News Analysis India

Tag: BCCI

  • ‘Only wife and girlfriend give stress’, says Sourav Ganguly, sparks controversy

    By Online Desk

    Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly has again made it to the headlines for something controversial — a sexist comment this time.

    In an event at Gurgaon, replying to a question on which cricketer’s attitude he likes the most, he said, “I like Virat Kohli’s attitude but he fights a lot.”

    ALSO READ | ‘Let’s not take this further’: BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly over Virat Kohli’s remarks on captaincy

    To another question on how he deals with all the stress in life, the former skipper said, “There is no stress in life. Only wife and girlfriend give stress.”

    Netizens took note of the sexist remarks and have been trolling ‘Dada’ for his recent comments.

    Earlier, Kohli was sacked as the ODI captain, and the day after that Ganguly claimed that BCCI had asked Kohli to not quit the T20I captaincy in September and the selectors had to drop him from the 50-overs captaincy as they wanted a single captain for white-ball formats.

  • IPL 2022: BCCI sets Rs 90 crore as salary purse, 42 crore for maximum four retentions

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The BCCI has set a salary cap of Rs 90 crore for 10 IPL franchises, including the two new entrants, for the next season and allowed a maximum of four retentions for the eight established teams.

    As PTI had reported on Friday, the two new franchises — Lucknow and Ahmedabad — will be given a choice to pick three players from the auction pool after the old teams announce their choice of retentions.

    “The BCCI had sent a letter to all the franchises, updating them about the new rules where four retentions will cost a team Rs 42 crore while three retentions will lead to reduction of Rs 33 crore. Two players retained will mean that Rs 24 crore is deducted while a single player retained means that one has to shell out Rs 14 crore out of the 90 crore purse,” a senior IPL franchise official told PTI.

    He also informed that retention amount and the amount paid to the player is not always the same. “Suppose Delhi Capitals retains Rishabh Pant as their ‘player 1’ among four maximum players, then the purse deducted will be Rs 16 crore. But in reality, Pant’s actual take home salary is not the reflection of what is deducted from purse. It could be much lesser. I am just giving an example,” the official stated.

    In case of four retentions, it could be either three Indians and one foreign player or at the maximum two Indians and as many foreigners. In case of the two new franchises, when they are allowed to select from the pool, they will have the right to pick two Indian and one foreign players from the available pool.

    ALSO READ| Eyeing fat paycheck, players keen to go back to IPL auction pool

    In case of uncapped players, the old franchises will get two picks and new ones will have one choice.

    The letter stated that the entire month of Novemver could be used for retention by eight old franchises and then from December 1-25, Lucknow and Ahmedabad would get a chance to pick their three players before the auction in early January.

    “The window for the eight existing teams to retain the players will be from the 1st November 2021 to 30th November 2021. Thereafter the 2 new teams will have the window to retain the players starting from 1st December 2021 to 25th December 2021,” the letter stated.

    In case of salary purse deductions per player, there are separate figures for four distinct slabs. In case of ‘Slab 1’ and four players retained — ‘Player 1’ will be valued at Rs 16 crore, ‘Player 2’ at Rs 12 crore, ‘Player 3’ at Rs 8 crore and ‘Player 4’ at Rs 6 crore.

    Therefore, the total purse deducted will be Rs 42 crore and that franchise will have Rs 48 crore to play with at the big auction. In case of ‘Slab 2’, ‘Player 1’ is valued at Rs 15 crore, ‘Player 2’ at Rs 11 crore and ‘Player 3’ will have Rs 7 crore earmarked for deductions.

    Therefore the total of Rs 33 crore will be deducted from full purse and that particular franchise will have Rs 57 crore to bid at auction. For ‘Slab 3’, in which two retentions are possible, ‘Player 1’ is valued at Rs 14 crore and ‘Player 2’ at Rs 10 crore and a total of Rs 24 crore deducted from the purse.

    The franchise, which opts for two retentions, will go in with Rs 66 crore at auction. ‘Slab 4’ will have only one retention available for Rs 14 crore and Rs 76 crore available for auction buy. However, in case of an uncapped player being retained, the deduction will be Rs 4 crore.

    While franchises have a month to retain their choice of players, here is a look at the likely retentions of eight original franchises and options available for Lucknow and Ahmedabad.

    All likely options (3+1 or 2+2) (Subject to players agreeing to be retained):

    Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Faf du Plessis/Moeen Ali/Dwayne Bravo (overseas)

    Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard (overseas)

    Kolkata Knight Riders: Shubman Gill, Varun Chakravarthy, Venkatesh Iyer (uncapped), Sunil Narine (overseas)

    Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Glenn Maxwell (overseas)

    Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje

    Kings XI Punjab: No retentions likey as KL Rahul looking for new team

    Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (if he agrees), Ben Stokes (if available post Ashes)

    SunRisers Hyderabad: Rashid Khan (if agreeable)

    Lucknow RP-SG: Shreyas Iyer, David Warner

    Ahmedabad: Pandya brothers — Hardik and Krunal.

  • Eyeing fat paycheck, players keen to go back to IPL auction pool

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: Even as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is close to finalising the retention rules for franchises, many of India’s top players are ready to test waters at the IPL auction. With two new teams inducted into the league, a big auction is lined up, which could take place in December or January.

    As things stand, the chances of franchises getting four players to retain are high with two new teams allowed to pick up to three players through a draft system before the auction begins. With regards to retention, teams have been told informally by the BCCI that they can retain either three Indians and one overseas player or two Indians and two overseas players.

    With regards to the right-to-match card (RTM), a consensus has not been reached with some franchises keen on continuing and others against it. The BCCI too believes RTM should be done away with as two new teams are in the fray.

    While retaining players will undoubtedly leave the two mew teams weaker at the auction pool, the BCCI has decided to introduce a draft system for Lucknow and Ahmedabad alone.

    According to an official privy to developments, once the other eight franchises decide on their retention list and release other players into the auction pool, the two new teams will be allowed to pick up to three players in a draft system.

    Lucknow will get the first pick because they made the highest bid at the franchise auction. The two teams will be allowed to pick two Indian and one overseas player as the BCCI is still formulating what the retention fee will be for each of these players including ones who will be retained. The final say on retention is on the players and for those who are picked at the draft, the consent of the player will be sought before signing.

    These are likely to be finalised in the coming days and several top players are understood to be keen on being released by their respective franchises. While the likes of Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad are set to be retained, others could find themselves back in the auction pool.

    According to an official, several Indian players are understood to be waiting for the BCCI to finalise the retention fee before deciding whether they will be part of the auction or not.

    At least one franchise found it hard to convince one of their top Indian players to stay back and has come to the acceptance that he won’t continue. Two other teams are still negotiating with their players and remain hopeful that they will agree.

    There are also whispers that one of the leading franchises may spring a surprise and release their star player if it decides to build a team with an eye on the future. The said player is already of big interest to the Lucknow franchise as a clearer picture is expected in the next couple of days.

    The reason why many are keen on going back to the auction pool is that in case they happen to be the third player on the retainer list, they stand to earn not more than Rs 8 crore as there are two more teams. But given it is a bigger auction and teams have to build a full squad, they may not fetch a big amount.

    In recent times, the costliest ones have all been from the mini-auctions, which some franchises have also mentioned in their negotiations with players. Among overseas players, David Warner had already told SEN Radio that he will be in the auction pool.

  • BCCI secretary Jay Shah delighted with TV viewership in IPL 2021

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: BCCI secretary Jay Shah is overwhelmed with TV viewership in the ongoing Indian Premier League and thanked fans for their support to the tournament, which has witnessed a disruption earlier this year owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The IPL 2021 was postponed in May due to several COVID cases inside the tournament’s bio-bubble in India.

    The second leg of the event started in the UAE this month, and has seen a growing interest among fans, leading to an increase in viewership.

    “I am delighted to share that #IPL2021 continues to register significant growth in viewership. Chart with upwards trend: 380 million TV viewers (till match 35) 12 million more than 2020 at the same stage. Thank you, everyone. It will only get more exciting from here on @IPL @StarSportsIndia @BCCI,” Shah tweeted.

    The IPL is being telecast live on Star Sports in India.

  • BCCI invites state units officials for Qualifier 2, IPL final

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The BCCI has invited the Presidents and the secretaries of its affiliated units to watch the Qualifier 2 and the summit clash of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE.

    BCCI secretary Jay Shah wrote to the officials that “this is an ideal time to catch up” as the domestic season is getting underway.

    “Let us meet in Sharjah for the Qualifier 2 and then again for the grand final in Dubai. We have chalked out an itinerary for you and my team will ensure you have an extremely pleasant stay,” wrote Shah in the letter.

    The second phase of the IPL is approaching the business end with teams involved in a tight race for the Play-offs.

    The Qualifier is scheduled for October 13 while final will be played on October 15.

    The BCCI secretary also said that getting remainder of the IPL in UAE was “a blessing in disguise” since it is helping the players prepare for the T20 World Cup.

    The T20 World Cup will begin from October 17 in Oman and the UAE.

  • Bubble watch: IPL franchises not letting their guard down  

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: The English summer has come to an abrupt end, but the temperatures are soaring in the UAE. With just six days to go for the 2021 edition of the IPL to restart after a four-month gap, preparations are in full swing and with most players — except those who are featuring in the Caribbean Premier League and the bilateral series between South Africa and Sri Lanka — having checked in. Ever since the franchises landed in Dubai and Abu Dhabi towards the second half of August, the mood has been quite upbeat, with each one insisting on the safety of the environment.

    It is in complete contrast to what was in India — rather specifically in Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad — in the months of April and May. With the tournament commencing in the middle of a strong Covid-19 second wave in India under a bio-secure environment, there was a bit of anxiety and fear with many of the franchise officials keeping their fingers crossed to deliver a full tournament. In the end, the move to hold the tournament at home proved costly as coronavirus breached the bio-bubble, bringing the event to a halt at the halfway stage.

    With the league all set to resume and so much riding on it, the recent developments in Manchester mean franchises and the BCCI are not letting their guard down. Although it has been a while since all the teams landed in the gulf and they are feeling more at home, they are aware it can lead to complacency, and the arrival of India and England players straight from Manchester means they are extra vigilant.

    “There is so much at stake, which is why the six-day quarantine has been made mandatory. Although all are vaccinated and have tested negative in the RT-PCR tests, it is always better to be well prepared and cover the bases. Whether you fly in by a commercial flight or charter flight, the moment you use the airport, there is always an element of risk. So this quarantine is absolutely necessary because it avoids any jitters,” a franchise official told this newspaper.

    For the record, those players who are undergoing quarantine will take three RT-PCR tests in six days and will join the bubble only if they test negative in all.

    Incidentally, when the BCCI decided to host the event in India in six cities, the air travel was seen as the biggest cause of concern. In the UAE, there is no need to worry about it as all three venues will be accessed via bus travel. And moreover, franchises have also put to use the experience of their lessons from 2020, when the entire tournament was held in UAE. Unlike in India where some franchises couldn’t control the public from taking the lifts that the players used, it won’t be the case in UAE.

    With Dubai Expo beginning in October, the prices of hotel rooms have gone up when compared to the 2020 edition which was held just after lockdown. However, with crowd movement expected in the hotel, franchises have even gone to the extent of renting the entire hotel for themselves this time around. “Last time, the world hadn’t opened up to this extent. This time it is totally different and with locals vaccinated and foreigners expected to turn up, it is business as usual here. So to be on the safer side, franchises have booked entire hotels to themselves,” said an IPL official overseeing the preparations.

  • IPL 2021: All players coming from UK must undergo six days of quarantine, BCCI tells franchises

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed all franchises that every player coming to UAE from the UK will have to undergo six days of hard quarantine before they can join the existing team bubbles for the resumption of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League.

    Speaking to ANI, a franchise official confirmed the development. “The BCCI has informed us that every player coming in from UK to UAE will have to undergo six days of quarantine before they can join the team bubbles. Obviously, the bubble to bubble transfer from UK to UAE no longer stands keeping in mind the current scenario,” the official said.

    With the final Test between India and England in Manchester cancelled, IPL franchises on Friday got in touch with charter companies to fly out their players from Manchester to UAE for the resumption of the cash-rich league.

    In fact, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is arranging a charter flight to get Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj into Dubai on Sunday morning.

    “Yes, we have arranged a charter flight for Virat and Siraj, both of them will be flying out at 11:30 PM UK time on Saturday and they will reach Dubai early Sunday morning. Safe transit of players is the utmost priority for RCB. They will undergo 6-day quarantine there before joining the team bubble,” a team source told ANI.

    Chennai Super Kings is looking to get the Indian players who are part of the team to Dubai by Saturday. CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed the development and said the team is keeping fingers crossed that the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur and Cheteshwar Pujara can fly into Dubai on Saturday. “Now that the Test match is off, we are looking to get the CSK boys into Dubai tomorrow,” he said on Friday.

    The 14th season, which was postponed in May this year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, will resume on September 19 in Dubai with a blockbuster clash between Chennai Super Kings and defending champions Mumbai Indians.

    The action will then shift to Abu Dhabi where Kolkata Knight Riders will square off against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Sharjah will host its first game on September 24 when Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Chennai Super Kings. In all, 13 matches will be held in Dubai, 10 in Sharjah, and 8 in Abu Dhabi.

    The board has come up with a 46-page health advisory that lays down all the pointers that everyone associated with the IPL needs to follow in order to ensure the smooth functioning of the league.

  • COVID-19 impact: BCCI bans media from covering IPL from venues

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Media will not be allowed to cover the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) from the venues due to the COVID-19 pandemic but if situation improves the restriction will be lifted, the BCCI announced on Thursday.

    The popular T20 League is already out of bound for fans and will be held behind closed doors.

    The PTI had earlier reported that media will not be allowed to cover the matches from the venues.

    “Owing to the health and safety concerns, media personnel will not have access to the stadium to cover the games or team practice sessions,” the BCCI said in a release.

    “If health and safety conditions are more favourable later in the season, media may be allowed to access the stadiums to cover the tournament.

    READ HERE | At least we’re getting to do what we like, says Rohit Sharma on bio-bubble life 

    Such an announcement will be made in due course,” the BCCI statement read.

    The BCCI will facilitate virtual post-match press conferences after each match to the media.

    The IPL begins on Friday with a mouth-watering clash between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

  • IPL 2021: Permission has been given for Mumbai matches, says Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Nawab Malik on Monday confirmed that the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches would be going ahead in Mumbai as planned and there would be no hurdles.

    His confirmation comes a day after it was announced that Maharashtra would be entering weekend lockdown from Friday 8 pm to Monday 7 pm to curb the spread of Covid-19.

    “The permission has been given for the matches with restrictions, the crowd would not be allowed to enter the stadiums. Whoever is participating in the IPL, would have to stay at one place in isolation. There can be no overcrowding, we have made this clear and on this basis, we have given the permission,” Malik told ANI.

    “There are many people demanding for vaccination, BCCI has also requested that the players be vaccinated. We also know that there are many people in Maharashtra who are at risk of being exposed to the virus. We also want the age limit to be reduced so that we can vaccinate, but unless the Central Government gives the permission, we cannot do so,” he added.

    On Sunday, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly had also confirmed that everything will go on as per schedule in the 14th edition of the IPL.

    “Everything will go on as per schedule,” Ganguly told ANI.

    Wankhede Stadium is set to host 10 IPL games this season from April 10-25. The first match at the Mumbai stadium is slated to be played on April 10 between Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings.

    Four franchises — Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, and Rajasthan Royals have set up their base in Mumbai as of now. The BCCI is also thinking of players’ vaccination ahead of the IPL with BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla saying that the board will get in touch with the Health Ministry for players’ vaccination.

    “In order to cope with this coronavirus rise, I think the only solution is to get vaccinated. BCCI is also thinking on those lines that players should be vaccinated. Nobody knows when coronavirus is going to end and you can’t give a deadline that by this time frame, it will not be there so players can play easily. So, I think now will have to think over that. Vaccination should be done for the players also,” Shukla told ANI.

    When asked if BCCI has written to the Health Ministry regarding players’ vaccination, Shukla said the BCCI is mulling over the idea and they will definitely get in touch with the ministry that players should be vaccinated.

  • Sourav under pressure to join politics: CPM leader’s shocker on former India Captain

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Senior CPI(M) leader Ashok Bhattacharya’s statement that BCCI president and former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, who suffered a heart attack and is now hospitalised, was under pressure to join politics created a storm on Sunday.

    Speculations were rife that the former batting great will join the BJP ahead of the state assembly elections due in April-May this year.

    But Ganguly himself never made his intentions quite clear about taking the political plunge.

    He underwent angioplasty after a “mild” heart attack on Saturday.

    He is under treatment in a private hospital in Kolkata.

    “Some people wanted to use Ganguly politically. That probably exerted pressure on him. He is not a political element. He should be known as Sourav the sporting icon,” Bhattacharya, the BCCI presidents longtime family friend, said.

    “We should not create pressure on him (for joining politics). I had told Sourav last week he should not join politics and he did not oppose my views,” Bhattacharya who visited Ganguly at the hospital said.

    Reacting to the former minister’s comments, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said, “Some people see politics in everything due to their sick mindset. Like millions of his fans, we only wish that Sourav recovers fully.” 

    Senior Trinamool Congress leader and state minister Sobhandeb Chatterjee, who also visited the former cricketer at the hospital, said that there had never been any effort to induct Sourav “into our party. We are proud to have him as the icon of sports.” 

    Ganguly’s former teammate and state minister Lakshmi Ratan Shukla, TMC MLA and daughter of late BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, Baishali Dalmiya, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and several others also visited him.

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday visited the hospital to enquire about his health.

    Ganguly had met Dhankhar at Raj Bhavan a week back “in a courtesy visit”.

    Ganguly is stable and his health parameters are normal, doctors said on Sunday.

    The cricket icon was diagnosed with three blocked coronary arteries on Saturday, following which a stent was inserted in one to remove the blockage.

    “Ganguly’s coronary angiography was done at 3 pm and his echocardiography will be repeated tomorrow,” a bulletin, issued by the private hospital where he is admitted, said late on Sunday night.

    His blood pressure is 110/80 and oxygen saturation level is 98 per cent, it said.

    Doctors said they will be deciding on conducting another angioplasty after assessing Ganguly’s condition.

    To a question, a hospital spokesperson said the medical board is not thinking about the option of bypass surgery.

    “Our expert panel will decide on the future course of treatment tomorrow,” she said.

    The nine-member medical board will meet on Monday and discuss further treatment plan with his family members, the bulletin said.

    Ganguly had his dinner at 10 pm.

    Meanwhile, fans of the celebrated former cricketer were seen holding posters that read ‘Come back dada’ outside the hospital, which saw a beeline of visitors like Saturday.

    The batting great was rushed to hospital on Saturday afternoon following complaints of chest pain.