-wicket victory in the series-opener at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on Wednesday (June 08). Captain Babar Azam led from the front with the willow and slammed a match-winning century to help the hosts chase down the target of 306 runs comfortably.

Asked to chase down 306 runs in the first ODI in Multan, Pakistan got off to a shaky start losing opener Fakhar Zaman cheaply on 11 before Imam-ul-Haq and skipper Babar combined to steady the ship for the hosts. While Babar continued his stellar run with the willow and notched up a century, Imam played a crucial knock of 65 runs off 71 balls.

The duo added 103 runs for the second wicket before Babar added another important stand of 108 runs for the third wicket with Mohammad Rizwan (59) to set up a comfortable run-chase for Pakistan. Babar notched up&nbsp;103 runs off 1107 deliveries laced with 9 fours.

En route to his century, the Pakistan skipper also broke&nbsp;former India captain Virat Kohli's record of being the fastest skipper to reach 1,000 runs in ODIs. Kohli had achieved the feat in 17 innings while Babar managed to reach the milestone in just 13 innings.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/do-you-ask-the-same-question-to-a-male-cricketer-when-mithali-raj-stumped-a-reporter-with-her-response-486312">'Do you ask the same question to a male cricketer': When Mithali&nbsp;stumped a reporter with her response</a>

He was 98 runs away from becoming the fastest batter to reach the 1,000-run mark in ODIs as captain heading into the first ODI against the visitors and managed to complete the milestone in style with a remarkable century.&nbsp;

Fastest to 1,000 ODI runs as captain:

Babar Azam - 13 innings

Virat Kohli - 17 innings

AB de Villiers - 18 innings

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-started-crying-didnt-sleep-that-night-ex-teammate-recalls-brutal-prank-on-former-india-captain-486246">Kohli started crying, didn't sleep that night: Ex-teammate recalls brutal prank on former India captain</a>

One of the best batters in the world at present, Babar has been in red-hot form for Pakistan across formats. He is currently ranked no.1 in T20Is and ODI rankings and is at the 4th spot in the Test rankings for batsmen. The Pakistan skipper will be hoping to continue his terrific run with the bat when Pakistan take on West Indies in the second ODI of the series on Friday (June 10).

Pakistan got off to a winning start in their ongoing three-match ODI series against West Indies at home with a comprehensive five-wicket victory in the series-opener at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on Wednesday (June 08).

Pakistan got off to a winning start in their ongoing three-match ODI series against West Indies at home with a comprehensive five-wicket victory in the series-opener at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on Wednesday (June 08). Captain Babar Azam led from the front with the willow and slammed a match-winning century to help the hosts chase down the target of 306 runs comfortably. Asked to chase down 306 runs in the first ODI in Multan, Pakistan got off to a shaky start losing opener Fakhar Zaman cheaply on 11 before Imam-ul-Haq and skipper Babar combined to steady the ship for the hosts. While Babar continued his stellar run with the willow and notched up a century, Imam played a crucial knock of 65 runs off 71 balls. The duo added 103 runs for the second wicket before Babar added another important stand of 108 runs for the third wicket with Mohammad Rizwan (59) to set up a comfortable run-chase for Pakistan. Babar notched up 103 runs off 1107 deliveries laced with 9 fours. En route to his century, the Pakistan skipper also broke former India captain Virat Kohli's record of being the fastest skipper to reach 1,000 runs in ODIs. Kohli had achieved the feat in 17 innings while Babar managed to reach the milestone in just 13 innings. Also Read: 'Do you ask the same question to a male cricketer': When Mithali stumped a reporter with her response He was 98 runs away from becoming the fastest batter to reach the 1,000-run mark in ODIs as captain heading into the first ODI against the visitors and managed to complete the milestone in style with a remarkable century. Fastest to 1,000 ODI runs as captain: Babar Azam - 13 innings Virat Kohli - 17 innings AB de Villiers - 18 innings Also Read: Kohli started crying, didn't sleep that night: Ex-teammate recalls brutal prank on former India captain One of the best batters in the world at present, Babar has been in red-hot form for Pakistan across formats. He is currently ranked no.1 in T20Is and ODI rankings and is at the 4th spot in the Test rankings for batsmen. The Pakistan skipper will be hoping to continue his terrific run with the bat when Pakistan take on West Indies in the second ODI of the series on Friday (June 10).

Pakistan captain Babar Azam breaks Virat Kohli's reacord with brilliant century in 1st ODI against West Indies

On Wednesday (June 08), Pakistan captain Babar Azam continued to be among runs as the Men in Green locked horns with Nicholas Pooran's West Indies in the series opener of the three ODIs, in Multan. Chasing 306, Babar-led hosts went past the finish line courtesy of their captain who scripted a brilliant record with his century against the Windies.

Scoring his 17th ton in the shortest format, Babar scripted history as he&nbsp;became the&nbsp;first batter to score three consecutive hundreds on two separate occasions in ODIs. For the unversed, his earlier three consectuive centuries had come against West Indies in 2016, when he made 120, 123, and 117.

In addition, the 27-year-old Babar surpassed the long-standing record of Virat Kohli, former Indian skipper, to become the quickest to score 1,000 runs as an ODI captain. He&nbsp;got to the milestone in his 13th innings;&nbsp;four innings less than Kohli (who achieved the same in 17 outings).

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pakistan-captain-babar-azam-breaks-virat-kohlis-reacord-with-brilliant-century-in-1st-odi-against-west-indies-486416">Pakistan captain Babar Azam breaks Virat Kohli's reacord with brilliant century in 1st ODI against West Indies</a>

Talking about the first ODI, Pooran-led Windies opted to bat first and rode on Shai Hope's 127, along with fifty from Shamarh Brooks (70) and vital knocks from Romario Shepherd and&nbsp;Rovman Powell, to post 305-8 as Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi claimed four and two scalps, respectively. In reply, Pakistan chased down the total with five wickets, and four balls, to spare. Apart from Babar, Md Rizwan scored a fifty whereas Khushdil Shah's entertaining 23-ball 41* ensured no further hiccups for the hosts in the final few overs.&nbsp;

At the post-match presentation, Babar said, "I always try to continue my game and work on my strengths. There was a little bit of a problem during the calling when I was batting with Imam. But it got better as the partnership moved on. The wicket was a little double-paced and wasn't that easy. There was heat but that is not an excuse. Credit to the bowlers. Shadab came back and did well. The standards he sets on the field is brilliant as well. Cricket is changing. We have to plan and play with a lot of intensity. Outstanding finish from Khushdil. You have to take it deep so that there is less pressure on the finishers."

On Wednesday (June 08), Pakistan captain Babar Azam continued to be among runs as the Men in Green locked horns with Nicholas Pooran's West Indies in the series opener of the three ODIs, in Multan.

On Wednesday (June 08), Pakistan captain Babar Azam continued to be among runs as the Men in Green locked horns with Nicholas Pooran's West Indies in the series opener of the three ODIs, in Multan. Chasing 306, Babar-led hosts went past the finish line courtesy of their captain who scripted a brilliant record with his century against the Windies. Scoring his 17th ton in the shortest format, Babar scripted history as he became the first batter to score three consecutive hundreds on two separate occasions in ODIs. For the unversed, his earlier three consectuive centuries had come against West Indies in 2016, when he made 120, 123, and 117. In addition, the 27-year-old Babar surpassed the long-standing record of Virat Kohli, former Indian skipper, to become the quickest to score 1,000 runs as an ODI captain. He got to the milestone in his 13th innings; four innings less than Kohli (who achieved the same in 17 outings). ALSO READ | Pakistan captain Babar Azam breaks Virat Kohli's reacord with brilliant century in 1st ODI against West Indies Talking about the first ODI, Pooran-led Windies opted to bat first and rode on Shai Hope's 127, along with fifty from Shamarh Brooks (70) and vital knocks from Romario Shepherd and Rovman Powell, to post 305-8 as Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi claimed four and two scalps, respectively. In reply, Pakistan chased down the total with five wickets, and four balls, to spare. Apart from Babar, Md Rizwan scored a fifty whereas Khushdil Shah's entertaining 23-ball 41* ensured no further hiccups for the hosts in the final few overs. At the post-match presentation, Babar said, "I always try to continue my game and work on my strengths. There was a little bit of a problem during the calling when I was batting with Imam. But it got better as the partnership moved on. The wicket was a little double-paced and wasn't that easy. There was heat but that is not an excuse. Credit to the bowlers. Shadab came back and did well. The standards he sets on the field is brilliant as well. Cricket is changing. We have to plan and play with a lot of intensity. Outstanding finish from Khushdil. You have to take it deep so that there is less pressure on the finishers."

Babar Azam creates history, Pakistan captain becomes 1st batter to score 3 successive ODI tons twice

Injury-hit Team India will face Temba Bavuma-led South Africa in the series opener of the five-match T20Is at home on Thursday evening (June 09), in New Delhi, India. On Wednesday evening (June 08), news broke out that stand-in captain KL Rahul has been injured, along with wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, hence, Rishabh Pant will lead India in the five&nbsp;T20Is&nbsp;versus the Proteas.

For the unversed, Pant was already named the captain when the BCCI selection committee named a Rohit Sharma-less Indian squad for the SA T20Is. With big names such as Rohit, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah rested, and now with Rahul's absence, Pant has a huge task to keep India's winning run intact in the shortest format (12), who are one victory away from creating a new world record of most successive T20I wins.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rishabh-pant-to-lead-india-in-t20i-series-vs-sa-after-kl-rahul-kuldeep-yadav-ruled-out-due-to-injury-486284">Rishabh Pant to lead India in T20I series vs SA after KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav ruled out due to injury</a>

As soon as Pant will enter the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi for the coin toss with Bavuma, he will join an elite list by going past former captains Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. Suresh Raina, the former all-rounder, is the youngest ever Indian captain in men's&nbsp;T20Is (23 years and 197 days), hence, Pant is all set to join him at the second spot. The 24-year-old Pant will then be followed by MS Dhoni (who captained in T20Is at 26), Virender Sehwag (who was 28 when he led India in their first-ever T20I in 2006) and Virat.&nbsp;

Virat led India for the first time in the shortest format in early 2017, when he was 28 years old. Hence, Pant will join some big players on an elusive list as he is set to lead India for the first time ever on Thursday evening.&nbsp;

It will be interesting to see how Pant marshalls his troops, comprising Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Avesh Khan, Umran Malik and some experienced campaigners such as Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Hardik will serve as Pant's deputy in the five T20Is.

Injury-hit Team India will face Temba Bavuma-led South Africa in the series opener of the five-match T20Is at home on Thursday evening (June 09), in New Delhi, India.

Injury-hit Team India will face Temba Bavuma-led South Africa in the series opener of the five-match T20Is at home on Thursday evening (June 09), in New Delhi, India. On Wednesday evening (June 08), news broke out that stand-in captain KL Rahul has been injured, along with wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, hence, Rishabh Pant will lead India in the five T20Is versus the Proteas. For the unversed, Pant was already named the captain when the BCCI selection committee named a Rohit Sharma-less Indian squad for the SA T20Is. With big names such as Rohit, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah rested, and now with Rahul's absence, Pant has a huge task to keep India's winning run intact in the shortest format (12), who are one victory away from creating a new world record of most successive T20I wins. ALSO READ | Rishabh Pant to lead India in T20I series vs SA after KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav ruled out due to injury As soon as Pant will enter the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi for the coin toss with Bavuma, he will join an elite list by going past former captains Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. Suresh Raina, the former all-rounder, is the youngest ever Indian captain in men's T20Is (23 years and 197 days), hence, Pant is all set to join him at the second spot. The 24-year-old Pant will then be followed by MS Dhoni (who captained in T20Is at 26), Virender Sehwag (who was 28 when he led India in their first-ever T20I in 2006) and Virat. Virat led India for the first time in the shortest format in early 2017, when he was 28 years old. Hence, Pant will join some big players on an elusive list as he is set to lead India for the first time ever on Thursday evening. It will be interesting to see how Pant marshalls his troops, comprising Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Avesh Khan, Umran Malik and some experienced campaigners such as Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Hardik will serve as Pant's deputy in the five T20Is.

India vs SA: Captain Rishabh Pant set to join elite list during 1st T20I, to go past Virat Kohli & MS Dhoni

Virat Kohli is away from the 22-yard cricket strip at present as he has been rested for the India-South Africa T20Is at home. However, the 33-year-old Kohli still added another feather to his illustrious hat by reaching the 200-million followers on the social media platform Instagram.&nbsp;

Kohli, thus, also became the first Indian to hit the 200-million followers mark on the photo-blogging site.&nbsp;

The former Indian captain&nbsp;himself took to Instagram to thank his supporters for helping him reach the staggering mark. "200 mil strong. Thanks for all your support insta fam," Kohli wrote along with a montage of his&nbsp;posts on the popular platform.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CegrpQrgMIl/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CegrpQrgMIl/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CegrpQrgMIl/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CegrpQrgMIl/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli)</a>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/there-was-love-and-affection-when-we-met-virat-kohli-and-ms-dhoni-says-pakistan-star-mohammad-rizwan-486044">There was love and affection when we met Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, says Pakistan star Mohammad Rizwan</a>

For the unversed, Kohli is the most followed cricketer on Instagram whereas,&nbsp;among sportspersons, only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have more followers than him. At present, Kohli is away from the cricketing action as the BCCI selection committee decided to give him, regular captain Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah some much-needed break for the India-South Africa T20Is, which commences on June 09 in New Delhi, India.

Kohli was last seen in action during IPL 2022, where he represented Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and only managed 341 runs in 16 innings, with two half-centuries. RCB, under Faf du Plessis, bowed out with a loss in Qualifier 2.

Despite him not being in best of forms and also resigning as RCB and Indian captain (sacked in ODIs), Kohli continues to remain a very popular figure worldwide.

Virat Kohli is away from the 22-yard cricket strip at present as he has been rested for the India-South Africa T20Is at home. However, the 33-year-old Kohli still added another feather to his illustrious hat by reaching the 200-million followers on the social media platform Instagram.

Virat Kohli is away from the 22-yard cricket strip at present as he has been rested for the India-South Africa T20Is at home. However, the 33-year-old Kohli still added another feather to his illustrious hat by reaching the 200-million followers on the social media platform Instagram. Kohli, thus, also became the first Indian to hit the 200-million followers mark on the photo-blogging site. The former Indian captain himself took to Instagram to thank his supporters for helping him reach the staggering mark. "200 mil strong. Thanks for all your support insta fam," Kohli wrote along with a montage of his posts on the popular platform. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) × ALSO READ | There was love and affection when we met Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, says Pakistan star Mohammad Rizwan For the unversed, Kohli is the most followed cricketer on Instagram whereas, among sportspersons, only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have more followers than him. At present, Kohli is away from the cricketing action as the BCCI selection committee decided to give him, regular captain Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah some much-needed break for the India-South Africa T20Is, which commences on June 09 in New Delhi, India. Kohli was last seen in action during IPL 2022, where he represented Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and only managed 341 runs in 16 innings, with two half-centuries. RCB, under Faf du Plessis, bowed out with a loss in Qualifier 2. Despite him not being in best of forms and also resigning as RCB and Indian captain (sacked in ODIs), Kohli continues to remain a very popular figure worldwide.

Virat Kohli adds another feather to illustrious hat, becomes 1st Indian to reach 200-m followers on Instagram

Virat Kohli is a livewire on the pitch when he is playing for India or his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Kohli enjoys the pressure and likes to be in the face of the opposition during a game. However, off the field, he remains a calm character who rarely lets the spotlight on him affect him too much. One of the best batters in the world at present, Kohli has already established his credentials as one of the legends of the game and has been brilliant across formats for the Indian team.

The former India captain has risen through the ranks having played age-level cricket and first-class matches before making his international debut for the Indian team in 2008. He was also the captain of the India U-19 side which lifted the U-19 World Cup in the year 2008.

While Kohli himself is a prankster in the Indian team and likes to have fun with his teammates, the superstar batter was once pranked by his teammates during his days in junior-level cricket. Kohli's former Delhi and India U-19 teammate Pradeep Sangwan recalled how he was reduced to tears and didn't sleep for a night after being pranked by his coach and teammates ahead of an under-17 match.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mithali-rajs-career-in-numbers-an-undisputed-legend-of-indian-cricket-486206">Mithali Raj's career in numbers - An undisputed legend of Indian cricket</a>

“We were playing in an U17 match in Punjab. He (Kohli) hadn't been scoring big in the past 2-3 innings. We had a coach named Ajit Chaudhary who used to call him 'Cheeku'. Virat was the main player of our team, and Ajit sir funnily suggested, 'let's tell him he will not play in the next match'. We all joined in on the prank,” Sangwan told News24.

“In the team meeting, sir didn't announce Virat's name. He went to his room and started crying! He phone-called sir and said I've scored a 200 and a 250.. he had scored big in that season, to be honest. It's just that he didn't get enough runs in the past 2-3 innings. He got so emotional he even phone-called Rajkumar sir (Virat's childhood coach)," he further recalled.

Sangwan then went on to reveal it was he who told Kohli that it was all a prank and that he would play the next game after the former India captain told him at the time that he hadn't slept the whole night due to the coach's decision of leaving him out.&nbsp;

"Then, he came to me and asked, 'Tell me Sangwan, what's wrong? I scored so many runs this season'. I told him, 'Yes yes, that's very wrong!'. He wasn't able to sleep all night as well. He said, “No, I don't want to sleep. What's the point of sleeping when I'm not playing?' Then, I told him that he is&nbsp;playing. It was all a prank," said Sangwan.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-adds-another-feather-to-illustrious-hat-becomes-1st-indian-to-reach-200-m-followers-on-instagram-486126">Virat Kohli&nbsp;becomes 1st Indian to reach 200 million&nbsp;followers on Instagram</a>

Kohli and Sangwan were part of the India U-19 team in the 2008 U-19 World Cup. Delhi Capitals (Then Delhi Daredevils) had the chance to pick the first player from the U-19 draft at the IPL 2008 mega auction. They went for Sangwan, a fast bowler instead of Kohli, who was picked by his current team RCB.

Kohli has since played only for RCB in his IPL career and is currently the leading run-getter of all time in IPL history with 6411 runs in 216 matches at an average of 36.43, including five centuries and 42 fifties. He stepped down as captain of the side last year but is still their most expensive player in the current squad. 
&nbsp;

Virat Kohli is a livewire on the pitch when he is playing for India or his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Kohli enjoys the pressure and likes to be in the face of the opposition during a game.

Virat Kohli is a livewire on the pitch when he is playing for India or his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Kohli enjoys the pressure and likes to be in the face of the opposition during a game. However, off the field, he remains a calm character who rarely lets the spotlight on him affect him too much. One of the best batters in the world at present, Kohli has already established his credentials as one of the legends of the game and has been brilliant across formats for the Indian team. The former India captain has risen through the ranks having played age-level cricket and first-class matches before making his international debut for the Indian team in 2008. He was also the captain of the India U-19 side which lifted the U-19 World Cup in the year 2008. While Kohli himself is a prankster in the Indian team and likes to have fun with his teammates, the superstar batter was once pranked by his teammates during his days in junior-level cricket. Kohli's former Delhi and India U-19 teammate Pradeep Sangwan recalled how he was reduced to tears and didn't sleep for a night after being pranked by his coach and teammates ahead of an under-17 match. Also Read: Mithali Raj's career in numbers - An undisputed legend of Indian cricket “We were playing in an U17 match in Punjab. He (Kohli) hadn't been scoring big in the past 2-3 innings. We had a coach named Ajit Chaudhary who used to call him 'Cheeku'. Virat was the main player of our team, and Ajit sir funnily suggested, 'let's tell him he will not play in the next match'. We all joined in on the prank,” Sangwan told News24. “In the team meeting, sir didn't announce Virat's name. He went to his room and started crying! He phone-called sir and said I've scored a 200 and a 250.. he had scored big in that season, to be honest. It's just that he didn't get enough runs in the past 2-3 innings. He got so emotional he even phone-called Rajkumar sir (Virat's childhood coach)," he further recalled. Sangwan then went on to reveal it was he who told Kohli that it was all a prank and that he would play the next game after the former India captain told him at the time that he hadn't slept the whole night due to the coach's decision of leaving him out. "Then, he came to me and asked, 'Tell me Sangwan, what's wrong? I scored so many runs this season'. I told him, 'Yes yes, that's very wrong!'. He wasn't able to sleep all night as well. He said, “No, I don't want to sleep. What's the point of sleeping when I'm not playing?' Then, I told him that he is playing. It was all a prank," said Sangwan. Also Read: Virat Kohli becomes 1st Indian to reach 200 million followers on Instagram Kohli and Sangwan were part of the India U-19 team in the 2008 U-19 World Cup. Delhi Capitals (Then Delhi Daredevils) had the chance to pick the first player from the U-19 draft at the IPL 2008 mega auction. They went for Sangwan, a fast bowler instead of Kohli, who was picked by his current team RCB. Kohli has since played only for RCB in his IPL career and is currently the leading run-getter of all time in IPL history with 6411 runs in 216 matches at an average of 36.43, including five centuries and 42 fifties. He stepped down as captain of the side last year but is still their most expensive player in the current squad.

Virat Kohli started crying, didn't sleep that night: Ex-teammate recalls brutal prank on former India captain

Pakistan batter Mohammad Rizwan recently recalled the time when he met Indian superstar Virat Kohli during the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year. India and Pakistan had locked horns in the group stages of the tournament where Babar Azam-led Men in Green thumped Kohli &amp; Co. by ten wickets to register their first-ever win in a World Cup match against their arch-rivals. Rizwan and captain Babar had taken Pakistan home while remaining unbeaten in the run-chase.

After Pakistan's victory in the high-pressure encounter, Rizwan and Babar had both met then Indian skipper Kohli on the ground. Kohli was seen embracing Rizwan while congratulating him for his match-winning knock. Rizwan said he was told by many that Kohli is aggressive on the field but it was a completely different experience for the Pakistan batter when he met the former India captain for the first time.

Rizwan also clarified his 'Virat Kohli is ours' comment and said he said it because cricketers are part of one big family and respect each other both on and off the field.&nbsp;

"It was the first time I had met Kohli. The kind of things I had heard about him like other players told me 'Virat is aggressive and all'. But the way he met me before and after the match was amazing. If I said 'he is our Virat Kohli', it's because we all are a family," Rizwan said on Pakistani journalist&nbsp;Waheed Khan's Youtube show Cricket Baaz.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/we-need-to-be-realistic-rahul-dravid-on-umran-maliks-potential-debut-for-india-in-south-africa-t20i-series-486033">'We need to be realistic': Dravid on Umran Malik's potential debut for India in South Africa T20I series</a>

Rizwan also spoke about his Pakistani teammates' meeting with the legendary MS Dhoni after the game and said there was only love and affection from both sides when the Pakistan players met their Indian counterparts. Dhoni was India's mentor during the T20 World Cup 2021.

"Obviously, when we enter the ground, no one is a star," said Rizwan.

"There we have no brotherhood or anything of that sort. But outside the field, when we met Kohli, and some of our players also met MS Dhoni, we met with a lot of love and affection. Nothing was different," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/england-speedster-stuart-broad-dismisses-speculations-of-rift-with-ex-test-captain-joe-root-485992">England speedster Stuart Broad dismisses speculations of rift with ex-Test captain Joe Root</a>

Rizwan also shared the dressing room with veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara while playing for Sussex in the county circuit in England. Rizwan developed a great bond with Pujara while playing alongside him and revealed the duo spend time together with love and he is the one who keeps bugging the Indian batter all the time.

"Even in County cricket, where Pujara is with me, believe me, we live with so much love. In fact, I am the one who keeps bugging him, call him out. He keeps laughing," said Rizwan.

"Similarly, it was same with Virat Kohli as well. When I met him the first time, it was with a lot of love and affection," he added.

Pakistan batter Mohammad Rizwan recently recalled the time when he met Indian superstar Virat Kohli during the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year. India and Pakistan had locked horns in the group stages of the tournament where Babar Azam-led Men in Green thumped Kohli & Co.

Pakistan batter Mohammad Rizwan recently recalled the time when he met Indian superstar Virat Kohli during the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year. India and Pakistan had locked horns in the group stages of the tournament where Babar Azam-led Men in Green thumped Kohli & Co. by ten wickets to register their first-ever win in a World Cup match against their arch-rivals. Rizwan and captain Babar had taken Pakistan home while remaining unbeaten in the run-chase. After Pakistan's victory in the high-pressure encounter, Rizwan and Babar had both met then Indian skipper Kohli on the ground. Kohli was seen embracing Rizwan while congratulating him for his match-winning knock. Rizwan said he was told by many that Kohli is aggressive on the field but it was a completely different experience for the Pakistan batter when he met the former India captain for the first time. Rizwan also clarified his 'Virat Kohli is ours' comment and said he said it because cricketers are part of one big family and respect each other both on and off the field. "It was the first time I had met Kohli. The kind of things I had heard about him like other players told me 'Virat is aggressive and all'. But the way he met me before and after the match was amazing. If I said 'he is our Virat Kohli', it's because we all are a family," Rizwan said on Pakistani journalist Waheed Khan's Youtube show Cricket Baaz. Also Read: 'We need to be realistic': Dravid on Umran Malik's potential debut for India in South Africa T20I series Rizwan also spoke about his Pakistani teammates' meeting with the legendary MS Dhoni after the game and said there was only love and affection from both sides when the Pakistan players met their Indian counterparts. Dhoni was India's mentor during the T20 World Cup 2021. "Obviously, when we enter the ground, no one is a star," said Rizwan. "There we have no brotherhood or anything of that sort. But outside the field, when we met Kohli, and some of our players also met MS Dhoni, we met with a lot of love and affection. Nothing was different," he added. Also Read: England speedster Stuart Broad dismisses speculations of rift with ex-Test captain Joe Root Rizwan also shared the dressing room with veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara while playing for Sussex in the county circuit in England. Rizwan developed a great bond with Pujara while playing alongside him and revealed the duo spend time together with love and he is the one who keeps bugging the Indian batter all the time. "Even in County cricket, where Pujara is with me, believe me, we live with so much love. In fact, I am the one who keeps bugging him, call him out. He keeps laughing," said Rizwan. "Similarly, it was same with Virat Kohli as well. When I met him the first time, it was with a lot of love and affection," he added.

There was love and affection when we met Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, says Pakistan star Mohammad Rizwan

England and New Zealand were involved in a humdinger of a clash when both sides met each other in the series opener of the three-match Test series at Lord's last week. In a riveting clash, Kane Williamson-led New Zealand set up a challenging 277-run target for the Ben Stokes-led hosts, after being dismissed for 132 in the first essay, and had reduced the home team to 69/4 before former skipper Joe Root's sublime 115 rescued England and took them to a memorable five-wicket win over the Kiwis.

Despite giving up the captaincy in the format, Root continued to lead the charge with the bat and his 26th Test ton also helped him reach the 10,000-run mark in Tests. He became the second Englishman, after Sir Alastair Cook, and 14th batsman overall to achieve the illustrious feat. Such has been Root's form that he has amassed&nbsp;2192 runs including 9 centuries in the last 18 months, whereas his competitors such as Virat Kohli, Williamson and Steve Smith haven't hit a single ton since early January 2021.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sachin-should-watch-out-michael-vaughan-makes-bold-claim-as-joe-root-breaches-10000-run-mark-in-tests-485960">'Sachin should watch out': Michael Vaughan makes bold claim as Joe Root breaches 10,000-run mark in Tests</a>

Thus, former Indian stumper Saba Karim lavished huge praise on Root. In a discussion on India Ahead, Karim stated that Root's consistency has brought him way ahead of the other three batters in the Fab Four. "He has gone far ahead. Joe Root has left the other three batters far behind in the last two years. Whether we talk about consistency, technique or temperament, in all these aspects Joe Root is above everyone at the moment."

"And we are not discussing one more thing, that if we see England's batting, other than Root, we are not seeing any other name coming to the forefront. It means Joe Root has single-handedly scored runs and hit centuries, he has not got any support from the other end," Karim added.

Root will be eager to continue in a similar stead and guide England to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series when the second and penultimate Test starts on June 10 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

England and New Zealand were involved in a humdinger of a clash when both sides met each other in the series opener of the three-match Test series at Lord's last week.

England and New Zealand were involved in a humdinger of a clash when both sides met each other in the series opener of the three-match Test series at Lord's last week. In a riveting clash, Kane Williamson-led New Zealand set up a challenging 277-run target for the Ben Stokes-led hosts, after being dismissed for 132 in the first essay, and had reduced the home team to 69/4 before former skipper Joe Root's sublime 115 rescued England and took them to a memorable five-wicket win over the Kiwis. Despite giving up the captaincy in the format, Root continued to lead the charge with the bat and his 26th Test ton also helped him reach the 10,000-run mark in Tests. He became the second Englishman, after Sir Alastair Cook, and 14th batsman overall to achieve the illustrious feat. Such has been Root's form that he has amassed 2192 runs including 9 centuries in the last 18 months, whereas his competitors such as Virat Kohli, Williamson and Steve Smith haven't hit a single ton since early January 2021. ALSO READ | 'Sachin should watch out': Michael Vaughan makes bold claim as Joe Root breaches 10,000-run mark in Tests Thus, former Indian stumper Saba Karim lavished huge praise on Root. In a discussion on India Ahead, Karim stated that Root's consistency has brought him way ahead of the other three batters in the Fab Four. "He has gone far ahead. Joe Root has left the other three batters far behind in the last two years. Whether we talk about consistency, technique or temperament, in all these aspects Joe Root is above everyone at the moment." "And we are not discussing one more thing, that if we see England's batting, other than Root, we are not seeing any other name coming to the forefront. It means Joe Root has single-handedly scored runs and hit centuries, he has not got any support from the other end," Karim added. Root will be eager to continue in a similar stead and guide England to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series when the second and penultimate Test starts on June 10 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

Joe Root has left other three batters from Fab Four far behind, reckons former India stumper

Team India already have one eye on the forthcoming T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia later this year, after their disastrous run in the last year's edition. Ahead of the showpiece event, former Indian captain, Kapil Dev slammed India's top order's T20 batting approach and asked them to strike at a higher rate.&nbsp;

The 1983 World Cup-winning skipper Kapil feels that Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli have the potential to go at a strike rate of 150-160, however, they restrict themselves and often get out while accelerating at the latter half of the innings, putting pressure on the rest of the batters. Kapil also went on to add that if they can't change their approach in a fast-moving game, they should be replaced by fresh faces.&nbsp;

"They have a big reputation and there's huge pressure on them, which shouldn't be the case. You have to play fearless cricket. All of these are players who can hit at a strike rate of 150-160. Whenever we need them to score runs, they all get out. When it is time to take off (in the innings), they are out. And that adds to pressure. Either you play an anchor or you play striker,” said Kapil on the Youtube channel&nbsp;Uncut.

<section>
ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/need-a-wicketkeeper-who-will-play-dhonis-role-shastri-on-how-karthik-can-cement-his-place-in-indian-team-485322">Need a wicketkeeper who will play Dhoni’s role: Shastri on how Karthik can cement his place in Indian team</a>

Kapil stressed on Rahul and said, "When you talk about KL Rahul, if the team tells him to play the entire 20 overs and you come back with a score of, say 60 not out, you're not doing justice to your team." He added, "

“I think the approach needs to change. And if it doesn't, you have to change the players. A big player is expected to make a big impact. Having a big reputation is not enough, you also have to deliver great performances."

At present, a second-stringed Rahul-led India are gearing up for the home T20Is versus South Africa, starting on June 09. Rohit and Virat have been rested and will return to action during the one-off Test versus England, on July 01.
</section>

Team India already have one eye on the forthcoming T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia later this year, after their disastrous run in the last year's edition.

Team India already have one eye on the forthcoming T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia later this year, after their disastrous run in the last year's edition. Ahead of the showpiece event, former Indian captain, Kapil Dev slammed India's top order's T20 batting approach and asked them to strike at a higher rate. The 1983 World Cup-winning skipper Kapil feels that Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli have the potential to go at a strike rate of 150-160, however, they restrict themselves and often get out while accelerating at the latter half of the innings, putting pressure on the rest of the batters. Kapil also went on to add that if they can't change their approach in a fast-moving game, they should be replaced by fresh faces. "They have a big reputation and there's huge pressure on them, which shouldn't be the case. You have to play fearless cricket. All of these are players who can hit at a strike rate of 150-160. Whenever we need them to score runs, they all get out. When it is time to take off (in the innings), they are out. And that adds to pressure. Either you play an anchor or you play striker,” said Kapil on the Youtube channel Uncut. ALSO READ | Need a wicketkeeper who will play Dhoni’s role: Shastri on how Karthik can cement his place in Indian team Kapil stressed on Rahul and said, "When you talk about KL Rahul, if the team tells him to play the entire 20 overs and you come back with a score of, say 60 not out, you're not doing justice to your team." He added, " “I think the approach needs to change. And if it doesn't, you have to change the players. A big player is expected to make a big impact. Having a big reputation is not enough, you also have to deliver great performances." At present, a second-stringed Rahul-led India are gearing up for the home T20Is versus South Africa, starting on June 09. Rohit and Virat have been rested and will return to action during the one-off Test versus England, on July 01.

When we need them to score runs, they get out: Kapil Dev on India's top order's T20 batting approach

Rohit Sharma's childhood coach wants Virat Kohli to break the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 centuries in international cricket. Tendulkar holds the record for scoring the most number of centuries in international cricket and is the only batter to have achieved the feat of 100 centuries across formats at the highest level. Regarded as one of the greatest of all time, Tendulkar is also the leading run-getter in international cricket.

India's batting maestro Virat Kohli is the only active batter who is close to breaching Tendulkar's record of 100 tons in international cricket. At one stage in his career, Kohli was absolutely unstoppable with the bat and was slamming centuries for fun. However, he has had to endure a rough patch in the last couple of years.

Kohli, who scored his last century in November 2019, currently has 71 international hundreds to his name. He has scored 27 centuries in Tests and 43 hundreds in ODIs and needs 30 more centuries across all three formats to go past Tendulkar.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/gautam-gambhir-on-working-in-ipl-despite-being-an-mp-i-feed-5000-people-every-month-from-my-own-pocket-485062">Gambhir on working in IPL despite being an MP: I feed 5,000 people every month from my own pocket</a>

Despite Kohli's ongoing rough patch, Rohit's childhood coach Dinesh Lad has backed Kohli to go on and break Tendulkar's record of 100 international centuries. Lad said almost all batters have to go through rough patches in their career while backing Kohli to bounce back from his bad form.

"Virat is a wonderful batsman, and I feel he'll make a strong comeback. Almost every cricketer has had to go through a bad patch - even Vivian Richards and Sunil Gavaskar went through a bad patch. I think it's more about mental strength rather than form. He should concentrate on that. Rest he'll bat well, we can't talk much about that. I want him to break Sachin's century record," Dinesh told India TV.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/don-bradmans-son-changed-his-name-legendary-kapil-dev-on-burden-of-expectations-on-arjun-tendulkar-485012">'Don Bradman's son changed his name': Kapil Dev on burden of expectations on Arjun Tendulkar</a>

Kohli, who has been enduring a rough patch with the bat for the last couple of years, is currently on a break after being rested from India's upcoming T20I series against South Africa. The batting maestro will return to action during the one-off Test against England next month.

Rohit Sharma's childhood coach wants Virat Kohli to break the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 centuries in international cricket. Tendulkar holds the record for scoring the most number of centuries in international cricket and is the only batter to have achieved the feat of 100 centuries across formats at the highest level.

Rohit Sharma's childhood coach wants Virat Kohli to break the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 centuries in international cricket. Tendulkar holds the record for scoring the most number of centuries in international cricket and is the only batter to have achieved the feat of 100 centuries across formats at the highest level. Regarded as one of the greatest of all time, Tendulkar is also the leading run-getter in international cricket. India's batting maestro Virat Kohli is the only active batter who is close to breaching Tendulkar's record of 100 tons in international cricket. At one stage in his career, Kohli was absolutely unstoppable with the bat and was slamming centuries for fun. However, he has had to endure a rough patch in the last couple of years. Kohli, who scored his last century in November 2019, currently has 71 international hundreds to his name. He has scored 27 centuries in Tests and 43 hundreds in ODIs and needs 30 more centuries across all three formats to go past Tendulkar. Also Read: Gambhir on working in IPL despite being an MP: I feed 5,000 people every month from my own pocket Despite Kohli's ongoing rough patch, Rohit's childhood coach Dinesh Lad has backed Kohli to go on and break Tendulkar's record of 100 international centuries. Lad said almost all batters have to go through rough patches in their career while backing Kohli to bounce back from his bad form. "Virat is a wonderful batsman, and I feel he'll make a strong comeback. Almost every cricketer has had to go through a bad patch - even Vivian Richards and Sunil Gavaskar went through a bad patch. I think it's more about mental strength rather than form. He should concentrate on that. Rest he'll bat well, we can't talk much about that. I want him to break Sachin's century record," Dinesh told India TV. Also Read: 'Don Bradman's son changed his name': Kapil Dev on burden of expectations on Arjun Tendulkar Kohli, who has been enduring a rough patch with the bat for the last couple of years, is currently on a break after being rested from India's upcoming T20I series against South Africa. The batting maestro will return to action during the one-off Test against England next month.

Want Virat Kohli to break Sachin's record of 100 international centuries, says Rohit's childhood coach

Virat Kohli had a dreadful run in IPL 2022 edition. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)'s former skipper was expected to go bonkers with the bat in the 15th season after having relinquished captaincy duty for the franchise, in last year, but the 33-year-old fell flat and was nowhere close to his own high standards.

Kohli returned with 341 runs in 16 games, at an average of&nbsp;22.73 and a below-par strike rate of 115.98. The right-hander scored two half-centuries, against eventual winners Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT), but wasn't anywhere near his best in majority of the outings. Even his 53-ball 58 in RCB's first face-off versus GT wasn't very impressive.

Analysing Kohli's season for RCB, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra said, "The main points were that the top three batters just failed to perform. If you see Virat Kohli's year, Virat Kohli was not Virat Kohli. 16 matches, 341 runs at a strike rate of 115. You might have said it is fine even with 341 runs if the strike rate had been around 140."

"Only two half-centuries, that too against just one side. Other than that, he hasn't scored any runs. He reached 48 once and scored an unbeaten 40-odd in the first match but very ordinary season by his standards and by any standards," he said in a video posted on&nbsp;YouTube.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ipl-2022-roundup-from-ms-dhonis-confirmation-to-gujarat-titans-historic-triumph-483837">IPL 2022 roundup: From MS Dhoni's confirmation to Gujarat Titans' historic triumph</a>

Further, Chopra shifted focus on Glenn Maxwell and skipper Faf du Plessis and said, "Glenn Maxwell, on whom you placed a huge bet, 301 runs in 13 matches, it is slightly underperforming but the strike rate is very high, more than 160. He picked up wickets in bowling as well, takes catches as well. But one thing is that if Virat Kohli is not having a gun season, Maxi needs to have an extremely gun season, which didn't happen."

"Faf du Plessis - 468 runs in 16 matches. He has the runs, 468 runs are great but this is a team without a single 500-plus score. You might say Gujarat also do not have that but there were three players above 400 there and their main thing was the bowling," added the cricketer-turned-pundit.

RCB finished the league stage at the fourth spot and won the Eliminator, beating Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), before bowing out after defeat to eventual runners-up Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2.

Virat Kohli had a dreadful run in IPL 2022 edition. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)'s former skipper was expected to go bonkers with the bat in the 15th season after having relinquished captaincy duty for the franchise, in last year, but the 33-year-old fell flat and was nowhere close to his own high standards.

Virat Kohli had a dreadful run in IPL 2022 edition. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)'s former skipper was expected to go bonkers with the bat in the 15th season after having relinquished captaincy duty for the franchise, in last year, but the 33-year-old fell flat and was nowhere close to his own high standards. Kohli returned with 341 runs in 16 games, at an average of 22.73 and a below-par strike rate of 115.98. The right-hander scored two half-centuries, against eventual winners Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT), but wasn't anywhere near his best in majority of the outings. Even his 53-ball 58 in RCB's first face-off versus GT wasn't very impressive. Analysing Kohli's season for RCB, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra said, "The main points were that the top three batters just failed to perform. If you see Virat Kohli's year, Virat Kohli was not Virat Kohli. 16 matches, 341 runs at a strike rate of 115. You might have said it is fine even with 341 runs if the strike rate had been around 140." "Only two half-centuries, that too against just one side. Other than that, he hasn't scored any runs. He reached 48 once and scored an unbeaten 40-odd in the first match but very ordinary season by his standards and by any standards," he said in a video posted on YouTube. ALSO READ | IPL 2022 roundup: From MS Dhoni's confirmation to Gujarat Titans' historic triumph Further, Chopra shifted focus on Glenn Maxwell and skipper Faf du Plessis and said, "Glenn Maxwell, on whom you placed a huge bet, 301 runs in 13 matches, it is slightly underperforming but the strike rate is very high, more than 160. He picked up wickets in bowling as well, takes catches as well. But one thing is that if Virat Kohli is not having a gun season, Maxi needs to have an extremely gun season, which didn't happen." "Faf du Plessis - 468 runs in 16 matches. He has the runs, 468 runs are great but this is a team without a single 500-plus score. You might say Gujarat also do not have that but there were three players above 400 there and their main thing was the bowling," added the cricketer-turned-pundit. RCB finished the league stage at the fourth spot and won the Eliminator, beating Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), before bowing out after defeat to eventual runners-up Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2.

Virat Kohli was not Virat Kohli: Aakash Chopra analyses RCB star's ordinary run in IPL 2022

KL Rahul was criticised by many for failing to change gears in time during his side Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)'s clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Eliminator of the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Chasing a big target of 208 runs, Rahul scored 79 off 58 balls for LSG but failed to get them over the line as they lost the game by 14 runs.

While his skills and talent is there to see for everyone, Rahul didn't quite manage to make the best use of his potential for LSG in IPL 2022. He was often scrutinised for being too slow in his approach and was also slammed by fans for not accelerating his strike rate despite the team being under pressure.

Rahul had yet another prolific season with the bat for LSG, amassing 616 runs in 15 matches for his team but failed to inspire them to their maiden title. LSG bowed out of the tournament after losing against RCB in the Eliminator. Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif recently shared his views on Rahul's batting.

Latif said there is no doubt that Rahul is a fine batter and a special player but he is not in the same league as the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The former Pakistan skipper explained that Rahul plays a lot of dot balls and needs to work on that to improve his game.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/from-hardik-pandya-to-ravindra-jadeja-how-new-captains-fared-in-ipl-2022-483927">From Hardik Pandya to Ravindra Jadeja: How new captains fared in IPL 2022?</a>

"Wasn't he playing for Punjab Kings before this? He used to bat till the 15th-18th over, while Glenn Maxwell hardly faced 2 balls. The team did not qualify. Even Gayle was there but he played in the end. See, there is no doubt that KL Rahul is a fine player, and the pitches he played on and scored hundreds were the same where Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan struggled. Sometimes when an opener bats, he thinks it is his responsibility to bat through," Latif said on his YouTube channel&nbsp;'Caught Behind'.

"Rahul is not like Rohit Sharma. Rohit and Kohli belong to a different league, but Rahul too is a special player. Having said that he needs to improve a little. He plays a few too many dot balls for his liking. Since the runs he scores are big, the balls faced a lot too. When he was playing for Punjab, I noticed the same," the former Pakistan skipper added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hardik-pandya-captains-aakash-chopras-ipl-2022-xi-no-place-for-dk-rashid-khan-and-umran-malik-483865">Hardik Pandya captains Aakash Chopra's IPL 2022 XI, no place for DK, Rashid Khan and Umran Malik</a>

Rahul has been one of the most consistent performers with the willow in the IPL over the last few seasons. He was the highest run-getter in the league in IPL 2020 before finishing third on the list in IPL 2021 last year. He once again went past the 600-run mark this season to continue his purple patch. However, his efforts were not enough to take his side to the final of the season.

KL Rahul was criticised by many for failing to change gears in time during his side Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)'s clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Eliminator of the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.

KL Rahul was criticised by many for failing to change gears in time during his side Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)'s clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Eliminator of the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Chasing a big target of 208 runs, Rahul scored 79 off 58 balls for LSG but failed to get them over the line as they lost the game by 14 runs. While his skills and talent is there to see for everyone, Rahul didn't quite manage to make the best use of his potential for LSG in IPL 2022. He was often scrutinised for being too slow in his approach and was also slammed by fans for not accelerating his strike rate despite the team being under pressure. Rahul had yet another prolific season with the bat for LSG, amassing 616 runs in 15 matches for his team but failed to inspire them to their maiden title. LSG bowed out of the tournament after losing against RCB in the Eliminator. Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif recently shared his views on Rahul's batting. Latif said there is no doubt that Rahul is a fine batter and a special player but he is not in the same league as the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The former Pakistan skipper explained that Rahul plays a lot of dot balls and needs to work on that to improve his game. Also Read: From Hardik Pandya to Ravindra Jadeja: How new captains fared in IPL 2022? "Wasn't he playing for Punjab Kings before this? He used to bat till the 15th-18th over, while Glenn Maxwell hardly faced 2 balls. The team did not qualify. Even Gayle was there but he played in the end. See, there is no doubt that KL Rahul is a fine player, and the pitches he played on and scored hundreds were the same where Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan struggled. Sometimes when an opener bats, he thinks it is his responsibility to bat through," Latif said on his YouTube channel 'Caught Behind'. "Rahul is not like Rohit Sharma. Rohit and Kohli belong to a different league, but Rahul too is a special player. Having said that he needs to improve a little. He plays a few too many dot balls for his liking. Since the runs he scores are big, the balls faced a lot too. When he was playing for Punjab, I noticed the same," the former Pakistan skipper added. Also Read: Hardik Pandya captains Aakash Chopra's IPL 2022 XI, no place for DK, Rashid Khan and Umran Malik Rahul has been one of the most consistent performers with the willow in the IPL over the last few seasons. He was the highest run-getter in the league in IPL 2020 before finishing third on the list in IPL 2021 last year. He once again went past the 600-run mark this season to continue his purple patch. However, his efforts were not enough to take his side to the final of the season.

KL Rahul a special player but Kohli and Rohit belong in a different league, says former Pakistan captain

IPL 2022 edition came to a fitting end on May 29 (Sunday) with the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) winning their maiden title in their first-ever season. Following the end of the 15th season, former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh revealed his 'most shocking moment' of the recently-concluded season.

While the IPL 15 season saw many uncapped players and some debutants make a mark whereas some veteran cricketers also had a good season. On the other hand, some big guns such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard, Ravindra Jadeja, Glenn Maxwell, etc. didn't have a memorable season. Among the other shocking moments, the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fell flat whereas the five-time winners Mumbai Indians (MI) ended at the bottom.

Thus, Bhajji picked his 'most shocking moment', citing the struggles of Indian opener and Punjab Kings' (PBKS) skipper Mayank Agarwal. For the unversed, Mayank didn't even lead Punjab to the playoffs whereas he had a below-par season with the bat, amassing only 196 runs with a sole half-century at a strike rate of&nbsp;122.50. His indifferent run and 'suffocated' appearance on the field was most shocking for Bhajji.

"Mayank… I think if we talk about Agarwal, I thought to myself 'What has happened to him? He is such a good player. After getting captaincy, I think it put pressure on him. From opening, he went down to No. 4. He kept soaking everything. He looked suffocated. He should have been given freedom. He was under the radar and surely could have been a little better," Harbhajan told SportsKeeda when asked to pick the 'most shocking moment' of IPL 2022.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ipl-2022-roundup-from-ms-dhonis-confirmation-to-gujarat-titans-historic-triumph-483837">IPL 2022 roundup: From MS Dhoni's confirmation to Gujarat Titans' historic triumph</a>

Harbhajan later also picked his 'surprise package of the tournament'. "Wanindu Hasaranga became a match-winner after coming here. He was always a good bowler, we knew he was going to do well. But for me, he was the surprise package because the way he foxed the batters, he showed that he has the skills to succeed. It was fun to see him operate," pointed out the veteran cricketer.

Wanindu ended with 26 wickets, one less than the Purple Cap winner Yuzvendra Chahal, for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

IPL 2022 edition came to a fitting end on May 29 (Sunday) with the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) winning their maiden title in their first-ever season. Following the end of the 15th season, former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh revealed his 'most shocking moment' of the recently-concluded season.

IPL 2022 edition came to a fitting end on May 29 (Sunday) with the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) winning their maiden title in their first-ever season. Following the end of the 15th season, former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh revealed his 'most shocking moment' of the recently-concluded season. While the IPL 15 season saw many uncapped players and some debutants make a mark whereas some veteran cricketers also had a good season. On the other hand, some big guns such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard, Ravindra Jadeja, Glenn Maxwell, etc. didn't have a memorable season. Among the other shocking moments, the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fell flat whereas the five-time winners Mumbai Indians (MI) ended at the bottom. Thus, Bhajji picked his 'most shocking moment', citing the struggles of Indian opener and Punjab Kings' (PBKS) skipper Mayank Agarwal. For the unversed, Mayank didn't even lead Punjab to the playoffs whereas he had a below-par season with the bat, amassing only 196 runs with a sole half-century at a strike rate of 122.50. His indifferent run and 'suffocated' appearance on the field was most shocking for Bhajji. "Mayank… I think if we talk about Agarwal, I thought to myself 'What has happened to him? He is such a good player. After getting captaincy, I think it put pressure on him. From opening, he went down to No. 4. He kept soaking everything. He looked suffocated. He should have been given freedom. He was under the radar and surely could have been a little better," Harbhajan told SportsKeeda when asked to pick the 'most shocking moment' of IPL 2022. ALSO READ | IPL 2022 roundup: From MS Dhoni's confirmation to Gujarat Titans' historic triumph Harbhajan later also picked his 'surprise package of the tournament'. "Wanindu Hasaranga became a match-winner after coming here. He was always a good bowler, we knew he was going to do well. But for me, he was the surprise package because the way he foxed the batters, he showed that he has the skills to succeed. It was fun to see him operate," pointed out the veteran cricketer. Wanindu ended with 26 wickets, one less than the Purple Cap winner Yuzvendra Chahal, for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Harbhajan Singh mentions his 'most shocking moment' of IPL 2022, citing star Indian batter's struggles

The IPL 2022 edition ended on May 29 (Sunday). There were plenty of memorable performances by uncapped players, veteran stars whereas some big names failed to get going and fell flat. The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Kieron Pollard, Glenn Maxwell and many other superstar cricketers failed to live upto expectations and had an ordinary run.

Thus, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra picked Team India's T20 World Cup squad, for the mega event set to be held in Australia later this year, on the basis of Indian players' IPL 2022 performance. While Chopra named Hardik Pandya -- IPL 15's winning captain -- as India's skipper, he dropped Virat, Rohit, Rishabh Pant and Jadeja.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kl-rahul-a-special-player-but-kohli-and-rohit-belong-in-a-different-league-says-former-pakistan-captain-484006">KL Rahul a special player but Kohli and Rohit belong in a different league, says former Pakistan captain</a>

"The first name I am keeping is KL Rahul. He can play till 15-17 overs, he is a T20 gun batter and scored more than 600 runs this year. I have kept Ishan Kishan along with him. If you see his numbers, you will say it was not that bad a season for Ishan Kishan."

"At No. 3, I have kept Rahul Tripathi. He played very well this, strike rate has been very high and given match-winning performances. At No. 4, I have kept SKY. He has not played all the games but he has played at a different level in the matches he played," Chopra said on his Youtube channel.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hardik-pandya-captains-aakash-chopras-ipl-2022-xi-no-place-for-dk-rashid-khan-and-umran-malik-483865">Hardik Pandya captains Aakash Chopra's IPL 2022 XI, no place for DK, Rashid Khan and Umran Malik</a>

He added, "After that, my Player of the Tournament. I have made Hardik Pandya the captain of the team. He can play in the middle and be a finisher as well. After that, I have given a spot to Dinesh Karthik and he is my wicketkeeper as well. He has run at a strike rate of 180-190 and finished a lot of matches."

"At No. 7, I have kept Krunal Pandya because he has had a very good season. He has been very economical as a bowler and scored crucial runs as a batter. He can bat up and down the order. You require a left-hander in the middle."

"After that, Yuzi Chahal has to be in my side. Then I have three fast bowlers and the fourth fast bowler is Hardik Pandya - Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh. I am seeing this as the XI," Chopra opined further.

India's T20 World Cup squad based on IPL 2022 performances: KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Rahul Tripathi, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Dinesh Karthik, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah

The IPL 2022 edition ended on May 29 (Sunday). There were plenty of memorable performances by uncapped players, veteran stars whereas some big names failed to get going and fell flat.

The IPL 2022 edition ended on May 29 (Sunday). There were plenty of memorable performances by uncapped players, veteran stars whereas some big names failed to get going and fell flat. The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Kieron Pollard, Glenn Maxwell and many other superstar cricketers failed to live upto expectations and had an ordinary run. Thus, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra picked Team India's T20 World Cup squad, for the mega event set to be held in Australia later this year, on the basis of Indian players' IPL 2022 performance. While Chopra named Hardik Pandya -- IPL 15's winning captain -- as India's skipper, he dropped Virat, Rohit, Rishabh Pant and Jadeja. ALSO READ | KL Rahul a special player but Kohli and Rohit belong in a different league, says former Pakistan captain "The first name I am keeping is KL Rahul. He can play till 15-17 overs, he is a T20 gun batter and scored more than 600 runs this year. I have kept Ishan Kishan along with him. If you see his numbers, you will say it was not that bad a season for Ishan Kishan." "At No. 3, I have kept Rahul Tripathi. He played very well this, strike rate has been very high and given match-winning performances. At No. 4, I have kept SKY. He has not played all the games but he has played at a different level in the matches he played," Chopra said on his Youtube channel. ALSO READ | Hardik Pandya captains Aakash Chopra's IPL 2022 XI, no place for DK, Rashid Khan and Umran Malik He added, "After that, my Player of the Tournament. I have made Hardik Pandya the captain of the team. He can play in the middle and be a finisher as well. After that, I have given a spot to Dinesh Karthik and he is my wicketkeeper as well. He has run at a strike rate of 180-190 and finished a lot of matches." "At No. 7, I have kept Krunal Pandya because he has had a very good season. He has been very economical as a bowler and scored crucial runs as a batter. He can bat up and down the order. You require a left-hander in the middle." "After that, Yuzi Chahal has to be in my side. Then I have three fast bowlers and the fourth fast bowler is Hardik Pandya - Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh. I am seeing this as the XI," Chopra opined further. India's T20 World Cup squad based on IPL 2022 performances: KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Rahul Tripathi, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Dinesh Karthik, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah

Hardik to lead India in Aakash Chopra's T20 WC squad based on IPL 2022, Virat, Rohit & some big names dropped

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) concluded recently with Gujarat Titans (GT) lifting the elusive trophy for the first time in their debut campaign. The debutants played some impressive cricket throughout the tournament and emerged as favourites for the title after dominating the proceedings in the league stage. They were one of the most consistent teams during the league stage and deservingly went on to lift the trophy capping off a stunning debut campaign.

Gujarat Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets in the final on Sunday (May 29) to script history by becoming only the second team to win the IPL in their debut season. From skipper Hardik Pandya to the likes of David Miller and Rashid Khan, several players stepped up for the Titans across the season and won them a few games from almost improbable situations.

Sachin Tendulkar&nbsp;named his best XI from IPL 2022 and picked Hardik as the captain of his side after the Gujarat Titans skipper showed excellent leadership skills this season to inspire his side to their maiden title triumph. The Master Blaster also picked both Miller and Rashid in his team of the tournament.

The cricket legend picked Shikhar Dhawan and Jos Buttler as the two openers in his team. While Dhawan continued his prolific run with the bat for Punjab Kings, amassing 460 runs from 14 matches, Buttle enjoyed a stunning campaign for Rajasthan Royals. The English opener amassed a staggering 863 runs in 17 games and finished as the highest run-getter of the season.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/hardik-pandya-to-david-miller-5-heroes-of-gujarat-titans-memorable-maiden-ipl-triumph-483565">Hardik Pandya to David Miller: 5 heroes of Gujarat Titans' memorable maiden IPL triumph</a>

"I would want a left-hand, right-hand combination and hence I am going to play Shikhar Dhawan. He accelerates beautifully and keeps rotating the strike. "One need not discuss who Dhawan's opening partner would be. Jos Buttler - what a season he has had, just fabulous. When Buttler gets going, no one can match him," Tendulkar said in a video on his YouTube channel as he picked his best XI from IPL 2022.

Snubbing superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who both had average seasons with their respective teams, Tendulkar picked Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul at number 3 and Hardik at number 4. In the middle order, Tendulkar went with the in-form Miller, the dangerous Liam Livingstone and Dinesh Karthik, who was arguably the best finisher in the tournament.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-ms-dhoni-and-virat-kohli-among-least-valuable-players-for-their-franchise-in-ipl-2022-report-483712">Rohit, Dhoni and Kohli among least valuable players for their franchises in IPL 2022 - Report</a>

In his bowling attack, the Master Blaster picked Rashid and Yuzvendra Chahal as the two spinners while Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah were the two pacers in his best XI from the tournament. Chahal was the highest wicket-taker of IPL 2022 with 27 scalps to his name.

"I would have Rashid as he is a dangerous batter and, with the ball, he gets the breakthroughs in the middle overs. His success rate is very high. Chahal was the highest wicket-taker. He always thinks about outsmarting batters," said Sachin.

Sachin Tendulkar’s best XI from&nbsp;IPL 2022: Shikhar Dhawan, Jos Buttler, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya (captain), David Miller, Liam Livingstone, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Rashid Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) concluded recently with Gujarat Titans (GT) lifting the elusive trophy for the first time in their debut campaign.

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) concluded recently with Gujarat Titans (GT) lifting the elusive trophy for the first time in their debut campaign. The debutants played some impressive cricket throughout the tournament and emerged as favourites for the title after dominating the proceedings in the league stage. They were one of the most consistent teams during the league stage and deservingly went on to lift the trophy capping off a stunning debut campaign. Gujarat Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets in the final on Sunday (May 29) to script history by becoming only the second team to win the IPL in their debut season. From skipper Hardik Pandya to the likes of David Miller and Rashid Khan, several players stepped up for the Titans across the season and won them a few games from almost improbable situations. Sachin Tendulkar named his best XI from IPL 2022 and picked Hardik as the captain of his side after the Gujarat Titans skipper showed excellent leadership skills this season to inspire his side to their maiden title triumph. The Master Blaster also picked both Miller and Rashid in his team of the tournament. The cricket legend picked Shikhar Dhawan and Jos Buttler as the two openers in his team. While Dhawan continued his prolific run with the bat for Punjab Kings, amassing 460 runs from 14 matches, Buttle enjoyed a stunning campaign for Rajasthan Royals. The English opener amassed a staggering 863 runs in 17 games and finished as the highest run-getter of the season. Also Read: Hardik Pandya to David Miller: 5 heroes of Gujarat Titans' memorable maiden IPL triumph "I would want a left-hand, right-hand combination and hence I am going to play Shikhar Dhawan. He accelerates beautifully and keeps rotating the strike. "One need not discuss who Dhawan's opening partner would be. Jos Buttler - what a season he has had, just fabulous. When Buttler gets going, no one can match him," Tendulkar said in a video on his YouTube channel as he picked his best XI from IPL 2022. Snubbing superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who both had average seasons with their respective teams, Tendulkar picked Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul at number 3 and Hardik at number 4. In the middle order, Tendulkar went with the in-form Miller, the dangerous Liam Livingstone and Dinesh Karthik, who was arguably the best finisher in the tournament. Also Read: Rohit, Dhoni and Kohli among least valuable players for their franchises in IPL 2022 - Report In his bowling attack, the Master Blaster picked Rashid and Yuzvendra Chahal as the two spinners while Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah were the two pacers in his best XI from the tournament. Chahal was the highest wicket-taker of IPL 2022 with 27 scalps to his name. "I would have Rashid as he is a dangerous batter and, with the ball, he gets the breakthroughs in the middle overs. His success rate is very high. Chahal was the highest wicket-taker. He always thinks about outsmarting batters," said Sachin. Sachin Tendulkar’s best XI from IPL 2022: Shikhar Dhawan, Jos Buttler, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya (captain), David Miller, Liam Livingstone, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Rashid Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.

No Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in Sachin Tendulkar's best XI from IPL 2022; Hardik Pandya named captain

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) saw a number of youngsters once again rise to prominence with their impactful performances for their teams throughout the tournament. While the likes of Umran Malik and Mohsin Khan turned out to be the finds of the tournament, several other young guns like Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma and Ayush Badoni also impressed with their talent and skills. Some of the youngsters turned out to be the most valuable players of the season considering their low buying price and brilliant show on the field.

While the youngsters rose to the occasion yet again, a number of superstars failed to deliver in the recently-concluded season. It was a forgetful season for the 'Big 3' - MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. While Dhoni still managed to dazzle with the bat in patches despite being past his prime at 40, a lot was expected from Kohli and Rohit, who struggled to deliver throughout the season.

As per an analysis by the Times of India, Rohit, Dhoni and Kohli were among the least value money buys in IPL 2022. In a report, TOI analysed players' data and statistics based on their performance and the price they were bought for by their respective teams in the recently-concluded IPL 2022. The players were given points per million INR spent on them and were rated accordingly.

Punjab Kings' wicket-keeper batter Jitesh Sharma turned out to be the most valuable player with 241.8 points. He was bought for a sum of just Rs 20 lakh (INR 2 million) and scored 234 runs for his franchise at a strike rate of 163.63. Lucknow Super Giants pacer Mohsin Khan finished at the second spot for his 14 wickets in 9 games at a stunning economy of 5.96. Mohsin was bought by LSG for Rs 20 lakh (INR 2 million)

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-announces-whopping-cash-prize-for-unsung-heroes-groundsmen-and-curators-for-ipl-2022s-success-483573">BCCI announces whopping cash prize for 'unsung heroes' groundsmen &amp; curators after IPL 2022's success</a>

On the other hand, Kohli, who struggled to get going with the willow throughout the season, was placed at the 157th spot in the overall rankings having managed only 2.6 points per million. The RCB star scored 341 runs in 16 matches and failed to power his team to the final. Dhoni finished at the 161st spot with 232 runs in 14 games while Rohit managed to earn only 1 point per million and got the 178th spot.

Most valuable players in IPL 2022 based on their price:

Rank&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Player&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Team&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Price (INR)&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Points per mn (INR) 
1&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Jitesh Sharma&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; PBKS&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;20 lakh&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;241.8 
2&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mohsin Khan&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;LSG&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 21 lakh&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;234.2 
3&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Rajat Pat dar&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; RCB&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 22 lakh&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;208.4 
4&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mukesh Choudhary&nbsp; CSK&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 23 lakh&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 198.8 
5&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Ayush Badoni&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; LSG&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;24 lakh&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 154.3 
6&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;J Suchith&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;SRH&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;25 lakh&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 106.8 
7&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Ramandeep Singh&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Ml&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;26 lakh&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 104.8 
8&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kuldeep 5en&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; RR&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;27 lakh&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 103.5 
9&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;B Sai Sudharsan&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;GT&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 28 lakh&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 73.3 
10&nbsp;&nbsp; K Kartikeya&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ml&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 29 lakh&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 67.5

157&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Virat Kohli&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; RCB&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;15 crore&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;2.6 
161&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;MSDhoni&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; CSK&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;12 crore&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2.5 
178&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Rohit Shanna&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Ml&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;16 crore&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1.0

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/surpassing-dhoni-to-joining-rohit-in-elite-list-list-of-records-created-by-hardik-pandya-in-gts-ipl-triumph-483518">Surpassing Dhoni to joining Rohit in elite list: List of records created by Hardik Pandya in GT's IPL triumph</a>

Mumbai Indians had spent a whoopping Rs 16 crore (INR 160 million) to retain Rohit as their first-choice player ahead of the season while Kohli and Dhoni were retained for a sum of Rs 15 crore (INR 150 million) and Rs 12 crore (INR 120 million) respectively.

Both Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, two of the most successfull teams in IPL history, endured a horrific campaign this season as they failed to make it to the playoffs. CSK and MI finished at the bottom of the table while RCB managed to reach the playoffs but failed to go all the way.

&nbsp;

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) saw a number of youngsters once again rise to prominence with their impactful performances for their teams throughout the tournament.

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) saw a number of youngsters once again rise to prominence with their impactful performances for their teams throughout the tournament. While the likes of Umran Malik and Mohsin Khan turned out to be the finds of the tournament, several other young guns like Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma and Ayush Badoni also impressed with their talent and skills. Some of the youngsters turned out to be the most valuable players of the season considering their low buying price and brilliant show on the field. While the youngsters rose to the occasion yet again, a number of superstars failed to deliver in the recently-concluded season. It was a forgetful season for the 'Big 3' - MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. While Dhoni still managed to dazzle with the bat in patches despite being past his prime at 40, a lot was expected from Kohli and Rohit, who struggled to deliver throughout the season. As per an analysis by the Times of India, Rohit, Dhoni and Kohli were among the least value money buys in IPL 2022. In a report, TOI analysed players' data and statistics based on their performance and the price they were bought for by their respective teams in the recently-concluded IPL 2022. The players were given points per million INR spent on them and were rated accordingly. Punjab Kings' wicket-keeper batter Jitesh Sharma turned out to be the most valuable player with 241.8 points. He was bought for a sum of just Rs 20 lakh (INR 2 million) and scored 234 runs for his franchise at a strike rate of 163.63. Lucknow Super Giants pacer Mohsin Khan finished at the second spot for his 14 wickets in 9 games at a stunning economy of 5.96. Mohsin was bought by LSG for Rs 20 lakh (INR 2 million) Also Read: BCCI announces whopping cash prize for 'unsung heroes' groundsmen & curators after IPL 2022's success On the other hand, Kohli, who struggled to get going with the willow throughout the season, was placed at the 157th spot in the overall rankings having managed only 2.6 points per million. The RCB star scored 341 runs in 16 matches and failed to power his team to the final. Dhoni finished at the 161st spot with 232 runs in 14 games while Rohit managed to earn only 1 point per million and got the 178th spot. Most valuable players in IPL 2022 based on their price: Rank Player Team Price (INR) Points per mn (INR) 1 Jitesh Sharma PBKS 20 lakh 241.8 2 Mohsin Khan LSG 21 lakh 234.2 3 Rajat Pat dar RCB 22 lakh 208.4 4 Mukesh Choudhary CSK 23 lakh 198.8 5 Ayush Badoni LSG 24 lakh 154.3 6 J Suchith SRH 25 lakh 106.8 7 Ramandeep Singh Ml 26 lakh 104.8 8 Kuldeep 5en RR 27 lakh 103.5 9 B Sai Sudharsan GT 28 lakh 73.3 10 K Kartikeya Ml 29 lakh 67.5 157 Virat Kohli RCB 15 crore 2.6 161 MSDhoni CSK 12 crore 2.5 178 Rohit Shanna Ml 16 crore 1.0 Also Read: Surpassing Dhoni to joining Rohit in elite list: List of records created by Hardik Pandya in GT's IPL triumph Mumbai Indians had spent a whoopping Rs 16 crore (INR 160 million) to retain Rohit as their first-choice player ahead of the season while Kohli and Dhoni were retained for a sum of Rs 15 crore (INR 150 million) and Rs 12 crore (INR 120 million) respectively. Both Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, two of the most successfull teams in IPL history, endured a horrific campaign this season as they failed to make it to the playoffs. CSK and MI finished at the bottom of the table while RCB managed to reach the playoffs but failed to go all the way.

Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli among least valuable players for their franchises in IPL 2022 - Report

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) made it to their third straight playoffs in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. However, they failed to go the distance once again as their wait for their maiden IPL title got extended. While it was a great season for the franchise under new skipper Faf du Plessis, RCB superstar Virat Kohli had a forgetful campaign. Kohli struggled for consistency throughout the season and failed to fire with the bat.

A lot was expected from Kohli in IPL 2022 after he gave up captaincy last year and was playing only as a batter this season. He was expected to bat freely and pile on runs for his team but that was not the case as Kohli struggled to score runs against almost every team in the competition.&nbsp;

The batting maestro managed only 341 runs in 16 matches at a poor average of 22.73 and a below-par strike rate of 115.99. It was an abysmal season for the former RCB skipper, who was also dismissed on ducks thrice and was trolled heavily by a section of fans for his dismal show.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/no-virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-in-sachin-tendulkars-best-xi-from-ipl-2022-hardik-pandya-named-captain-483728">No Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in Sachin Tendulkar's best XI from IPL 2022; Hardik Pandya named captain</a>

However, Kohli has found support from the legendary Shoaib Akhtar after enduring a difficult season for RCB. The former Pakistan pacer has hit out at the critics of the RCB star and said he deserves respect for what he has done in international cricket and IPL. Kohli is the leading run-getter of all time in IPL history and has been one of India's best batters for several years now.

Akhtar called Kohli the greatest of all time and said as a Pakistani, he wishes to see the Indian batter play till the age of 45 and score as many as 10 international centuries. The legendary Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for scoring 100 centuries in international cricket and no batter has managed to come close to the feat. Kohli is the only active batter who can break Tendulkar's record as he has 70 hundreds to his name in international cricket at present.

“Before passing statements, people should understand that small kids look up to them. Say good things about Virat Kohli. Give him the respect he deserves. As a Pakistani, I am saying that he is the greatest player of all time. I want him to score 110 centuries in international cricket. I want him to play till the age of 45,” Akhtar said on Sportskeeda.

“This tough situation is preparing you for 110 centuries. People are writing you off, tweeting against you. If you tweet about Diwali, you are criticised. People tweet about your wife and kid. When you lose the World Cup, you are heavily criticised. Things cannot get any worse. Just go out there, and show everyone who Virat Kohli is,” he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mumbai-indians-fans-will-be-feeling-the-pain-ajay-jadeja-on-hardik-pandya-inspiring-gt-to-maiden-ipl-title-483780">Mumbai Indians fans will be feeling the pain: Ajay Jadeja on Hardik Pandya inspiring GT to maiden IPL title</a>

Kohli has been rested from India's upcoming T20I series against South Africa at home along with several other senior players like Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah. He will be next seen in action when India travel to England for a one-off Test next month. Kohli will be hopeful of sparking a turnaround and scoring big in the Test match against England. 
&nbsp;

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) made it to their third straight playoffs in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. However, they failed to go the distance once again as their wait for their maiden IPL title got extended.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) made it to their third straight playoffs in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. However, they failed to go the distance once again as their wait for their maiden IPL title got extended. While it was a great season for the franchise under new skipper Faf du Plessis, RCB superstar Virat Kohli had a forgetful campaign. Kohli struggled for consistency throughout the season and failed to fire with the bat. A lot was expected from Kohli in IPL 2022 after he gave up captaincy last year and was playing only as a batter this season. He was expected to bat freely and pile on runs for his team but that was not the case as Kohli struggled to score runs against almost every team in the competition. The batting maestro managed only 341 runs in 16 matches at a poor average of 22.73 and a below-par strike rate of 115.99. It was an abysmal season for the former RCB skipper, who was also dismissed on ducks thrice and was trolled heavily by a section of fans for his dismal show. Also Read: No Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in Sachin Tendulkar's best XI from IPL 2022; Hardik Pandya named captain However, Kohli has found support from the legendary Shoaib Akhtar after enduring a difficult season for RCB. The former Pakistan pacer has hit out at the critics of the RCB star and said he deserves respect for what he has done in international cricket and IPL. Kohli is the leading run-getter of all time in IPL history and has been one of India's best batters for several years now. Akhtar called Kohli the greatest of all time and said as a Pakistani, he wishes to see the Indian batter play till the age of 45 and score as many as 10 international centuries. The legendary Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for scoring 100 centuries in international cricket and no batter has managed to come close to the feat. Kohli is the only active batter who can break Tendulkar's record as he has 70 hundreds to his name in international cricket at present. “Before passing statements, people should understand that small kids look up to them. Say good things about Virat Kohli. Give him the respect he deserves. As a Pakistani, I am saying that he is the greatest player of all time. I want him to score 110 centuries in international cricket. I want him to play till the age of 45,” Akhtar said on Sportskeeda. “This tough situation is preparing you for 110 centuries. People are writing you off, tweeting against you. If you tweet about Diwali, you are criticised. People tweet about your wife and kid. When you lose the World Cup, you are heavily criticised. Things cannot get any worse. Just go out there, and show everyone who Virat Kohli is,” he added. Also Read: Mumbai Indians fans will be feeling the pain: Ajay Jadeja on Hardik Pandya inspiring GT to maiden IPL title Kohli has been rested from India's upcoming T20I series against South Africa at home along with several other senior players like Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah. He will be next seen in action when India travel to England for a one-off Test next month. Kohli will be hopeful of sparking a turnaround and scoring big in the Test match against England.

Shoaib Akhtar slams Virat Kohli's critics: 'Give him the respect he deserves, he is the greatest of all time'

Jos Buttler has been the star of IPL 2022 by quite some distance. The Rajasthan Royals opener scored four centuries in the course of the tournament and against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2022 final, Buttler surpassed Australia cricketer David Warner in the list of batsmen with most runs in an IPL season. Buttler ended the season with 863 runs in 17 matches and that is currently the second when it comes to number of runs scored by any batter in one IPL season – second only to Virat Kohli (973 runs in 2016). Warner went down to the third position with 848 runs in 17 matches (also in 2016).

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-final-bcci-claims-huge-world-record-ahead-of-gt-vs-rr-clash-watch-483297" hreflang="en">IPL 2022 final: BCCI claims huge world record ahead of GT vs RR clash - WATCH</a>

Buttler struggled a bit against the GT bowlers during the summit clash but was able to score 39 off 35 deliveries with the help of five boundaries. However, he was unable to convert his start into a big knock as GT skipper dismissed him with Wriddhiman Saha taking an easy catch behind the stumps.

Earlier, RR skipper Sanju Samson won the toss and opted to bat in the crucial encounter. RR are looking for their second title since winning the competition back in 2008 while this is the debut season for GT.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/first-time-in-14-years-hardik-pandya-sanju-samson-to-achieve-unique-feat-in-ipl-2022-final-483260" hreflang="en">First time in 15 years! Hardik, Samson to achieve unique feat in IPL final</a>

Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Wriddhiman Saha, Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade, Hardik Pandya, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Shami

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Obed McCoy, Yuzvendra Chahal

Jos Buttler has been the star of IPL 2022 by quite some distance. The Rajasthan Royals opener scored four centuries in the course of the tournament and against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2022 final, Buttler surpassed Australia cricketer David Warner in the list of batsmen with most runs in an IPL season.

Jos Buttler has been the star of IPL 2022 by quite some distance. The Rajasthan Royals opener scored four centuries in the course of the tournament and against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2022 final, Buttler surpassed Australia cricketer David Warner in the list of batsmen with most runs in an IPL season. Buttler ended the season with 863 runs in 17 matches and that is currently the second when it comes to number of runs scored by any batter in one IPL season – second only to Virat Kohli (973 runs in 2016). Warner went down to the third position with 848 runs in 17 matches (also in 2016). Also read | IPL 2022 final: BCCI claims huge world record ahead of GT vs RR clash - WATCH Buttler struggled a bit against the GT bowlers during the summit clash but was able to score 39 off 35 deliveries with the help of five boundaries. However, he was unable to convert his start into a big knock as GT skipper dismissed him with Wriddhiman Saha taking an easy catch behind the stumps. Earlier, RR skipper Sanju Samson won the toss and opted to bat in the crucial encounter. RR are looking for their second title since winning the competition back in 2008 while this is the debut season for GT. Also read | First time in 15 years! Hardik, Samson to achieve unique feat in IPL final Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Wriddhiman Saha, Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade, Hardik Pandya, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Shami Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Obed McCoy, Yuzvendra Chahal

IPL 2022 final: Jos Buttler surpasses David Warner, moves up to second in elite list

It has not been a season to remember for Virat Kohli as the former Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper was unable to score big in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 and their campaign came to an end on Friday as they were beaten by Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2. Kohli was once again not able to play a big knock as he was dismissed in the second over of the encounter. After the game, the star batsman took to social media to post an emotional message for his franchise. Kohli thanked the “12th Man Army” and also the team management for their continued support this season.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-should-just-pack-his-bat-into-his-bag-michael-vaughan-has-an-interesting-advice-for-virat-kohli-482967" hreflang="en">'Should just pack his bat into his bag': Vaughan's interesting advice to Kohli</a>

"Sometimes you win, and sometimes you don't, but the 12th Man Army, you have been fantastic, always backing us throughout our campaign. You make cricket special. The learning never stops. A big thanks to the management, support staff and all the people who are part of this amazing franchise. See you next season," Kohli wrote in the caption along a picture collage.

It was the first time that Kohli scored three golden ducks in the same IPL season and with just two half centuries, he could manage to score just 341 runs in 16 encounters. Although his side were quite close to reaching the final, a lot of questions were raised on his form and impact on the side.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sometimes you win, and sometimes you don't, but the 12th Man Army, you have been fantastic, always backing us throughout our campaign. You make cricket special. The learning never stops. (1/2) <a href="https://t.co/mRx4rslWFK">pic.twitter.com/mRx4rslWFK</a>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1530542487856484352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 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>

Kohli will be back in action for India in the one-off Test against England in Birmingham as he has been rested for the upcoming T20I home series against South Africa.

It has not been a season to remember for Virat Kohli as the former Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper was unable to score big in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 and their campaign came to an end on Friday as they were beaten by Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2.

It has not been a season to remember for Virat Kohli as the former Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper was unable to score big in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 and their campaign came to an end on Friday as they were beaten by Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2. Kohli was once again not able to play a big knock as he was dismissed in the second over of the encounter. After the game, the star batsman took to social media to post an emotional message for his franchise. Kohli thanked the “12th Man Army” and also the team management for their continued support this season. Also read | 'Should just pack his bat into his bag': Vaughan's interesting advice to Kohli "Sometimes you win, and sometimes you don't, but the 12th Man Army, you have been fantastic, always backing us throughout our campaign. You make cricket special. The learning never stops. A big thanks to the management, support staff and all the people who are part of this amazing franchise. See you next season," Kohli wrote in the caption along a picture collage. It was the first time that Kohli scored three golden ducks in the same IPL season and with just two half centuries, he could manage to score just 341 runs in 16 encounters. Although his side were quite close to reaching the final, a lot of questions were raised on his form and impact on the side. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you don't, but the 12th Man Army, you have been fantastic, always backing us throughout our campaign. You make cricket special. The learning never stops. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/mRx4rslWFK — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) May 28, 2022 × Kohli will be back in action for India in the one-off Test against England in Birmingham as he has been rested for the upcoming T20I home series against South Africa.

'See you next season': Virat Kohli posts emotional message after RCB's loss against RR

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) were knocked out of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Saturday (May 27) after facing a seven-wicket defeat against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. RCB made it to the playoffs for the third time in a row this season but failed to qualify for the final once again as they lost in the second Qualifier against the Royals.

Jos Buttler was the hero with the bat for the Royals as he slammed a stunning century to power his side to a comprehensive win over RCB. Faf du Plessis &amp; Co. had posted a total of 157 runs on the board batting first in the second Qualifier but lost the must-win encounter after failing to defend the total.

While RCB's wait for their maiden IPL title has been extended after their loss against the Royals, it was still a great season for the Du Plessis-led side as they made it to the playoffs for the third straight season and played some phenomenal cricket. RCB were also not dependent heavily on their top three of Faf, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell as some of the youngsters impressed for the side as well.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-should-just-pack-his-bat-into-his-bag-michael-vaughan-has-an-interesting-advice-for-virat-kohli-482967">'He should just pack his bat into his bag': Michael Vaughan has an interesting advice for Virat Kohli</a>

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar gave his verdict on RCB's campaign in IPL 2022 and called Du Plessis a better leader than Kohli, who stepped down from captaincy last season. Manjrekar also felt RCB should have gone on to win the title this year but believes the loss will help them fill the gaping holes in their squad.

"RCB have had a slightly better season. Some good things have happened. Faf du Plessis has looked like a better leader than Virat Kohli. But more is expected of them.&nbsp;Having come this far, they should have won. They’ll know exactly what has gone wrong and what has prevented them from going on to win gold instead of bronze," Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo.

"A lot of credit around the bowling unit has to go to Faf. That’s where we see the captaincy at its best. More often than not, he got it right. He started the season well with the bat, but, like a lot of other players, he too had a split season. Still, he’s the right option to continue as captain, according to me," he added.

&nbsp;

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) were knocked out of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Saturday (May 27) after facing a seven-wicket defeat against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) were knocked out of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Saturday (May 27) after facing a seven-wicket defeat against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. RCB made it to the playoffs for the third time in a row this season but failed to qualify for the final once again as they lost in the second Qualifier against the Royals. Jos Buttler was the hero with the bat for the Royals as he slammed a stunning century to power his side to a comprehensive win over RCB. Faf du Plessis & Co. had posted a total of 157 runs on the board batting first in the second Qualifier but lost the must-win encounter after failing to defend the total. While RCB's wait for their maiden IPL title has been extended after their loss against the Royals, it was still a great season for the Du Plessis-led side as they made it to the playoffs for the third straight season and played some phenomenal cricket. RCB were also not dependent heavily on their top three of Faf, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell as some of the youngsters impressed for the side as well. Also Read: 'He should just pack his bat into his bag': Michael Vaughan has an interesting advice for Virat Kohli Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar gave his verdict on RCB's campaign in IPL 2022 and called Du Plessis a better leader than Kohli, who stepped down from captaincy last season. Manjrekar also felt RCB should have gone on to win the title this year but believes the loss will help them fill the gaping holes in their squad. "RCB have had a slightly better season. Some good things have happened. Faf du Plessis has looked like a better leader than Virat Kohli. But more is expected of them. Having come this far, they should have won. They’ll know exactly what has gone wrong and what has prevented them from going on to win gold instead of bronze," Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo. "A lot of credit around the bowling unit has to go to Faf. That’s where we see the captaincy at its best. More often than not, he got it right. He started the season well with the bat, but, like a lot of other players, he too had a split season. Still, he’s the right option to continue as captain, according to me," he added.

Faf du Plessis looked a better leader than Virat Kohli, they should have won IPL 2022: Sanjay Manjrekar

Former England cricket team skipper Michael Vaughan believes that Virat Kohli needs to take a bit of break from cricket in order to regain his lost form.&nbsp;Kohli scored just 321 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore in this year’s Indian Premier League&nbsp;at&nbsp;a disappointing average of 22.73 with two half centuries and three golden ducks.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/misbah-ul-haq-reveals-why-he-played-scoop-shot-during-2007-t20-world-cup-loss-against-india-482934" hreflang="en">Misbah-ul-Haq reveals why he played scoop shot during 2007 T20 World Cup loss against India</a>

“He is a legendary player who is going through a phase that is not too easy. Two or three years ago you just turned on the telly or arrived at the ground and knew that Virat was going to score a hundred. He just went through one of those periods where every time he batted, he seemed to get a hundred. It's a career, isn't it? You don't go through your whole career where everything is so easy.”

“He just needs a breather. Go and get some time with your family, get on the plane to England and then start to hit some balls again," Vaughan said during his interaction with Cricbuzz.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-is-only-captaining-when-fielding-kumar-sangakkara-on-sanju-samsons-rise-as-a-leader-for-rr-in-ipl-2022-482919" hreflang="en">Sangakkara opens up on Samson's rise as a leader for RR in IPL 2022</a>

Vaughan also said that he believes that this is just a lean patch for Kohli, and he needs to take a bit of rest in order to sort out his mental block before picking up the bat once again.

"It is just that little bit harder at the minute and he has got to work so hard to get back into form. But I think at the minute, he should just pack his bat into his bag and go and a sit-down with the family. I don't know where he can go without getting hassled and pestered, doing commercials. Just get away from all that, have a few weeks of chilling and he will be fresh when he picks the bat up,” he added.

Former England cricket team skipper Michael Vaughan believes that Virat Kohli needs to take a bit of break from cricket in order to regain his lost form. Kohli scored just 321 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore in this year’s Indian Premier League at a disappointing average of 22.

Former England cricket team skipper Michael Vaughan believes that Virat Kohli needs to take a bit of break from cricket in order to regain his lost form. Kohli scored just 321 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore in this year’s Indian Premier League at a disappointing average of 22.73 with two half centuries and three golden ducks. Also read | Misbah-ul-Haq reveals why he played scoop shot during 2007 T20 World Cup loss against India “He is a legendary player who is going through a phase that is not too easy. Two or three years ago you just turned on the telly or arrived at the ground and knew that Virat was going to score a hundred. He just went through one of those periods where every time he batted, he seemed to get a hundred. It's a career, isn't it? You don't go through your whole career where everything is so easy.” “He just needs a breather. Go and get some time with your family, get on the plane to England and then start to hit some balls again," Vaughan said during his interaction with Cricbuzz. Also read | Sangakkara opens up on Samson's rise as a leader for RR in IPL 2022 Vaughan also said that he believes that this is just a lean patch for Kohli, and he needs to take a bit of rest in order to sort out his mental block before picking up the bat once again. "It is just that little bit harder at the minute and he has got to work so hard to get back into form. But I think at the minute, he should just pack his bat into his bag and go and a sit-down with the family. I don't know where he can go without getting hassled and pestered, doing commercials. Just get away from all that, have a few weeks of chilling and he will be fresh when he picks the bat up,” he added.

'He should just pack his bat into his bag': Michael Vaughan has an interesting advice for Virat Kohli

There is now only one match left before the IPL 2022 final, set to be held on Sunday evening (May 29). The Qualifier 2, en route to the summit clash, will see the three-time runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) lock horns with each other at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad on Friday evening (May 27).

RCB is looking at its threatening best. After winning their last league stage encounter, versus Gujarat Titans (GT) -- who are already in the final, the Faf du Plessis-led franchise was helped by Mumbai Indians (MI), who beat Delhi Capitals (DC) to eliminate them and take RCB to the playoffs. In the Eliminator, RCB posted 207-4, riding on Rajat Patidar's 112 not out, and defended the total by restricting Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to 193-6. With this, RCB have booked a place in Qualifier 2 and they will look to topple the RR franchise, against whom they have had a good record in the last few&nbsp;seasons.&nbsp;

RR, on the other hand, ended at the second spot in the league stage and went on to lose to Gujarat in Qualifier 1, at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. While RR have relied on five bowlers, they may have to find a way to curtail the run-flow in the death overs. For now, RCB's batting depth and death-over specialists bowlers might give them an edge ahead of the marquee clash.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rcbvslsg-kolkata-cop-turns-john-cena-to-force-out-intruder-leaves-virat-kohli-in-disbelief-watch-482393">RCBvsLSG: Kolkata cop turns John Cena to force out intruder, leaves Virat Kohli in disbelief - WATCH</a>

Match prediction for RCB vs RR clash: The&nbsp;pitch and overall conditions are expected to be a lot different than what it was in Kolkata.&nbsp;It is more about dry heat than&nbsp;humidity in Ahmedabad when compared to Kolkata. The ground has six red soil pitches and five black soil pitches, hence,&nbsp;the nature of the pitch could come down to the characteristics of the soil. In the past, the curator has left a covering of grass for a T20 game. Nonetheless, expect a pitch with more even bounce for Qualifier 2. Anything around 155-160 can be a winning total. Batting first team to win?

There is now only one match left before the IPL 2022 final, set to be held on Sunday evening (May 29). The Qualifier 2, en route to the summit clash, will see the three-time runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) lock horns with each other at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad on Friday evening (May 27).

There is now only one match left before the IPL 2022 final, set to be held on Sunday evening (May 29). The Qualifier 2, en route to the summit clash, will see the three-time runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) lock horns with each other at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad on Friday evening (May 27). RCB is looking at its threatening best. After winning their last league stage encounter, versus Gujarat Titans (GT) -- who are already in the final, the Faf du Plessis-led franchise was helped by Mumbai Indians (MI), who beat Delhi Capitals (DC) to eliminate them and take RCB to the playoffs. In the Eliminator, RCB posted 207-4, riding on Rajat Patidar's 112 not out, and defended the total by restricting Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to 193-6. With this, RCB have booked a place in Qualifier 2 and they will look to topple the RR franchise, against whom they have had a good record in the last few seasons. RR, on the other hand, ended at the second spot in the league stage and went on to lose to Gujarat in Qualifier 1, at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. While RR have relied on five bowlers, they may have to find a way to curtail the run-flow in the death overs. For now, RCB's batting depth and death-over specialists bowlers might give them an edge ahead of the marquee clash. ALSO READ | RCBvsLSG: Kolkata cop turns John Cena to force out intruder, leaves Virat Kohli in disbelief - WATCH Match prediction for RCB vs RR clash: The pitch and overall conditions are expected to be a lot different than what it was in Kolkata. It is more about dry heat than humidity in Ahmedabad when compared to Kolkata. The ground has six red soil pitches and five black soil pitches, hence, the nature of the pitch could come down to the characteristics of the soil. In the past, the curator has left a covering of grass for a T20 game. Nonetheless, expect a pitch with more even bounce for Qualifier 2. Anything around 155-160 can be a winning total. Batting first team to win?

RCB vs RR, IPL 2022 Qualifier 2 prediction today: Who will win Bengaluru vs Rajasthan match?

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