Needed to strengthen middle order in coming IPL seasons: Kohli
Jaipur, May 19 : A dejected Virat Kohli vowed to come back with a stronger middle order in the next Indian Premier League (IPL) season after his Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) was shown the door from the ongoing edition with a 30-run loss to Rajasthan Royals here on Saturday.
Bangalore's 12 points from 14 games wasn't enough to propel them to the next stage of the league as the Kohli-led side fell like a pack of cards while chasing a modest 165-run target handed by Rajasthan.
At one stage, Bangalore were looking comfortable at 74/1 but later went on to lose their remaining nine wickets for just 59 runs, thanks to Shreyas Gopal, who shattered the visitor's top and middle order with impressive figures of 4/16.
In the post-match presentation, Kohli emphasised on the need to strengthen the middle order that failed to contribute on most of the occasions this season.
"We wanted to strengthen the middle-order which hasn't happened, it hasn't been our strength and we need to do that going into the next few seasons," Kohli said.
"We need to be smarter with composing our team. The responsibility cannot be taken up only by AB all the time. He certainly scored runs, but others need to contribute around him," the 29-year-old added.
However, the Bangalore skipper praised some of his players saying: "There were some new players who did well. Umesh bowled extremely well with the new ball, Chahal was great, Siraj and Moeen contributed too, so plenty of positives to take into the next season."
On the other hand, RR skipper Ajinkya Rahane credited his bowlers for the win which kept them alive in the league.
Despite the win lifting Rajasthan to the fourth spot, Rahane and company will have to wait till the outcome of the remaining three games of the league stage.
"Though RCB had a very good batting line up, credit goes to our bowlers. Under pressure, the two leggies did really well. Getting wickets in the middle overs was never easy," Rahane said after the match.
"This evening was very special. It was more about focussing on the things that we could control. Klaasen's innings was really good and Rahul's innings at the top was magnificent. It is important to enjoy this win and stay calm," he concluded.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Pope Leo XIV calls for aid to reach Gaza and an end to hostilities in his first general audience
Vatican City (AP): Pope Leo XIV called for humanitarian aid to reach the Gaza Strip and for an end to the “heartbreaking” toll on its people, as he presided over his first general audience in St. Peter's Square.
The Vatican said that around 40,000 people were on hand for the audience, which came just days after an estimated 200,000 people attended the inaugural Mass on Sunday for history's first American pope.
Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago, began the audience with a tour through the piazza in the popemobile and stopped to bless several babies. In addressing specific greetings to different groups of pilgrims, Leo spoke in his native English, his fluent Spanish as well as the traditional Italian of the papacy.
“I renew my heartfelt appeal to allow the entrance of dignified humanitarian aid to Gaza and to put an end to the hostilities whose heartbreaking price is being paid by children, the elderly, and sick people,” he said.
The general audience on Wednesdays is a weekly appointment that popes have kept for decades to allow ordinary faithful to have a face-to-face encounter with the pontiff. It features the pope delivering a brief reflection on a theme or Scripture passage, with summaries provided by others in different languages and the pope directing specific messages to particular faith groups.
The encounter, which lasts more than an hour, usually ends with a brief topical appeal by the pope about a current issue or upcoming event. Leo began it with his now-frequent mantra “Peace be with you.”
To that end, Leo on Tuesday reaffirmed the Vatican's willingness to host the next round of ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine during a phone call with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, the Italian leader's office said.
Meloni made the call after speaking with U.S. President Donald Trump and other European leaders, who asked her to verify the Holy See's offer.
“Finding in the Holy Father the confirmation of the willingness to welcome the next talks between the parties, the premier expressed profound gratitude for Pope Leo XIV's willingness and his incessant commitment in favor of peace,” Meloni's office said in a statement late Tuesday.
Trump had referred to the Vatican's longstanding offer to host talks in reporting on his phone call Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While low-level talks could take place in Rome, Italy would be hard-pressed to allow Putin to fly into Rome for any higher-level negotiation. Putin is subject to an international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, of which Italy is a founding member and therefore obliged to execute its warrants.
