Kuldeep out due to small grounds
KKR Kyle Mills has justified benching star Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the past couple of IPL matches, citing the small size of the grounds in Abu Dhabi and the “make-up” of the side. Defending a modest 168, KKR claimed a 10-run win over CSK. On a slow pitch, it was felt that the left-arm wrist spinner could have made some impact. Mills, however, defended him being kept out. “Kuldeep is one of the best spinners in the world. But just with the make-up of the group at the moment and the size of grounds, it's the reason we went for this XI today and Kuldeep was left out," the former Kiwi pacer said.
‘Rahul, naam toh suna hoga'
The 21st match of the ongoing IPL season was a memorable one for KKR batsman Rahul Tripathi, who played a crucial role (81 runs) in KKR's win over CSK. Following his heroics with the bat, Tripathi also got an opportunity to meet franchise owner and Bollywood's actor Shah Rukh Khan. Tripathi was adjudged the Player of the Match and when he walked up to collect the award, Shah Rukh shouted his iconic dialogue: “Rahul, naam toh suna hi hoga,” even as presenter Harsha Bhogle & Rahul himself burst into laughter.
Certain areas still need improvement
Perched at the top of the points table they might be but Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene says there are several aspects of the game that his team needs to improve as it guns for a second consecutive IPL title. “Right now we have played some consistent cricket, and executing a lot of the skills really well with the ball and bat. So, things are going well but we can still improve, there are certain areas but make sure that everyone is focused on each and every day,” Mahela said in a video posted by the MI’s Twitter handle. He, however, did not specify the areas which require improvement.