Mumbai Indians Questioned Over Star's Absence Ahead Of Qualifier 2: "Was Playing Well, Suddenly..."
Former India spinner Murali Kartik has questioned the absence of leggie Karn Sharma from Mumbai Indians' (MI) playing 12s during their IPL 2025 Eliminator clash against Gujarat Titans (GT). Karn, who has played six matches so far this season for MI, last played for the franchise on May 21 against Delhi Capitals (DC) during the league phase. On Friday, MI handed debuts to Jonny Bairstow and Richard Gleeson, but the latter is now unlikely to play against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Sunday's Qualifier 2 as the 37-year-old pulled his hamstring during the final over of the match.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Kartik questioned the inclusion of Gleeson in the first place, highlighting Karn's contribution so far this season.
"The way Richard Gleeson clutched his hamstring in the final over, you don't know if he's fit. You don't know whether you'd play him or not. Karn Sharma was playing really good, but suddenly, you've begun to completely ignore him. Santner was sitting on the sidelines when Karn was playing, but now it's the opposite. It's very difficult to call," said Kartik.
Kartik also suggested that pacer Deepak Chahar 's availability could come in handy for MI in their match against PBKS. Chahar missed the game against GT as he was struggling with an injury on his leg.
"They would want Deepak Chahar to be fit. They can get the old combination and old formula back. I know Ryan Rickelton and Will Jacks aren't there, but Bairstow has performed. If Chahar comes back, they can have more belief," he added.
MI will be eyeing their seventh IPL final after 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020, whereas the Shreyas Iyer -led side will be looking to enter the final for the second time after 2014.
PBKS and MI have played 32 IPL matches against each other so far. MI have won 17 and PBKS 15. In IPL 2025, these teams have won one match each.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
an hour ago
- News18
'He's Doing The Best He Can': Manjrekar Backs Prasidh's Selection In Playing XI
Last Updated: Prasidh was preferred over Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh in India's playing XI for the ongoing first Test of the five-match series against England. Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar on Sunday (June 22) backed Indian team management's decision to include Prasidh Krishna in the playing XI for the ongoing first Test against England in Leeds. According to Manjrekar, who has now donned the hat of an expert and commentator, Krishna is India's No. 2 seamer, and he is bowling better than Mohammed Siraj. He feels the Karnataka-based fast bowler is doing the best he can, and if he manages to get a couple of wickets, then it will help him build confidence, and he might get better. 'If you see Prasidh Krishna in this Test match as opposed to the Test he played for India earlier in South Africa, he's looked the best to me. Yesterday (Saturday, June 21), although he didn't quite get the wickets, he was still India's number two seamer. He was better than Mohammed Siraj, certainly more potent than Shardul Thakur. So, India made the right choice and went for him; this is Prasidh Krishna doing the best he can. With time, if he gets a couple of wickets and builds confidence, he might just get better and better. I will not be critical of Prasidh Krishna with the way he's bowled—he has done everything he possibly could to the best of his ability," Manjrekar said on 'Match Centre Live' after the first session on Day 3. After failing to take any wicket for India on Day 2 of the Leeds Test, Prasidh helped India get off to a flying start on Day 3, as on the first ball of his second over of the day, he dismissed Ollie Pope. The right-handed batter was caught behind by Rishabh Pant after making 106 runs from 137 balls with the help of 14 fours. Krishna, who last played a Test match for India against Australia in Sydney from January 3-5, 2025, managed to retain his place in the red-ball squad for the England tour by producing a super show for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025. He played 15 matches for the Shubman Gill-led side in IPL this year and picked up 25 wickets, which was the most by any bowler. First Published: June 22, 2025, 19:46 IST
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
"After He Failed In Australia...": Rishabh Pant's Childhood Coach Points Out Changes He Made
After an underwhelming tour to Australia marked by poor shot selection, Rishabh Pant has begun the series against England in an emphatic fashion, scoring a hundred at Leeds to showcase his extraordinary talent. Devender Sharma, one of Pant's childhood coaches alongside the late Tarak Sinha, attributed the resurgence to the work the wicketkeeper batter has put in on his defence and shot selection. "After he failed in Australia, he made a lot of changes to his defensive techniques and curbed his stroke play, which you also saw in the match. Pant is a match-winner," Sharma told PTI Videos in an exclusive interview. "Before he went to England, we discussed his defense because his Australia tour didn't go well. We decided he would play fewer strokes and focus more on batting there. England's conditions are different; there's more movement," he added. The effort Pant has put in behind the scenes were evident in the dazzling array of shots he played en route a magnificent 134 in the first Test in Leeds. During his knock, Pant also went past MS Dhoni for the most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper in Test cricket, bringing up his seventh ton on the second day of the series opener against England. This isn't Pant's first hundred in England, for he had struck one during the team's last tour of that country. The coach attributed Pant's success in England's challenging conditions to his unique ability to "bat with ample time" and play from a "slightly deeper position." "He scored a hundred last time in England as well. He has a lot of time when he bats, which is a factor that makes him successful in England. Playing in the second line gives him a significant advantage," he asserted. Pant struck a six off the first ball of the 100th over of India's first innings, clearing the fence off Shoaib Bashir to bring up the milestone. He completed 3,000 Test runs during his innings and has 15 fifties in 44 matches and averages nearly 44. Sharma sees Pant as an all-format player. "I feel that Rishabh is a player who can play all three formats. He isn't in the team right now, but I believe he will come back after his IPL failure. If you're a good player, you'll perform." It was his first century since September 2024 when he scored 109 against Bangladesh at Chennai.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
"In Middle Of...": Rohit Sharma Narrates Tale Of His Romantic Proposal To Wife Ritika Sajdeh
India ODI captain Rohit Sharma opened up on his romantic marriage proposal to wife Ritika Sajdeh. Rohit announced his Test retirement last month and is currently not part of the Indian team for the ongoing Test series against England. He was last seen in action during the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) season. During an interaction with former India spinner Harbhajan Singh and his wife Geeta Basra, Rohit narrated the tale of how he orchestrated a surprise proposal by taking Ritika to his childhood cricket ground. Rohit also revealed that he took Ritika to the ground under the pretense of having ice cream. "My proposal was quite romantic. I took her to the place where I started playing cricket. We were here only (somewhere along Marine Drive apparently). She had brought food from home. We ate it. So, I was just sitting. Then I told her let's go out to eat ice cream, I'm bored. Then we took the car out, we left. We left from Marine Drive, crossed Haji Ali, Worli. So, she asked where is the ice cream shop? She does not know anything after Bandra. I told her there's a good one in Borivali, where I live. You've never come, so let me show you," revealed Rohit. Rohit recalled that he got down on one knee to propose Ritika in the middle of ground, a moment which was beautifully captured by his friends. "It was a ground and it was pitch dark and she didn't realise it was a ground. Then I had already told my friend to set up something there at the ground and just be there to capture the moment. We parked the car. Then I went on my knees, in the middle of the pitch. Then, I proposed to her," he added. Rohit's retirement from Test cricket came days before former India Virat Kohli also made the shock announcement that he won't be playing in the whites again for India either. Both Rohit and Kohli had also retired from T20Is last year, following India's win over South Africa in the T20 World Cup final.
