News Analysis India

Tag: IPL

  • Aiden Markram​ to replace Dawid Malan in Punjab Kings squad

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: Punjab Kings on Saturday named South African batsman Aiden Markram as replacement of English batsman Dawid Malan in their squad for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 after the England batsman pulled out of the tournament.

    “Ahead of the resumption of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League, Punjab Kings today announced the inclusion of South African cricketer Aiden Markram to the squad,” said Punjab Kings in a statement.

    “Markram will replace Dawid Malan who is taking some time off to be with his family before the T20 World Cup and the Ashes Series,” added the franchise.

    Punjab Kings are sixth on the points table, having won three matches out of the eight they have played. They have six points and have a net run rate of -0.368.

    The second leg of the IPL will begin on September 19 with Punjab Kings playing Rajasthan Royals on September 21.

  • Mumbai Indians fly in Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah to Abu Dhabi in charter

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians has flown in skipper Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav along with their families on a charter flight from Manchester to Abu Dhabi on Saturday morning.

    They will now undergo six days of quarantine and then will link up with the Mumbai Indians squad. Rohit, Surya and Bumrah tested negative for COVID-19 before departure from Manchester and after arrival in Abu Dhabi.

    “Mumbai Indians flew in three of its Indian contingent members, captain Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav, to Abu Dhabi on a private charter flight. The trio, along with their families, arrived today morning and will now undergo 6 days hard quarantine, starting today as per the IPL’s guidelines,” said Mumbai Indians in an official statement.

    “All members had returned negative RT PCR results before departure. A new RT PCR test was undertaken upon arrival at Abu Dhabi, which are negative as well,” it added.

    Chennai Super Kings players are also expected to land in Dubai on Saturday. “Now that the Test match is off, we are looking to get the CSK boys into Dubai tomorrow,” CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan told ANI on Friday.

    Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is also arranging a charter flight to get Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj into Dubai on Sunday morning, ahead of the resumption of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. They will undergo a 6-day quarantine period before joining the team bubble.

    “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,” an RCB source told ANI.

    Earlier on Friday, the 5th Test match between England and India was cancelled in Manchester. The BCCI and ECB held several rounds of discussion to find a way to play the Test match, however, the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Indian team contingent forced the decision of calling off the game.

    The 14th season of the IPL, 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 Mumbai Indians.

  • My tooth fell off, can I blame IPL: Irfan Pathan after pundits blame league for cancellation of fifth Test

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Former India pacer Irfan Pathan on Saturday took a dig at the ‘cricket pundits’ who have allegedly blamed the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the cancellation of the Manchester Test.

    The fifth Test match between England and India was cancelled in Manchester. The BCCI and ECB held several rounds of discussion to find a way to play the Test match, however, the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Indian team contingent forced the decision of calling off the game.

    However, many claimed that players wanted to get into their respective IPL bio-bubbles and hence were reluctant to feature in the fifth Test.

    Commenting on the same Irfan Pathan said in a tweet,” My tooth fell of, can I blame the @IPL ?? #easytarget. (sic)”

    Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians has flown in skipper Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav along with their families on a charter flight from Manchester to Abu Dhabi on Saturday morning.

    They will now undergo six days of quarantine and then will link up with the Mumbai Indians squad. Rohit, Surya and Bumrah tested negative for COVID-19 before departure from Manchester and after arrival in Abu Dhabi.

    Chennai Super Kings players are also expected to land in Dubai on Saturday. “Now that the Test match is off, we are looking to get the CSK boys into Dubai tomorrow,” CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan told ANI on Friday.

    Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is also arranging a charter flight to get Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj into Dubai on Sunday morning, ahead of the resumption of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

  • England vs India: Manchester Test cancellation all about money and IPL, says Michael Vaughan

    By ANI

    MANCHESTER: Former England captain Michael Vaughan has said the Manchester Test between India and England was cancelled because players were petrified of catching covid and missing the Indian Premier League (IPL).

    The fifth and final Test between India and England was cancelled on Friday after the visitors’ assistant physio tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.

    “Let’s be honest, this is all about money and the IPL. The Test has been cancelled because players were petrified of catching covid and missing the IPL,” Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph.

    “In a week or so we will be watching the IPL and the players will be running around smiling and happy. But they should have trusted the PCR tests. We know a lot about this virus now. We know how to manage and handle it better. Players are double vaccinated and biosecurity can be raised very quickly,” he added.

    Vaughan also said that he finds it hard to believe that India found it tough to find 11 players for the final Test against England.

    “The game of cricket needed this Test match. The series was brilliantly poised. It just does not sit comfortably that a Test match can be cancelled 90 minutes before the toss. It is completely disrespectful towards the paying public,” said Vaughan.

    England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) CEO Tom Harrison said that it was frustrating to see the fifth Test between England and India being cancelled and the board tried its best to avoid this outcome.

    “A huge amount has happened over the last 24 hours, and from one cricket lover to another, I want to say how sorry I am for all the inconvenience caused by the cancellation of this Test match. We were all looking forward to what promised to be the culmination of this brilliant Test Series, and I’m so disappointed at not being able to get the match played,” said ECB chief Harrison in an official statement.

    “I have heard many stories today of people who planned for months or saved hard during this pandemic to have a special day out with friends and family. To not see that happen is hard to take. Today’s news will have been so frustrating, especially given the short notice. Please know that we worked through the night to find solutions and avoid this outcome,” he added.

    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has offered to ECB a rescheduling of the cancelled 5th Test match which was scheduled to be played at Manchester from Friday. The BCCI and ECB held several rounds of discussion to find a way to play the Test match, however, the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Indian team contingent forced the decision of calling off the game.

  • 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.

  • Doesn’t feel like we have had long break, it’s about carrying momentum: RCB batsman Devdutt Padikkal

    By ANI

    DUBAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) opening batsman Devdutt Padikkal has said that it does not feel like that there has been a break and it will be just about carrying the momentum once the Indian Premier League (IPL) season resumes in the UAE.

    The IPL 2021 season will resume in the UAE on September 19 with Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) locking horns against each other.

    “It is almost like we are continuing the tournament again, it does not feel like that we have had a long break because we have had enough cricket. It does not feel like a huge break and it is just about continuing with the momentum we had in the first phase of the season,” said Padikkal in a video posted on the official Twitter account of RCB.

    “In India, cricket is a huge festival and it is a religion. There is a lot of attention you get outside the sport as well so it is important you try to focus on the game. It is very easy to drift away and get distracted, so what I have tried to do is to focus on the game and try not to look at the media because it is easy to get distracted by those things,” he added.

    When asked about whether this is the year for RCB to win the IPL, Padikkal said: “I would hope so. Everyone comes with the hope of winning the IPL, hopefully this is our year. We have a good squad and we have gotten good replacements as well so we look ready for the challenge.”

    In a big development, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is arranging a charter flight to get Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj into Dubai on Sunday morning, ahead of the resumption of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. They will undergo a 6-day quarantine period before joining the team bubble.

    Speaking to ANI, sources within the RCB franchise confirmed that Virat and Siraj will be flying out from Manchester in a charter flight on Saturday night and reach Dubai early 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,” the source said.

    The 14th season of the IPL, 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 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 BCCI has decided to do away with contact tracing devices for the UAE leg, starting on September 19.

    The Indian board decided that Bubble Integrity Officers will do the necessary contact tracing if any player tests positive for COVID-19 in UAE. 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.

  • RCB arranges charter to fly Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj from Manchester to Dubai on Sunday

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: In a big development, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is arranging a charter flight to get Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj into Dubai on Sunday morning, ahead of the resumption of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. They will undergo a 6-day quarantine period before joining the team bubble.

    Speaking to ANI, sources within the RCB franchise confirmed that Virat and Siraj will be flying out from Manchester in a charter flight on Saturday night and reach Dubai early 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,” the source said.

    Earlier on Friday, the 5th Test match between England and India was cancelled in Manchester. The BCCI and ECB held several rounds of discussion to find a way to play the Test match, however, the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Indian team contingent forced the decision of calling off the game.

    The 14th season of the IPL, 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 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 BCCI has decided to do away with contact tracing devices for the UAE leg, starting on September 19.

    The Indian board decided that Bubble Integrity Officers will do the necessary contact tracing if any player tests positive for COVID-19 in UAE. 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.

  • After ‘depressing’ phase, spinner KC Cariappa looks at redemption with Rajasthan Royals 

    By PTI

    DUBAI: He burst into the IPL scene as a mystery spinner with an eye-popping INR 2.4 crore price tag but KC Cariappa couldn’t exactly set the stage on fire in the handful of games that he played.

    Six years hence and 29 T20 games which include a few for his state Karnataka and some for Kings XI Punjab (Punjab Kings), Cariappa, who put on weight after a “bout of depression” is now ready to sing the redemption song with Rajasthan Royals.

    A chance call from Royals top official Zubin Bharucha brought the Bengaluru man back on track.

    “I was just roaming around in Bengaluru and my fitness had taken a toll but that is when Zubin (Bharucha) sir called me to ask to come for the IPL trials.

    “I was shocked that someone is asking me to come for trials because I was lost almost for one year and weighed around 95kgs then. However, I went for it and bowled well,” Cariappa said in a press release issued by the Royals.

    In fact Bharucha enquired what’s wrong with him.

    “Zubin sir then called me and said, ‘I’ve been following you since 2015, but what is wrong with you? What is wrong with your fitness? We like your bowling but you have to get your fitness right.’ And that was the moment when I found the motivation again, and I worked really hard to get back into shape. So I’m really thankful to him (Bharucha) and to the Rajasthan Royals franchise for showing faith in me,” expressed an emotional Cariappa.

    Calling the upcoming season as one of the most crucial of his life, Cariappa said that he will use his opportunities to make a case for the Indian team.

    “I have been training really consistently during the off season, and it (the upcoming season) is very important because I’ve been waiting for a big opportunity for a long time, and every year I’ve been getting only a few matches,” he said.

    “….and sometimes they go well, sometimes they go bad. But if I get an opportunity again, I just want to do well and, in my head, I tell myself that I should be in the Indian team. I feel every cricketer aspires to play for his country and so do I,” signed off Cariappa.

  • Amit Mishra recounts battle against COVID-19, says Delhi Capitals need to start afresh

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Leg-spinner Amit Mishra is glad that he is back to full fitness after a rather slow recovery from COVID-19 that pretty much cut him off from the outside world.

    The Delhi Capitals tweaker is now looking forward to the IPL resuming here on September 19.

    He was among the infected people in the IPL-bio bubble, forcing the BCCI to suspend the event in May.

    “After the IPL was suspended in May, I focussed on my recovery from Covid-19. According to the advice given to me by the doctors, I improved my fitness slowly and steadily,” he said in a team release.

    “It was difficult for me during the recovery phase, but I am happy that I am here for the second half of the season. I trained on my own and didn’t go close to anybody after recovery.

    “I got some gym equipment such as treadmill and set them up at my home as well because I didn’t want to train in a public gym,” he said.

    Delhi Capitals had a good run in the first half of the tournament, recording 6 wins in 8 matches. However, Mishra feels that all teams will have to start afresh when the season resumes.

    “We are at the top of the table right now, but we have to start afresh. We have to set our strategies again. I think every team has an equal chance of doing well now since we are all re-starting the tournament.

    “We are playing the second half of the IPL in a different country, so we have to devise our strategies according to the conditions here in the UAE.”

    The leg-spinner added that he will try to build on the momentum they had in the first half of the season.

    “We have been doing well in the last two seasons and the performances have come because of a collective effort. From coaches to selectors to players, everyone should be credited for Delhi Capitals’ progress as a team in the last few years,” said the 38-year-old.

    Delhi Capitals take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22.

  • Rajasthan Royals announce 13-year-old fan as their first-ever Junior Super Royal

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals on Saturday announced their first-ever Junior Super Royal, a 13-year-old superfan who hails from Guwahati, Assam, but has his roots firmly planted in Rajasthan — a perfect candidate to represent the thousands of Rajasthan Royals’ adolescent fans.

    The announcement was officially made to the young fan by Royals’ star all-rounder Riyan Parag, who paid a surprise visit to Aman’s home in Guwahati, ahead of the former’s departure for the UAE.

    What do you get to be the first Junior Super Royal?Spoiler – You’ll wish to be the next one! #RoyalsFamily | #HallaBol | @ParagRiyan pic.twitter.com/y7o07nF2ca
    — Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) September 4, 2021
    Aman Agarwal, a student of 8th standard, hails from the city known as the Gateway of North-East India, and has been inducted into the Rajasthan Royals’ exclusive fan programme ‘Super Royals’ as a Junior Super Royal.

    As part of the programme, Aman will get the chance to work alongside 25 other Super Royals and the franchise, acting as one of Rajasthan Royals’ youngest ambassadors off the field, also forming a link between the organisation and the larger fan community outside the Super Royals.

    Excited to be given a once in a lifetime opportunity at such a young age, Aman expressed his delight, “I have been over the moon ever since I heard from our superstar Riyan Parag that my favourite team, Rajasthan Royals, has selected me as their Junior Super Royal. It is the first time the franchise has officially recognised such a young fan, and I’m proud to be getting the opportunity to participate in various activities and show my support for the team that I love.”

    “To expand this group to include a Junior Super Royal is very exciting, and I’m sure Aman will lead the way for millions of young fans around the world. We reward these incredibly loyal and valued fans with priceless experiences and extraordinary access to key individuals in our franchise, such as Riyan Parag’s surprise visit to Aman. We value them immensely and are grateful for all the support they provide. I’m delighted to welcome Aman to this group and look forward to seeing his impact,” said Jake Lush McCrum, CEO, Rajasthan Royals.