IPL 2024 : Delhi Capitals’ David Warner Seeks Improvement Ahead of Gujarat Titans’ Encounter  

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 has crossed its halfway mark, but Delhi Capitals have done very little to bring a smile on their home fans’ faces. On Wednesday, DC gets one more chance to resurrect their mistake, when they take on Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. With just three wins from eight matches, DC is desperate for a win. One player who can help Delhi to stay alive in IPL 2024 is David Warner. The Australian southpaw has scored only 167 runs from seven matches at a strike rate of 135.77. Warner, whose bat has remained silent in the first half, would like to set the record straight in Delhi’s remaining six games. While speaking to the media, Warner said,  “We’ve got a little bit of improving to do, both with bat and the ball. If we can minimise the totals, it would be great. And then if we bat first, try and put a big total on the board and defend it.” Warner, an IPL great who himself is going through a lean patch, has failed to produce big numbers via his batting displays.  DC currently sits on the 8th position of the 2024 Indian Premier League points table. The veteran batter is still confident that the Delhi Capitals could turn the tide in the remainder of the IPL 2024 season.  For Delhi to qualify for the playoffs, they should win at least five of their remaining six matches, to stand a chance. DC would want Warner to fire on all cylinders and produce some match winning knocks for the franchise in the remaining six matches..  David Warner – an IPL legend Warner has been a consistent force in the Indian Premier League for the past decade or so. The explosive Australian batter has the ability to single-handedly dismantle bowling attacks.  He has been a cornerstone for the teams he has represented, notably the Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he led the team to its maiden IPL title back in 2016.  Warner’s IPL journey is adorned with numerous accolades, including three Orange Cap awards (IPL 2015, 2017, 2019) for being the tournament’s leading run-scorer.  They say, form is temporary, class is permanent. There’s no doubt that Warner himself would be expecting more runs from his bat and in the process get Delhi’s campaign back on track in IPL 2024. The Delhi Capitals next play against the Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye.

Parteek Dahiya Says Adani Sportsline Owned Gujarat Giants Have Only PKL Title in Mind 

Adan Sportsline

One of the brightest spots in the Adani Sportsline-owned Gujarat Giants squad this season has been the young Parteek Dahiya, who has been in fine form for his side, which is captained by Fazel Atrachali and coached by Ram Mehar Singh. Parteek, who is in his second season in the PKL, came through the New Young Players’ programme in Season 9, and has been one of the standout performers for the Gujarat Giants, since joining the squad. The ace raider has scored 44 points in the last 4 games, with the Giants having won 7 out of their 11 games. In fact, against the Bengal Warriors in Noida, Parteek raised the bar and how, scoring 22 raid points and 3 tackle points to put in a power packed performance for the Adani Sportsline owned Gujarat Giants.Looking back, Parteek explained, “I started the season a little slowly but now that has changed and I am fully fit right now, and that is showing as I am playing longer durations in the game. What I do is, I keep myself focused on the strategy we have as a team, and look to perform my tasks accordingly, so that it benefits the team.” Parteek likes to keep things simple – he is well aware of his responsibilities for the team, and is keen to perform as best as he can to help the Gujarat Giants in their hunt for the coveted title. When comparing his first season to the ongoing one, Parteek noted that hard work has been the key to his progress. “I have been working hard with the coaches and they have been continuously helping me improve in my raiding and even my defensive performances. One of the things I have also worked on has been picking up more bonus points for the team. Ram Mehar Sir is always talking to me about my performances after games, and keeps motivating me a lot, and I think he expects me to do better in the future.” While Ram Mehar is a stalwart in the sport of Kabaddi, Parteek, who hails from a sporting family where his uncle is the former India kabaddi captain Deepak Niwas Hooda and his sister is Asian Boxing Championships bronze medallist Preeti Dahiya, is also delighted to be playing alongside the champion Fazel Atrachali. “Fazel’s presence is immense for our team as he makes our defensive unit solid and then also is motivating all of us at all points, no matter what. He is a very positive character in the team, and he is very good person to have on your team.” Parteek, who says that his uncle has been a big influence on his career and dreams of a successful stint in the India colours, has his target set for the season. “We have to win the PKL title in Season 10. We as the Gujarat Giants have only one target, and that’s the trophy. We have all the support we need from the team owners and the management, the Adani Sportsline team, has always done everything to back us fully in every aspect, and we could not be happier about that. It helps us be focused and play better eventually,” he signed off. The Adani Sportsline owned Gujarat Giants will now move to Jaipur, where they will face the Puneri Paltan on 12th January. The Sportz Planet Desk

From being a milkman, to the Adani Sportsline Owned Gujarat Giants – Deepak Madhav Aims for Glory 

Deepak Madhav of the Gujarat Giants

Cuttack, 3rd January 2023: Gujarat Giants’ ace defender Deepak Madhav has been a mainstay in the sport of Kho Kho for almost a decade. Having been signed on by the Adani Sportsline-owned team for the second season of the Ultimate Kho Kho League, which began on December 24, the 27-year-old defender is ready to take his game a notch up, but the road to stardom has not been easy for the Maharashtrian Kho Kho star.  Just as he was making his career, winning laurels and on the way to fame, his father suffered a serious health illness which forced him to work as a newspaper vendor as well as a milkman. Talking about his initial struggles, and why Kho Kho was the sport for him, Deepak said, “Kho Kho is a sport which does not need more than a shorts and sandal and a ground to play. Most of the other sports needed a lot of efforts which, at that moment, was not possible because my father had a heart surgery then. So, the burden was mostly on my brother so pursing any other sport was not a big possibility.“ Despite this, his aim was fixed — playing for the Railways. He worked hard towards that goal, and did not let setbacks stop him from achieving his dreams. “When I started playing Kho Kho, I was always selected for the state but was never able to break into the nationals. Always in the stand-bys. During one such U18s State Championship, I performed very well through the knockouts and won a prize as well. This led to my selections in the nationals. This paved the way to the Maharashtra team and then the Senior Nationals and eventually the Railways side, which was my eventual dream.”  “It took me four attempts to break into the Railways team. In the first three tries the more senior members of the team got through so when I got selected for the Railways team, it was my breakthrough moment in the sport,” an emotional Deepak said.  His hard work has paid dividends. Deepak is now a regular India international, and a gold medal winner at the South Asian Games in 2018, even missing his sister’s wedding for the same. “I have sacrificed attending my sister’s wedding in 2018, and my brother’s wedding in 2019, for Kho Kho. In 2018, I was representing India at the South Asian Games in Nepal. We won the Gold for the country at the South Asian Games and this, I considered as one of my biggest achievements in the sport. The perfect return gift for my sister, and a very proud moment for my family,” recalled the defender.   And having missed out on the title in the season 1 of the Ultimate Kho Kho League, Deepak is ready to go the distance with the Giants, a team that he loves for a variety of reasons.   “I missed out on the trophy last time around by 5 seconds. This time, with the Gujarat Giants, I want to fulfil what I could not and secure the title for my team. We have received great support from the Adani Sportsline team, they’ve made us feel at home, kept us motivated to go for the win at all times,” he noted. With season 2 of the Ultimate Kho Kho League turning towards the business end, the Gujarat Giants are well on their way to the final four. “I have played in a few teams over my career so far, and not just me, everyone will agree that this is one of the best team managements we could have found. They back us to the hilt and the overall feeling in the camp is also very good, and you can see it when we are playing,” the defender signed off.   The Sportz Planet Desk

Adani Sportsline’s Kho Kho Captain Akshay Bhangare: Stitched for Success

Ultimate Kho Kho League player Akshay Bhangare

Cuttack, 2nd January 2024: Injuries have derailed the careers of many sportspersons despite their best efforts but the same cannot be said for the newly-named skipper of the Adani Sportsline’s Ultimate Kho Kho League team Gujarat Giants — Akshay Bhangare. The 26-year-old Kho Kho star, who chose his path in the sport when he was just in class 5, has always had his sights on playing at the highest level of the sport. As the captain of the Gujarat Giants, Akshay is grateful for the opportunity given to him by the Adani Sportsline, who have been working hard to promote Kho Kho in the country. “The coach and the management are very supportive towards our team and my teammates and they have built a vibrant team with a good blend of young and experienced players. Under the leadership of the Adani Sportsline, I expect our side to be the team to beat in the season 2 of the Ultimate Kho Kho League.” However, Akshay’s dream of leading the Adani Sportsline-owned Gujarat Giants in the Ultimate Kho Kho League was almost not meant to be. Almost 10 years back, when fighting for a spot in the Maharashtra state team, a young Akshay came close to missing out on selection for the side because of a bike accident just two hours before his semifinal clash in the District Championship that forced him to get stitches and threatened to put him on the sidelines. Recalling what was a tough moment in his budding career, Bhangare went on to reveal how he was not deterred by the multiple stitches on his legs. “I was working hard and training hard to make it to the national team. In 2012, I played in the state championship for the first time. In 2013, when I was physically and mentally ready to play in the district championship, I suffered a major bike accident at 6 am when I had to play for my team at 8 am. I had 8 stitches on my leg and was also mentally affected because of this incident. Many of my teammates were sure I would not be able to play.” Many of the biggest stars of any sport use such a moment to make their case, and much like his sporting idol Cristiano Ronaldo, who is considered an epitome of fitness, Bhangare used this moment to prove that he was the right fit for the state side, especially in front of the selection committee. “At half time, I thought, what is the most that will happen? At the most, the stitches will come off. During what we call the average time in Kho Kho, I defended that time to the best of my abilities and this impressed the selection committee, and they felt that if he could do well with this injury then he was worth giving a chance. So, they said that if I can get fit in the fitness camp, then I will be given a chance. This led to my selection for the state championships and then the national team, because of that moment.” This was the moment that brought the now-Gujarat Giants skipper to the forefront of the sport. He has since gone on to represent Maharashtra in National competitions at the Senior and Junior levels. Not only that, Bhangare has also captained the Maharashtra Senior team as well as the Indian Kho Kho team. Now as the skipper for the Gujarat Giants in his first Ultimate Kho Kho League with his side, he hopes to translate the same kind of resilience to the playing field. – The Sportz Planet Desk