News Analysis India

Tag: IPL 2021

  • IPL 2021 likely to start on April 9, final on May 30 subject to GC approval

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: The 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is likely to be played from April 9 to May 30 subject to the approval of the Governing Council (GC). In another development, while the date of the all-important GC meeting to decide on the venues for the 14th edition of the league is yet to be finalised, it is most likely to be held next week.

    Speaking to ANI, a GC member on conditions of anonymity said while the final approval will be given in the GC meeting, the league is expected to start on April 9 and a call on the venues will be taken next week.

    “We haven’t yet decided on the day of the GC to decide on the venues, but the meeting will take place next week. As per the proposal, the IPL will get underway from April 9 and the final will be played on May 30,” the GC member said.

    Progressing from the initial idea of hosting the 2021 edition of the IPL in one city, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is exploring the option of playing the league across four to five cities. While the logistical part will need further discussion, the idea has been floated and is being discussed by the senior officials of the board.

    A BCCI official in the know of developments said the idea has indeed been discussed and while it is still early days, the 14th edition of the league could well be played in more than one city if things go as per plan and the GC gives an approval.

    “We are exploring the possibility of conducting the IPL at more venues than originally planned. The intent is to take it to more fans as the situation is moving towards normalcy. The feasibility of the bio-secure bubble and logistics will of course be crucial to determine the venues finally. It is a fluid situation and the health of the participants is our primary concern,” the official had said.

    Some of the cities that have been discussed are Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad.

    While the tournament is still some time away, franchises too are open to the idea of having the league in more than one city as that will help to stay flexible with an eye on the COVID-19 situation.

    While the BCCI is keen to take the most successful domestic league to as many fans as possible, the board is also clear that the bio-bubble restrictions will be made keeping the safety of the players in mind as was the case when the tournament was moved to UAE in 2020.

  • CSK training camp for IPL-2021 likely from March 9 

    By PTI
    CHENNAI: Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has landed here to take part in the team’s training camp likely to begin on March 9 in the lead-up to the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

    The former India captain arrived here late on Wednesday and will serve a five-day quarantine.”

    READ HERE | MS Dhoni arrives in Chennai for IPL

    Former India batsman Ambati Rayudu also reached Chennai on Wednesday while the Tamil Nadu players in the squad will be joining a little later.

    The camp is likely to get underway from March 9, CSK CEO K S Viswanathan said, adding the players who are available would take part in it.

    “Yeah… the camp is likely to start from March 9. Whoever is available would take part in the training sessions,” he told PTI.

    “The players will undergo five-day quarantine before they start training. Also, they will have to return three negative tests..,” he added.

    The Indian players in the CSK will be a part of the camp, he said, adding they would be arriving in batches.

    The schedule and venues for the 14th edition of IPL have not been confirmed yet.

    CSK, during the recent mini auction earlier this year, picked up England all-rounder Moeen Ali for Rs 7 crore, apart from Karnataka all-rounder K Gowtham (for Rs 9.25 crore) and Cheteshwar Pujra (Rs 50 lakh).

    It also roped in a few others including Tamil Nadu batsman C Hari Nishaanth, Harishankar Reddy and Bhagath Varma (all for Rs 20 lakh).

    The team did not fare well in the last IPL, failing to qualify for the play-offs for the first time ever.

  • IPL auction: Mohammed Kaif says Delhi Capitals will look to bolster bench strength

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals will look to find back-up players during Thursday’s mini-auction in order to build a suitable bench-strength going into the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League, said assistant coach Mohammed Kaif.

    DC finished runners-up in the last edition and would like to do one better with a good bench strength this year, which became a problem last season during the business end of the tournament.

    ALSO READ | With an Azharuddeen and SRK to spice things up, all set for another IPL mega auction

    “We have released a few players, so we will be looking to fill those gaps. I think flexibility is the key in the auction. One can have all the plans for the auction, but things can change on the auction table,” Kaif said.

    “We have to take spontaneous decisions. Our main players have been playing continuously and there are no fitness issues as well. So, we’ll be looking to acquire some back-up players in tomorrow’s auction,” he added.

    Commenting on the current squad, another assistant coach Pravin Amre said, “To be honest, if we are asked to play tomorrow also, we have a playing XI ready with us, so I think that’s the successful planning, and that’s what we learned from other teams also, who back their core for a long time.”

  • These five players of Chhattisgarh were shortlisted for IPL 2021

    A total of 292 players have been shortlisted for this year’s IPL. Those who will be bidding also include 5 players from Chhattisgarh. Bidding for all these players will be held on 18 February.
    According to the information, a total of 114 players were registered for this season of IPL. In which 292 players have been short-listed. It has 164 Indian players, while 125 foreigners and 3 associate country players.
    The five players from Chhattisgarh have been included. It includes Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Amandeep Khare, Shubham Aggarwal, Shubham Singh and Shashank Singh. Of these, Amandeep and Shubham Aggarwal have played the first IPL match.

  • IPL 2021: Royal Challengers Bangalore release Aaron Finch, Moeen Ali ahead of mini auction

    By ANI
    BENGALURU: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Wednesday announced that they have decided to retain 12 members of their IPL 2020 squad and the likes of Aaron Finch and Moeen Ali have been released from the squad.

    The likes of Virat Kohli, Ab de Villiers and Yuzvendra Chahal will be seen for RCB this season. While, key performers of last season like Devdutt Padikkal and Mohammed Siraj have also been retained. Australia limited-overs skipper Finch and England all-rounder Moeen Ali along with South Africa’s Chris Morris have been shown the door.

    IPL Retention Announcement  Here’s the news you’ve been waiting for, 12th Man Army. We have retained 12 stars from our 2020 squad. #PlayBold #IPL2021 #WeAreChallengers pic.twitter.com/YkzSV3EUjU
    — Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) January 20, 2021

    RCB’s retained players: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Yuzvendra Chahal, Devdutt Padikkal, Washington Sundar, Mohammad Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Adam Zampa, Shahbaz Ahmed, Josh Philippe, Kane Richardson, Pawan Deshpande.

    Released players: Aaron Finch, Gurkeerat Mann, Chris Morris, Shivam Dube, Dale Steyn, Parthiv Patel, Isuru Udana, Umesh Yadav and Pawan Negi.

    Earlier this month, pacer Dale Steyn had announced that he would not be available for selection for IPL 2021 and as a result, he has also been released. RCB had made it to the playoffs of the IPL 2020 season but the side had to face a loss in the Eliminator against SunRisers Hyderabad.

    The Virat Kohli-led side has not been able to win the IPL title even once, but the side has made it to the finals thrice.

  • Skipper Steve Smith’s contract not renewed by Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2021

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals have decided against renewing the contract of their high-profile captain Steve Smith ahead of the 14th Indian Premier League this year.

    Under Smith’s captaincy, the inaugural edition champions RR finished last in the last IPL in the UAE, where the star Australian batsman played all the 14 league matches and scored 311 runs at a strike rate of 131.

    ALSO READ| Rajasthan Royals needs a new skipper for IPL 2021, feels Aakash Chopra

    This included three half-centuries, but his contribution as a leader came under the scanner after the team’s forgettable performance. “His contract was up in October 2020, not being renewed,” a franchise source told PTI.

    Ahead of the 2018 IPL, Smith was the only player retained by the Royals for Rs 12.5 crore. The same year, the Royals returned from a two-year suspension and appointed Smith as the captain. However, he stepped down from the position in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa ahead of the lucrative league.

    Smith recently drew flak for his underwhelming performance in the series against India.

  • Chennai Super Kings to retain Suresh Raina; Piyush Chawla and Murali Vijay’s fate hangs in balance

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings has decided to retain Suresh Raina going into the mini-auction ahead of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League. But Kedar Jadhav, Piyush Chawla and Murali Vijay’s fate hangs in balance. Foreign stars like Dwayne Bravo and Faf du Plessis are also set to be retained while Harbhajan Singh has been released and Shane Watson has retired.

    Speaking to ANI, sources in the CSK outfit said that the management will take a final call on the likes of Kedar and Chawla before submitting the final list to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at 5 pm on Wednesday.

    “Raina will definitely be a part of the CSK family. He is an integral member and there was never any doubt on him being retained. It was his personal call to return from UAE and the management was clear that his space needed to be respected. We expect him to fire on all cylinders this time around. As for Kedar, Piyush and Vijay, we will have to see. It is a touch and go situation and a final call will be taken by the senior management before the final list is submitted to the BCCI today,” the source said.

    Asked about any other big name who could miss out, the source said that the core would very much remain the same. “Harbhajan has been released as you are aware and Watson has retired. Apart from that, don’t see any big name missing out. Bravo and du Plessis will be with us,” the source pointed.

    ALSO READ| IPL contract with Chennai Super Kings has ended: Harbhajan Singh

    With the mini-auction inching closer, franchises looking to retain players were asked to complete the process by Wednesday. Former India batsman Aakash Chopra feels ‘Dad’s Army’ CSK has heavily relied on senior players in the past and the time has come to introduce young guns in the side.

    Mahendra Dhoni-led CSK had a dismal outing in last year’s IPL. The Chennai based franchise finished at the seventh position in the points table. Chopra said CSK need to change their strategy and must retain last year’s match-winners like Shardul Thakur and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

    “As the deadline for the IPL Player Retention process approaches, I feel now would be the right time for CSK to shed their ‘Dad’s Army’ tag and introduce young talent in the team,” Chopra said on Star Sports show ‘IPL: Retention Special’.

    “Mahendra Singh Dhoni has relied heavily on senior players who have performed in the past, but he along with the CSK think-tank need to change their strategy. They would certainly need to retain last year’s match-winners like Ambati Rayudu, Shardul Thakur and Ruturaj Gaikwad,” he added.

  • IPL contract with Chennai Super Kings has ended: Harbhajan Singh

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Veteran Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Wednesday said his contract with IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings has ended, bringing to a conclusion his “wonderful” two-year stint with the side.

    The 40-year-old spinner revealed this ahead of next month’s IPL auction and hours before the list of retained players for the upcoming edition is announced. “As my contract comes to an end with @ChennaiIPL, playing for this team was a great experience.. beautiful memories made &some great friends which I will remember fondly for years to come..Thank you @ChennaiIPL, management, staff and fans for a wonderful 2years..All the best,” Harbhajan tweeted.

    As my contract comes to an end with @ChennaiIPL, playing for this team was a great experience..beautiful memories made &some great friends which I will remember fondly for years to come..Thank you @ChennaiIPL, management, staff and fans for a wonderful 2years.. All the best..
    — Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) January 20, 2021

    He was part of the CSK team that won the Indian Premier League title in 2018, coming back after a two-year suspension. Harbhajan was one of the two CSK players, along with Suresh Raina, who chose to skip the 13th edition of the IPL in the UAE last year, held in a bio-secure bubble amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Raina, though, had to rush home after a tragedy in the family. In the 2019 season, Harbhajan picked up 16 wickets from 11 games at an average of 19.5. In 160 IPL matches, Harbhajan has 150 wickets at an average of 26.44 and an economy rate of 7.05.

    In the international arena, he has to his credit 417 Test wickets, 269 ODI scalps and 25 dismissals in T20Is. Harbhajan last played for India during the T20 World Cup in 2016 and has featured in 103 Tests, 236 ODIs and 28 T20Is.

    The IPL trading window for the franchises closes on February 4.

  • Rajasthan Royals needs a new skipper for IPL 2021, feels Aakash Chopra

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) retention process, former India batsman Aakash Chopra feels former champions Rajasthan Royals should enter the tournament under the leadership of a new skipper.

    Australian batting mainstay Steve Smith led the Royals in last year’s IPL. The Rajasthan based side had a topsy-turvy ride in the showpiece event. The Royals were looking good after England’s star all-rounder Ben Stokes made a return, but still finished the league at the bottom of the table.

    Chopra feels a new captain should be on the priority list of the Royals as the team has failed to deliver. The former batsman also listed out a few names which the side must retain ahead of the auction. “On paper, Rajasthan Royals feels like the one of the most complete teams in the IPL, but on the field, the team has failed to impress even its staunch supporters,” Chopra said on Star Sports show ‘IPL: Retention Special’.

    “Though RR had something to cheer about in Rahul Tewatia and Riyan Parag last season, they still finished at the bottom of the table. I feel the team needs a new leader and that has to be at the top of the priority list next season. I think the team should not release their current young talents such as Akash Singh, Mahipal Lomror, Mayank Markande, Anuj Rawat, and Kartik Tyagi,” he further said.

    With the mini-auction ahead of the 14th edition of the IPL inching closer, franchises looking to retain players were asked to complete the process by Wednesday. Catch the ‘IPL: Retention Special’ today at 6PM exclusively on Star Sports Network.

    Indian opener Rohit Sharma led Mumbai Indians to their fifth IPL title last year and played a captain’s knock in the final against Delhi Capitals. Chopra feels Mumbai Indians have checked all boxes as the defending champions are the most potent sides in the league.

    “Coming to the defending champions Mumbai Indians, they currently possess the dream squad. There are a lot of highly talented players who are almost like-for-like replacements on the bench. Now, with the possible return of Lasith Malinga, the team could be less experimental with the overseas players,” Chopra said.