BHUBANESWAR | WEDNESDAY | APRIL 17, 2019

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LEADERBOARD

LASITH'S PERFORMANCE MATTERSA LOT TO US. HIS FORM IS VERYCRITICAL FOR MUMBAI� ROHIT SHARMA

PTI n HYDERABAD

Having missed the World Cup bus,Ambati Rayudu will be aiming to

make a statement when a maraudingChennai Super Kings take on a desper-ate Sunrisers Hyderabad here onWednesday.

The World Cup snub to Rayudu isthe sole disappointment in an otherwisesuperb tournament so far for MahendraSingh Dhoni's men as they are just a winaway from clinching the play-off berth.

The Hyderabad right-hander hadfound some form with a half-centuryagainst Rajasthan Royals and the flam-boyant batsman, who was seen as a sure-shot No.4 in the national team, may justchannelise the disappointment againsta faltering Sunrisers.

While CSK sit pretty on top of thetable with 14 points from eight games,Sunrisers' have suddenly gone off theboil with a hat-trick of defeats, includ-

ing an inexplicable batting collapseagainst Delhi Capitals in their lastgame.

What has been CSK's strengthdespite an ageing team has exactlybeen Sunrisers' bane in the matches thatthey have played so far.

While CSK have had plans A, B andC for various situations,Sunrisers have failedmiserably whenevertheir their opening pairof Jonny Bairstow andDavid Warner havefailed to perform.

Barring Warner's400 runs and Bairstow's304 runs, the next best is World Cupbound Vijay Shankar's 132 runs.

The basic problem has been themiddle-order where Manish Pandey (54in six games), Deepak Hooda (47 in sixgames) and Yusuf Pathan (32 in sixgames) have been miserable.

In fact, Pathan has been survivingon past reputation for years now has notplayed a match-winning knock for awhile now.

On the other hand, Dhoni has playedvarious combinations depending on sur-faces and more often than not, histeammates have responded pretty well.

Whether it wasHarbhajan Singh on a veryslow Chepauk track or therestrictive Mitchell Santnerin away games, most ofDhoni's strategies havepaid off brilliantly.

The man who has beena revelation for CSK this

season is 40-year-old Imran Tahir with13 wickets. The South African import hasexecuted his skipper's plans brilliantly.

For Sunrisers to remain relevant inthis edition, they need to stop the CSKjuggernaut which looks easier said thandone.

AFP ■ DHAKA

Bangladesh called up batsman Mosaddek Hossain anduncapped fast bowler Abu Jayed for their World Cup

squad on Tuesday as they wrestle with a series of injuries.Mosaddek was named to compensate for fellow bat-

ting all-rounder Mahmudullah Riyad, who has suffereda shoulder injury and looks unlikely to be able to bowl,said chief selector Minhajul Abedin.

Jayed also got the nod in the 15-man squad as poten-tial cover for pace spearhead Mustafizur Rahman, whois recovering from an ankle sprain, and Rubel Hossainwho has a side strain.

Mosaddek, a useful off-spinner, hasn't played forBangladesh since last year's Asia Cup, but he forced hisway into the reckoning with a series of big scores indomestic cricket.

"We have injury worries over Mahmudullah. Mostprobably he will not be able to bowl," Minhajul toldreporters in Dhaka.

"So we needed someone down the order who couldalso bowl a few overs. This is why we opted forMosaddek." Mosaddek played a key role in Bangladesh'swin over New Zealand at the 2017 Champions Trophy,when he picked up three vital wickets.

His batting faded until the recent Dhaka PremierLeague where he scored 428 runs and picked up sevenwickets in 12 one-day matches.

Jayed was the only uncapped player in what is anotherwise experienced squad for the tournament inEngland and Wales, starting on May 30.

Four players have been to three World Cups: skip-per Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasanand Mushfiqur Rahim.

Jayed's inclusion meant there was no room for pacebowler Taskin Ahmed, who is also recovering frominjury.

"Taskin played his last ODI in October 2017 and itwas a long break for him," said Minhajul.

"There are 17 players going to Ireland and if any-one gets injured or if he is fit by that time, we will keephim as a back-up player."

Bangladesh also named a 17-man squad for a tri-series in Ireland in early May, where uncapped spinnerNayeem Hasan and batsman Yasir Ali will join the WorldCup players.

The games against Ireland and West Indies will beheld from May 5-17. Bangladesh open their World Cupagainst South Africa at the Oval on June 2.

PTI ■ NEW DELHI

Ambati Rayudu's omission fromIndia's World Cup squad after

just three failures is "heartbreaking"but there should be no debate onRishabh Pant's exclusion as he did-n't grab his chances, feels formerIndia opener Gautam Gambhir.

Veteran Dinesh Karthik beingfavoured over Pant has been round-ly criticised. But the hero of the 2007World T20 and 2011 World Cupfinal said Rayudu not making the cutis the most unfortunate bit about thesquad announced on Monday.

"I think there should be nodebate about Rishabh Pant's exclu-sion but more about AmbatiRayudu," Gambhir said on Tuesday.

"It is very, very unfortunate thatsomeone averaging 48 in white-ballcricket and is only 33 has been leftout. That for me is more heartbreak-ing than any other selection deci-sion," said the outspoken Gambhir.

Rayudu was called India's first-choice No 4 by captain Virat Kohlia few months ago but low scores inthe home series against Australia lastmonth led to a rethink by the selec-tors.

Gambhir was not picked for the2007 World Cup in the West Indiesand for a brief period contemplat-ed quitting.

"I feel sorry for him as I was ina similar position in 2007, when they(erstwhile selectors) didn't pick meand I know how difficult it is notbeing picked for the World Cup.Ultimately for any young kid, it is achildhood dream to be a part of thebig event. So, I feel more sorry forRayudu more than any other crick-eter, who hasn't been picked."

However, Gambhir, who hasbeen Pant's first first-class captain,felt that this omission can't betermed a setback at all as he had notgrabbed the opportunities present-ed before him.

"This is not a setback at all. Whyis it a setback? He has not consistent-ly been part of white-ball cricket. Hegot his opportunity but unfortunate-ly couldn't grab it. So it cannot betermed a setback," said Gambhir.

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Ambati Rayudu plays a shot during third ODI against New Zealand BCCI/File Picture

Rayudu's omission should bedebated more than Pant: Gambhir

PTI ■ NEW DELHI

Ambati Rayudu has "ordered 3dglasses" to watch the World

Cup, a day after he was pipped bythe "three-dimensional" VijayShankar in the Indian squad for theshowpiece.

All-rounder Shankar was pre-ferred over the 33-year-old Rayudufor the contentious number fourspot in India's World Cup squad.

"Just Ordered a new set of 3dglasses to watch the world cup,"Rayudu wrote on his Twitter han-dle on Tuesday.

Disappointment knocked onRayudu's door when his name wasleft out of the squad just a fewmonths after captain Virat Kohlihad more or less earmarked him forthe number four position.

"We did give a few morechances to Rayudu but VijayShankar gives three dimensions. Hecan bat, if the conditions are over-cast, he can bowl, plus he is a field-er. We are looking at Vijay Shankaras a No 4," chief selector MSKPrasad said Tuesday, justifying hisselection.

Ordered 3d glassesto watch WC: Rayuduafter exclusion

Injury-hit B�deshrecall Mosaddekfor World Cup

Unstoppable CSK takes on SunrisersRAHUL�S 52 GUIDESKINGS XI TO 182-6 PTI ■ MOHALI

Opener KL Rahul crackeda patient fifty before a ter-rific cameo by skipper

Ravichandran Ashwin poweredKings XI Punjab to a challenging182 for six against RajasthanRoyals in a second leg IPL clashhere on Tuesday.

Rahul, who was named inthe World Cup squad onMonday, recovered after a slowstart to post a 47-ball 52 studdedwith three fours and two sixes.He was ably supported by hisSouth African teammate DavidMiller (40 off 27) as the duoshared a 85-run stand to lay thefoundation.

Ashwin then blasted a four-ball 17 in the last over as KXIPposted a good total on board.

Pacer Jofra Archer (3/15)returned with an exceptionalthree-wicket haul to emerge asthe best bowler for the Royals.

Invited to bat, opener Gayle(30) smashed Jaydev Unadkat fora couple of sixes in the secondover, before blasting DhawalKulkarni for a four and a six inthe fifth over.

Archer then had him caughtbehind by Sanju Samson in thesixth over as KXIP were 39 forone in the first powerplay overs.

Playing his first IPL gamethis season, New Zealand's IshSodhi was then introduced intothe attack and Mayank Agarwal(26 off 12) clobbered him for asix in the fourth ball.

Agarwal then picked up afour and a six off Shreyas Gopalbefore Sodhi returned to removehim. Trying to play a slog sweep,

Agarwal was caught by Archer atlong-on.

Left stranded on the otherend, Rahul tried to steady theship with Miller, who came intothe side due to the last-minuteankle injury of MoisesHenriques.

The duo took singles andtwos before Rahul finally scoredhis first boundary when he lift-ed a Unadkat delivery across themid-off region.

In the 14th over, Rahul andMiller exploded after bringing upthe hundred for KXIP. The duoamassed 19 runs off Sodhi'sover, his last, with Rahul smok-ing a massive six over deepsquare leg and Miller thumpingone over long-off.

The two batsmen piled up 20runs in the next over with Rahulhitting an inside-out shot overcover for a six and a four offUnadkat, and Miller disposing afull-toss over deep midwicket.

Gopal then bowled an eco-nomical over next to compete hisquota of four overs.

In the next over, Archer dis-missed Miller on a no-ball beforeRahul sent one across the mid-off area to complete his fifty in45 balls.

Rahul perished early in the18th over off Unadkat andArcher then bowled a superbover, removing Nicholas Pooran(5) and Mandeep Singh (0).Miller too was sent packingearly in the 20th over byKulkarni.

Ashwin then smashed a fourand successive sixes in the lasttwo balls to put KXIP in a strongposition.

RAHUL, WHO WAS NAMED IN THE WORLD CUPSQUAD ON MONDAY, RECOVERED AFTER A SLOW

START TO POST A 47-BALL 52 STUDDED WITHTHREE FOURS AND TWO SIXES. HE WAS ABLY

SUPPORTED BY DAVID MILLER (40 OFF 27) AS THEDUO SHARED A 85-RUN STAND TO LAY THE

FOUNDATION