Dean Elgar revealed that he had a conversation with Kagiso Rabada after the opening day of the India vs South Africa test series. This small chat definitely helped the pacer to bring a game-changing attitude in the second test match against India.
Elgar shared it after the Proteas defeated the Indian team in the 2nd test match at the Wanderers, Johannesburg. Rabada picked up 6 wickets and helped the South African team to defeat India for the first time in Johannesburg. Also, Rabada is the leading wicket-taker in this series, with 13 wickets.
Dean Elgar said in the virtual post-match conference, "I went up to KG and I said to him, you are an immensely respected cricketer within our group and at the moment I don't think you are conducting yourself extremely well. I know what KG is capable of. When KG's got his tail up, there's no better bowler than him and I have experienced quite a few guys who have been part of this team."
He added, "It was a good chat. I can have those chats with KG and he responds extremely well. He takes it away, he lets it process and thinks about it overnight and then he comes back the next day with a scenario for me. He can sometimes be a little bit too relaxed and he needs to understand that his performance on the field and his performance in the change-room is huge."
The captain also praised Rabada for his performance:
Elgar shared "KG - that spell he bowled, broke the game open for us. There was a bit of a spark in the dressing room, maybe it was what was needed in order to get him into that space. and we know when KG is like that it's difficult to get the ball away from him but also you want him on your side rather than the opposition team. There were fair words that were said and I think he's taken it on board and we're hoping we can get him into that sweet spot again for the next Test because it can only bode well for us."
He further added, "KG has got that attitude, and he's got the want and he wants to bowl and he wants to contribute in a massive way. I mean, you have to utilize that as a captain. So it was awesome to see him fire."
Fastest to complete 200 Test wickets by balls bowled
Jasprit Bumrah became the fastest Indian bowler to secure 200 Test wickets in 8484 deliveries. In this article, we will look at the bowlers who took 200 Test wickets in the fewest balls.
Jasprit Bumrah completed his 200 wickets in Test cricket during Australia's second innings in the Melbourne Test. Bumrah completed 200 wickets after taking Travis Head's wicket in his 44th Test. Bumrah, who made his Test debut against South Africa In 2018, completed his 200 wickets in 8484 balls, surpassing the likes of cricket greats such as Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, and Curtly Ambrose.
In this article, we will look at the bowlers who took 200 Test wickets in the fewest balls.
Fastest to complete 200 Test wickets
Player
Nation
Balls to reach 200 Test wickets
Waqar Younis
Pakistan
7725
Dale Steyn
South Africa
7848
Kagiso Rabada
South Africa
8154
Jasprit Bumrah
India
8484
Malcolm Marshall
West Indies
9234
1# Waqar Younis | 7725 Balls
Former Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis is the bowler to take 200 Test wickets on the fewest balls. This record still stands till date. Waqar made his Test debut in 1989 with Sachin Tendulkar. The landmark came in 1995, as Pakistan beat New Zealand in Christchurch.
Tail-ender Dion Nash was Younis’ only wicket in the match, but he only needed the one for the momentous milestone. Of course, true to form, Younis didn’t need a fielder involved in the dismissal, as he simply bowled Nash with that express pace of his.
2# Dale Steyn | 7848 Balls
Dale Steyn is counted among the best bowlers in Test history. He was at number one in the ranking for many years. Steyn had completed 200 wickets in Test on 7848 balls. With that incredible achievement, he is only the second-fastest bowler to secure 200 Test wickets in terms of the balls bowled.
In 2019, Steyn announced his retirement.
3# Kagiso Rabada | 8154 Balls
Among active bowlers, Kagiso Rabada of South Africa holds the record of taking 200 Test wickets in the fewest balls. Rabada's home situation helps the fast bowlers a lot. This is why his name being in this list is not surprising.
Making his Test debut in 2015, Rabada completed his 200 Test wickets in just 8154 balls. After dismissing Hasan Ali in a Test match against Pakistan back in 2021, Rabada achieved the feat.
4# Jasprit Bumrah | 8484 Balls
In the modern-day cricket, Jasprit Bumrah is a legend. With accuracy and incredible bowling technique, Team India’s crisis man never fails to rescue the team in tough times.
In the ongoing Test match against Australia, Bumrah turned out to be a savior in the second innings, picking up 4 wickets in just 30 runs. After dismissing Travis Head in the 34th over, Bumrah secured his 200 Test scalps in 8484 deliveries. In his 44th Test match, he secured the milestone. With that performance, he is standing in the fourth Position on the list.
5# Malcolm Marshall | 9234 Balls
When it comes to the most feared bowler in the history of cricket, the first person who comes to mind is Malcolm Marshall. In the 80s, there used to be awe of his name among the batsmen. At that time, batsmen used to take less risks but even after this, Marshall had completed 200 wickets in 9234 balls.
PBKS vs RCB IPL Match Preview, Head-to-head, Possible XIs and Dream11 Team Prediction
Read the full match preview, head-to-head stats, possible playing XIs, and Dream11 Team Prediction of the PBKS vs RCB match in IPL 2024 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala on 8th May, Thursday.
Punjab Kingswill hostRoyal Challengers Bangalore in match no 58 of IPL 2024 on Thursday, 9th May, at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala. Both sides have won only four out of eleven matches this season and are sitting in the seventh (RCB) and eighth (PBKS) positions of the points table.
RCB and PBKS have already faced each other once this season and RCB won that encounter at home by four wickets after chasing down 177 runs. RCB hopes to double that but PBKS will try to deliver a better performance this time. From possible playing XIs to Dream11 team predictions, here is everything you need to know about the PBKS vs RCB match in IPL 2024.
PBKS vs RCB IPL 2024 Venue: Dharamshala | Image: Wikipedia
How to watch thePBKS vs RCB IPL 2024 Match?
ThePunjab Kings vsRoyal Challengers BangaloreIPL 2024 match will be televised on Star Sports Network. All the Indian Premier League matches will be streamed free on the Jio Cinema app and website.
Pitch & Weather Report
The pitch in Dharamsala is known for its pace, bounce, and movement. The seamers always get help from the pitch. The movement and bounce available during the powerplay are vital for the bowling side. The Spinners generally get no help from this pitch as no turn is available from the track. At this pitch, the team that wins the toss chooses typically to bowl first and chase the target.
The temperature will be around 23 degrees Celsius. Humidity of about 42 percent is expected but there is no chance of rain.
PBKS vs RCB: Head-to-Head Record
Out of the 32 encounters between RCB and PBKS, Punjab have won 17 matches while Royal Challengers Bangalore have won 15. In the last 4 meetings, it's all square at 2-2 between RCB and PBKS.
PBKS are coming into this game after a huge loss against Chennai. Bairstow couldn't add more than just 7 runs in the last game. Prabhsimran was looking good but lost his wicket following a wrong judgment. Jitesh Sharma, Ashutosh Sharma, and Sam Curran added only 10 runs in total which is disappointing. Shashank Singh was playing some great shots but didn't get the support he needed.
Rilee Rossouw was out for a duck as the whole batting unit was simply a flop against Chennai at Dharamshala. Shikhar Dhawan has not traveled with the side to Dharamsala, so the same players are expected to play against RCB. Harshal Patel and Rahul Chahar picked up three wickets each in the last match while Arshdeep scalped two.
Arshdeep Singh did concede 42 runs though which is not a good thing. Rabada has been decent this season. He hasn't been the best bowler for the Kings but the others have stepped up here and there. Harpreet Brar bowled only one over in the previous game and went for 19 runs so he will try to improve against RCB not to forget, he always turns up against Bangalore.
RCB have registered only four victories after featuring in eleven games but three of those came in the previous three games. Virat Kohli is in great form and providing his side with a good start from his end in almost every game. Faf is not having an excellent season but he looked in some brilliant touch in the previous game. The duo is expected to start once again for RCB in the game against PBKS.
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 8, 2024
Rajat Patidar and Glenn Maxwell have the responsibility to handle the middle-order batting which they haven't done so far this season. Patidar has played three or four good innings here and there but Maxwell hasn't. Will Jacks will come into bat at no 3 and he needs to bring some consistency in his batting. Dinesh Karthik has played lots of brilliant innings for RCB this season and has taken the responsibility to score runs consistently at lower down the order.
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 8, 2024
RCB only have three games left in their hands and the hopes for the playoffs are still there. The issues in bowling have been resolved a lot lately. Mohammed Siraj who was struggling to bowl one decent over, is bowling quite confidently in the last couple of games.
Bangalore don't have a good spin bowler in their squad to handle the middle overs. They let go of Chahal and haven't been able to replace him with someone else. Yash Dayal has bowled some sensational spells this season and he is the most important bowler for the Royals right now. Cameron Green is also bowling some important overs and he has been really good with the bowling so far.
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 8, 2024
Vyshak picked up two wickets in the last game with a good economy so his selection is a must against PBKS in Dharamshala. RCB would try to extend their winning streak and double over PBKS on Thursday.
Impact Player Subs: Shikhar Dhawan, Harpreet Singh, A Taide, Shivam Singh, Prince Choudhary, LS Livingstone, Sikandar Raza, R Dhawan, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Chris Woakes, T Thyagarajan, RD Chahar, Nathan Ellis, Vidhwath Kaverappa
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis(C), Virat Kohli, Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Swapnil Singh, Dinesh Karthik(WK), Karn Sharma, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Siraj
Impact Player Subs: Anuj Rawat, SS Prabhudessai, S Chauhan, MK Lomror, M Bhandage, TK Curran, MJ Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, RJW Topley, Rajan Kumar, Alzarri Joseph, Himanshu Sharma, LH Ferguson, Akash Deep
Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore: Dream XI Team Prediction
KKR vs PBKS IPL 2024 Match Preview, Head-to-head, Possible XIs and Dream11 Team Prediction
Read the full match preview, head-to-head stats, possible playing XIs, and Dream11 Team Prediction of the KKR vs PBKS match in IPL 2024 at the Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium in Kolkata on 26th April, Friday.
Shreyas Iyer'sKolkata Knight Ridersare all set to face Shikhar Dhawan'sPunjab Kingsin match No. 42 of IPL 2024 on Friday, 26th April, at the Eden Gardens Cricket Stadiumin Kolkata. PBKS have won only 2 and lost six games so far this season and are sitting at the second bottom of the points table. Meanwhile, KKR have won five out of their seven games so far this season and are sitting at the second spot of the points table. Both teams would like to claim the important two points so it will be an exciting contest in Kolkata. From possible playing XIs to Dream11 predictions, here is everything you need to know about the KKR vs PBKS match in IPL 2024.
TheKolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab KingsIPL 2024 match will be televised on Star Sports Network. All the Indian Premier League matches will be streamed free on the Jio Cinema app and website.
Pitch & Weather Report
Eden Gardens has been very batting-friendly in the last few years. Four out of seven matches played at the venue last season crossed the 200 mark. Four games have been played here so far this season, three of which have seen 200-plus scores in both innings.
The KKR vs PBKS is also expected to be a high-scoring match as the pitch is favouring the batters completely. The dew will play a part as this will be an evening game, and batting second would be a good option.
The temperatures will be around 35 degrees in the evening. There is no chance of rain and the humidity is expected to be close to 78 percent.
Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings have faced each other in 32 matches and KKR have been the dominant side, winning 21 while PBKS have won only 11 encounters.
The Knight Riders won the last game by only one runs against a struggling RCB side. This is going to be a very important game for KKR and they will be desperate to claim the three points. Phil Salt and Sunil Narine are having a sensational season. Both the openers have contributed so much to the team and there is no doubt, they have been the most important players for the Knight Riders this season.
Raghuvanshi failed to score runs in the last game but he has been quite brilliant. Shreyas Iyer is having a below-average season. He hasn't been good with the bat and the same problem lies with Venkatesh Iyer too. Shreyas did score a half-century in the last game but he needs to remain consistent in the remaining games. Andre Russell and Rinku Singh have played their role as finishers but they will be challenged when the top order fails.
KKR's bowling is another issue. Mitchell Starc hasn't justified his price tag yet. Harshit Rana still has to learn a lot and the 22-year-old still has a lot of time to improve but he bowled a mature 4-over spell in the game against RCB. He is bowling well and it looks like, he'll only improve from here. Varun Chakaravarthy is having an average season and he will be hoping to make a comeback. Sunil Narine has bowled well and Andre Russell has bowled some critical overs too. But, the KKR bowling unit has to improve more if they want to deliver better performances in the remaining fixtures.
The opening pair Shikhar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow have only put together one fifty-plus partnership this season. They both are having a terrible season and a strong opening pair is very important for a good start to any game. Dhawan has made 152 runs in five matches and looks completely out of touch. He was out with an injury so Sam Curran was leading the side in the absence of him. Bairstow had become a liability for the team and Punjab decided to drop him. Sam Curran and Prabhsimran added 52 runs for the first wicket in the last match and they will be looking to replicate it once again.
Jitesh Sharma has played some good cameos here and there but there is no consistency in his batting. Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma have shown what they can do and right now they are the only positive in PBKS' batting. Sam Curran has done decently in the tournament so far. His contributions in both departments are vital to PBKS. He won the first game for PBKS with the bat and showed his bowling prowess in the match against LSG, picking up three wickets.
Liam Livingstone once again failed as a batter but did bowl a brilliant 4-over spell. Harpreet Brar, who started the season on a high is now struggling to get anything fruitful from his bowling. But, he is a good spinner and will try to make a comeback strongly.
Harshal Patel finally delivered a good spell this season. He picked up three wickets against Gujarat in the previous match but has to repeat it and be a consistent performer with the bowl. Kagiso Rabada is the main strength of Punjab's bowling unit but the Proteas seamer also struggled against Gujarat Titans. Arshdeep Singh has bowled well in some games and he is one of the most important players for Punjab.
Possible XIs
Kolkata Knight Riders: Sunil Narine, Phil Salt (wk), Shreyas Iyer (C), Ramandeep Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Mitchell Starc, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana.
Impact Player Subs:KS Bharat, N Rana, Manish Pandey, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sakib Hussain, AS Roy, Sherfane Rutherford, Vaibhav Arora, C Sakariya, D Chameera, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Suyash Sharma, Allah Mohammad
Punjab Kings:Prabh Simran Singh, Sam Curran, JM Sharma (wk), Shikhar Dhawan (C), R Rossouw, Ashutosh Sharma, Shashank Singh, Liam Livingstone, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Harshal Patel
Impact Player Subs:JM Bairstow, Harpreet Singh, Shivam Singh, Prince Choudhary, A Taide, Sikandar Raza, R Dhawan, T Thyagarajan, RD Chahar, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Chris Woakes, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Nathan Ellis, Arshdeep Singh
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings: Dream XI Team Prediction
GT vs PBKS IPL 2024 Match Preview, Head-to-head, Possible XIs and Dream11 Team Prediction
Read the full match preview, head-to-head stats, possible playing XIs, and Dream11 team prediction of the GT vs PBKS match in IPL 2024 at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Gujarat on 4th April, Thursday.
Gujarat Titansand Punjab Kingsare all set to face each other in match 17 of the ongoing IPL 2024 season on Thursday, 4th April, at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Gujarat. Gujarat Titans have started their campaign with two victories in three matches while Punjab Kings started their season with a victory but then lost two consecutive matches. Both sides will be looking for the important two points from the fixture so it will be an exciting contest in Gujarat. From possible playing XIs to Dream11 predictions, here is everything you need to know about theGT vs PBKS match in IPL 2024.
The Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings IPL 2024 match will be televised on Star Sports Network. All the Indian Premier League matches will be streamed free on the Jio Cinema app and website.
Pitch & Weather Report
The pitch of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has changed a lot. It was a solid batting pitch but black soil has been used and now it helps the slower bowlers. Batters will have to score runs in the powerplay because, with the progression of the match, the wicket will get slower and tricky for batting. The average 1st innings total in T20 internationals is 160 while the 2nd innings total is 140. The Gujarat Stadium has hosted 10 T20I games in the past. Out of those, the team batting first won 6 times and the team bowling first won 5 games.
The temperatures will hover around 33 degrees Celsius with humidity at 80 percent in the evening. There is no chance of rain.
GT vs PBKS: Head-to-Head Record
Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings have faced each other in 3 matches. GT have won 2 while PBKS have won 1 of those matches.
Gujarat are coming into the match after a good performance in the last game against SRH. The bowlers did their job perfectly and then the batters did the rest. While Mohit Sharma ran the show, Umesh Yadav and Omarzai were decent in their spells. Mohit picked up three wickets and caused SRH with every sort of problem. Rashid Khan hasn't started this season on high but bowled a decent spell against SRH while his national side teammate Noor Ahmed also bowled an important 4-over spell on his return.
As for the batting, Wriddhiman Saha once again tried to provide his side with a solid start but failed to extend his inning. Shubman Gill scored 36 runs but he is not in his best form right now. Sai Sudharsan stepped up once again and played a mature inning. David Miller also scored runs finally and helped his side claim the second victory of the season. Against PBKS though, the management will be hoping to see Wriddhiman Saha and Gill more in action. The opening duo have to score more runs to provide the next betters with a solid stage. Saha has to score big in this match while Gill also needs to bring some consistency in his game. Matthew Wade was seen in the training and he might play his first game this season.
Though GT are not looking like the best team at the moment, the players are trying their best to improve after a slow start. Rashid Khan will have to improve and lead the bowling unit while Omarzai needs to concede less as he bowls in the powerplay. Noor Ahmed appeared in the last game and bowled a good 4-over spell for them. He will be up for his job again when GT faces PBKS on Thursday.
Sudharsan has scored runs in three consecutive games and he knows how to bat according to the situation. David Miller and Vijay Shankar will try to score some runs as the middle order is looking too thin at the moment. Otherwise, they will have to bring Kane Williamson in the XI. Tewatia can hit big sixes but the fans haven't seen him do so for a long time. Gujarat doesn't have many options in their batting unit so it will be difficult if the current batters fail to deliver performances regularly.
Punjab Kings
Punjab started the season in style but then failed to continue that start and fell short against Bangalore and Lucknow. Bairstow scored this time and provided his team with a solid start in the chase but the middle-order batters couldn't do the job. Skipper Shikhar Dhawan played a great 70-run knock with a much-improved strike rate (140) but his side still managed to bottle the game.
None of the batters except the openers and Livingstone stepped up in the game against LSG. It was a very poor batting performance overall and the side paid the price. Sam Curran played a match-winning knock in the first game and also played a small cameo against Bangalore but this time, he went out for a golden duck. LiamLivingstone is not a player who will play long innings in every match. He is an explosive finisher and he is doing his job fine.
Prabhsimran also started brilliantly against LSG but couldn't manage to hold up further. He is having a poor season and has to improve his performance by miles. Jitesh Sharma is known for his finishing but he is out of form and needs something to regain the form back.
Kagiso Rabada and Harpreet Brar have bowled brilliantly in the three games for Punjab and they will lead the bowling attack. Arshdeep Singh has been very inconsistent and will have to deliver at regular intervals for Punjab to do well. On the other hand, Harshal Patel hasn't justified his price yet. He will be on the edge against GT if the management plays him especially after those poor performances and the ex-RCB bowler has to perform to remain in the team. Sam Curran picked up three wickets in the previous game and will be an essential player in this game too.
Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill (C), Sai Sudharsan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Vijay Shankar, DA Miller, R Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, M Sharma, U Yadav
Impact Player Subs: Robin Minzq, MS Wade, Kane Williamson, A Manohar, Shahrukh Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, SH Johnson, Kartik Tyagi, J Little, DG Nalkande, J Yadav, SS Mishra, Manav Suthar, S Sandeep Warrier, BR Sharath
Impact Player Subs: P Simran Singh, Harpreet Singh, RR Rossouw, Shivam Singh, A Taide, AR Sharma, Prince Choudhary, Sikandar Raza, R Dhawan, T Thyagarajan, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Chris Woakes, Nathan Ellis, Vidhwath Kaverappa
Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Punjab Kings by 4 wickets to register their first victory of the IPL 2024 campaign. RCB had to chase 177 runs and it was not easy, especially after delivering a poor performance against the defending champions in the season opener. Virat Kohli once again played a vital knock to help RCB reach a winning position. But, it was Dinesh Karthik's fiery cameo that ensured Bangalore's victory.
Faf du Plessis won the toss and decided to chase in the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, their first home game of the campaign. Punjab Kings finished on 176/6 in 20 overs after Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj, and Yash Dayal bowled brilliantly to restrict PBKS batters. Last match hero Sam Curran (23) couldn't add much while Jitesh Sharma could only contribute with 27 runs to the total. Shikhar Dhawan's 45 and Shashank's strong finish (21) helped Punjab put up a fighting total. Maxwell and Siraj picked up 2 wickets each while Yash Dayal and Joseph scalped 1 wicket each although Joseph again proved to be an expensive one.
Chasing a target of 177 runs, RCB lost their skipper Faf du Plessis and Cameron Green early in the match and Rabada picked up those wickets. Harpreet Brar then struck two times, sending Maxwell and Patidar both back to the dugout to keep Punjab Kings into the game. But, Virat fought alone, scoring 77 runs in only 49 deliveries, hitting 11 fours and 2 sixes. He led the chase from the front but ex-RCB player Harshal Patel came up with Virat's wicket.
Now, it came upon Dinesh Karthik's shoulders to take RCB to victory. He remained unbeaten till the end, scoring 28 runs off just 10 deliveries with 3 fours and 2 sixes while Mahipal Lomror also hit 17 off 8 to see through Bangalore's first victory of the campaign. For PBKS, Sam Curran picked up 1 wicket while Harpreet Brar and Kagiso Rabada got two wickets each. Brar only conceded 13 runs in his 4-over spell but couldn't stop RCB from chasing down the target. Arshdeep Singh was expensive in his 3.2-over spell and the same case was with Harshal Patel too. They couldn't contribute much in defending the total which caused them a defeat at Bangalore.