(Cricket news) Australia defeat India in a nail biting contest to win 26 W-ODIs in a row. Australia have also won the series with a consolation match left to play.

India were put into bat after losing the toss and had a good start to the innings. India's tried and trusted opening pair of Smriti Mandhana and Shefali Verma scored 70 runs in 11 overs to set the tone. Things were looking good for the Indians but Sophie Molineux broke the partnership as she got rid of Shefali Verma. India lost Mithali Raj and Yastika Bhatia in quick succession. Smriti Mandhana was going strong on the other end but was dismissed by Tahlia McGrath on 86. Cameo's from Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma and Pooja Vastrakar helped the Indians reach 274 runs.

India started their defence in the best possible fashion as they removed the 3 experienced Australian batters Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry for just 34 runs before 10 overs. Ashleigh Gardner was dismissed soon after. Jhulan Goswami and Meghna Singh got a wicket each Pooja Vastrakar, Opener Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath got a very important partnership of 126 runs. Beth Mooney Played an invaluable innings of 125. Nicola Carey came in after Deepti Sharma dismissed McGrath and played a match winning innings of 39 off 38 balls.

Also read: Kolkata Knight Riders defeat Mumbai Indians for the first time since 2019 to enter the top 4

Australia required 13 from the last over which Jhulan Goswami was going to bowl. A couple of misfields and a beamer no ball eventually brought the equation down to 3 off 1. A full toss to Carrey was hit straight to the fielder and the Indians were celebrating. The third umpire then had a lengthy look at the ball and decided to call it a no ball. Carrey got 2 off the last ball as Australia won the match.

India were in command for the majority of the game but bottled it at the end. Indian fielding in particular was nowhere near international standard which eventually cost them the game. The two no balls in the last over also massively affected the end result. The 3rd ODI will be played on Sunday before a one off Test and a 3 match T20I series.

Mumbai, Sep 24 (Cricket News) A phone call from a hospital to former BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale changed the course of Venkatesh Iyer's life even before his ability with the bat, and utility with the ball, came into the picture.

Ignored from the Ranji Trophy camp in 2019, Iyer picked up the phone and sought help from the veteran administrator, who was also a former national selector and who was also greatly impressed by the youngster's attitude and the willingness to go the extra mile.

"I have been watching him right from the U-14 tournaments. He always looked good and he used to keep wickets also when he was 12-13," Jagdale told PTI.

"But the crucial part where I can say I had some contribution was, two-three years back, he did reasonably well for MP in U-23 tournament and it must be 2019 when selectors were picking Ranji Trophy teams. So they had short-listed some 25-30 boys and Venkatesh was not in that list.

"I don't know the details, but he called me from hospital. He told me, 'sir, I am in the hospital for last 8-9 days and I have not played any cricket but, if I get a chance in selection trials, it will be good for me and I will try to do well.

"The only thing I liked is his attitude, even though he was in hospital for six-eight days, he called me," Jagdale fondly remembered.

Jagdale then requested the selectors to give Iyer a fair trial. And the rest, as they say, is history.

From once failing to make the Ranji probable to taking the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians attack to the cleansers, Iyer has come a long way.

On the 26-year-old's days of trying to stake a claim for state selection, Jagdale shared more details.

"Then I was not a selector but I spoke to the selectors, chairman was Keerti Patel, I spoke to him, I spoke to Devendra Bundela, who was the captain and somehow, I convinced that this boy has been doing well.

"I told them you should be looking for a fifth bowler also and he is a batsman-bowler, he can be there as a batsman, plus your fifth bowler in Ranji Trophy," remembered the 71-year-old Jagdale.

"So, you give him a fair trial. This is what I told them: although you have not picked him in probable, you give him two trail matches, give him an opportunity, he is out of touch, so I told them that one match will be not fair since he must not have played cricket for a long time.

"They did so on my recommendation and he must have done reasonably well and this is how he came into MP probable also," added Jagdale, one of the most respected administrators of the game.

Jagdale reiterated that he liked the attitude of Iyer and that he also worked hard on his fitness.

"He was struggling with his fitness two years back, but he worked very hard on his fitness and other areas, and he always looked confident and the best thing I liked about him was that he gave his 100 per cent whenever he played," said Jagdale.

Iyer's club coach Dinesh Sharma recalled with pride how joining his team made a difference for Iyer.

"This is 2011-12 thing, he used to play at the Khanuja club, where he used to go from his childhood, as it was near his house. So, I was with the MYCC (Maharaja Yashwatrao Cricket Club) club, from where he plays right now.

"I saw him playing when he was a kid, his mother came to me and I suggested to them that he should either play for CCI, where Jagdale Sir teaches or MYCC, he can be better, as he has the potential," Sharma recollected.

Sharma said he had thought that Iyer's height could be a problem.

"After six months, his father, his mother came to me, and then said that we want him to play for your club and he will be under you. I felt that his height could be a problem.

"So, we started working on his fitness, and he was a natural hitter and used to generate power in the shots and we worked on his batting," recalled Sharma.

According to Sharma, Iyer was "mentally strong" and he pushed his mother not to stop him from playing cricket and also narrated his journey in age-group cricket.

"There are ups and downs in cricket, when he wasn't selected his mother used to come, he was very good in academics, his mother would say 'our relatives used to say don't let him play, his life will be spoiled'.

"I motivated his mother not to go ahead, saying the day he will shine, these people would come to you," Sharma signed off.

Also Read : Kolkata Knight Riders defeat Mumbai Indians for the first time since 2019 to enter the top 4

News Source : PTI

Sharjah, Sep 24 (Cricket News) Almost out of reckoning for a play-off berth, bottom-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to play party-poopers when they take on an equally struggling Punjab Kings in the IPL's battle of laggards here on Saturday.

Sunrisers suffered their seventh defeat on Wednesday after being blown away by Delhi Capitals and their play-off chances look less than dim as they have managed just two points after eight games.

Punjab, on the other hand, quite inexplicably found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against Rajasthan Royals and will be desperate to find an answer to their problems after being placed seventh with six points from nine matches.

The Kings were well-placed to win their first IPL game of the UAE leg before committing harakari in the last over bowled by Kartik Tyagi. They lost two wickets and scored just one run while needing four to win against Rajasthan.

Despite being packed with excellent Indian and foreign talent, Punjab Kings have regularly messed up games and skipper KL Rahul will have to address their inconsistency.

Punjab Kings have also lacked any kind of stability over the last 14 seasons with captains and coaches being changed frequently.

Their playing XI too has gone through many changes, something which has drawn sharp criticism from former team mentor Virender Sehwag.

In batting, Rahul and Mayank Agarwal have been one of the most dominant opening duo of the IPL.

In the last game too, they put on 120 runs in 11.5 overs but none of them could stay back to finish the job.

While Chris Gayle can destroy any attack even at the age of 41, he was kept out in the last game.

In the middle-order, Nicholas Pooran, who had a horrendous outing in the first phase, looked good in the last game before he lost his bearings in the final over even as Aiden Markram was left stranded on the other side.

In bowling department, Mohammed Shami has been their prime bowler and he did well to pull things back against RR.

Young Arshdeep Singh also returned with five wickets as he and Shami bowled out RR to 185 in the last game.

However, Punjab's spinners, especially England's Adil Rashid, have disappointed and they will need to step up their game in the next few weeks.

For Sunrisers, it is all about enjoying the remaining few games and ending on a high.

With Johnny Bairstow, their season's leading run-getter, pulling out and Australian opener David Warner in poor form, SRH have found the going tough against Delhi.

The likes of Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Wriddhiman Saha, Kedar Jadhav, Abdul Samad also failed to capitalise on their starts as SRH could manage just 134 in their last game.

Their bowling has been too dependent on spin sensation Rashid Khan and it will be important for the likes of Khaleel Ahmed, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jason Holder to put up a strong show to give some respectability to the team's campaign.

Squads: Punjab Kings: KL Rahul (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Shahrukh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Nathan Ellis, Adil Rashid, Murugan Ashwin, Harpreet Brar, Moises Henriques, Chris Jordan, Aiden Markram, Mandeep Singh, Darsan Nalkande, Prabhsimran Singh, Ravi BIshnoi, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kumar, Jalaj Saxena.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Kane Williamson (Captain), David Warner, Manish Pandey, Sherfane Rutherford, Wriddhiman Saha, Shreevats Goswami, Rashid Khan, Vijay Shankar, Mohammad Nabi, Abhishek Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddharth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed, T Natarajan, Basil Thampi, Sandeep Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Abdul Samad, J Suchith, Jason Holder, Virat Singh, Priyam Garg, Kedar Jadhav, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Jason Roy.

March Starts: 7:30 pm.

Also Read : In the last two games, superstars have been our bowlers: Morgan

News Source : PTI

Abu Dhabi, Sep 24 (Cricket News) Operating like a well-oiled unit, Delhi Capitals will be eager to consolidate their top spot when they clash with a resurgent Rajasthan Royals, who will be keen to keep the winning momentum going in the Indian Premier League here on Saturday.

The Rishabh Pant-led side had a sensational first leg, winning six games in eight outings. They started the second phase on a high by handing laggards Sunrisers Hyderabad an eight-wicket thrashing on Wednesday to maintain their top spot on the points table.

On the other hand, Rajasthan, who were struggling to find their feet in the first leg, will take a lot of confidence after snatching a two-run victory from the jaws of defeat against Punjab Kings.

With the win, they have bridged the gap on the playoff spots. A victory against Delhi will take them to the fourth.

For Rajasthan, youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mahipal Lomror rose to the occasion with the bat against Punjab but skipper Sanju Samson will be expected to take more responsibility.

In the bowling department, pacers Kartik Tyagi and Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman did the job in the end.

With Punjab needing eight runs to win of the final two overs, Rahman gave away just four in penultimate over before rookie Tyagi bowled a sensational final six balls, picking up two wickets while conceding just one run to seal the side's fourth win of the season.

The former champions will look to keep the winning momentum going and bag two more points but that's easier said than done.

Come Saturday, the Royals will face a tough task against the Delhi team with openers Shikhar Dhawan, the leading run scorer of the tournament this season, and Prithvi Shaw looking in good touch.

Dhawan (422 runs) and Shaw (319 runs) have provided flying starts to their side with six half-centuries between them along with 88 fours and 21 sixes. For any bowling unit, facing the Dhawan-Shaw duo is a scary proposition.

Shreyas Iyer made a stunning return with an unbeaten 47 after missing the first leg due to injury, which is a big positive for the side.

DC also boast of a strong middle-order comprising, skipper Rishabh Pant (248 runs), Australian Steve Smith and Shimron Hetmyer, who can be highly destructive on their day.

In the bowling department, Delhi is unlikely to tinker with their pace attack, as Avesh Khan has been impressive and South African Kagiso Rabada can do the damage early while Anrich Nortje provides the express speed.

Teams (From): Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, Ripal Patel, Shikhar Dhawan, Shimrom Hetmyar, Shreyas Iyer, Steve Smith, Amit Mishra, Anrich Nortje, Avesh Khan, Ben Dwarshuis, Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Kulwant Khejroliya, Lukman Meriwala, Pravin Dubey, Tom Curran, Umesh Yadav, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Marcus Stoinis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sam Billings and Vishnu Vinod.

Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (captain), Liam Livingstone, Evin Lewis, David Miller, Chris Morris, Oshane Thomas, Mustafizur Rahaman, Tabraiz Shamsi, Glenn Phillips, Chetan Sakariya, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Akash Singh, Anuj Rawat, KC Cariappa, Yashashvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube, Shreyas Gopal, Kartik Tyagi, Mayank Markande, Jaydev Unadkat, Kuldip Yadav, Mahipal Lomror.

Match starts at 3:30PM IST.

Also Read : Kolkata Knight Riders defeat Mumbai Indians for the first time since 2019 to enter the top 4

News Source : PTI

Abu Dhabi, Sep 24 (Cricket News) Rajasthan Royals' latest hero Kartik Tyagi says touring Australia as the Indian team's net bowler last year benefited him greatly, during which time he also received tips from pace ace, Jasprit Bumrah.

The pacer defended four runs in the final over to guide his side to a famous win over Punjab Kings in the IPL on Tuesday.

"When I went to Australia, I learnt a lot. Lot of players were injured and a youngster can also win the tournament and I also want to win matches for India," said Tyagi.

Mumbai Indians pacer Bumrah had lavished praise on Tyagi after his last-over heroics against Punjab.

"When I went to Australia, I didn't go to Jasprit bhaiya because I was nervous but he came to me and discussed many things with me and it was a big moment," he said.

"Personally when I saw that he had tweeted about me, I felt very happy because he is among the world's best bowlers and he is my hero and he has tweeted about me." In the last over against Punjab, the pacer said he looked to bowl six yorkers. He ended up taking two wickets while conceding just one run to seal a two-run win for RR.

"When Mustafizur Rahman was bowling, it didn't seem that the match will go till the last over because a left-hander was batting and left-arm fast bowler was bowling and it was a shorter end," Tyagi said during a virtual press conference on Friday.

"But as he gave just four runs the match reached last over, there was little pressure and excitement too, but I didn't think I will be able to defend the score.

"When I had bowled three balls, I started having the belief that probably it is possible and then when in the last ball it happened, I felt very happy." Tyagi said he didn't feel any pressure when he was asked to bowl the final over.

"When I was in the run-up, Sanju bhaiya (Sanju Samson), Chris Morris, they asked me what was my plans and also discussed their plans. They supported a lot," he said.

"I didn't feel any pressure because four was needed in six balls. I would have been in more pressure if I needed to defend 10 runs in six balls because people will naturally think that we have lost the match because it is possible to score 4 runs in six balls.

"I too felt that it will be chased in 3-4 balls because even if they take four singles it will be over but once I bowled three balls, everybody started believing that the match can turn now and I was clear that I need to bowl six yorkers in six balls." Asked about his ambition as a player, Tyagi said: "I know that I can swing the ball both ways and I can also bowl fast. I have a dream to be the best so I think I should always help the team in every situation and do well in future.

"If I am asked to bowl with the new ball, I can swing it and also bowl fast in the middle overs because I consider them my strengths and as I grow in age, I will also gather more experience, so I would look to help RR." Rajasthan will take on table-toppers Delhi Capitals on Saturday and Tyagi said he is just focussing on the process.

"Not only Delhi capitals, all the teams are good. So I am not planning against any particular team, I am just following the process. Like even in last over, I had to bowl just six balls, so I just want to follow the process," he said.

Also Read : Nortje praises Pant's game sense, says, he can project what's going to happen next

News Source : PTI

Karachi, Sep 24 (Cricket News) England cricket's players body has claimed that its inputs were not sought by the country's Board when it decided to call off the tour of Pakistan, a revelation that has come as a "surprise" to the PCB.

New Zealand abandoned and England pulled out of scheduled assignments in Pakistan in quick succession citing security concerns. England also gave players' mental health as a reason for the withdrawal.

Team England Player Partnership (TEPP), a body formed in 2001 "to look after the needs of professional England cricketers and work closely with the ECB to ensure that their rights are protected", issued a statement to say that it had no role in the pullout.

"At no stage has the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) ever asked Team England Player Partnership or the teams, men and women, whether the tour should go ahead or whether players were prepared to tour Pakistan," a TEPP spokesperson was quoted as saying by British media.

"At no stage has Team England Player Partnership informed the ECB that the players would not be touring. The ECB board met last Sunday to debate the tour to Pakistan.

"That afternoon we were informed the tour had been cancelled. Team England Player Partnership was not asked for our input and we were not involved in the decision to cancel the tour," the spokesperson added.

This has surprised the Pakistan Cricket Board hierarchy because the ECB clearly gave the impression that it called off the tour taking into account the players mental welfare and well-being.

"Amazing that is what this situation is. Rest assured we will be taking up this matter with the ECB in light of this clarification from the players body," one board official said.

PCB's Chairman Ramiz Raja has been on the warpath ever since New Zealand abruptly abandoned its tour and returned home and one day later the ECB announced it was not sending its men's and Women's teams for short tours next month.

A reliable source in the board said that Raja, after speaking to the patron in chief of the PCB, prime minister Imran Khan, has been busy consulting legal experts about the next line of action when the International Cricket Council (ICC) Executive Board meets during the T20 World Cup next month.

"Pakistan is studying all legal resources it can take to demand compensation from the two boards," the source said.

Raja and the Pakistan World Cup squad members were invited for a chat by Imran Khan earlier this week and the premier had urged the players to play fearless cricket during the World Cup, saying that they should seek revenge with their performance after cancellation of two major tours.

"Pakistan is a safe country. You should focus on improving your performances... God willing, Pakistan will host international cricket soon," the Pakistan PM was quoted as saying to the players.

Imran apparently asked the team to perform like "cornered tigers" and also urged captain Babar Azam to lead from the front as Pakistan needed to make a point at the World Cup.

"Ramiz and CEO Wasim Khan, who will go for the ICC meeting, will be taking a hard stance in the board and it has been decided to push other boards to have a clear policy on security issues while finalising bilateral tours specially with Pakistan," the source said.

Also Read : Sri Lanka Premier League to take place in December

News Source : PTI

Vadodara, Sep 24 (Cricket News) Former Australian cricketer and World Cup-winning coach Dav Whatmore has joined the Baroda team as its head coach for the upcoming domestic season.

The development was confirmed to PTI by Baroda Cricket Association secretary Ajit Lele on Friday.

"He (Whatmore) joined the day before yesterday as the head coach and he will guide other coaches also, other age groups," Lele said.

The 67-year-old Whatmore has got years of experience in top-flight cricket and was coach of the Sri Lankan team that won the World Cup in 1996.

He then went on to coach various teams and in the Indian domestic circuit, he has had Kerala under his tutelage.

His last assignment was with Nepal.

The BCCI has already announced the domestic schedule for the 2021-22 season and this time the Ranji Trophy will also be played after it had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic last season.

Also Read : Women's ODI: Mandhana's 86 steers India to 274/7 against Australia

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 24 (Cricket News) He might have played just one match under Rishabh Pant's leadership as of now but South African speedster Anrich Nortje is impressed by Delhi Capitals' skipper's match reading skills and ability to project what's there in the offing.

Nortje, world's fastest bowler missed out on the first phase of IPL due to an injury.

The match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he got 2/12, was the first game that he played under Pant's captaincy.

"It's difficult to say just after one game. But all in all, he is good in understanding the game from what I have seen. He is a keeper as well and sees things differently," Nortje said ahead of Capitals' game against Rajasthan Royals.

"He has got a good eye of what's going to happen in the game, and that's really nice having that especially as a captain.

"The simple things like being good with angles and where fielders need to be placed, projecting what's going to happen, really nice having him at the back," Nortje said of his new skipper having played under Shreyas Iyer last time.

Without an iota of doubt, Nortje is currently the fastest bowler in world cricket and has bowled the top eight fastest deliveries of the IPL which includes a lot of 150 plus thunderbolts.

The highest recorded speed this IPL has been 151.71 kmph.

"I don't think about bowling speeds on the field but I do think about it when I am doing my strength training. High speed is not something I search for on the field. I just try to hit the right lengths while bowling during a game." Having Kagiso Rabada as a new ball partner has also helped him as their relation has become stronger over the years.

"KG learnt quite a lot. We are quite comfortable with each other and our relation has grown as we get along well.

"We chat simple stuff, like getting on top of off-stump, cliches, just about finding how to do it, knowing what you say to each other, building on it. How he bowls in certain situations in certain wickets," Nortje cited the advantages of having Rabada in his corner.

When asked about his experience of working with head coach Ricky Ponting, Nortje said, "I love his chats and he breaks things down very nicely and makes everything easy to understand." "He's quite clear on what he wants. I am trying to learn as much as possible from him. We enjoy working with him and hopefully, we can grow as a unit with him." Asked if he has shared some tricks of the trade with young fast bowler Avesh Khan, the Proteas speedster was waxed eloquent about the Indian's yorkers.

"Some of us have been looking at how Avesh is landing his yorkers and how he has been going about things. He has been so good for us.

"It was especially nice to see him land his yorkers in the first half of the season in India. It's been so nice to see him progress as a bowler."

Also read : I respect team's decision to let Pant stay as captain: Iyer

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 24 (Cricket News) Uncapped medium pacer Umran Malik was on Friday named as a short-term COVID-19 replacement for T Natarajan in the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad for the ongoing Indian Premier League.

Natarajan had tested positive for COVID-19 before the team's fixture against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday.

"Sunrisers Hyderabad have brought in medium pacer Umran Malik as a short-term COVID-19 replacement for T Natarajan for their VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 campaign," an IPL release stated.

The 21-year-old Malik has played one T20 and List A match for Jammu Kashmir and has picked a total of four wickets. He is already part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad as a net bowler.

"Under the Regulation 6.1 (c), franchises are allowed to sign a short-term replacement player until the original squad member is permitted to re-enter the team's bio-secure environment." "Hence, Malik will only be a part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad side until Natarajan recovers and is allowed to join the team," the release added.

The left-arm pacer is currently under isolation for 10 days and will have to test negative twice before being allowed back into the bubble.

The 30-year-old Natarajan has 20 IPL wickets from 24 matches.

Also Read : SRH's India player T Natarajan tests positive, match against DC to go ahead as scheduled

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Virat Kohli’s side will be looking to get back to winning ways after a very disappointing loss to KKR in their first game back. With five wins from eight matches, Kohli's team still look in a good position to qualify. On the other hand, Chennai Super Kings will be looking to reclaim the top spot and virtually put one foot in the playoffs.

CSK will again be looking at their openers to give them a good start to the game so that the middle order batsman can play with a freedom. Ruturaj Gaikwad will be the man to watch out as he made 88* against a good Mumbai bowling attack on a tricky pitch, with the match being played at Sharjah we can expect some big hitting from him. While Curran may be available for selection, CSK just might persist with Dwayne Bravo for his experience as he offers a better death bowling pedigree. Ambati Rayudu suffered a bad bruising on his elbow the previous match, it remains to be seen if he plays or not. Jadeja’s matchup against Maxwell might be an intriguing watch as he has dismissed him 5 times in 36 balls in the IPL.

RCB might just be interested in playing Navdeep Saini but it could be a gamble especially when we have seen that a little extra pace is helping the batsman in these conditions. Virat and RCB management will look to strengthen their middle order as too much dependence is on the top four. Tim David might get picked instead of Hasaranga as his explosive batting style along with playing in the same venue not long ago and also short boundaries might just help him get selected. The strike rate of Suresh Raina this IPL against pacers has been 91, something Virat will look to exploit with Kyle Jamesion and Siraj.

Also read: Kolkata Knight Riders defeat Mumbai Indians for the first time since 2019 to enter the top 4

Head to head: CSK 17- 9 RCB, Chennai have won the 9 out of 11 encounters also, the last time they played together CSK won comfortably by 69 runs as it was a Ravindra Jadeja show, he scored 62* off 28 and took 3-13 with the ball.

Pitch and Weather report: Sharjah Cricket Stadium is usually a batters paradise, with the pitches mostly being flat and with short boundaries we can expect few runs to be scored. The bowlers need to be inch perfect to get their desired result. The temperature is going to hover around 35 degrees with no chance of rain at all.

Interesting facts:

• Harshal Patel has dismissed Faf du Plessis twice in 13 balls and has dismissed Rayudu four times in 36 balls.
• MS Dhoni has scored 824 runs against RCB, which is most against a single franchise
• Virat has scored 151 runs off 98 delivers against Dwayne Bravo without being dismissed
• Virat is 66 runs off making 10,000 runs in T20
• Sharjah has 56 T20s out of which 36 have been won by the team batting second.

Probable XI for CSK:

Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c&wk), Dwayne Bravo/Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Josh Hazlewood

Probable XI for RCB:

Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, KS Bharat (wk), Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Tim David/Wanindu Hasaranga, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Navdeep Saini

(Cricket news)  All-rounder Matthew Humphreys starred for Ireland Under-19s with both bat and ball to lift Ireland to victory over Scotland, securing place in the ICC Men’s Under-19s World Cup Europe Qualifier final today.
 
After winning the toss, captain Tim Tector decided to bat first  however,  opener Nathan McGuire was dismissed early for 6, with some accurate Scottish bowling, Ireland was restricted to 28-1 after the first power-play.
 
Yesterday’s century-making hero Jack Dickson was bowled for 15, with his dismissal triggering a middle-order collapse. The Irish batting line-up lost 4-21 in 11 overs to be precariously positioned at 58-5 in the 25th over  and were staring at a big defeat, missing out on the Final of the tournament.
 
Scott Macbeth and Liam Doherty stabilised the innings with a 6th wicket stand of 44 runs, however both fell within eight runs of each other and Ireland was once again looking at a well below par total, sitting on 100-7 with 14 overs still available.
 
The Irish were looking for one of the lower-order to contribute in the latter overs, and up stepped Humphreys. He struck two sixes and two fours in a run-a-ball innings of 32 as he found some support from Jamie Forbes (2) who held up an end while Humphreys began to find the boundary, and the pair’s put up a 28-run partnership for the 8th wicket gave their side the first glimpse of hope in setting a low total, but possibly defendable target.
 
Scottish left-arm spinner Oliver Davidson eventually cleaned up the tail, claiming a five-wicket haul, and Ireland ended on 139 from 44.4 overs.
 
If they had any chance of defeating the table-topping Scots, the Irish bowlers needed a positive start, and it was that man Humphreys that struck in the first over – his wicket maiden opening over would then set the tone for the rest of the innings.
 
Captain Tector effected a run out in the 6th over to have Scotland at 7-2, but Tomas Mackintosh looked to counter-attack. He reeled off five boundaries in a quickfire 24, Humphreys trapped him in front with Scotland looking adrift at 25-3.

Also read: Ireland Under-19s win over Jersey in the World Cup qualifiers as Jack Dickson stars in it
 
Ireland sensed their opportunity and made it count. The Irish bowlers, backed up by good fielding, never let up the pressure and wickets tumbled as a result. In all, Scotland lost their last seven wickets for just 12 runs in 10 overs as the side in green were ruthless.
 
Player of the Match Humphreys finished with 4-11 from 10 overs (including four maidens) and McGuire claimed 3-7 from his 4.2 overs of his final delivery which bowled Sean Fischer-Keogh sparked wild celebrations as the Irish camp knew they had booked a place in Saturday’s final, which determines the side that goes through to the Under-19s World Cup in 2022.
 
Scotland  are currently in second place  as they can only watch on tomorrow as Netherlands meets Jersey in the last match of the tournament. A big win tomorrow by the Dutch may see them leap over the Scots on net run rate. Meanwhile the Irish squad has a rest day, and can begin preparing for the final.
 
MATCH SUMMARY  
   
Ireland U19s v Scotland U19s, ICC U19 World Cup Qualifier Group Game 1, Desert Springs Cricket Ground, 23 September 2021  
   
Ireland U19s 139 (44.4 overs; M Humphreys 32, S Macbeth 31; O Davidson 5-23)
Scotland U19s 44 (23.2 overs: T Mackintosh 24; M Humphreys 4-11, N McGuire 3-7, C Doak 1-2)  
   
Ireland U19s won by 95 runs   
 

(Cricket news) Ireland women’s cricket team is set to travel to Zimbabwe to participate in a four match One Day International series next month and selectors have announced a 15 player squad for the tour.

The tour comes just before the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Global Qualifier that will be held in Zimbabwe in November and the four ODI’s will give the Irish women’s cricket team an opportunity to experience the local conditions before the tournament.

Zimbabwe Women’s cricket team recently won the ICC T20 World Cup African Qualifier, advancing to the Global Qualifier in 2022. Having finished second in the European equivalent of the tournament, Ireland women’s cricket team will be hoping to receive confirmation of progress as well.

THE SQUAD

Laura Delany (captain), Zara Craig, Georgina Dempsey, Sarah Forbes, Amy Hunter, Shauna Kavanagh, Gaby Lewis, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Celeste Raack, Rebecca Stokell, Mary Waldron.

THE FIXTURES

5 October 2021: Zimbabwe Women v Ireland Women – 1st ODI (Harare Sports Club)
7 October 2021: Zimbabwe Women v Ireland Women – 2nd ODI (Harare Sports Club)
9 October 2021: Zimbabwe Women v Ireland Women – 3rd ODI (Harare Sports Club)
11 October 2021: Zimbabwe Women v Ireland Women – 4th ODI (Harare Sports Club)
 
Ireland Women’s Head Coach Ed Joyce said: “This tour will be an important part of our build-up to next month’s World Cup Qualifier, and will provide the squad with an excellent opportunity to experience playing conditions in Zimbabwe and at a key host venue as part of that Qualifier.”

“Our focus in recent months has been predominantly T20 cricket, so these fixtures are even more valuable to the players as a means of resetting their approach to take on the longer format of the game.”

“Several of the players in the squad were part of the 2018 side that toured Zimbabwe – and while that series suffered due to numerous rain-outs, the competitiveness and quality of both sides were tested, and we expect that this series will be no different.”

Also read: Heather Knight’s century guides England women to series win against New Zealand

Mackay (Australia), Sep 24 (Cricket News) Opener Smriti Mandhana hit a patient 86 to guide India to a competitive 274 for 7 against Australia in the second women’s ODI of the three-match series here on Friday.

Mandhana hit 11 boundaries to register her 19th half-century after the visitors were sent in to bat. She shared two crucial partnerships -- 76 runs with Richa Ghosh (44) and 74 runs with Shafali Verma (22) -- to help India set up a good total.

It is the highest total scored against Australia since their 25-match winning streak started in 2018.

India were off to a flying start with Mandhana and Shafali (22) racing to 68/0 in the first 10 overs, their best in the 10 ODIs they have played this year.

But the threatening opening stand was soon broken by spinner Sophie Molineux in the 12th over as she dismissed the latter.

A mix up then led to skipper Mithali Raj’s (8) run out followed by Yastika Bhatia’s (3) departure as the hosts made a strong comeback.

Mandhana and Ghosh then steadied the ship, keeping the scoreboard ticking but the opener sliced it straight to point which marked the end of her innings.

Pooja Vastrakar (29) and Jhulan Goswami (28 not out) added 53 runs to help India breach the 250-run mark.

Tahlia McGrath (3/45) was the pick of the bowlers for Australia with Molineux (2/28) picking two wickets.

India bowlers, who were pedestrian in the series opener, will need to do a much better job to stop Australia.

Brief Scores: India 274 for 7 in 50 overs (Smriti Mandhana 86, Richa Ghosh 44; Tahlia McGrath (3/45), Sophie Molineux (2/28), Darcie Brown (1/63) 

Also Read : Women's ODI: Australia win toss, put India in to bat

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) A superb century by Heather Knight guided her team to a successful record chase against New Zealand in the fourth Royal London International and a series win. New Zealand women scored 244-8, a target that was achieved only through Knight’s contributions as England won by three wickets and finished 245-7. With this result, England women won the series 3-1 with the final game yet to be played in Canterbury on Sunday.

Royal London Series

Thursday September 16: 1st match of the Royal London Series, Royal London X Ace One Day International. England v New Zealand (Bristol County Ground). England won by 30 runs.

Sunday September 19: 2nd match of the Royal London Series. England v New Zealand (New Road, Worcester). England won by 13 runs (DLS).

Tuesday September 21: 3rd match of the Royal London Series. England v New Zealand (The Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicester). New Zealand won by three wickets.

Thursday September 23: 4th match of the Royal London Series. England v New Zealand (The Incora County Ground, Derby). England won by three wickets.

Sunday September 26: 5th match of the Royal London Series. England v New Zealand (The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury)

Also read: Kolkata Knight Riders defeat Mumbai Indians for the first time since 2019 to enter the top 4

Abu Dhabi, Sep 24 (Cricket News) Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is "close to playing" but Mumbai Indians won't rush him back as the franchise is also keeping in mind the needs of the Indian team while managing his workload, MI bowling coach Shane Bond said.

Pandya, who has hardly bowled ever since returning to action after a back surgery last year, missed his second successive IPL game in the UAE leg but Bond asserted that the Baroda player was training well and hopefully will make a mark in the business end of the tournament.

"Look, Hardik is training well, like Rohit. He is getting closer to playing. We are obviously balancing the needs of our team with the needs of Team India as well," Bond said at the post-match press conference when asked about Hardik's status.

Mumbai Indians suffered a seven-wicket loss to Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday in their IPL game. It was after their 20-run loss to Chennai Super Kings in the first game after resumption.

"The one thing that this franchise does very well is look after its players with an eye on not only to try and win this competition but also on the T20 World Cup that's following on," said the former New Zealand speedster.

"We are hopeful that Hardik will be back for the next match. As I said, he has trained today and trained pretty well by all counts." Mumbai head coach Mahela Jayawardene had earlier said that Hardik was kept out of the IPL game against Chennai Super Kings as a precautionary measure as he had a little niggle.

Bond backed the team management's decision to not play Hardik in the first two matches.

"We are obviously desperate to put him back out on the field. But like anything you have to balance everything up, you have to also consider what the player wants," he said.

"There's also no point rushing him back to get injured to miss the rest of the tournament when we may have a chance to win it.

"I think we are doing the right thing and hopeful (that) we will get him back shortly and he'll have an impact on the back-end of the tournament and get us into the playoffs and hopefully win the tournament from there." On Thursday, Mumbai Indians were restricted to sub-par 155 and Bond said that the defending champions were well short of the score.

"I think it was a 175-180 kind of wicket and we were well short of the score. And KKR bowled beautifully, bowled disciplined and then came out and really put us under pressure with the bat and dominated the game and they really deserved to win," said the 46-year-old.

Bond conceded that his team was completely outplayed by the Eoin Morgan-led KKR.

"Today, they played well. You have to give them credit. They were positive, put us under pressure. We bowled some balls that by our standards weren't good enough," he said.

"You can say that they put pressure on us and we weren’t good enough to respond. Look, we have won four of the last six tournaments on the back of some brilliant bowling performances.

"We will improve, I am sure, over the next coming outings. I am not concerned about that. We were just outplayed today but expect a lot better from us in our next game." 

Also Read : RCB seek return to winning ways against resilient CSK

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) KKR defeated MI for only the 7th time in IPL history. This allowed KKR to overtake MI in the points table to enter the top 4. Eoin Morgan won the toss and put MI into bat. Mumbai had a brilliant start with Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock firing on all cylinders. Prasidh Krishna and Sunil Narine got rid of the openers and the wickets started tumbling. Lockie Ferguson bowled a brilliant last over to restrict MI to 155. Apart from the openers, Kieron Pollard was the only batsman that looked good before he was run out. 

KKR chased the target of 156 in just over 15 overs. Venkatesh Iyer continued his great form as he scored 53 of just 30 balls. Rahul Tripathi anchored the chase scoring 74 off 42 deliveries. Jasprit Bumrah's 3 wickets went in vain as every MI bowler including him leaked way too many runs. It was not Mumbai's day as luck massively favoured KKR. Trent Boult and Rahul Chahar were uncharacteristically smacked all over the park.

Kolkata have started the 2nd phase in grand fashion and look very likely to make it to the playoffs. Their next game is against Chennai Super Kings on 26th September. Things are not looking good for Mumbai with two very lackluster performances. Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan have failed to make an impact in these two games. MI needs them back in form in order to qualify for the playoffs. Hardik Pandya's absence is clearly felt and the sooner he gets fit the better it will be for Mumbai Indians. Their next game is against RCB on 26th September.

Also read: RCB seek return to winning ways against resilient CSK

Mackay, Sep 24 (Cricket News) Australia won the toss and elected to bowl against India in the second women's ODI here on Friday.

For India, who trail 0-1, left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad came in for Sneh Rana.

Australia are missing vice-captain Rachael Haynes due to injury and Nicola Carey has taken her place.

Teams: India: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Yastika Bhatia, Mithali Raj (c), Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav.

Australia: Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy (wk), Meg Lanning (c), Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Nicola Carey, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Hannah Darlington, Darcie Brown.

Also Read : Batting coach promises different approach in second ODI, backs Mandhana to overcome poor form

News Source : PTI

Abu Dhabi, Sep 24 (Cricket News) Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Eoin Morgan has hailed his bowlers as "superstars" of the team, saying their "outstanding" performance in the last two IPL games has allowed the openers to play with freedom.

KKR bowlers had bundled out Royal Challengers Bangalore for a meagre 92 in their first game since IPL resumption and on Thursday restricted a marauding Mumbai Indian line-up to just 155.

Rookie Venkatesh Iyer (53) also left many in awe of his talent as he smashed a 27-ball 41 in the first game and then hit his maiden IPL fifty on Thursday to help KKR tame MI by seven wickets and enter the top-four in the points table.

"I don't think it's one player that's changed the outlook of the team. I think in the last two games, the superstars in our side have been the bowlers, they have been outstanding on really good wickets to bat on here at Abu Dhabi," Morgan said at the post-match media conference.

"And I think that allowed our opening pair in (of) Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer to go out and play their natural game." Morgan lavished praise on the lanky south-paw Iyer for his "imposing" innings at the top of the order.

"I think Venkatesh played an innings today that would match a guy who's played possibly 50 IPL games. The freedom in which he has played with has really ... it was quite imposing as a batsman at the top of the order to be able to do that and today was no different," he said.

"He's continued on his form from the first day. So, I don't think it's one player, I think it's collectively, I think it is set up by our bowling line-up which was magnificent again." Morgan also lauded the bowlers for executing the plans "unbelievably well".

"I don't think it's a massive gamble, I think there is a lot of preparation and strategy that go into the decisions that are made on the field," he said.

"Obviously, when you are on the field, you need to adjust to what’s happening with the pitch and conditions here at Abu Dhabi. And I think we had good games both with strategy and planning because the bowlers have executed unbelievably well.

"They have been in fine form, they have managed to do that and make the rest of our preparation look really good." Morgan also singled out the contribution of the spinners, who have been able to show their "high-quality" skills despite not getting much help from the wickets.

"I think, the quality of our spin bowlers means that they can bowl in conditions that aren't friendly to spin bowling and I don't particularly think that Abu Dhabi is, yes, the boundaries are bigger, but the two games that we have played, the ball hasn't turned pretty much at all...

"So far, they haven't played a massive part, it is just the high-quality that they are producing." Morgan was also pleased to see his team play an "aggressive brand of cricket" that he alongwith KKR head coach Brendon McCullum have been advocating.

"It is extremely pleasing. We want the best for everybody in the changing room and the aggressive cricket that we have shown in the last two games, is exactly what suits the talented guys in our changing room," he said.

"I know some of them might feel alien to take risk after risk after risk, but that is exactly what we want them to do. They are a seriously talented batting and bowling line-up and we want them to continue to get better." KKR are next up against Chennai Super Kings on September 26 here.

Also Read : KKR fined for slow-over rate against Mumbai Indians

News Source : PTI

Abu Dhabi, Sep 24 (Cricket News) Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Eoin Morgan and his team-mates have been fined for the side's slow-over rate during their seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in an Indian Premier League match here.

According to an official statement, Morgan has been fined Rs 24 lakh while rest of his team members in the playing XI were each fined lesser of either Rs 6 lakh or 25 percent of their individual match fee.

"The Kolkata Knight Riders have been fined after they maintained a slow over rate during their IPL 2021 match against Mumbai Indians at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi on September 23," read a statement issued by the IPL.

"As it was the team’s second offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over rate offences, Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan was fined Rs 24 lakhs.

"The rest of the members of the playing XI were each fined lesser of either Rs 6 lakhs or 25 percent of their individual match fee." KKR produced a clinical performance for the second successive game since IPL's resumption to tame the mighty Mumbai Indians by seven wickets, riding on fluent fifties from Rahul Tripathi (74 not out) and rookie Venkatesh Iyer (53).

The win also saw the two-time former champions enter the top-four in the points table on Thursday. KKR will next play Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings here on September 26.

Also Read : Mumbai Indians look to bounce back against Kolkata Knight Riders on Match 34

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 23 (Cricket News) The ICC on Thursday launched the official anthem of the upcoming T20 World Cup along with a campaign film featuring 'avatars' of Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli and West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard.

The tournament will begin on October 17 in Oman and UAE, with the final to be played in Dubai on November 14.

Composed by Bollywood music director Amit Trivedi, an animated film features young fans from all over the world engaged in T20I cricket and includes some of the sport's biggest superstars.

India captain Kohli leads the group of players brought to life as 'avatars' in the animation, that interact with each other throughout.

Kohli is joined by fellow captain Pollard of the reigning champions, West Indies as well as Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and Rashid Khan of Afghanistan.

Launched in collaboration with ICC's global broadcast partner Star Sports, the film premiers worldwide on Thursday across ICC, BCCI, and Star Sports' social media handles.

The animation features a brand-new broadcast technology that blends both 3D and 2D effects to create the film.

A production team of over 40 people, including designers, modellers, matte painters, animators, lighters, and compositors, worked round-the-clock to produce the final version.

A total of 16 countries, featuring the sport's biggest names and best teams, will compete in the sport's biggest event since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There is something magical and special about putting on the West Indies jersey and stepping onto the field," said Pollard.

"This upcoming World Cup will give us more special moments. We know our fans will be fully engaged, watching, and supporting and we want to give them plenty to cheer about," he added.

The opening fixture of the tournament takes place on October 17 as Oman take on men's T20 World Cup debutants Papua New Guinea at Muscat's Oman Cricket Academy.

Claire Furlong, ICC General Manager, Marketing and Communications said: "Cricket has more than a billion fans around the world, and we wanted to put our young fans in the heart of the action alongside their heroes and allow them to live the game."

Also Read : The fantastic four who have made a mark in the T20 game for the country and in IPL

News Source : PTI

Sharjah, Sep 23 (Cricket News) Star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore would look to shrug off the crushing defeat in the previous outing and get their mojo back when they take on Mahendra Singh Dhoni's resilient Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match, here on Friday.

While RCB will look to start afresh, CSK got a confidence-boosting 20-run win against defending champions Mumbai Indians on Sunday night.

It is imperative for RCB to improve upon their batting as they seek to keep their place in the top half of the points table.

It will be important that the openers -- Devdutt Padikkal (217 runs) and skipper Virat Kohli (203 runs) -- provide a solid start.

But the opening duo would also need support from the middle-order, which crumbled against Kolkata Knight Riders.

The likes of Glenn Maxwell (233 runs) and AB de Villiers (207 runs) will have to perform in unison against a strong CSK attack.

Australian Maxwell did justify his high price tag during the first leg, becoming the side's top scorer. He would be raring to go once again as will the ever-reliant De Villiers.

The RCB bowlers will also have to forget the underwhelming display against KKR. While pacers Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel bowled well, Kiwi quick Kyle Jamieson, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga all had leaked more than 10 runs an over.

CSK could have suffered the reversal in their tie against Mumbai had it not been for youngster Ruturaj Gaikwad's mature unbeaten knock of 88 off 58 balls.

The team's leading run-getter Faf du Plessis (320 runs), Moeen Ali were out for ducks while Ambati Rayudu was retired hurt on nought. Veterans Suresh Raina and Dhoni also failed to reach double digit scores and the side was reeling at 24 for 4.

But Gaikwad was not ruffled and kept his calm, steering the three-time champions to a respectable 156 for 6. He stitched crucial partnerships with all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo, who smashed 23 runs off eight deliveries, taking the team over the 150-run mark.

Defending a modest total, CSK showed immense resilience as the bowlers led by pacer Deepak Chahar and Dwayne Bravo handed the “Yellow Army" their sixth win of the season.

A win on Friday will take them back to the top of the table.

CSK will also have the option to choose young England all-rounder Sam Curran, who had been one of the breakout stars of last year’s IPL, shining with both the bat and the ball.

Teams (From): Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (Captain) Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir, Faf du Plessis, Robin Uthappa, Karn Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Jason Behrendorff, Krishnappa Gowtham, Mitchell Santner, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Hari Nishanth, N Jagadeesan, Cheteshwar Pujara, KM Asif, Harishankar Reddy, Bhagath Varma.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (Captain), Navdeep Saini, Glenn Maxwell, Dan Christian, Rajat Patidar, Dushmantha Chameera, Pavan Deshpande, Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Sachin Baby, Wanindu Hasaranga, George Garton, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shahbaz Ahmed, Devdutt Padikkal, Kyle Jamieson, Suyash Prabhudessai, KS Bharat, Tim David, Akash Deep, AB de Villiers.

Match starts at 7:30PM IST.

Also Read : Rohit and Hardik are recovering very well: Boult

News Source : PTI 

New Delhi, Sep 23 (Cricket News) The lack of quality pace-bowling support for veteran fast bowler Jhulan Goswami remains a matter of concern for the country's women's cricket team, feels former India captain Anjum Chopra.

Regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time in the women's game, Jhulan began her journey in international cricket nearly two decades ago and, at 38, she is still going strong but without enough help from the other end on a consistent basis.

"No bowler to complement for Jhulan... that's been there for a long, long time. That remains a concern for the team to not have a supporting role alongside Jhulan Goswami. Whereas many teams are looking to field three seamers, we are struggling to field two," Chopra told PTI during an interaction.

"Shikha Pandey was not picked for (the series against) South Africa but went to England (earlier this year). Meghna Singh is there... it's also about taking those chances for the players." The 27-year-old Meghna, a pacer, is one of three uncapped players included in the India squad for the ongoing tour of Australia.

In recent times, the Indian team management, including head coach Ramesh Powar and batter Smriti Mandhana, stressed on regularly scoring 250 plus in ODIs, and Chopra said it will not happen overnight.

"A 250-run target doesn't happen overnight, we need planning, preparation and skill level to get there. It can be 250-plus, 300 or 350. 250 is now a par score as women's ODI scores have become higher over the past few years," Chopra said.

Chopra, who was the face of women's cricket in India and played in six World Cup finals, refused to think too far ahead when asked about next year's ODI World Cup.

India are currently touring Australia where they are engaged in a series comprising three ODIs (one already over), three T20Is and a one-off day/night Test.

"The series against Australia has just begun, there are more number of matches to go. World Cup is still far ahead. It's anybody's game in the World Cup.

"The World Cup is the next big tournament and all the preparation is towards that. You need game time towards enhancing yourself." While some believed Virat Kohli would have been better off quitting white-ball captaincy completely instead of relinquishing the job in only T20Is, Chopra said the batting maestro needn't necessarily jump the gun.

"He has mentioned that he wants to focus on Indian captaincy towards the 2023 ODI World Cup. I don't think he needs to jump the gun. He is 32 now and whatever number of years he has to offer to Indian cricket, he still has a long time." It has also been felt by many that giving up leadership responsibilities may help him get back his touch with the bat. Kohli has not scored an international hundred since November 2019.

"When someone sets the kind of benchmark that Virat had set complementing his skills level, I think he is allowed that kind of leeway," she said.

Asked about Kohli's recent decision to step down from the Indian T20 captaincy after the upcoming World Cup, Chopra said, "There will always come a time for every player to realise what is the format they can slightly step away from.

"It's pretty okay... there have been so much chatter or loud sound coming that he has not delivered in T20... Anybody can have a slight dip in performance.

"He (Kohli) knows a little time off from one of the formats may help him. It's an individual decision. And as long as Virat Kohli the match winner is there, Indian cricket will only gain."

Also Read : Batting coach promises different approach in second ODI, backs Mandhana to overcome poor form

News Source : PTI

London, Sep 23 (Cricket News) Steve Elworthy, England and Wales Cricket Board's Managing Director of Events and Special Projects, has been appointed the new Chief Executive of county side Surrey.

ECB Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison confirmed the appointment in a statement on the board's twitter handle.

"He has played a huge part in the development of cricket in England and Wales over so many years, including the success of major events like the ICC Women's and Men's Cricket World Cups in 2017 and 2019 and The Hundred this year," Harrison said.

Elworthy is a former South African international cricketer who represented his country is four Test matches and 39 ODIs between 1998 and 2002.

After retirement, the 56-year-old has worked in administration with Cricket South Africa and ECB.

Also Read : MCC amends laws of game, to use gender-neutral term ‘batter’ instead of ‘batsman’

News Source : PTI

Colombo, Sep 23 (Cricket News) Sri Lanka Premier League (LPL) will be held from December 4 to 23, country's cricket board SLC announced on Thursday.

This will be the second edition of the island’s domestic T20 competition.

The overseas player registration is to commence from September 24.

The SLC has not announced the start of the 2021-22 domestic season as the scheduled kick off on September 5 did not happen.

The SLC was to launch the new first class format this season with 26 clubs in the league tournament which was to be competed under two groups. The group leaders were to play a four day final.

All 26 clubs were also to play in the major limited overs league tournament. The end of December deadline for completion of the tournament now hangs in the balance as the current quarantine lockdown is due to end only on October 1.

The Colombo Cricket Club (CCC) are the reigning league champions while the Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC) are the reigning limited overs champions.

Also Read : Atherton questions ECB's decision to cancel Pak tour but give players IPL window

News Source : PTI

 
(Cricket news) Instonians’ Jack Dickson hit an unbeaten century as Ireland Under-19s men’s team bounced back from Sunday’s defeat to beat Jersey today at the ICC Under-19s World Cup European Qualifier.
 
Jersey won the toss and elected to bowl first, Ireland opener Nathan McGuire sought to take the initiative early and played a range of aggressive shots for  his quickfire 25 off 21 balls which helped to settle any nerves in the team..
 
Dickson settled in to anchor the innings, and despite the loss of captain Tim Tector for 25, the Irish batting appeared to look far much more solid than during the loss to Netherlands. Philippe le Roux joined Dickson and the pair put on 85-runs for the fourth wicket, before le Roux fell in the 43rd over for a well-made 43 off 68 balls.
 
Opener Dickson pushed on to his century off 124 balls with the support of Scott Macbeth (22) and Ireland ultimately  finished their innings on 246-5. In response, Jersey began poorly and were soon on the backfoot losing two wickets in the 4th over off the bowling of Liam Doherty (2-34).
 
Jersey recovered well through the middle overs with Patrick Gouge (55) and Asa Tribe (62) combining together  for a 111-run stand, until a great piece of work by Joshua Cox in the field managed to run out Gouge. Needing 8 runs-per-over from the last 15 overs to win, Jersey was stymied by the dismissal of Tribe, trapped LBW by McGuire – the dismissal sparking a middle-order collapse with Jersey losing 5-23 in  the next seven overs. McGuire impressed with the ball, claiming 3-34, while North Kildare’s Muzamil Sherzad helped to stem the run flow with 1-34.
 
Jersey eventually finished on 206-9, falling short by 40 runs.
 
The victory moved Ireland to second place on the Qualifier group table, ahead of the Netherlands on net run rate. The Irish team take on the leaders Scotland tomorrow

Also read: Ireland Men to play three T20I’s against UAE ahead of the T20 World Cup
 
MATCH SUMMARY  
   
Ireland U19’s v Jersey U19’s, ICC U19 World Cup Europe Qualifier, Desert Springs, 22 September 2021  
   
Ireland Under-19s 246-5 (50 overs; J Dickson 103*, le Roux 43; T Britton 1-21, C Brennan 2-23)
Jersey Under-19s 206-9 (50 overs: P Gouge 55, A Tribe 62; N McGuire 3-34, L Doherty 2-34)  
 
 
 

(Cricket News) Cricket Ireland have confirmed that their men’s team will play a warm up match against Scotland and three T20I’s against the United Arab Emirates cricket team in Dubai at the ICC Academy before the T20 World Cup in October.

The fixtures were officially announced by the Emirates Cricket Board and will be held between 5th to 10th October, featuring the likes of UAE, Ireland, Scotland, Namibia and Papua New Guinea. The Ireland men’s squad is due to leave for the UAE tomorrow and will undergo a mandatory six day quarantine before training can begin.

THE COMPLETE FIXTURE LIST

Pre-T20 World Cup – preparation period

5 October 2021: Ireland v Scotland – warm-up match (ICC Academy Oval 2; start 9am local time)
7 October 2021: Ireland v UAE – 1st T20I (ICC Academy Oval 1; start 9am local time)
8 October 2021: Ireland v UAE – 2nd T20I (ICC Academy Oval 1; start 9am local time)
10 October 2021: Ireland v UAE – 3rd T20I (ICC Academy Oval 1; start 9am local time)

Official T20 World Cup warm-up matches

12 October 2021: Ireland v Papua New Guinea – warm-up T20I (Abu Dhabi; start 2pm local time)
14 October 2021: Ireland v Bangladesh – warm-up T20I (Abu Dhabi; start 6pm local time)
 
T20 World Cup - Round 1

18 October: Ireland v Netherlands (Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi; starts 10am GMT)
20 October: Ireland v Sri Lanka (Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi; starts 2pm GMT)
22 October: Ireland v Namibia (Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah; starts 10am GMT)

The top two teams from Round 1 will progress to the Group Stage. 

THE SQUAD

An 18-player preliminary squad has been announced which will further be reduced to 15 for the T20 World Cup tournament along with three other players as reserves. 

Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Shane Getkate, Graham Kennedy, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Kevin O’Brien, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

Also read: Mumbai Indians look to bounce back against Kolkata Knight Riders on Match 34

Mackay (Australia), Sep 23 (Cricket News) Indian women's team batting coach Shiv Sunder Das on Thursday promised a different approach to counter Australian bowlers and backed out-of-form opener Smriti Mandhana to come good in the second ODI against the hosts here.

The match is scheduled for Friday.

India were handed a nine-wicket trashing by Australia in the opening ODI of the three-match series here on Tuesday.

"We are looking at the top-order to give us a good start and the middle order -- they have worked hard in the last few sessions, we have some plans. I think they'll play differently in tomorrow's game," Das said on the eve of the second ODI.

"We have Shafali (Verma) and Smriti... I am positive they will give a good start and once we score 60-70 runs in the 10 overs we can carry that momentum in the middle overs," he added.

India, who are aiming to post 250 plus consistently fell short of the mark once again, managing 225 for eight in their quota of 50 overs in the first ODI, but the batting coach said the Mithali Raj-led side has a plan in place for the second game to keep the scoreboard ticking.

"We are working on that aspect of the game, we are looking for a good start and in the middle overs we are looking at the average of five runs and in the end we are looking at six runs per over. That's our batting plan." After the loss of openers Mandhana and Shafali Verma inside the first six overs, India struggled to get going.

"We have addressed the issues in the first 10 overs but, in the middle overs, running between the wickets we are still working on.

"It's a work in process, we have a few young batters in the side, we have to give them some time and once they get used to the conditions, they will definitely fire." Mandhana's struggles with the bat in the format continued with the left-hander scoring just 16 in the first ODI. The opener has breached the 50-run mark just once in the last nine games but Das is confident she will provide the much-needed solid start for India.

"I had a chat with her (Mandhana) and we have worked on her in the last two sessions, we have addressed the issues, she is a world-class player and we are backing her ability to get runs for us, and definitely, we'll see the difference in tomorrow's game." Mithali, who scored a 107 ball-63, was once again the top scorer for the team and asked if the other players are taking advantage of the skipper's consistency, the coach said the youngsters in the side will perform after they settle in.

"There are a lot of youngsters in the team, Yastika (Bhatia) got an opportunity and she batted really well. It is a huge challenge for them and all these wickets are good batting wicket and I hope they'll perform well tomorrow." 

Also Read : Haynes rendered doubtful for 2nd ODI against India

News Source : PTI

Mackay (Australia), Sep 23 (Cricket News) In-form Australia opener Rachael Haynes was on Thursday rendered doubtful for the second women's ODI against India after she took a blow on her right elbow during a training session.

The match is scheduled for Friday.

Haynes, who had hit an unbeaten 93 in the home team's convincing nine-wicket thrashing of India in the series-opener, was taken for scans.

According to cricket.com.au, Haynes "doubled over in pain, then removed her gloves and walked out of the nets and to the team changerooms to ice the injury, before leaving the ground a short time later." "Rach suffered a knock to her right elbow while batting today and has been taken to get scans," Australia team physio Kate Beerworth said.

The 34-year-old has been in good form as she made 65 in the only practice game ahead of the series.

If Haynes is ruled out of the next match, the hosts may ask Beth Mooney to open alongside Alyssa Healy, who is also enjoying a good run of form.

The Australian women's cricket team is going through an incredible run, having won 25 straight games and it will be a tough task for the struggling Indians to snap it.

Also Read : Shafali needs to work on her back foot to put Australia on backfoot: Khadeer

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Mumbai Indians take on Kolkata Knight Riders in an attempt to get back to winning ways after their loss to CSK in the 1st game of phase 2. Kolkata Knight Riders had an amazing start in the phase 2 after a comfortable win against RCB. Eoin Morgan and co. will be looking to continue on the same path.

Mumbai Indians missed Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya in the last game. The pair is deemed fit and available for selection. Their replacements in the side Saurabh Tiwari and Anmolpreet Singh were two of MI's highest scorers in the last game. It'll be interesting to see if they are dropped after. 

KKR on the other hand looked like a very balanced side in the first game. Venkatesh Iyer should keep his place in the side after his fine knock against RCB. The only other change could be Sakib Al Hasan coming in place of Sunil Narine to strengthen their batting and bring a little variation to their bowling line-up with a left arm spinner.

Also read: Rajasthan Royals pull off a great escape as Punjab Kings fail to score 8 runs in 2 overs

Head to Head: MI 22 - KKR 6, KKR have always struggled against MI, even during the time when KKR used to be unbeatable they would always struggle against MI. 

Pitch & Weather Report: The Sheikh Zayed Stadium is mostly a batting friendly surface so it may assist the batsman again. The temperature is expected to be 34 degrees with 67% humidity and  no chances of rain as of now. The hot and humid conditions might play a key role for the spinners.

Interesting facts:

• Rohit Sharma is 18 runs away from becoming the first batsman to score 1000 runs against a team in IPL. He has won four Player of the Match awards in MI-KKR contests - the most by any player, followed by three each for Sachin Tendulkar and Hardik Pandya.
• While MI haven't won their season opener since 2013, they have come storming back into form in their second match of a season in the five of the last six seasons - four of those wins coming against KKR.
• Shubman Gill is set to play his 50th IPL game.
• Andre Russell has faced more balls from Jasprit Bumrah than from any other bowler in the IPL, and the Mumbai talisman has come out of that head-to-head with a magnificent record: only 51 runs conceded in 40 balls, and three wickets.

Dubai, Sep 23 (Cricket News) Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Trevor Bayliss has asserted that their pacer T Natarajan's positive COVID-19 result did not impact their performance against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday since all the players are used to last-minute setbacks. The game went ahead after other members of SRH squad tested negative but Delhi Capitals cruised to an eight-wicket win with 13 balls to spare.

"I don't think that would have affected the result of the match. They played way too well for us tonight. It was a little bit of an upset," Bayliss said at the post-match press conference.

"Natarajan was going to play, but these guys are professional players. Every now and then, there's an injury just before play and you have got to make a late replacement. So, I am sure all of the players are, in a way, used to that. But we hope Nattu (Natarajan) gets over it pretty quickly and we can move on," added Bayliss.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad coach said Delhi Capitals' world-class tall pacers used the wicket pretty well and deserve the credit for scripting their team's victory.

South African pace duo of Kagiso Rabada (3/37) and Anrich Nortje (2/12) wreaked havoc to help DC restrict SRH to 134 for 9 on Wednesday night in an IPL match. The Rishabh Pant-led side then cruised to the target in just 17.5 overs. "Give Delhi the credit. They bowled particularly well. They have got some world-class bowlers and upfront some world-class very fast bowlers, so they had a good day. We didn't have such a good day and that's the game of cricket," Bayliss said. "Their bowlers upfront bowled exceedingly well. A lot of pace and used the wicket well with cutters, with the ball just holding in the wicket little bit and jumping up a little-bit, those tall fast bowlers took full advantage of it." With Natarajan missing from the playing XI, SRH went in with left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed and speedster Sandeep Sharma had to play a different role.

Sandeep was introduced late in the attack as Khaleel opened the bowling with seasoned Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

"Khaleel (Ahmed) in our practice matches has probably been one of our best bowlers. He was getting the ball to move around in those practice games. He is a little bit taller.

"We thought the balls for the taller guys were sticking in the wicket. He basically bowled quite well. It was one of those things, trying to fit three new ball bowlers into two.

"Today, we went with Khaleel, which meant Sandy (Sandeep Sharma) had to play a little bit of a different role," Bayliss said.

Also Read : I respect team's decision to let Pant stay as captain: Iyer

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 23 (Cricket News) Shreyas Iyer says he relished captaining the Delhi Capitals in the IPL but completely respects the team management's decision to let Rishabh Pant stay as leader of the pack till the end of the 2021 season.

Iyer had led the Capitals to the summit clash of the 2020 season but he missed the first phase of this year's season due to a shoulder injury and the management asked Pant to captain the side.

The 26-year-old returned to the side before IPL's resumption after the COVID-19 forced break but the Capitals chose not to change the leader again, keeping Pant in the captain's chair.

The young Mumbai batsman, who hit a blistering 47 in team's win on Wednesday night, said he understands team's policy and has no complaints.

"When I was given the captaincy, I was in a different frame of mind and my decision-making and temperament level was very good and I benefited from it in the last two years," Iyer said at the post-match press conference.

"This is part of the decision-making from the franchise or whatever decision they took, I respect the fact and Rishabh is leading the side well from the start of the season and they thought that he should be continued till the season end and I completely respect the decision," he added.

The 26-year-old said he continues to enjoy the pressure situation as he thrives in such circumstances.

"And no drastic change has come that my focus has increased in batting. when I was captain, I like to soak in the pressure, when there is pressure, there are more challenges and, in such situations, I perform, that is my mind-set.

"Even today (Wednesday) when I went in, there was pressure to win the game. The wicket was playing uneven, so the mind-set is the same that being a main part of the team, you have to finish the match and whenever I play, my mindset is that I play till the last ball and see to it that I make the team win." The aggressive batsman it is a "really good feeling" to contribute in team's win in his first match post comeback.

"I wouldn't say that I'm satisfied because the hunger has just gone up and the appetite keeps on increasing every match you play, so yeah, not satisfied or not contained," he said after DC demolished Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets.

Iyer said the injury period was difficult for him but he had the right people around him.

"I have a very close-knit family and friends and they never made me feel that I was going through an injury.

"When I got injured, it was really difficult for me to adapt (to) the fact that I was injured because I keep doing so many activities here and there and I never think about that situation and that occurred, so it was really tough for me to adapt.

"They kept me busy and in a positive frame of mind and never made me feel that I am going through an injury.

"When the rehab started and I started gaining strength, that feeling was really amazing and that put me in a really good frame of mind that I will come back positive and strong," shared the top-order batsman.

Delhi Capitals is at the top of the table and Iyer said the key now is to maintain the momentum.

"When we came in here, we were still on the top of the table and we have to maintain the same rhythm that we created in the first half of the leg and the mindset has been really positive in the dugout," he said.

Also Read : SRH's India player T Natarajan tests positive, match against DC to go ahead as scheduled

News Source : PTI

London, Sep 22 (Cricket News) Former captain Michael Atherton says it was strange that England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) called off the Pakistan tour, citing players' welfare but allowed them a three-month window to play the IPL.

In a scathing assessment of ECB's decision, Atherton said it was worse than India's recent withdrawal from the Manchester Test.

There are questions in England cricket fraternity on how a few England players, who would have had to play the short white-ball series in Pakistan, can now play for their IPL franchises in the play-offs if required.

"Citing player welfare is strange when the ECB has essentially washed its hands of its players’ travel and cricketing commitments for three months of the year so that they can play in the Indian Premier League," Atherton wrote in his column for 'The Times'.

"If, as an employer, it is so wary of bubble and cricket fatigue, surely it should take more interest in the players' availability for the IPL?," he was blunt in questioning the ECB decision.

"Now, of course, those who are playing in the tournament will be available for the knockout stages. It suits India and England, but not Pakistan, who have no direct stake, their players being barred still from the competition." Atherton said it was difficult to understand the reasoning behind the decision.

"This decision is worse than England's withdrawal from South Africa last winter and India's cancellation of the Manchester Test this month. While both those actions were hard to justify, they were at least understandable given Covid had come into close proximity to both teams." Atherton said he understands that the "sense of anger and betrayal in Pakistan is real and understandable," after England pulled out from their away series without any tangible reason.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) cited concerns from players rather than security issues, which was the reason for New Zealand to pull their team out of the tour after being in the country for more than a week.

Atherton in his column made it clear that both administrators and players were wrong in selling a dummy to Pakistan when they should have shown gratitude for their magnanimity last year when they toured UK in midst of a raging pandemic.

"English cricket, the governing body and players, had a chance to do the right thing this week. They had a chance to repay a debt, uphold their honour and side with a cricketing nation that has undergone challenges others cannot even begin to contemplate. Instead, citing a mealy-mouthed statement, they did the wrong thing," he wrote.

Atherton felt that Pakistan's worst fears were always going to come true as 'low expectations of England's responses were duly met" once New Zealand called off their tour.

The former England captain also feels that Australia's decision to tour Pakistan won't be any different.

"Australia's reputation for doing the right thing is as bad as England's, so it would be a surprise if they front up in February. Pakistan will be facing a financial hammer blow," he further wrote.

Atherton observed that while it was completely understandable that a lot of players are suffering from bubble fatigue in COVID-19 times, the ECB could still have picked a team to tour Pakistan.

"Player welfare is an important issue, especially so with Covid, and the implication is that the wariness of travelling to Pakistan after New Zealand's withdrawal would exacerbate those concerns. The players were spooked.

"Player welfare in this regard does not wash: while many players have spent long periods in Covid-restricted environments, there are many within the English game who have not, and who could have been asked to tour if others were unavailable." Atherton didn't want to believe that ECB couldn't find 14 willing players "It was incumbent upon the ECB to try to put out a team, any team, once the security arrangements were deemed satisfactory. When a Covid outbreak ruled out England’s one-day squad in July, the ECB was happy to play Pakistan with a second/third team. Why not now? " Atherton understands the anger of new PCB chairman Ramiz Raja.

"They do not expect England to travel, despite the commitment, and have lost any trust and faith in them. It is hard to blame them."

Also Read : ICC charges Marlon Samuels for breaching anti-corruption code

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) The Indian Premier League finishes on 15th of October and the T20 World Cup begins two days later. The squads have been announced by the teams and the players form in IPL will set the stage for a bigger show while they represent their country. Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Andre Rusell have made major strides in the IPL and are known for their T20 game.

Chris Gayle is no doubt the greatest T20 batsmen, the power he holds while comfortably guiding the ball out of the stadium is simply something to admire and to ponder upon. Gayle has been part of the IPL since 2009 and holds multiple records in the league. He has hit a record 357 sixes and also has the highest score in the league of 175 not out, Gayle is the flagbearer of T20 cricket and has been the most attacking player. The 6 foot three inch batsmen does not have the need to run between the pitch instead scores in boundaries and is one of the strongest players in the game. He scored the first international T20 century in 2007 against South Africa in the World Cup and will play a vital role in this year’s World Cup.

Dwayne Bravo is one of the superstars in Chennai Super Kings and has established himself as one the finest bowlers in IPL. He has the record of taking the most wickets in a single season of the league, he had 32 wickets in the 2013 season. His unreadable slow balls leave the batsmen stumped and are unable to score while he is in form, the T20 game requires heavy striking with the bat and the ball and Bravo has the ability to do both. With the ball he is deadly especially in the death overs and with the bat can play cameos and hit maximums. He is also one of the most athletic players on the team and can move around quickly in the field.

Andre Russell will be always remembered for his 2019 season with Kolkata Knight Riders as raged up a storm in the season. He scored 510 runs while batting at number 6 and smacked 52 sixes in 249 balls in the season. He does not take any time to adjust in the pitch, the bat straight away goes for the big ones and can chase any target when in form no matter who he is up against. Russell is a pacer too and can bowl around 140 km/ hour, in the 2018 season his fastest ball was recorded at 147.73 km/hour and can send the stumps on a roll.

Kieron Pollard is the biggest of the four as he is 6ft f5 inches tall and does justice to his giant stature. He will be captaining the West Indies team in the T20 World Cup and is the perfect candidate in the format. He has played over 500 T20 matches making him one of the most experienced players in the shortest format and has played explosive knocks for the Mumbai Indians. Pollard is known to clear the boundaries casually, he has the two biggest sixes this season and both over 100m which shows his raw strength. He is known to provide the last minute show for the team and can chase huge targets under pressure, he is also known for his fielding and shows no fear to dive to take superhuman catches. 

The West Indies is the only team to win the T20 World Cup twice and will look to capture their third title. Their domination in the T20 format reminds the world of how they were on top of the game in the 1970s when Vivian Richards, Clive Llyod along with Malcolm Marshall and Michael Holding were a deadly combination and could disarm the opposition while striking fear in the pitch. After so long the current players will try to bring glory and make history in the shortest format of the game. 

Also read: The test of speed and skill in Indian Premier League, bowlers taking over the game

Dubai, Sep 22 (Cricket News) The International Cricket Council on Wednesday charged former West Indies all-rounder Marlon Samuels of breaching four counts of the anti-corruption code during a T10 league, including failure to disclose hospitality benefits that could bring disrepute to the sport.

The game's governing body charged the West Indian on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), the organiser of the T10 League which is four seasons old.

"Samuels will be given a time period of 14 days to respond to the charges," an ICC release said.

The 40-year-old Samuels played 71 Tests, 207 ODIs and 67 T20Is in his international career, scoring 11,134 runs and taking 152 wickets. He retired from international cricket in November 2020.

According to the ICC, Samuels breached articles 2.4.2, 2.4.3, 2.4.6 and 2.4.7 of the Code.

The three articles deal with failure to disclose to the Anti-Corruption Official, receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit that was made or given in circumstances that "could bring the participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute", non-cooperation with the investigation, and obstructing or delaying the investigation by "concealing information that may have been relevant..." The T10 league's latest edition was held in Abu Dhabi in January-February earlier this year.

Samuels was a part of the event in 2019 when he turned up for Karnataka Tuskers, which was led by South African star Hashim Amla.

Also Read : Home Season: Team India to play 4 Tests, 3 ODIs and 14 T20Is

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Sep 22 (Cricket News) Young India opener Shafali Verma is a fabulous front-foot player but she needs to work on her back-foot to put pressure on the Australians, former India cricketer Nooshin-Al-Khadeer said on Wednesday.

Shafali could score only 8 runs in the first ODI, which the visitors lost by nine wickets against Australia on Tuesday.

"I think in the first ODI, we have seen that they (Australians) were bowling too short on her (Shafali) body. She needs to be adapt and get her back-foot shots quite well, because the Aussies have read her, she is a fabulous front-foot player and she can be destructive," Khadeer said.

"But if Shafali can get on to her back-foot, I am sure that it is going to take Australia on a backfoot... she needs to be working on her back-foot now." Khadeer, a former right-handed batter and off-spinner, also backed ODI skipper Mithali Raj, who has often been criticised for her slow strike rate.

"I think it is very easy for us to sit back and judge that strike-rate is an issue, but as cricketers, do we realise what situation she has walked into bat," Khadeer said at a virtual con-call when asked about the criticism of skipper Mithali Raj's strike rate.

"I would want to put forward a question saying that is it okay for a batter to score 10 runs in 8 balls or a batter who is able to score 60-70 runs, okay in 100 balls she has taken and contribute those 60 runs, there is a difference in that." Raj, the world no 1 ODI batsman, had recorded her fifth consecutive fifty in the first ODI against Australia. She has also completed 20,000 career runs but yet she is often criticized for her slow strike rate.

"I understand strike rate is important, but we need to understand the situation of a batter waking in. Whether the situation is right to get a strike rate of 100-120 and what happens," said Khadeer, who also played 78 ODIs, 5 Tests and 2 T20s.

The 40-year-old also pointed out the lack of contribution of the middle-order.

"Over a period of time, if we go through the statistics, we have seen our middle-order has not been contributing," she said.

"So if we are going with a strike rate of 100 and we miss out on her innings, then there will be criticism that, she is not informed, not contributing, so where is the contribution of the middle order, we need to have people contributing.

"Otherwise, we will see India not even crossing 200 runs," she quipped.

India will play two more ODIs, one day-night Test, and 3 T20Is during the series.

The second ODI of India’s Women’s tour of Australia will be aired on 'Sony Six' channels on September 24 from 10.40 AM IST and the third ODI will be aired on September 26 from 5.35 PM IST.

Also Read : Australia too good for struggling India, win by nine wickets in first ODI

News Source : PTI

London, Sep 22 (Cricket News) Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on Wednesday announced that the gender-neutral term "batter" will replace "batsman" with immediate effect, in a bid to reinforce cricket's status as an inclusive game.

The amendments to the laws were approved by the MCC Committee, following initial discussion by the Club’s specialist Laws Sub-committee.

"MCC believes that the use of gender-neutral terminology helps reinforce cricket’s status as an inclusive game for all," MCC, the custodians of the game, said in a statement.

"The amendments are a natural evolution from work already undertaken in this area as well as an essential part of MCC’s global responsibility to the sport," the statement added.

Women's cricket has enjoyed unprecedented growth at all levels around the world and there had been calls to adopt more gender neutral terms to encourage women and girls to play the game.

A number of governing bodies and media organisations already use the term “batter”.

"At the time of the last redraft in 2017 it was agreed, following consultation with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and key figures within women’s cricket, that the terminology would remain as 'batsman' and 'batsmen' within the Laws of the game," the MCC said.

"The changes announced today reflect the wider usage of the terms 'batter' and 'batters' which has occurred in cricketing circles in the intervening period.

"The move to 'batter' is a natural progression, aligning with the terms of bowlers and fielders that already sit within the Laws." Jamie Cox, Assistant Secretary (Cricket and Operations) at MCC said: “MCC believes in cricket being a game for all and this move recognises the changing landscape of the game in modern times.

"It is the right time for this adjustment to be recognised formally and we are delighted, as the Guardians of the Laws, to announce these changes today.”

Also Read : Mithali retains number one spot as Satterthwaite returns to top five in ODI Rankings

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India and Australia are all set to play the 2nd W-ODI at Harrup Park in Queensland. Australia outclassed India in the 1st W-ODI, winning by 9 wickets. Australia come into the game with a 25 consecutive winning streak in W-ODIs. It will take a mighty performance by team India to beat this Australian side in their own backyard.

Possible playing XI

India: Smriti Mandhana, Shefali Verma,Yastika Bhatia, Mithali Raj (C), Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), Shikha Pandey, Sneh Rana, Jhulan Goswami, Poonam Yadav.

Vice captain Harmanpreet Kaur missed the first game due to a thumb injury but she should be back in the side. India clearly missed some experience in their bowling line-up so Shikha Pandey and Radha Yadav's inclusion would be very crucial. 

Australia: Alyssa Healy (wk), Rachael Haynes, Meg Lanning (c), Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Hannah Darlington, Darcie Brown

The Aussies have no reason to change their line-up after a perfect performance in the 1st game. The game will be played on the same ground so the team combination should remain pretty much the same. There is no official news on any injuries so it is very likely that Australia go into the match unchanged.

India will have to stitch more long partnerships together to get a better score. The bowling was nowhere near as good from the Indians. The match and the series is very crucial considering the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand is just around the corner.

Also read: Indian Women lose 1st W-ODI after dominant Australian performance in all departments

(Cricket news) On this day in 1986, the Test match between India and Australia ended in a tie. This was only the 2nd time in the history of Test cricket that a match had ended in a tie. The occurrence has not been repeated since. The first tied match occurred between Australia and West Indies in 1960 at the Gabba.

In 1986 Australia toured India for 3 Tests and 6 ODIs. The tour got off to a fantastic start with a rare occurrence of a tied Test match first up.

The first Test match happened at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Madras as it was known back then. Australian captain Allan Border won the toss and elected to bat first. Australia scored 574/7 declared thanks to a double century by Dean Jones and a ton each by Allan Border and David Boon. In the 2nd innings India could only manage 397 with skipper Kapil Dev scoring a century. Off spinner Greg Matthews took a fifer while Ravi Shastri, Mohammed Azharuddin and Krisnamachari Srikant scored fifties.

Also read: Rajasthan Royals pull off a great escape as Punjab Kings fail to score 8 runs in 2 overs

With a lead of 177 runs, Australia walked out to bat for the 3rd innings. Allan Border declared after Australia was 170/5 leaving India to chase 348. Sunil Gavaskar scored 90 runs and other Indian batters contributed as well, but Australia kept picking wickets to keep themselves in the game Greg Matthews grabbed his 2nd fifer of the match and while his partner in crime Ray Bright also ended up picking 5 wickets.

The ending of the game was as dramatic as it could get. India were 344 for 9 before the last over of the day requiring 4 runs to win the match. Ravi Shastri was batting on 45, joined by the number 11 Maninder Singh with Matthews ready to bowl. After a dot ball, Shastri ran two off the 2nd delivery. He made the bold choice of running a single on the 3rd ball, leveling the score but that also meant Matthews had 3 balls to get Maninder Singh out and that is exactly what he did. The 5th ball trapped Maninder on the back leg and the umpire signalled out. The match ended in a dramatic fashion as a tie.

Apart from the two tied Tests, there have been two other instances when the match has ended when time expired with the scores level in the fourth innings, but with the batting side still having wickets in hand. These matches are considered to be draws, rather than ties. The first one happened in 1996 between Zimbabwe and England at Bulawayo. The 2nd one was in 2011 between India and West Indies in Mumbai.

Abu Dhabi, Sep 22 (Cricket News) Mumbai Indians pacer Trent Boult is not sure if skipper Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Hardik Pandya would feature in their next IPL game on Thursday but said both of them are recovering well.

West Indies' Kieron Pollard had led the side against Chennai Super Kings in the absence of Rohit, who has a dodgy knee while Pandya also missed the game due to a niggle.

"They are both recovering very well. In terms of their selection for the next game, I'm not too sure what's going on there. But day by day, they are improving," Boult said during a virtual press conference on the eve of their game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

"They are obviously two vital players in the XI for Mumbai. And we're desperate to get them back. So, fingers crossed that they'll be pretty good to go over the next couple of games," added the New Zealand pacer.

Boult said Rohit was "sorely missed" in the game against CSK but defended the team management's decision to rest the star opener.

"He is right up there in terms of experience and runs achieved in this format. So, it was a big hole but it was a good decision to make sure he is 100 per cent with the amount of cricket coming up.

"If he comes to the eleven, it will be brilliant, but we want to make sure he is 100 percent fit," said Boult. The defending champions have a better record against KKR in the cash-rich league but Boult believes that history does not matter in this format.

"It is more about starting afresh, every game is such a big game, every match is important now. History is history, it is nice to have previous results against them, but they are a quality side and we would not take them lightly," said the left-arm pacer.

Boult, 32, also felt that competing in the IPL was good preparation ahead of the T20 World Cup, which will be held in the UAE and Oman in October-November.

"You could probably not have any better build-up to the tournament like the T20 World Cup. The focus is on what's on for the next couple of weeks, but in terms of preparation, it is very good.

"Conditions can change quite quickly but having to deal with the heat and humidity is a big challenge at this stage. It is going to be interesting to see how conditions move over the course of the next few weeks," Boult signed off.

Also News : MI eye improved batting effort against rejuvenated KKR

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 22 (Cricket News) Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer T Natarajan has tested positive for COVID-19 but the team's IPL match against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday will go ahead as scheduled, the BCCI said.

Left-arm pacer Natarajan, who is coming back from a knee surgery, has been isolated along with six close contacts which also include out of favour India all-rounder Vijay Shankar.

"Sunrisers Hyderabad player T Natarajan tested positive for COVID-19 at a scheduled RT-PCR test. The player has isolated himself from the rest of the squad. He is currently asymptomatic," a BCCI release stated.

"The rest of the contingent including the close contacts underwent RT-PCR tests at 5AM local time this morning and the test reports are negative.

"As a result, tonight's game between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals will go ahead at the Dubai International Stadium, Dubai," it further stated.

The close contacts identified by the medical team also include Vijay Kumar(Team Manager), Shyam Sundar J (Physiotherapist), Anjana Vannan (Doctor), Tushar Khedkar (Logistics Manager), and Periyasamy Ganesan (Net Bowler).

The IPL resumed here on Sunday after it had to be halted in May due to multiple COVID cases in its bio-bubble when the event was being staged in India.

Also Read : IPL: Delhi Capitals take on struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad in match 33

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) The sight of stumps flying leaving the batsman with no clues is every bowler’s perfect dismissal and only the best of the best have done it continuously. The IPL has been a stage for bowlers to shine as there are fewer balls to bowl and it always gets intense from the start. Brett Lee dismissing Unmukt Chand in the very ball of IPL in 2013 is still a memory worth reliving, the fast bowlers have ruled the game in most of the seasons and the spinners have been on top overall.

In terms of wickets, yorker legend Lasith Malinga is on top with 170 wickets and is closely followed by spinner Amit Mishra who has 166 wickets. This year we might be able to see an Indian in the top of the bowlers list but Mishra is closely followed by Dwayne Bravo and Piyush Chawla. The spinners are flooding the top ten as only Bravo and Malinga being the pacers in the list as the next ten are only pacers.

The best bowling figures belong to Alzarri Joseph who in 2019 became the third player to pick up a six wicket haul while playing for Mumbai Indians. Sohail Tanvir was the first one to take six wickets in a single game in IPL, he was playing for Rajasthan Royals in 2008 and did it against Chennai Super Kings. Adam Zampa did it 8 years later while playing for Rising Pune Supergiants and as of now is the only spinner in the IPL to have done it. The five wicket haul has been recorded on multiple occasions with only two bowlers doing it twice, Jaydev Unadkat and James Faulkner. Faulkner did it twice in 2013 while playing for Rajasthan Royals, the first Indian to do it was Lakshmipathy Balaji in the 2008 season while donning the Chennai Super Kings jersey.

IPL also has been recording the fastest balls bowled since 2012 and South African speedster Anrich Nortje has bowled the top three fastest balls in the history of the league, he bowled all of them in the 2020 season with the fastest one recorded at 156.22 km/hour. The fastest Indian is Navdeep Saini who bowled a 152.85 km/hour in the 2019 season, the 2016 season saw the least number of times bowlers crossing the 150km mark as only it was passed twice and in the 2020 season it happened on a record 71 occasions. 

In the Orange cap holders, Bravo and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar are the bowlers to wear it twice with Bhuvaneshwar being the only bowler to do it consecutive times. In the 13 editions so far every leading wicket taker has managed to take more than 20 wickets a season, with the lowest being 21 in the 2010 season by spinner Pragyan Ojha and the highest by Bravo in 2013 when he took 32 wickets. Spinners have worn the cap twice, Ojha in 2010 and Imran Tahir in 2019 and the first Indian bowler to wear it was RP Singh in the 2009 edition.

Chennai Super Kings have been able to top the bowling charts on three occasions, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore are yet to do it. The 2013 season saw a record 9 bowlers taking 20 wickets or more and the 2008, 2010 season saw only a single bowler taking 20 wickets or more. 

Balaji was the first player to take a hat-trick in the league, he took three in three against Punjab Kings in the very first edition which saw a total of three hat- tricks in a record span of 8 days. Amit Mishra has a record three hat tricks to his name and Yuvraj Singh has the record of doing it twice in a single season in 2009. This year many records are at stake, with the bowling friendly pitch in UAE we can surely hope to see the wickets tumbling and look forward to the race for the Orange cap.

Also read: Harshal Patel leading the race for purple cap in first phase of Indian Premier League

Abu Dhabi, Sep 22 (Cricket News) Defending champions Mumbai Indians would look for inspiration from skipper Rohit Sharma, who is set to return to action, when they take on a rejuvenated Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League match here on Thursday.

Mumbai were without the services of Rohit and star all-rounder Hardik Pandya in their 20-run defeat to Chennai Super Kings on Sunday as both were rested as a precautionary measure due to having niggles. However, head coach Mahela Jayawardene has said Rohit should be fit and available for selection for the match against KKR.

KKR, on the other hand, have registered a dominating nine-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in their opening game of the second leg of the league.

Mumbai, who are currently placed fourth in the table with eight points, began their second leg campaign in a typical slow manner but with only half the tournament left to play, the defending champions need to win to stay in the top half of the league table.

Rohit, who has been in fine touch of late, will be expected to continue in the same vein and help his side make amends of the inept batting performance against CSK. Apart from Saurabh Tewary, who hit an unbeaten half century, none of the other batsmen were able to capitalize on their starts against CSK, failing to chase down 156.

On the other hand, the comprehensive win would have boosted KKR’s confidence. Having struggled in the first leg, KKR looked a completely different unit, in the manner in which they defeated RCB.

The Eoin Morgan-led side, placed sixth in the points table, fired on all cylinders with mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy and star all-rounder Andre Russell wreaking havoc with the ball before openers Shubman Gill and debutant Venkatesh Iyer chased down the 93-run target with 10 overs to spare.

Skipper Morgan had said that KKR would be dangerous opponents with nothing to lose in the second leg and the team certainly looked menacing against RCB. They will hope to continue playing in a similar aggressive fashion and win the title just like 2014 edition when they notched nine victories in a row.

They will also hold the edge over their rivals having already experienced the conditions at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium against RCB.

The Teams (from): Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (captain), Dinesh Karthik, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathy, Shubman Gill, Harbhajan Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Pawan Negi, M Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Dube, Tim Southee, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russel, Ben Cutting, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sheldon Jackson, Tim Seifert.

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (captain) Quinton de Kock, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Aditya Tare, Anmolpreet Singh, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Anukul Roy, Arjun Tendulkar, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, James Neesham, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Marco Jansen, Yudhvir Singh, Adam Milne, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohsin Khan, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult.

Match starts at 7:30PM IST.

Also Read : Special to change game myself after watching others do it: Tyagi

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Rajasthan Royals secured a dramatic last ball victory by 2 runs against Punjab Kings. KL Rahul had elected to bowl first after winning the toss. RR set a stiff target of 186 and PBKS looked comfortable in their run chase but bottled it in the end as they failed to score 8 runs from the last 2 overs.

Youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mahipal Lomror anchored the RR innings scoring 49 and 43 runs respectively. Left arm seamer Arshdeep Singh led the PBKS bowling attack as he picked up a fifer. Evin Lewis who was signed as a replacement for Jos Buttler played his first game of the campaign and scored a quickfire 35 which is a good sign for the team and the player as well. Mohammed Shami's 3/21 was very crucial in the game as he picked up wickets up front as well as in the death. 

Chasing 186, PBKS did what they have done in the last few years. Openers Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul once again put together a 100-run partnership. The two openers have carried the PBKS batting line-up for a while now, after their dismissals is when things start going downhill. After Chetan Sakariya got the wicket of KL Rahul and Rahul Tewatia picked up Mayank Agarwal's wicket, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran looked like they would finish the job but Rajasthan bowlers had other plans.

Also read: Kolkata Knight Riders outclass dull Royal Challengers Bangalore to win by 9 wickets

After 18 overs PBKS required just 8 runs in 12 bowls with 8 wickets in hand. Mustafizur Rahman gave away just 4 runs in the 19th over as the equation came to 4 off 6 balls. Karthik Tyagi bowled a stellar final over in which he took 2 wickets and gave away just 1 run as Rajasthan Royals claimed a thrilling victory.

The win is a huge boost for RR as they reclaim their 5th spot on the table. As for PBKS the same old problems with the middle order persists. Markram and Pooran didn't bat poorly as such but they choked under the pressure of some quality bowling by Tyagi and Mustafizur. PBKS could drop to the last spot if they lose their next game

RR's next game is against the Delhi Capitals on 25 September while PBKS play an almost do or die match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

(Cricket news) The main question the Hyderabad setup needs to answer is, will they bring back David Warner back into the playing XI? He was stripped off his captaincy midway through the season and then axed from the playing XI against Rajasthan Royals which has meant that he has suffered his worst IPL season by some distance. For SRH, chances of qualification look really grim with Kane Willamson and co needing to win all their matches to even stand a chance for qualifying for the playoffs. On the other hand Delhi Capitals will look to reclaim top spot from CSK, the welcome return of Sheryas Iyer might act as a boost for the team.

SRH's biggest miss is going to be their best batsman this season's Jonny Bairstow as he opted to focus on the T20 World Cup and Ashes. They have brought in West Indies explosive batsman Sherfane Rutherford as his replacement. Another major concern for SRH is their middle order as they haven't really shown any impetus to score runs or even take the team home in run chases. With Bairstow not playing, SRH management can use either Mohammad Nabi or Jason Holder to fill that void in the team. In the first leg SRH were hampered with injuries especially to their bowlers, this unwanted break might act as a blessing in disguise as they have near full strength bowling line.

The Delhi Capitals side will be looking for their maiden IPL trophy as this team almost have all the bases covered. They lost Chris Woakes but have replaced him with Ben Dwarshuis for the rest of the season, while left arm seamer Kulwant Khejroliya replaces M Siddharth. The DC management opted to stick with Rishabh Pant as the captain even though Sheryas Iyer is back to full fitness. The return of Iyer will be a boost for the team, and the balance of the team improves as he can play no 3 which could mean that they could bring back the South African duo of Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada back together in playing XI. Warner vs Rabada will be a key battle to watch out for as Rabada has dismissed him 3 times in 39 balls but he has also conceded at a rate of 9.38.

Head to head: SRH 11 - 8 DC, the last time they played Delhi prevailed in a humdinger of a contest as the match went into a super over.

Pitch and Weather report: The Dubai International Stadium is a batting friendly surface like we saw in the last match and is expected to assist the batters again, pacers might get some assistance towards the latter half of the game and wrist spinners in both the sides might play a big role.The temperature will  hover around 39 degrees as the humidity will be 55% with no chance of rain as of now. The dew factor could play a major role in the second innings.

Also read: Captain Samson fined Rs 12 lakh for RR's slow over rate against Punjab

Interesting facts:

• Amit Mishra will become the first player to feature in 100 matches for Delhi in the IPL if he plays 
• Amit Mishra is only 4 wickets behind Lasith Malinga’s tally of 170 wickets to become the highest wicket taker in IPL history
• Rashid Khan has picked up 17 wickets in 12 matches in Dubai at an economy rate of 4.55
• DC have hit the fewest sixes (32) but have hit most fours also (132)
• Ashwin needs only one wicket to take 250 T20 wickets and in doing so he’ll become the only the third Indian bowler to do so.  

Probable XI for DC:

1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Avesh Khan   

Probable XI for SRH:

1 David Warner, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Manish Pandey, 4 Kane Williamson (capt), 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Jason Holder/ Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 T Natarajan, 11 Sandeep Sharma   .       

Dubai, Sep 22 (Cricket News) Punjab Kings head coach Anil Kumble admitted that his team losing IPL games narrowly has become a pattern and the two-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals was certainly a difficult pill to swallow.

The Punjab side failed to score four runs from the final over with the Royals fast bowler Karthik Tyagi dismissing Nicholas Pooran and Deepak Hooda and giving away only one run to snatch the win for his team on Monday.

“It’s sort of become a bit of a pattern for us, especially as soon as we get to Dubai, it seems. There was a clear message saying we need to finish this game in 19 overs, and that was the approach," Kumble said at the post-match press conference.

"Unfortunately, we let it till the end, and in the last couple of balls it becomes a lottery (with) a new batsman going in, it is a bit of lottery.” The legendary leg-spinner gave credit to Tyagi for the way he bowled the final over.

“But credit to how Tyagi bowled the last over, it was pretty obvious that he’s going to bowl wide outside the off stump, but somehow our batters didn’t take the right options.

“Yes, it’s become a pattern, that’s something that we need to discuss and sort out. We have five more games, but again, we don’t want to get bogged down by this defeat. It’s certainly a difficult pill to swallow,” elaborated Kumble.

While Kumble praised the bowling effort of his team, he lamented that the batsmen could not finish the game.

“It was a very good wicket, in fact we really came back in the last four overs, I think we gave just about 20 runs and picked up six wickets. Arshdeep (Singh) bowled brilliantly, (Mohammed) Shami bowled brilliantly, (Harpreet) Brar bowled really well on a tough pitch.

“And remember one side of the ground, the boundaries were short, the other was longer. At one stage, Rajasthan were looking to score almost 200-210, so to really squeeze the last four overs and pick up six wickets, I thought the bowling effort was really good,” said the head coach, who has 619 Test wickets to his name.

“I think the batting showed till the 17th over that we were cruising, unfortunately 18th, 19th (over) sort of pulled us back after that six (Aiden) Markram hit. After that, we just got singles and then lost wickets and took it to the last over, which unfortunately we couldn’t finish,” he added.

According to Kumble, the team management had given a clear message to finish the game in 19 overs, but unfortunately it did not turn out that way.

“As batsmen, they certainly know what their scoring shots are, it’s not about just the scoop. It also boils down to that particular batsman. When you have 8 runs in 12 balls, I don’t think we needed a scoop, all it needed was a bit of hitting, and even if someone got out, the next batsman would at least get five or six balls to get those runs.

"When it goes to the last couple of balls, it becomes really hard,"

Also Read : Special to change game myself after watching others do it: Tyagi

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 22 (Cricket News) Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has been fined Rs 12 lakh for his side's slow over rate during their two-run win over Punjab Kings in an Indian Premier League match here.

The Royals pulled off an incredible two-run victory over Punjab Kings with fast bowler Karthik Tyagi dismissing Nicholas Pooran and Deepak Hooda and giving away only one run in the final over to snatch the win for his team at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday.

"Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has been fined after his team maintained a slow over rate during their VIVO Indian Premier League 2021 match against Punjab Kings at the Dubai International Stadium, Dubai on September 21," the IPL said in a statement.

"As it was his team’s first offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over rate offences, Mr Samson was fined Rs 12 lakh," the statement added.

The two sides were playing their first match after resumption of the IPL on September 19.

Also Read : Delhi Capitals resume IPL campaign against laggards SRH

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 21 (Cricket News) Pacer Kartik Tyagi was ecstatic to effect a turn around in an IPL match for Rajasthan Royals after having seen others do it in the past seasons.

Punjab were poised for an easy win as they needed just four runs from the last over but the 20-year-old from Uttar Pradesh changed the game with his accurate bowling.

He took two wickets and conceded just one run to script an incredible two-run win for his team.

Tyagi, who missed the India leg of the IPL, said "This feels really good".

"I have been talking to seniors over the years and they keep telling me that things keep changing in this format, so I need to keep believing," Tyagi said at the post match press conference.

"I've always heard from everyone and also watched games in this format where strange things have happened. Today, I was fortunate to play a big role in something special." Asked about his effort, he said, "I was bowling a bit too short earlier, later worked on it consciously after getting a lot of feedback." Royals skipper Sanju Samson could not stop smiling after pulling off an incredible win.

"It's funny that we kept believing (that we could win). I kept the overs of Mustafizur and Tyagi for the end, believing. Cricket is a funny game right. We just kept fighting and believing," he said.

"I always believe in my bowlers, want to keep fighting and that's why I kept those two overs till the end. To be very honest, to get that score on this wicket, we felt good because we had the bowling.

"If we took the catches, we could have won the game earlier. People have really worked hard on their fitness," he said.

Punjab skipper KL Rahul was gutted.

"This is a tough one to swallow. We need to see how we can handle pressure better. It's happened to the best in the game. Tough one to swallow that you haven't learnt from your previous mistakes," he said, looking dejected. "We bowled decent lengths in the first six. Unfortunate that edges got it away from us. But we pulled this back nicely with the ball."

Also Read : Rishabh's level of maturity has gone through the roof: Ponting

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 21 (Cricket News) Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting feels his young skipper Rishabh Pant's level of maturity "has gone through the roof" in the last couple of seasons as he has evolved from a swashbuckling keeper-batsman to a leader of the pack.

The 23-year-old Pant was given the responsibility to lead Delhi Capitals in the first phase of IPL 2021 after regular captain Shreyas Iyer was ruled out due to a shoulder injury.

"Rishabh's level of maturity in the last two seasons has gone through the roof," Ponting, one of the game's all-time greats, described the cricketer on Tuesday.

"When I first came in, he just burst on to the scene. I had said we are going to see the unearthing of someone who is going to play for India for a long time. I could see that coming. I could see how much he wanted to be in every Indian team..

"It will take a very good player to knock him off that Indian team." Under Pant's captaincy, DC reached their maiden IPL final last season though they lost to Mumbai Indians in the summit showdown in the UAE.

"He has done a terrific job so far (leading DC in IPL). We are all striving for something special. This year we want to go one step further and Rishabh is going to play an intergral part in that." Before the first phase of the league had started in India earlier this year, Ponting had backed Pant as the team's skipper in the absence of Iyer, stating that the youngster would enjoy the extra responsibility.

And he did as DC topped the standings with six wins from eight matches before COVID-19 cases in the IPL's bio-bubble led to a suspension of the event.

Eager to in their first silverware, Pant said the team needs to give just 10-15 percent more than last season.

"We are better than last time this year. We have been focussing on the process for two-three years. We don't have to do too many things differently from last year. We can do the same things and give 10-15 percent extra," Pant said on the eve of their opening game against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

With the presence of people like Marcus Stoinis and Shimron Hetmyer in the team, besides Pant, the Australian legend has a lot of confidence in his middle-order.

"Stoinis has had actually really big impact on us. He has the talent to be a great all-rounder in world cricket, especially in white-ball. We have got a lot of finishing power there with Hetmyer, Stoinis and Pant... makes our batting lineup really strong and really deep." Ponting is delighted to have Shreyas back in the squad, lending additional firepower to the batting lineup.

"I am delighted to have him back in the team. He has been an exceptional player for Delhi, a world-class player. It does make our team look a little more complete." He said the inclusion of Shreyas in the playing XI will not disturb their bowling combination that has two highly effective South African pacers in Kagiso Rabada and Andre Nortje.

Ponting said the vibe and atmosphere around his group is good going into their first game in the second phase of the league.

DC have plenty of senior players in their ranks including Steve Smith, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin, and some of them often miss out on game time, but the head coach said managing them has never been an issue as he treats everyone equally.

"I manage everyone the same way, everyone is on the same page in our team. We treat each other equally, that's certainly the way we try to go about. We have a good mix of youth and experience..

"We also do rely on our senior players as, at the end of the day, Rishabh is not always going to be right. So we bring everybody along the journey." Pant said the team's performance in the first half is good from the psychological point of view but they don't talk about what happened few months ago.

"That performance in first half counts obviously but we just want to focus one match at a time. We don't discuss that as a team and focus on our process.

"As a player, I don't think too much. I try to make most of the opportunity I get, move on, and keep learning everyday." Asked about his biggest learning from his predecessor in the Indian team -- the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni -- Pant said, "Focus on the process and results will follow." When asked about his leadership, he said, "I just try to keep the environment light. Anyone can discuss anything with me or Ricky. The combination of youth and experience helps us to go forward.

"I have learned from Ricky that everyone should be treated equally in the team -- players and also the support staff. Only then special things happen and as a skipper, that's the only thing you want." About Wednesday's opponents, Ponting observed that SRH are not a high-scoring side but "they back their defensive side of the game" and are always up for a scrap.

"We feel like we are well prepare. I am very confident that our boys will get the job done." 

Also Read : We've given ourselves a good chance to qualify for playoffs: Rabada

News Source : PTI
 

Dubai, Sep 21 (Cricket News) Bolstered by Shreyas Iyer's return, Delhi Capitals will look to maintain the form they showed in the first half of the season as they resume their IPL campaign against a struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Wednesday.

Delhi are currently sitting on the second spot, with 12 points from eight games. On the other hand, Sunrisers are placed at the last spot, with just a solitary win from seven games and six losses.

The Rishabh Pant-led side ended the first half of the IPL with a win and would be keen to start on a winning note.

And to do that, the Capitals have enough power-hitters in their line-up, who can take any good attack to cleansers and Sunrisers won’t be an exception.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan (380 runs), would be keen to prove the selectors wrong after being axed from India’s World T20 squad, while his partner young Prithvi Shaw (308 runs), would also like to get some runs under his belt.

DC boast of a strong middle-order comprising Shreyas Iyer, skipper Rishabh Pant (213 runs), Australians Steve Smith (104 runs) and Marcus Stoinis (71 runs) and Shimron Hetmyer (84 runs.

They will have to play their roles well if the Capitals need to keep winning and in case the opener’s fail, the middle-order will need to take responsibility.

Iyer, who is making a comeback after recovering from shoulder injury that he sustained in March, would also be keen to start the tournament well.

Delhi also have a settled bowling attack and they could go in with Avesh Khan (14 wickets) and Kasigo Rabada (8 wickets), who have been lethal at the start and at the death.

Delhi have array of spinners to choose from – be it wily old-fox Ravichandran Ashwin, experienced campaigner Amit Mishra, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav or Pravin Dubey.

For Sunrisers, a win would boost their confidence and help them stay afloat in the tournament.

However, their season’s leading run-getter Johnny Bairstow, has decided to pull out and hence the marauding Australian opener David Warner (193 runs) will have to shoulder more responsibility.

The likes of Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Wriddhiman Saha, Kedar Jadhav, Abdul Samad and Vijay Shankar, will also need to chip in and contribute.

Their bowlers, led by spin sensation Rashid Khan, also will have to put up a disciplined show to contain the Delhi batters at the Dubai International Stadium.

Teams (From): Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, Ripal Patel, Shikhar Dhawan, Shimrom Hetmyar, Shreyas Iyer, Steve Smith, Amit Mishra, Anrich Nortje, Avesh Khan, Ben Dwarshuis, Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Kulwant Khejroliya, Lukman Meriwala, Pravin Dubey, Tom Curran, Umesh Yadav, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Marcus Stoinis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sam Billings and Vishnu Vinod.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Kane Williamson (Captain), David Warner, Manish Pandey, Sherfane Rutherford, Wriddhiman Saha, Shreevats Goswami, Rashid Khan, Vijay Shankar, Mohammad Nabi, Abhishek Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddharth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed, T Natarajan, Basil Thampi, Sandeep Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Abdul Samad, J Suchith, Jason Holder, Virat Singh, Priyam Garg, Kedar Jadhav, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Jason Roy.

Match starts at 7.30 PM.

Also Read : How Kohli overcame persistent back issues

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Punjab Kings take on Rajasthan Royals in the Dubai International Stadium in a must win match for both teams, with Mumbai dropping points Rajasthan can go level on points and can also occupy the 4th position if they win. On the other hand KL Rahul’s side can’t afford any more slip ups as they have to potentially win all their matches to stand a chance of qualifying for the playoffs. Both the sides will have plenty of new faces due to the non availability of players, and some of those could work in favour looking at their form and calibre of these players.

Rajasthan Royals are basically going to have a new set of foreign players as the likes of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Andrew Tye and Jos Buttler all opted out as they wanted to focus on the T20 World Cup and Ashes. Although the Royals have got in form players in Evin Lewis, Oshane Thomas, Shamsi and Glenn Phillips in. The positives for Royals is that Liam Livingston and Evin Lewis are in sublime form as both were the highest run getters in the Hundred and CPL respectively. A lot of responsibility falls on Chris Morris to lead the relatively inexperienced  bowling attack as players like Archer and Tye opted out, Morris’ match up with Gayle will be an interesting watch as the South African has dismissed him three times scoring 58 runs in 61 balls only.

Punjab Kings on the other hand will be without Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith and Dawid Malan, the kings decided to bring in Nathan Ellis, Adil Rashid and Aiden Markarm as their replacements. The kings during the first phase had a lot of dependency on the top order as 50% of the runs this season have been scored by KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, the middle order has only averaged 17.10% of the runs in this year's IPL, which is the lowest amongst the teams. A solution to this problem could be Markarm as he recently played in the slow turning pitches in Sri Lanka recently at number 3. The Kings can straightway hand Adil Rashid his debut as the Royal players tend to struggle to spin.    

Also read: Kolkata Knight Riders outclass dull Royal Challengers Bangalore to win by 9 wickets

Head to head: RR 12 - 10 PBKS, their last game was a thriller as kings won by four runs in the last over.

Pitch and Weather report: The pitch was green top in the first match which assisted the fast bowlers. It is expected to turn slower like it did earlier as a total of 160 could be a challenging target especially with the long boundaries. The temperature is going to hover around 42 degrees with no chances of rain as of now.

Interesting facts:

• Mustafizur (43) and Shamsi (41) are the second and third highest wicket-takers in T20s in 2021
• KL Rahul has a strike rate of over 157 in the middle overs
• Kings (57) and Royals (52) are amongst the top three six hitting teams this season
• Mustafizur has an economy rate of 8.81 in the death overs which is the best this season

Probable XI for PBKS:

1 KL Rahul (capt, wk), 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Shahrukh Khan, 7 Fabian Allen/Adil Rashid, 8 Ravi Bishnoi, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Mohammed Shami 

Probable XI  for RR:

1 Evin Lewis, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Sanju Samson (capt, wk), 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Riyan Parag, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Rahul Tewatia, 9 Kartik Tyagi, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Chetan Sakariya/Jaydev Unadkat

(Cricket news) Indian Women's team started their Australia tour in the worst possible way. Australia won the 1st ODI in a very convincing and comfortable fashion by 9 wickets and 9 overs to spare. The toss was going to be very crucial as it was a fresh wicket and bowling first was going to be a very big advantage. Unfortunately for India, Mithali Raj lost the toss and India was put into bat first. 

Australia displayed some aggressive bowling from the very beginning. India's dangerous and in form openers Shefali Verma and Smriti Mandhana were dismissed very cheaply by seamer Darcie Brown. Yastika Bhatia and Mithali Raj built a partnership of 77 runs before Bhatia was dismissed. Australia kept picking wickets on regular intervals as India could manage only 225 runs. Debutant Hannah Darlington and spinner Sophie Molineux took 2 wickets each while Darcie Brown put in Player of the match performance by picking up 4 crucial wickets.

Also read:  Opportunities aplenty for aspiring female cricketers post evolution of the game - India A all rounder Tejal Hasabnis

India had a very small target to defend and they never looked like doing it. Australia's top 3 of Alyssa Healy, Rachael Haynes and Meg Lanning scored half centuries to guide Australia to a comfortable victory. Healy became the fastest woman to score 2000 runs in One Day Internationals.

Although the Indian batters didn't put a big enough score on the board, it was the bowlers who lost the match. Poonam Yadav was the only bowler who picked up a wicket and that too was just a consolation. 

The next W-ODI is on 24th September when Australia will have a chance to wrap up the series. A thumb injury sidelined vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur from the 1st match but the hard hitting batting all-rounder could come back for the 2nd game.

Dubai, Sep 21 (Cricket News) India skipper Mithali Raj continued to hold on to the number one spot while New Zealand's Amy Satterthwaite returned to the top five in the latest ICC women's ODI rankings for batters released on Tuesday.

While skipper Mithali, who has 762 rating points, retained her top spot, opener Smiriti Mandhana was placed seventh.

Satterthwaite made her way back into the top five on the back of her unbeaten 79 in the first ODI against England.

South Africa opener Lizelle Lee, who had caught up with Mithali last week to share the mantle at the top, has slipped by a position at number 2 -- one rating point behind -- after missing the final two ODIs against West Indies.

England captain Heather Knight also made significant gains. Her match-winning 89 off 107 deliveries against New Zealand helped her enter the top ten, jumping five places to share the ninth spot with Natalie Sciver and Laura Wolvaardt.

Veteran Indian pacer Jhulan Goswami moved up a spot to fourth while senior spinner Poonam Yadav remained static on ninth among bowlers.

India's Deepti Sharma moved a rung to be fourth in the all-rounders' list led by Australia's Ellyse Perry.

In the bowling rankings, the England pair of Sophie Ecclestone and Katherine Brunt climbed up the ladder one position each at sixth and seventh respectively, shifting Ayabonga Khaka of South Africa down to number eight who missed the final two outings of the series against South Africa.

Kate Cross snared five wickets in the first two ODIs while Natalie Sciver picked up three. Effectively, Cross moved up two places to 15th and Sciver advanced up three places to 18th.

Also Read : Australia too good for struggling India, win by nine wickets in first ODI

News Source : PTI

Mackay, Sep 21 (Cricket News) India's frailties in the batting and bowling department were laid bare as the mighty Australia gave the visitors a nine-wicket hiding in the first women's ODI to extend their record winning streak to 25 matches.

India, who are aiming to post 250 plus regularly to challenge the likes of Australia, could only manage 225 for eight in an innings that never got the momentum it needed.

Skipper Mithali Raj (61 off 107) recorded her fifth consecutive fifty, which was also her 59th overall, while the other contributions came from debutants Yastika Bhatia (35 off 51), Richa Ghosh (32 not out off 29) and veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami (20 off 24).

Australia gunned down the target in 41 overs as India bowling lacked the teeth to trouble them. The four-time World Cup winners last lost an ODI in October 2017.

After a sedate start of 30 runs in eight overs, Australian openers Alyssa Healy (77 off 77) and Rachael Haynes (93 not out off 100) changed gears to run away with the game.

Healy was the aggressor in their 126-run stand with her dominating knock comprising eight fours and couple of sixes. She was eventually caught at mid off trying to hit another one out of the ground off leggie Poonam Yadav.

Haynes and skipper Meg Lanning (53 not out off 69) then shared a 101-run stand and took Australia home for a resounding win.

India, who fielded three debutants in the game including Ghosh, Yastika and pacer Mansi Singh, have a lot of thinking and planning to do for the second ODI of the three-match series.

The decision to pack the eleven with three all-rounders in Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma and Pooja Vastrakar, leaving out a specialist left-arm spinner, did not work for India.

Megha impressed with her ability to swing the ball while Jhulan bowled a tidy spell as usual but India were never able to put Australia under pressure.

On the batting front, the visitors would not have crossed the 220-run mark if it wasn't for the eight-wicket stand of 45 runs between Jhulan and Ghosh, who was picked ahead of Taniya Bhatia to add the much needed firepower.

India openers Shafali Verma (8) and Smriti Mandhana (16), whom the team relies on heavily for brisk starts, perished after hitting a few boundaries. They need to be consistent going forward.

The bowlers have identified the apparent weakness in Shafali's game and don't offer front-foot balls. The 17-year-old perished off a short ball again with wicketkeeper collecting the catch on the leg side off pacer Darcie Brown.

Brown (4/33) was the stand out bowler for Australia while debutant Hannah Darlington (2/29) and Sophie Molineux (2/39) took a couple each.

Mithali was hit on the helmet by a Ellyse Perry bouncer but she carried on to bat.

Senior India batter Harmanpreet Kaur did not play the game due to a thumb injury.

Also Read : India's batting struggles continue as visitors end up with 225/8

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 21 (Cricket News) Delhi Capitals pacer Kagiso Rabada feels the the team has given itself a good chance of qualifying for the IPL playoffs following a brilliant performance in the first half of the season.

The Delhi franchise registered six wins from eight matches in the first half of the tournament and led the points table when the league was suspended midway in May owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I think the guys are in a good space as we have been playing some cricket since the first half of the tournament. That's a positive for the team," Rabada said in a media release.

"It's also nice to start the second half of the season being on top of the table. However, we still have a lot of work to do. We've given ourselves a good chance to qualify for the Playoffs and earn a spot in the final," said the fast bowler.

Speaking about the return of Shreyas Iyer, who had missed the first leg due to injury, Rabada said that the batsman is great for the balance of the side.

"It's awesome to have Shreyas back. He's a phenomenal batter and an integral part of our team. He's good for the balance of the team. I'm sure he's itching to play. He seems to be in good spirits and he seems to be hitting the ball well." The fast bowler, who has snared eight wickets this season, expressed that the Delhi Capitals who finished runners-up last season, will give it their best shot to win their maiden IPL trophy this time.

"We've had unfinished business since the day the Delhi Capitals didn't win a final. We are coming back after a break and it's just one final stretch for us.

"Hopefully, we can do it for our fans and our families this season. We are just going to give it our best shot. The guys believe that they can do it so that's a great sign." The Rishabh Pant-led side will begin its second leg campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.

Also Read : Virat’s decision to quit captaincy didn't impact RCB's performance against KKR: Hesson

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Sep 21 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli has narrated his struggles from a persistent back pain in 2014 and how he overcame it with the guidance of former India strength and conditioning coach Basu Shanker.

In the foreword for Shanker's maiden book -- 100, 200 Practical Applications in Strength and Conditioning -- Kohli recalled how he was introduced to lifting weights by the S&C coach who helped him in becoming one of the fittest cricketers around.

"In the latter half of 2014, I found myself with a relentless back issue which was not easing off. Every morning, I had to do a routine for 45 minutes to loosen my back, but the stiffness could come back at any time through the day.

"It was then that Basu sir and I had a conversation around lifting weights and get ting overall explosive strength in my body," Kohli wrote.

Shanker, who worked with the national team from 2015-2019, is seen as the man responsible for the transformation of Kohli and the Indian team's fitness.

"At first, I wasn't convinced (about lifting), but the only thing Basu sir asked of me was 'trust'. I had full faith in his knowledge and experience.

"I remember in our series against Sri Lanka in 2015, I started learning lifting from Basu sir, understood the dynamics and the study behind the practice and felt I was working towards something amazing.

"The results were outstanding, and that changed my perception of S&C and the importance of knowing exactly what you're working towards." Kohli, who himself launched the book on social media last week, heaped rich praise on Shanker, who is currently with RCB.

"Basu sir is the best S&C coach I've worked with, and his ability to make you feel at ease with his template is absolutely amazing. Never have I worked with someone who knew exactly how to transform my physique and performance according to my needs, not through a set template that was common to every one.

"I truly believe through this book, one can dive into the details and the knowledge which can surely transform your perception of what training means, change the way you do things and how you feel about your physique after fol lowing the programme to the T, as Basu sir likes to say," Kohli added.

Also Read : Iyer's aggressive knock signifies the aggressive brand of cricket KKR want to play: Morgan

News Source : PTI

Abu Dhabi, Sep 21 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli's decision to quit Royal Challengers Bangalore captaincy after the ongoing season had no impact on the team's performance against Kolkata Knight Riders, asserted head coach Mike Hesson.

RCB were handed a nine-wicket loss by by KKR, a day after skipper Kohli announced he will step down as captain of the IPL team at the end of the ongoing season.

Hesson believes it was important to make the announcement as early as possible.

"No, I (don’t) think so. It was actually important to get any form of distraction out of the way early. So, we sort of talked about making that announcement as soon as possible really, so all the players were aware of it," Hesson said at the post-match press conference.

"But it really hasn't had any impact on today’s performance. We weren’t certainly sharp as we needed to be with the bat, we didn’t adapt to conditions, we lost wickets in clubs, everything we can’t do as a batting group.

"But I’m still confident of this group, we will turn around pretty quickly,” added Hesson.

Kohli's RCB announcement had come two days after he decided to quit national T20 captaincy following next month's World Cup.

KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy ran through the RCB batting line up as he returned with 3/13.

“I think it is very tough to start against Chakravarthy, so the fact that we keep losing wickets, that meant that he was able to attack new batsmen,” said the RCB head coach.

Hesson lamented that the batsmen were not as sharp as they needed to be but refused to blame the team’s composition for the loss.

“The team composition wasn’t the problem today, we got ourselves to 1/42, and even going back further than that, we probably got the toss wrong, so we scrapped to 1/42, but certainly wasn’t a 93 wicket." "We should have found out a way to get ourselves to 150, and whether that would be enough or not would be debatable as well, because the ball started to slide on, but all in all we weren’t sharp enough with the bat,” he rued.

Hesson said they did not want to risk AB de Villiers by handing him wicket-keeping duties and thus had to make changes to the playing XI.

“You saw Ab De Villers didn’t have the gloves, so certainly we have got to look after AB. He is a very important player for us and not one that we could risk at the moment behind the stumps, so that was unfortunate for Rajat (Patidar),” he said.

“We needed to pick up a keeper-bat, to bat at three, and KS Bharat, he has been outstanding in the whole camp leading up-to to this game, certainly deserves his inclusion.

"We wanted to have real batsman at six, we had the abilities, still have six bowlers, and once again Sachin Baby was a left-hander and obviously gave us some options with the ball, potentially if we needed one as well, so, the reason was with AB not keeping, we needed to make that change at the top,” he signed off.

Also Read : Kolkata Knight Riders outclass dull Royal Challengers Bangalore to win by 9 wickets

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) In match 31 of the IPL, RCB were convincingly defeated by KKR by 9 wickets with 10 overs to spare. RCB remain 3rd on the table while KKR jump to 5th.

RCB had played well in the first half of the tournament but couldn't replicate their form. KKR on the other hand bounced back from their disappointing first. Bangalore's batting collapsed like dominoes as Devdutt Padikkal was the only batter who crossed the 20 run mark. 

Kolkata's bowlers did a magnificent job to restrict RCB to 92. Varun Chakravarty picked up 3 wickets and also influenced a run out as he was named the man of the match. Andre Russell displayed some fiery  bowling picking up 3 wickets. His yorker to get rid of AB de Villiers for a golden duck was a jaffa which would've troubled any batter in the world.

Also read: Iyer's aggressive knock signifies the aggressive brand of cricket KKR want to play: Morgan

KKR's batters didn't have too much to do as the required run rate was well below 5 an over. Shubhman Gill scored a fine 48 while debutant Venkatesh Iyer scored a magnificent 41 to anchor the run chase. There were a lot of positives in the game for KKR. Iyer's innings cement's his place in the side for a while and the team's balance looks to be perfect for the time being. KKR's next game will be against Mumbai Indians on 23rd September.

RCB don't have too much to think about as the loss doesn't reflect anything wrong with the tactics or selections. It was just a batting collapse which is enough to lose any match in the T20 format. RCB will play table toppers CSK on 24th September to try and get their campaign back on track.

Abu Dhabi, Sep 21 (Cricket News) Lavishing praise on debutant Venkatesh Iyer, skipper Eoin Morgan said the Madhya Pradesh batsman's unbeaten knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore signified the "aggressive" brand of cricket Kolkata Knight Riders aspire to play.

After bowling out RCB for a paltry 92, openers Iyer (41 not out) and Shubhman Gill (48) helped KKR cruise to a nine-wicket win with 10 overs to spare.

“I think Venky, the way he came in and played, was outstanding. Certainly, the brand of cricket we want to play. We have a lot of talent within our group," Morgan said at the post-match press conference.

"Playing the Brendon McCullum (way), that’s the aggressive nature in which we want to play.

"Although he was very aggressive, he managed to play with drastic control throughout the innings and his opening partnership with Shubman Gill was beautiful to watch,” he added.

Swashbuckling all-rounder Andre Russell came in at number three and asked whether this would often be the case, Morgan said, “No, I think it is open to interpretation.” “I think, given the way that we played today and the position that we found ourselves in and the run-chase we had an opportunity to really affect our run-rate position, hence Russ (Russell) going up the order,” he explained.

Despite the big-win, Morgan conceded that it was a challenge for his side to make the last four, as they are currently on the fifth spot with six points from eight games.

“There is no doubt that it is going to be a challenge, but our main aim is turn up and try and play cricket like we have done today. I think if we do that, we give ourselves the best chance of progressing,” said the England limited overs skipper.

“It is something that the franchise has done before and gone on to win the championship, so we take confidence from that but more so from our performance with the ball and the bat and in the field today.

"Moving forward, if we continue to play in that manner, it makes us a dangerous side,” Morgan signed off. 

Also Read : Situation was tough, glad I could take up responsibility: says CSK's Gaikwad

News Source : PTI

Mackay, Sep 21 (Cricket News) India's batting woes continued as they could only manage 225/8 against Australia in the first women's ODI of the three-match series here on Tuesday.

India, who are aiming to score 250 plus consistently to challenge the likes of Australia, kept losing wickets regularly in an innings that never got the momentum it needed.

Skipper Mithali Raj (61 off 107) recorded her fifth consecutive fifty, which was also her 59th overall half-century, while the other significant contributions came from debutants Yastika Bhatia (35 off 51) and Richa Ghosh (32 not out off 29).

India would not have crossed the 220-run mark if it wasn't for the eight-wicket stand of 45 runs between senior pacer Jhulan Goswami (20 off 24) and Ghosh, who was picked ahead of Taniya Bhatia to add the much needed firepower to the batting line-up.

India openers Shafali Verma (8) and Smriti Mandhana (16), whom the team relies on heavily for brisk starts, perished after hitting a few boundaries.

Senior batter Harmanpreet Kaur did not play the game due to a thumb injury.

Pacer Darcie Brown (4/33) picked up four wickets for Australia while debutant Hannah Darlington (2/29) and Sophie Molineux (2/39) took a couple each.

Also Read : Best possible preparation for ODI World Cup: Mithali on mighty Australia challenge

News Source : PTI

Auckland, Sep 20 (Cricket News) New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is hopeful of finding a window next year for the abandoned white-ball series against Pakistan, its CEO David White has said.

Just hours before the start of the first ODI at Rawalpindi on Friday, New Zealand called off the Pakistan tour which was to comprise three ODIs and five T20Is, citing security concerns.

“I’m sure we’ll find a window. We are scheduled to play them next year in January and February, two Test matches as part of the World Test Championships and some ODIs, so maybe we can wrap the games around those series," White said on Mornings with Ian Smith show on SEN Radio.

White, however, reiterated that apart from abandoning the tour, there was no other option left for them.

“(The Pakistan Cricket Board) were fantastic, very professional. We will work through with them over the coming weeks and months to ensure we fulfill our obligations to them, we’ve got to play five ODIs and three T20s against them.

“It’s really disappointing for Pakistan cricket, but we had no option but to leave the tour, unfortunately,” he said.

White spoke about the serious nature of the threat that came about despite “extensive” precautions.

“I was at home and we got a call from a government agency on Friday afternoon informing us of a specific credible threat against the team,” he said.

“I contacted our security person in Pakistan, which was at 3am in the morning, and we just worked through it with him on the ground and other independent sources as well." He said the New Zealand government agencies informed that they had knowledge of a specific credible threat against the team.

"They informed us of that immediately and we continued those discussions and informed our people on the ground (in Pakistan). We had a contingency in place. We had a charter flight that was available at short notice.

"So we were able to do that and execute that and secure accommodation in Dubai where the team are going to be staying for the World T20s, so that’s where the players are now.

“They are all safe and in a secure place, I think they’re in a hotel where there are two of the IPL teams as well.”

Also Read : PCB reaches out to SLC and BCB for short tours but no series could be planned

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) IPL has seen the highest run scorers every year breaking new barriers as the orange cap takes a lot of team effort too as more the matches, the more the chances they get to score. Players like Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, David Warner and Ab De Villers have redefined the art of attacking the bowlers. Indian players are also not far behind as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina have terrorised the bowlers in their own style.

When we look at the numbers, only twice has the orange cap holder scored less than 600 runs in a season, Mathew Hayden scored 572 runs in 2009 and David Warner scored 562 runs in 2015 which is the lowest for an orange cap holder. Virat Kohli has scored the most runs in a single season when he scored 973 runs in the 2016 season, no one has been able to touch the 900 run mark and the closest was in the same season when David Warner finished second with 848 runs.

Shaun Marsh was the first player to score over 600 runs in a single season as he took the orange cap in 2008, Sachin Tendulkar became the first Indian to score 600 runs in a season as he scored 618 runs in the 2010 season. Chris Gayle became the first player to break the 700 run barrier as he scored 733 runs in the 2012 season, Virat Kohli became the first Indian to score more than 700 runs in a year in the 2016 season and was joined by David Warner. Warner and Kohli are the only batsmen to score more than 800 runs in a year.

Sunrisers Hyderabad has had a batsmen score more than 600 runs a year four consecutive times and Royal Challengers Bangalore being the other one who have done it four times but on separate occasions. Punjab Kings have done it thrice, Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals have done it twice, Mumbai Indians and Kolkota Knight Riders have done it once with Rajasthan yet to do it. David Warner has won the orange cap a record three times.

Virat Kohli is leading the run chart overall with 6076 runs, he is the only player to go past the 6000 run mark and is followed by Shikhar Dhawan who has 5577 runs to his name. David Warner has the highest runs for an overseas player as he has scored 5447 runs with De Villers coming in second with 5056 runs. Dhawan can cross the 5600 run mark while Warner can enter the 5500 mark in this season.

Warner has scored the most fifties as he has scored it fifty times in 148 innings and has a narrow lead over Dhawan who has 44 fifties to his name. Chris Gayle is on top in the century list as he has 6 hundreds to his name and is challenged by Virat Kohli who has five in which four came in the 2016 season which is itself a record. The first hundred was scored by Brendon McCullum in the very first match of the IPL in 2008, he was playing for Kolkata and scored it against Bangalore. Manish Pandey scored the first hundred by an Indian in the IPL, he was playing for Bangalore and scored it against Deccan Chargers in 2009. 

Chris Gayle has scored the fastest century as it took him only 30 balls to reach the three figure mark against Pune Warriors India in 2013 and the Indian record is held by Yusuf Pathan when he scored a century in 37 balls against Mumbai Indians in 2013. The IPL is known to bring in records every season and has seen batsmen smashing sixes all over the stadium and even out of the stadium. This season, the batsmen will have more challenges as the UAE pitches are not batsmen friendly so they won't have the same advantage that they had in India. However, this format is all about challenges and this time too it will be handled with brutal force and power.

Also read: The top five run scorers in the first phase of the Indian Premier League

Dubai, Sep 20 (Cricket News) Young opener Ruturaj Gaikwad is glad that he could take up the responsibility of guiding Chennai Super Kings to an eventual winning total from a "tough situation" against reigning champions Mumbai Indians in their opening match of the second phase of IPL here.

The 24-year-old Gaikwad scored an unbeaten 88 off 58 deliveries to guide CSK to a fighting 156/6 from 24/4. CSK eventually won the match by 20 runs here on Sunday.

"Obviously the situation was tough as most of the top-order batsmen got out. I had to take the responsibility and then find a way how can we reach up to 120-130," Gaikwad told teammate Deepak Chahar in a video posted on IPL website.

"And after spending some time on the crease the target got extended by 10 runs everytime, 140-150 looked possible then." Gaikwad took up the onus on himself after the likes of Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni were dismissed early, while Ambati was retired hurt.

Gaikwad and senior pro Ravindra Jadeja (26) shared crucial 81 runs for the fifth wicket to take CSK forward and lay the foundation for the winning total.

"The conversation I had with Jaddu bhai (Jadeja) in between was to build a partnership, it was the plan and thankfully it got executed," said Gaikwad, who bagged his fifth man-of-the-match award in 13 IPL matches.

"Our preparation was good, we came a little early here than other teams. We had plenty of match simulations where we tried simulating slog overs batting as well as early on in the innings, setting target as well. I think that was really helpful."

Also Read : Ruturaj's 88 and bowlers power CSK to 20-run win over MI

News Source : PTI

Mackay (Australia), Sep 20 (Cricket News) India captain Mithali Raj and head coach Ramesh Powar on Monday listed out their objectives from the ODI series against Australia and said playing the mighty hosts is the best possible preparation for next year's Women's World Cup.

Powar, who had spoken about the need for playing fearless cricket following the UK tour in July, said it is high time the team starts scoring 250 consistently to compete with the likes of England and Australia, who are on a record 22-match winning streak in ODIs.

The team also needs to improve in the fast bowling department with veteran Jhulan Goswami not getting enough support from the other end.

"Moving towards the World Cup as a group, batting unit, bowling unit, we have set some targets. We want to score consistently over 250. And we are planning towards that.

"In bowling we are trying to get opponents all out so we are trying to use Jhulan Goswami as the experienced bowler who can give us good openings in front and senior players as always, we expect them to guide youngsters and drive the team which they are doing quite well," said Powar ahead of the series opener on Tuesday.

Mithali, who was the only consistent batter against England with three consecutive fifties, said she could move up to number three from four, like she did in the warm-up game if the other batters are performing as per expectations.

"We definitely are looking at the combinations for the World Cup, and we will be giving a little more game time to the players to fit into those roles, that's our objective in the series, but the main thing definitely is that we are fielding in the best level to win every game.

"Playing against the best side before the World Cup, it is the best preparation that we can get," said Mithali.

On batting at three, Mithali said: "I have been quite flexible with my batting order whether it is number three or number four, but it all depends on the composition of the team.

"If we have a good middle order then I push my order up to three. If there is a little more inexperience in the middle order then I push myself to number four. Now with Harman out of the first ODI, I probably have to think about my order." Mithali also said said the 14-day quarantine in Brisbane was tough on the players but they chose to look at the positive side and kept themselves going with training sessions in the room, zoom meetings and team bonding activities during which the skipper got to know a lot more about her teammates than just their cricketing life.

A lot of bouncers were used by the Australian pacers during the warm-up and India are geared up for that challenge.

"We also have gathered that input that you know they will be using a lot many of the short pitch deliveries for our batters.

"So we do have the sidearm throwers in the team so that's that's where the girls have been using a lot of time playing them, playing more of the short of length and short pitch deliveries.

"So lot more of the cuts and the pulls we've been working in our training sessions," she said.

Powar spoke about the progress of Shafali Verma in international cricket and Jemimah Rodrigues' return to form after a forgettable time against England.

"The way she played in England, we were happy and as a 17-year-old I think we have to give a little breathing space and Mithali, SS Das (batting coach) and me we have had conversations with her. She knows what is expected of her, so we don't push a 17-year-old who's very expressive in her batting.

"We don't want to curtail her game, but we want to give her freedom with some more responsibility and SS does plays a major role.

"He has spent a lot of time with Shafali, and he's working on her game, and mental aspects also, and she has played the hundred. She's got some confidence from England. We can't forget that she is just 17." On Jemimah, he added: "She will be and she is part of our plans going forward, and it's about combination. We are trying to find the right composition for the team going into the World Cup.

"So she might miss out (in the ODIs against Australia), she might play also. We'll take it one game at a time." Australia will be extremely tough to beat in their own backyard but India are up for the challenge.

"We don't think about opponents. If you keep thinking of Australia or England, you will lose your battle in the dressing room, so we don't think that way. We just think of playing quality cricket."

Also Read : Big test for India's middle-order against mighty Australia, Harmanpreet not fit for opener

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Sep 20 (Cricket News) The Indian cricket team will play 14 T20 Internationals and just four Tests at home between November 2021 and June 2022 as the BCCI announced its international itinerary, which features just three ODIs.

The teams that will visit India during the eight-month period are New Zealand (in November-December), West Indies (in February, 2022), Sri Lanka (February-March 2022) and South Africa (in June, 2022).

In between in December-January, India will be touring South Africa and the IPL will happen between April-May.

Against New Zealand, India will be playing two Tests and three T20Is while West Indies are due to play three ODIs and five T20Is.

Sri Lanka will play two Tests and three T20Is while South Africa will come for the shortest tour where they would play five T20Is in a space of 10 days.

"We have kept 14 T20Is because we have another T20 World Cup in Australia in a year's time and we need to have adequate matches before the big event," a BCCI official said.

The four Test matches will be held at Kanpur and Mumbai for the New Zealand series while Bengaluru and Mohali will host Sri Lanka in the traditional format.

As per the rotation system, most of the cities will be getting the 17 white-ball games that has been scheduled.

Jaipur, Ranchi, Lucknow, Vizag, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Cuttack, Trivandrum, Chennai, Rajkot, Delhi have all got matches.

Also Read : Achieved all I wanted, never overstay your welcome: Shastri gears up for end of India tenure

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Sep 20 (Cricket News) The BCCI on Monday announced that domestic cricketers affected by the COVID-curtailed 2020-21 season will be paid 50 per cent additional match fee as compensation for the disruption and also hiked their remuneration for the upcoming season.

Many Indian cricketers struggled financially after the Ranji Trophy was not held last year for the first time in its history due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The BCCI compensation package for these players was awaited for a long time.

"Cricketers who participated in 2019-20 Domestic Season will get 50 per cent additional match fee as compensation for season 2020-21 lost due to COVID-19 situation," BCCI general secretary Jay Shah said in a tweet.

The decision to give compensation and increase the match fee was taken during the BCCI's Apex Council meeting on Monday.

The per day fee for the top Ranji cricketers, who have played more than 40 matches, was also almost doubled to Rs 60,000, which will ensure that such players earn Rs 2.40 lakh per first-class match.

Those who have played 21 to 40 matches will be paid Rs 50,000, while players with experience less than that will be entitled to a remuneration of Rs 40,000 per day.

The move will likely benefit more than 2,000 male cricketers from the under-16 to the senior level.

Shah also said that domestic players will be paid an increased match fee.

According to the announcement, the cricketers in under-23 and under-19 category will get Rs 25,000 and 20,000 per day respectively.

"I am pleased to announce the hike in match fee for domestic cricketers," Shah tweeted.

Before Monday's decision, a first XI player in a Ranji Trophy game was entitled to Rs 35,000 per day. For Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the BCCI pays Rs. 17,500 per game.

The BCCI also announced remuneration for women cricketers and the senior players will now be paid Rs 20,000 per match instead of Rs 12,500.

The recommendations to increase the payout were made by a working committee comprising former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin, Yudhvir Singh, Santosh Menon, Jaydev Shah, Avishek Dalmiya, Rohan Jaitley and Devajit Saikia.

Also Read : PCB reaches out to SLC and BCB for short tours but no series could be planned

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) The North West Warriors won their first-ever Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy with an easy 8-wicket win over Leinster Lightning today.

Having won the toss, the North West Warriors made great use of a tricky pitch with early wickets – led by Conor Olphert who took 2-5 in the first powerplay as he was awarded the player of the match trophy for his efforts. Kevin O'Brien was the only top-order batter who made it into double figures, he fell for 23 off the bowling of Kennedy (2-14) and the Lightning innings collapsed to 59-8 after 14 overs.
Tailenders Gavin Hoey (37 off 28 balls) and Josh little (19* off 19 balls) came to the crease and the pair put on a potentially matching saving partnership of 53  to drag the Lightning to a score of 113-9.

Needing a positive start to set the tone for the run case, the Warriors Stephen Doheny (17) and William Porterfield (39*) put on 30 in the first 5 overs, but the loss of Doheny slowed the run rate for the Warriors, with Andy McBrine striking 24 off 19 balls, including two sixes. McBrine fell late on, but Porterfield and Shane Getkate (26* off 12 balls) saw the Warriors home by 8 wickets.

MATCH SUMMARY 

Leinster Lightning v North West Warriors, IP20 Festival Game 6, North Down C.C,Comber, 19th September 2021

Leinster Lightning 113-9 (20 overs; G Hoey 37, K O’Brien 23; C Olphert 3-27, G Kennedy 2-14)

North West Warriors 119-2 (13.5 overs; W Porterfield 39*, S Getkate 26*, A McBrine 24; D O’Halloran 1-13)

North West Warriors won by 8 wickets

Also read: Zimbabwe secures victory in the decider over Scotland to win T20 series

Earlier in the day, the Northern Knights won a reduced-overs affair over the Munster Reds by 9 wickets to finish second on the table. The Knights bowlers restricted the Reds batting attack to 72-5 from their 10 overs, then the kings chased down the target in less than 8 overs thanks to an unbeaten 54 from 27 balls by Ross Adair.

MATCH SUMMARY 

Munster Reds v Northern Knights, IP20 Trophy, Comber, 19 September 2021 

Munster Reds 72-5 (10 overs; M Ford 21; B White 2-3, R Pretorius 1-15)

Northern Knights 74-1 (7.4 overs; R Adair 54*; M Frost 1-13) 

Northern Knights won by 9 wickets

Abu Dhabi, Sep 19 (Cricket news) The opening pair of Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana may not have fired in the first leg of IPL but Kolkata Knight Riders chief mentor David Hussey believes the duo can "shock the world" with their batting in the second phase of the tournament beginning here on Sunday.

While Gill scored just 132 runs, Rana managed 201 runs in the first seven games for KKR in this year's IPL, which was postponed in April following multiple COVID-19 cases inside the bio-bubble in India.

However, Hussey pinned his hopes on the duo, calling them the 'next generation of Indian players'.

"They both are quality players, they are determined to do very well for the team and for themselves and they have a taste of international cricket now," Hussey told ESPNcricinfo.

"I think they are about to shock the world that they are the next generation of Indian players, not just for one or two series but for perhaps a decade, so if they get going look out for them in the IPL." Hussey also backed skipper Eoin Morgan to come good in the second leg after a lacklustre performance in the first phase.

"As a captain, he is going to lead from the front. We need some big performances from him. His is probably the hardest position to play in the middle order. He comes in either in deep trouble or coming in with 3-4 balls to go when top orders have done realy well," he said.

"He also has to lead on the field, get the fields correct, take wickets and also gamble a few times...Eoin will be a little disappointed with the last seven games, but knowing well that he is going to be prepared really well, I back him to be dominant in the next 7 games not only with the bat but captaincy as well." The road ahead, however, is extremely difficult for KKR as the team is languishing at the seventh position on the points table.

However, Hussey believes his team can script a turnaround.

"All we have to do is win this ... We have done it before and so we can do it again... I feel we have the squad to do it also. You qualify for the finals and whole competition starts again," he said.

In the 2014 edition, KKR had won nine matches in a row to claim the title.

Hussey said coach Brendon McCullum is determined to prove a point this time.

"Brendon has been phenomenal, been very consistent, whether we are winning or losing. He has been a consistent person, this time there is a bit of determination in Brendon, he really wants to show that this squad can go a long way in the tournament." KKR will face Royal Challengers Bangalore in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

Also Read : IPL: Kolkata Knight Riders meet Royal Challengers Bangalore in match 31 of the season

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) In a tense, rain-affected match in Worcester, England women successfully defended 197 runs to defeat New Zealand at the second Royal London International. Danni Wyatt’s unbeaten 67 in her 200th game for England was the only silver lining in an overall disappointing batting display by the Three Lions.

Tash Farrant’s 22 runs in a record breaking tenth wicket partnership of 51 helped England post 197 runs. Kate Cross took three wickets and Charlie Dean’s 4-36 after the rain break took England over the line against New Zealand.

Royal London Series

Thursday September 16: 1st match of the Royal London Series, Royal London X Ace One Day International. England v New Zealand (Bristol County Ground). England won by 30 runs.

Sunday September 19: 2nd match of the Royal London Series. England v New Zealand (New Road, Worcester). England won by 13 runs (DLS).

Tuesday September 21: 3rd match of the Royal London Series. England v New Zealand (The Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicester)

Thursday September 23: 4th match of the Royal London Series. England v New Zealand (The Incora County Ground, Derby)

Sunday September 26: 5th match of the Royal London Series. England v New Zealand (The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury)

Also read: IPL: Kolkata Knight Riders meet Royal Challengers Bangalore in match 31 of the season

Dubai, Sep 19 (Cricket News) Delhi Capitals all-rounder Axar Patel says the team will look to build on its "happy memories" from the previous season, when it reached its maiden final, and go a step further in the second leg of IPL-14.

The IPL, which was suspended midway into the 14th season of the league in May owing to multiple COVID-19 cases in its bio-bubble, resumes in the UAE on Sunday.

The Capitals, who are currently perched on top of the points table, had reached their maiden final last season when the tournament was held entirely in the UAE. The Shreyas Iyer-led side had lost to Mumbai Indians in the summit clash.

"When it was announced that the second half of the tournament will be held in the UAE, I thought about our performance the last time we were here," Axar was quoted as saying in a media release.

"We have happy memories from that tournament as we reached our first-ever IPL final. We are looking to repeat our performance and hopefully, just go one step further in the final this season," said the all-rounder, who had picked up nine wickets in 15 matches last season.

Axar, who was part of the Indian squad for the recently-concluded Test series in England, spoke about the massive difference in weather conditions between UK and UAE.

"It's been a drastic change for us as far as the weather is concerned. It was quite cold in England and now we are getting used to the heat here.

"When we stood on our balconies during quarantine, we got an idea about the heat, but we got to know the full extent of the weather conditions when we started practising in the nets.

"We are looking to get used to the conditions in the next 2-3 days," he said.

When asked about his personal goals for the remainder of the IPL season, Axar said, "My personal goals are always aligned with the team goals.

"I always think about what the team needs and then set my personal goals accordingly. I always carry out my preparations according to the team's requirements. And personally, I just look to get better with every match in every season." Delhi Capitals are set to take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22. 

Also read : Match readiness will be an issue for some of IPL players: RR all-rounder Chris Morris

News Source : PTI

Karachi, Sep 19 (Cricket News) The Pakistan Cricket Board had reached out to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh for a short series in the country to make up for the cancellation of the New Zealand tour but since players from both the nations had prior commitments, no series could be planned.

PCB CEO, Wasim Khan said Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) showed willingness to play in Pakistan but there was little time in hand for them to send their teams.

"Our Chairman spoke to them and explored the possibility of a short tours and they were very receptive but they pointed out it was very difficult for them to change their already confirmed plans and also some of their players were dispersed," he said.

"They showed a strong willingness but because of the short time frame it was not possible for them to put in place a tour as they had prior plans for the World Cup," he said.

New Zealand abandoned their tour of Pakistan on Friday citing a security threat to their team, hours before the first ODI was to be played in Rawalpindi.

The Kiwis have reached Dubai after taking a chartered flight out of Islamabad.

Wasim Khan also ruled out any possibility of a boycott of the World T20 Cup match against New Zealand but made it clear that they believed New Zealand had treated Pakistan cricket with disrespect and left scars by unilaterally abandoning the tour.

"We have a real problem in world cricket if perceived threats can’t be discussed at the Government to Government or Intelligence level and teams can abandon a tour unilaterally," he said.

He confirmed Pakistan would be taking up the issue of inequality in world cricket at the International Cricket Council level as according to him there had to be a level-playing field for all member countries.

"Since it is a bilateral series there is little hope of getting any compensation from NZ cricket unless we go to a dispute resolution committee.

"What we can do is ensure at the ICC board level that such things don't happen again. We are going to have a full dialogue and discussion with them about the processes in place for such situations," he said.

Also Read : Zimbabwe secures victory in the decider over Scotland to win T20 series

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 20 (Cricket News) The COVID-forced four-month break between the first and second phase of the Indian Premier League is sure to affect the "match readiness" of some players and they might just "struggle" to shake the rustiness off, feels Rajasthan Royals' South African all-rounder Chris Morris.

While most of the foreign players were freelancing in leagues and also playing international cricket, the Indian domestic players haven't had any game time after the IPL stopped in the first week of May due to COVID-19 cases inside the bio-bubble.

"Match readiness is going to be an issue just like last time when IPL was played in Dubai. People will take a couple of games to get rustiness out of their way," Morris, one of the mainstays in this Royals line-up, said when asked about challenges of having the IPL in two halves.

"Fortunately, overseas players have been playing some cricket. I have done pre-season at home, trying to lose weight. Match fitness is always the best type of fitness. We have had two warm-up games now and we have spent time on our feet," Morris said.

The fast-medium bowler and lower-order explosive hitter feels that simulations can never match the intensity of real games.

"You can never simulate match intensity and I think a few guys will struggle to get that rustiness off. That's the nature of the beast of COVID at the moment," he said.

"Some guys will have to shake off their rustiness and I think that's part and parcel of the game. You have to find out a way to get out and make it work," he added.

For Morris, all the freelance overseas players like Liam Livingstone, and Evin Lewis to name a few, will add a lot of intensity to the game.

"The guys who are there are playing leagues and scoring quite a lot of runs and making massive impact around the world," he said.

Morris also said that the Royals' bowling unit has quality to restrict the opposition.

"The bowling unit is going to be under pressure as it's the bowlers who win you matches, we know we have quality to restrict teams and at business end, we will come out all guns blazing," he added.

Also Read : Battle of explosive top-orders as Rajasthan Royals meet Punjab Kings in IPL

News Source : PTI

Colombo (Cricket News) : Galle Gladiators fell short by a whisker to win the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League going down to eventual winner Jaffna Stallions in a closely fought final. But, owner of Galle Gladiators Mr. Nadeem Omar feels this will be the year of the Gladiators as they prepare to bounce back even stronger in the second edition of the premier T20 League in the island nation. 

In the first season, the team was led by Pakistani star all- rounder Shahid Afridi in the early phase of the tournament and was later taken over by Sri Lanka’s Bhanuka Rajapaksa after Afridi had to leave the tournament midway due to some personal reasons. Former legendary pacer Wasim Akram was the team mentor.

Mr Omar also owns the Quetta Gladiators franchise in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He is a Pakistani business executive and former scrabble player who is known nationally and internationally for his contributions to sports. He has been the president of the Pakistan Scrabble Association since October 2020 and the president of the Karachi City Cricket Association since May 2018. He is also the president of the Pakistan Cricket Club. The core motivation of the Galle franchise is to develop the game in the southern province of Sri Lanka.

“The upcoming season of LPL is very crucial for us especially after the way we fought back last season. We saw some remarkable performances from young players like Azam Khan, Dhananjaya Lakshan and Sahan Arachchige. They have set a benchmark of excellence for the younger talents who will come into the team. Coming into the next edition, we want to put up a better fight and clinch the trophy. We had great support from the fans around Galle, though they weren’t allowed into the stadiums but we saw their support online through various platforms. We urge them to extend their support in similar fashion and help us grow,” said Mr. Omar while highlighting the focus for the upcoming edition of the premier T20 League in the Island Nation. 

Mr Anil Mohan, who is the Founder and CEO of Dubai-based production giant The IPG Group, the official promoter of LPL, added, “Gladiators set LPL on fire with their remarkable comeback in the

first edition. But we are all set to witness a new chapter in its cricketing history with LPL becoming bigger and better. I am confident that the Galle team's performance will help the League grow in stature.”

Mr. Jawad Ghulam Rasool, COO & CCMO of The IPG Group added: “Last season of LPL saw Mr. Nadeem Omar’s team, the Galle Gladiators give us some nail-biting performances. Mr. Nadeem Omar will always hold a special relationship with us as the first franchise to be announced that kick started the league. I look forward to some thrilling moments in this year’s LPL which will no doubt be welcomed by sports enthusiasts not just in Pakistan but the world over. We wish Mr. Nadeem ‘Mr. Cricket of Pakistan’ and the Gladiators good luck for the second season of the Lanka Premier League”

The inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) which was played in a bio-secure bubble at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota from November 26 till December 16, 2020, reached a cumulative audience of 557 million people through TV, digital-social space, and traditional media outlets. Sponsors enjoyed a media evaluation (visibility) of $54.5m and title sponsor MY11CIRCLE enjoyed a ROI of 9.85x. Winner of the first edition of LPL Jaffna Stallions tops the valuation chart with $3.98m followed by Galle Gladiators ($3.82m), Dambulla Kings ($3.54m) Colombo Kings ($3.44m) and Kandy Tuskers ($3.19m).

The LPL matches which were telecast live by Sky Sports, Sony Sports Network, Geo, PTV, and Willow TV in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UK, US, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand saw 155 million people tuning in to catch live action. On social media, it achieved a reach of 218 million and LPL found 133478 mentions as the league came alive with each and every match with some scintillating performances on the ground.

(Cricket news) KKR meet RCB at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, in what is a must win match for KKR. RCB on the other hand will be looking to continue their first phase form and hopefully go on run to win their maiden IPL trophy. Brendon McCullum's side lost five matches in the first phase as this unwanted break will act as a blessing in disguise for KKR, now that the players and coaches had time to reflect on the early tournament failures, the only option for them is to start winning all the matches if they stand a chance to qualify for the playoffs.

RCB on the other hand will have a lot of new faces in the camp as Adam Zampa, Finn Allen, Kane Richardson and Daniel Sams all opted out of the tournament. RCB have recruited the world no 2 T20 bowler Wanindu Hasaranga who can be their x factor heading into the tournament, the slow pitches along with playing at these venues not long back will certainly assist RCB. One area that RCB needs to improve is its death bowling if they are to challenge for the title, after the Chennai leg the RCB bowlers have leaked 12.10 runs per over and picked up only 5 wickets in the death overs. Purple cap holder Harshal Patel and Kyle Jamieson will have a lot of responsibility to tighten things up.

KKR need their foreigners to perform to their potential if they stand any chance of qualification. They have lost their star player Pat Cummins who had figures of 3/24 when they last faced each other in the first phase of the tournament, KKR management have replaced Cummins with Tim Southee who shares a close relationship with Brendon McCullum. The West Indies duo of Sunil Narine and Dre Russ hold the key to success if they are to find a result against this in form Bangalore team, Narine holds a good head to head record against AB de Villiers as he has been dismissed 3 times in 53 balls conceding only 64 runs.

Also read: KKR is now dangerous side with nothing to lose, says Morgan

Head to head: KKR 14 - 13 RCB. The last time these two sides met, RCB scored 204 runs and won that match pretty comfortably by 38 runs.

Pitch & Weather Report: The Sheikh Zayed Stadium is mostly a batting friendly surface so it may assist the batsman again. The temperature is expected to be 34 degrees with 67% humidity and  no chances of rain as of now. The hot and humid conditions might play a key role for the spinners.

Interesting facts:

• Both Russell and Narine have strike rates of over 200 against RCB
• De Villiers has now struck three consecutive fifties against KKR
• Kohli is set to make his 200th appearance for RCB 
• Kohli is also 71 runs shy of scoring 10,000 runs in T20’s

Probable XI for KKR:

1 Nitish Rana, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Sunil Narine, 8 Lockie Ferguson, 9 Kamlesh Nagarkoti/Shivam Mavi, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Prasidh Krishna  

Probable XI for RCB:

1 Virat Kohli (capt), 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 3 Rajat Patidar, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 Shahbaz Ahmed, 7 Kyle Jamieson, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Dubai, Sep 20 (Cricket News) Liam Livingstone and Evin Lewis's explosive batting will meet its match in Chris Gayle's power and KL Rahul's finesse when Rajasthan Royals lock horns with Punjab Kings to improve upon their mid-table position in the Indian Premier League here on Tuesday.

The two IPL teams have been perennial under-achievers in the league and would be desperate to change their fortunes after disappointing one and all with their underwhelming performances over the past few seasons.

More so for Punjab Kings, the only team that has lacked any kind of stability over the 14 seasons of IPL with captains and coaches being changed like musical chairs.

For skipper KL Rahul, who has been a prime performer in IPL, it will not just be about the runs he scores but also about how he leads the team with guidance from Anil Kumble, who will also want to prove his mettle as a franchise coach.

However, the match on Tuesday will be more about the kind of starts that the top-orders players provide.

Liam Livingstone has been a rage in shortest format for last couple of years now and is coming into his own with some great performances in 'The Hundred'. His potential opening partner is likely to be West Indies man Lewis, who has often been Indian cricket team's nemesis in various games.

Mohammed Shami is expected to be partnered by either Chris Jordan or Nathan Ellis.

If Livingstone and Lewis can be explosive in the Powerplay overs, Royals will expect skipper Sanju Samson to be more consistent in that number three position.

What will be Royals' advantage is Punjab's weak Indian bowling set-up save Shami as they have to depend on either Adil Rashid or Ravi Bishnoi for wrist spin. Their pace line-up with left-armer Arshdeep Singh as the domestic pick doesn't look the strongest.

Royals' third and fourth foreign player in the playing XI will be interesting choices as Chris Morris as an all-rounder is a certainty, while the fourth slot will go to either David Miller in the middle-order or world's No 1 T20 spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.

However, it is the Indian players like Rahul Tewatia, Riyan Parag, Jaydev Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya, who will like to step up their game in the next four weeks to ensure a play-off berth for Royals, which many believe is the weakest unit in absence of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler.

Similarly for Punjab Kings, Rahul and Mayank Agarwal are expected to open with Chris Gayle still an enforcer par excellence at the age of 41 which will keep the Rajasthan bowlers on tenterhooks.

In the middle-order, Nicholas Pooran, who had a horrendous outing in the first phase will like to put a far better account of himself along with M Shahrukh Khan.

Squads: Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (captain), Liam Livingstone, Evin Lewis, David Miller, Chris Morris, Oshane Thomas, Mustafizur Rahaman, Tabraiz Shamsi, Glenn Phillips, Chetan Sakariya, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Akash Singh, Anuj Rawat, KC Cariappa, Yashashvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube, Shreyas Gopal, Kartik Tyagi, Mayank Markande, Jaydev Unadkat, Kuldip Yadav, Mahipal Lomror Punjab Kings: KL Rahul (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Shahrukh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Nathan Ellis, Adil Rashid, Murugan Ashwin, Harpreet Brar, Moises Henriques, Chris Jordan, Aiden Markram, Mandeep Singh, Darsan Nalkande, Prabhsimran Singh, Ravi BIshnoi, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kumar, Jalaj Saxena.

March Starts: 7:30 pm.

Also read : KKR is now dangerous side with nothing to lose, says Morgan

News Source : PTI

Mackay, Sep 20 (Cricket News) The under-fire middle-order will be expected to deliver when India take on the mighty Australia in the ODI series beginning here on Tuesday, aiming to finalise their combination ahead of the Women's World Cup next year.

India have lost back-to-back series against South Africa and England primarily due to poor batting and even poorer strike-rate save for openers. The next challenge could not be tougher with Australia on a record 22-match winning streak.

Key batter Harmanpreet Kaur is unavailable after injuring her thumb before the warm-up game on Saturday.

"Unfortunately she injured her thumb few days ago and is not available for the first game. The rest of the squad members are fit and available for tomorrow," head coach Ramesh Powar said on the eve of the game.

Lack of firepower has been an issue for India since the home series against South Africa and Powar has clearly conveyed his expectations to the batters. Depending on how the batting performs, skipper Mithali Raj will decide on whether to bat number three or four in the longer run. With Harmanpreet injured for the opener, she is likely to stick to four to lend more solidity to the batting line-up.

The team has realised that Punam Raut neither has the power nor the game to build momentum at one-drop position after Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana's flamboyance.

Jemimah Rodrigues, who had a dismal run against England, played brilliantly in The Hundred and is back in the reckoning for the number three spot.

Mithali, with her two-decade long experience, also makes a lot of sense at number three as the innings can be built around her presence in the middle. She had scored three consecutive fifties in England at number four.

Deepti Sharma is another slow-scorer in the middle-order, which has often lost momentum.

Even during the one-off practice game, Deepti consumed as many as 93 deliveries to return with a 49 not out but its her tight off-breaks that India would require in the middle-overs which makes her indispensable.

However during the warm-up game against Australia that India lost by 36 runs, left-handed batter Yastika Bhatia gave a good account of herself scoring 41 off 42 balls as Harmanpreet was not fit for the game.

Yastika has a good chance of starting tomorrow. She is a hard-hitting batter with a good range of strokes in the off-side area.

Richa Ghosh looks set to play the 50 over format as Taniya Bhatia's strokes also lack strength, something where the Bengal girl is far ahead.

The advantage for India will be Australia's bowling line-up which isn't the most experienced one as the cricket board wants to manage the workload of the players in a series with short turnaround between formats.

So Ellyse Perry will have Annabel Sutherland, Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Stella Campbell for company in absence of seasoned pacer Megan Schutt and spinner Jess Jonassen.

The Australia bowlers have made their intentions clear: they will be aiming to bounce out the India batters as it was evident in the warm-up game.

It is Southern Stars' might batting line-up that will pose a bigger challenge for the Indians.

If the warm-up match is anything to go by, Indian bowlers, save leg-spinner Poonam Yadav and senior seamer Jhulan Goswami, looked out of rhythm as the home team scored 278 in 50 overs which is more than winning score in women's cricket.

The line up of Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Perry and Beth Mooney form a formidable five.

It is no surprise that Goswami and Yadav will need a lot of support. With Shikha Pandey not having measured up in recent series as Goswami's pace bowling partner, rookie Meghna Singh might be tried out along with bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar.

Squads India: Mithali Raj (Captain), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Punam Raut, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Shikha Pandey, Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh, Ekta Bisht.

Australia: Meg Lanning (captain), Rachael Haynes (vice-captain), Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Stella Campbell, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Redmayne, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham.

Match Starts : 5:35 am IST.

Also Read : Perry set to spearhead depleted Australian bowling attack against India

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 20 (Cricket News) Star allrounder Hardik Pandya was kept out of the IPL game against Chennai Super Kings as a precautionary measure as he had a little niggle, said Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene.

"Hardik was training, had a little niggle, so again precaution, we thought, lets just give him extra days to see how things are, but nothing serious,” the former Sri Lankan skipper said during a virtual press conference.

MI skipper Rohit Sharma had also opted out of the match and Jayawardene said he should be available for the next match.

"Rohit was batting and doing his running as well, but after coming back from the UK, we felt that, he probably needed an extra few days, so should be fine to play the next game," he said.

Mumbai didn't have a good start to the resumption of the IPL as they lost the opening match by 20 runs and Jayawardene lamented that none of his batters took the responsibility to bat through the innings.

Ruturaj Gaikwad hit an unbeaten 88 while Dwayne Bravo, batting at number eight, smashed 23 off just 8 balls as CSK made 156 for six after opting to bat first.

The total proved to be more than enough as CSK restricted MI to 136 for 8.

"We probably gave couple of soft dismissals. It just needed someone to take a bit more responsibility and bat through the innings, which we did not do and that was a difference with Ruturaj (Gaikwad) doing that for CSK," Jayawardene said.

"So, even though they (CSK) lost wickets, there was a set batsman, who went till the end. So, I think we're disappointed, the way we handled the situation, the game awareness and the approach." Chasing 156, MI slipped to 37 for three in the sixth over, before further slumping to 58 for four in the 10th over. Saurabh Tiwary (50 not out) was the top-scorer for MI but he didn't get enough support.

"...probably needed a bit more application of taking that responsibility and giving yourself a bit of time because we felt that the second half of each innings was much easier to bat," Jayawardene said.

“So, I put it down to game awareness and taking that kind of onuses, but not too concerned, because the guys (have) been hitting the ball pretty well, it is just the application out there in the middle, that is something we need to work on." Mumbai did well in the Delhi-leg of the cash-rich tournament when the IPL was called off earlier this year due to outbreak of COVID-19 cases.

Jayawardene admitted it is hard to create that kind of momentum again.

“Yeah, I mean, not in our control. Obviously, we played a couple of very good games in Delhi but unfortunately the tournament had to stop and everyone went away, was playing a lot of different cricket in different parts of the world and then coming back together again and trying to create that kind of momentum is going to be harder.

"We knew we need to be sharper, especially against the experienced Chennai team. But I think we probably competed that first 10 overs and probably another five overs in between in a 40-over game.

"So, I think when you're playing an opposition like Chennai, if you're not in the competition for that many overs, it's always going to be tough," he said.

Also Read : Rohit Sharma rested due to knee niggle

News Source : PTI

Abu Dhabi, Sep 19 (Cricket News) Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Eoin Morgan on Sunday said they will be "dangerous" opponents in the second leg of the IPL since they have nothing to lose.

The two-time champions endured an underwhelming first half, losing five of their seven matches and are languishing at the seventh spot.

The skipper feels the team now controls its own fortunes going ahead.

"We need to just look at it in one way -- we absolutely control everything from here, there is no looking behind," Morgan said during a virtual press conference ahead of their match against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

"We need to find a way of getting results and everyone in the team, fans know that that can make for very exciting watching because it makes us a very dangerous side with nothing to lose." Morgan hopes the break would fare well for KKR, who were struggling to find their feet during the first phase of the tournament "I'm delighted that we are back. Given the position we found ourselves in the beginning of the tournament and result not going our way, a little bit of a break would have hopefully helped us.

"We have certainly re-grouped here in Abu Dhabi, the guys are looking very hungry and fit, determined to make things right." KKR have roped in senior New Zealand seamer Tim Southee as a replacement for Australia's Pat Cummins, who has opted out of the second leg.

"Tim Southee is fine international cricketer who has been there for a very very long time, huge amount of experience and he has also played in the IPL. He has fitted in nicely and will hopefully contribute to the squad going forward." KKR missed out on a play-off spot last season owing to an inferior net run rate but the skipper feels conditions in UAE suit his side.

"We fell short of qualifying for the playoffs last time, I felt that we were playing some really good cricket and peaking at the right time, small margins hurt us, not going ahead on net run rate but we feel pretty much at home here in Abu Dhabi," he said.

"The conditions here suit us and we are also going to have fans around as well." Talking about the youngsters in the team including Shubhman Gill, Morgan said, "They have played a lot and are developing really well. They always look in great form and look good on the eye, hopefully they can get back into the rhythm of things."

Also Read : Ruturaj's 88 and bowlers power CSK to 20-run win over MI

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Zimbabwe tour of Scotland came to an end as the third and final T20 was won by the visitors to capture the series. Kyle Coetzer, the captain will still be content with the way they played in the series as they played their best in the three match series and narrowly lost the second match in a low scoring contest. Scotland are also currently playing the ICC Cricket World Cup League Two and are placed third with four more matches to go.

Scotland had a winning start to the series as it won the first match thanks to Richie Berrington’s swashbuckling 82 runs as he stood till the end with the score reading 141 for the loss of six wickets. The target looked easy for Zimbabwe but a four wicket haul from Safyaan Sharif and some tight bowling by Alasdair Evans saw the visitors fall short of 7 runs. Milton Shumba’s 45 runs was not enough to pull the Zimbabwe team through.

In the second match, Zimbabwe again got bundled out under 140 runs as Sean Williams was the top scorer as he held on to his bat with a 52 ball 60 as the team set a target of 137. Scotland was eyeing a comfortable series victory but got off to a clumsy start as they lost four wickets for just 16 runs until Berrington and Matthew Cross jointly scored 42 as the team was staring into a smooth win. 

Sean Williams broke the partnership in the 15th over as he got the wicket of Berrington and Luke Jongwe struck to take out Cross as Scotland lost their last four wickets while scoring two runs as they lost the match by 10 runs. Zimbabwe’s Richard Ngarava was the pick of the bowlers as he captured two wickets in the second over and only gave away 13 runs in his four over spell.

The third and final match was a high scoring one unlike the first two as both the teams went cross the 150 mark. Scotland won the toss and opted to bat which turned out to be the perfect choice as opener George Munsey and in form Berrington scored 54 and 44 runs respectively as the team ended the innings with 177 runs for the loss of four wickets. Victory again was in favour of Scotland.

Zimbabwe got off to a good start as they kept the run rate under control as Wesley Madhevere played defensively while watching his team mate Shumba smash six sixes in his 29 ball 66 which as the Scotland bowlers looked helpless. Shumba struck a four off Safyaan in the second ball of the final over as Zimbabwe finished the final match with an inspiring victory.

Scotland’s Richie Berrington finished the series as the highest run getter as he scored 168 runs in three matches as Zimbabwe’s Tendai Chatara and Luke Jongwe finished on top among the bowlers with five wickets each. The series also saw Sean Williams go past the 1000 run mark in T20 becoming only the second from his country after former player Hamilton Masakadza. Luke Jongwe is currently the second highest wicket taker this year in T20 matches with 26 wickets from 14 matches and is 2 wickets behind South African Tabraiz Shamsi.

Also read: Ireland win last ODI to tie the series after McBrine and Little star with the ball

Dubai, Sep 19 (Cricket News) India vice-captain Rohit Sharma opted out of Mumbai Indians' opening match of the second phase of Indian Premier League, which resumed here on Sunday, due to a knee niggle he had sustained during the recent England tour.

Rohit had struck a century in the second innings of the fourth Test at the Oval but did not take the field when England batted.

"The message from the physio is 'assess every minute, don't look too far ahead'," Rohit had said after the Oval Test.

Kieron Pollard led the defending champions against Chennai Super Kings in the absence of Rohit.

MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene said Rohit was kept out of the game as a precautionary measure.

"Rohit had something going in last Test (Oval), so we thought a couple of days of extra precaution," he said.

Mumbai Indians next play Kolkata Knight Riders on September 23 in Abu Dhabi.

With the T20 World Cup beginning immediately after the conclusion of the IPL, the Indian maestro would not wish to rush his return. 

Also Read : The top five run scorers in the first phase of the Indian Premier League

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 19 (Cricket News) The gifted Ruturaj Gaikwad laid the foundation with an unbeaten 58-ball 88 before Dwayne Bravo led an excellent bowling display to power Chennai Super Kings to a crushing 20-run win over Mumbai Indians in the IPL here on Sunday.

Gaikwad batted through the innings to lift Chennai Super Kings from a precarious 7/3 to 156 for six as the IPL-14 resumed in the UAE after the first phase in India was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in May.

The late spark was provided by Bravo (23 off 8 balls) as CSK recovered from a disastrous start to put up a fighting total.

Chasing 157 on a pitch where the ball often stopped on the batsmen, MI too were off to a poor start as they slipped to 37 for three in the sixth over at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Both Quinton de Kock (17) and debutant Anmolpreet Singh (16) got out after getting starts, the bowler being pacer Deepak Chahar on both occasions.

Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan too made their way back to the dugout in quick succession to leave MI in a spot of bother at 58 for four in the 10th over.

Saurabh Tiwary (50 not out) and stand-in skipper Kieron Pollard tried to forge a partnership before Josh Hazlewood had the big-hitting all-rounder from Trinidad trapped in front of the wicket.

CSK brightened their prospects further when Krunal Pandya was run out by the Dwayne Bravo-MS Dhoni combination.

Tiwary and Adam Milne tried but could not succeed, with the latter getting out to the experienced Bravo in the second ball of the 20th over.

Bravo picked up 3/25 while Chahar had 2/19 as MI ended at 136 for eight.

Earlier, the 24-year-old Gaikwad added 81 runs for the fifth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja (26) to steady the ship after they lost skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the sixth over with the score reading 24 for 4.

Gaikwad smashed nine fours and three sixes, while Bravo hit three maximums as CSK scored 112 runs in the back 10.

CSK lost four wickets in the power play, including the wickets of skipper Dhoni and the team's seasoned run-getter Suresh Raina, as three top-order batsmen failed to open their account.

The start was inauspicious for CSK as Trent Boult dismissed Faf du Plessis in the fifth ball of the very first over when the New Zealand pace spearhead had the veteran South African caught by the backward point fielder Adam Milne, who was standing very fine, after the batsman had shaped himself up to play the cut shot.

One for one became two for two in the next over as Milne got Moeen Ali who slapped a slightly short ball straight to Saurabh Tiwary at cover.

What didn't help Moeen was that the ball seemed to stop as the England all-rounder went for his shot.

More trouble was in store for CSK as the three-time winners lost the big wicket of Raina in the third over when the experienced left-handed batsman, who has helped the team win so many matches in the past, got out to an irresponsible shot when he miscued one while trying to attack the Kiwi seamer.

Meanwhile, Ambati Rayudu retired hurt after taking a blow on his body to make matter worse for the Super Kings.

If that was not enough, holders Mumbai Indians piled more misery on CSK by sending the veteran Dhoni back to the hut for a poor score.

The World Cup-winning Indian captain timed his shot well but, to his shock, Boult completed a well-judged catch at deep square leg, capping a forgettable powerplay for the unit from Chennai.

After that, Gaikwad and Jadeja put together invaluable runs by mixing caution with aggression to give their team a total to defend against a side that is missing two of their big players in regular skipper Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Hardik Pandya, whose seam-up bowling was missed when the Chennai duo was rebuilding their innings.

Also Read : Kohli to quit RCB captaincy after this year's IPL

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 19 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli will step down as captain of his IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore at the end of the ongoing season, the Indian batting maestro announced on Sunday, two days after deciding to quit national T20 captaincy following next month's World Cup.

The 32-year-old will quit the India T20 captaincy to manage the immense workload that he has been enduring as an all-format skipper and his decision to leave the leadership role in franchise cricket is part of those efforts.

"This will be my last IPL as captain of RCB. I'll continue to be an RCB player till I play my last IPL game. I thank all the RCB fans for believing in me and supporting me," Kohli said in a video statement issued by RCB.

"I have spoken to the squad. It was something that was on my mind as I recently announced stepping down as T20 captain to manage my workload which has been immense.

"I want to be clear about how I want to move forward. I have made it clear to the management that I can't think of being in any other team apart from RCB," he added.

Kohli was inducted in the RCB squad in 2008, when the league came into existence, and started leading the side in 2013. He has not managed to win the IPL title even once but was never removed from captaincy due to his immense brand value.

"It is just a little halt, not the end of the journey. The journey will continue," he asserted.

One of the most decorated players of the franchise, the star batsman will continue to be a part of the RCB squad.

Kohli has been enduring a tough phase in which he has gone without a Test century in two years and perhaps the decision will help focus on the longest format of the game.

He has managed 563 runs at 26.80 in 12 Tests during this period.

"It has been a great and an inspiring journey, captaining a talented bunch of players in the RCB squad.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the RCB management, coaches, support staff, players, and the entire RCB family, who have been instrumental in the growth of the franchise over the years.

"It wasn't an easy decision but one that has been well thought of and in the best interest of this wonderful franchise." Kohli has played 199 IPL matches and scored 6076 runs so far with five hundreds.

He had his best IPL season as a batsman in 2016 when he claimed the Orange Cap with 640 runs averaging an astonishing 81.

The highest paid cricketer in the IPL, Kohli was the first to be retained by his franchise ahead of the 2018 players auction.

Mike Hesson, RCB's director of cricket operations, thanked Kohli for his contribution as the team's captain.

"Have only been here a short time but I thank you @imVkohli for all you have done for @RCBTweets as a fully committed leader and team man, your energy and passion is infectious. I know the boys are fully committed to help send you out on a well deserved high skipper," Hesson tweeted.

Also Read : Ruturaj and Bravo got us more than what we expected: Dhoni

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 19 (Cricket News) Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Ruturaj Gaikwad and Dwayne Bravo "got us more than what we expected" after his team was reeling at 24 for four at one stage of its IPL match against Mumbai Indians here on Sunday.

Gaikwad stroked his way to an unbeaten 88 while veteran Bravo, batting at number eight, smashed 23 off just 8 balls as CSK made 156 for six after opting to bat first.

The total proved to be more than enough as CSK beat MI by 20 runs.

"At 30 for 4, you want to put up a respectable score, I felt Rutu and Bravo got us more than what we expected. We thought of 140, to get close to 160 was tremendous," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

"Rayudu got injured, so it was tough to come back from there but we batted sensibly and finished superbly. It was sensible for one batter to bat right through to the end." Talking about the wicket, Dhoni said, "The wicket was two-paced, slightly slow to start off. Also it's difficult if you're batting lower down, if you don't get a chance to see what is happening, you want to go hard." Dhoni also said that Ambati Rayudu, who retired hurt after getting hit while batting, should be fine by the next match.

Gaikwad was declared the Player of the Match and he said it was one of his better knocks.

"Obviously one of my top innings until now, given the pressure we were in. I had to grind it out, bat till 10-12 overs, give myself time and push for 120-130, and then slowly 140-150 was possible. It was a matter of spending time in the middle," he said.

"Mahi bhai, everyone in the CSK management, once they back you, they don't make you think anything but positive things. The Sri Lanka tour and preparation coming here helped a lot." MI's stand-in captain Kieron Pollard was also all praise for Gaikwad.

"Ruturaj batted really well. In T20 cricket, if one person bats through he can hurt you. We didn't finish off well with the ball. Losing by 20 runs you know those were the extra runs we conceded," he said.

He did not find any fault with the pitch but blamed poor batting for the defeat.

"The surface was good, new ball had movement, our seamers got early wickets. Their batters tried to continue the momentum throughout, we didn't do that." "Even though they got 150-plus, as a batting team we could have gotten that. Losing three wickets was a cardinal sin for us. Given the circumstances, Saurabh (Tiwary, 50 not out) batted really well," he said.

Also Read : Rajasthan Royals aim to break into the top four in the 2nd phase of the IPL

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news): The Indian Premier League is set to continue after a gap of 4 months as the pandemic caused a break in the middle of the tournament. The first half saw over 29 matches played and now in the second half, there will be a total of 27 matches before the qualifiers. The final will be played one month from now on October 15th. Out of the 8 teams only Delhi Capital and Punjab Kings have played 8 matches as the rest have played 7 matches.

The teams will play a total of 14 matches which will see the top four teams enter the qualifiers. The second half will be crucial as every match will give the teams a chance to enter the top four of the points table. Bottom placed Sunrisers Hyderabad will hope their luck changes in Dubai and Sharjah as top placed Delhi Capitals will hope their wheel of fortune keeps rolling. Mumbai Indians are currently placed 4th, they are known for their comebacks and the expectations are no different this time.

Since the venue has shifted from India to UAE there will be a significant change in every team as the pitch will be different and there will also be spectators in limited numbers this time which will bring the old charm back. The matches will start on September 19 and the schedule has also been released.

Also read: A look back at what happened in the 1st half of Indian Premier League 2021

Dubai, Sep 20 (Cricket News) Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming has lavished praise on young opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, saying he absorbed the pressure and played a "remarkable" innings which gave the team a chance against defending champions Mumbai Indians in their IPL match here.

Gaikwad hit a match-winning unbeaten 88 as CSK posted 156 for 6 after being reduced to 24 for four inside the powerplay.

"Today's innings was very special. It's okay to play an innings in a high-scoring game and dominate. But when you're the one to get a score to give your team a chance, then that's even more special," Fleming said at the post-match press conference.

"So, the way he went about his work, it had really absorbing pressure and then the ability to accelerate as the innings went on, it really was down to his hand, that we were able to create any pressure whatsoever. So, it was a remarkable innings from him." Gaikwad anchored the innings with an unbeaten 58-ball knock before Dwayne Bravo led an excellent bowling display to power CSK to a crushing 20-run win over Mumbai Indians in the IPL here on Sunday.

"It was very special, as you know, we've had very big taps on him (Ruturaj) for some time. Even last time we were here, we rushed him back, probably too early given the shape he was in from COVID, but that's how much regard and respect we have for his ability.

"But the way he finished off the IPL here in Dubai last year, set him up for the first part in India,” added the former New Zealand skipper.

While batsman Ambati Rayudu retired hurt after taking a blow on his body, pacer Deepak Chahar had cramps while bowling.

Giving an update on their fitness, the head coach said: "Rayudu X-ray was clear. So, it was just a bad bruise at the stage and he lost a little bit of power on his grip. So, yeah, we were up feared for that it could be broken, but the good news, it is not.

"And Deepak Chahar was cramped and will check that out tomorrow. So hopefully fingers crossed, they both will come through reasonably, okay.” In the game against Mumbai Indians, CSK skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni came out to bat ahead of Ravindra Jadeja and Fleming said the call was taken based on the match situation.

"It is very much (based on the) situation. In India, we had some really good starts and we looked at the left and right hand combination. So, we're getting into the back end of the innings," he said.


"When the captain made the call today it was much different. We haven't been in this situation for some time, if at all."So, the captain wanted the responsibility and it was right, so it was a good call but it's very much situational and just a little bit of a gut feel in the match situation, with a left hander or MS goes up. So, it's good to have those options."

Also Read : Harshal Patel leading the race for purple cap in first phase of Indian Premier League

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) The 14th season of IPL will see its second phase starting from 19th of September.  The top 10 of all time wicket takers are dominated by the spinners as there are only three pacers, Lasith Malinga is on the top with 170 wickets and Amit Mishra will look to overtake him this season as Mishra needs five more wickets to become the leading wicket taker. Only two spinners have managed to win the purple cap, Pragyan Ojha in 2010 and Imran Tahir in 2019. Dwayne Bravo has taken the most wickets in a single season as he won the purple cap in 2013 with 32 wickets.

Harshal Patel: Royal Challengers Bangalore

Harshal is having his best season by picking up 17 wickets in seven matches as he leads the list of wicket takers in the first phase of IPL. He and Andre Russell are the only bowlers to take a five wicket haul so far in this season. Harshal created chaos in the opening game against Mumbai Indians as he took three wickets in the last over while conceding a single run. He will look to break Bravo’s record as there are seven more matches and he needs 15 more wickets. Although he proved to be economical in the beginning, he has leaked the second most runs in the league this season after Shardul Thakur.

Avesh Khan: Delhi Capitals

Avesh Khan is placed second in the list as he has taken 14 wickets from eight matches. He has been bowling well in every match and has leaked minimal runs. He has the ability to trouble the batsman with his pace as well as the length. The T20 format requires sharp bowling and Avesh does have the potential to stop the run scoring. He has bowled 72 dot balls this season and is fourth on the list.

Chris Morris: Rajasthan Royals

Chris Morris is currently third having picked up 14 wickets in seven matches. He had taken fifteen wickets in the 2013 season in sixteen matches and will be able to finish strong this time. He is the most expensive player as he was bought by the team for a price of 16.25 crores. He does have a lot of expectations to fulfil and is so far performing well for the team. He has bowled 63 dot balls this season and bowled 18 dot balls against Kolkata Knight Riders while picking up four wickets.

Rahul Chahar: Mumbai Indians

Rahul Chahar has been one of the most economical bowlers this season as he has not only reduced the run flow but has also picked up wickets. He has 11 scalps from seven games and looks promising as the second phase will test his potential. He cleaned the top four batsmen from the Kolkata Knight Riders which played a major part as Mumbai won the match by 10 runs.

Rashid Khan: Sunrisers Hyderabad

Rashid Khan has been the most economical bowler out of the top five as he has given away only 172 runs while taking 10 wickets. He is one of the top bowlers in the game and has been phenomenal with the bowl although the others have failed to do well. It will be a shame if Sunrisers don’t finish in the top four as Rashid is a player who can trouble any of the batsmen and can defend low totals.

Also read: The top five run scorers in the first phase of the Indian Premier League

(Cricket news) The 2nd phase of the 2021 IPL is about to start and Rajasthan Royals are 5th on the points table with 7 matches left to play. Their 1st game back is against PBKS on 21st September.

Newly appointed captain Sanju Samson has been performing with the willow, having scored 277 runs in 7 innings. Proteas seamer Chris Morris is leading the bowling attack and has already picked up 14 wickets. Youngster Chetan Sakariya is enjoying a good start to his IPL career.

Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler carried the batting line up in the 1st half. With Buttler not there, one or two others have to take more responsibility. David Miller is the obvious candidate with all his experience. Rahul Tewatia had a breakthrough tournament last season but hasn't quite delivered in this edition. Another problem is that the opening pair is still unclear. Manan Vohra, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Evin Lewis.

Also read: Punjab Kings look to break their 6 year streak to qualify for the playoffs

Since winning the inaugural tournament in 2008, Rajasthan Royals have made it to the playoffs only twice. They have a long way to ge before they can get anywhere near the trophy, to try and get to the playoffs would be the first step. On a personal level Sanju Samson will have something to prove after being cast aside from the Indian side.

The Royals played the 1st half without Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Liam Livingstone. While Livingstone is set to return, Stokes and Archer will miss the tournament. To make matters worse Jos Buttler is the recent Englishman to pull out of the tournament. Evin Lewis, Glenn Phillips, Tabraiz Shamsi and Oshane Thomas are the four new signings made for the 2nd phase.

Here is the full Rajasthan Royals squad

Sanju Samson (c & wk), Shreyas Gopal, Glenn Phillips (wk), Rahul Tewatia, Riyan Parag, Evin Lewis, Oshane Thomas, Kartik Tyagi, Mahipal Lomror, Yashasvi Jaiswal, David Miller, Jaydev Unadkat, Anuj Rawat (wk), Mayank Markande, Manan Vohra, Tabraiz Shamsi, Chris Morris, Shivam Dube, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman, Liam Livingstone, Akash Singh, KC Cariappa, Kuldip Yadav.

Brisbane, Sep 18 (Cricket news) The Indian women's team made a disappointing start to its tour of Australia as it suffered a 36-run loss in a 50-over warm-up match here on Saturday.

Opener Rachael Haynes (65), Meg Lanning (59) and Beth Mooney (59) smashed individual fifties as Australia posted a challenging 278 for nine after batting first at the Ian Healy Oval.

In reply, India could only manage 242 for seven in their 50 overs with Pooja Vastrakar (57) emerging as the top-scorer.

For Australia, star all-rounder Ellyse Perry (2/38) made a successful return to new-ball duties as she, along with 19-year-old quick Stella Campbell (3/38), snapped two wickets each inside the first 15 overs to leave India reeling at 88 for four.

Perry produced a disciplined performance, bowling a tight line and was rewarded with the wickets of opener Smriti Mandhana (14) and Mithali Raj (1).

Campbell made her case for an international debut as she got rid of Shafali Verma (27) and Richa Ghosh (11) early.

The 21-year-old India rookie Yastika Bhatia (41) then gave ample display of her resilience as she negotiated a barrage of short balls from Darcie Brown, 18, before being dismissed by left-arm finger spinner Sophie Molineux (1/12).

With India slipping to 106 for six, Vastrakar and Deepti Sharma (49 not out) tried to stage a recovery but the duo couldn't take them across the line.

Earlier, Jhulan Goswami (2/36) and Meghna Singh (0/35) looked impressive with the new-ball.

Goswami provided the first blow, removing Alyssa Healy (8) but Haynes and Lanning took Australia past the 100-mark.

Vastraker ran out Haynes to break the partnership and Perry (1) was stumped after she appeared to be unaware that she had strayed out.

With two wickets falling in quick succession, Australia slipped to 136 for four.

After that, Ashleigh Gardner (24) combined with Mooney for an important fifth-wicket stand of 63.

Annabel Sutherland (20 off 14) and Georgia Wareham (17 not out off 15) then offered India a stark warning of their depth as Australia posted a good score on board.

The two teams will meet in the ODI series opener on Tuesday.

Also read: Heather Knight and Katherine Brunt lead England to ODI victory against New Zealand

News source: PTI 

(Cricket news) The second phase of the IPL begins tomorrow in UAE, the first phase saw Delhi Capitals leading the points table with Shikhar Dhawan leading the batting charts. Delhi Capitals have one bowler and two batsmen in the top five charts of runs scored and wickets. The first stage has so far seen three centuries with Rajasthan Royals accounting for two of them. The top five batsmen from the first phase are all right handers except for Shikhar Dhawan and Faf Du Plessis being the only overseas player.

Shikhar Dhawan: Delhi Capitals

Dhawan is currently the highest run scorer with 380 runs from eight matches, he has been playing in IPL since the inaugural edition and has scored 300 plus runs in every season except in 2009 and 2010. He started off with a whirlwind 85 from 54 balls that helped his team chase a target of 190 against Chennai Super Kings and in the third match single handedly led the team to victory by scoring 92 runs from 49 balls against Punjab Kings.

Dhawan’s form has given the team great starts and they have been able to chase down huge targets. The left hander plays with aggression which has helped him become a consistent performer in the league and last year became the first batsmen in IPL to score back to back centuries which helped saw him scoring 618 runs his highest so far. Dhawan’s form is vital for Delhi Capitals to stay on top of the points table.

KL Rahul: Punjab Kings

Rahul has been a star performer every season with the bat and has so far scored 331 runs from seven matches. He has smashed 16 sixes which is the most this season along with four half centuries and has got out in the nineties twice. His captaincy skills are also on point along with the wicket keeping and has scored 500 plus runs in the past three seasons. He can get runs on board quickly and has the ability to clear the boundaries consistently as he has scored the fastest half century in IPL in 2018 which came off 18 balls . Rahul also has the highest score by an Indian in the IPL as he scored 132 last year and ended the season with 670 runs.

Faf Du Plessis: Chennai Super Kings

Du Plessis is known for his flying catches and speed on the field, he is 37 years old but is still quicker and agile than most of the youngsters in the league. He has scored 320 runs from seven matches. After failing to score in the opening game against Delhi Capitals, Du Plessis has been in spectacular form as he has scored four half centuries in his last four innings and even came close to scoring his first century in IPL in the fourth match against Kolkata Knight Riders but fell short of five runs. He is coming back from playing CPL for Saint Lucia Kings and is known for his ability to hit with power and also technique.

Prithvi Shaw: Delhi Capitals

The youngest of the lot, Shaw has been proving to be a perfect partner to Dhawan in the Delhi Capitals. He has scored 308 runs from eight matches and is having the best season so far as his previous highest runs tally was in 2019 when he scored 353 runs from 16 matches. Shaw was on song against Kolkata Knight Riders as he scored 82 runs from 41 balls and hit six fours in six balls in the very first over of the match. Shaw will be eager to cross the 400 run mark or even the 500 mark this season and has the ability to hit the ball all around the ground.

Sanju Samson: Rajasthan Royals

Samson has been one of the most elegant batsmen in the IPL in recent times and comfortably clears the boundary ropes. He has scored 277 runs from seven matches so far and scored a heroic 119 in his first match as a captain. He is known to be brave and is always on the lookout to knock one over the boundary. Although he struggled after the first match scoring 30 runs in the next three matches he came back with 40 plus scores in the final three matches. Samson has been the lone performer from his team and as the captain will need to motivate the players to climb up the rankings.

Also read: IPL returns as precursor to T20 World Cup

New Delhi, Sept. 17, 2021 (Sports news) Under Armour athlete Sufiya Khan, who holds a world record for long distance running, is once again ready to push her limits with her upcoming Ultra marathon ‘Himalayan Ultra Run Expedition’. Aiming to cover a distance of 480 km in less than 130 hours, amidst the difficulties of ruthless terrains and conditions, Sufiya will be the first female marathon runner in the world to attempt the run from Manali to Leh. The Himalayan Ultra Run Expedition is scheduled from 25th Sep to 30th Sep 2021 and will begin at an altitude of 2000m, reaching up to 5400m altitude and total 9000 m elevation gain throughout the expedition with temperature dipping between minus 5 to minus 10 degrees and oxygen levels getting less than 50 percent on mountain passes. Themed ‘Push Your Limits’, with this run both, Sufiya and Under Armour aim to encourage athletes to expand their limits, move out of their comfort zone and take up challenging tasks in their fitness journey.

From everyday athletes to the world’s best, Under Armour has been committed to equipping focused performers to strive for success. After supporting Sufiya to power through her record breaking Kashmir to Kanyakumari run and Indian Golden Quadrilateral Run Under Armour continues to contribute to Sufiya’s constant pursuit to move beyond the ordinary and push her limits with her upcoming Manali to Leh run.

Also read: Opportunities aplenty for aspiring female cricketers post evolution of the game - India A all rounder Tejal Hasabnis

Gearing for her next big feat, Sufiya Khan said, “I see every challenge as an opportunity for me to prepare myself for the next one. This run is one of the most challenging ones that I will attempt in my life and I am both excited and nervous about it. I am honoured to be supported by a brand like Under Armour and draw a great deal of inspiration from their philosophies. The brand’s core values resonate with my own and pushes me to give in my very best. I believe together we can push the limits of human potential and further encourage and motivate every budding athlete to push their boundaries and step out of their comfort zones.”

In 2020 Sufiya Khan hit the road for her most ambitious run. She aimed to run along with the Golden Quadrilateral highway network across India: a total length of about 6,002 km. After facing some disappointment in her first attempt due to the Covid pandemic, Sufiya completed the marathon in 110 days, 23 hours and 24 minutes, in her second attempt. Sufiya credits a big part of her success to wearing the correct gear provided by Under Armour. She believes it has not only enhanced her performance but also safeguarded her from injuries along the way.

Dubai, Sep 18 (Cricket news) Players will be getting valuable experience in the UAE conditions ahead of the T20 World Cup while the Indian cricket board will be hoping its money-spinner stays away from the looming COVID-19 shadow when the IPL resumes with the blockbuster Chennai Super Kings-Mumbai Indians clash here on Sunday.

As the second wave of COVID-19 wreaked havoc in India in April-May, the water-tight IPL bio-bubble was also breached, forcing the suspension of the tournament after 29 games.

With too much at stake for all stakeholders including the players, teams and BCCI, there was little doubt over the completion of the world's biggest T20 competition. It was only about when the BCCI would squeeze in the IPL in an ever-pack global calendar.

After a few alterations in the franchise cricket and international calendar, the best possible window was found with the BCCI slotting in the tournament as the lead up to the T20 World Cup.

Last week, doubts over smooth conduct of the tournament resurfaced with the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Indian team's camp in England but fortunately for the organisers, the issue did not escalate and the available Indian and English players arrived here safely.

The entire IPL was held in the UAE last year without any hassles and the BCCI will be hoping for a similar experience this time around.

Fans, albeit a limited number, will also be present at an IPL venue for the first time since 2019, adding immensely to the event's spectacle.

Though the squads have already been announced for the World Cup, an IPL performance seldom gets unnoticed and there could be some players, including Indians, who make the squad in the 11th hour in case of injury with the ICC allowing changes until October 10.

India skipper Virat Kohli, who will step down from T20 captaincy after the World Cup, would love to get his hands on the elusive trophy and Royal Challengers Bangalore showed signs earlier in the season that they could finally go all the way.

Delhi Capitals, who finished runners-up in 2020, are leading the points tally and are primed to win their maiden title. The other teams in the top four are CSK, RCB and the mighty Mumbai Indians, the winner of a record five titles and the team to upstage.

There are 31 games to be played in UAE conditions instead of the usual 60 and that could mean good pitches for the majority of the tournament. With the conditions different from India and pitches expected to be slower, all teams have emphasised on starting from scratch.

CSK and MI renew their celebrated rivalry to kick start the IPL resumption on Sunday.

Having already played half of their 14 league games, MI, who have three wins from seven games, can't afford another slow start.

CSK, aka Dad's Army, finally seemed to have found a winning combination after the disappointment of 2020. Their young guns like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sam Curran delivered in the first half of the season while their spinners -- Imran Tahir, Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja -- also came to the party. Moeen and Jadeja also impressed with the bat.

Now the team will be hoping its stalwarts, skipper Dhoni and Suresh Raina, too find their touch.

MI, on the other hand, will be hoping to up their game like they often do in pressure situations. Their famed middle-order did not exactly set the stage on fire and their bowling in the powerplay also can be better.

Skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been in stellar touch of late, will be expected to continue in the same vein and the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and leggie Rahul Chahar, come into the event a more confident trio having made the World Cup squad.

Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya would be expected to bowl regularly in the tournament which will also tell the India selectors on how he is shaping ahead of the ICC showpiece.

The teams which have been affected by withdrawals of key players include Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders, who all are struggling to survive in the competition.

Punjab had to seek replacements for Dawid Malan, Riley Meredith and Jhye Richardson. They managed to rope in the services of rising Australian pacer Nathan Ellis to boost their death bowling. England leggie Adil Rashid too has come into the squad.

KKR will be missing the services of star pacer Pat Cummins who has been replaced by Tim Southee.

Royals were anyway without Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes and now Jos Buttler has been added to that list. The English player to watch out in the squad would be Liam Livingstone.

With one win from seven games, Sunrisers Hyderabad will have to come up with something special to resurrect their campaign. They will be without star opener Jonny Bairstow.

Also read: Punjab Kings look to break their 6 year streak to qualify for the playoffs

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Sep 18 (Cricket news) Mahendra Singh Dhoni was always a bowlers' captain in white ball cricket and his presence as team mentor for the T20 World Cup will immensely benefit Jasprit Bumrah and Co, feels former India opener Virender Sehwag.

Dhoni was recently named mentor for the mega event by the BCCI.

"I am very happy that MS accepted the offer to be the Team Mentor for the T20 World Cup. I know many people want that MS should again comeback into the mainstream of Indian cricket and being roped in as the mentor is the best thing that could have happened," Sehwag told PTI in an exclusive interview.

Sehwag, who has played alongside Dhoni for a decade, knew what his core strength was as a captain and that is understanding his bowlers' psyche in limited overs format.

"As a keeper, MS was exceptional with his understanding of field placements and this is something that will help the bowling unit in this World Cup. The bowlers can pick his brains and get useful tips on planning against a batsman," the explosive opener of yesteryears said.

For Sehwag, there can't be a better 'mentor' than Dhoni when it comes to young players, who are a bit introvert and need someone to guide them as they try to express themselves on the field.

"There are always players in any international side, who are shy and do hesitate to go up to their skipper and strike up a cricketing conversation. MS has always been that kind of a person who is easily approachable and also a perfect trouble shooter for youngsters." While the BCCI has announced the 15-member squad with three reserves, Sehwag believes that with ICC giving a window to change teams till October 10, there could still be room for some good performers, who have missed the bus.

"100%. We have around seven matches minimum left for the teams. That means you still have a platform to perform and those who are on the fringes could still impress the Indian selectors who would be watching the tournament closely. "Since ICC allows a window to change teams, I will not be surprised if there are some changes in the original squad," the Nawab of Najafgarh said.

Talking about Virat Kohli, Sehwag said that Kohli at least owes one IPL trophy to Bangalore since he enjoys such a huge fan following.

"IPL is important for every captain but I think more so for Virat as with his huge fan base, everyone wants Virat to win a trophy for the Bangalore franchise. If not multiple times then at least once in his tenure as captain," the 42-year-old said.

"This has been a strange year off the field due to pandemic and who knows it might be a different year for Bangalore from previous seasons and they go on to win the trophy," said Sehwag.

Just like that last edition of IPL in the UAE, Sehwag again feels that Mumbai and Delhi are favourites to win the tournament.

"Since the second half has been shifted to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, I think Delhi and Mumbai will again be favourites and the five-time champions are slightly ahead," he said.

Sehwag reckons that pitches in UAE will be slower and thus Chennai and Bengaluru might facesome problems.

"Chennai's average score in India was 201 during the first phase but I think when it comes to UAE tracks, they would be lacking a bit in batting firepower. If I have to pick one team, that will be Mumbai." He said that for Chennai, after such a long gap, it might take "some more matches" to settle down and get into the "groove".

When asked which are the players that he would be looking forward during the next four weeks, Sehwag named four batters.

"My first choice will be Ishan Kishan followed by Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul and Sanju Samson. These four I will be intently watching. I have loved Devdutt's batting and if I have to pick one amongst the four, he is my man. Who knows, if he does well, he might be drafted in as that Indian top-order for the T20 World Cup,' he added.

The interview was facilitated by "Flipkart Video for Power Play with Champions".

Also read: Achieved all I wanted, never overstay your welcome: Shastri gears up for end of India tenure

The show will take viewers through a predictive spin on the upcoming cricket tournament, which will not only give them a chance to test their knowledge of their favourite game, but will also give them a chance to win exciting prizes.

Talking about the show, Sehwag said, "I had a great time last year on Flipkart Video Power Play with Champions and also half the season that we did earlier this year." 

News source: PTI

(Cricket news) The 2nd phase of the 2021 IPL is about to start and PBKS are 6th on the points table with 6 matches left to play. Their 1st game back is against RR on 21st September.

Captain KL Rahul is once again leading from the front having scored 331 runs in 7 innings. There has been adequate support from opening partner Mayank Agarwal but after that it goes downhill. No other batsman has made significant runs with the willow which explains their position on the table. Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh have led the bowling department which hasn't done particularly well.

PBKS in 13 seasons have qualified for the playoffs only twice. The structure of the team keeps on changing again and again with new coaches and new captains which isn't healthy. Two of the most successful teams are Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings and long term captains is one thing they both have in common. PBKS are still in the contest but they need their middle order to step up.

Also read: Can Royal Challengers Bangalore finally bring the trophy home this season?

The two West Indians Nicholas Pooran and Chris Gayle will have a huge role to play. There have been talks about Chris Gayle opening the innings which might not be the worst thing in the world as Gayle is far more comfortable at the top of the order considering he needs a few balls to get into his rhythm. Aiden Markram could be a wildcard as he is in a hot run of form in T20Is. Adil Rashid could be Useful bowler in the UAE conditions. His ability to bowl with the hard new ball will come in very handy.

Pacers Riley Meredith and Jhye Richardson have pulled out of the 2nd phase of the tournament. PBKS have signed English leggie Adil Rashid and Australian pacer Nathan Ellis as replacements. ICC's no.1 T20I batsman David Malan has also pulled out of the tournament and Aiden Markram has been named as a replacement.

Here is the full PBKS Squad

KL Rahul (Captain), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Prabhsimran Singh, Mohammed Shami, Chris Jordan, Darshan Nalkande, Ravi Bishnoi, Murugan Ashwin, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Ishan Porel, Moises Henriques, Shahrukh Khan, Pratyush Singh, Jalaj Saxena, Nathan Ellis, Adil Rashid, Aiden Markram

London, Sep 18 (Cricket news) His tenure set to end after next month's T20 World Cup, India head coach Ravi Shastri conceded that there would be a bit of "sadness" but he has no doubts that he is going out at the right time, having "over-achieved" during his stint.

Shastri's first stint as head coach began in 2017 before he was reappointed in 2019. The T20 World Cup starts on October 17 in the UAE.

The 59-year-old is currently in quarantine here after testing positive for COVID-19. Speaking to 'The Guardian', Shastri said to win the T20 World Cup would be special but the team has already done special things in his time.

"I believe so because I've achieved all I wanted. Five years as No.1 (in Test cricket), to win in Australia twice, to win in England.

"I spoke to Michael Atherton earlier this summer and said: 'For me, this is the ultimate – to beat Australia in Australia and win in England in Covid times.' We lead England 2-1 and the way we played at Lord's and the Oval was special," said the former player.

India were leading 2-1 against England when the fifth and final Test in Manchester was called off after a COVID-19 outbreak in the touring camp.

During Shastri's tenure, India also recorded T20 series wins in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and England.

"We've also beaten every country in the world in their own backyard in white-ball cricket. If we win the (T20) World Cup that will be the icing on the cake. There is nothing more.

"I believe one thing – never overstay your welcome. And I would say that, in terms of what I wanted to get out of the side, I've over-achieved. To beat Australia away and to lead the series in England in a COVID year? It is the most satisfying moment of my four decades in cricket." The flamboyant coach would love to sign off with an ICC trophy, which the team has not lifted during the Shastri-Virat Kohli phase.

"We're going to give it everything. Absolutely. We've got the team to win if we play to our potential. Above all we're going to enjoy it. Forget Test match pressure. T20 cricket is meant to be enjoyed. I plan on going out on a real high," he asserted.

"Yes there will be sadness it's ending because I've worked with so many great players and personalities. We've had some great times in the dressing room. But, above all, the quality of our cricket and the results we've achieved has made it one heck of a journey," he said.

He also spoke on the emergence of Jasprit Bumrah as a lethal Test bowler in his tenure.

"No one believed Jasprit Bumrah could play Test cricket. He was a white-ball bowler. But when I took over as coach I asked myself: 'How do I take 20 wickets overseas?' "I knew I needed four great fast bowlers because I had played so much Test cricket against the West Indies. It started in South Africa in 2018 and we lost that fantastic series 2-1. I wanted to unleash Bumrah in that first Test in Cape Town.

"I bounced the idea off Virat months before and told the selectors: 'Do not unleash him in India. I don't want the world to see him in Test cricket before Cape Town.' "That was three years ago. Since then he's taken 101 wickets (in 24 Tests). It's remarkable."

Also read: BCCI may approach Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman for head coach's post

News source: PTI 

(Sports News) The power of sports is universal, it spans across cultures, languages, countries and continents. It’s one of the most lucrative spots for advertisers, with the price of a 30 second commercial at the Super Bowl costing $5,500,000 simply because of the sheer number of eyeballs at the event. While some sports are bigger in certain areas than others, the influence of these events is simply getting bigger by each passing year.

Here are the top five most watched sporting events in the world

5) Winter Olympics

There are many sports that are not given the limelight they deserve such as figure skating, alpine skiing, ice hockey, and snowboarding, until they are featured at the Winter Olympics. Although it’s the less popular cousin of the Summer Olympics, it still reaches a broad audience because it hosts a number of countries. This 17 day event got 2.1 billion in TV viewership in 2006 and will be held in Beijing, China from February 4 - 20, 2022.

4) Cricket World Cup

For many parts of the world, especially the Indian subcontinent, the cricket mania is off the charts. The Cricket World Cup is a championship featuring many countries from across the world competing in a One Day International Format. The tournament lasts just over six weeks and takes place every four years. The 2019 Cricket World Cup hosting in England and Wales set a new viewership record with 2.6 billion people tuning in to become the most watched cricketing event in history. The next Cricket World Cup will be hosted by India from February 9th to March 26th, 2023.

3) Tour de France

The Tour de France is undoubtedly the most prestigious event in the world of cycling and arguably one of the biggest sporting events in the world, dating back all the way to 1903. The race is held across 2,200 miles at France’s scenic mountain roads across 23 days. With 21 stages in the race, competitors race as an 8 person team to get the fastest time. Approximately 190 countries tune in to watch the Tour de France with an estimated viewership of 3.5 billion people according to race organizers and 12 million roadside spectators.

2) FIFA World Cup

It’s only fitting that the FIFA World Cup to be one of the most watched sporting events, considering that football is the most popular sport in the world. In fact, the FIFA World Cup should be THE biggest sporting event in the world if we refer to single sport events, but for the sake of technicality, it remains in second place. This 32 team event, which will be expanded to 48 countries in 2026 is only getting bigger, thereby getting more viewers. To put it in perspective just how big this event is, the 1950 World Cup Final had a record attendance of 199,854 spectators in an enclosed stadium. Nearly half of the human population (estimated to be 3.57 billion) tuned in to watch the FIFA World Cup in Russia, 2018 and the sport is expected to grow even more by the time it’s hosted in Qatar in 2023.

1) Summer Olympics

The most watched and biggest sporting event on the planet, the Summer Olympics is the pinnacle of every athlete's career. Not only does it feature a wide variety of sports, it has all the action, drama and surprises that make us all love sports. From shock underdog victories to new records being broken and personal dreams being fulfilled, the Olympics is a stage unlike any other. Held every four years, the Summer Olympics is viewed across the globe with the 2012 London Games and Rio Olympics being viewed by an estimated 3.6 billion people. The next edition will be held in Paris, France in 2024 from July 26 – August 11.

Also read: Japan will not host the FIFA Club World Cup 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic

New Delhi, Sep 17 (Cricket news) Some former international cricketers, including Indians, will be in action in a T20 tournament called the Legends League Cricket to be held in March next year in the UAE, the event's organisers stated on Friday.

Although the organisers did not divulge details of the players who have signed up for the tourney, they claimed that the list includes some top former internationals from India, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, and England, among others.

"The League would be played twice every year. In the first season, the league would be played in Tri-series format, with Indian team, Asian Team and a Rest of the World Team playing against each other.

"This would mean six league stage matches before the final match," they stated in a press release.

Vivek Khushalani, co-founder and promoter, promised a grand show.

Also read: BCCI may approach Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman for head coach's post

"The brainstorming sessions gave us huge excitement, the thought of seeing Legends playing for team India once again gave a different high.

"As sports enthusiasts, we have spent our lives watching them play and win matches for India and with LLC, billions of fans can relive those dreams," Khushalani stated. 

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Sep 18 (Cricket news) Life may come to a full circle for Anil Kumble as the Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI might ask him to apply for the post of head coach of the Indian team along with VVS Laxman once Ravi Shastri finishes his term after the T20 World Cup.

Kumble was the coach of the Indian team for a year between 2016-17 when the Cricket Advisory Committee headed by Sachin Tendulkar, Laxman and Ganguly had appointed him, replacing Shastri.

However, a bitter fall-out with captain Virat Kohli led to Kumble tendering his resignation after the Champions Trophy final defeat against Pakistan.

Along with Kumble, the board may also approach Laxman, who has been a mentor of the IPL side Sunrisers Hyderabad for some years now.

However, Kumble will be favourite even as Laxman will also remain in contention.

"Anil Kumble's exit needs course correction. The manner in which the CoA succumbed to the pressure of Kohli and removed him, wasn't the best example set. However, it also depends on whether Kumble or Laxman are ready to apply for the job," a senior BCCI source privy to development told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Kohli has already announced that he will quit as T20 captain after the World Cup.

For the BCCI brass, a reputed Indian coach is always the first choice and both Kumble and Laxman with their stature in Indian cricket with 100 plus Test matches along with coaching experience fit the bill perfectly. A foreign coach is the second option.

"The criteria for BCCI's coach's job will be such that only a select few with very good record as player as well as experience of coaching/mentorship can apply for the top job," the source said.

Asked if Vikram Rathour is in contention, the official said,"He can apply if he wishes to but he doesn't have the stature to become a head coach of the Indian cricket team." "He is at best an assistant coach. However, when we select the new coach, he will have a team all by himself. So let's wait and watch," the source concluded.

Also read: NZ took an unilateral approach, they will hear us at ICC: PCB chief Raja

News source: PTI 

(Cricket news) Mumbai Indians have been one of the top teams in the IPL with five titles to their name and in the past few years have been known to comeback from the brink. They are currently placed fourth in the points table having won four matches out of seven and still have seven matches to play in UAE. They will be looking to be the first team to win the title three consecutive times and have the capability to do it.

Rohit Sharma is leading the team, he is the highest run getter for India in Tests this year and has already established his name in the shorter formats. Their bowling is led by Jasprit Bumrah who has been quite efficient with his yorkers and speed especially at the death overs. Trent Boult is also quite lethal, Rahul Chahar has been performing well and Piyush Chawla comes with a lot of experience playing in the IPL. Krunal Pandya can also give Chawla company in spin and both of them can play attacking shots too.

The batting is led by the captain hitman along with Hardik Pandya, big hitter Kieron Pollard, Ishan Kishan who recently made his debut for team India just like Suryakumar Yadav and Chris Lynn. Wicket keeper batsman Quinton De Kock is also a young explosive player who gets right off the blocks and is a regular opener for the team. Pandya has lately been out of form and will look to get it together before the start of the T20 World Cup, Pollard is one of the most experienced players in the T20 format and will look to continue his CPL form.

They have eight points as of now and are just below Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians are always up for an entertaining show. They have the top bowlers and batsmen in their side, Rohit has been the top scorer in the team as Rahul Chahar has been on fire with the ball. Even though only one half of the league has been completed, fireworks are for sure from the Mumbai Indians as Pollard and Pandya have the ability to take the team from bottom to the top. As for the bowlers Bumrah and Boult can restrict the batsmen from scoring even in the final overs.

Ishan and Suryakumar Yadav performed admirably well in their national debut against Sri Lanka, they will look to take the team to the top as they will also look to seal their place in the national team. Arjun Tendulkar has also been included in the team and might get a chance to play with the rest. Dhawal Kulkarni has only played a single match this season, he had some great seasons with Rajasthan Royals with the ball and Saurabh Tiwary who is yet to play a match this season. Mumbai Indians will play their opening match against arch rivals Chennai Super Kings on 19th September.

Also read: Sunrisers Hyderabad look to end their losing streak in second phase of IPL

Karachi, Sep 17 (Cricket news) Furious with New Zealand's decision to abandon their ongoing tour of Pakistan citing a security threat, PCB chairman Ramiz Raja on Friday threatened to drag the matter to ICC, which, interestingly, is headed by a New Zealander at the moment.

New Zealand cancelled the tour just before the start of the first ODI here, citing a security threat which the host board insisted did not exist.

This was New Zealand's first tour of Pakistan in 18 years and the series comprised three ODIs and five T20 Internationals.

"Crazy day it has been! Feel so sorry for the fans and our players. Walking out of the tour by taking a unilateral approach on a security threat is very frustrating. Especially when it's not shared!! Which world is NZ living in??NZ will hear us at ICC," Raja tweeted.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White issued a statement to say that it was simply not possible to continue with the tour given the advice he was receiving from his government. The Black Caps have been here since September 11.

Also read: New Zealand abandon tour of Pakistan citing security threat

It remains to be seen how much impact PCB's appeal at the ICC evokes as the game's governing body is currently being chaired by a New Zealander in Greg Barclay. 

News source: PTI

(Cricket news) KKR haven't really hit the ground running this first half of the season, too many inconstient performances has led  the team down and now require a herculean effort to qualify for the playoffs. The Knights basically have to win 6 out of their 7 matches to stand any chances to make it to the playoffs in the second half of the season. The two time champions will be without their primer fast bowler Pat Cummins who opted out of the IPL to focus on the T20 World Cup and Ashes. KKR have played 7 matches and have won 2 and lost 5 as they lie 7th in the table

One thing KKR have shown this season is that they were giving consistent runs at specific roles, last year apart from Shubman Gill, no one had a fixed batting position in the team. Although this season they have stuck with Gill-Rana-Tripathi combination in the top order followed by Morgan-Russell-Karthik trio but the issue is that they looked good individually but as a eleven they haven't clicked in unison. They have had games where the top order performs but the middle order fails and vice versa. Cummins was arguably their best player in the Indian leg, picking up 9 wickets and scoring valuable runs in the lower order but him pulling out will serve as a massive jolt to the franchise. They have replaced Cummins with  New Zealand T20 captain Tim Southee.

The problem with the first half of the season was that the team didn’t click on both fronts, either some matches their batting was good or bowling was bad. The main Achilles heel for this team is the inability to strike at regular intervals as in the last season KKR picked up the fewest wickets, a trend which continued this season as well. Their pacers have struggled to pick up wickets in the powerplay (3 wickets in 7 innings during the powerplay) this has hampered the spinners in the middle overs as the batsman usually used to get settled in.

Also read: KKR's Morgan, McCullum excited about playing in front of fans

The only positive heading into the tournament is the form of Russell and Narine as they both had a good CPL. The added benefit of Varun Chakravarthy getting selected for the T20 World Cup should act as a catalyst to perform better and showcase his talent to the Indian fans. Last season, Chakravarthy finished the season with 17 wickets as the slow turning pitches as well as his variations helped baamboozle the batsmans. KKR need a miraculous performance as their coach Bredon McCullum stated that they were “paralysed by the fear of failure” during the first half of the season as the second half of the season they need to rectify their mistakes as well as play fearless cricket as they have nothing to lose. KKR take on RCB on 20th September

Probable XI for the game:
 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Nitish Rana, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Sunil Narine, 8 Prasidh Krishna, 9 Shivam Mavi, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Varun Chakravarthy 
 

(Cricket news) The 2nd phase of the 2021 IPL is about to start and RCB are 3rd on the points table with 7 matches left to play. Their 1st game back is against KKR on 20th September.

Seamer Harshal Patel has been a revelation this season after picking up 17 wickets. He is also the current holder of the purple cap. New signing Glenn Maxwell has been in the form of his life having scored 227 runs in 6 innings which include 2 half-centuries.

RCB have qualified for the playoffs 6 times in 13 seasons but have never won the coveted trophy. Virat Kohli has always been criticised and mocked for his failure to win major trophies as a captain and he would be keen to get this checked off his list. Kohli has also announced that he would step down as the captain of the Indian T20I team after the World Cup. Which raises the question if he will continue to lead RCB after this season. If this is indeed Virat's last season as the skipper then there will be an extra motivation to win it.

RCB need Virat the batsman as much as they need Virat the captain if not more. His performance with the willow will be directly proportional to the teams performance. The opening pair of Kohli and Padikkal will have a lot of responsibility. The bowling will be led by the Indian pace-spin pair of Yuzvendra Chahal and Mohammed Siraj. Purple cap holder Harshal Patel will also play an important role. It will be interesting to see if inform newcomer Wanindu Hasaranga will be put straight into the side.

Also read: Sunrisers Hyderabad look to end their losing streak in second phase of IPL

The RCB middle order will be anchored by AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell. Rajat Patidar and Shabaz Ahmed batted one down in the first half but they could face the axe in favour of Mohammed Azharuddin or Pawan Deshpande. Sachin Baby is another batter who will be an interesting option as he is yet to play a game this season. 

Australian spinner Adam Zampa pulled out of the 2nd phase along with his fellow countrymen Daniel Sams. They were replaced by the Sri Lankan pair of Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera. Washington Sundar and Kane Richardson were ruled out of the tournament with injuries. They were replaced by Akash Deep and George Garton. Tim David has been roped in to replace Finn Allen in the squad. 

Here is the full RCB squad

Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Yuzvendra Chahal, Devdutt Padikkal, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pavan Deshpande, Glenn Maxwell, Sachin Baby, Rajat Patidar, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Kyle Jamieson, Dan Christian, Suyesh Prabhudessai, KS Bharat, Tim David, Dushmantha Chameera, Wanindu Hasarangal, Akash Deep, George Garton.

RCB need to continue playing the way they have played so far this season to make it to the Playoffs and eventually try and win the trophy. Death bowling has always been the persistent issue with RCB but they seem to have massively improved this time around and that needs to continue.
 

Dubai, Sep 17 (Cricket news) South African pacer Anrich Nortje wants to replicate his last year's IPL performance in the upcoming second half of the T20 league to help Delhi Capitals win their maiden title, here.

Nortje, who picked 22 wickets in 16 matches in his first-ever IPL season in 2020, played an instrumental role in helping DC reach its maiden IPL final, where it came second-best against Mumbai Indians here last year.

DC are set to take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22 when the season resumes here.

"It was here where things started to happen for me in the IPL, but I am looking to take it match by match this season. There's a lot coming up, even after the IPL," he said in a release issued by DC.

"We have to try and remember what we did here the last time we were here and try and implement that again. Hopefully, we can repeat what we did in the UAE the last time we were here," said the 27-year-old.

The fast bowler added that the second half of the IPL 2021 season will be completely different from the first half of the season.

"What worked at one place is not going to work at another place so we have to take it game by game. The upcoming games in the UAE are going to be completely different from the games we had earlier in the season.

"Maybe teams will field different strategies in the second half of the tournament. We have to be switched on now and just be ready," Nortje said.

He feels playing in the IPL before the T20 World Cup in the UAE is certainly going to be a big advantage for all the players.

"It's definitely a massive advantage to play the IPL before the T20 World Cup. We have a chance to acclimatise to the conditions and get first-hand experience of the kind of wickets here in the UAE.

"The sooner we get the information about the kind of wickets here, the better it will be for all of us. I think each team is looking to assess everything as much as possible, but, firstly we have to assess the conditions for the IPL as it certainly is a big tournament in itself and then we will get to the T20 World Cup," he said.

Also read: Delhi Capitals retain Rishabh Pant as captain for remainder of IPL 2021

News source: PTI

(Cricket news) England Women defeated New Zealand at the first Royal London x ACE One Day International by 30 runs with Heather Knight and Katherine Brunt leading from the front. Knight scored her 22nd ODI half century with a score of 89 while Brunt’s 43 helped England reach a total of 241 runs.

If the battling exploits weren’t enough, Brunt bowled four maiden overs consecutively for eventual figures of 8-4-22-1. Two wickets each from Nat Sciver, Kate Cross and Sophie Ecclestone and a maiden wicket by Charlie Dean reduced New Zealand to 211 runs.

Royal London Series

Thursday September 16: 1st match of the Royal London Series, Royal London X Ace One Day International. England v New Zealand (Bristol County Ground). England won by 30 runs.

Sunday September 19: 2nd match of the Royal London Series. England v New Zealand (New Road, Worcester)

Tuesday September 21: 3rd match of the Royal London Series. England v New Zealand (The Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicester)

Thursday September 23: 4th match of the Royal London Series. England v New Zealand (The Incora County Ground, Derby)

Sunday September 26: 5th match of the Royal London Series. England v New Zealand (The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury)

Also read: New Zealand abandon tour of Pakistan citing security threat

(Cricket news) Sunrisers Hyderabad are at the bottom of the points table with 2 points as the next few matches are a must win for the 2016 champions. They lost in the second qualifier to Delhi Capitals last year and this year have had a poor start in the League with 6 losses in 7 matches. Their lone victory came against Punjab Kings in the fourth match, since then they are on a three match losing streak and also lost their first three matches.

They are led by Kane Williamson who took over David Warner after the first six matches and will be leading the team for the remainder of the IPL. The change in captaincy did lead to some speculations about the team as Warner had led the side in the previous occasions and also topped the lists with the bat but since the team has been struggling this year there was some sense to try as many options available. 

Their batting line up has been carried by David Warner for the past few years and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar has added strength to the bowling line up. Johnny Bairstow was the leading run getter in the first half for the team but has pulled out the second half as Sherfane Rutherford has been his replacement. Rutherford is coming back from a CPL title win with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and has scored three half centuries from his last four outings.

Sunrisers Hyderabad have a strong bowling line up as Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, yorker specialist Thangarasu Natarajan and Rashid Khan who is also the current leading wicket taker in the team. Khaleel Ahmed and Siddarth Kaul also form a dangerous duo as they add more to the bowling line up. Mohammad Nabi was slowly finding his form and can be a life saver in the second phase meanwhile there are now reports over spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman as he is yet to join the team in Dubai over not getting an entry visa.

Their batting line has failed to live up the expectations as Williamson and Wriddhiman Saha have struggled in the first phase. Warner and Manish Pandey have struck two half centuries so far, the team’s highest score of 177 came in the first match against Kolkata Knight Riders as only Pandey and Warner were scoring runs. Williamson had a terrific year with the bat in 2018 when they lost in the final to Chennai Super Kings.

Jason Holder is a powerful batsman and also a useful bowler and will look to contribute at both ends as the team needs the batsmen to start scoring. They have been one of the most consistent teams since their debut in 2013 and always managed to reach the top four except in 2014 and 2015 so it’s too early to count them out of the league. They will need to begin a winning streak in UAE and the best way to begin would be to topple the table leaders Delhi Capitals on 22nd September.

Also read: What you do in second half of IPL matters, says Royals spinner Shamsi

Rawalpindi, Sep 17 (Cricket news) The New Zealand cricket team on Friday abandoned its ongoing tour of Pakistan before the start of the first ODI here, citing a security threat, which the host board asserted did not exist.

The trouble began when the first ODI of the white ball series could not begin on time at the Rawalpindi stadium on Friday with both teams remaining in their hotel rooms.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White then issued a statement to say that it was simply not possible to continue with the tour given the advice he was receiving.

"I understand this will be a blow for the PCB, who have been wonderful hosts, but player safety is paramount and we believe this is the only responsible option," he stated in a press release.

New Zealand Cricket Players Association chief executive Heath Mills echoed White's sentiments.

"The players are in good hands; they're safe – and everyone's acting in their best interests," Mills said.

NZC said it will not comment on the details of the security threat nor the updated arrangements for the departing squad.

The Pakistan Cricket Board, on its part said that New Zealand had unilaterally decided to postpone the series.

"Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan Government made foolproof security arrangements for all visiting teams. We have assured New Zealand Cricket of the same.

"The Pakistan Prime Minister spoke personally to the Prime Minister of New Zealand and informed her that we have one of the best intelligence systems in the world and that no security threat of any kind exists for the visiting team," the PCB said in a statement.

The PCB said that the security officials with the New Zealand team have been satisfied with security arrangements made by the hosts throughout their stay here.

"PCB is willing to continue the scheduled matches.

Also read: India's ODI tour of New Zealand postponed to 2022

"However, cricket lovers in Pakistan and around the world will be disappointed by this last minute withdrawal. is in danger of being cancelled after the first match of the ODI series could not begin on time on Friday at the Pindi stadium," it added.

The series was to comprise three ODIs and five T20 Internationals. 

News source: PTI

Brisbane, Sep 17 (Cricket news) Star Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry, who is set to lead the home side's depleted bowling attack in the upcoming ODI series against India, sees this as an "opportunity" with the new ball in the absence of regular pacer Megan Schutt.

India's tour of Australia begins with the opening ODI at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay on September 21 and concludes with third and final T20I at the Metricon Stadium in Gold Coast on October 10.

With Australia without the services of pacers Schutt and Tayla Vlaeminck and spinner Jess Jonassen, Perry is set reprise her new-ball role in the opening ODI.

"With Megan Schutt missing for this series there might be more opportunity there with the new ball, especially initially," Perry was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

"That still very much depends on performance but I think there will be a fair bit of change in between the attack, just managing people's workloads given that a number of us went through 14 days' quarantine before this," she added.

Australia's leading women's wicket-taker across all formats, Perry, was recovering from a hamstring injury and hence did not feature in a single ODI in 2020.

Earlier this year, in the series against New Zealand she just bowled six overs in the first two matches.

"Last summer I was grateful just to be back on the park … a lot was made of the limited impact I had with the ball, and it's been a really great challenge to continue to evolve and try and improve that.

"Right the way across my career I've always really enjoyed the challenge of trying to get better and evolve my game because I think the game's evolved so much.

"To have such a long period of time over the off-season to (train) in Victoria has been really good … obviously I've still got to perform and translate that back onto the park but I'm looking forward to the summer ahead." One of just seven bowlers to have taken 150 wickets in women's ODIs, Perry had a career-best year in 2019, claiming 21 ODI wickets at 13.52.

"Physically, I don't feel any different almost 18 months down the track from that (hamstring injury), and I think the numbers are one thing and then the other side of it is playing a role for the team and contributing to how we want to play," she explained.

"As the personnel in our team evolves or we change that, your role as an individual slightly changes too, and it's about balancing that within a group," she said.

The multi-format series comprises three ODIs, a day-night Test and three T20s.

The Test will be played from September 30 to October 3 in Canberra.

Also read:  Australia fast bowler Vlaeminck ruled out of India ODIs, Test

News source: PTI 

Dubai, Sep 17 (Cricket news) Rajasthan Royals are currently not in the top four of the IPL points table but their world No.1 T20 spinner Tabraiz Shamsi believes it won't matter when the COVID-hit league resumes on Sunday as it would be a fresh start for all the teams.

IPL resumes here on Sunday after being suspended in May due to COVID cases in its bio-bubble.

"I think whether the team is at the first spot or the fifth, the position at the halfway mark doesn't really count. It's what you do in the second half that matters," Shamsi was quoted as saying in a press release.

"So, I think we are in a good position right now and we have got half a tournament to play, so it depends on how we play the rest of the games," stated Shamsi, who is currently in quarantine having arrived from Sri Lanka earlier this week.

Shamsi, who has 40 wickets in 30 ODIs and 49 in 42 T20Is to his name for South Africa, has never been much in demand in IPL auctions. He admitted it did affect him earlier.

"In the past, when I was younger, it (not getting picked) did affect me a little bit. But as you grow older, you realize there are bigger things in life.

"You understand that there are certain things you can’t control, and I was certainly in that space. I feel like I just have to do my work, and if a team feels I can benefit them with my services, they would pick me like Rajasthan has, and I‘m going to try my best to make sure that we win the competition." Shamsi said that the definition of a good spell in T20 has evolved over time.

"With reference to the conditions in UAE and the short boundaries in Sharjah, I think it is a challenge.

"But it also means that you have an opportunity to get wickets. Sometimes on grounds like that, a spell which goes for 35-40 runs can be a match-winning spell, whereas in other games, a spell of 3 or 4 wickets can change a game.

"So, I think it's not just about taking wickets," said Shamsi who had picked up 3 wickets in 4 IPL matches in 2016.

A fan of Royals' IPL-winning former captain Shane Warne, Shamsi added that he's had the opportunity to speak to the Australian legend a few times about his bowling.

"Shane was of course a legendary leg spinner, and he was always a go-to man for any spinner.

"From him, I have learned to keep things simple and to be able to remember that we're all different and that cricket becomes as complicated as you make it in your head."

Also read:  If I ever play Tests fine, but don't mind being T20 nomad: Royals' Liam Livingstone

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Sep 16 (Sports news) Hyperice on Thursday said Indian cricketer Virat Kohli has partnered with the global wellness brand as an 'athlete-investor' and brand ambassador.

Through the partnership, Kohli will work collaboratively with Hyperice to further accelerate the wellness category as it begins its expansion into India and continues its growth throughout the globe, a statement said.

However, financial details of the partnership were not disclosed.

"Virat Kohli joins an unmatched list of elite global athlete-investors, including global football superstar Erling Haaland, 4-time tennis Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, NBA Star Ja Morant and PGA Tour champion Rickie Fowler," it added.

A Hyperice spokesperson said India is one of the company's top three expansion markets.

"India is one of our top three expansion markets, so we are putting significant resources toward growing the category in India. Hyperice is approaching a billion dollar valuation, and we believe Virat's involvement in our global expansion will play a significant role in helping increase our valuation," the spokesperson told PTI.

Hyperice is a high-performance wellness brand that aims to serve a broad audience of athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and anyone looking to combat the impact that sport and daily life have on their minds and bodies.

"Consumers across the country will have access to our wellness technology products through Croma and on the Hyperice India website. Hyperice is rapidly expanding in countries throughout the globe and views India as a priority market for further expansion," the spokesperson said.

Hyperice is strategically building its business locally and views the relationship with Virat Kohli as a massive growth accelerator, the spokesperson added.

"Virat is one of the most prolific cricketers around the world and we are honored to have him join Team Hyperice.

"We are on a mission to help everyone move and live better, and Virat is key to helping us elevate the importance of both mental and physical wellness for all people - both on and off the field," Jim Huether, CEO of Hyperice, said in the statement.

Founded in 2010 by Anthony Katz, Hyperice has numerous product lines and categories including Hypervolt (percussion line), Normatec (dynamic air compression), Vyper and Hypersphere (vibration), Venom (thermal technology), Core by Hyperice (mind technology) and Hyperice X (contrast therapy).

"Hyperice has provided me with a suite of innovative products that have continuously helped me optimise my performance and recovery, so it was a no-brainer for me to join the team as both an investor and ambassador.

"Hyperice is on a mission to help people move better around the world, and I look forward to helping tell their story in my home country of India and beyond," Kohli said.

Also read:  BCCI announce Virat Kohli to step down as captain of India's T20I side after the ICC Men's T20 World Cup

News source: PTI 

Hobart, Sep 17 (Cricket news) Australia red-ball skipper Tim Paine, who went under the knife to fix a bulging disc in his neck earlier this week, is "extremely confident" he will be fit to lead his country in the first Ashes Test against England in December.

The 36-year-old, who had disc replacements on his C-6 and C-7 in the neck, is expected to be under recovery for six weeks while the first Ashes Test is slated to begin at the Gabba from December 8.

"As soon as this six week block is over I think I’ll be good to go. I’m 36 years of age, I’ve done plenty of cricket training and I know my game fairly well," Paine told 'SEN Radio'.

"I'm pretty confident outside of that six-week time frame that I’d be right to go within a week if I needed to be, so that gives me plenty of time.

"I obviously won’t be as fit or as strong as I would like to be, but I think if I’m moving freely then I’ll give a good fist of it," he added.

The wicketkeeper batsman hopes to get in a Shield game before the marquee series.

"It's two and a half months (until the Ashes), and after that six weeks I'll get straight into my cricket and I could be ready anywhere from a week to ten days. December 8 is the first Test, and I’m extremely confident I'll be right to go before then.

"I'll hopefully get a Shield game in for Tassie beforehand, and to be hopefully on the end of a third winning Ashes would be something really special for me and the team." Talking about the procedure, Paine said "I ended up having disc replacements on C-6 and C-7, high up in the neck. Basically, they cut a big hole in my throat, move my voice box over to the side and go in that way.

"I feel like my range is already better and I've just got to make sure the front, where the cut is, heals and I give the disc time to 'take' to the rest of my spine over the next month or so, and then get moving.

"It's a pretty slow process, if I'm totally honest. I'll be (restricted to) walking for the next couple of weeks, and doing a lot of little neck physio-type movements just to try and get the smaller muscles in my neck working again." Paine revealed that bulging disk had led to a loss of strength in his left arm.

"I obviously had a bulging disc pushing on the nerve canal on my spine. I was having a few issues down the left side of my body.

"I was losing a lot of strength in my left arm, and I was getting a lot of sort of nerve pain down the back of my arm." Paine feels going under the knife was the right thing to do.

"I didn't want it to become anything permanent and I think if I left it too long I think there’s a chance that it could. The second one is that I wanted to be playing in the Ashes and playing good.

"I didn’t want it to come good in a month and then continually flaring up in the Ashes, if it had come back as bad as it had been at times there’s no way I would’ve been able to play if it was the morning of a Test match. I didn't want to take that risk." The C6-C7 disc is 6th cervical disc near the lower part of the neck, near the top of the shoulders.

Also read: India's ODI tour of New Zealand postponed to 2022

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Sep 16 (Cricket news) Batting great Sunil Gavaskar feels K L Rahul is captaincy material and should be groomed as a future leader of the Indian cricket team.

Gavaskar made the comments after Virat Kohli announced that he would step down from T20 captaincy after the World Cup. Rohit Sharma is set to take over from Kohli.

"It's a good thing that the BCCI is looking ahead. It's important to think ahead," said Gavaskar on Sports Tak.

"If India are looking to groom a new captain, then KL Rahul can be looked at. He has performed well. Even now in England, his batting was very good. He has been performing well in IPL and 50-overs cricket as well at the international stage. He can be made vice-captain." Rahul captains Punjab Kings in the IPL.

"He has shown very impressive leadership qualities in the IPL. He hasn't let the burden of captaincy affect his batting. His name can be taken into consideration,” added Gavaskar.

Also read: Virat Kohli to step down as T20I captain after the World Cup

News source: PTI 

New Delhi, Sep 16 (Cricket news) Cricket icon Mahendra Singh Dhoni and industrialist Anand Mahindra were on Thursday named in a 15-member panel constituted by the defence ministry to carry out a comprehensive review of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) in order to make it more relevant.

The committed headed by former lawmaker Baijayant Panda includes Col. (Retd) Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Rajya Sabha member Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Principal Economic Advisor in the Finance Ministry Sanjeev Sanyal and Jamia Millia Islamia Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar.

Former vice-chancellor of the SNDT Women's University Vasudha Kamat, National Organising Secretary of Bhartiya Shikshan Mandal Mukul Kanitkar, Maj Gen (retd) Alok Raj, Managing Director of SIS India Ltd Rituraj Sinha and CEO of Databook Anand Shah are also members of the panel.

Dhoni's inclusion in the high-level panel came days after he was appointed mentor for India's T20 cricket world cup team.

The former India captain is a Lieutenant Colonel (Honorary) in the Indian Army.

The defence ministry said the committee has been constituted for a comprehensive review of the NCC in order to make it more relevant in changing times.

"The terms of reference of the committee, inter-alia, broadly provide for suggesting measures which can empower NCC cadets to contribute more effectively towards nation-building and national developmental efforts in various sectors," it said.

Officials said the committee will propose measures for gainful engagement of the NCC cadets for the betterment of the organisation as a whole and to recommend best practices of similar international youth organisations for inclusion in the NCC curriculum.

The NCC is the largest organisation in uniform that aims at developing character, discipline, a secular outlook and ideals of selfless service among young citizens, the ministry said in a statement.

Also read: Chennai Super kings hope to win their fourth IPL title this year

It also aims to create a pool of organised, trained and motivated youth with leadership qualities in all walks of life.

The NCC was formed under the National Cadet Corps act in 1948. 

News source: PTI

Dubai, Sep 16 (Cricket news) Delhi Capitals on Thursday announced that flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will continue to lead the side in the remainder of the IPL beginning September 19.

It was one of the most predictable decisions considering that Delhi Capitals did well under Pant despite the fact that Shreyas Iyer led them to their first final last year.

Delhi Capitals are currently leading the IPL points table with 12 points having won six games under Pant's captaincy earlier this year after he was assigned the role in absence of injured Iyer, who had to undergo a shoulder surgery.

"JSW-GMR co-owned Delhi Capitals today announced that Rishabh Pant will continue as captain for the remainder of the IPL2021 season," franchise's official handle tweeted.

That Pant would be retained as captain was reported by PTI on September 3.

Also read: Shikhar Dhawan and Kagiso Rabada hope to carry their form in UAE as Delhi Capitals sit on top

News source: PTI 

Wellington, Sep 16 (Cricket News) India will not be touring New Zealand later in the year due to a packed calendar and COVID-19 related restrictions.

India would have had to quarantine for 14 days to play three ODIs as part of the World Cup Super League.

A New Zealand Cricket (NZC) spokesperson confirmed to Stuff that the India games will be played after the T20 World Cup in Australia next year. New Zealand anyway are scheduled to tour India in November for two Tests and three T20s.

New Zealand will be hosting Bangladesh, The Netherlands and South Africa in the summer besides the seven teams in Women's World Cup in March-April.

The Tests against Bangladesh and South Africa are part of the World Test Championship.

"We've got to be mindful of players coming back from a long winter and we've got to give them time at home as well,” NZC chief executive David White said.

The Black Caps will undergo 14 days of managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) after returning from India just before Christmas. That won't allow NZC to host the Boxing Day Test on December 26 and the opener against Bangladesh could begin on December 28 or later.

Also Read : ICC T20 Rankings: Virat, Rahul remain static at 4th and 6th places, no bowler in top-10

News Source : PTI

Melbourne, Sep 16 (Cricket News) Australia women's team express pace bowler Tayla Vlaeminck was on Thursday ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series and one-off day/night Test against visiting India due to niggles.

The home team's support staff is looking to best manage its battery of young fast bowlers.

Head coach Matthew Mott said Vlaeminck, who did not bowl on Thursday, would be the lone player unavailable for next week's ODIs in Mackay and the ensuing Test in Gold Coast.

He added that she will likely feature in the T20 series.

"Tayla has had some little niggles throughout her build-up down in Victoria," Mott told reporters after his 18-member squad played out a 30-overs per side game in Brisbane.

"That's something that we've been monitoring all the way through.

"And she does have to step up her loads gradually. We've got to manage her really well – we've got a huge 18 months for her as a young fast bowler, and we know the impact that she can have when she plays." Vlaeminck, who played the first of her 20 matches for Australia as a 19-year-old in 2018, has for some time been considered among the world's fastest bowlers, though knee and shoulder problems as well as a stress fracture in her right foot have stalled her progress.

With the 22-year-old speedster still working her way back to full fitness ahead of the T20s, Australia will be without their first-choice new ball pairing for the three ODIs and one-off Test as veteran seamer Megan Schutt is also unavailable following the birth of her first child.

With experienced spinner Jess Jonassen also missing out owing to an injury, Mott is expecting star all-rounder Ellyse Perry to take on a leadership role in the young bowling group.

"(Perry has) obviously had a very long recovery now and (this series is) something she's planned a lot for," he said.

"Speaking to (bowling coach) Ben Sawyer, who has worked a lot with her at the Sixers, he's really happy with where she's at.

"At the crease he can't remember her being as strong as she has been, and certainly in the hits that we've had up here (we've seen that).

"She had a pretty good bowl today, she got a little bit of tap early, but then came back and got a wicket, got Meg out and bowled really well.

The tour begins with the opening ODI at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay on September 21 and concludes with third and final T20I at the Metricon Stadium in Gold Coast on October 10.

One of the young bowlers wearing the Baggy Green for the first time could be Darcie Brown, an 18-year-old tearaway from Kapunda in South Australia who burst onto the scene in last summer's WBBL before going on to make her ODI and T20I debuts in New Zealand in March-April.

In Vlaeminck's absence, Mott said Brown could well make her debut in the one-off Test and be deployed as an impact bowler.

"What we have found in our stats for the last few Tests is that spinners bowl a lot of the overs, so having some like Darcie to come in for short spells is probably how she's going to be used anyway," he said.

"I think our quicks will probably be used a lot more for impact than the grunt work in the middle overs." 

Also Read : I can say that old Yuzi is back, asserts Chahal ahead of IPL

News Source : PTI

(Cricket News) September 16th, 2021: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday announced that Mr Virat Kohli has decided to step down as captain of the T20I side after the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup, 2021.

Mr Kohli will continue to be available for selection for the T20 format post the upcoming ICC event in 2021, which is hosted by the BCCI in U.A.E. and Oman.

BCCI President, Mr Sourav Ganguly said: "Virat has been a true asset for Indian Cricket and has led with aplomb. He is one of the most successful captains in all the formats. The decision has been made keeping in mind the future roadmap. We thank Virat for his tremendous performance as the T20I Captain.  We wish him all the best for the upcoming World Cup and beyond and hope that he continues to score plenty of runs for India.” 

In a press release by BCCI, Honorary Secretary, Mr Jay Shah said: "We have a clear roadmap for Team India. Considering the workloads and ensuring that we have smooth transition, Mr Virat Kohli has decided to step down as T20I Captain after the upcoming World Cup. I have been in discussions with Virat and the leadership team for the last six months and the decision has been thought through. Virat will continue to contribute as a player and as a senior member of the side in shaping the future course of Indian cricket.

Team India Captain, Mr Virat Kohli, said: “I have been fortunate enough to not only represent India but also lead the Indian Cricket Team to my utmost capability. I thank everyone who has supported me in my journey as the captain of the Indian Cricket Team. I couldn’t have done it without them - the boys, the support staff, the selection committee, my coaches and each and every Indian who prayed for us to win. Understanding workload is a very important thing and considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all 3 formats and captaining regularly for last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian Team in Test and ODI Cricket. I have given everything to the team during my time as T20 captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 team as a batsman moving forward. Of course, arriving at this decision took a lot of time. After a lot of contemplation and discussions with my close people, Ravi bhai and also Rohit, who have been an essential part of the leadership group, I've decided to step down as the T20 captain after this T20 World Cup in UAE and Oman in October. I have also spoken to the secretary Mr Jay Shah and the President of BCCI Mr Sourav Ganguly along with all the selectors about the same. I will continue to serve Indian Cricket and the Indian Team to the best of my ability.

Also read: Virat Kohli to step down as T20I captain after the World Cup

(Cricket news) Last year CSK finished last but this season a renewed Super Kings will be hoping for a different outcome. This season Chennai would have been sitting first if not for Kieron Pollard's blinder in Delhi. In 2020, Chennai couldn’t get a grip of the UAE conditions and subsequently finished in the bottom half but this year they have almost stuck with the same tactics and done well in the first half of the season. Chennai currently stand in second place with 10 points from 7 matches having won 5 and lost 2.

As some foreigners opted not to play the IPL, Chennai wont face the same problems of getting in replacements as they have only got one replacement, Josh Hazelwood in instead of the tall left seamer Jason Behrendoff. The first half of the season, a lot of credit should go to their openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis as they set up a strong foundation for the rest of the batsmen to follow. Another x factor Chennai discovered was Moeen Ali, who came at number three and smacked the ball over the park to further consolidate their good start. On the bowling front Super Kings heavily relied on Deepak Chahar to take wickets in the powerplay and at the death as it has paid much dividence also. One more area that they have massively improved is that they have the best scoring rate in the middle overs of (9.44) and the death overs (12.86) and they have also hit the most sixes (62) in the competition during the Indian leg.

The concerns going into the tournament might be the aging guns of Dhoni and Raina, these two have been the main stay in this Chennai side for a long time but over the past two years their form hasn’t been upto the mark. In the Indian leg, Dhoni managed only 37 runs in four innings as Raina after scoring an amazing half century in his first match back, hasn't really hit the ground running. Another problem might be the form of the fast bowlers especially the foreigners as Lungi Ngidi and Josh Hazelwood haven’t played that much cricket lately.

Also read:  A look back at what happened in the 1st half of Indian Premier League 2021

Stephen Fleming's side will hope to keep the rich vein of form alive as they are on the quest for a third title. The invaluable leadership of Dhoni will hold the key to their success in this second phase of the IPL. The added benefit of having almost the same team for the second phase might also be an added advantage to them. Chennai Super Kings will face Mumbai Indians on saturday 19th September as Faf Du Plessis and Sam Curran might miss the match due to small niggles.

Probable XI for Chennai Super Kings against Mumbai Indians.

1) Ruturaj Gaikwad  2) Robin Uthappa  3) Moeen Ali  4) Suresh Raina  5) Ambati Rayudu  6) Ravindra Jadeja  7) MS Dhoni(c & wk)  8) Shardul Thakur  9) Deepak Chahar  10) Lungi Ngidi  11) Imran Tahir

(Cricket news) Delhi Capitals has so far won 6 matches out of which five of them have come while chasing. Their squad consists of attacking batsmen and bowlers as Shikhar Dhawan has had a good run with the bat and pacer Avesh Khan has had a superb start with the ball. The team will start their second half on 22nd September against bottom placed Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Rishabh Pant will continue leading the side that is yet to win a title although their best performance came last when they lost to Mumbai Indians in the final. This year they had a rocking start and the young captain will try to showcase his fearless batting which is a huge bonus in this format. Pant also played useful knocks as he scored a fifty against Rajasthan Royals in a losing cause and has led the side with his always enthusiastic persona.

Their batting line consists of Steve Smith, Ajinkya Rahane, Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Pant and Shreyas Iyer is making a comeback after an injury. Their bowling has pacers like Tom Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh and spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel. They are one of the most balanced sides even though the stars have failed to impress, they have been depending upon Dhawan and Avesh. This will be a great time to showcase the skills as the T20 World Cup is also just around the corner and IPL is the perfect stage to catch the selectors attention. Many players have found their calling in the IPL and this time it's no different.

Chris Woakes has pulled out of the team and has been replaced by Ben Dwarshuis who is a medium pacer. Tom Curran can maybe show off his all round skills and the team has so far performed well with the bat and ball. Rabada has a chance to make history as last year he became the second bowler after Dwayne Bravo to take 30 wickets in a year, this time he can chase Bravo’s record of 32 wickets in 2013. Dhawan needs 23 runs to cross 5600 runs in IPL and is the second highest run scorer overall after Virat Kohli.

The Delhi Capitals even though have been part of the IPL since 2008 have reached the top four five times and have finished in the bottom three the rest of the times except in 2010 when they finished 5th. They will look to carry their momentum in Dubai and Sharjah as there are six more matches and they will want to take all the points to not only reach the qualifiers but not give away their top rank. They so far have 12 points and have a two point lead over second placed Chennai Super Kings who have played one match less than Delhi Capitals.

Also read: Doesn't matter what we have done in first half: Ponting

(Cricket news) After captaining India in all 3 formats for almost 6 years, Virat Kohli has decided to step down as the T20I captain to manage his workload. The decision has come just days after the rumours started to catch fire.



After taking over as captain from MS Dhoni in 2016, Virat Kohli has captained India for 45 T20Is out of which he has won 27. Kohli has won a T20I series in all the SENA countries as a captain. The skipper also led India to six consecutive T20I series wins. Individually, Virat has scored 1421 runs with the willow in his term as a captain of the side.

Also read: South Africa whitewash Sri Lanka to win T20I series 3-0

Virat Kohli will continue to play for the side as a batsman which is good news for all Indian fans. Rohit Sharma is the obvious candidate to become the captain and there couldn't be any better man to do it. His record as the captain of Mumbai Indians speaks volumes of his leadership skills.

What this does mean is that Virat Kohli as a leader can concentrate fully on the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup. There is no doubt that the Test team needs him as a captain more than the T20I team does, therefore the decision has come at the right time. Before all that, the T20 World Cup will be the Indian captain's priority and winning the silverware will be the perfect way to end his term as a skipper.

Dubai, Sep 16 (Cricket News) Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan is excited at the prospect of fans returning to the stadiums after the lifting of the coronavirus-enforced restrictions and cheering them on when the IPL-14 resumes in the UAE on Sunday.

The IPL, which was suspended midway into the 14th season of the league in May owing to multiple COVID-19 cases in its bio-bubble, will restart in the UAE on Sunday.

On Wednesday, it was announced that fans will be allowed to watch the matches in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah in limited numbers, keeping in mind the COVID protocols and the UAE government regulations.

"Incredibly excited to have fans back at the IPL this year. It's been too long to hear that roar of the KKR fans at Eden Gardens. Unfortunately, it's not at home but I cannot wait to hear it here in the UAE," Morgan was quoted as saying by the KKR website.

The England limited overs skipper was speaking on the sidelines of a training session.

Head coach Brendon McCullum too welcomed the move and believed that support from fans will spur them on as they seek a play-offs berth.

"That's actually fantastic. We were talking about it whether the fans would be back. Now that we know they're going to be, it's fantastic. Hopefully all of the stadiums will be jam-packed with KKR fans.

"We can certainly use their support. We have got a big task in front of us and we will certainly rally when we get the support of our fans. So, hopefully we get plenty of it in the UAE." Batsman Rahul Tripathi also was excited over fans coming in for IPL matches for the first time since COVID-19 pandemic struck the world.

"We have missed them (fans) a lot during this period. It's always fun when somebody is there in the stands to cheer for you. I must say welcome back to the fans." The two-time IPL champions are placed seventh in the points table with four points from seven matches.

KKR will start their second leg of the campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Abu Dhabi on September 20.

Also Read : There were times when we were paralysed by fear: KKR coach McCullum

News Source : PTI 

New Delhi, Sep 16 (Cricket News) Rajasthan Royals' English batsman Liam Livingstone aspires for a successful Test career but he doesn't mind being a T20 "nomad" either and would prefer to spend his time building his white-ball brand instead of losing sleep over whether he can make it big in the longest format.

The 28-year-old, one of the most sought after T20 freelancers in world cricket, having played in the Big Bash League, and the Pakistan Super League, is now expected to shoulder the batting burden of Rajasthan Royals along with Sanju Samson during the Indian Premier League which resumes this Sunday in the UAE.

Unlike a lot of cricketers, who would try to give politically correct answers on questions with regards to Test cricket, Livingstone has no hesitation in straight-talk. He has not yet made his Test debut.

"Yes absolutely (on being a T20 nomad). In world of cricket, you now have two routes. If you can't make it as a red ball cricketer, you still can travel the world and be part of a lot of franchise competitions," Livingstone told PTI in an interview.

Coming into the IPL after some smashing performances in 'The Hundred' for Birmingham Phoenix, Livingstone aspires to create a brand and fan base of his own playing the shortest format.

"Hopefully in the next few years, I can travel the world and play in franchise league cricket. The best part is to come back again and again for the same franchises, create a fan base of yours and also create friendships that last a lifetime.

"Hopefully, I can do that in franchise cricket for years," said the man, who got international limelight after recently scoring a 42-ball hundred against Pakistan in a T20 international game in Nottingham.

There have been some superb white ball players like David Warner and even before him Virender Sehwag, who made waves in the shorter formats and then had a quality career in Test cricket.

Livingstone doesn't believe in taking the IPL route as wearing the England whites is not on his radar when asked about the Ashes.

"I have a really big IPL coming up and then the T20 World Cup. Test cricket is not something that I am thinking about and in the next couple of months, my aim is to win IPL and the T20 World Cup and see what happens from there.

"I certainly won't be playing IPL to push my case in Test cricket. Things like that take care of themselves and whatever will be, will be," he said.

Livingstone has had a middling first-class career for Lancashire with 62 appearances and an average of 38 plus with seven hundreds.

"I really enjoy red ball cricket and I play as much as I can when I am back home," he said.

But at the same time he agreed that paucity of time is an issue as he is on the road during T20 leagues.

"I haven't had as much opportunity as I would have liked and I still have the dreams of playing Test cricket but with our schedule these days, there isn't too much time to play red ball cricket which is a shame.

"My strength has become white ball cricket and in these days, you stick to your strength. Hopefully, one day I will fulfil my dream of playing Test cricket." "I withdrew from bubble life as I wasn't fresh last time" ================================= Livingstone had withdrawn during the first phase of the tournament in India when he complained of bubble fatigue and left home from his Mumbai team base.

He feels way more fresh this time around.

"Last time was very different as we were stuck in a hotel room in Mumbai and I was already five to six months away from home during the winters. This is different as I have spent a lot of time over at home during the last few months and it was nice to get refreshed," he explained.

"I feel a lot more fresher than what I did last time. Also, in Dubai, we have got a little more outdoor space and guess we can do a little bit more getting out than what we could have done in the middle of Mumbai.

"So last time, I made the right decision and so I do feel a lot more fresher this time." 10 of us would have great preparations for the World T20 ===================================== There will be 10 World T20-bound England cricketers in the IPL including skipper Eoin Morgan and that will be a great advantage going into the showpiece.

"There is no better preparation than playing matches on the pitches on which you will be playing World T20 and I guess that's the nice part of it.

"We have a lot of our guys coming on to play competitive cricket leading up to the World Cup and there will be 10 of us who will be here," he said.

"...Hopefully, I can perform for Royals and take the team to the play-offs," added Livingstone about his franchise which is fifth on the table with six points from seven games.

"My fearlessness has lot to do with England's transformation" ===================================== Livingstone, who has so far hit an astounding 234 sixes in only 149 T20 games, feels that England's change of approach in white-ball cricket also helped when he was shaping himself up for the big league.

"I think my game changed really in last one year and English cricket's white ball philosophy transformed around 2016. So yeah, the change in their philosophy also helped me to be fearless and it's really nice to have that environment around us.

"That's why we have got so many good white ball cricketers. So I am happy to get that freedom to go out there and perform." "No extra pressure to perform but would love to carry my 'Hundred' form' ============================================= Livingstone is happy that his white-ball exploits are being talked about.

"I don't think there is any pressure and it has been nice to put in performances that have made people start talking about me. It's been nice to put up some match-winning performances for England and Birmingham in The Hundred." He wants to replicate that for the Royals and follow it up for England in the T20 World Cup.

"I think you want that sort of form when you come into an IPL and World Cup. Hopefully I can carry that on in the IPL." RR have a great set-up even without Stokes, Archer and Buttler ======================================= Rajasthan Royals will be surely missing Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler but Livingstone has faith in the team's other players.

"We have got a very good core of overseas players. Whatever be the make of the team, I still believe that we have got real quality to go through and there is young home (India) talent, which gives squad a nice look." 

Also Read : Delhi Capitals include net bowler Khejroliya in main squad after spinner Siddharth sustains injury

News Source : PTI

Basseterre (St Kitts & Nevis), Sep 16 (Cricket news) Hosts St Kitts and Nevis Patriots eked out a three-wicket win over Saint Lucia Kings in a last-ball thriller to claim their maiden Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title at Warner Park here.

Saint Lucia Kings won the toss and chose to bat, as they did in their semi-final match.

Despite losing wickets at key stages of the game, Saint Lucia posted a decent 159 for seven riding on Roston Chase and Rahkeem Cornwall's 43 each.

In what was a dramatic final, the Patriots managed to successfully chase their target with Dominic Drakes turning out to be the hero with the bat, scoring 48 off 24 balls and securing a remarkable victory in the last ball of the match.

Saint Lucia Kings started their innings with the loss of captain Andre Fletcher and Mark Deyal in the Powerplay.

Cornwall got the innings back on track with some power hitting but the Patriots utilised spin to great effect -- Fabian Allen, Jon-Russ Jaggesar and Fawad Ahmed working in unison to pick up three wickets in the middle overs and leave the Kings in a spot of bother.

Chase then anchored the innings and a late burst from Keemo Paul (39 off 21), which saw him hit three consecutive sixes in an over, took the Kings to a challenging total.

It was a dream start for the Kings with the ball as the dangerous Chris Gayle was bowled by a Chase delivery, and not long after, Evin Lewis was caught out, with Chase being the fielder.

Joshua da Silva and Sherfane Rutherford began to rebuild, but quick wickets, including that of captain Dwayne Bravo, saw the Patriots slip to 95 for five.

But it was not to be as Drakes recorded his highest ever score, firing six boundaries to take the Patriots over the line in dramatic fashion.

Brief Scores: St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 160/7 (Drakes 48 not out, Da Silva 37; Riaz 2/36, Chase 1/17) beat Saint Lucia Kings 159/7 (Cornwall 43, Chase 43; Naseem 2/26, Fawad 2/32) by three wickets.

Also read:  David Wiese stars as Saint Lucia Kings to face St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the final of CPL

News Source: PTI 

Dubai, Sep 16 (Cricket News) Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting feels his team will need to start from the scratch as its table-topping performance in the IPL's first half won't matter when the lucrative league resumes in the UAE on Sunday.

The IPL was suspended midway into the 14th season of the league in May owing to multiple COVID-19 cases in its bio-bubble.

"It doesn't matter what we've done in the first half of the season. It's been four months since when we played some really good cricket, so we really have to start again," Ponting said in press release issued by the franchise.

"We have to build ourselves as we go along in the tournament and make sure that we are playing our best cricket at the back end of the tournament.

"Our performance in the first half of the tournament was because of how well we played and how hard we worked, but I don't think we played our best cricket," added the Australian batting great.

The IPL resumes in the UAE on Sunday. DC lead the points table with six wins from eight matches.

Ponting said that the players have shown great intensity during the pre-season camp here.

"I have been waiting for four months to come back to the Delhi Capitals camp. I have such a great time when I work with the team and it's a great time in my calendar year. I have been keeping a close eye on what's been happening here.

I have been speaking to the coaching staff here and they have done a great job so far (in the pre-season camp). You can see with the intensity and the attitude shown by the players that it's been a really worthwhile camp so far.

"I am really excited about what we've got coming up in the next four-five weeks," said the 46-year-old.

When asked about Shreyas Iyer's return to the Delhi Capitals side post recovering from his shoulder injury, Ponting said, "It's great to have Shreyas back. He has got an infectious attitude.

"I have been talking to him a lot and his training has been great. He's so keen to get back into the field, score runs and win. He's a world-class player and he's going to add a lot to our team, there's no doubt about that." The Delhi Capitals will take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22 in their first match on resumption.

Also Read : A look back at what happened in the 1st half of Indian Premier League 2021

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) After losing the ODI series, South Africa whitewashed Sri Lanka in the 3 match T20I series. Quinton de Kock was given the man of the series award for scoring 153 runs which included two match winning fifties. All three T20Is just like the ODIs were low scoring. South Africa's Bjorn Fortuin was the highest wicket-taker with 5 wickets in 3 matches.

In the 1st T20I, South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first. The Proteas set a target of 164 with Aiden Markram scoring a quick fire 48. In reply, Sri Lanka could only manage 135 despite Dinesh Chandimal's unbeaten 66.  The match was Keshav Maharaj's T20I debut where he captained the side and took a wicket with his 1st ball.

Also read:  I can say that old Yuzi is back, asserts Chahal ahead of IPL

In the following game, Sri Lanka elected to bat first and in came the Shamsi Storm. Tabraiz Shamsi picked up 3/20 in his four as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 103 runs in 18 overs. In reply Quinton de Kock’s 58 guided the Proteas to a 9 wicket win in the 14th over as South Africa wrapped up the series.

Sri Lanka in the 3rd T20I once again elected to bat first. Kagiso Rabada and Bjorn Fortuin led from the front and restricted the Lankans to 120. Chamika Karunaratne and Kusal Perera were the only batsman to cross the 20 run mark. Quinton de Kock continued his hot run of form as he scored another fifty to get South Africa over the line with 6 overs to spare and 10 wickets in hand.

The two sides will now play the T20 World Cup in October. Sri Lanka will have to go through a group stage while South Africa will directly play in the Super 12.

Dubai, Sep 16 (Cricket News) One of the most notable omissions from India's T20 World Cup squad, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal on Thursday asserted that he will be his wily, old wicket-taking self in the upcoming second half of this year's IPL.

During a training session for his team Royal Challengers Bangalore, a cheerful Chahal offered to bat, but only if the swashbuckling Glenn Maxwell was the bowler.

Reflecting on his first training session with the team, Chahal said, "Obviously, the feeling was good, it was okay and I'm happy with the way I bowled today.

"I'm very pumped up, especially, you know, we're good on the points table and we have a very good chance to stay at the top of the table and when you bowl well after a long time you always feel good. Today, I can say that the old Yuzi is back." The IPL-14, which was suspended midway into the league in May owing to multiple COVID-19 cases in its bio-bubble, will resume in the UAE on Sunday and Chahal will be one of the many players trying to reclaim his place in the national team.

Chahal was far from his best in the first leg of the IPL in India. Despite his team playing in spin-friendly surfaces such as the one in Chennai, the leg-spinner struggled for rhythm and could only pick four wickets in seven matches at an economy of 8.26.

During the training session, South African legend AB de Villiers was seen welcoming both Chahal and Maxwell back into the team before the net session commenced.

Head coach Mike Hesson laid out the plans for the session and said, "In terms of practice today, we all know what the role is. We've all had those meetings for what we're training for. So when we go in the nets, we're really specific about what we're trying to get out of it." When the league was suspended, RCB were placed third in the points table with five wins from seven matches.

After the net session, de Villiers was joined by Maxwell to compete in a game where both players attempted to hit the stumps from 22 yards, but with a tennis ball and a racket.

The versatile de Villiers said that he played the sport quite a lot in his younger days and Maxwell responded that he was not surprised at all.

Also Read : IPL in UAE will level playing field for T20 World Cup: Maxwell

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League is all set to return for it's 2nd phase. The tournament was cancelled earlier this year after a Covid outbreak and it is now back, shifted from India to the UAE. The first half of the tournament just like every other edition was filled with excitement and drama. What better match to mark it's return than Chennai Super Kings Vs Mumbai Indians on 19th September.

Delhi Capitals under new captain Rishabh Pant are currently on top of the table with 12 points in 8 matches followed by Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians who all have a game in hand. Sunrisers Hyderabad are at the bottom, having won only one match.

Also read: The sudden shift from Test cricket to T20, turning defense into offense

Some big names like Ben Stokes, Pat Cummins, Jos Buttler, Adam Zampa, Chris Woakes and Johnny Bairstow will be missing the 2nd phase due to various reasons and teams have been allowed to choose replacements. Wanindu Hasaranga, Nathan Ellis, Glenn Phillip and Tim Southee are some of the players who have been roped in.

As for individual statistics, Shikhar Dhawan with 380 runs leads the race for Orange cap closely followed by KL Rahul and Faf Du Plessis. RCB pacer Harshal Patel with 17 wickets currently holds the purple cap. Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler and Devdutt Padikal are the only players to have hit a century while Deepak Chahar is the only bowler to have picked up 4 wickets in a match.

New Delhi, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Cricket Foundation, the the Singapore headquartered blockchain based platform has roped in around 120 partners from the cricketing eco-system that includes former greats like Wasim Akram, VVS Laxman and Lance Klusener as they launched first NFT of its kind named "CricketCrazy.io".

The crypto-currency, which is fast gaining popularity in western market is now set to enter the cricketing space with 'Cricket Foundation' which claims to have 50,000 users even before launch, and is complemented with over 60,000 followers on social media.

The Cricket Token (CRIC), successfully listed on Indian and international crypto exchanges in the last week, with a market cap of over USD 200 million.

CRIC Token is the medium of transactions for all applications built on the platform and is core to maintaining the security and integrity of the 'Cricket Blockchain' platform, apart from being used for the platform's governance.

The platform has about 50+ unique moments from cricket history on the first day worth over USD200,000. The platform will add about 5 Non-Fungible Token (Non Fungible Token) of iconic moments daily, with over 20,000+ of cricket media assets in the library to choose from, contributed by its various partners.

NFT is a unique digital asset designed to represent ownership of a virtual item.

Former India Test cricketer and Co-Founder of Cricket Foundation, Parthiv Patel, ssaid: "It is a novel way for us to engage with our fans, CricketCrazy presents a unique digital offering to cricketers and franchises to enhance their reach as well as the relationship with fans by giving them a sense of belonging, involving them in community decisions, and keeping them engaged with the game. For the fans, NFTs are the only way to provably own digital sports assets and collectibles." Parthiv feels that cricketers post retirement need to take care of their finances.

"You talk about say 35-36 (years of age), not many players actually go on to play till 40. So, you have to manage your finances as well.

"Once you are retired, it is very difficult to get going with that same flow, so platforms like this (Cricket Foundation), if you can explore it, then you can sustain it throughout the life. So finance thing is very very big part of any cricketers’ life now,” added the south-paw. The former Gujarat skipper was speaking at the virtual launch of 'CricketCrazy.io', the world’s first NFT (non-fungible token) marketplace exclusive for cricket. 

Also Read : Limited spectators to be allowed at IPL matches

News Source : PTI

Hyderabad, Sep 15 (Cricket News) India's Test specialist Hanuma Vihari, who had left Hyderabad to play for Andhra to further his international prospects, is back "home" after five seasons for the upcoming domestic season.

Vihari, pupil of India's fielding coach R Sridhar had left Hyderabad in the 2015-16 season after MSK Prasad, the then chairman of selectors had offered him Andhra captaincy and also pushed his selection in the traditional format.

However now with Hyderabad Cricket Association being run by former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin, Vihari will be seen donning the Hyderabad jersey once again.

The 27-year-old himself announced the decision from his official Twitter handle "I am taking this opportunity to inform everyone that I am parting ways with Andhra cricket association on good terms. I have had the privilege to captain and represent Andhra for the past 5 years," Vihari wrote in a small note, which he shared on Twitter.

"I will be a part of Hyderabad cricket association from the coming season," he further announced.

For the record, the right-handed batsman, who has played 94 frst-class games scoring 7261 runs with 21 hundreds and an average of 55. He also played 80 List A games in which he has 3001 runs.

It can be said that former India skipper Azharuddin being the president Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) would have played a big role in Vihari deciding on this career move of his.

There is a good chance that Vihari will now lead Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy in the upcoming season if he is not selected for India's tour of South Africa in December-January. Before that he will certainly play Mushtaq Ali T20 and Vijay Hazare One Day meet.

The middle-order batsman thanked the Andhra Cricket Association office-bearers for their support.

'We have blossomed into a team that we can be proud of and I herby thank all my teammates, coaches and office bearers of the Association for the constant support,” he further wrote.

Vihari was one of the heroes of the Sydney Test of the 2020-21 Australia tour, has played 12 Tests and scored 624 runs, with 111 as his highest score. He made his Test debut against England at ‘The Oval’ in 2018.

Also Read : Lasith Malinga the undisputed king of the T20 game

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Delhi Capitals on Wednesday inducted left-arm seamer Kulwant Khejroliya in the main squad for the upcoming second half of this year's IPL after left-arm orthodox spinner Manimaran Siddharth was ruled out of the tournament due to quadriceps strain.

"Delhi Capitals today announced that left-arm orthodox bowler Manimaran Siddharth has been ruled out of the IPL 2021 due to an injury. The 23-year-old incurred a quadriceps strain during training in Dubai," Delhi Capitals said in a release.

Left-arm medium fast bowler Khejroliya, who is already part of the Delhi Capitals team's bio-bubble as a net bowler, was readily included in the main squad.

Khejroliya, who plays domestic cricket for the Delhi state side, has so far taken 17 wickets in 15 T20 matches at an average of 23.29.

The 29-year-old had a below-par IPL debut season for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2018 and 2019 seasons, taking 3 wickets in 5 IPL matches.

"The DC support staff is currently overlooking Manimaran Siddharth's rehabilitation programme in Dubai. He will be heading back to India in a few days where he will continue to undergo rehabilitation. The Delhi Capitals franchise wishes him a speedy recovery," the release added.

Also Read : Performance in first match will set tone for DC this IPL, says Kaif

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Sep 15 (Sports News) Former Supreme Court judge and one of India's foremost legal luminaries, Justice (Retired) Indu Malhotra will be the new Ombudsman cum Ethics Officer of Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA).

The DDCA's general body, headed by its president Rohan Jaitley, decided on 65-year-old Justice (Retd) Malhotra's appointment.

"A number of decisions were taken at the general body meeting on the day and Justice (Retd) Indu Malhotra's appointment for a period of one year was made. She will be assuming charge soon," DDCA director Dinesh Sharma told PTI on Wednesday.

It is learnt that DDCA president Jaitley had personally approached Malhotra to take up the Ombudsman's post after it was vacated by Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed.

In 2007, Malhotra was designated senior advocate by the Supreme Court and she became only the second woman to be designated by the apex court after a gap of three decades.

She has been appointed amicus curiae by different benches of the Supreme Court in some matters.

After serving as legal counsel in the Supreme Court for 30 years, she was unanimously recommended for appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court.

Her note of dissent as the only woman judge in the panel for Sabarimala Temple verdict received a lot of attention across the country.

Other developments ============== In two separate developments, the general body decided to increase the number of directors from 10-12 while the appeal by a section to remove assistant secretary Rajan Manchanda from his position was rejected immediately.

Also Read : Has India transitioned into a results oriented sporting industry and was Uwe Hohn’s sacking justified?

News Source : PTI

Karachi, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Pakistan seamer Hasan Ali is confident that their team can beat arch-rivals India in the opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup replicating their convincing win in the 2017 Champions Trophy final at the Oval.

Pakistan since then have played India twice in 50 over games and has been thrashed at the Asia Cup in Dubai in 2018 and the ODI World Cup in Manchester in 2019.

Before every global event, there is always a lot of hullabaloo from the Pakistan corner but till date, they haven't beaten India ever in 50 or T20 over World Cup games.

In fact, they have also failed to beat India in practice games.

"When we won the Champions Trophy (in 2017), it was a very good time for us and we will try to beat them again in the T20 World Cup. We will give our best. Playing against India is always a pressure game because of the expectations of fans from both countries," Hasan told a virtual media conference on Wednesday.

He pointed out that the Pakistan and India match are the most-watched ones at the global events.

"Even those people who don't normally watch cricket follow the India vs Pakistan matches, so the pressure on the players is high but we will give it our best." Hasan also feels that spinners would dominate in the dry conditions in UAE but it didn't mean that pacers couldn't do well in those conditions.

"We know how to bowl in those conditions but yes you can see all teams have picked many spinners in their squads." Disappointed at Misbah and Waqar's resignations, says Hasan ===================================== Hasan also admitted that he was disappointed at the way Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis had resigned as head coach and bowling coach before the World Cup "Honestly speaking, I was disappointed because the World Cup was coming and such a change happened and they left," he said.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Rameez Raja announced "But it is not our domain as a player and this is something for the Pakistan Cricket Board and others to handle. Our job is to perform and try to win matches for Pakistan." Hasan said that Waqar was a role model for him and he would miss his guidance but as a professional one has to move on.

"I wish them the best. I will miss Waqar’s guidance as I took up bowling after watching him bowl on screen." Hasan also spoke on the appointment of Vernon Philander as the bowling consultant with the Pakistan team for the World Cup.

"We all know that Philander is a great bowler and he has performed at the top level. We are looking forward to working with him but it is too early to say how much benefit we can get from him as this will only be clear once he joins the squad." New Zealand will give us tough time, he assesses ================================ Hasan stated that Pakistan would not underestimate the New Zealand squad in the home series in ODIs or T20 Internationals as any national team had to be respected.

"I think their team has enough potential to give us a tough time and the thing is they have to come to Pakistan after playing a tough series in Bangladesh in dry conditions and they will not be easy to beat," he added.

Pakistan and New Zealand play their first ODI at the Rawalpindi stadium on September 17 while the five-match T20 series will be held in Lahore from the 25th.

New Zealand is playing on Pakistan soil after 18 years. Hasan said that presently he was not thinking about the World Cup.

"Right now, the focus is on the home series against New Zealand because my team needs me to deliver for them all the time." Hasan also spelt out his ambition to become a proper all-rounder and said he was focussing on improving his batting day by day in the nets.

"I want to be a good all-rounder in all three formats. The presence of someone like Abdul Razzaq who has joined us recently has already been a big help to me. He is teaching me how to do power hitting while keeping a balance at the crease. He has been a quality all-rounder for Pakistan." 

Also Read : Pakistan to tour Bangladesh after 5 years for a Test and T20 series in November

News source : PTI

New Delhi, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Having broken the stereotype for a successful fast bowler in Australia, the "not so tall" Nathan Ellis is set to tick off another major milestone in his fast rising career.

After making a remarkable journey from club cricket to international cricket in little over 24 months, the first bowler to take a hat-trick on his T20 International debut is looking to learn from the best in his maiden IPL outing. Picked as a replacement for fellow Aussie Riley Meredith in the Punjab Kings squad, Ellis wants to pick brains of teammate and one of his favourite bowlers Mohammad Shami and also hopes to have a chat with the man with the "best yorker", Jasprit Bumrah, and the "aggressive" Mohammad Siraj. Speaking to PTI from Dubai, Ellis described the phase in which he made his international debut before landing an IPL deal as overwhelming.

"It is one of those of things you sort of dream about growing up but you know it's never a reality and it's never like you've definitely going to do it. So to be able to get on that Australia tour was a dream come true.

"And then I wasn't really expecting to get a game so to get a game and and sort of the results that came from that was amazing and still doesn't feel really real. And then obviously to get the opportunity to come to the IPL with Punjab.

"It's (playing in IPL) is something that I've also dreamt about," he said referring to the happenings of the last one month.

Following his hat-trick in Bangladesh, Ellis was named as one of the reserves in the Australia squad for the T20 World Cup, which follows the IPL in the UAE. Having come to the UAE before with Big Bash franchise Hobart Hurricanes three years ago, Ellis has an idea of the conditions and says the IPL stint is bound to provide him with a valuable experience.

"I don't really have any specific expectations (from his first IPL). I'm prepared to play against the best players as it is the best T20 tournament in the world. So I'm very prepared that it's going to be tough cricket," said the death overs specialist.

"Also I am really, really excited to talk to Mohammed Shami. I haven't spoken to him yet but he's been one of my favourite cricketers." What about the players in other teams? "Bumrah is arguably the best T20 bowler in the world if not in general in all formats. I'd love to be able to get a hold of him and pick his brian if I get the chance. He definitely is the best yorker bowler in the world.

"So I'd love to love to pick his brain, as well as Siraj's. I think the way he has come on to the scene and I love how aggressive and how much energy he brings to the table I think that's something that I tried to do as well," said Ellis, who himself has a pretty effective yorker besides other T20 skills.

Ellis picked up the sport seeing the likes of Brett Lee and Andy Bichel on television. Ever since he started playing junior cricket, he was reminded that he was not the usual tall fast bowler that Australian cricket is known to produce.

However, the six feet tall bowler took all the criticism in his stride as he just wanted to play the game he loved.

"Height is something that I've always had to deal with from junior cricket, all the way through now, especially in Australia with the stereotypical fast bowler in Australia is six foot five, tall, bouncy.

"I've always had to break that down but the simple fact that at the end of the day I love playing cricket. And my mantra has always been you know if you're performing and you're taking wickets they can't ignore you forever, whether you're 8 foot tall of five foot tall." He may have found instant success as a death bowler, Ellis feels he has the game for all formats.

In the shortest format, he lies mostly on yorkers, cutters and slower balls to keep the batsman guessing. Bowling in the death can be unforgiving but Ellis loves the challenge.

"It's not a role that many people look forward as it it's tough, and you have more bad days than good days. But I really, I really enjoy the challenge. I really enjoy the me versus the batter battle." "I also love it as you trying to stay a step ahead of the batter and structure different types of balls and different variations which is the crux of being a T20 bowler." Asked to sum up the last 24 months, Ellis added: I'm just trying to soak as much as I can, because I feel like it's come really quick and I am worried that it might go really quick so I'm really trying to soak it up.

Also Read : The sudden shift from Test cricket to T20, turning defense into offense

News source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Star Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell believes having the Indian Premier League in the UAE will level the playing field "a fair bit" in the T20 World Cup to be held at the same venue next month.

The IPL will resume on September 19 in the UAE after being suspended in May due to the second wave of COVID-19 in India, which led to multiple cases inside its bio-bubble.

It will be followed by the T20 World Cup from October 17.

"The tournament being in UAE probably levels the playing field a little bit," Maxwell, who plays for Royal Challenger Bangalore in the IPL, told 'icc-cricket.com'.

"Probably makes it a little bit easier for there not to be as much of a home ground advantage. For the IPL to be there to have a lot of international players that are potentially going to be in that World Cup over there playing, I think it's probably levelled the playing field a fair bit." Australia's top players, including Steve Smith, David Warner, Aaron Finch and Pat Cummins, have not competed in the last few months and will be back in action at the IPL.

Maxwell said the IPL stint will help the preparation of the Australian players.

"The fact we've got a lot of guys going over for the IPL as a preparation, get a few games in those conditions, it's going to do wonders for our batters," he said.

"Our bowlers are going to be up and firing by the time the tournament starts. I can assure you everyone is looking forward to hitting the ground running over there." Australia will have to battle it out against defending champions West Indies, world number one England and South Africa in a tough group in the Super 12 stage.

With their key players missing, Australia suffered 1-5 series losses against the West Indies and Bangladesh but Maxwell has no doubts they'll manage a better performance at the big competition.

Talking about Australia's chances at the World Cup, Maxwell said: "I think they're very good. When this team comes together, I think we'll slip straight back into us being in a great position.

"We're all looking forward to it. You look through our line-up, we've got a team full of match winners and guys that on their day can take the game away from the opposition.

Asked about the draw in the T20 World Cup, Maxwell said: "There are no weak teams in this World Cup and we know that. We know we've also got a very good chance of beating everyone on our day. Both groups are going to be tough, it doesn't matter.

"If we play our best, I feel that's going to be good enough on the day. I think we'll be focussing solely on what we can do every game and hopefully, that is good enough at the end of the day."

Also Read : Had to give up one, so chose World Cup and Ashes over IPL, says Woakes

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Limited spectators will be allowed into the stadiums when the much-awaited Indian Premier League resumes in the UAE this weekend, the event's organisers announced on Wednesday.

The IPL, which was suspended midway in May due to COVID-19 cases in its bio bubble, will resume from Sunday with defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

"This match will be a momentous occasion as IPL will welcome the fans back to the stadiums after a brief hiatus owing to COVID-19 situation," an IPL statement said.

"Matches will be played at Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi with limited seating available keeping in mind the COVID protocols and UAE government regulations," it added.

It will be the first time since 2019 when the IPL will be played in front of an audience.

Last year, the league was played behind closed doors in the UAE while the first half of the 2021 edition was also played inside a strict bio-bubble.

Although the league organisers did not specify the exact number of fans who would be let in but sources said their presence would be 50 per cent of the stadium capacity.

"Fans can buy tickets starting September 16 for the remainder of the tournament on the official website www.iplt20.com. Tickets can also be purchased on PlatinumList.net," the league organisers said.

Also Read : E-bidding for new IPL teams planned on October 17

News source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 15 (Cricket News) India captain Virat Kohli and star batsman KL Rahul maintained their fourth and sixth place respectively among the batsmen while no Indian bowler featured in the top-10 in the ICC T20 rankings.

The top seven batsmen led by England's Dawid Malan maintained their rankings while South African keeper-batter Quinton de Kock is now ranked eighth while West Indies Evin Lewis has dropped a place to be ninth in the list.

Among bowlers, Tabraiz Shamsi still holds the pole position followed by Wanindu Hasaranga and Rashid Khan.

India's top ranked bowler in the list is veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar at 12th while injured off-spinner Washington Sundar is the other in the top-20 at 18th place.

Yuzvendra Chahal is the only bowler who has shown improvement and is now 25th although he has been dropped from the Indian team for the T20 World Cup.

In the all-rounders' list, the only Indian among the top-20 is Hardik Pandya, who is just about managed to make the list with 98 points.

The Indians last played a T20 series in Sri Lanka and hence haven't played any games in the shortest format.

Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman has moved up two places to eighth after finishing with eight wickets in the series against South Africa while Nasum Ahmed (up 25 places to 15th) and Mehedi Hasan (up four places to 20th) have also made notable progress.

However, Shakib Al Hasan has conceded the top spot for all-rounders to Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi.

In the ODI rankings for batters, Jaskaran Malhotra of the United States, who struck sixes in an over from Papua New Guinea’s Gaudi Toka in a World Cup Super League 2 match, has rocketed 169 places to 132nd.

In the bowlers’ list, Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane is now in top-100 at 91st place.

Also Read : Lee takes joint first position with Mithali in ODI Rankings

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) As a kid every cricket fan has tried the Malinga action, with his coloured afro hair, piercings, tattoos and his unique action soon transcended him to instant stardom. The man from Galle created a gravitational pull, sucking in fans all over the world to see his slinging yokers and becoming an instant fan favourite in whichever franchise he played. Nicknamed ‘Slinga Malinga’ not only revolutionized Sri Lanka cricket but also changed the perception of T20 death bowling. Malinga used to play on the beach near his village and his unique action was spotted by Champaka Ramanayake, who invited him to join the Galle Cricket club; since then Malinga just grew in stature and went on to become Sri Lanka's greatest fast bowler.

Malinga at the age of 38 has finally decided to hang his boots not before creating numerous records which will probably not be broken in this generation at least. Malinga debuted in 2004 against the mighty Australians and although the Sri Lankans lost, they found a hidden gem in Malinga as he picked 5 wickets in the Test match. He was so impressive that even Adam Gilchrist gifted him one of the match stumps as a token of appreciation. Although Malinga’s test career didn’t last long, he still managed to pick up 101 wickets in 30 matches for Sri Lanka. Malinga retired early from the Test format to focus more on white ball cricket, which he did quite effortlessly as he was one of the key architects to make Sri Lanka reach two World Cup finals in 2007 and 2011. Malinga in 2019 became the fastest cricketer to claim 50 wickets in World Cup history, he ultimately finished his ODI career with 338 wickets in 226 matches.

Malinga’s greatest achievements came in the shortest form of game as he was not only the deadliest bowler in T20s but the fact that he could make you win matches from impossible situations through his immaculate death bowling made him a legend of the game. Malinga had captained his side to the 2014 T20 World Cup in Dhaka, a landmark in Sri Lankan history as it was their first major trophy after missing out in the 50 over World Cups. Lasith Malinga signs off as the highest wicket taker in T20 internationals with 107 wickets and has taken 390 wickets in 295 matches in all the T20s he has played. Lasith Malinga became an IPL legend, he helped Mumbian Indians to two titles in the process as he picked up 195 wickets at an economy rate of 7.82 in the death overs. He bowled 152 overs at the death of an IPL match and conceded only 1196 runs while claiming 90 wickets, a record surely no one even comes close to beating it.

It has not always been a smooth sail for the Sri Lankan pacer, his action was always scrutinised by experts and opposition as they thought that he used to chuck the bowl. ICC initially used to always call him out for his action but according to ICC rule an illegal action is only when a bowler extends or straightens the elbow more than 15 degrees while releasing the bowl. Lasith Malinga’s action was termed as roundarm which never really breached the 15 degree rule compared to the likes of Sunil Narine and Saeed Ajmal.

Also read: Slinger Malinga announces retirement from all forms of cricket

The Indian fans should also be thankful to the toe crusher as he has basically groomed Jasprit Bumrah into the world class bowler that he is. Jasprit came into the Mumbai Indians setup as a youngster when Malinga was the lead bowler but by the time he left, Malinga handed over the battalion to him, teaching him all the crafts he had in his arsenal. Malinga will surely be a name that will echo for decades in cricket but one thing is certain, that no matter how hard we try, no one creates the impact he has had on the game, especially in the shortest format of the game.

Dubai, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Assistant coach Mohammad Kaif reckons the first match in the second half of the Indian Premier League will set the tone for the rest of the tournament for table toppers Delhi Capitals.

The second leg of the T20 league, which was suspended in May due to the increasing COVID-19 cases in India and multiple infections in the IPL bio-bubble, is scheduled to resume in the UAE from September 19.

The Capitals are currently perched on top of the points table with 12 points from eight matches.

"There has been a big break after the first half of the IPL, but we are fortunate that most of the players have been playing international cricket regularly," Kaif was quoted as saying in a media release.

"We have a well-balanced side as there are players with international cricket experience and domestic players, who have been putting in good performances. The first match is going to be crucial for us.

"Our performance in the first match will set the momentum for us," he said.

Kaif added that the roles of some of the players in the team may change because of the change in venue from India to UAE.

"We played well in India and now we have to carry forward our performance here in the UAE. The roles for some of the players compared to the first half of the IPL may change because the conditions are different here.

"We have to start afresh in the second half of the tournament. We are looking to get used to the conditions here in the next few days and also play a couple of practice matches," said the 40-year-old.

Star batsman Shreyas Iyer, who missed out on the first half of the season due to a shoulder injury, his returned to the side for the second leg.

"There are not many changes to the squad as compared to the first half of the tournament, however the biggest plus for us is that Shreyas Iyer is back in the squad.

"He is a fantastic player and he's been playing well for us in the last couple of seasons. We are looking forward to seeing him play this season," Kaif said.

The Capitals are set to take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22.

Also Read : Iyer's return will strengthen team, need to start on a high note: Dhawan

News source : PTI

Colombo, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Head coach Mark Boucher hopes South Africa's T20 World Cup bound players can pick up "bits of information" about the UAE conditions during the Indian Premier League which he feels will stand the team in good stead during the marquee ICC event.

The 44-year-old emphasised that the players need to manage themselves during the league so that they can peak at the right time as a unit for South Africa.

"We've spoken to the guys going to the IPL. They need to stay quite disciplined and realise we want to peak at the right time as a unit," Boucher was quoted as saying by 'ESPNCricinfo'.

"They'll be picking up bits of information about playing in those conditions that will really get them ready for a big tournament and if they manage themselves well and get some good time in the nets and get used to facilities it will stand us in good stead." The IPL, which was suspended midway in May due to multiple cases of COVID-19 in its bio bubble, is scheduled to be held in the UAE from September 19 to October 15.

The T20 World Cup is slated to begin on October 17 in Oman and UAE.

Boucher's comments come in the wake of South Africa's 3-0 T20 series win over Sri Lanka. The Proteas had earlier notched series victories against West Indies and Ireland.

"This team realised that we are definitely not the finished product, so there's a lot of things we speak about," Boucher said.

"We had a good chat about the lessons we've learnt and where we want to go as a team. We tied the record for the most T20 wins by a South African team. That was one of the records that we were playing for.

"We understand that going into a World Cup each game is as important as the others and this becomes a habit. This is just part of the growth of the team," Boucher added.

Also Read : You can never get used to this Indian bowling attack: Dawid Malan

News Source : PTI

Brisbane, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Top Australian cricketer Alyssa Healy says she seeks inspiration from Rohit Sharma and wants to replicate the flamboyant Indian opener's success across all three formats.

The wicketkeeper batswoman is gearing up for the muti-format series against India comprising three ODIs, a day-night Test and three T20s, starting on September 21.

Having played only four Test matches, Healy says she will approach the "tricky" pink ball fixture, which will be played from September 30 to October 3 in Canberra, like an ODI.

"It's a tricky one because I've only played four Tests so I wouldn't say I'm overly comfortable with how to play or how to approach a Test," Healy was quoted as saying at a 'Fox Cricket' launch event for the series.

"From my point of view, I don't think it's going to change too much from my ODI batting. I think the ability to give yourself more time is such a blessing.

"I look at the modern Test game and see how it's changed quite a lot. I look at someone like Rohit Sharma who is one of the most devastating white-ball batters in the world and yet he's a really successful opener in Test cricket." After dominating the white ball game, the Indian limited overs vice-captain has proved his mettle in the red-ball format as well. Opening the batting, Rohit has played a key role during India's tour of Australia and England.

"So for me, I said look at somebody like him and think about how he translates those skills across all the formats, could I potentially replicate that somehow?" she added.

The two sides have developed a fierce rivalry over the years. India had knocked Australia out in the the semifinal of the 2017 World Cup thanks to Harmanpreet Kaur's 171 off 115.

Also Read : Indian team has improved massively since T20 WC defeat to Australia, says Mandhana 

At the women's T20 World Cup last year, India had drawn first blood taking the opening match on the back of senior spinner Poonam Yadav's brilliant spell.

However, Australia had made a strong comeback in the final, handing India a 85-run defeat.

Talking about the series ahead, Healy said the unpredictable nature of the Indian team makes them dangerous.

"Sometimes a bit of the unknown and the unpredictable nature of India makes them incredibly dangerous. They've picked a few new players that we haven't seen before on this tour," Healy said.

"So they always love throwing something new at us, even if it is Poonam Yadav, she always has something new to throw at us, just to kick us off track again," she added.

News source : PTI

New Delhi, Sep 15 (Cricket News) England big-hitter Dawid Malan feels Indian bowlers are subtly different from each other, making it nearly impossible for batsmen to fully get used to them.

The India pacers were better than their English counterparts in the recent intensely-fought Test series and the visitors were leading 2-1 before the fifth match was called off following multiple COVID-19 cases in the Indian camp.

Malan, who made a Test comeback in the series after three years, said the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami and Mohammad Siraj are different from each other and batsmen struggle to cope when they bowl in tandem.

"They've all been pretty tough. I think the one thing about this Indian attack is they're all slightly different. They all have different release points and different things they do with the ball, which makes it so challenging you know you can never get used to (them)," Malan told PTI in an interview.

"If you think you are getting used to one of them, they just come at you with different challenges all the time so you know it's really tough to pick them. They've all been really, really good this series," the batsman, who has pulled out of the IPL ahead of the T20 World Cup, said.

The southpaw, who lent much needed solidity to England's struggling batting line-up, was also happy that R Ashwin was not part of the series.

"It's not because he's not a great bowler, he is a serious bowler. He is one of the best spinners that's ever played the game, but you know, it's hard for me to comment on why he wouldn't be playing," he said when asked if he was surprised about Ashwin missing all the four Tests.

"...If you look at the conditions and if you were playing two spinners he would probably be tougher (Ravindra Jadeja). I guess the captain, or the leadership of the Indian team probably had the decision to make between Jadeja or Ashwin and they went the other way.

"They led 2-1 so you know you can't really argue (with that decision). I'm quite happy as a left hander that he did not play, which is pretty good," said the world's number one T20 batsman.

Talking about his Test comeback, Malan wasn't completely satisfied with his performance though he looked assured in the middle from the word go.

"Yes and no. You know, to get a score in that first Test was good.. disappointed not to (have) capitalised on that one to score a hundred. It was a really good batting wicket so to get out the way I did this was obviously disappointing," he said.

"And then the first innings at The Oval. To get to 30 once again on a wicket that was playing well and to get out was tough, was disappointing from my point of view. You know I've come in, I feel like I've hit the ball well I've moved well," he added.

The interaction was arranged by Gonuts which claims to be "India's largest and most influential platform for fandom and celebrity commerce."

Also Read : Slinger Malinga announces retirement from all forms of cricket

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Saint Lucia Kings struck at the right time as they played their best against four time champion Trinbago Knight Riders in the semifinals of the Caribbean Premier League. They will face St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the final who beat Guyana Amazon Warriors in the second semifinal.

Saint Lucia Kings won the toss and chose to bat first which resulted in a dramatic start as Rahkeem Cornwall was sent off by Akeal Hosein in the fourth ball of the match, but that was the only setback in the match for Saint Lucia Kings as Mark Deyal kept hammering boundaries in a short period of time as Captain Andre Fletcher looked on from the non-striker end.

There was never shortage of runs as Trinbago Knight Riders could not get strikes in continuous intervals, the tournament’s leading wicket taker Ravi Rampaul leaked 56 runs as he took Fletcher’s wicket. David Wiese and Tim David further did some damage as the pair smashed 8 sixes in their partnership which helped the team get the score past the 200 run mark.

Trinbago Knight Riders also had a setback in the beginning as they lost their opener Lendl Simmons in the opening over to Alzarri Joseph, but Sunil Narine and Colin Munro kept the run rate ticking as they rebuilded the innings until Wiese removed them both in the 8th over leaving the batting line dismantled. They regained hope as Kieron Pollard smashed a few balls over the ropes as the match was still a tight contest, Wiese again took the wicket of Pollard and Wahab  Riaz took the wicket of Denesh Ramdin after two overs as now they were completely helpless.

Wiese struck twice in the 19th over to secure his second five wicket haul of the season and it was all gone for the Trinbago Knight Riders as they bowed out by giving a good fight. Wiese had made contributions with the bat and the ball and rightfully won the man of the match.

Saint Lucia Kings (205/4) in 20 overs

Trinbago Knight Riders (184/ 10) in 19.3 overs

Saint Lucia Kings win by 21 runs

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots won the toss and chose to bowl against Guyana Amazon Warriors. Guyana Amazon Warriors never had a consistent batsmen in the innings as there were continuous strikes. Shimron Hetmyer was the lone batsmen who was attacking the bowlers as his cameo ensured a good score on the board.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots always looked in control as leading run getter Evin Lewis made sure his intentions were understood right from the first ball as he began smashing the bowlers all around the park and found adequate support from Chris Gayle and captain Dwayne Bravo. Lewis batted till the end with Sherfane Rutherford giving him company as St Kitts and Nevis Patriots eased into a comfortable victory.

Guyana Amazon Warriors (178/9) in 20 overs

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (181/3) in 17.5 overs

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots win by 7 wickets

Also read: Five time finalist Guyana Amazon Warriors aim to win their first title along with Saint Lucia Kings and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots

Karachi, Sept 14 (Cricket news) Pakistan will tour Bangladesh later this year for a Test and T20 series after a gap of five years.

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday confirmed that Pakistan would be playing two Test matches and three T20 internationals in Dhaka and Chattogram in November and December.

The Pakistan team will leave for Bangladesh immediately after the World T20 Cup in UAE which concludes on November 14.

The PCB said the tour is part of the Future Tours Programme and will commence with the T20I series, which will be staged at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, on November 19. The second and third T20Is will be played on November 20 and 22.

The two teams will then travel to Chattogram for the first of the two Tests at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium from November 26-30.

This match will see the two sides face-off in the apex form of the game on Bangladeshi soil for the first time since May 2015, when Pakistan won the two-match series by completing a win in the final Test by a mammoth 328 runs.

The two teams will return to Dhaka to play the final Test, which will start from December 4.

The tests will be part of the ICC World Test Championship points table.

Cricket relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh boards have only recently normalized after years of tension and strife after Bangladesh twice pulled out of tours to Pakistan citing security concerns.

Fixtures: Nov 19 – First T20I, Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka Nov 20 – Second T20I, Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka Nov 22 – Third T20I, Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka Nov 26-30 – First Test, Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram Dec 4-8 – Second Test, Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka.

Also read: Slinger Malinga announces retirement from all forms of cricket

News source:PTI

Colombo, Sep 14 (Cricket news) Sri Lanka pace veteran Lasith Malinga, who terrorised the world's best batsmen with his toe-crushing yorkers delivered from a low and sling-arm action, on Tuesday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

The 38-year-old, who was captain of Sri Lanka's 2014 T20 World Cup winning team, posted a message on his social media account announcing his decision.

"Hanging up my T20 shoes and retiring from all forms of cricket! Thankful to all those who supported me in my journey, and looking forward to sharing my experience with young cricketers in the years to come," Malinga tweeted.

Malinga had retired from Test and ODI cricket in January this year but was yet to call it quits from T20 internationals.

Last year, he had expressed his desire to lead Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup, which was originally scheduled to be held in Australia in October-November 2020 but will be held next month after a COVID-forced postponement.

"I am looking forward to help youngsters and guide them in the coming years," he said as he thanked his national team and all the franchises that he has played for, including IPL team Mumbai Indians.

"I want to give 100 per cent rest to my T20 shoes. While my shoes will rest, my love for the game will never ask for rest," a smiling Malinga added in the video.

Malinga, who has played a staggering 122 IPL matches, has 170 wickets to his credit, the highest in the cash-rich league, with the best bowling figures of 5/13.

He picked up 107 wickets in 84 T20 Internationals, 338 scalps in 226 ODIs and 101 wickets in 30 Tests.

Also read:  Ireland win last ODI to tie the series after McBrine and Little star with the ball

News source:  PTI

Mumbai, Sep 14 (Cricket News) The BCCI is planning to have an e-bidding for the two new IPL teams on October 17 and the bids to buy the sides can be made till October 5.

"The Board is planning to have the bidding on 17th October and it will be an e-bidding," sources in the know of things told PTI on Tuesday.

The BCCI had on August 31 invited bids to own an IPL franchise with "Invitation to Tender" available for purchase till October 5.

"The Governing Council of the IPL invites bids to acquire the right to own and operate 1 (one) of the 2 (two) new teams proposed to be introduced to take part in the Indian Premier League from the IPL 2022 season, through a tender process," the BCCI had said in a statement.

"Any interested party wishing to submit a bid is required to purchase the ITT.

"However, only those satisfying the eligibility criteria set out in the ITT and subject to the other terms and conditions set out therein, shall be eligible to bid. It is clarified that merely purchasing this ITT does not entitle any person to bid," the cricket body had said.

Among the venues where the teams could be based include Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Pune.

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, with bigger capacities, could be the choice for the franchises.

Some of the business houses doing the rounds include the Adani group, RPG Sanjeev Goenka group, noted pharma company Torrent and a prominent banker who has shown active interest in buying teams.

Also Read : Unfortunate we ended up in IPL early, hopefully we can maintain strong, bio-secure environment: Virat Kohli

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) The Caribbean Premier League is coming to an end as the top four teams will lock horns today for a place in the finals. The finals will take place tomorrow as Trinbago Knight Riders take on Saint Lucia Kings in the first semifinal and Guyana Amazon Warriors will take on St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the second semifinal. The top three teams have finished with identical points as Saint Lucia Kings finished with 10 points as this year the competition is stronger than ever.

Semifinals

Trinbago Knight Riders are the favourites to win as they won their record fourth title last year and will depend on Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine to help them reach the finals. Their bowling line is led by Ravi Rampaul who has proved to be the star player in the side as he is the joint leading wicket taker with 18 wickets. Isuru Udana has also proved to be a useful addition to the team and has picked up a five wicket haul this time. The side has top players who can perform their best in this format especially at the death overs.

Saint Lucia Kings will seek revenge for last year’s final where they lost to Trinbago Knight Riders. Roston Chase has been on fire this year as he leads the run getters this year with 367 runs and should be able to pull his team into a second consecutive final. Wahab Riaz has not been able to get his line and length but needs to be in form especially at a crucial stage of the league.

Guyana Amazon Warriors have been one of the most hardworking teams in the league but luck has been cruel to them as they will now target a place in the finals and finish better than last time. Their bowlers have won them matches as Romario Shepherd is the joint leader among wicket takers with 18 scalps to his name along with Odean Smith with 16 wickets. Imran Tahir is also in the pack with 13 wickets and all the three will be expected to win it again for the team. Their batting side has not been in top form although runs have come flowing, their bowlers have taken the load.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots have one of the best players in their squads but somehow managed to finish in the top four. Evin Lewis is the second highest run getter with 343 runs which has played a vital part in their form this year as Dominic Drakes has led the bowling department with 13 wickets. They have so much potential as Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Sheldon Cottrell make their team the most balanced side, they are the under dogs but can win a surprising first title. Their experience is what the team needs the most and if they are on fire then they are assured of a title.

Also read: Trinbago Knight Riders looking for a record fifth title, Guyana Amazon Warriors start with a historic victory

Dubai, Sep 14 (Cricket news) India skipper Mithali Raj was on Tuesday joined at the top by South Africa opener Lizelle Lee, whose unbeaten 91 in the opening match against the West Indies helped her take joint-first position in the latest ICC women's ODI rankings.

While Mithali, who retains her number one spot, is now tied in first place with Lee at 762 rating points, with Australia's Alyssa Healy in third place, India opener Smiriti Mandhana also held on to her ninth spot.

Lee, who first seized the top position in June 2018 and again reached the summit in March this year, scored 18 runs in the second match, which also counted towards this week's rankings update.

Veteran Indian pacer Jhulan Goswami and senior spinner Poonam Yadav remained static on fifth and ninth respectively among bowlers, while Deepti Sharma maintained her fifth spot in the all-rounders' list.

Indian teen star Shafali Verma held on to her top rank in the T20 rankings with 759 points, ahead of Australian Beth Mooney (744) and India T20 vice-captain Mandhana (716).

There was no movement for Sharma (sixth) and Yadav (eighth) in the T20 bowling rankings with the former also retaining her fourth spot in the all rounders' list.

In T20 rankings for bowlers, England’s Sarah Glenn has moved up a slot to second position while New Zealand off-spinner Leigh Kasperek (up seven places to 15th) and all-rounder Jess Kerr (up eight places to 58th) have also moved up the table.

Also read: Indian team has improved massively since T20 WC defeat to Australia, says Mandhana

News source: PTI