Brother and sister Leo and Annie Au are runners-up in KL
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad International Correspondent

India celebrated an historic first-ever double as Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa won the men’s and women’s crowns at the 20th Asian Individual Squash Championships in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

Chinappa successfully retained the women’s title after fending off a strong challenge by top seed Annie Au of Hong Kong in the final at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil.

The Indian number one was certainly fired up as she stuck to her game plan for an 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6 win.

The match was a display of excellent shot-making and retrieval but it was Chinappa who drew first blood by taking the first game 11-5. World No.11 Au did well to keep herself in the game and as she stepped with a more aggressive approach to level proceedings.

But Joshna wasn’t going to let this slip away and she took crucial points before sealing the win in 42 minutes.

“I lost to Annie in our last three meetings with a 3-0 scoreline so this was obviously going to be hard match but I felt I was much better prepared this time,” said the 32-year-old Chennai native.

“Physically I felt I was in good shape and I also thought she was struggling a bit on the big points so I wanted to capitalise on that.

“Of course, there were times when the game was getting away from me for a bit so I tend to fire myself up on court so that I can take the next few points seriously and I’m so happy to win this.”

In doing so, Chinappa also becomes the first woman since record nine-time champion Nicol David to successfully retain the title.

“I mean wow…Nicol’s shoes is such a big one to fill and I’ve only done one tenth of what she’s done so I’m really pleased to get this result,” added Joshna.

Buoyed by Joshna’s success, world No.10 and top seed Saurav Ghosal went on and completed a fabulous day for India by beating 2015 winner Leo Au 11-9, 11-2, 11-8.

It was a long, hard match especially in the first game as Annie Au’s brother Leo stuck close to Ghosal and picked up almost every shot.

The Indian showed his top 10 pedigree with a quickfire grab of the second game before winning the points when it mattered to take the win, also in 42 minutes.

In doing so, Ghosal becomes the first ever player from India to win the men’s Asian title.

Saurav certainly exorcised some demons of old after falling short numerous times in Asian tournaments, most notably in the final of the Asian meet in 2017 and the final of the Asian Games in 2014.

“I thought Leo played really well in the first and third games. It was some of the best intensity I’ve seen from him and it’s all credit to him,” said Saurav.

“But I stuck to the plans that I wanted to for the most part. There were certain patches where it went off and he took advantage of that but I’m still very pleased to win 3/0 against Leo who has been playing so well all week.

“Of course, winning a tournament is always great, winning my first Asian title is also pleasing but to do it together with Joshna is simply unbelievable.

“If someone had told us 15 years ago that India would win the double, I wouldn’t have believed it. But it’s happened and hopefully it will lead to a lot more in the future.”

India’s National Coach Cyrus Poncha added: “It was a fabulous result in the Asian Championship. What was missed two years ago, we have for the first time won both the titles.

“It is a massive achievement and both players have been working hard for this. Saurav is in the top 10 in the world and Joshna is 15. A system was set two decades ago has now begun to push Indian squash forward in a glorious way.”

The winners both received the ASF Challenge Trophy which was presented by Asian Squash Federation (ASF) president David Mui. 

Asian Championships 2019, Bukit Jalil National Squash Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Men’s Final:
[1] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt [4] Leo Au (HKG) 11-9, 11-2, 11-8 (42m)

Semi-finals:
[1] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt [7] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) 11-2, 11-6, 11-4 (32m)
[4] Leo Au (HKG) bt [2] Yip Tsz Fung (HKG) 11-3, 11-8, 11-4 (38m)

Quarter-finals:
[1] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt [6] Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 11-4, 11-4, 11-3 (34m)
[7] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt [3] Max Lee (HKG) 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7 (50m)
[4] Leo Au (HKG) bt [8] Ivan Yuen (MAS) 6-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 (62m)
[2] Yip Tsz Fung (HKG) bt [5] Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) 11-8, 11-5, 11-3 (26m)

3rd round:
[1] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) 11-5, 11-8, 11-3
[6] Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Robert Garcia (PHI) 13-11, 11-8, 15-13
[7] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt [14] Ammar Altamimi (KUW) 11-2, 11-6, 11-4
[3] Max Lee (HKG) bt [9] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) 11-5, 12-10, 8-11, 11-1
[4] Leo Au (HKG) bt [11] Asim Khan (PAK) 11-7, 11-6, 11-3
[8] Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt [16] Tomotaka Endo (JPN) 10-12, 11-5, 11-9, 11-0
[5] Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) bt [15] Sajad Zareian (IRI) 11-3, 11-9, 11-7
[2] Yip Tsz Fung (HKG) bt [12] Mohd Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 11-8, 11-4, 11-6

Women’s Final:
[2] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt [1] Annie Au (HKG) 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6 (42m)

Semi-finals:
[1] Annie Au (HKG) bt [4] Low Wee Wern (MAS) 11-6, 11-13, 13-11, 11-4 (47m)
[2] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt [6] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) 11-7, 12-10, 11-3 (30m)

Quarter-finals:
[1] Annie Au (HKG) bt [5] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) 12-10, 12-10, 11-5 (29m)
[4] Low Wee Wern (MAS) bt [9] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) 5-11, 5-11, 11-1, 11-8, 11-8 (46m)
[6] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt [3] Joey Chan (HKG) 11-7, 11-8, 15-17, 11-8 (38m)
[2] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt [14] Tanvi Khanna (IND) 12-10, 13-11, 11-7 (34m)

3rd round:
[1] Annie Au (HKG) bt [12] Wen Li Lai (MAS) 11-8, 11-0, 11-2
[5] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) bt [16] Aparajitha Balamurukan (IND) 11-9, 11-9, 11-1
[9] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bt [8] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) 11-9, 11-5, 11-9
[4] Low Wee Wern (MAS) bt [10] Sunayna Kuruvilla (IND) 11-7, 11-7, 11-7
[3] Joey Chan (HKG) bt [11] Jemyca Aribado (PHI) 11-5, 11-6, 12-10
[6] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt [13] Aifa Azman (MAS) 6-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7
[14] Tanvi Khanna (IND) bt [7] Rachel Arnold (MAS) 9-11, 5-11, 18-16, 11-7, 11-6 (50m)
[2] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt Jihyun Lee (KOR) 11-5, 11-6, 11-5
 
Full results on www.squashinfo.com

Pictures courtesy of Zheng Guan Kng and WSF

Edinburgh back-row Bill Mata was named Pro14 Players' Player of the Season and Glasgow Warriors' Adam Hastings won the Next Gen Star of the Season award.

New Zealander Kieran Crowley was voted Coach of the Season by his peers for leading Italian side Benetton to the play-offs for the first time.

Edinburgh fly-half Jaco van der Walt received the Gilbert Golden Boot for the best percentage conversion rate.

And team-mate Ross Ford received an award for his "incredible longevity".

The Scotland hooker, who is leaving Edinburgh at the end of the season after 11 years with the club, was recognised with the Chairman's Award to make it a treble celebration for the capital side along with Fijian Mata and South African Van der Walt.

Meanwhile, two of Van der Walt's countrymen were rewarded for Cheetahs' first season in the Pro14.

Rabz Maxwane won the Top Try-Scorer Award for crossing the line 14 times, while Tian Schoeman's "incredible accumulation of 1,564 minutes" meant he was the Dacia Iron Man winner for the 2018-19 season.

Ospreys forward James King was named the Pro14's Tackle Machine, the Australia-born Wales international's 96.6% completion meaning he missed only eight tackles all season - 224 in total.

English flanker Olly Robinson, who was the previous Tackle Machine winner, received a newly introduced award for being the Turnover King, the Cardiff Blues player finishing the season by winning possession against the head 26 times.

Main award winner Mata, the 27-year-old who joined Edinburgh two seasons ago after helping his country to Olympic gold and who has nine full caps, scored five tries as his side finished fifth in Conference B.

The 22-year-old Hastings, who joined Glasgow from Bath in 2017, scored two tries and contributed 38 points with the boot during a Pro14 season in which he took his total of Scotland caps up to 11.

Guinness Pro14 award winners

Guinness Players' Player of the Year: Bill Mata (Edinburgh)

Guinness Coach of the Season: Kieran Crowley (Benetton)

Guinness Pro14 Chairman's Award: Ross Ford (Edinburgh)

Energia Next-Gen Star of the Season: Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors)

Gilbert Golden Boot: Jaco van der Walt (Edinburgh)

SportPesa Top Try-Scorer: Rabz Maxwane (Cheetahs)

Ronseal Tackle Machine: James King (Ospreys)

Big Red Cloud Turnover King: Olly Robinson (Cardiff Blues)

Dacia Iron Man: Tian Schoeman (Cheetahs)

Leicester Tigers have signed Samoa prop Nephi Leatigaga and former academy captain Charlie Clare for next season.

Leatigaga, 25, most recently played for French side Biarritz and has also had a spell with Piacenza in Italy.

"Tigers has a big history of producing some of the game's best front rowers and have a big focus on that part of the game," he said.

Hooker Clare, 27, has played for Northampton and Bedford since leaving Welford Road.

He told the club website: ""Geordan [Murphy, head coach] has such a passion for the club and I want to be a part of what he's building at the club."

Front rower Leatigaga won the last of his five Samoa caps in July 2017.

Newly-promoted London Irish have signed Australia Test prop Sekope Kepu for next season's Premiership campaign.

The 33-year-old is the Wallabies most-capped prop, having made 103 appearances since his debut in 2008.

He made his name with New South Wales Waratahs in Super Rugby and also had a stint at French Top 14 side Bordeaux in 2015-16, where he played 14 games.

"I'm excited at the opportunity to join London Irish as they return back to the Premiership," Kepu said.

"I was very impressed by the facilities at Hazelwood and the new stadium taking shape in West London, so as a player, it is an exciting time to be joining the club."

His signing follows that of Ireland and Leinster back-rower Sean O'Brien by the Exiles for 2019-20.

Irish are due to leave the Madejski Stadium in Reading when Brentford FC's new ground is ready in 2020.

Jordan Henderson says the Liverpool players will watch Monday's Premier League clash between Manchester City and Leicester City praying for a miracle that might give them an edge in the title race.

The Merseyside club, who won the last of their 18 English league titles in 1990, are two points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League but have played a game more.

A win or a draw for Leicester, who beat the champions before Brendan Rodgers took over as manager earlier this season, would put Liverpool's fate in their own hands before their last league match of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.

- Prem Review: Liverpool's heroics may not be good enough
- Ogden: Reds' fighting spirit keeping Premier League title hopes alive

"The lads will watch Monday's game and, yeah, pray for a miracle," Henderson told reporters.

"I'm sure Leicester, who are a great team, will go and give everything. Will I send Brendan a text? No. Well, maybe. I'll think about it.

"City are a great team but so are we. Whoever gets the title will deserve it. We couldn't have done any more, we can't have any regrets.

"It's going to the last game and we need to finish on a high at Anfield and pray that something, a miracle, can happen."

Liverpool's hopes of winning a double faded last week when Barcelona beat them 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal.

Henderson, though, said they could take positives from their performance at the Nou Camp ahead of Tuesday's second leg at Anfield.

"We're not stupid, we know it's a massive task and I'm sure everybody expects that Barcelona will advance," the England midfielder added.

"Obviously we weren't happy with the result in the end but we still got belief from the performance we put in over there. I couldn't have asked any more of the lads.

"It will be difficult on Tuesday, we just have to perform like we can, finish on a high and you never know what will happen. We can have no regrets. There are still at least two games to go and we need to focus on them."

Nick Miller recaps the penultimate weekend in the Premier League, as Liverpool continued to keep the pressure on Man City and the top four race fizzled out to a disappointing end.

Inevitability of the weekend

After Liverpool's late win at Newcastle, which took them to a barely credible 94 points, already more than all but two teams since three points for a win was introduced in 1981 (even more remarkable when you consider 11 of those seasons were 40 or 42 game campaigns), Jurgen Klopp was asked if he feared the worst in the game's closing stages.

"No, I was completely calm," he said, initially putting that serenity down to "destiny," but it's also because he has seen this film before. Divock Origi's winner was the 24th goal Liverpool have scored past the 75 minute mark of games this season: no other Premier League team has more than 19. Those goals have been worth 14 points.

Which is a neat encapsulation of their season as a whole really. Liverpool will keep on going until the end, whether that turns out to be good enough or not.

-- Ogden: Liverpool's triumph shows fighting spirit

Mixed blessing of the weekend

In weird way the injuries to Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino might turn out to be a positive for Liverpool, on a couple of conditions. Assuming neither are fit for Tuesday's lost cause/second leg against Barcelona, but are back for the final league game of the season against Wolves, the pair of them will in theory be better rested for a game that could be meaningful.

Miracles can happen, but realistically even with their top men they probably won't overturn Barcelona's 3-0 lead, so in pragmatic terms it might be advantageous if two-thirds of their dazzling forward line are saved for the game that could still win them the title.

Worrying sign of the weekend

It's not a good sign when a team finishes a game with nine players and can consider themselves lucky it was that many. The concerning thing for Tottenham about Son Heung-min and Juan Foyth's sendings off is that they were both entirely avoidable, as was the lunging tackle from behind that Eric Dier got away with in the first half.

That sort of muddied thinking points to a collection of tired minds, which isn't a huge surprise given their recent schedule and of course their lack of transfer incomings over the past two windows.

Mauricio Pochettino could take it as a positive that they held out with nine men until the very last seconds, but of bigger concern is that they regain some sort of clear-headedness for Wednesday night against Ajax, and it's more to do with the inconsistencies of their peers that they look almost certain to grab a top four place. Spurs are stumbling rather than striding towards the summer.

Admission of the weekend

"The Europa League is probably the right place for us at the moment."

You might even say that, having not even been able to beat the worst team in the division, even that assessment of Manchester United by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a little generous.

-- Dawson: The worst has yet to come for Man Utd

-- Man United Keep/Dump: Assessing Solskjaer's squad

Stat of the weekend

You'll probably be aware that the last time either of the top two dropped any points was on March 3, just over two months ago. Since then they have both been relentless winning machines, but it's been rather different for the three teams beneath them.

In that same time, 99 points have been available to Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea and Manchester United. They have taken 42 of them. Less than half. If that was one team, extrapolated over a 38-game season, this conglomerate of mediocrity would finish on around 48 points, which at the moment would be enough for 12th place.

If nothing else, it provides handy ammo to anyone arguing against the idea of the Premier League as unquestionably the greatest in the world.

Disappointment of the weekend

But of those four, Chelsea and Spurs have outlasted their challengers, the former by being just slightly less inconsistent over recent weeks and the latter thanks to their fine record in the first two thirds of the season.

So what of Arsenal? They need an eight-goal swing on the final day -- or "a miracle" as it's also known - to overhaul Tottenham, meaning they'll miss out on the top four for the third season in a row.

You could certainly make the case that, like United, the Europa League is about their level at the moment in terms of talent, but equally Unai Emery's side have dropped so many careless points in recent weeks that it's difficult to think they have not underachieved. Sunday's draw against Brighton was the latest, but losing to Everton, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Leicester is what ultimately cost them.

Emery is two transfer windows into what will be at least a four-window job to make this Arsenal team ship-shape again, but it remains a colossal disappointment that they have dropped out of the elite quartet again. This is going to be a delicate summer.

Missed opportunities of the weekend?

The natural instinct would be to say that Cardiff came closer to survival than anyone expected, that the Emiliano Sala tragedy threw their season off in various ways, and that ultimately their squad was nowhere near good enough to stay in the Premier League.

All of which is true. But you still just wonder whether they might rue a few games, not least last weekend against already relegated Fulham, which could have tipped the balance. A pair of 0-0 draws with Huddersfield will stick in the mind too, not least because the second was one of just two of the Terriers' last 25 games they didn't lose.

All seasons come down to regrets like this, but for Neil Warnock, who maintains he previously didn't have a "fair crack at the whip" in the Premier League, this might turn out to be his last chance.

Relief of the weekend

Brighton are safe, but hopefully Chris Hughton and the other decision-makers at the club won't think this means everything is OK. They have been a lesson in how recruitment in the Premier League is incredibly far from an exact science, and generally speaking you're more likely to make mistakes than succeed.

While last season they struck gold by signing Pascal Gross for £3 million and was their player of the year, this term they spent £17m on Alireza Jahanbakhsh, who has contributed zero goals and zero assists. All teams will make good signings and bad signings, but a side like Brighton lives or dies by how successful their transfer moves are. If they are to avoid another season of struggle, their moves need to be more Gross than Jahanbakhsh this summer.

Australians 9 for 219 (Finch 52) beat New Zealand XI 215 all out (Blundell 77, Young 60, Behrendorff 3-34, Cummins 3-36, Coulter-Nile 3-44) by one wicket

The Australians, including Steven Smith and David Warner for the first time in more than a year, had to scramble for a one-wicket victory against a New Zealand XI including just five of the World Cup squad after suffering a batting collapse on the first of three practice matches at Allan Border Field.

Having earlier restricted the New Zealanders to 215 they stumbled from 2 for 122 to 9 for 205 leaving the final pair of Jason Behrendorff and Adam Zampa to edge them across the line and save the blushes of a middle order that produced some poor shot selection.

For all the excitement at the end, the result of this match won't be hugely significant in the bigger picture but it was the latest milestone in the comeback story of Warner and Smith, pulling on the Australian colours for the first time since the Newlands ball-tampering scandal. They are likely to face more hostile crowds over the next few months than the friendly local support that gathered on a public holiday. "Welcome back, Smithy" came a lone voice as the Australians took the field in the morning and both were greeted by warm applause as they walked to the crease. In England, however, things are expected to be a bit different.

One of the more intriguing aspects of the day was a small message sent to Warner: it doesn't matter how good your form is, you may have to take on a new position in the team as he was slotted in at No. 3 despite only once in 104 ODI innings having not opened.

As it was, he arrived at the crease in the first over of the chase when Usman Khawaja was bowled by Matt Henry and, after an iffy start where he was dropped at gully before scoring, cantered his way to 39 off 43. Smith, who earlier took a terrific one-handed diving catch that will have given the troublesome elbow a good test, got himself settled before falling for 22 and the innings stuttered.

Marcus Stoinis was caught behind from a loose drive, Shaun Marsh slashed to gully and Alex Carey nicked a wild shot to leave it to the bowlers. Nathan Coulter-Nile tried to muscle the Australians over the line but was lbw to Todd Astle with 11 still needed.

In the weeks leading up to Warner and Smith returning, Australia strung together eight consecutive ODI wins. One of the key parts of that was the success Khawaja and Aaron Finch had together at the top of the order. What the top order looks like at the World Cup remains one of the questions Australia need to answer. In all likelihood various combinations will be used during the three matches against New Zealand, but the fact Warner didn't get first crack to open was a reminder on whose terms the comeback is happening.

Warner didn't quite middle everything from the off, perhaps still adjusting to the change in conditions from the IPL to Brisbane. He almost spooned his first ball close to backward point then nearly offered a return catch to Henry, who should have had him in his next over when Daryl Mitchell spilled a chance at gully, but was soon dispatching deliveries to the boundary. He took a particularly liking to anything Doug Bracewell dropped short before trying something a little too inventive off Todd Astle and top edge a reverse sweep.

Smith had been given a tough net session by the Australian quicks yesterday but looked reasonably assured in the middle, one straight in particular standing out, until he was caught behind off Henry as Australia's collapse was set in motion.

The player who was a shining light for the men's team during a difficult home summer, Pat Cummins, had got the day off to a lively start when he struck twice in the opening over to send back George Worker and Henry Nicholls.

From there, the New Zealanders recovered impressively through a third-wicket stand of 137 between Will Young and Tom Blundell. Young, recently handed a central contract, is the next in line behind the incumbent batsmen while Blundell earned the final spot in the World Cup squad when he was preferred ahead of Tim Seifert as back-up wicketkeeper.

After laying a foundation following the early losses both started to expand their strokeplay; Blundell launched Behrendorff into the grandstand over deep square and Young later peppered the same area. However, when Young clubbed Coulter-Nile to deep midwicket and Blundell fell four overs later and the innings went into a nosedive as the New Zealanders lost 8 for 78.

Cummins, Behrendorff and Coulter-Nile each finished with three wickets while Adam Zampa nipped out Daryl Mitchell with a stumping. Kane Richardson, who is one of the standby pacemen for the World Cup along with Josh Hazlewood, and would be in line for a call-up if Jhye Richardson doesn't recover from his dislocated shoulder, went wicketless and will hope for another chance in the next two matches. Australia will hope to bat better.

For the second year running, the IPL welcomed a batch of English players - despite a number of them being recalled early for national duty ahead of the World Cup. With the group stage finished, and none making it through to the knockout stages, we take a look at their returns.

Jofra Archer Rajasthan Royals

Appearances: 11

67 runs, SR 167.50; 11 wickets, econ. 6.76

Not on this list a year ago but now fully qualified and subject of much hype as England mull whether to select him for the World Cup. This was another solid campaign, speckled with moments of quiet brilliance: figures of 3 for 15 against Kings XI in Chandigarh, which included two wickets in the 19th over while conceding just three runs; a cameo 27 off 12 balls to resurrect his team against Kolkata, sealing victory with a six in his last act before heading off to link up with England for the first time. Despite three dropped catches against Mumbai Indians (a game Royals won), he was full value. Among seam-bowlers over the last two seasons, only Jasprit Bumrah has taken more wickets at a lower economy than Archer.

Jonny Bairstow Sunrisers Hyderabad

Appearances: 10

445 runs, SR 157.24

In his debut IPL season, Bairstow was unarguably the leading English import - an orange ball of fury at the top of the Sunrisers order where he formed an exhilarating, and unlikely, partnership with David Warner. When he departed for England duty, his tally of 445 runs put him second on the list, while Bairstow and Warner also set an IPL record for the highest opening partnership when looting the RCB attack for 185. He also kept wicket tidily, despite the challenge of trying to pick Rashid Khan, and gave himself fully to the experience of living in and travelling around India. Unsurprisingly, once their opening partnership was broken up Sunrisers struggled, losing three of their last four games

Sam Billings Chennai Super Kings

Appearances: 1

0 runs, SR 0.00; 1 catch

CSK stuck with Billings as one of their overseas contingent as much for his utility as back-up keeper and substitute fielder as anything. But he was only required in the starting XI once, making a four-ball duck against Kings XI, and flew home early to try and get game time with his county, Kent - a plan which was wrecked almost before it started as a badly dislocated shoulder put him out of the England reckoning.

Jos Buttler Rajasthan Royals

Appearances: 8
311 runs, SR 150.70; 9 catches

Pretty much a veteran after four successive IPL seasons - two for Mumbai, two for Rajasthan - Buttler was again a force at the top of the order. The high point was a Man-of-the-Match display against Mumbai Indians, bulldozing 89 from just 43 balls to set up what was only Rajasthan's second win of the competition (he passed 50 in their first, too). However, he was also in the middle during one of the most controversial moments of the 2019 season, after being Mankaded by R Ashwin in Jaipur. Royals were on course to win their opening match but Buttler strayed out of his ground and Ashwin ran him out without a second thought (or a first warning) - Buttler complained afterwards that it set a "bad precedent". Left India early to attend the birth of his first child.

Sam Curran Kings XI Punjab

Appearances: 9

95 runs, SR 172.72; 10 wickets, econ. 9.78

Bought for a million dollars in the auction, Curran arguably didn't live up to his price tag - but he also had a more-than-handy first IPL, too. That fee probably demanded a place in Kings XI's opener, but despite taking two (expensive) wickets in victory, he was then left out for two games, before returning with 4 for 11 - his best T20 figures - against Delhi, finishing a sensational match with a hat-trick. He continued to be in and out of the side, but finished the season well with a 23-ball fifty against KKR, then 3 for 35 before hitting the winning runs in his final outing. While his economy was on the high side, Curran's versatility was a bonus as Kings XI sought a play-off spot, even filling in as a pinch-slogging opener at one stage.

Joe Denly Kolkata Knight Riders

Appearances: 1

0 runs, SR 0.00

There was not much for Denly to write home about during his maiden appearance at the world's biggest T20 league. He made one appearance, filling in with KKR's regular opening partnership of Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine absent, and lasted a single ball after losing his off stump to Ishant Sharma. Did his duty with the drinks for a little while longer before coming back home early to get some cricket under his belt with Kent.

Harry Gurney Kolkata Knight Riders

Appearances: 8

1 run, SR 20.00; 7 wickets, econ. 8.81

A one-time England candidate who has begun a productive late-career spell on the global T20 circuit, Gurney will not be adding an IPL title to the ones he recently picked up while at the PSL and Big Bash, as KKR missed out on the top four thanks to defeat in their final match. Gurney was almost ever-present through the second half of the season, having claimed the Man of the Match award on debut for a parsimonious 2 for 25 - his skiddy left-arm angle and teasing variations seemingly suited to slow, grippy surfaces. That was about as good as it got, however, as KKR went on a six-match losing streak, Gurney's wicket returns and economy rate going in opposite directions.

Liam Livingston Rajasthan Royals

Appearances: 4

70 runs, SR 145. 83; 0 wickets, econ. 13.00

Part of the four-man England contingent at Royals, Livingstone was another who was left kicking his heels for much of the tournament. Made an appearance midway through, with Ben Stokes carrying a knock, but bowled just one over at a cost of 13 and then made a two-ball duck. After Stokes and Buttler returned home towards the back end, he came into the team for a mini run and produced one notable knock of 44 off 26 balls - handing out some unusual punishment to Rashid Khan - to help set up a comfortable victory over Sunrisers. The rain did for his chance to shine in Bengaluru and he was part of a major Royals collapse in the final game as the play-offs slipped out of reach.

Moeen Ali Royal Challengers Bangalore

Appearances: 11

220 runs, SR 165.41; 6 wickets, econ. 6.76

While his team had a bit of a shocker, losing their opening six games and ending up bottom of the pile, Moeen played to his strengths - selfless versatility and laconic stoicism - during a breakthrough campaign. Like a silent gunslinger from a spaghetti Western, Moeen swung first and asked questions later. His strike rate was bettered only by Andre Russell and Hardik Pandya, among batsmen to have faced 100 balls, and he chipped in whenever Virat Kohli chose to throw him the ball. Moving around the order so much wasn't ideal - he batted everywhere between No. 2 and No. 6 and only settled in his most productive slot at No. 4 eight games in - but a flying 66 off 28 balls against KKR, when he outscored Kohli by a ratio of 3:1 showed how destructive he could be.

Ben Stokes Rajasthan Royals

Appearances: 9

123 runs, SR124.24; 6 wickets, econ. 11.22

Where have you hidden the real Ben Stokes? The owners of Rajasthan Royals would be forgiven for asking that question as England's totemic allrounder followed up an underwhelming first season in Royals blue with an equally underwhelming one in Royals pink. The player who won the MVP award for his performances with Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017 has struggled to click since then: fewer runs at a lower strike rate; fewer wickets at a worse economy. There were moments to savour, such as a magnificent diving catch at backward point against CSK; but his season was summed up later that same match when he failed to defend 18 off the final over, conceding a no-ball, a wide and two sixes either side of dismissing MS Dhoni. Eventful, yes. Successful, less so.

Virat Kohli's IPL captaincy has polarized opinion in recent times, and the debate is unlikely to go away given Royal Challengers Bangalore's wooden-spoon finish in IPL 2019. So, just what kind of a T20 captain is Kohli? Someone who "relies on intuition" and is "exceptionally open to ideas", according to Daniel Vettori, who has worked with him for six seasons as player and coach at the franchise. Vettori, a well-travelled coach who has also had stints with Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League and Middlesex in the T20 Blast among other teams, weighed in on a range of topics, on the latest episode of ESPNcricinfo's Talking T20 podcast.

Vettori was part of both Royal Challengers sides which finished runners-up in 2011 [as captain] and 2016 [as coach], apart from a run to the playoffs in 2015. However, dismal performances in subsequent seasons meant they parted ways ahead of IPL 2019. Despite another forgettable season for the franchise, Vettori only had high praise for his former captain.

"When I used to speak to him or any other coaches [used to] speak to him, there's always a conversation around what you think is best, where can this work," Vettori said. "It wouldn't always be a numbers-driven conversation, it would be around some intuition and understanding of the game. I think, ultimately, when you sold a compelling story to Virat, he was always on board, open to listen and that made him such a good captain."

A widely-discussed aspect of Kohli's game is his on-field personality, his "energy, enthusiasm and desperation to win" which Vettori said "is contagious", and when "you couple that with [him being] the best batsman in the world, and with a work ethic that has probably led India into the situation they are now [in]. Everyone wants to follow his gym [routine], and everything he does off the field, the way he basically prepares to play the game. That's a huge part of leadership. That's a huge part of captaincy."

Vettori, regarded as a smart bowler even during his playing days, also spoke about the challenges in getting T20 teams to buy into data and analytics-driven wisdom by "telling a compelling story" to players and team managements, as the field is still in its "infant stages" with small sample sizes making it harder to present a convincing case.

"For me, I think there's such a strong correlation between thorough planning and the use of data to performance. I think it's so important because I think cricket, in general, is quite immature in terms of its exposure to this and...the sport I like is baseball, and I think they use it as strongly as anyone. The thing they have in their favour is huge sample sizes, and the thing that I always battled with [as a coach] was '[you say], here's a plan' and then go back to how many times it's worked. 'Oh, it's worked four times'. And four times doesn't seem like a lot to base things on. I think that's what [the challenge is]. When you're presenting to the captain or the owner or the rest of the coaches, you want to be overwhelming with it.

"And I know that with baseball, and a lot of the sites that I follow, they want 500 instances of that to happen before they can sort of guarantee a prediction that they can rely on. And when you're dealing with David Warner facing Yuzvendra Chahal, [say], 33 times over the course of his career, and then you make a prediction from that, I think that's the thing they have, but that's only gonna grow. So, while we're in these infant stages, I think it's hard for people to get their heads around [analytics]. But, the people who are gonna buy into this first, get their heads around it, I think they'll get the jump-start on everyone."

Vettori singled out former team-mate and current Mumbai Indians bowling coach Shane Bond as one of the trailblazers in making the most of data and insights, as Mumbai's "structured, planned" approach to T20 cricket has paid dividends over the years.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- When he stepped out of the locker room on Sunday, Damian Lillard adjusted his crimson vest and navigated the thin corridor in the belly of the Moda Center en route to the podium for his postgame media conference.

The hallway, no more than 10 feet wide, is packed with people postgame -- friends, families, teammates, team employees, agents, reporters -- and that is compounded by the fact that the Denver Nuggets locker room is right next to the podium room. There seems to be a crowd around Lillard anywhere he goes, and even after the game is over, never is a Nugget too far away.

It is an ongoing theme of the series: Damian Lillard just can't seem to get any space.

"I think it's obvious: They're trying to show bodies and make me play in a crowd," Lillard said. "Find the open man, that's what I'm trying to do. Trying to see where the help is coming from, see where the other guy is coming from and make that play. And still just find a way to be aggressive and look for shots. Don't let them turn me into a passive player. I can definitely see them trying to be a little more aggressive and have more bodies around me."

Like anyone else who has an Internet connection or TV, the Nuggets saw the way Lillard tormented the Oklahoma City Thunder in their opening-round series. They saw the logo shots. They saw the dramatic shifts of momentum with each ruthless step-back jumper. They saw the way a single Lillard 3-pointer could feel like a 10-0 run, energizing the crowd and deflating defenders.

In the series against the Thunder, Lillard opened it with a missile from some 32 feet and ended it with one from 37 feet away. Against the Thunder, he went 5-of-5 on 3s from 30 or more feet from the hoop. Against the Nuggets, he is 2-of-5 from 30-plus feet.

"I think they're picking him up pretty high. They need to be open," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "For Dame, an open 3 is a good 3. They are picking him up across half court. They are not giving him a lot of space, so I don't think those same 3s are there."

Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr. has been at the heart of Denver's defensive turnaround this season, and his focus entering the series against the Blazers wasn't too complicated. He saw the things that gave the Thunder problems: Their pickup points were too low, their bigs weren't up enough, and they weren't into the ball enough, which let Lillard reject screens.

"He had a lot of open space in that series, we felt, and that's not a knock on OKC. We just wanted to be a little bit better," Nuggets coach Mike Malone said. "We didn't want him getting 33 a night."

Lillard scored 28 in Game 4, a 116-112 loss that evens the series 2-2, but he shot just 9-of-22 from the field and 2-of-7 from 3. The frustration was obvious for him. He is trying not to press, but the Nuggets are trying to force the ball out of his hands. He is trusting the pass, but the Nuggets want him to pass. He is a scorer; it's what makes him elite. But he also is committed to making the right play and leaning on his teammates. That is what worked in Games 2 and 3, with CJ McCollum, Rodney Hood, Enes Kanter and Maurice Harkless all having big games. Lillard is trying to pick his spots, waiting for the defense to soften.

Lillard's first quarter was brilliant in Game 4, with picture-perfect pocket passes and pinpoint dimes to shooters in the corners as he orchestrated around Denver's attention on him. Lillard lives for the crucial moments, though -- the dagger shots and game-changing plays. The Nuggets are committed to forcing someone else to make them. There hasn't been much of an opportunity for rhythm for Lillard. He started 4-of-14 from the floor and showed signs of frustration as he fought against forcing the issue.

"I think when you see a defense come at you that aggressively, you have to identify what you think they are trying to do and what you think they are trying to do," Lillard said. "Try to make them pay for it. Try to attack them with the pass, maybe the weak side or wherever the help is coming from, attack them there and try to take advantage of it. That way it breaks down, and maybe they go away from it or it softens up because they are paranoid about the other side scoring. Then get more aggressive after that to score the ball.

"If that's not working, then you have to figure it out. Maybe attack, get downhill more and try to draw some contact. Try to make them pay with the pass, and see if it will work out by giving the ball up. If not, you have to stay aggressive."

That mindset seemed to pay off in the fourth quarter, when Lillard scored 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting. The opportunities started to show, and he took them. However, he missed three free throws -- very un-Dame Time-like -- including a critical one with 20.3 seconds left that would've cut Denver's lead to one.

Besides Game 1, in which he scored 39 points, Lillard hasn't had that kind of dominant, unstoppable look he had against OKC. Denver guard Jamal Murray was asked what the Nuggets are doing to prevent that, and the whole time Murray answered, Nikola Jokic was scanning the stat sheet in front of him, frowning at it like something didn't add up.

"Brother, he scored 30 points," Jokic said, shaking his head at the questioner.

It was actually 28, and it certainly wasn't the 33 Lillard averaged against OKC that Malone referenced. It goes deeper than this series, too, with the Nuggets holding Lillard to 24.3 points, 40.3 percent from the field and 27.1 percent from 3 in eight games -- regular and postseason combined. Against the rest of the NBA, Lillard averaged 26.5 points on 44.9 percent shooting from the field and 38.2 percent from 3.

"We haven't done anything yet," Malone said with a cautionary tone. "It's a tied series, and we've taken home-court advantage back, but Dame is capable of putting up 40 and 50 in a heartbeat. So by no means do we think that we've figured him out."