News Analysis India

Tag: IPL

  • Mumbai Indians pick Roosh Kalaria as replacement for injured Mohsin Khan 

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Defending champions Mumbai Indians have added fast bowling all-rounder Roosh Kalaria to their main squad as a replacement for the injured Mohsin Khan for the UAE leg of the IPL.

    The 28-year-old Kalaria had travelled to Abu Dhabi with the Mumbai Indians squad as a back-up player, and now has earned his first IPL contract.

    Kalaria was part of the India U-19 team in the 2012 ICC U-19 cricket World Cup.

    He has been a key player for Gujarat in the domestic cricket over the years since his debut in 2012.

    Kalaria was inducted in the squad on Saturday during the team’s training session.

    The lucrative league resumes here on Sunday with a much-awaited clash between five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians and three-time winners Chennai Super Kings.

  • Ultimate goal is to win IPL, says Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Coming off a long tour of the United Kingdom, Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant sought to get acclimatised to the UAE’s extreme heat by spending time on the balcony of his hotel room during the mandatory quarantine.

    However, it was still not comfortable when he did his first training session on Friday ahead of the IPL’s resumption.

    Pant said that he is currently focussing on getting used to the conditions in the UAE.

    “It’s pretty hot here in the UAE. I was trying to sit on the balcony during my quarantine period as much as possible to get used to the conditions. But, it still felt quite hot when I took part in my first practice session here.

    “I’m just trying to get used to the conditions now and hopefully, I will be fully acclimatised to the conditions in 2-3 days,” Pant said in a release issued by Delhi Capitals.

    The wicketkeeper-batsman said that the team will look to continue its brilliant performance from the first half of the IPL 2021 season.

    The Delhi Capitals are currently at the top of the table with 12 points from eight matches.

    “Our ultimate goal is to win the trophy, but we are going to focus on our process. Hopefully, we can continue to play the way we did in the first half of the IPL 2021 season and we can go on and win the IPL trophy this year,” said Pant.

    He has also expressed his excitement about meeting his teammates after completing his quarantine period.

    “It’s really nice to meet everyone after coming out of quarantine. It’s been great meeting the teammates here in training.”

    Delhi Capitals will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22, in their first match on resumption.

  • KKR’s Morgan, McCullum excited about paying in front of fans

    By PTI

    DUBAI: 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.

  • IPL: Delhi Capitals spinner Manimaran Siddharth ruled out, seamer Kulwant Khejroliya named replacement

    By PTI

    DUBAI: 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, 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.

  • Limited spectators to be allowed at Indian Premier League matches

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: 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 lucrative 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 across various venues in India.

    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.

    After the COVID-19 pandemic had brought the sporting world to a standstill last year, competitive cricket slowly resumed inside strict bio bubbles.

    The series between India and Australia from November last year to January was the first time that men’s cricket witnessed spectators in-stadia since coronavirus outbreak in March 2020.

    The limited-overs series between Australia Women and New Zealand Women was also played in the presence of spectators Down Under last year.

    Fans had also been permitted into stadiums in Chennai and Ahmedabad during India’s home series against England earlier this year.

    However, a surge in COVID-19 cases had prompted the organisers to stage the later fixtures behind closed doors.

    The 2021 Big Bash League and summer fixtures in England — series against New Zealand and India, the World Test Final in Southampton, the Hundred tournament — were also played with crowds.

    The ongoing Caribbean Premier League, being played at Warner Park in St.

    Kitts, has permitted fans as well to attend at up to 50 per cent capacity.

    However, only fully vaccinated fans have been allowed into the stadium, and all adults need to prove their vaccination status to gain entry to the ground.

    UAE and Oman are also slated to host the T20 World Cup, two days after the IPL final on October 15.

  • Besides teammate Shami, Nathan Ellis hopes to pick brains of Jasprit Bumrah and Siraj in maiden IPL

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: 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 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.”

  • IPL in UAE will level playing field for T20 World Cup: RCB all-rounder Glenn Maxwell

    By PTI

    DUBAI: 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.”

  • Royal Challengers Bangalore star AB de Villiers pleased after hitting century in warm-up game

    By ANI

    DUBAI: Ahead of the IPL 2021 resumption in UAE, Royal Challengers Bangalore had their first practice match in The Sevens Stadium on Tuesday evening to acclimatise to playing a full game in the hot and sultry conditions. The practice match turned into an edge-of-the-seat thriller with fantastic performances from both teams.

    RCB ‘A’ led by Harshal Patel won the toss and decided to bat against RCB ‘B’ — led by Devdutt Padikkal. The ‘A’ team put on a fantastic batting display and put up a total of 212 runs led by AB de Villiers, who ensured he continued his belligerent form. ABD plundered 104 off 46 deliveries, his knock laced with 7 boundaries and 10 sixes. The South Africa veteran was accompanied by Mohammed Azharudden, who smashed 66 off 43 balls, including 3 sixes and 4 boundaries.

    Speaking about his explosive century, AB de Villiers said on the latest episode of RCB ‘Bold Diaries’: “When we arrived and I got out off the bus, I thought it’s crazy that we’re trying to play a cricket game in the middle of the day. Luckily the breeze came up, I told my partner at the crease that it’s much better now and the pitch will get flatter. We had fun out there, I’m pleased with the runs on the board. It was very scratchy for the first 20 balls out there. I was very happy to get the runs. There’s nothing more valuable than just getting runs right in the middle.”

    The RCB ‘B’ team came out to chase a formidable total and performed exceptionally. KS Bharat led from the front and scored 95 runs to be the team’s leading scorer. Captain Padikkal complemented him well with a 21-ball 36. The contest turned interesting towards the end as Padikkal’s team required three runs off the final two deliveries. However, they finished the chase with a boundary and won the game by 7 wickets.

    Mike Hesson, Coach and Director of Cricket Operations was pleased to see the battle and expressed his views on RCB ‘Bold Diaries’, “Very good game. Some good performances from a number of guys. Both top orders played really well. The fact we got to see them put under pressure at the end was exactly what I wanted to see.”

    Batting consultant Sanjay Bangar was happy to see the explosive performances by both teams, “We were hoping it will be a close game, but we saw the magic of AB in the first innings and Azhar batted really well. The second innings effort was better than the first innings. Chasing down a score of 212 and that partnership between KS and Dev where they put up 70 runs in 6 overs. What was pleasing to see was that all of them were well-timed cricket shots. They weren’t looking to muscle the ball… A lot of positives from this game and I am pretty sure this will build their confidence going into the tournament.”

  • Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman yet to get entry visa to join SRH in Dubai

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League is set to resume in UAE from Sunday, but there is still no clarity on when Afghanistan and SunRisers Hyderabad spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman can join the franchise. He is yet to get an entry visa into the country for the remaining half of the cash-rich league.

    Speaking to ANI, sources in the know of developments confirmed the same. “It is still being worked on and there is no clear date as to when Mujeeb can join his franchise. His entry visa is still being worked on and there should be an update soon,” the source said.

    Meanwhile, star spinner Rashid Khan and all-rounder Mohammad Nabi have joined SRH in UAE and are currently undergoing quarantine. SunRisers will play their first game in the second half of the season on September 22 against Delhi Capitals.

    The players coming from the Caribbean Premier League and the South Africa-Sri Lanka series will undergo two-day isolation before they join their respective team bubbles. The bubble to bubble transfer means they will not need to quarantine for six days with an eye on COVID-19.

    Sources in the know of developments confirmed that the players will undergo isolation and get their COVID-19 test done before they join teammates in the bubble. “The players coming in from the bubbles in CPL and from the SA-SL series will undergo two days of isolation. They will come in and go into their rooms on the first day, they will then get tested next day and once the results come in, they will join the squad members in the bubble,” the source told ANI.

    The BCCI had earlier informed all franchises that every player coming to UAE from the UK would have to undergo six days of hard quarantine before they could join the existing team bubbles for the resumption of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League.

    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.

  • Want to create my own legacy, not to fill anyone’s shoes: Rajasthan Royals batsman Glenn Phillips

    By ANI

    DUBAI: Having produced some consistent batting blitz in recent times, New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips was snapped up by the Rajasthan Royals for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season, and even though he smashed his way to 254 runs in the Caribbean Premier League, the right-handed batter could not help the Barbados Royals secure a semi-final berth.

    “At first, I knew there were other players ahead of me, and then with players dropping out, this opportunity came about. There were a couple of other teams who wanted me, but the fact that I was playing for the Barbados Royals already, made sense for me to go with the Rajasthan Royals. I felt it was the right decision to stay with the same franchise,” said Phillips in an official release.

    “After I joined, Sanju Samson had sent a text welcoming me to the Royals so that was good to see. I had subsequent chats with Sangakkara but that was more of a general catch up because I’ve played with him before at the Jamaica Tallawahs,” added the 24-year-old.

    A born athlete who has ‘played every sport under the sun’, Phillips also added that he “will be happy to fit in wherever the team needs” him to. He continued, “Whether it’s opening, in the middle order, bowling, keeping wickets or wherever in the field, I’ll just do whatever the team needs for me to do.”

    Commenting on what the Royals’ fans can expect from him, the hard-hitting batter said, “I feel like I have the ability to control the pace of the game depending on what the situation is like regardless of the position I’m batting at. So, if you lose wickets, I feel like I have the batsmanship to be able to take the game deep and then accelerate at the end. Having power in my game does allow me to take it deep till the end and catch up. I can give the team a fast start as well, but also play the longer innings.”

    Reflecting on what’s ahead for the Rajasthan Royals this season, he stated, “From the perspective of our position on the table, being in the fifth spot is a nice little position at the moment because couple of wins from here and we’ll be well on our way to qualifying.”

    Even though he was announced as a replacement for Jos Buttler, Phillips reckons that he’s “a completely different player” to the Englishman. “The team has brought me in to do whatever role they need me to play, so it’s not really like I’m filling in Jos’ shoes, I’m probably filling in my own shoes and looking to create a legacy of my own rather than being a replacement.”