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Tag: IPL

  • CSK pacer Mukesh Choudhary ruled out of IPL 2023; replacement announced

    CSK pacer Mukesh Choudhary ruled out of IPL 2023; replacement announced

    Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have suffered a major setback ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 as fast bowler Mukesh Choudhary has been ruled out of the tournament due to a stress fracture. CSK will play their first match of the tournament against the defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) on Friday, March 31.

    Choudhary, who made his IPL debut in the last season and picked up 16 wickets, is currently recovering from a stress fracture at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. The 26-year-old pacer from Maharashtra was one of the shining stars for CSK in an otherwise forgettable 2022 campaign. He was bought by the franchise for INR 20 lakh in the auction before the last season.

    The omission of Choudhary is the latest in a series of injury blows that CSK has suffered before the start of the 2023 IPL. Earlier, the franchise lost the services of New Zealand all-rounder Kyle Jamieson due to an injury.

    To replace Mukesh, CSK have roped in left-arm pacer Akash Singh.

    Akash, who has played nine T20 matches, nine List A matches, and five First-Class games, previously played for Rajasthan Royals (RR). He was also part of India’s Under-19 World Cup team in 2020. The 20-year-old pacer has a total of 31 wickets in his career across all formats. He joins the CSK squad for his base price of INR 20 lakh.

    However, it remains to be seen how CSK will cope with the absence of Mukesh as he was a vital cog in their bowling unit last season. The MS Dhoni-led team has a good mix of experienced players and youngsters, and it will be interesting to see how they perform in the upcoming tournament. With Akash now in the squad, CSK will be hoping that he can fill the void left by Mukesh and contribute to the team’s success in IPL 2023.

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  • IPL 2023: Rohit Sharma gives an update on Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement

    IPL 2023: Rohit Sharma gives an update on Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement

    The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 will commence from Friday (March 31), and all ten teams are set to compete in the marquee event for the coveted trophy. However, the absence of Jasprit Bumrah from the tournament is a bit bothering for five times champions Mumbai Indians (MI), who are yet to announce the replacement of their premier pacer.

    Notably, Bumrah sustained a back injury in September last year and has not participated in any competitive match ever since. He recently underwent surgery in New Zealand to treat his recurring back issues and hence has pulled out of the IPL 2023. It will be the first time in a decade that the 29-year-old fast-bowler will not feature in IPL for the Mumbai-based team.

    On being asked about Bumrah’s absence from the tournament in the pre-season press conference, MI skipper Rohit Sharma said that the management has some players on their list to replace the right-arm pacer and will come up with the final decision soon.

    “Regarding Bumrah’s replacement, we’ve been discussing a few options. Hopefully, we can close it down in the next couple of days and then we see how we will go about it,” said Rohit.

    The India captain further added that although it’s tough to fill the void of Bumrah, they have some youngsters who might get a chance to showcase their talent in the latter’s absence.

    “We have been talking about Bumrah. He is a big miss. Jasprit Bumrah’s role was quite important for Mumbai Indians, it’s a big shoe to fill. But it gives someone else an opportunity for the youngsters in the team to showcase their talent. We have a couple of guys who have been with this team for the last few years. They are very much ready to take the centrestage and hopefully can blood in some youngsters,” added the 35-year-old.

    Meanwhile, talking about the legendary Sachin Tendulkar‘s son Arjun Tendulkar, Rohit said: “Arjun Tendulkar is playing good cricket in recent times. He was injured but today he will start bowling.”

    On the other hand, MI’s head coach, Mark Boucher, agreed with the India opener and added: “Arjun has been playing good cricket for some time, he is bowling well, we are thinking that he will play in the playing XI this year.”

    Arjun is an all-rounder and was roped in by the MI franchise in 2021, but he has not made his debut in the IPL yet.

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  • IPL 2023: Aaron Finch picks the ‘X-factor’ of Lucknow Super Giants for the forthcoming season

    IPL 2023: Aaron Finch picks the ‘X-factor’ of Lucknow Super Giants for the forthcoming season

    In their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) season last year, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Under the leadership of KL Rahul, the Super Giants impressed one and all with their brand of cricket and dominated the 15th season of the cash-rich league. They secured a spot in the playoffs by winning 9 out of 14 league games before their journey concluded as they were defeated by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the semifinal.

    As the Lucknow-based franchise are set to kick off their campaign in the IPL 2023 with the high-voltage clash against Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 01, former Australia skipper Aaron Finch has picked the ‘X-factor’ of the last year’s debutants.

    On the ‘Know your team’ show on Star Sports, Finch went with all-rounder Deepak Hooda as the ‘X-factor’ of Super Giants. Notably, Hooda had a tremendous campaign with the bat as he ended up scoring 451 runs at a strike rate of 136.66 and finished the tournament under the top-10 run-getters list.

    Finch reckoned that Hooda has adopted the number three batting position and sets up a good platform for other batters with his decent strike rate and aggressive style of batting.

    “The X-factor for me this season for Lucknow I see is Deepak Hooda. He’s someone who has taken the responsibility of batting at number 3. He’s someone who strikes at a good strike rate, particularly in the first 10 balls. He continues to keep being aggressive. If he can bat for longer periods while being aggressive, that will set up that middle and lower order to be at their destructive best,” said Finch.

    For the unversed, Hooda has been a regular member of India’s limited-overs teams and made notable contributions in various matches. In June last year, the Rohtak-born exhibited his batting prowess by smashing a century in a T20I game against Ireland. Later, during the ODI and T20I series against the West Indies, Hooda proved to be a valuable asset with his accurate and disciplined off-spin bowling.

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  • ‘It’s a very human and normal thing’: Shikhar Dhawan has his say on ego clashes in the Indian cricket team

    ‘It’s a very human and normal thing’: Shikhar Dhawan has his say on ego clashes in the Indian cricket team

    The reports of rifts in the Indian dressing room have been floating for a long time and are subject to numerous media debates. Speaking about the same on a show, India’s out of favour opener Shikhar Dhawan has revealed some dressing room secrets where he opened up about the ego clashes in the Indian cricket team.

    Notably, Dhawan, who has been part of the Indian team for almost a decade, was recently replaced by Shubman Gill in the ODI format and is currently not part of the national team. However, the left-handed batter got himself a new Grade C contract under the Board of Cricket Council in India’s (BCCI) 2022-23 central contract.

    In an interview with Aaj Tak, Dhawan did not deny the claims of egos among Indian players and termed it to be a ‘normal’ thing. The 37-year-old Delhi cricketer also clarified that he isn’t talking about Indian stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

    “It’s a very human and normal thing to have egos. We are together for (almost) 220 days. Sometimes there are misunderstandings between people. It’s the same with us as well. I am not speaking about Rohit (Sharma) or Virat (Kohli), but a general thing,” said Dhawan.

    “We have a 40-member team, which includes support staff and managers. There could be some clashes and times when you are not happy with someone. It happens. And why not? When things improve, the love also increases,” he added.

    Dhawan last represented India in an ODI series against Bangladesh in December 2022, where he managed to score just 18 runs in three matches. The Delhi-born will next be seen leading Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) that commences from March 31 with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) facing defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT). When it comes to the Mohali-based franchise, they will start their IPL 2023 campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on April 1.

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  • IPL: Ranking Chennai Super Kings’ five greatest bowlers of all time

    IPL: Ranking Chennai Super Kings’ five greatest bowlers of all time

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    The Chennai Super Kings have been one of the most successful teams in the history of the Indian Premier League. They have won the tournament on four occasions and have qualified for the most number of the playoffs. The Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team failed to qualify for the playoffs last season and finished in ninth place in the points table. They will start their campaign against the Gujarat Titans this season on March 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

    This year, CSK will be back playing their home games at the Chepauk, which is known to help the spinners. They bought the services of Ben Stokes in the IPL auction this year for INR 16.25 crores, and a lot will depend on him as he can provide excellent support in all departments. CSK’s bowlers have won the Purple Cap four times since the inception of IPL, which is more than any other team. The credit for the team’s massive success goes to the bowling lineup, which has included some of the most talented pacers as well as spinners.

    Here are CSK’s five greatest bowlers of all time in IPL:

    5. Albie Morkel

    The former South African all-rounder played for four franchises in the IPL but enjoyed the most success while representing CSK. He featured in 78 games for CSK from 2008 to 2013 and picked a total of 76 wickets at an average of 27.02. CSK purchased Albie Morkel during the inaugural auction for INR 2.7 crores (USD 675,000) against his base price of INR 90 lakh (USD 225,000).

    In his debut season, Morkel picked 17 wickets at an average of 23.47 and was the joint-highest wicket-taker for the team. He scored some handy runs with the bat as well and was among the team’s top five run-scorers that season. Morkel was among the four players CSK retained before going into the mega auction in 2011. He was involved in CSK’s first 150-run partnership in the IPL in 2010.

    With the bat, Morkel scored 827 runs at an average of 23.62 and a strike rate of 144.83 for CSK. He picked more than 10 wickets each season from 2008 to 2012. On April 12, 2012, Morkel hit 28 runs in an over bowled by Virat Kohli and helped the team chase a target of over 200 runs.

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  • IPL 2023: Rajasthan Royals announce Prasidh Krishna’s replacement for the upcoming season

    IPL 2023: Rajasthan Royals announce Prasidh Krishna’s replacement for the upcoming season

    India pacer Prasidh Krishna played an integral role in Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) success during the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), taking 19 wickets and finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker for his side behind Yuzvendra Chahal. However, Krishna has been ruled out for the upcoming IPL due to injury.

    To fill the gap left by Krishna, RR have brought in Sandeep Sharma as a like-to-like replacement for his base price of INR 50 lakh. Sandeep is one of the most senior bowlers in the tournament, with over 100 wickets and ten seasons of experience in the IPL. He has previously played for Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and will now join RR for the first time.

    Sandeep’s impressive performances during his time with the Mohali-based franchise led to him receiving India call-ups, where he played two T20Is and took one wicket. His best performance came in his final season with Punjab, taking 17 wickets in 13 matches. Overall, he has taken 114 wickets in 104 IPL games.

    Despite being an integral part of SRH, Sandeep’s appearances in the starting XI took a blow after the 2020 season. He played just seven matches in 2021 and five in 2022. As a result, SRH did not retain him, and he went unsold at the 2023 IPL Auction. However, RR will be hoping that Sandeep can use his experience to make a valuable contribution to the team.

    On the other hand, Krishna has been struggling with long-standing issues with his back, which has limited his appearances with the Indian team over the past year. The Royals had confirmed in February this year that he would miss the entire season of IPL owing to surgery. His absence will undoubtedly be felt by the team, but they will hope that Sandeep can step up and fill the void left by him.

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  • IPL 2023: Best playing XI of Rajasthan Royals for the upcoming season

    IPL 2023: Best playing XI of Rajasthan Royals for the upcoming season

    Rajasthan Royals (RR) will start their Indian Premier League (IPL)  2023 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 2.

    Sanju Samson will continue to lead the Royals in the marquee event.

    Let’s have a look at the best playing XI of RR for IPL 2023:

    1) Jos Buttler

    • Role: Opening batter
    • Country: England
    • IPL debut: 2016
    • Highest score: 124

    2) Yashasvi Jaiswal

    • Role: Opening Batter
    • Country: India
    • IPL debut: 2020
    • Highest score: 68

    3) Sanju Samson

    • Role: c and wk
    • Country: India
    • IPL debut: 2013
    • Highest score: 119

    4) Joe Root

    • Role: Batter
    • Country: England
    • (Yet to debut in IPL)

    5) Riyan Parag

    • Role: batter
    • Country: India
    • IPL debut: 2019
    • Highest score: 56

    6) Jason Holder

    • Role: Batter
    • Country: West Indies
    • IPL debut: 2013
    • BBM: 4/52

    7) Ravichandran Ashwin

    • Role: All-rounder
    • Country: India
    • IPL debut: 2009
    • BBM: 4/34

    8) Trent Boult

    • Role: Pacer
    • Country: New Zealand
    • IPL debut: 2015
    • BBM: 4/18

    9) Yuzvendra Chahal

    • Role: Spinner
    • Country: India
    • IPL debut: 2013
    • BBM: 5/40

    10) Kuldeep Sen

    • Role: Pacer
    • Country: India
    • IPL debut: 2022
    • BBM: 4/20

    11) Navdeep Saini

    • Role: Pacer
    • Country: India
    • IPL debut: 2019
    • BBM: 2/24

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    TAGS: Indian Premier League, IPL 2023, Jos Buttler, Rajasthan Royals, RR, Sanju Samson

    CATEGORY: IPL, Rajasthan Royals, Videos

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  • Rohit Sharma IPL Career, Records & Stats

    Rohit Sharma IPL Career, Records & Stats

    After the fifteen editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rohit Sharma has emerged as a colossal figure. The explosive player has showcased his mettle in the tournament numerous times. Since 2013, he has been playing the role of a skipper for Mumbai Indians (MI), and currently, he is also the most successful leader in the history of the marquee league.

    Back in 2008, when the IPL came into existence, the 20-year-old Sharma started his journey in the tournament with the now defunct Hyderabad-based franchise Deccan Chargers (DC), under the guidance of cricketing maestros Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, VVS Laxman, Herschelle Gibbs, Shahid Afridi, and Scott Styris. Among all these iconic names, the youngster grabbed his chance and emerged as the second-best batter, following Adam Gilchrist. In his team’s horrendous journey, he backed himself and scored 404 runs in 13 matches at a staggering strike rate of 147.98, which included four half-centuries. 

    After having a blast in the maiden season, he remained quiet with his bat in his team’s remarkable title victory in the second edition of the tournament. In most of the games, he struggled to pile up runs swiftly but the game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) became a memorable one as he scored a match-finishing 32 off just 13 deliveries and took his team home. Earlier, in the competition, he picked up a hat-trick as well against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 32nd game.

    Thrilled by their trophy win in 2009, the Chargers were looking forward to showing their best again to defend the title in the third installment of the league. This time, Sharma was one of the crucial names in DC’s batting line-up. Understanding his role in the squad, he showed efficiency again and came out as the second-highest run-getter for the Hyderabad franchise.

    Despite delivering fine numbers to the Chargers, he went under the hammer in the 2011 mega-auction. Witnessing his batting figures in the past three seasons, Mumbai Indians (MI) snapped him into the bidding arena. In the initial two seasons for his new team, he exuded confidence and notched up more than 800 runs in 30 games. In 2012, the swashbuckling batter also smashed a ton against his favorite opponents Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

    In 2013, MI saw their future in the local boy Sharma and handed the captaincy mantle to him after Ricky Ponting relinquished his position midway following a dismal run. Holding the reins of the team, the Nagpur-born batter looked confident and lifted the prestigious trophy with his leadership.

    The prolific right-handed batter strengthened his team with 538 runs in 19 matches and turned out as the batter with the most runs for his team. At the end of the season, there was a huge surge in his popularity as he powered his team with his captaincy to beat the two-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the final, and gave the Mumbai-based franchise its first of the many titles they bagged in the future.

    Elated by their team’s sensational 2013 performance under the young and dynamic captain, MI supporters kept their expectations high in 2014 again. Unlike the previous season, this time, the defending champions struggled to claim victory in the first five games. However, despite struggles in the initial stage of the competition, he succeeded in taking the team to the knockout round.

    The 2015 edition witnessed Rohit Sharma wreaking havoc on bowlers again. Utilizing his batting skills, he amassed 482 runs in 16 matches at an impeccable strike rate of 144.74. Riding on his incredible batting efforts and captaincy, MI brought their second trophy home.

    In the 2016 edition, the Hitman went on to continue his terrific run with the bat for Mumbai Indian, scoring 489 runs at an average over 44, and a decent strike rate of 132.88. In 2017, Mumbai Indians managed to bag its third title, however, skipper Rohit could not contribute much with the bat scoring at a poor average of 23.78. 2018 edition was similar with the bat for skipper Rohit, and additionally, MI also failed to qualify for the knockout stage.

    In 2019 and 2020, he bagged IPL trophies again and became the most successful skipper in the history of the tournament. The 35-year-old has decorated MI’s cabinet with five trophies thus far. Currently, he is also the highest run-scorer for MI with 4709 runs in 182 matches at a strike rate of 129.52.

    After 2020, Sharma is going through a lean patch as an explosive opener and talented captain has not only struggled to be among the runs, but has also looked ineffective as a captain with many questions being raised on his abilities as a leader.

    Let’s have a glance at Sharma’s spectacular achievements in the T20 extravaganza

    Sr. No. Records
    1 Most successful captain with five trophies
    2 Most maximums by an Indian in IPL (240)
    3 Third-most fours by an Indian in IPL (519)
    4 Fourth-highest run-scorer in IPL (5879) 
    5 Second-most matches as captain in IPL (143)
    6 Third-most fifty-plus score in IPL by an Indian
    7 Third-most fifties by an Indian
    8 Most runs for Mumbai Indians (4709)
    9 Most fours for Mumbai Indians (423)
    10 Most sixes for Mumbai Indians (189)
    11 Most trophies as a player (6)
    Last Updated – March 25, 2023

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  • I honestly feel that this is going to be his biggest season ever in the IPL: Ricky Ponting

    I honestly feel that this is going to be his biggest season ever in the IPL: Ricky Ponting

    Prithvi Shaw is one of the most flamboyant batters when he gets going and this surely makes him one of the most exciting openers in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Shaw has featured in five IPL editions so far for the Delhi Capitals franchise, whereby season 2021 turned out to be his best so far. He clobbered 479 runs with a decent average of 31.93, along with an emphatic strike rate of 159.14.

    However, his overall average in the cricket carnival is just 25.21 with a decent strike rate still close to 150. Surprisingly, team Delhi still backed Shaw despite overall poor returns by retaining him in the 2022 edition of the IPL auctions. Now speaking of his last one-and-a-half-year journey, Shaw’s career has been like a see-shaw affecting his National aspirations in the limited overs cricket for the opening slot plagued with fitness issues.

    Albeit, the 23-year-old, showed his batting prowess in the 2022-23 season of the domestic circuit. Shaw racked up consistent scores against the likes of India A, West Zone, and Mumbai. Moreover, the Thane-born batter scored big centuries in the coveted Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Duleep Trophy as well along with Ranji Trophy. Consequently, he was included in the T20I squad of team India back in January. Though, he remained benched through the series. Notably, Prithvi Shaw notched up the second-highest individual score in the history of the Ranji Trophy against Assam with his gigantic knock of 379 runs off  383 balls.

    Just when things are looking on the brighter side, the dashing Mumbai batter hit the headlines due to a controversy which involved selfies and his friend’s car. Though, the matter is being handled by the police for further investigation.

    Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals’ head coach, Ricky Ponting is seemingly impressed with Prithvi Shaw. Ponting found Shaw hungry for runs as the 23-year-old has been training hard not only on his game but also on his fitness. The Australian legend did not mince any words further by stating that he cannot stand a lethargic attitude when he is working with players on the field, irrespective of the happenings with a player off the field. Ponting is seemingly happy with Shaw’s overall batting efforts.

    “It’s well documented that I had some issues early on, but it’s all about just being true to yourself and wanting to be the best that you can be,” Ponting said. “The one thing that I always say to our players is I don’t like laziness and I don’t like guys not utilising the talent that they’ve got. That’s one thing I always say,” said Ponting as per ESPN Cricinfo.

    Something has really clicked in Prithvi: Ricky Ponting

    Interestingly enough, the former world champion Australian, Ricky Ponting, donned the head coach’s hat with the Delhi Capitals in 2021. Thereafter, Ponting has closely worked with Shaw on this batting. As per his experience thus far, the Aussie felt that there was no batter as talented as the Delhi opener. 

    “And so that’s then my job as a coach. If I can see that guys aren’t working as hard as they should, they’re not getting the most out of them, then it’s up to me to try and change that. So, you know, it just seems to me that this season, though, something has really clicked in Prithvi. He seems to be in a better space than ever before,” the Talismic Tasmanian further added.

    “He’s trained harder and better than I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty sure leading into an IPL, he is in better physical shape than I’ve ever seen him before. And I spoke to him the other day about his attitude and the way that he’s working and how things are going. I honestly feel that this is going to be his biggest season ever in the IPL,” Ponting elated while speaking to reporters in Delhi on Friday.

    Notably, Delhi Capitals will begin their IPL 2023 season against Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow on April 1. They will aim to do better than their last year’s fifth spot performance. Most importantly, in the absence of their regular skipper, Rishabh Pant, David Warner will be marshalling his troops. It will be interesting to see how things pan out for the new skipper as well as he has been lacklustre with his bat in the recently concluded series with India. Moreover, star all-rounder Axar Patel has been named as the Vice-Captain for his sublime run against Australia.

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  • Former Indian skipper and legend Sunil Gavaskar reflects on what makes MS Dhoni ‘stand out’

    Former Indian skipper and legend Sunil Gavaskar reflects on what makes MS Dhoni ‘stand out’

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    Whenever the greatest players in cricket history are discussed, the name of former India captain MS Dhoni is always thrown into the mix. The 41-year-old won every major trophy as the captain of the Indian team and even managed to register four IPL title reigns for the Chennai Super Kings.

    It has been more than 15 years since Dhoni made his IPL debut for CSK; since then, he has become one of the franchise’s biggest fan favourites and has truly revolutionised the wicketkeeper-batter and finisher role. With the 16th edition of the IPL right around the corner, legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar came forward to heap praises on Dhoni.

    “I think when CSK returned and won the IPL trophy, it was absolutely amazing because the team had not been together for two years and they had moved out with different franchises and suddenly they come back again,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.

    “That tells you leadership. That tells you how the man could get a team together again after that gap. Sometimes you know, first year, second year there is a team spirit that happens but to get all of them together after the gap is remarkable,” he added.

    Sunil Gavaskar reminisces about a specific MSD masterclass

    Elaborating further, Gavaskar was not shy about heaping praise on MSD. The legendary Indian batter recalled one instance where CSK needed 20 runs to win in the final and how Dhoni’s explosive batting propelled the side to an emphatic victory.

    “I think therefore that particular year and some of the shots that he played, I remember one game where the teams needed 20 odd runs in the final over and he just smashed it around from everywhere from outside the off stump, he was hitting it over long on for sixes!” Gavaskar said.

    “We were used to seeing that from Dhoni but even those little touches of his where he makes a fielder, a player feel 7 feet tall, are the touches that make him stand out from the other,” he added.

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