Jaipur, 26 November 2019: In a bid to further strengthen the sport at the grassroots level in the state, IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals today announced the launch of a first-ever school level competition for girls in the state, named Rajasthan Royals School Girls’ Cup, which is scheduled to be held from 27 – 29 November 2019 at the Jaipuria Cricket Academy.
The Rajasthan Royals School Girls’ Cup will be a T20 competition to be contested between U-19 girls’ teams from four schools – Mayo College Girls’ School (Ajmer), St Teresa’s School (Jaipur), Jaipuria Vidyalaya (Jaipur) and Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ School (Jaipur). The tournament will follow a round-robin format, with the four teams playing each other once in the group stage, followed by the top two teams contesting in the Final match on 29 November 2019 at 1300hrs IST.
Ranjit Barthakur, Executive Chairman of Rajasthan Royals, spoke highly of this new initiative, “With Rajasthan being a well-known hub for talented young players, we started this initiative to give a platform to the young girls from the state. We know there is no dearth of talent in the state, and it’s imperative that the budding cricketers get access to top quality competition and comprehensive training. We are very delighted to be part of empowering women’s cricket in the region.”
Rajasthan Royals’ official girls’ talent pool, Royal Sparks, will also be actively featuring during the competition, with two members – Manasvi and Yashasvi Katta – set to represent the Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ School, while other Sparks will be a part of event operations team in order to gain valuable match-day operations’ experience.
The tournament will see fierce competition between the four sides with a total of seven players from Mayo College Girls’ School, Ajmer and Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ School, Jaipur, having already been part of the School Games Federation of India (SGFI) national camps and having made it to the national team in the past.
Rajasthan Royals’ Fielding Coach, Dishant Yagnik believes that the tournament will give much-needed match exposure to the girls. “Our objective with the Rajasthan Royals School Girls’ Cup is to ensure that the participating young players are playing in a professional set up as early as possible, and are getting the relevant opportunities to showcase their skills. We are hoping the tournament will potentially give them a launchpad to be a part of the Royal Sparks,” said Yagnik.
Category: Cricket
First Pink Ball test match touches 60,000 fans beyond 22 yards with Breast Cancer survivors
22nd November 2019, Kolkata: On the historic day of India witnessing a new milestone in the game of Cricket, with the first-ever Pink ball Day-Night Test Match at Eden Gardens, Global Cancer Trust, a Kolkata based registered Non-Governmental Organization, made a unique attempt to bring smiles on the faces of breast cancer survivors. Today during the break, 20 breast cancer survivors who have valiantly battled and endured this disease were felicitated by BCCI President, Sourav Ganguly and Abhishek Dalmiya, secretary of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). Cricketing legends Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman and the first Bangladesh team which played test against India, were present during the occasion.
Speaking on this special occasion, Dr Vikash K Agarwal, Eminent Oncologist and Chairman of Global Cancer Trust commented, “It is a matter of great prestige that breast cancer survivors are being felicitated on this monumental day in Indian cricketing history by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal in front of so many spectators at Eden Gardens. It is a once in a lifetime moment that will surely be etched in their and our memories. We would like to extend our heartiest gratitude to Mr. Sourav Ganguly from BCCI and Mr. Abhishek Dalmiya from Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) for bringing joy to the lives of the survivors. We could not have asked for anything better.”
The colour pink that is synonymous with breast cancer has also emerged as the central theme of the much-awaited match at the iconic stadium with stands and corridors getting hues of pink and cricket graffiti. Global Cancer Trust also handed over 30,000 pink caps to all the spectators who were present on the first day of the historic test match at Eden gardens. The survivors who have fought this grave disease successfully, shared their stories and emotional experiences with those present.
Global Cancer Trusthas been working for the last 10 years with cancer patients. They have conducting awareness seminars and diagnostic camps spreading information about cancer to people from all walks of life. Global Cancer Trust has also organised a limited over cricket match for the breast cancer survivors on the third day of the Test match which will be held at Eden Gardens.
About Global Cancer Trust: Global Cancer Trust (GCT), a registered Non Governmental Organization, was founded in 2010 under the leadership of Dr Vikash K Agarwal, an onco surgeon who guides the organization with his philanthropic and visionary idea with the able support of many other selfless likeminded people. The exponential rise in the occurrence of cancer diseases in our society, especially in the young generation, motivated us to lend our efforts to prevent our society from the ill effects effects of cancer.We have been conducting awareness seminars and diagnostic camps spreading information about cancer to people from all walks of life
Virat to lead India against Windies in both ODI and T20I in December
Virat Kohli to lead the Indian cricket team in both T20I and ODI against WINDIES.
ODI Squad: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
T20I Squad: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami.
Big-hitting bravado of Pollard And Lynn dominate fourth day of Aldar properties Abu Dhabi t10
Abu Dhabi, UAE – Tuesday 19 November: The fourth day of the Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10 has been dominated by big hitting batting performances, with both Kieron Pollard of the Deccan Gladiators and Chris Lynn of the Maratha Arabians wielding the bat to drive their teams to victory. The Gladiators beat the Karnataka Tuskers through the shots of Pollard, the Arabians blasted past Team Abu Dhabi, and the Bangla Tigers and the Delhi Bulls drew on 108 in a thrilling final match to end the night.
Match Report 1: Deccan Gladiators vs. Karnataka Tuskers
Shane Watson’s Deccan Gladiators put the Karnataka Tuskers into bat, and the men in light-blue attempted a fast-paced charge to post a target with a comfortable margin. Johnson Charles and Evin Lewis began the innings, seeking to find a foundation on which to build, before Lewis was bowled in the third over by an electric Zahir Khan delivery. Hashim Amla picked up the chase and sought with Charles to find the boundary rope in the face of the Gladiators’ bowling attack.
The Gladiators’ pierced the Tuskers’ partnership with the wicket of Charles for 35 off a quick 18 deliveries. English county cricketer Ross Whiteley joined Captain Amla at the crease, adding thirteen runs to the Tuskers’ scoreboard, before being caught by Watson at the end of the penultimate over. Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga and Amla completed the Tuskers’ innings, posting a high but not impossible target of 110 to beat.
Captain Shane Watson lost his wicket in the first over of the Gladiators’ innings, setting the omen for a top order collapse that toppled Afghan Mohammad Shahzad for 13, England’s Dan Lawrence for 11, and Kiwi Anton Devcich for 5, leaving the Gladiators requiring a steep 74 runs from a short 33 balls.
The Tuskers’ victory seemed inevitable, until Kieron Pollard walked onto the pitch. Pollard blasted away the Tuskers’ bowling attack, swatting ball after ball to the boundary in spite of the Tuskers’ efforts. In the sixth over, Pollard pulled 30 runs onto the board, as the Tuskers sought to regain control in a match that was slipping from them. The loss of Sri Lanka’s Bhanuka Rajapaksa didn’t quell the Gladiators’ fight back, with tense aggression gripping the field through the final overs. Pollard closed the innings on 45 off 22, winning the match for the Gladiators by five wickets with nine balls remaining.
Shane Watson, Captain of the Deccan Gladiators, commented: “We are really fortunate to have a player like Pollard coming in to our middle over. The way he bats, like he showed today, he can take the game away from opponents in an over.”
Speaking after match, Hashim Amla, Captain of the Karnataka Tuskers, said: “Pollard played a seriously good knock, although we played a really good game. But when a player of his calibre delivers a performance like that, sometimes you just have to tip your hat to opponents and move on.”
Match Report 2: Maratha Arabians vs. Team Abu Dhabi
After being placed into bat, the Maratha Arabians’ openers Hazratullah Zazai and Chris Lynn set off sprinting, racing to 37 in three overs. Team Abu Dhabi’s Ben Laughlin took the wicket of Hazratullah for 12, as Adam Lyth entered the fray. Smart running between the wickets and some thunderous shots including four consecutive sixes from Lynn catapulted the Arabians to 58 by the fifth over. Team Abu Dhabi struggled as Lynn reached a magnificent half century off only 19 deliveries, to the chagrin of opposition Captain Moeen Ali.
The Arabians were on track to post the highest score of the championship so far. The bowlers in yellow toiled, but Lyth and Lynn could not be halted by the deliveries of bowlers such as Marchant de Lange and Harry Gurney. In spite of Lyth’s dismissal in the final over, Team Abu Dhabi could not constrain the rampant Arabians, closing on 139, the highest total of the tournament so far.
Local boys, Team Abu Dhabi, faced a daunting run chase ahead and a lethal bowling attack packed with the experience of Sri Lankan death bowler Lasith Malinga and New Zealander Mitchell McClenaghan. Despite the odd boundary, the variation shown by the Maratha Arabians’ bowlers restricted Team Abu Dhabi to a low 22 in the first three overs.
After Niroshan Dickwella was taken by a stunning dive catch from behind the stumps by Chadwick Walton, it fell to Moeen Ali to rebuild the chase, using his power hitting skills and smooth drives to leave his team needing 87 runs from 36 balls. However, Moeen mistimed a drive, presenting an easy catch for Walton. In spite of a defiant innings by England’s Luke Wright, Team Abu Dhabi fans were left praying for a magical big over that never came. In spite of Team Abu Dhabi posting a respectable 114, the Maratha Arabians sealed their victory and their place at the top of group B in the Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10 with a 24 run lead.
Man of the Match, Chris Lynn, said: “It was a bit gutting that I didn’t reach my century, which would have been the first of the T10, but toward the last few overs my partner at the other end was also hitting boundaries. At the end of the day, I’m just pleased we had a good result and managed to win.”
Despite not having played today, the legendary Yuvraj Singh, batsman for the Maratha Arabians, commented: “T10 is a very fast paced game, and slowly you get used to the tempo, but you have to be switched on all the time. I think we bounced back very well from our opening defeat, and there is a lot of confidence in our abilities as a team.”
Captain of Team Abu Dhabi, Moeen Ali, said in the post-match interview: “We played on a fresh wicket today, and Lynn damaged us with everything he’s got, so we are obviously bitterly disappointed. As a batsman I know that when you find your rhythm, it’s very difficult for someone to stop you. It is not going to be long before we see the first century of this tournament.”
Match Report 3: Delhi Bulls vs. Bangla Tigers
Rilee Rossouw and Andre Fletcher opened the Bangla Tigers’ innings after skipper Thisara Perera won the toss and elected to bat. Fletcher sought to open his arm and recreate his performance from the previous night of action, but a catch from Sherfane Rutherford put an end to his big-hitting ambitions dismissed for 8. Colin Ingram lasted just two deliveries at the crease before his own departure for 4. Rossouw and Moores sought tempo and runs, finding occasional boundaries, before both batsmen were caught by the West Indies’ Rutherford.
The Bulls’ bowlers sniffed wickets, and found them in quick succession. Perera was next to fall for six and Robbie Frylinck for 11. At 84 with 12 balls remaining, the Tigers needed to sprint for more wickets and South African David Weise and the UAE’s own Chirag Suri sought chances. In spite of his wicket on the match’s penultimate delivery, Weise managed to find opportunities to lift the ball over the boundary rope twice, placing his team on a defendable 108.
England’s pace machine, Liam Plunkett, delivered the speedy wicket of the UAE’s Muhammad Usman. The Bulls’ spirits were not dampened by the Tigers’ attack, with Kusal Perera and Sherfane Rutherford slipping through and over the deep fielders to the crowds’ delight. Perera fell on a strong 43 off a mere 18 deliveries, followed by Rutherford two overs later on 18, bringing the Bulls to require 46 off 29 deliveries.
Angelo Mathews and Eoin Morgan created a steady partnership, with a keen sense of finding weaknesses in the Tigers’ fielding strategy. Plunkett and David Weise tried to find a chink in the Bulls’ armour, but Morgan and Mathews avoided the Tigers’ traps with care. However, such caution found the Bulls short by 17 runs at the start of the final over, leading to a boundary from Mathews and a six from Morgan. The batsmen’s desperation for runs led to Mathews being run out in the second-to-last ball of the match, and the Bulls finished the innings, locked with the Tigers, both sitting on 108.
Man of the Match, Kusal Perera of the Delhi Bulls, commented: “When I bat, I’m always trying to be positive, looking to take risky shots, because in the T10 you don’t have that much time to settle in and make runs. But all in all, we have to take the tie as a positive result for us today.”
Thisara Perera commented on the Bangla Tiger’s performance: “That’s the T10 for you. You never really know what’s going to happen until the very last ball. At times it looked they were going to win, but then we snatched some of the momentum back, and it ended in a very exciting draw.”
Day five of the Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10 will bring more action and drama, as the teams enter the second stage of the tournament. Shane Watson’s Deccan Gladiators will face off against Team Qalandars, the Delhi Bulls will lock horns against the Northern Warriors, and the Bangla Tigers will meet with Team Abu Dhabi. The tournament, which will run through to 24 November, is being broadcast in India on Sony Six and Sony Ten 3. To purchase tickets and hospitality passes, please visit: https://www.q-tickets.com/AbuDhabit10
Dh10,000 daily prize money brings happiness to raffle draw winners at Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10
Three winners of the daily raffle draw walked away with Dh10,000 each in the draws conducted
during the first three days at the Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10.
Every day, Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10 league shells out Dh10,000 throughout the ten-day
league – to bring smile to one of the cricket fans.
In order to participate in the raffle draw, a visitor to the stadium has to drop part of the ticket in the box. Every day, one lucky winner walks away with Dh10,000 cash prize money. However, in
order to win, the holder of the ticket has to be present in the stadium. Those who are absent
during the draw, do not qualify.
Syed Hassan Ali, a Pakistani eye specialist won the first draw conducted on Friday, November
15, 2019 while Bilal Hussain, a Pakistani worker won the prize in the raffle draw conducted on
Saturday, November 16, 2019. Sandip Taman, a Nepalese worker who came to the UAE on a
work visa barely two weeks ago, won Dh10,000 on Sunday, November 17, 2019 evening.
“We want to share our success with our stakeholders – hundreds of thousands of cricket fans.
We want to see more happy faces as they cheer for their favourite teams,” Shaji Ul Mulk,
Chairman of Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10, said. “The daily raffle draw is planned to give back
something to the crowd and spread happiness.
“I am happy to see this raffle win is making a difference in the life of the winners and adding
happiness to their daily life. It is a token of appreciation from us to the cricket fans across the
UAE and we would like to see more happy faces every day.”
Bilal, who recently married, said, “I am extremely happy to win the raffle and I will send the entire
amount to my family back home. It is a wonderful moment and I am really happy to win this
money.”
For Sandip Thamang, it is a big surprise and he looked visibly shocked with the win. “I landed in
the UAE two weeks ago, to work for a company. My visa is not yet stamped and I also do not
have my Emirates ID card. I came to watch cricket matches with friends and then I became
lucky,” said the visibly shaky winner, still trying to recover from the surprise.
Sandip, the only child of his parents, will send the money home to his parents. “It will be a
surprise gift to them, coming within weeks of my entry in to the UAE and I am really happy.”
He seemed to be worried of losing the jackpot, when officials asked for his identity card –
Emirates ID, or passport with visa stamped – none of which are ready.
Ismail Hassan, Head of Legal and Government Relations, said, “That’s not a problem, as long as
he produces an identity with a photo. This is a welcome gift from all of us to him to welcome
Sandip to the UAE.”
Bilal Hussain, a Pakistani national from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said, this extra income
will bring added happiness to his family, including his parents, siblings and wife.
“I will send the money to my family and they will be really happy with this extra remittance. I am
happy that I came to watch T10 matches,” he said.
Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10 has budgeted Dh100,000 for raffle winners – to encourage more
people to come and watch matches every day.
Krishan Kumar Choudhary is new owner of Karnataka Tuskers of Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10
Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10 today announced a new owner of Karnataka Tuskers – Mr Krishan Kumar Choudhary, a seasoned businessman and a famous producer of Bollywood movies.
Mr Krishan Kumar Choudhary is a dynamic businessman, known for his contributions in diverse economic sectors including real estate and entertainment in South Asia. His journey has been quite instrumental as a financier and moved towards production of TV shows and commercial movies. He has produced more than 12 super hit movies in the shortest span of time and has another 3 movies in the pipeline to be released in 2020.
Welcoming the new owner of Karnataka Tuskers, Shaji Ul Mulk, Chairman of the Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10, said, “I take the opportunity to welcome Mr Krishan Choudhary as the new owner of Karnataka Tuskers – the new franchise of the Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10. He brings considerable experience in business, entertainment and now sports.
“As an investor, he has already been contributing to the UAE economy. Under his dynamic leadership, I’m sure the Tuskers will go places and contribute to the development of the cricket in the UAE and elsewhere.”
Mr Krishan Choudhary made his name in hospitality by getting the biggest brand Playboy to India and following it up with another 6 renowned clubs all over India. His recent acquisition includes a hotel in Dubai.
Mr Choudhary, who is also an investor in numerous projects in the UAE and abroad, said, “We are very happy and excited to be part of the T10 journey. I thank the T10 Sports Management to give us an opportunity to serve the game of cricket.
“I see a great opportunity for me and my team to contribute to the development of the shortest format of cricket – the Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10. We are here to partner with all stakeholders to take the league to the next level, and have some fun.”
Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10, which is being hosted in Abu Dhabi for the first time from November 14 to 24, has seen some exciting actions. Karnataka Tuskers have made headlines by winning its first match.
Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10, the world’s only ten-over cricket league to be officially sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and licensed by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), has finalised the team groupings through a Team Draw. T10 League was launched last year by T10 Sports Management to popularise the game of cricket in its shortest format – that concludes within less than 90 minutes in which two teams bat it out in ten overs – or just 60 balls – thrilling the crowd
Delhi Capitals reveal list of retained players ahead of VIVO IPL 2020 Auction
15th November 2019, New Delhi: JSW and GMR co-owned Delhi Capitals today revealed a list of retained players ahead of the VIVO Indian Premier League 2020 Auction which is to be held next month in Kolkata. The Delhi-based franchise has retained a total of 14 players which includes three overseas players.
The retained players include Indian internationals Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, along with Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan. Delhi Capitals have also retained three overseas players which include South African speedster Kagiso Rabada, West Indian all-rounder Keemo Paul and Nepalese leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane.
Meanwhile, the IPL franchise which finished third last season, has released six Indian and three overseas players with Hanuma Vihari, Jalaj Saxena, Manjot Kalra, Ankush Bains, Nathu Singh and Bandaru Ayappa, all having been released. The three overseas players who have been released include South African duo of Chris Morris and Colin Ingram, along with New Zealand left-hander Colin Munro.
The off-season has also seen Delhi Capitals earlier trade Sherfane Rutherford to Mumbai Indians, Jagadeesha Suchith to Kings XI Punjab, Trent Boult to Mumbai Indians, and the duo of Rahul Tewatia and Mayank Markande to Rajasthan Royals, while having brought in experienced players in Ravichandran Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane.
“At Delhi Capitals, we have always believed that the core of the team has to include Indian players. The last few years we have had a lot of youngsters who have added a lot of exuberance, and last year we were successful in bringing in some experienced players like Shikhar Dhawan and Ishant Sharma. This year also we have added two highly experienced and seasoned performers in R Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane. Both are match winners, and have years of experience at this level. We do believe that we have retained players who make our side a very formidable one going into the next season, and we will only get stronger and better from hereon,” said Delhi Capitals CEO Dhiraj Malhotra, on the occasion.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the players we have released for their time with the Delhi Capitals franchise, and would like to wish them all the very best for their respective futures,” said Malhotra.
Please find below the finalized Delhi Capitals squad ahead of the VIVO Indian Premier League 2020 Auction:RETENTIONS:INDIANS:1. Shikhar Dhawan
2. Prithvi Shaw
3. Shreyas Iyer
4. Rishabh Pant
5. Axar Patel
6. Amit Mishra
7. Ishant Sharma
8. Harshal Patel
9. Avesh Khan
10. Ravichandran Ashwin
11. Ajinkya Rahane
OVERSEAS:1. Kagiso Rabada
2. Keemo Paul
3. Sandeep Lamichhane
RELEASES:INDIANS:1. Hanuma Vihari
2. Jalaj Saxena
3. Manjot Kalra
4. Ankush Bains
5. Nathu Singh
6. Bandaru Ayappa
OVERSEAS:1. Chris Morris
2. Colin Ingram
3. Colin Munro
TRADES:1. Sherfane Rutherford to Mumbai Indians
2. Jagadeesha Suchith to Kings XI Punjab
3. Trent Boult to Mumbai Indians
4. Rahul Tewatia & Mayank Markande to Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals retain their core, add quality and leave space for an active auction
Mumbai, 15 November 2019: Rajasthan Royals today announced that they would retain 11 and release 11 players ahead of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Top ranked Test- batsman in the world, Steve Smith will lead the team under the able guidance of newly appointed Head Coach, Andrew McDonald.
Ahead of the retention deadline, key trading took place between the teams and India’s Test Vice Captain Ajinkya Rahane was traded to Delhi Capitals for spinner Mayank Markande and all-rounder Rahul Tewatia.
Mayank had an impressive debut IPL season with Mumbai Indians in 2018 season. In his first match the spinner picked up three wickets and the prized scalp of former India captain M.S. Dhoni. He finished the season with 15 wickets from 14 matches. The 2019 season saw less of Mayank as he played only three matches after which he was traded to Delhi Capitals.
26-year-old Rahul was part of the Rajasthan Royals set up in 2014, after which he moved to Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and then the Capitals. The leg-spin bowler is known to make handy contributions with the bat as well.
“Ajinkya has been that true Royal who has always given his best for the team and stands strongly for the Royals philosophy, ‘never give up’. A classy player who has given the Royals fans some great memories to cherish over the years. On behalf of the Royals family, of which Jinks continues to be an integral member, I wish him good luck for a new beginning,” commented Zubin Bharucha, Head of Cricket, Rajasthan Royals.
In other tradings, Medium-pacer Dhawal Kulkarni was traded to Mumbai Indians. Pacer Ankit Rajpoot will join the Royals squad from KXIP who was traded for all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham. Rajpoot had a great 2018 IPL season, where he took 11 wickets from eight matches. He was retained by KXIP for his eye catching performances but only played four matches in the 2019 season. At the ongoing Mushtaq Ali trophy, playing for his team, Uttar Pradesh, Ankit has gone on to make a record to take a 5-fer in just 2 overs. He claimed 5 wickets and gave away just 17 runs while playing against Tripura. He becomes the second bowler in the history of T-20 to do so.
Commenting on the trades, releases and retentions, Head of Cricket Rajasthan Royals, Zubin Bharucha said, “We would like to thank all the players for their services to the team. The format of IPL is such, that at times you have to take tough decisions to benefit both the team and those individuals. While we have to let go of some members, they will always remain part of our extended Royals family. I wish each one of them the best of luck for their future endeavours,” added Bharucha.
Speaking on the upcoming season, Head Coach of the Rajasthan Royals, Andrew McDonald said, “I’m looking forward to my first season as the coach of the Royals. My main objective will be to work on improving the squad and set a style of cricket that can win us the IPL. We have done some trades keeping in mind the combination that we wish to establish and will further work on securing players during the auction that are required to fill necessary roles. I am hopeful of a great season and believe we can give Royal fans across the globe a reason to Halla Bol.”
Speaking about leading the Royals once again at IPL 2020, Steve Smith said, “It’s an honour to be named the Rajasthan Royals captain for the 2020 season. It’s been a pleasure leading the Royals in previous years and I can’t wait to play alongside this extremely talented squad, plus those we pick up in the auction”.
Post the successful trading and all player releases, Rajasthan Royals has a total purse of INR 28.9 crores available for the auction.
Speedster Trent Boult Traded To Mumbai Indians
13th November 2019, New Delhi: Delhi Capitals would like to announce the successful trade of Kiwi fast bowler Trent Boult to Mumbai Indians for the 2020 season of the VIVO Indian Premier League.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank Trent for the time he spent with us, and his contribution to the Delhi team,” said Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal on the development. “I wish him all the very best for his stint with Mumbai Indians which I am sure will be a successful one.”
Apart from Delhi, Trent Boult has represented Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders in the past. The 30 year old has 38 scalps to his name across 5 seasons of the IPL. His standout season was in 2018 when he took 18 wickets from 14 games for the Delhi Daredevils.
Ajinkya Rahane Joins Delhi Capitals in Trade
14th November 2019, New Delhi: Delhi Capitals has completed yet another successful trade by getting on board experienced Indian right-hander Ajinkya Rahane, and releasing spinners Rahul Tewatia and Mayank Markande to Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2020 season of the VIVO Indian Premier League.
“Rahul and Mayank are both extremely talented cricketers with a bright future ahead of them. I am confident they will excel at Rajasthan Royals,” Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal said on the occasion. “I am also extremely honoured to welcome one of India’s most stellar and consistent batsmen, Ajinkya Rahane, to the DC family. When the franchise underwent a revamp last year, a decision was made to keep Indian players at its core. The result was there for everyone to see, with the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Ishant Sharma performing brilliantly for us, and complimenting the youth that DC has in Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and Prithvi Shaw, among others. That thought process has continued for us this time around as well, as is evident in the signing of Ravichandran Ashwin, followed by that of Ajinkya Rahane. I am sure Rahane’s wealth of experience, and familiarity with the conditions will help Delhi Capitals go a long way in IPL 2020.”
Ajinkya Rahane has been a vital cog in India’s batting, having scored more than 7000 runs across formats. In the IPL, he played for Mumbai Indians in 2008 and 2009. After skipping the 2010 edition, the 31 year old was picked by Rajasthan Royals – a team he was synonymous with, up until last season, during which he captained in a few games as well. Rahane has 3820 runs from 140 IPL games, with two centuries to his name.
Dream11 is the official fantasy game of Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10 League
Mumbai, November 14, 2019: Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10 League today announced Dream11, India’s Biggest Sports Game, as the league’s official Fantasy Gaming Partner.
The 3rd edition of the hugely successful and newly revamped Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10 League, will be held from 15th – 24th November at the iconic Zayed Cricket Stadium. This year, the league will feature a total of eight teams – Bangla Tigers, Maratha Arabians, Deccan Gladiators, Qalandars, Delhi Bulls, Northern Warriors, Karnataka Tuskers and Team Abu Dhabi. The upcoming season will feature a total of 29 matches between November 15 – 24 and will witness the nail-biting battle between some of the most explosive batsmen facing some of the most feared bowlers from across the world in a 10 – over per innings cricket game.
Through this partnership, fans will not only be able to get an opportunity to showcase their knowledge by creating their own virtual teams and compete with 7 crore+ users on Dream11. The T10 League will also see cricketing greats and commentators like Danny Morrison, Dean Jones and Mark Boucher along with Karishma Kotak testing their fantasy cricket knowledge and skill by making their Dream11 team ahead of every game.
Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10 League will be broadcasted globally, and will be live-streamed on multi-sports aggregator platform FanCode that offers sports fans news, live match scores, research-based insights, fantasy sports statistics, expert fantasy advice, in-depth game analysis and live match streaming, all on a single platform.
“We are thrilled at Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10 to be associate with Dream11 as our official Fantasy Game. Dream11 has an amazing track record of working with global sporting properties such as the ICC, IPL, NBA to name a few. Their platform will create the next level of engagement for our fans and ignite the presence and growth of Abu Dhabi T10 in India even faster.” Mr. Shaji Mulk (Chairman, Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10 League).
Talking about the partnership, Dream11 spokesperson said, “We are excited to partner with the revolutionary cricket league, Abu Dhabi T10. In its previous two seasons, the League has successfully managed to garner great support from cricketing fans across the globe. With the exciting line-ups and short format, our 7 crore+ users are most certainly going to not only enjoy creating their fantasy teams on Dream11 but also enjoy watching the matches live.”
The Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10 will have an array of international cricketing superstars including Indian cricket legends Yuvraj Singh & Zaheer Khan, England Captain Eoin Morgan, West Indian superstars Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo & Kieorn Pollard to name a few.
The recent Nielsen – IFSG report suggests that 37% per cent of fantasy sports players consume more than 6-8 hours of real-life sports content per week to stay abreast with knowledge on players and match conditions turning passive sports viewers into active participants of a match, while 62 per cent of respondents watch different types of leagues, even when their team / country is not playing.
About Dream11:
Dream11 is India’s Biggest Sports Gaming platform with 7 Crore+ users playing Fantasy Cricket, Football, Kabaddi, Basketball & Hockey. It is a Game of Skill that offers Indian sports fans a platform to showcase their sports knowledge. Fans can create their own team made up of real-life players from upcoming matches, score points based on their on-field performance and compete with other fans. Dream11 helps sports fans increase their engagement and connect deeper with the sport they love by being a team owner, not just a spectator.
Dream11 is the Official Fantasy Game partner of the The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), VIVO Indian Premier League (VIVO IPL), International Council of Cricket (ICC), VIVO Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), Hero Indian Super League (ISL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Abu Dhabi T10, Mzansi Super League (MSL), Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), International Hockey Federation (FIH), Big Bash League (BBL), European Cricket League (ECL), European T20 Slam, Karnataka Premier League (KPL), Pro Volleyball League (PVL) and the T20 Mumbai League. In April 2019, Dream11 became the first Indian gaming company to enter the ‘Unicorn Club’.
A Series D funded company, Dream11 was founded in 2008 by Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth. Dream11 has been ranked #10 among India’s Great Mid-Size Workplaces in 2019 and was recognised as one of the top 10 innovative companies in India by Fast Company in 2019. Kalaari Capital, Think Investments, Multiples Equity, Tencent and Steadview Capital are the marquee investors in Dream11.
Log on to www.dream11.com
About T Ten Sports Management
T Ten Sports Management FZC is a group company of the multinational and diversified conglomerate Mulk Holdings. T10 League is the brainchild of Shaji Ul Mulk, Chairman and founder of Mulk Holdings. The T10 League has been launched by the T Ten Sports Management in 2017. Since its launch to sell-out crowds in Sharjah in 2017, the rise of the T10 League, the world’s only International T10 Franchise League has been exponential.
Star Sports curates a special line up of programming shows for VIVO IPL 2019 Player Auction
Mumbai, December 17, 2018: The forthcoming VIVO IPL 2019 Player Auction promises to be an unparalleled spectacle with Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the tournament geared up with a special line up of programming shows for all the cricket fans across the country.
VIVO IPL 2019 Player Auction will be held in Jaipur on Tuesday, December 18, 2018. The live coverage of the auction will be preceded by a 60-minute special pre-show starting 2.30 pm onwards.
The broadcast of the 12th edition of the VIVO IPL Player Auction on Star Sports will include live expert reactions, analysis and a special spotlight on all the leading developments throughout the day featuring some of the best cricket experts such as Gautam Gambhir, David Hussey, Dean Jones, Kiran More, etc.
Besides the robust programming, Star Sports launched the second edition of the hugely popular VIVO IPL Election Se Selection as a lead up to the VIVO IPL 2019 Player Auction. VIVO IPL Election Se Selection offers fans an opportunity to vote for their favourite player they wish see playing in their favourite VIVO IPL team. The largely popular campaign has received massive response so far with more than 3.1 million fans voting on the official portal vivoiplelection.hotstar.com.
Fans can vote for their player till midnight December 17, 2018 team in three easy steps by logging on to vivoiplelection.hotstar.com
- Select your favourite team
- Choose your player
- Complete the voting process
Yuvraj Singh and Brendon McCullum are the most voted players overall so far:
Whereas, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab fans have voted the most:
VIVO IPL 2019 Player Auction received an overwhelming response from fans and was viewed by a 46.5 million people across the Star Sports network.
List of experts:
Hindi: Gautam Gambhir, Kiran More and RP Singh
Select Dugout (English): Dean Jones, Anil Kumble and David Hussey
Tamil: Hemang Badani, S Badrinath, L Siva, Muthuraman R and RK
Telugu: C Venkatesh, Kalyan Krishna, Vindhya Vishaka and Venugopal Rao
Anchors: Mayanti Langer, Jatin Sapru and Arjun Pandit
India v Sri Lanka Test series, 2017 – Stat Preview
Number one Test team is ready to take on Sri Lanka in a three-match Test series starting November 16. Here are some number games between the teams.
0 Number of Test matches won by Sri Lanka in India. There have been 17 Tests played between the teams in India in a bilateral series, India winning 10 of those while seven matches have been drawn. Overall, India has won 19 matches against the Lankans out of 40 matches played.
8-3 India’s record against Sri Lanka in a bilateral Test series. So far 15 Test series played between the teams, India having upper hand with eight series win.
8 Wickets required to Ravichandran Ashwin to become the fastest to claim 300 Test wickets. He has 292 Test wickets in 52 matches. Dennis Lillee of Australia holds the fastest 300 Test wickets which he achieved in his 56th match against Pakistan at Brisbane. Which means, Ashwin needs 8 wickets in this Test series to top the table.
10 Test hundreds by Virat Kohli as a captain for India; the second-most by Indian Test captain. Little Master Sunil Gavaskar holds the record of most Test Hundreds (11) by an Indian captain. Virat has an opportunity to surpass Gavaskar in this series.
10 Wickets needed to Rangana Herath to become the highest wicket-taker left-arm bowler in Tests. Pakistan’s Wasim Akram has 414 Test wickets which are the record by the left-arm bowler.
Record machine Kohli overtakes Tendulkar
From Dhoni to Kohli, here are some stat highlights from fifth ODI between Sri Lanka and India
100 – ODI stumpings for MS Dhoni, the most in ODIs and first in three digit figures. He surpasses Kumar Sangakkara’s tally of 99 ODI stumpings to top the table. Overall, it was his 161st stumpings in ODIs, again the most by any player in this format.
15 – Wickets for Jasprit Bumrah in this series, the most by any pacer in a bilateral series of five or less matches. In such series, only two bowers Amit Mishra (18) and Rashid Khan (16) have picked most wickets than Bumrah, both being spinners.
2 – Number of times, Indian pacers picking five-for in any series or tournament. Alongside Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar had picked five wickets in third game. The only other instance of picking such five-for was in 1999 World Cup when Robin Singh and Venkatesh Prasad had done such job.
30 – Number of ODI hundreds for Virat Kohli, joint second-most in the history of game with Australian Ricky Ponting. Now only Sachin Tendulkar (49) is ahead of Kohli in ODIs for most hundreds. Kohli became quickest in the list to score 30 ODI hundreds. He took 189 innings whreras Tendulkar took 267 innings and Ponting took 349 innings.
1 – Sri Lanka’s first whitewash at home in a bilateral series of five or more games. Overall, this is their third whitewash, second in this year (against South Africa) and second against India.
6 – Number of whitewashes by India in a bilateral series five or more matches and second against Sri Lanka. Kohli was the captain in three of these whitewashes. The other three were; two by MS Dhoni and one by Gautam Gambhir.
India tour of Sri Lanka: Test series in numbers
First ever clean sweep in overseas Test series by India, average dominance in both bat and bowl and many more. Stats highlights from Test series between Sri Lanka.
1 First time India have whitewashed an away Test series comprising three or more Tests. Overall it is India’s fifth whitewash in a Test series of three or more Tests.
2 Number of times Sri Lanka whitewashed at home in a three or more Test match series. Before this, Australia whitewashed them in 2004; overall this their sixth whitewash in a three or more Test match series.
3 Number of 300-plus first innings lead by India in this series, their most in any series. 309 in first Test, 439 in second and 352 in third Test. India had got two such 300-plus lead before; against Sri Lanka at home in 2009-10 and against West Indies last year.
487 India’s lowest score in a completed innings in this series, their highest lowest in a three or more Test match series. Their previous highest lowest score in completed innings in a three or more Test match series was 485 against Sri Lanka in 1997-98. On other hand, Sri Lanka’s highest score in this series was 386.
45 Test matches taken by Ravichandran Ashwin to complete his 250 Test wickets, the quickest by any bowler in Tests. Dennis Lillee had taken 250 Test wickets in 48 match which was the previous record in this category.
5 Hardik Pandya became fifth Indian player to score maiden first-class hundred in Tests. His previous best score in Tests was 90 for Baroda against Railways in 2015. Vijay Manjrekar, Kapil Dev, Ajay Ratra and Harbhajan Singh are other players to score their maiden first-class hundred in Tests.
86 Balls taken by Hardik Pandya to complete his hundred, the second fastest by Indian in away Tests. Virender Sehwag’s 78-balls fifty in the fastest by Indian in away Tests.
7 Overseas Test wins for Virat Kohli as a captain, second-most by Indian captain after Sourav Ganguly who had 11 such Test wins. Kohli surpassed MS Dhoni’s six Test wins in overseas Tests.
Ravindra Jadeja should be watchful on ICC’s direct HIT
Number one Test bowler and all-rounder has been suspended under ICC Code of Conduct for Player and Player Support Personnel breaching article 2.2.8 on accumulating six demerit points in second Test against Sri Lanka and that raised the question over ICC’s demerit points system.
Last ball of the day three’s play, Jadeja to Pushpakumara, Jadeja throws towards Wriddhiman Saha which was so closed to Pushpakumara who was just defended that ball and was in no mood to take a run. The throw was in a “dangerous manner” which costs Jadeja a suspension for Pallekele Test. Wait it is not just a Test match suspension he also costs Rs. 22.5 lakhs (50% of match fees from SSC Test and one full Test match fee). By this incident he crossed six demerit points (three for second Test incident and three for his previous incident in October against England where he received for running on pitch under ICC Code of Conduct article point number 2.2.11)
So before going in to depth, let’s understand first what are article 2.2.8 and article 2.2.11
- 2.8 – Throwing a ball (or any other item of cricket equipment such as a water bottle) at or near a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other third person in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during an International Match
- 2.11 – Causing avoidable damage to the pitch during an International Match in breach of Law 42.13 or 42.14 (as applicable) of the Laws of Cricket, as modified by ICC Standard Test Match, ODI and Twenty20 International Match Playing Conditions clause 42.
According to ICC press release, this throw was “dangerous” and misses batsman narrowly. Such kind of throws is immature and against the spirit of game when batsman had no intention to take a run. Jadeja reached six demit points in second Test following his three demit points in October last year against England. If he reached the next threshold of eight points within a 24-month period, then they will be converted into four suspension points; meaning he could be suspended for two Test matches or four ODIs or four T20Is.
This was not the first instance in this series when such dangerous and unnecessary throws were seen by umpires. Virat Kohli India’s captain seen throwing such “dangerous” throw, each in both the Tests. Both throws came from midwicket towards Kusal Mendis and missed narrowly when he had no intension to take a run. On both the occasions, Mendis brought umpire’s attention against throw but umpires didn’t deem it in “a dangerous manner”. However Kohli didn’t get any warning or demerit point on the both occasions and this raised the questions over ICC’s objective of Code of Conduct for Player and Player Support Personnel.
Now flash back yourself in India’s previous long home season. Except New Zealand series, it was full of drama and action. Watch the below video.
Here Joe Root throws a ball intensely toward KL Rahul when Rahul had no intension to run. Check it again. What if Rahul could not duck in fractions of second? Can’t imagine. But umpires didn’t see it as dangerous. Not even third umpire Bruce Oxenford. And if you watch Australia series earlier this year you will imagine what intensity had that series. Even there was “brain fade” by opposition captain which deemed to be sportsmanship spirit by match officials and not even warning given to either player. There were no bans; no fine and not even single demit point. And in the recently concluded England-South Africa series, Kagiso Rabada was suspended for a Test for his WORDS which caught in mic.
Simply, the objective is not clear by ICC. You can take help from dressing room on DRS call, you can mouth off anybody off the mic, you can accuse your oppositions avoiding certain words.
The decision of allotting demit points is decided by umpires. Yes, you have seen umpire errors causing big games at crucial time. Being a human being, in a short period of time, we can understand those errors. But what about these demerit points? They have enough time to report match referee where word used are inappropriate or throw is dangerous or not. So when the next a bowler is punished for throwing the ball at a batsman will be debating point.
India v Sri Lanka: Stat highlights from day three of second Test
Ashwin goes past Harbhajan and Jadeja overtook Johnson.
2 Second quickest 150 Test wickets for India by Ravindra Jadeja, His spin partner Ravi Ashwin is the quickest who got there in 29 matches while Jadeja reached today in 32 matches.
32 Test matches taken by Jadeja to complete 150 wickets, the quickest among left-arm bowlers. Mitchel Johnson was the previous quickest in 34 matches. Jadeja is now 19th left-arm bowler and fifth from India to complete 150 Test wickets.
26 Five-wicket hauls for Ravi Ashwin in Tests, the second most for India in Tests behind his former coach Anil Kumble who has 35 five-for. Ashwin edged past Harbhajan Singh’s 25 five-for tally. He is now quickest to register 26 five-for in terms of matches played. He beats Richard Hadlee who got there in his 63rd Test match while Ashwin did it in his 51st match.
3 Third bigger first innings leads gained by India which is 439 in this match. Their other two bigger leads than this are 492 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2007 and 478 against West Indies at Eden Gardens in 2011.
191 Runs added by Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis for the second wicket in the second innings; highest partnership for Sri Lanka while following-on and third highest for any wicket against India when following-on.
Gals, we are so proud of you!
Despite falling short by just 9 runs to lose World Cup to England, Indian Women’s cricket team’s journey from World Cup qualifier to final of biggest stage of the game is not less than any dramatic movie.
Forty third over, fifth ball, Anya Shrubsole to set opener Poonam Raut, length ball pitched inside and Raut misjudged it completely. Umpire raised his finger and Raut with her partner Veda Krishnamurthy took more than 15 seconds and she had no option but to leave crease. India now 4 down for 191, 38 needed from 43 balls with 6 wickets in hand.
Next 35 balls, 28 runs, 6 wickets and India gone.
If you analyze the India’s lost, there are multiple variants someone can find. Mithali Raj’s run out, Veda’s needless short, Smriti Mandhana’s yet another duck and so many. But was that the reason India lose the final? For me it’s big NO. After nearly 12 years, India professed to World Cup final and it was only second time in 11 editions though. On other hand, England who was favorite to win this tournament played fearless last ten overs and experience pays for them.
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Base from Women’s World Cup Qualifier
No doubt, it was India’s final till 43rd over. But table turns from there for England was something Indian team won’t want to recall in their future. India’s appearance in the final was not an easy entry as team appeared in the Women’s World Cup qualifier in Sri Lanka in February and emerged as winner winning all 8 games including 4 group stage games, 3 super six games and last ball finish in the final against South Africa in which 2 games were minor game.
India’s skipper Mithali Raj, the highest run scorer in Women’s ODIs who has been playing the game since 1999, with 19 years old Deepti Sharma were top scorers in that tournament. Deepti who scored 253 runs in six games with three fifty-plus score and with an average of more than 50 which is said to be the best Women’s cricket. While her skipper too scored three fifty-plus knocks scoring 207 runs with the same number of average.
The bowling performance by Indian women in that tournament was phenomenal. 13 wickets in five games by Ekta Bisht and 11 wickets in six games Shikha Pandey tells you how good they were in bowling department. Bisth’s five-for 8 was the top performance for India and economy throughout the tournament was just 2.28. Imagine how good they were in that tournament with these numbers.
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India who was runner up of the 2005 Women’s World Cup could not make through the direct qualification for this World Cup. During 2014 to 2016 in the ICC Women’s Championship, they were not up to the mark. Played seven series against top teams winning just three and if you check the opponent, they were Sri Lanka, Pakistan and West Indies. Though West Indies was into the top four at the end of the Championship period, India suffered to go down for the fifth place caused to go through qualifier process.
The Final Performance
Remarkable performance in World Cup Qualifier was not just indication for big stage, it was the signal from women in blue to go beyond that performance which they did fabulously throughout the tournament. 10-1 record in 2017 before making into the World Cup followed by four consecutive victories to kick off at the center stage was the start they were desperately waiting for.
It was complete team effort by girls with everyone’s contribution at the right pays off. After two impressive innings by Smriti Mandhana she lost her temperament completely in following matches. But Mithali’s cool and composer innings including hundred against New Zealand in the knock out game was the proof of that team effort. Also Harmanpreet Kaur’s vital inning in the semifinal against Australia kept her and team on higher note.
In the bowling department, spin duo Deepti Sharma (12 wickets) and Poonam Yadav (11 wickets) took the responsibility and well supported by highest wicket taker in Women’s ODIs Jhoolan Goswami (10 wickets). Rajeshwari Gayakwad was clinical against New Zealand where she wrote her career best figure of 5 for 15.
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Though India lost momentum in the final after 43rd over, but their performance throughout the tour was something different they could cherish in their life for sure. At the end of the tournament, India winning 16 out of 20 matches in this year will tell you how good they are prepared for the upcoming season. And for the record, it is their best ever performance in a calendar year in their history.
How many BCCIs you know?
Since the Champions Trophy, Indian coach appointment has been highlighted topic in cricketing World and the saga coming to its final stage rose questions over BCCIs accountability.
A year since Hon. Supreme Court of India appointed Lodha Committee redirects Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to REFORM its structure and produce transparency between its States Associations and central governing body. The ultimatum for this reform was six months from then. Some of the recommendations Lodha Committee as below in case you don’t remember.
- Each state will have only one vote at BCCI elections
- Ministers and civil servants cannot hold BCCI offices
- BCCI and state office bearers must not be over 70 years old
- No person can hold office at the BCCI and state association simultaneously
- No person can hold more than three, three-year terms as a BCCI official, and no official can serve consecutive terms
After a year, Committee of Administrators (CoA) appoints former office bearers N Shrinivasan and Nirajan Das to take a look at progress or lack of the implementation made by the BCCI in the year. And here the questions every cricket fans are asking. How BCCI can allow such office bearers to take part in this matter? How can they qualify in their respective State association? Though Supreme Court has issued notice against these former BCCI office bearers, but question remains. Who is running BCCI?
In case you don’t know, there are several committees former by Hon. Supreme Court appointed Lodha Committee and BCCI itself. There is Committee of Administrators (CoA) comprised four members (now three) Vinod Rai, Ramchandra Guha (resigned), Vikaram Limaye and Diana Edulji appointed by Hon. Supreme Court. There is Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprised former Indian legends Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. There are office bearers comprised Vinod Rai (President), Rahul Johri (CEO), Rajeev Shukla (Vice President), Amithabh Chaudhary (Secretary) and others.
Out of control Kumble-Kohli rift
When Supreme Court ordered Anurag Thakur to resign from his position in January this year as BCCI chief, the shaky BCCI comes here. There was no one to stop him during his tenure, Delhi office, new Media Manager (Nishant Arora) and many more. The matter could have handled sweetly but there was lack coordination within BCCI. In between that Kumble appointed as India head coach over Ravi Shastri. He handled team India very well in his tenure and Kohli became full time captain.
Rahul Johri, CEO of BCCI who has major control on Indian team was aware of trouble between Captain Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble according to sources. Even there were reports states that Kohli had reported BCCI about his ‘uncountable’ with his coach. The CoA who chose to ignore the problems by arguing their job is to impose reforms. The CAC who appointed Kumble as coach didn’t even try to clear the matter as they were team mates at a time. And finally Kohli’s recommendations to appoint Ravi Shastri as a coach.
Whatever though, the BCCI clearly slipped back to having no accountability in its working and failed to handle the matter which goes even worse when Anil Kumble in his resignation mentioned his ‘untenable’ with Kohli. The CAC who endorsed Kumble after Champions Trophy an extension for him could not find time to talk to either parties, more importantly Kohli.
On July 10, CAC completed their interview process of all candidates including Ravi Shastri who applied for this role after Kumble’s resignation on Sachin’s request (assurance). After the interview process, Ganguly and his committee in a press-conference at around 6PM IST said that they required some time to talk to Virat Kohli who is on USA vacation and tell him how coach works. There was no coordination between that committee. At 11 PM BCCI released a press release stating that Ravi Shastri appointed Head Coach, Zaheer Khan bowling consultant and Rahul Dravid overseas batting consultant.
One of the excerpts from that release says “As part of the process for selecting the Head Coach, the Cricket Advisory Committee comprising of Mr. Sachin Tendulkar, Mr. Sourav Ganguly and Mr. VVS Laxman conducted the interviews and recommended these appointments in the best interest of the Indian Cricket. The term of the appointments will be till the World Cup 2019.”
The role played by CoA in this coach appointment saga has been curious to say. Following July 10 conference, next morning different officials confirmed that they were asked by the CoA to announce the name of the new coach “as earliest”. Ravi Shastri appointed coach same day as late as 11PM.
Acting president Vinod Ray when asked said, “”We need not go into the details of any of those things. There was a process, that process was followed, and the announcement was made well in time.”
U-Turn on Dravid-Zaheer appointment
A week after announcing India’s coaching staff; Ravi Shastri met BCCI officials regarding his support staff and cleared the things in his style. BCCI named Bharat Arun as bowling coach in the press-conference on July 18. The Committee of Administrators (CoA) said that those were just recommendations to take action from CoA with new head coach Ravi Shastri.
For the appointment of Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid, new committee formed comprising acting BCCI president CK Khanna, Secretary Amitabh Choudhary and CoA member Diana Edulji to clear their exact roles for the team and decide whether they are needed at all.
Overall, there was no clarity at all in the entire saga of coach appointment. Neither CoA nor CAC coordinated each other. No BCCI office bearers took responsibility to stay clear in the scenario. This clearly indicates that there is no ACTIVE BCCI which has control over Indian cricket, the biggest and richest cricket board in the world. Hope this non-accountability will end soon and we’ll have transparent BCCI in action.
Rain, wet outfield denies India chance to level series
BCCI Media Team
India’s hopes of leveling the series after a heartbreaking one-run loss in the thrilling first T20 International against West Indies were dashed when the second and the final match was called off due to wet patches on the outfield following rain. After being under the pump for the majority of the 20 overs in the first game, Indian bowlers put up a much improved and disciplined performance to bowl West Indies out for just 143 runs in 19.4 overs at Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill.
When India’s chase began, openers Rohit Sharma and Ajinjya Rahane were batting on 10 and four respectively, when the play was halted with India 15/0 after two overs, needing another 129 runs from 18 overs. With the outfield developing wet patches, even three more overs of play, which would have ensured a result was not possible.
Earlier, captain MS Dhoni once again won the toss and elected to bowl first. The Indian bowlers were sharp and made brilliant use of their variations. Leg spinner Amit Mishra, who replaced Stuart Binny was in the thick of the action and on many occasions, the West Indies batsmen failed to read him. Mishra removed the dangerous Johnson Charles (43 off 24) on the first ball he bowled in the final Powerplay over and bowled Dwayne Bravo with a googly and captain Carlos Brathwaite with a flighted delivery.
As per the available analysis, R. Ashwin bowled four doosras and one carom ball in his three overs and dismissed Lendl Simmons and Kieron Pollard and also picked up 200 T20 career wickets. The move to have six specialist bowlers on a pitch that is tailor-made for big hitting worked brilliantly as Bhunveshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah returned with two wickets each. Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah showed they had quickly learned their mistakes from the previous game as they bowled 11 and 13 dot balls respectively.
Such was the improved performance that West Indies batsmen who seemed unstoppable in the first game, failed to generate any momentum on Sunday. Not only did they hit 102 fewer runs, the big hits too dried up as only six shots cleared the boundary while on Sunday they had smashed 21 sixes.