Mhatre's fifty carries CSK to 209/5 against PBKS
Chennai (PTI): Ayush Mhatre showcased his abundant talent with a 43-ball 73, powering Chennai Super Kings to a competitive 209 for five against Punjab Kings in an Indian Premier League match here on Friday.
Mhatre and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (28) added 96 runs for the second wicket, the crux of the CSK innings, after Sanju Samson returned to the hut early.
Samson inexplicably moved down to the leg-side and tried to cart Xavier Bartlett’s out-swinger over covers, but all he could manage was a healthy edge to Prabhsimran Singh behind the wicket.
But his dismissal proved a minor jitter, as Mhatre tore apart Punjab's bowling with power and precision.
Pacer Bartlett was the aggrieved party early as Mhatre smashed him for three fours in a row — a loft through mid-wicket, a flick and a pull. His audacity helped CSK reach 57 for one in the Power Play.
Mhatre seemed to have put behind, at least for now, his issues against short-pitched balls, as the Mumbai young man later pulled Marco Jansen for a six.
Mhatre later punished Marcus Stoinis for two sixes in a row — both down the ground — and the first maximum also fetched his fifty in 29 balls.
But he shrugged a bit against the guiles of Yuzvendra Chahal, failing to read him well.
The veteran leg-spinner foxed Mhatre, 17 years younger to him, with a series of googlies, but fortune was not in favour of the former.
On 59, Mhatre was dropped by Vijayakumar Vyshak inside the circle and later on 67 by Shahshank Singh in the deep.
But luck eventually ran out as Mhatre’s attempt to steer Vyshak ended in the hands of Chahal at short third man, as both of them got their own piece of revenge.
In between, Gaikwad too was ousted by Chahal as CSK’s march dulled a bit between 10th and 15th overs. In those five overs, the home side managed just 45 runs.
Sarfaraz Khan (32, 12 balls) tried to instil some urgency into CSK innings while playing his trademark dabs and close-to-body shots for a flurry of boundaries.
Sarfaraz clobbered Arshdeep Singh and Vyshak for a hat-trick of fours each with those impish shots before skying Vyshak to Nehal Wadhera.
But that knock coupled with a few strong hits by Shivam Dube (45, 27b) helped CSK eke out 64 runs in the last five overs and this total could see some interesting chase as still there has been no trace of dew in Chepauk.
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PoK will 'reintegrate with India soon', says head of All India Imam Organisation
Srinagar (PTI): Chief Imam of the All India Imam Organisation, Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, on Friday said Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) would "very soon" be reintegrated with India.
"I want to say one thing to our neighbouring country from standing here in Kashmir that PoK, which is an integral part of India, will definitely rejoin India because the people of PoK want to have a referendum there," Ilyasi told reporters here.
He claimed that the residents of PoK are keen to reintegrate with India, citing the development and prosperity witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir.
"God willing, their 'ghar wapsi' will take place soon. It is the people there who want it. They are happy to see the development of Kashmir. Seeing how Kashmir is progressing today, PoK will be rejoined with India very soon," he said.
The chief Imam said he was very happy to see a "transformed" Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370.
"It has become a new Kashmir. Today's Kashmir has become excellent; there is prosperity throughout, and tourism has increased. The people here are prosperous. There was a time when young people and children here used to throw stones. Today, they have pens in their hands. They are studying," he said.
Referring to last year's terror attack in Baisaran meadows in Pahlagam that left 25 tourists and a local pony handler dead, Ilyasi said tourism had briefly declined after the incident but urged people to visit the region.
"I want to tell everyone that they should visit Kashmir as there is no atmosphere of fear now," he said.
On the conflict in West Asia, he said war benefits no one and expressed hope for peace.
"Wars harm everyone; they are a sign of destruction. I have hopes from our country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, and God willing, he will mediate, and the war will end soon... there will be peace and tranquillity," he said.
