The Week - Sports

ipl-2020-srh-crush-mumbai-indians-by-10-wickets-to-qualify-for-play-offs

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 22:57:18 GMT

Sunrisers Hyderabad thrived on pressure of a must-win game to thrash table toppers Mumbai Indians by 10 wickets and qualify for the IPL play-offs, in Sharjah on Tuesday.

Skipper David Warner (81 not out off 57) and Wriddhiman Saha (58 not out off 44) lit up the last league game of the tournament with an unbeaten 151-run opening stand to chase down the 150-run target in 17.1 overs.

The bowlers had set up the game nicely for SRH by restricting MI to 149 for eight despite a timely 41 off 25 from veteran Kieron Pollard.

With their third straight win, SRH finished third in the points table with 14 points and a much better run-rate than Royal Challengers Bangalore, who finished fourth on the same number of points. Both teams play the Eliminator in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

The outcome also knocked Kolkata Knight Riders out of the competition with the Eoin Morgan-led side having an inferior run-rate with 14 points.

The fact that Mumbai rested star pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult for the game also made the task easier for SRH.

The sole good news for Mumbai was the return to action of their skipper Rohit Sharma after a two-week injury lay-off, declaring he was "fit and fine" after concerns over his fitness, that led to him being excluded from the India squad for the Australia tour.

In the run chase, it was a delight to watch Warner and Saha showcase their range of strokes. On way to a resounding win, Warner also crossed the 500-run mark for the sixth time in IPL history, showing his remarkable consistency in the tournament.

Saha, who is in the team in place of Jonny Bairstow, has repaid the faith the team has shown in him with consistent performances. He was once again in sublime touch on Tuesday, collecting seven fours and a straight six of Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Warner, at the other end, hit 10 fours and a six.

Earlier, MI would have ended up with much less score if it wasn't for Pollard, who ensured his team put up a fighting total. The defending champions collected 51 runs off the last five overs.

Needing a victory to make the play-offs, Sunrisers bowlers made merry on a helping surface after their skipper Warner decided to put the opposition in to bat.

MI skipper Rohit (4), who missed the last four games due to a hamstring injury, made a surprise return in his team's last game ahead of the play-offs.

However, he lasted for only seven balls as pacer Sandeep Sharma (3/34) had him caught at mid-off with a well-disguised knuckle ball.

Sandeep also found the stumps of Rohit's opening partner Quinton de Kock (36 off 29) who played on after smashing the SRH pacer for couple of sixes and a boundary.

It was the turn of spinners Rashid Khan (1/32) and Shahbaz Nadeem (2/19) to provide wickets in the middle-overs.

Nadeem got rid of in-form Suryakumar Yadav (36) and Krunal Pandya (0) in the 12th over and then Rashid removed Saurabh Tiwary in the following to reduce Mumbai to 82 for five.

Just when the partnership between Ishan Kishan (33 of 30) and Pollard was looking dangerous, Sandeep removed the southpaw to tighten the screws on the opposition.

However, Pollard came to his team's rescue yet again with a valuable cameo.

Pollard hammered four sixes, three of those came in the penultimate over bowled by death overs specialist T Natarajan.

West Indian all-rounder Jason Holder (2/25) also produced a tidy spell.

injured-rohit-sharma-says-his-hamstring-is-absolutely-fine

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 22:15:34 GMT

Rohit Sharma on Tuesday allayed concerns over his fitness, saying his "hamstring" is absolutely fine after the Mumbai Indians skipper returned to action after a two-week injury lay-off.

"I was happy to be back, it's been a while. I'm looking forward to play few more games here, let's see what happens. It (hamstring) is fine, absolutely," said Sharma at the post-match presentation after the 10-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Sharma missed the last four games before making a comeback on a day when BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, in an interview to PTI, advised not to rush his comeback from what he called a "hamstring tear".

For the same injury, the Indian team selectors decided not to include Sharma in the squad for the Australia tour on a day when he returned to the Mumbai Indians nets, fuelling speculation on his fitness.

According to Mumbai Indians' team management, Sharma suffered a hamstring strain in his left leg in the game against Kings XI Punjab on October 18.

When asked about his fitness status at the toss, Sharma said: "Looks like I'm fit and fine".

Talking about the hammering Mumbai received at the hands of Sunrisers, Sharma said it was a game to forget ahead of the Qualifer 1 against Delhi Capitals on Thursday.

"Not the day we want to remember, probably our worst performance of the season. We wanted to try a few things, it didn't go our way. We knew dew was going to play a factor and we wanted to take the toss out of consideration, but we didn't play good cricket today," he said.

Mumbai also rested key bowlers like Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah for the game.

The dew in the second innings once again made batting easier.

"They played good shots in the powerplay, and that helped them. If you take wickets in the powerplay, even if there is dew, it can put pressure on the opposition.

"It's a very funny format. It's always nice to forget what has happened, and focus on the present. They (Delhi) are a good side, so it will be a good challenge to face them," he added.

remove-atk-trends-as-mohun-bagan-fans-vent-ire-on-twitter

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 21:46:05 GMT

Think Indian football, think Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. With its roots in Bengal, these two legacy clubs have commanded respect and passionate following like no other.

So, when the Indian Super League started in 2014 without these two heavyweights, fans of both the clubs were left devastated. Though Kolkata had an ISL club of its own—ATK—it failed to stir the emotions of the fans the way Mohun Bagan (established in 1889) and East Bengal (founded in 1920) did.

Six years down the line, finally the two clubs will be part of the ISL this season. While East Bengal retained its “identity”, Mohun Bagan merged with ATK in January this year (RPSG Group became the majority shareholders in the new club along with Mohun Bagan Football Club (India) Private Limited) and was rechristened ATK Mohun Bagan FC, much to the disappointment of the fans.

Though the team management tried to placate them by retaining the original maroon-green jersey and the logo, the fans were left far from amused. First, the fans took to social media to urge the team to use hashtags like #JoyMohunBagan and #TheMariners with its posts. ATK Mohun Bagan agreed and have been using them ever since.

Again, when the team put out a promotional video, the fans opined that it did not do justice to the rich legacy and history of the club. The proverbial final nail in the coffin came when pictures of the team from the ongoing practice sessions in Goa were posted on social media. The patch on the training kits had the phrase 'Champions 2019-20' with the three stars signifying the three ISL titles won by the ATKFC in 2014, 2016 and in March this year. Mohun Bagan fans stormed the social media questioning how the club can put only the three titles there, ignoring the legacy club's history of more than 200 titles, including the NFL and I-League titles. They have been demanding the removal of the promo from all platforms, the removal of the three stars from the badge and jersey, and also abstain from calling the newly-formed club 'defending champions'.

The team management has been forced to take note of the protests by fans, both on social media and on the streets. The hashtag #RemoveATK has been trending on Twitter for more than a day now. Mohun Bagan general secretary Srinjoy Bose put out a clarification, saying that the grievances of the fans will be addressed, and the legacy and history of Mohun Bagan will be honoured.

ATK Mohun Bagan begin their ISL 2020-21 campaign on November 20 against Kerala Blasters.

starved-for-games--indian-women-cricketers-happy-to-get-going

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 21:38:08 GMT

The last One Day International match Indian ODI captain Mithali Raj played was on November 6, 2019; the last T20 International she featured in was on March 9, 2019 and the last Women's T20 Challenge match she played was on May 11, 2019.

India's T20 International captain Harmanpreet Kaur last played an ODI on November 6, 2019 and the last T20 international she played was the final of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Melbourne on March 8.

It has been a tough year for women's cricket in India. Even as the male counterparts got ready for the Indian Premier League, the women players, especially the centrally contracted ones, had to wait longer to hear of any match or series being finalised for them by the BCCI. Their scheduled tour to England in June -July was postponed and the IPL moved out of India to the UAE due to prevailing COVID-19 situation. There was uncertainty over the Women's T20 Challenge competition being held along with the IPL. The scenario for women's cricket looked anything but encouraging at home after hitting a high in March when the team reached the finals of the T20 WC in Australia. Until, Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI president, announced that a mini tournament for the women—a prelude to a full-fledged Women's IPL in future—would indeed be played.

And so here they are, ready as much as they can be, for the four-match mini competition. The relief in their voices is palpable; the underlying view is loud and clear—something is better than nothing.

The three-team event, will be played during the IPL play offs as it usually has on previous occasions. While Raj will skipper the Velocity team, Kaur will lead the Trailblazers and Smiti Mandhana will be the captain of the Supernovas. The three teams will play three matches from November 4-7 with the final on November 9. All matches will be played at Sharjah Cricket Ground. The tournament clashes with the Women's Big Bash league in Australia, but will still have 12 overseas players playing in it.

Speaking about the lack of any competitive cricket for Indian players, Kaur said they are just glad that the event is happening. "I know it has been a long time since we got back to cricket, but to be honest I am very excited that we are getting some cricket; we all are very thankful to BCCI and all the people involved. As a cricketer, I definitely look for more cricket and hope we keep getting more matches," said Kaur in a press interaction before the first match of the tournament.

One of the matches on November 5 in fact is a day game and will have Raj-led Velocity playing two back-to-back games with less than 24 hours gap. But Raj, too, has opted for a pragmatic approach and is happy that the competition is indeed happening, however short and hastily organised.

"Best to take one game at a time. Yes it is a challenge, recovery time is less. Our next game is at 2 pm. But it is important we get these games going so that we get game time for players ahead of coming series. All I can say is that we are here to play our best cricket and also to enjoy the platform because it is a privileged tournament which everyone wants to be a part of,” she said.

Speaking about the quarantine and challenges of the bio secure bubble that the women players were in after landing in the UAE, Raj said, "Quarantine period is tough, it is challenging, because you are confined to your rooms. There is no interaction with your teammates. But bio bubble does give us space where we can interact with teammates and support staff. Overall, it is something very new, and anything new is challenging. But it is what it is. If it is required to have matches, then as players we are ready to accept the new norms of playing in bio bubble. We have come up with something innovative to train during quarantine period and even in the bio bubble we do have time slots for training sessions."

The Indian team has to set a few things in place ahead of the ICC Women's T20 WC to be played next year. The Women's T20 challenge will give a peak into the possible young talent which can be drafted into the senior team's plans by selectors. Ayushi Soni, a 20-year-old Delhi all rounder and Kashvee Gautam, a 17-year-old pacer from Chandigarh are some of the names to look out for.

"We need someone who can bat in the middle order; that is an area we are studying at the moment," said Kaur who will lead India in the next T20 WC.

Raj, who will be a mentor to the youngsters, also said that this tournament will have a lot of learning for the young Indian talent to come through. "This platform gives them opportunity to interact with overseas players and other senior players and to see how they set themselves before playing a tournament. The professional approach is what these young girls can learn through W T20 Challenge."

Raj is not part of India's T20 plans in future and had watched her teammates end as runners up in the final of the WC which concluded earlier this year. But, Raj believes that the Women in Blue have cracked the code in the shortest format of the game, which until recently was not their forte. "In this format, it was thought as a team we were not good enough, but we have broken the barrier. Since 2016, our team has been doing well. It has done a lot of good for women's cricket in India. Any WC, when we qualify for finals, the platform is huge and a lot of people follow the final. I think the Indian team right now is a serious contender in any format."

Having come this far, with growing popularity, the women's game in India needs a serious push by administrators. The manner in which the BCCI has approached it particularly this year, however, has been somewhat disappointing. To make the dream of a full-fledged women's IPL a reality, the women's game needs more than just one odd competition in the coming months. For now, as Kaur said, it is a start.

imran-khan-a-drug-addict-smoked-charas-at-my-house-ex-pak-bowler

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 15:45:55 GMT

In a video interview that has gone viral, Pakistan former pace bowler Sarfaraz Nawaz has claimed that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is a drug addict. Nawaz, who spearheaded Pakistan’s pace attack in the 70s and early 80s, claimed that he has seen Khan consume drugs on numerous occasions and even said that he wasn’t the only witness.

"He (Imran Khan) has been consuming cannabis; he used to do it in London and even at my home. In 1987, when Pakistan faced England in a cricket match, he did not bowl well. He had then come to my house along with Mohsin Khan, Abdul Qadir, Salim Malik in Islamabad for a meal and consumed ‘charas’”.

“He also snorts something and consumes cocaine as well. In London, he would roll something and snort it," said Nawaz in the video, which THE WEEK could not verify independently.

This is not the first time Khan has faced such allegations. In 2018, in a memoir published by his former wife Reham Khan, she had accused Khan of using different varieties of drug and of even having homosexual tendencies.

Nawaz, who is now a parliamentarian, has dared Khan to refute his claims. “If he thinks I am lying, he is free to file a case against me,” he said.

Indian-team-returns-from-Germany-testing-negative-for-COVID-19

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 09:59:27 GMT

The Indian badminton contingent, that was stuck in Germany, returned home on Tuesday after testing negative for the dreaded coronavirus for the second time.

The second round of tests was conducted by the German authorities on November 1. Three shuttlers, including Lakshya Sen, were part of the contingent. Defending Champion Lakshya had to withdraw from SaarLorLux Open in Saarbrucken after his father-cum-coach D K Sen returned a positive test for the virus.

Former world number 13 Ajay Jayaram and 2018 winner Subhankar Dey were also forced to pull out of the Super 100 event and put in isolation owing to contact with senior Sen.

Lakshya, Jayaram, Dey and physio Abhishek Wagh had tested negative ahead of the tournament.

While Lakshya, his father and physio reached Bangalore, Dey and Jayaram took a flight from Frankfurt to Delhi

"We reached Bangalore at home this morning around 5am. We all are fine and healthy," DK Sen said.

"We were in quarantine since my first Test came positive. The German official did the second Covid Test for all five of us on November 1 and thankfully the reports came negative, so we immediately returned home."

While DK Sen was asked to stay in isolation till November 6, the rest of them were asked to undergo a mandatory quarantine till November 9.

Jayaram had asked for help from sports minister Kiren Rijiju, the national badminton federation and BWF, saying that the organisers had not given them any information or assistance apart from asking them to isolate.

Dey too had demanded compensation for the ordeal in his social media post.

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) then assured that it will pay for the expenses to be incurred by the two players "for the length of their quarantine in Germany from October 30 to November 10, on humanitarian grounds."

Lakshya, who claimed five titles in the senior circuit last year including two BWF World Tour Super 100 top honours -- SaarLorLux Open and Dutch Open -- had received a bye in the opening round of the event along with Dey.

Jayaram, however, had won his opening-round clash but the positive test of D K sen brought an unfortunate end to India's campaign at the tournament.

The world calendar has been severely curtailed this year because of the pandemic and after a seven-month shutdown, it restarted with the Denmark Open earlier this month.

The next tournament will be the Asia leg and World Tour Final in January next year.

DC-skipper-Iyer-has-faith-in-his-fearless-bunch-of-boys-to-go-past-Mumbai-Indians

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 09:54:46 GMT

Capitals' skipper Shreyas Iyer is quite "chuffed" about the way his team bounced back from four consecutive losses to make the IPL playoffs and insists that the "fearless" bunch has what it takes to upstage defending champions Mumbai Indians up next.

Delhi Capitals earned a top-two finish with an easy six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday. They will take on the defending champions on Thursday for a place in the IPL title clash.

"The Mumbai Indians are one of the best teams. Having said that, I feel we are also a fearless and amazing bunch of boys," Iyer said at the post-match press conference.

"It really depends on the day. They are pretty experienced in such (finals) stages but the team has a good attitude and good composure on that given day is going to make it through."

With Prithvi Shaw, Iyer himself, Rishabh Pant and South African paceman Kagiso Rabada, Delhi is packed with talented youngsters.

Iyer said the key to getting past holders Mumbai on Thursday in Dubai would be handling pressure with ease.

"We need to keep things simple and not complicate in pressure situations. The way we have been going, this was a really good win and it's going to be a really good booster as well for us."

The four-match losing string snapped, Iyer was a relived man.

"This win was very essential and it has put smiles on our faces after four consecutive losses. Today the way we played, it was a comprehensive win. All the departments were covered up well by the players.

"I am really chuffed by their performance, the way they came up and delivered at the right time. The second place obviously makes you feel good after the season you had, with all the ups and downs," he said.

"The IPL is always a roller-coaster journey."

Iyer also hoped that Ajinkya Rahane will continue to play a significant role. Rahane scored 60 runs in the win against the RCB.

"He (Rahane) carries a lot of experience in the IPL and the way he paced his innings, it was amazing to see. It was great example and he peaked at the right time, just when we needed him.

"With a few important matches coming up, he will definitely play an important role."

Meanwhile, RCB all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed said getting the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan was special.

"The practice camp before the IPL helped me. And the first wicket in IPL that too of Shikhar Dhawan is a special feeling," he said.

"It's good that we had better net run rate and we qualified despite the loss. The good thing is we had intensity, that's one of the positives."

ipl-2020-dc-beat-rcb-by-6-wickets-both-teams-make-play-offs

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 21:29:51 GMT

All's well that ends well. The IPL 2020 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals was a perfect example of this as both teams advanced to the play-offs, despite the latter winning by six wickets, in Abu Dhabi.

Chasing 153 to win, Capitals reached the target in 19 overs. Ajinkya Rahane anchored the chase with a 46-ball 60, with Shikhar Dhawan chipping in with 54 off 41 balls. Though DC lost opener Prithvi Shaw (9) and skipper Shreyas Iyer (7) cheaply, Rahane and Dhawan shared an 88-run stand for the second wicket to virtually seal the match, and the number 2 position, for DC.

Spinner Shahbaz Ahmed was the pick of the RCB bowlers, taking 2/26 in his four overs. RCB needed to take the match beyond 17.3 overs to ensure their qualification. The Virat Kohli-led side will meet either Kolkata Knight Riders or Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator.

If SRH win tomorrow against Mumbai Indians, they will go through. If not, KKR will advance into the play-offs.

Earlier, after being put into bat, RCB were restricted to 152/7 in 20 overs, courtesy some brilliant bowling from the Capitals, with Anrich Nortje leading the way with 3/33.

Opener Devdutt Padikkal top-scored with 50 but played 41 balls for it. He hit five fours and shared a 57-run stand with skipper Virat Kohli (29 off 24 balls).

The powerplay overs yielded 41 runs, including five fours and a maximum, for the loss of one wicket.

AB de Villiers (35) was yet again in sublime touch and raised a 33-run stand with young Shivam Dube (17 off 11 balls), but the duo could not power RCB to a bigger total.

isl-jhingan-tiri-give-defensive-boost-to-atk-mbs-27-member-squad

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 20:32:41 GMT

Spanish centre-back Tiri, who is returning after three years, was on Monday named along with star Indian defender Sandesh Jhingan in a 27-member squad announced by ATK Mohun Bagan.

Tiri was part of ATK's ISL-winning side in 2016 before switching to Jamshedpur FC, while Jhingan has been the most high-profile signing of the season.

It remains to be seen who will partner the duo in the backline with coach Antonio Lopez Habas having former Mumbai City defender Subhashish Bose also at his disposal.

Then there's the trio of Pritam Kotal, Sumit Rathi and Prabir Das who have been retained.

During their practice session at Benaulim Stadium, the Spanish gaffer was seen paying extra attention to their defence to get a perfect combination for the duo of Tiri and Sandesh.

"For me, every player is important. I want to build a team of players who give his best when picked.

"Being a long league, we have to be careful of injury card problems. So, it's about keeping players ready for every position," Habas said.

The Habas-coached side conceded only 19 goals in 21 matches during their triumphant campaign last season and with Tiri and Jhingan on board, their defence will be the one to watch out in the upcoming season, when they will also represent India in the AFC Cup.

Fijian star forward Roy Krishna is likely to wear the captain's arm band but Habas, who is known to rotate his skipper, did not reveal any name.

The squad has seven foreigners in Tiri, Roy Krishna, David Williams, Edu Garcia, Javi Hernandez, Carl McHugh and Brad Inman.

Playing for the first time as a merged entity, ATK Mohun Bagan will face FC Goa in their only practice match on November 14, six days before the tournament opener against Kerala Blasters.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Arindam Bhattacharja, Dheeraj Singh, Avilash Paul, Arsh Anwer Shaikh, Aryan Niraj Lamba

Defenders: Tiri, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose, Sumit Rathi, Pritam Kotal, Prabir Das, Boris Singh Thangjam

Midfielders: Brad Inman, Ningombam Engson Singh, Carl McHugh, Pronay Halder, Michael Regin, Sheikh Sahil, Javi Hernandez, Glan Martins, Mohammad Fardin Ali Molla, Michael Soosairaj, Edu Garica and Jayesh Rane

Forwards: Roy Krishna, David Williams and Manvir Singh.

shane-watson-set-to-bid-adieu-to-competitive-cricket

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 20:10:39 GMT

Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has decided to call time on his competitive cricket career after Chennai Super Kings' exit from the Indian Premier League.

While Watson has not made any official announcement, it has been learnt that after CSK ended their IPL campaign on Sunday with a win over Kings XI Punjab, the senior player told his teammates about the decision to retire from all forms of cricket.

This season, he has scored 299 runs in 11 games.

The 39-year-old Watson is one of the few players to have won the IPL with two different teams.

He was a star for Rajasthan Royals during the inaugural edition (472 runs and 17 wickets) and in 2018, his century in the final post his international retirement won it for CSK, who had just come back from a two-year ban.

During the triumphant 2018 season, Watson amassed 555 runs and picked up six wickets.

A sought-after player in the T20 format, Watson has 3,874 runs in 145 IPL games with four hundreds and 21 fifties. He also has 92 wickets.

Former Australian all-rounder Tom Moody paid a tribute on twitter.

"The curtain closes on a remarkable @IPL career. Congratulations mate you've done yourself proud and made every team you've played in so complete," Moody tweeted.

In the final against Mumbai Indians last year, he nearly won it for his team despite batting with a bloodied knee.

He has played 59 Tests, 190 ODIs and 58 T20Is at the international level.

ipl-2020-delhi-capitals-restrict-rcb-to-152-7-in-20-overs

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 19:51:16 GMT

Delhi Capitals bowled brilliantly on a tricky wicket in Abu Dhabi to restrict Royal Challengers Bangalore to 152/7 in 20 overs.

Anrich Nortje was the pick of the bowlers, with 3/33 in his four overs. Kagiso Rabada chipped in two wickets. Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bowled a miserly spell of 1/18 in his four overs.

For RCB, opener Devdutt Padikkal top-scored with 50 but played 41 balls for it. He hit five fours and shared a 57-run stand with skipper Virat Kohli (29 off 24 balls).

With a number 2 position on points table up for grabs, DC skipper Shreyas Iyer chose to bowl first after winning the toss. Padikkal and Josh Philippe (12) were circumspect in the powerplay overs. Rabada provided the Capitals with the early breakthrough off his very first ball, claiming the wicket of the Australian in the fifth over.

The powerplay overs yielded 41 runs, including five fours and a maximum, for the loss of one wicket.

Kohli, who was dropped on 13 in the 10th over by Nortje, tried to up the ante in the 12th over by hitting Axar Patel for a six. The RCB skipper again looked to smash the ball over the fence in the next over but was caught at deep midwicket by Marcus Stoinis off an Ashwin delivery.

Nortje struck twice in the 16th over to get ride of Padikkal and South African all-rounder Chris Morris for a duck.

AB de Villiers (35) was yet again in sublime touch and raised a 33-run stand with young Shivam Dube (17 off 11 balls), but the duo couldn't power RCB to a bigger total.

(With PTI inputs)

impossible-for-dhoni-to-perform-if-plays-only-ipl-kapil-dev

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 17:49:33 GMT

The legendary Kapil Dev feels that it will be "impossible" for Mahendra Singh Dhoni to perform well if he decides on playing in the IPL without getting any match practice, which was the case this year.

Chennai Super Kings were out of IPL play-offs for the first time in 11 appearances and Dhoni, who played competitive cricket for the first time since last year's World Cup semifinal, scored only 200 runs in 14 games with no half-centuries and a poor strike rate of 116.

Kapil, who recently underwent an angioplasty after suffering a heart attack, wants the former India captain to play a lot more in the domestic circuit to get his form back.

"If Dhoni decides on playing only IPL every year, then it's impossible for him to perform. It's not a good thing to talk about age but at his age (39 years), the more he plays, the more his body will be tuned," Kapil told 'ABP News'.

"If you don't play any cricket for 10 months a year and suddenly play IPL, you can see what happened. You can always have a season up or down if you have played so much cricket. It has happened to someone like Chris Gayle also," the World Cup winning former skipper said.

Kapil feels that it's high time that Dhoni plays some domestic cricket this season.

"He should go back to first-class cricket (domestic List A and T20) and play there."

The straight-talking former all-rounder made it clear that it will be a challenge for Dhoni given that he has already indicated that he is "definitely not" retiring from the IPL.

"If someone has achieved so much, the dip in form does affect and it becomes a challenge. Let's see how he comes out of it," Kapil said.

fact-check-did-pv-sindhu-just-retire

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 14:02:48 GMT

Badminton star P.V. Sindhu caused a flutter on Monday afternoon with a Twitter post saying "I retire". The post gave rise to speculation she had retired from the sport.

Thankfully, for her fans, the tweet appeared to be only a contemplative post on COVID-19 hygiene.

Sindhu started the post with "Denmark Open was the final straw. I RETIRE." Sindhu had pulled out of the Denmark Open, held earlier this month, citing the high risk of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I have been thinking about coming clean with my feelings for a while now. I admit I have been struggling to deal with it. It just feels so wrong, you know. That's why I, writing today to tell you that I'm done. It's understandable if you're shocked or confused but by the time you finish reading this you would have learnt about my point of view, and hopefully, will support it too," she wrote.

"This pandemic has been an eye-opener for me. I could train hard to fight the toughest of opponents, tooth and nail, right till the final shot of the game. I have done it before, I can do it again. But how do I defeat this invisible virus that has the entire world in a fix? It has been months at home and we still question ourselves every time we step out,” Sindhu wrote.

She wrote, "Today. I choose to retire from this current sense of unrest. I retire from this negativity, the constant fear, uncertainty. I choose to retire from a complete lack of control over the unknown. Most importantly, I choose to retire from substandard hygiene standards and our lackadaisical attitude towards the virus..."

Sindhu acknowledged the post would have shocked her fans. "I may have given you guys a mini-heart attack: unprecedented times requires unprecedented measures. I guess I needed to get you guys to sit up and take notice. That being said, we must be hopeful about the light shining at the end of the tunnel. Yes, Denmark Open didn't happen but that won't stop me from training. When life comes at you, one must come back twice as hard. So will I for the Asia Open. I refuse to give up without putting up a solid fight. I refuse to give up without conquering this fear. And will carry on doing so till we have a safer world."

Ruturaj-Gaikwad-Coaches-from-formative-years-remember-converted-opener

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 13:54:11 GMT

Sandeep Chavan fondly remembers the day seven years back when he had a word of advice for slightly built teenager Ruturaj Gaikwad.

The shy man from Maharashtra has earned plaudits from none other than skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and emerged as the only silver lining with a hat-trick of fifties in an otherwise disastrous IPL campaign for Chennai Super Kings.

"He was our trainee at the Vengsarkar Cricket Academy. I think he was 16 and had played junior state level for Maharashtra as a middle-order batsman," the pride in Chavan's voice was palpable as his former ward has three back to back MoM in a tournament like IPL.

"I remember suggesting Rutu to start opening in club matches and told him that it would benefit him in future,"

Chavan recollected how he made the 16-year-old open the innings in a senior level tournament.

"He was just 16 but I asked him to open in a senior-level match in a local tournament (Mandke trophy) and he proved me right by scoring 100 and 90 in both innings," Chavan said.

"Initially, he did have his share of problems while opening in state matches, but adapted well and has now become a specialist opener," Chavan said while going down memory lane.

That Rutu was a special talent was something that Chavan said he knew when he joined the Academy in 2008-09 as a 12-year-old.

"Initially there were technical issues, which we needed to focus on, but when he started playing against U-19s despite being an U-14, his confidence grew by leaps and bounds," te coach said.

Another of his formative year coaches Mohan Jadhav finds an eerily similar pattern between his IPL success and his maiden entry into an age-group state team.

"He faltered in the first two of the three matches of the Invitation tournament and before the third game, I boosted his confidence saying that you can make most of the last game.

"And in the final game against Kolhapur, he scored 182, and from there he got selected for the Maharashtra junior team and in the camp everyone showered praise on his batting," Jadhav, who still coaches at the Vengsarkar Academy, recalled.

According to Jadhav, the Invitation Cup innings proved to be a turning point in his journey.

Ruturaj's greatest asset according to Jadhav is his ability of self-improvement and being able to assess his own game well enough.

"The biggest positive in him is the ability to develop on his own. As he started playing bigger matches, he did not confine himself to it, but started preparing for the bigger challenges. He has that mindset which is paying dividends."

We-couldnt-have-done-anything-more-up-to-Gods-now-Morgan

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 09:16:33 GMT

It's up to the gods now, said Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Eoin Morgan, expressing satisfaction with the effort put in his by his team to clinch a whopping 60-run win over Rajasthan Royals and keep its IPL play-off hopes alive in an immensely tight race.

KKR finished their league campaign with the big win on Sunday to get into the top four with 14 points. However, the team's qualification to the playoffs hinges on Sunrisers Hyderabad losing their final league game to defending champions Mumbai Indians on Tuesday.

"...whatever happens from here is up to the Gods," Morgan said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

KKR's Net Run-Rate (-0.214) is poorer compared to SRH (+0.555). SRH are currently on 12 points from 13 games. KKR outgunned the Royals after posting a challenging 191 for seven on Sunday.

"Yes, I was aware of the numbers (about net run rate) but you need to first get yourself into a winning position. I don't think we could have done anything more today," Morgan said.

In case SRH wins on Tuesday, KKR's chances of qualification will hinge on a heavy defeat for either Delhi Capitals or Royal Challengers Bangalore in their game on Monday.

Morgan smashed a 35-ball unbeaten 68 in his team's huge total, which the skipper said was a par-score.

"I thought it was around a par score. Every batsman who came back in and said that it was a beautiful wicket with the dew in. We lost wickets between 10th and 15th overs, and to finish like we did was really good," said Morgan.

The World Cup winner lauded the bowlers of his team.

"The impressive thing was our collective bowling. We were absolutely outstanding. Regardless of qualification, we feel we have given everything that we have," said Morgan at the post-match press conference.

Royals skipper Steve Smith said losing wickets in a heap upfront harmed their cause.

"It was around a 180 wicket. There was a bit of dew. Losing four (wickets) in the Powerplay, it was always going to be tough from there," said the Australian.

"(Pat) Cummins bowled nice lengths, made us play some good shots. We got off to a flier, but then we lost wickets in a clump," Smith added.

"Unfortunate way to end. We started off really well, won the last two before this one. In the middle we lost our way."

Smith was not happy with the his top-order batsmen.

"Our batters, the top four or five didn't take responsibility perhaps. Couple of real positives. Jofra (Archer) has been exceptional pretty much every game.

"(Rahul) Tewatia obviously has pulled a few out of the hat throughout the tournament. He has bowled exceptionally well throughout the tournament."

ipl-2020-kolkata-knight-riders-vs-rajasthan-royals

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 21:36:24 GMT

Kolkata Knight Riders comprehensively beat Rajasthan Royals by 60 runs in an IPL encounter on Sunday.

Batting first, KKR scored 191 for 7, riding on skipper Epin Morgan's unbeaten 68 off 35 balls with five fours and six sixes.

Rahul Tewatia was the best bowler with figures of 3 for 25.

In reply, Royals only managed 131 for 9 with Pat Cummins grabbing 4 for 34 in four overs.

KKR finished with 14 points from 14 games with a net run-rate of -0.214 and will now wait for the results of the last two fixtures between DC and RCB followed MI against SRH to know if they will make it to the last four.

Brief Scores: KKR 191/7 in 20 overs (Eoin Morgan 68 no off 35 balls, Rahul Tewatia 3/25).

Rajasthan Royals 131 for 9(Jos Buttler 35, Rahul Tewatia 31, Pat Cummins 4/34).

short-run-game-against-dc-came-back-to-bite-us-says-rahul

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 20:49:57 GMT

Kings XI Punjab skipper K L Rahul believes that the "short run" that played a part in their opening IPL loss to Delhi Capitals massively affected their play-off chances despite a remarkable comeback in the second leg of the tournament.

KXIP finished on 12 points after losing their last game against Chennai Super Kings after winning five games on trot to raise visions of a play-off chance.

"It is disappointing. We had a lot of games in our pockets and we couldn't get over the line and we only have ourselves to blame. That short run game too (against Delhi Capitals on September 20), looks like it has come back to bite us," Rahul said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Before that particular match went into Super Over, the TV footage showed that square leg umpire Menon had erred in calling Chris Jordan for a ''short run'' in the third ball of the 19th over, bowled by Kagiso Rabada.

The TV replays showed that Jordan''s bat was inside the crease when he completed the first run, starting from the non-striker''s end.

However to KXIP's horror, Menon gestured that Jordan has not completed the run and only one run was added to Mayank Agarwal and the Punjab team's total.

On their loss against CSK, Rahul said that it was all about not batting too well.

"It is as simple as that. We didn't bat really well. Big pressure game, we expected 180-190. We couldn't soak in the pressure. We didn't have the results going our way in the first half," a disappointed Rahul said after the match.

Rahul, who finished the tournament with 670 runs from 14 games, said that there were occasions when they were patchy with both batting and bowling units not clicking at the right time.

"The team still felt like we were playing good cricket. We were patchy. The bowling and batting wasn't coming together in the first half, proud that we did it in the second half. Lots to be proud of as a team, a lot of "could have been".

Rahul said it really hurts to crash out of the tournament after such a remarkable comeback in then tournament.

"It does hurt. We have done really well to give ourselves a chance to qualify and there is lot to be proud of as a team.

"Would have been great if we had one more victory and qualify but nevertheless we did really well as a team. It will hurt for a little while, need to take the learning and comeback stronger next year," he said.

Elaborating about what went wrong on Sunday, Rahul said they lacked partnerships.

"It was good wicket but we couldn't really get partnerships going. In the first six with me and Mayank getting 50 we should have capitalised and got ourselves a bigger target. The way Deepak (Hooda) batted at the end gave us a chance. In a big game like this a big total would have been nice to defend," he said.

"I don't think batting order got wrong, as batters we knew we had to put a big total on the board. We all knew it was a big game. The only thing we didn't do is soak up the pressure a little bit and stitch a couple of partnerships that would have really helped us."

The KXIP skipper also lavished praised on his team's youngsters' performances in this year's IPL.

"The youngsters have all been putting a lot of work. There was no question mark about how hard they were working. It's important for youngsters to get a couple of good game to get confidence and that's what they have shown," Rahul concluded.

gaikwad-shines-again-as-csk-end-season-with-nine-wicket-win-kxip-too-knocked-out

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 18:24:35 GMT

Chennai Super Kings crushed Kings XI Punjab by nine wickets to end their worst-ever IPL season in Abu Dhabi Sunday on a positive note, with Ruturaj Gaikwad's third successive half-century providing hope for a bright future.

The result also cut short KXIP's campaign in the 13th season of the lucrative event.

KXIP needed a win in their final league game to remain in contention for the play-offs besides depending on other results. But CSK had other ideas.

Bringing his big-hitting prowess to the fore, Deepak Hooda lifted a floundering KXIP to 153 for six with a counterattacking 30-ball 62 after being invited to bat.

In reply, the returning Faf du Plessis (48) provided CSK the impetus at the top with young Gaikwad playing second fiddle.

The seasoned South African hit four boundaries and two sixes in a first-wicket stand of 82 with Gaikwad in just under 10 overs.

As he looked to put the match beyond KXIP's grasp, du Plessis got out after going for a premeditated scoop off Chris Jordan, who, smartly took the pace off the ball.

The needless shot, notwithstanding, CSK never looked in trouble with the duo of Gaikwad and Ambati Rayudu taking them home with seven balls to spare.

Gaikwad remained not out on 62 off 49 balls after striking six boundaries and a six, while Rayudu made a run-a-ball 30.

Earlier, Hooda smashed four sixes and three fours during his entertaining stay in the middle.

Thanks to Hooda, KXIP managed 40 runs in the last three overs after CSK, opting to field, choked their middle-order for runs.

Hooda picked his spots cleverly and also ran well between the wickets on a day when his more accomplished batting colleagues failed to capitalise on their starts.

Pacer Lungi Ngidi picked up three for 39 for CSK.

Returning to the side after an injury-forced break, Mayank Agarwal got KXIP off to a breezy start, collecting two boundaries off Deepak Chahar's first over.

In-form skipper K.L. Rahul got into the act with the day's first six, over the third man region before scoring two boundaries off Shardul Thakur.

In the next over, Agarwal welcomed Ngidi by driving him to the long-off boundary, but the South African had his revenge in the next delivery as the opener edged the ball into the middle stump.

Three tight overs followed during which Ngidi bowled Rahul with a well-disguised full slower ball at off stump.

After a brisk start by KXIP, the CSK bowling attack did extremely well to strangle the strong opposition batting that comprised the likes of Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran in the middle-order.

From 44 for no loss in five overs, KXIP were struggling at 65 for two at the end of the 10th over.

Shardul made life more difficult for Punjab as Pooran's thin inside edge was taken by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

In the penultimate ball of the 12th over, leg-spinner Imran Tahir dealt a body blow to KXIP as he had Gayle trapped in front of the wicket. The big-hitting Jamaican went for a review but the ball pitched in line and was clearly going to hit the stumps.

KXIP, in between, enjoyed a couple of good overs but CSK maintained their stranglehold.

Hooda then scored some useful runs down the order, including smashing Ngidi for two sixes, as KXIP ended the innings on a blazing note.

hoodas-fifty-lifts-kxip-to-153-6-against-csk

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 16:52:14 GMT

Bringing his big-hitting prowess to the fore, Deepak Hooda lifted a floundering Kings XI Punjab to 153 for six with a counterattacking 30-ball 62 against Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Hooda smashed four sixes and three fours during his entertaining stay in the middle.

Thanks to Hooda, KXIP managed 40 runs in the last three overs after CSK, opting to field, choked their middle-order for runs.

Hooda picked his spots cleverly and also ran well between the wickets on a day when his more accomplished batting colleagues failed to capitalise on their starts.

Pacer Lungi Ngidi picked up three for 39 for CSK.

Returning to the side after an injury-forced break, Mayank Agarwal got KXIP off to a breezy start, collecting two boundaries off Deepak Chahar's first over.

In-form skipper K.L. Rahul got into the act with the day's first six, over the third man region before scoring two boundaries off Shardul Thakur.

In the next over, Agarwal welcomed Ngidi by driving him to the long-off boundary, but the South African had his revenge the next ball as the opener edged the ball into the middle stump.

Three tight over followed during which Ngidi bowled Rahul with a well-disguised full slower ball at off stump.

After a brisk start by KXIP, the CSK bowling attack did extremely well to strangle the strong opposition batting that comprised the likes of Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran in the middle-order.

From 44 for no loss in five overs, KXIP were struggling at 65 for two at the end of the 10th over.

Shardul made life more difficult for Punjab as Pooran's thin inside edge was taken by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

KXIP, in between, enjoyed a couple of good overs but the CSK maintained their stranglehold.

Hooda then scored some useful runs down the order, including smashing Ngidi for two sixes, as KXIP ended the innings on a blazing note.

rohit-sharma-in-danger-of-injuring-himself-again-ravi-shastri

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 15:16:28 GMT

India head coach Ravi Shastri has revealed that Rohit Sharma’s medical report stated that “he could be in danger of injuring himself again” and advised him not to rush his comeback.

Rohit, who is recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered in the ongoing IPL, was left out of the India squad for the Australia tour on a day when he hit the nets for Mumbai Indians, sparking speculation on his fitness status.

Shastri said the call not to include Rohit in the squad was taken by the selectors after going through his medical report.

“It’s being handled by the people in charge of the medical part of it. We don’t get involved in that. They have submitted a report to the selectors and they have gone about their business.

“I have no say, neither I am a part of the selection. All I know is the medical report which says he could be in danger of injuring himself again,” Shastri said.

The tour of Australia comprises three T20 Internationals, as many ODIs and four Tests. The series is scheduled to start on November 27.

Shastri advised Rohit not to make the same mistake he made during his playing days.

“There is nothing more frustrating for a player than he gets injured. Sometimes you know, you want to get out of that room of yours and try and see how quickly you can come back,” said Shastri.

“And therein lies the grey area. Therein lies the problem where you want to go and play, you want to test yourself. But only you will know at the back of your mind whether you are 100% of there is a chance of it going again.”

The BCCI is monitoring Rohit’s progress and there is a possibility that he may play for Mumbai Indians later in the IPL.

“What I fear, I have been through that as a cricketer myself. I finished my career in 1991 when I went back to Australia when I shouldn’t have. If I had taken a break for 3-4 months, I could’ve played five years longer for India.

“So, I speak from experience. It is a similar case. I wanted to go. Doctors told me don’t go. It was greed. I was in tremendous form so there was this eagerness to go back. I hope Rohit’s case is not that serious and same with Ishant (Sharma),” said Sharma.

Ishant, who plays for Delhi Capitals, also got injured during the IPL. Shastri said the Indian team is bound to miss players of Rohit and Ishant’s calibre.

“Both Ishant and Rohit will be missed in Australia. Both were missed in New Zealand too. Ishant played a huge role in our win last time (in Australia) and Rohit played a huge role in the home series against South Africa (last year).

“Both these players have had a huge role to play for us to be at the top of the WTC standings,” said the head coach.

In Rohit’s absence, K.L. Rahul has been made Virat Kohli’s deputy in limited overs format. Shastri was not surprised with the selectors’ decision.

“It is not surprising at all. He captained the side in New Zealand (during the T20 series) when Virat and Rohit were not on the field,” added Shastri.