Rishabh Pant began rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy after his hospitalization. The wicketkeeper-batter has shown remarkable recovery and played in a practice match in Alur. Pant is anticipated to rejoin the Delhi Capitals for the forthcoming IPL edition.

Cricket Is A Very Small Part Of Life – Aakash Chopra

In a YouTube video, Aakash Chopra expressed his surprise at the possibility of Rishabh Pant participating in the IPL. Chopra described Pant’s potential comeback as remarkable, considering his past challenges and current achievements.

“There are filtered reports that Rishabh Pant will be seen playing this year in the IPL, which is absolutely phenomenal. It is miraculous, considering where he came from and where he has reached,” Chopra said.

“Cricket is a very small part of life. It’s very important but cricket is there only if there is life. The sort of accident it was, I was just happy that he was alive. I am pretty sure he would have had to work very hard during the journey from there to here because it’s difficult and extremely lonely as well,” he added.

The Delhi Capitals are yet to confirm if Pant can manage the dual roles of wicketkeeper-batter and captain in IPL 2024. However, he could feature solely as a batter, utilizing the Impact Player rule. DC remains optimistic about Pant securing clearance for the IPL 2024.

Rishabh Pant Solves Extremely Important Problem – Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra noted that Rishabh Pant’s inclusion would resolve a significant issue for the Delhi Capitals. Chopra stated that Pant’s ability to bat in the middle order would benefit the team, particularly given the strong top-order lineup.

“He will bat and captain. With batting, he solves an extremely important problem for the Delhi Capitals because he can bat slightly down the order as, unfortunately, all their good players are top-order batters,” Chopra further stated.

The 26-year-old has scored 2838 runs in 98 IPL matches with an average of 34.61 and a strike rate of 147.97. However, his performance in IPL 2022 was not remarkable, as the southpaw scored 340 runs at an average of 30.91 and a strike rate of 151.79 across 14 games.

It’s A Very Good Thing – Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra said that Rishabh Pant’s captaincy would benefit the Delhi Capitals. Chopra highlighted that David Warner faced scrutiny over his captaincy in the IPL last year.

“It’s a very good thing if he (Pant) captains because David Warner, as much as he is a good player, there were serious questions over his captaincy last year. Although Ricky Ponting said Warner would manage, Axar Patel might be saying that he can bat and bowl,” Chopra added.

In the previous IPL season, the Delhi Capitals, led by David Warner, finished second-last, winning only five out of 14 matches and securing 10 points. If Rishabh Pant misses any matches in the upcoming season, the veteran Australian opening batter might lead the team.

Also read: Watch: Rishabh Pant comes up with big surprise, does wicket-keeping in full throttle

The post “There were questions on David Warner’s captaincy last year..”- Aakash Chopra reacts to Rishabh Pant’s comeback in IPL 2024 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The southpaw is set to ply his trade for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024 and his preparations could take a hit due to the legal issue. According to a report, the cricketer has landed in the controversy about the suicide case of Surat-based model Tania Singh. She was working in the field of fashion and modeling and had a good following on social media.

The Ahmedabad Mirror has reported that the 28-year-old model hailed from Rajasthan and resided at the Happy Elegance in the Vesu area. She was studying fashion design before ending her life by hanging herself from the ceiling of her apartment.

The local police suspected a love affair behind the suicide and checked out the call details which eventually led to Abhishek Sharma’s name getting involved in the matter.

According to the report, the cricketer was the last person she contacted with her phone. While there is reportedly no real contact between the deceased and the cricketer, the police have decided to call him for questioning since he had been the model’s friend for a long time.

Abhishek Sharma fails to impress:

Abhishek Sharma is currently plying his trade for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy and has not managed to make an impact with the bat. In four first-class games this season, he has registered just one half-century. His scores in the ongoing Ranji season read – 26, 91, 29, 4, 6, 7 and 36. He has picked up three wickets with his spin bowling.

The southpaw will be hoping to get out of the controversy and focus on the upcoming IPL 2024. He has scored more than 600 runs in the last two seasons of the IPL and will be eyeing a successful campaign in the upcoming edition. So far, he has played 47 matches in the IPL and has scored 893 runs with a top score of 75.

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Taking to social media, the batting superstar announced the arrival of his son Akaay while also revealing that the child was born on February 15. Virat Kohli as well as Anushka Sharma had managed to keep their location under wraps although few reports claimed that they were outside India and Virat Kohli’s latest photo very much proves that.

Soon after the India star announced the birth of his son, several fans took to X to share the ‘latest picture’ of him walking on the streets of London. Many are now convinced that the couple indeed welcomed their second child in England.

Latest Picture Virat Kohli in London pic.twitter.com/JOQoq13EQQ

— Virat Kohli Fan Club (@Trend_VKohli) February 20, 2024

“With abundant happiness and our hearts full of love, we are pleased to inform everyone that on 15th February, we welcomed our baby boy Akaay and Vamika’s little brother into this world! We seek your blessings and good wishes in this beautiful time in our lives. We request you to kindly respect our privacy at this time. Love and gratitude – Virat and Anushka,” read the post from Kohli and Anushka.

Virat Kohli to return in IPL 2024:

Virat Kohli is likely to return to action next month when IPL 2024 gets underway. The veteran batsman has not played a competitive game since the third T20I against Afghanistan last month. While he was named in the squad for the first two Tests against England, he decided to pull out at the last moment.

It was expected that he would be available for the last three Tests but Virat Kohli decided otherwise. The BCCI announced that the former captain would miss the final three games of the series as well. Talking about the ongoing five-match series, India are leading it 2-1.

They lost the first Test in Hyderabad before winning the second and third games to take the lead for the first time in the series. The fourth Test is scheduled to be played on February 23 in Ranchi.

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Wasim Akram made these comments during an interview with Star Sports which also had the likes of Dale Steyn, Tom Moody, and Matthew Hayden as fellow panelists.

The official Television broadcasters of the IPL brought all of them together virtually to pick an all-time best-playing XI of the richest cricketing which will turn 17 years old this March.

The tournament throughout its history since 2008, has provided countless breathtaking moments but most importantly, it has garnered and given young uncapped-untouched players a platform to go on and represent the Indian national team India isn’t the only to benefit as other nations have also been benefitted from the league.

Panelists agree for David Warner and Rohit Sharma as the Greatest IPL openers

The entire panel agreed upon the names of David Warner and Rohit Sharma as the openers for the combined IPL playing XI concerning those who have performed consistently in the last 16 years.

While Warner received the maximum, 3 votes, Rohit was tied with Chris Gayle with 2 votes to their names. Among the options were Warner, Rohit, Virat Kohli and Gayle.

Former Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Tom Moody was the only one to pick Kohli as the opening batsman of the combined XI, otherwise, Dale Steyn and Wasim Akram among others were unanimous in their choice of Rohit And Warner as the openers.

It was shocking why everyone was so reluctant to choose Virat Kohli as the opening batsman even after the batting stalwart is the all-time highest run getter of the tournament.

The 35-year-old has 7263 runs from 237 matches at an average of 37.24 including 7 centuries and 59 half-centuries, all for the Royal Challengers Bangalore since the inception of IPL.

Virat Kohli is the epitome of loyalty in this league and can be named alongside MS Dhoni as a one-club man. Another shocker was that Star Sports did not even include Shikhar Dhawan in the shortlist of greatest openers.

The left-hand batter who has represented franchises like Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings, has scored 6617 runs from 217 matches and is the 2nd highest IPL run-getter.

Virat Kohli welcomes baby Boy! Can he now finally win the elusive IPL title?

Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma announced last night that they have welcomed a baby boy whom they have named Akaay. Since they revealed the news, social media has been buzzing with positive reactions, and cricketers as well as cricket outlets have showered their love and support for Kohli since then.

The birth of his second child was the reason why he opted out of the entire 5-match Test series against England but now the question is, can his baby Boy Akaay prove to be a lucky charm and maybe help Virat Kohli win the elusive IPL title with RCB this season?

The post Wasim Akram snubs Virat Kohli and picks Rohit Sharma appeared first on CricketAddictor.

He has been plying his trade for the franchise since 2008 and has also been their captain since then. He briefly gave up captaincy in 2022 but took charge of the team once again after Ravindra Jadeja failed to deliver as a captain.

Under MS Dhoni’s captaincy, CSK have been one of the most dominant and consistent teams in the IPL. They have won a record five IPL titles in addition to finishing runners-up five times. They have failed to make it to the playoffs just twice so far. Apart from the success on the field, MS Dhoni has also developed a strong bond with the Chennai crowd and is one of the most popular cricketers in that part of the country.

One heart and it belongs to you! #16YearsOfThala pic.twitter.com/1mllUqXUFL

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) February 20, 2024

MS Dhoni on signing for CSK:

While MS Dhoni has enjoyed a very successful journey with CSK so far, things could have been very different had he not backed his intuitions. In a recent interview with Star Sports, the former India captain revealed how he ended up signing up for the Chennai-based franchise.

The wicketkeeper-batsman revealed that he was receiving an offer of $1 million from a franchise to sign as a marquee player. However, he decided against it and registered his name for the auction at a base price of USD 400,000. CSK went all out for him in the auction and eventually bought him for $1.5 million.

“Initially when five marquee players were announced, I was also approached to become a marquee player of a certain franchise. I had to make a quick decision. I thought that I was the captain of the 2007 T20 World Cup-winning team, I would easily go for 1 million dollars.

“So let’s take a risk. Let’s enter the auction. If two out of three teams that don’t have marquee players get interested in me, along with the other franchises, this will increase the chances of your price going up,” MS Dhoni told Star Sports.

“If you become a marquee player, the franchise owner thinks that if I am buying a player for a certain amount, then I will have to pay 10 or 15 percent more to the marquee player.

“So I thought that for me, at this point in time, it’s better to enter the auction – if any franchise without a marquee player buys me, then I have more chances of getting more money. And when the auction happened, when CSK bought me, I went for 1.5 million dollars (6 crore approx). So the thinking worked at that point of time,” he added.

He could've made $1 million as a marquee player!

He entered the auction instead… and made #1.5 million! #JustThalaThings

Relive the story of how #MSDhoni ended up at #Chennai by making a shrewd move.

The rest is history!#IPLOnStar #Cricket pic.twitter.com/5quBLXUhZA

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 20, 2024

MS Dhoni would be aiming for another successful season with CSK in IPL 2024. CSK are the defending champions and would be looking to become the first-ever team to win the IPL six times.

The post MS Dhoni finally reveals why he didn’t sign up as a marquee player ahead of IPL 2008 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and David Warner were the contenders. The experts needed to pick two openers for the best IPL team. Matthew Hayden didn’t back the Indian duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and instead picked Chris Gayle and David Warner as two openers in the team. 

Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been the best batters in the league. They have been two powerhouses in the league and are amongst the leading run-getters in the tournament. They are one of the prime reasons behind the success of Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore respectively in the league. 

Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody voted for Chris Gayle along with Virat Kohli. The West Indies batter set the stage on fire for whatever time he played in the league. He was known for his explosive best and played some magical knocks on the league, helping his team win games in the tournament. 

Wasim Akram opted for Rohit Sharma and David Warner as two openers for the best IPL team. It came as a surprise after he didn’t pick Virat Kohli. The Australia opener on the other hand is the best overseas batters in the league and is the leading run-getter in the league among the foreign batters. 

Dale Steyn rooted for David Warner and Rohit Sharma as two openers for the best IPL team. The Australia opener overall got 3 votes, making him the best choice whereas Rohit and Chris Gayle were tied at 2 votes each while Virat Kohli bagged just one vote. 

Virat Kohli’s best in the league came as an opener. The batter is the leading run-getter in the league with over 7000 runs to his name. He has been an absolute beast as an opener for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He will be crucial for the team in the upcoming 7th edition of the league.

#IPL G.O.A.T. @imVkohli does not feature as opener in the Star Jury's #AllTimeIncredibleXI!

Today on the 16th anniversary of the first ever #IPLAuction, find out which players and coach make it to the Jury's 'Incredible 16' – at 7 PM and 10:30 PM on Star Sports Network & 8 PM… pic.twitter.com/AK4WCXPWs9

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 20, 2024

Virat Kohli becomes father for the second time; gets blessed with baby boy 

India batter Virat Kohli’s wife Anushka Sharma gave birth to a baby boy, whom they have named Akaay. The couple were blessed with the baby boy on 15th February. He informed about the development with a special post on social media. 

He stated: “With abundant happiness and our hearts full of love, we are pleased to inform everyone that on 15th February, we welcomed our baby boy Akaay & Vamika’s little brother into this world! We seek your blessings and good wishes in this beautiful time in our lives. We request you to kindly respect our privacy at this time. Love & Gratitude. Virat & Anushka.” 

Virat Kohli pulled out of the Test series against England. He is now expected to make a comeback in the IPL. The league reportedly will begin on 22nd March.

The post Virat Kohli rejected as Wasim Akram, Dale Steyn and others pick openers for the best-ever IPL team appeared first on CricketAddictor.

As per the reports in Anandabazar Patrika, it is learned that as many as three franchises are interested in acquiring the services of Sarfaraz Khan. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) expressed the desire to get the batter as mentor Gautam Gambhir told the team management to rope in the batter to strengthen the batting line-up. 

The reports also claimed that Chennai Super Kings are also keen to sign Sarfaraz Khan for the IPL 2024. It is learned that MS Dhoni has given the green signal to the authorities to bid for him. Apart from defending champions, Royal Challengers Bangalore also wants the batter in their team. 

Sarfaraz Khan was part of Royal Challengers Bangalore for three IPL seasons between 2015 and 2018. He played decent knocks for the team but after that parted ways with the franchise. He represented Delhi Capitals in 2023 but went unsold in the IPL 2023 auction. 

Sarfaraz Khan has played 50 games in IPL between 2015 and 2023. The batter has scored 585 runs with a solitary fifty. He played for Punjab Kings as well between 2019 and 2021 before joining Delhi Capitals in the league. With all the reports around CSK, KKR, and RCB wanting him, it remains to be seen what will be his future in the league. 

Sarfaraz Khan was impressive on his debut for India in Test cricket. He scored 68 runs in the first innings as he got run out. He made sure that he made the most of the opportunity in the second innings. The batter slammed another half-century and ended with 62 not out in the second essay. 

He looks like the perfect No.6 – Michael Vaughan on Sarfaraz Khan 

Impressed with Sarfaraz Khan’s heroics, Michael Vaughan lauded the batter for his staggering debut. He pointed out that the batter is aggressive, plays spin brilliantly, and rotates the strike well, which makes him the perfect No.6 for India. Speaking to Cricbuzz, he explained: 

“I said after the first day, he looks like the perfect No.6. He is aggressive, plays spin brilliantly, rotates the strike. So even the good balls are going for ones and twos. And he’s hungry for runs. He has got huge amount of runs in first-class cricket. 

When you have done that throughout your career, and you get that opportunity to play for India in Test match-level. He has taken that chance well.” 

Sarfaraz Khan will be next seen in action when India will play the fourth Test against England in Ranchi. The match will be played on 23rd February. India is currently leading the series 2-1. The batter would be hoping to go one step ahead in the next match and seal his spot in the team in the longest format of the game.

The post MS Dhoni vs Virat Kohli vs Gautam Gambhir! 3 IPL teams engaged in battle to sign Sarfaraz Khan for IPL – Reports appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Abhishek Sharma, who is touted as one of the best youngsters in domestic cricket, has been in the terrific touch in the ongoing domestic circuit for the Punjab. The batter oozed his hitting class in the team’s last Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu. 

Abhishek Sharma played a brutal knock and slammed five sixes in an over against Sai Kishore. The batter timed the ball perfectly and hit big hits. While his innings impressed many, Hemang Badani wasn’t impressed with it as he seized an opportunity to lash out at the batter. 

Hemang Badani thrashed the batter for not playing the long innings. He pointed out that Abhishek Sharma needed to play the long innings as the team’s need was to stay there for long and save the game. Taking to his Twitter account, he explained: 

“And got out for 36 in a 4 day game which his team lost, where they were trying to save the game. One needs to play according to the format and situation.” 

And got out for 36 in a 4 day game which his team lost, where they were trying to save the game. One needs to play according to the format and situation

— Hemang Badani (@hemangkbadani) February 19, 2024

Abhishek Sharma ended with a knock of 36 runs in just 16 balls. With 5 sixes in an over, he became only the fourth Indian player in history to score five sixes in an over after Ravi Shastri, Reuben Paul, and Shivam Dube. His efforts however didn’t count as Punjab suffered a disappointing loss against Tamil Nadu to end their campaign on low. 

Hemang Badani further while elaborating his point on Abhishek Sharma said that he was glorified that the all-rounder was praised when the need of the game was different. He added: 

“Well I did last year but …let’s leave it at that.I am not criticising him but find it strange that this is being applauded and glorified when the need of the game was different . Pls feel free to go hard at me for saying the right thing.”

Well I did last year but …let’s leave it at that.I am not criticising him but find it strange that this is being applauded and glorified when the need of the game was different . Pls feel free to go hard at me for saying the right thing

— Hemang Badani (@hemangkbadani) February 19, 2024

Is Hemang Badani no longer with Sunrisers Hyderabad?

Former Indian cricketer Hemang Badani in a now-deleted tweet mentioned that he has parted ways with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Hemang Badani stated that he is no longer the batting coach of the franchise and hasn’t been in touch with them for a few months now.

Taking to his Twitter account, he stated: “I am not the batting coach for srh or sec. Haven’t been with them for more than a few months. Enjoyed the journey with them and thank @SunRisers for the opportunity .#IPL2024″

This explains that tweet pic.twitter.com/MFkKCPRMVT

— Shaan Waseem (@shaanwaseem2) February 20, 2024

He later deleted the tweet but he himself confirmed about the development and won’t be taking part in the IPL now for SRH.

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Rishabh Pant on Tuesday (20th February) lighted the fans’ day when he came up with an Instagram post and showed glimpses of his training session at Alur in Bengaluru. The left-hander was seen keeping practice in full throttle as he took some brilliant catches by moving here and there. 

If this was not enough, Rishabh Pant then also was seen batting in nets. They played some glorious drives before hitting some big sixes. He was seen batting without trouble and this could well be an indication of what is expected to come when he makes a comeback. 

Here’s the video: 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rishabh Pant (@rishabpant)

Rishabh Pant has been working hard in the NCA to forge his comeback to cricket. The batter reportedly took part in the warmup game in Alur, near Bengaluru. The keeper-batter was for the first time seen in action after facing a torrid accident in December 2022. 

Rishabh Pant is expected to make a comeback in the IPL 2024. The reports have suggested that he will be captaining Delhi Capitals in the league. It is also learned that he be playing as a pure batter in the tournament and won’t be keeping, which means the franchise will have to play a separate keeper in the team. 

It is also learned that Rishabh Pant is batting with the same agility and freedom is exactly the same as it was before the accident. His mobility hasn’t been hindered and has been showing good signs of recovery ever since he got injured. 

The IPL 2024 is all set to take place from 22nd March. Rishabh Pant will be eager to make a strong comeback and make a statement. The keeper-batter will be crucial for the Delhi Capitals as well as the Indian cricket team going ahead. 

Rishabh Pant is very confident that he’s going to be right to play – Ricky Ponting 

Delhi Capitals head coach recently expressed his delight to see Rishabh Pant while playing. He said that the keeper-batter is very confident of playing in the league. He revealed a conversation with Pant and added: 

“Rishabh is very confident that he’s going to be right to play. In what capacity we’re not quite sure yet. You would have seen all the social-media stuff, he’s up and about and running well. But in saying that we’re only six weeks away from the first game as well. So we’re not sure if we’ll get wicketkeeping out of him this year. 

“But I’ll guarantee if I asked him now he’ll say, ‘I’m playing every game, I’m keeping every game and I’m batting at No.4.’ That’s just what he’s like, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed. He’s such a dynamic player. He’s obviously our captain. We missed him incredibly last year,” he concluded.

The post Watch: Rishabh Pant comes up with big surprise, does wicket-keeping in full throttle appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan dissected the PBKS bowling attack as he talked about the advantage that the Mohali-based franchise has after the arrival of Harshal Patel in the squad. Harshal Patel was bought for a massive sum of 11.75 crores in the auctions and was the most expensive Indian player in the auctions.

Irfan Pathan feels that players like Harshal Patel will add a lot of balance to the squad as the other two pacers; Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh are also in the squad and have international experience. He said that adding two spinners Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar will also strengthen the spin department with five bowlers and then if they play Liam Livingstone or Sikandar Raza they can be the sixth bowling option for the franchise.

Punjab Kings will be hoping to win their first IPL title. They reached the finals once in 2014 but since then, they have failed to reach the top 4.

“With the addition of Harshal Patel in the squad, now you can play Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh and Harshal Patel. Now these three fast bowlers can bowl in different positions and different situations and can make the game there. All three of them have international experience and if such a bowler is there in your franchise then you get a solid bowling lineup,” said Irfan Pathan on Star Sports

“Then you add spinners, if Rahul Chahar performs well then it is brilliant. Harpreet Brar comes for you as an all-rounder so you have five bowlers in the lineup then batters like Liam Livingstone or Sikandar Raza can also bowl so you get a sixth bowling option,” he added.

Watch- Irfan Pathan dissects Punjab Kings’ bowling attack in the upcoming IPL season

.@IrfanPathan & @Jatinsapru believe that the @PunjabKingsIPL look strong enough to break their Top 4 jinx this upcoming #IPLOnStar!

Will the addition of @Harshalpatel23 to the strong pace core help @SDhawan25 lead his team to Qualification?

Don't miss this incredible chat! pic.twitter.com/HewyzFZiF9

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 20, 2024

Punjab Kings also have purchased some good overseas players like Chris Woakes and Rilee Rossouw and has retained the services of players like Liam Livingstone, Sikandar Raza, Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow and Sam Curran. The overseas battery of Punjab Kings is looking very strong and can be tough competition for other franchises. They also have Indian powers like Shikhar Dhawan, Prabhsimran Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Jitesh Sharma and now Harshal Patel has also joined the squad.

The Indian Premier League is scheduled to commence during the third week of March and will go on till the last week of May. Punjab Kings will be hoping to at least reach the top 4 and this team has the strength to qualify for the top 4 in the IPL 2024. Shikhar Dhawan is expected to lead the side to their maiden IPL title as they are one of the three teams who have failed to win a title since the inauguration of the tournament in 2008.

The post Irfan Pathan dissects Punjab Kings’ bowling attack for IPL 2024; predicts top-4 finish for the team appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Andre Russell has been one of the most prolific all-rounders in the league and has played some explosive cricket for his franchise the Kolkata Knight Riders. Russell has amassed 2262 runs in 96 innings during his IPL career and has also taken 96 wickets with the ball. He has a strike rate of 174 with the bat and a bowling strike rate of 15.48 which makes him a great all-rounder to feature in the competition.

Former Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram highlights Andre Russell’s power-hitting ability stating that he can take a game away from the opponents in a matter of two or three overs. Apart from him, South African legend Dale Steyn also hailed ‘Dre Russ’ as a great all-rounder citing him as someone who can come and clock 145 with the ball consistently apart from his hard-hitting prowess. Both Akram and Steyn picked Ravindra Jadeja as the spin all-rounder.

“I’ll pick Russell because he’s just a big hitter, I mean Jadeja is a spin option and a gun fielder who can bat well at number 6 or 7. But, to have a guy at number 7 who can hit, and hit big regularly is huge. I’ve seen Andre Russell in the past 6, 7, 8 years, he still is an unbelievable player at number 7. He takes the game away from you in a matter of two or three overs, that’s how dangerous he is as a player,” said the former Pakistan pacer on Star Sports.

Dale Steyn reminds everyone of Andre Russell’s bowling abilities

“I’ve got two all-rounders and I suppose it would be up for debate if we were in a selection panel as to where these two would bat, 7 or 8, but I’ve got Russell and Jadeja. He (Andre Russell) also comes in and tips somebody else who is an all-rounder who could have made this team just because Andre, in his prime and when he’s fit, can bowl at 145 K per hour, so he comes in as my third seamer who bowls in at 145. I’ve got those two guys, where they bat is up for debate,” said Steyn.

Andre Russell has been out of form for the past couple of seasons in the IPL but he is someone who can contribute with both the bat and the ball. Kolkata Knight Riders have had his services for the past 10 years as he joined the franchise in 2014 and won the title with them in his first season. He will be one of the players to watch out for in the upcoming IPL 2024 as he has been in good form in T20Is and can replicate his form in the IPL for KKR.

The post Unbelievable player! Andre Russell picked in greatest IPL XI by Wasim Akram, Dale Steyn appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The reports claimed that Rishabh Pant has been taking part in the warm-up game in Alur, near Bengaluru. The keeper-batter has shown great signs of a comeback in what has been his first match after December 2022. He won’t be keeping wickets in the IPL 2024 for Delhi Capitals and the team will be fielding a separate keeper in the XI.

The reports claimed that the life-threatening accident hasn’t hindered his mobility. It is learned that Rishabh Pant’s ability to run and bat with the same agility and freedom is exactly the same as it was before the accident. He has been showing good signs of recovery ever since he got injured.

Rishabh Pant recently was sent by BCCI to London last month. He underwent treatment there and has gained full fitness. The keeper-batter has been cleared to take part in the games by the NCA and Delhi Capitals have shown confidence in him captaining the team.

Rishabh Pant underwent a tragic accident in December 2023 and since then has been out of action. He underwent knee surgery and since then has been training at NCA for his recovery. The keeper-batter went through various drills and recovered more quickly than expected.

Recently some reports suggested that BCCI even considered the England Test series as a window for Rishabh Pant’s comeback. But the development didn’t work as they didn’t want him to ease way into the cricket through the longest format of the game, which takes a lot of effort from players.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is expected to kick start from on March 22 or 23, with the final set to take place on May 26. Much more than the league, the excitement is for the Rishabh Pant’s return. It remains to be seen how the keeper-batter goes about his business in the league.

Till the time I start playing cricket, I don’t want to plan much for the future – Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant recently talked about the accident he suffered and said that he was lucky that things weren’t that serious. He also talked about his recovery process and said that till the time he makes a comeback, he won’t think about the future. Speaking to Star Sports, he explained:

“First time in my life I had that feeling of letting it go. I felt my time in this world was over. It was the first time I had such a feeling in life. At the time of the accident, I was aware of the wounds, but I was lucky as it could have been even more serious.

“Till the time I start playing cricket, I don’t want to plan much for the future. I asked the doctor how long will it take for me to recover? I told him that everybody is speaking different things, but you will give me the most clarity about it. He said it would take 16 to 18 months. I told the doctor that whatever timeline you give me, I will reduce six months from it.”

It remains to be seen how Rishabh Pant will make a return. He will be eager for the team along with India going ahead.

The post Rishabh Pant to make comeback through IPL as pure batter and captain – Reports appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Hardik Pandya’s IPL career has been nothing short of brilliant as he won the title in his debut season as a player and as a captain. He made his debut in the IPL under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy for Mumbai Indians in the 2015 edition of the IPL. Hardik Pandya has won five IPL titles in his career four with MI as a player and one with GT as the skipper. He led Gujarat Titans to their maiden IPL title in their debut season in 2022 and then also reached the finals in the last season but lost the summit clash against MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings.

Matthew Hayden was asked for his all-time best XI for the IPL during a Star Sports show named ‘Incredible 16 of the IPL’. Hayden picked both Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja in his XI stating that both are great fielders and Jadeja provides a left-arm option.

“I don’t want to waste, if there is such a thing where you’re picking greats, an opportunity for an Indian talent instead of an overseas talent, so Hardik Pandya walks into my greatest eleven side for sure. I’m going to pick Jadeja as well, as I want that left-arm option, and a great fielder, which Hardik is as well. So Hardik at this stage is my choice,” Matthew Hayden said.

Hardik Pandya will lead the Mumbai Indians this season

The decision to announce Hardik Pandya as the new captain was not welcomed by the fans as they were agitated to see their most successful skipper being removed from the role. Rohit Sharma has led Mumbai Indians from 2013 and has won five IPL titles with them as their leader and he was removed without any prior information. Hardik Pandya returned to his previous home after playing for the Ahmedabad-based franchise for two seasons leading them to their maiden title.

Mumbai Indians still has Rohit Sharma as a player and according to the franchise and their head coach Mark Boucher, the decision to remove him from captaincy may bring out his best as a batter. Rohit Sharma won five IPL titles as Mumbai Indians’ skipper and has also won a title with Deccan Chargers in 2009 as a player. Hardik Pandya has a big challenge in front of him to lead the team and fill in the shoes of Rohit Sharma who is one of the most successful captains in the competition.

The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League is expected to commence during the third week of March and will last till the last week of May. Mumbai Indians will be aiming to win their sixth IPL title and reclaim their throne of being the best and most successful team in the IPL.

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Noor Ahmad represented the Sharjah Warriors in one season of ILT20 during the tenure (January-February 2023) and was decent with the ball. The youngster was offered retention on the same terms and conditions in accordance with the Player Agreement terms ahead of Season 2. However, the leg-spinner declined, leading to a breach of the Player Agreement with the franchise.

After Noor Ahmad declined another year’s extension by the Warriors, the franchise approached the ILT20 and the league intervened in this dispute. The matter was then taken in charge by the three-member Disciplinary Committee which includes the league’s Chief Executive Officer David White, Head of Security and Anti-Corruption Col. Azam and Member Emirates Cricket Board Zayed Abbas.

The committee while investigating the matter heard to both Noor Ahmad and Sharjah Warriors. After much discussion, ILT20’s three-member Disciplinary Committee decided to ban the Afghanistan spinner for a period of 12 months. They also considered a 20-month ban but didn’t proceed with it.

The committee then took into consideration that Noor Ahmad was a minor at the time of signing the Player Agreement. The leg-spinner has informed the ILT20’s committee that he was not informed by his agent about the full terms of the contract.

The ILT20 released the official statement, stating:

“The International League T20 has banned spinner Noor Ahmad for 12 months for breaching his Player Agreement with Sharjah Warriors who had signed him for Season 1 of the tournament. Noor was offered another year’s extension by the Warriors but refused to sign the retention notice for Season 2. 

“Noor played for Sharjah Warriors in Season 1 of the ILT20 (January-February 2023) who sent him a retention notice on the same terms and conditions in accordance with the Player Agreement terms ahead of Season 2. Following Noor’s refusal, the Sharjah Warriors approached the ILT20 to intervene in this dispute.”

Noor Ahmad will be playing a crucial role for the team in the IPL as well. He will be a vital cog in the wheel for the league. The leg-spinner in 82 T20 matches has taken 87 wickets at an average of 24.93 and an economy of 7.27.

ILT20 bans Naveen-ul-Haq for 20 months in the league

Recently Naveen-ul-Haq was also banned byILT20 due to breach of contract. He was handed a 20-month ban. The pacer also represented Sharjah Warriors. He played 9 matches in the league and picked 11 wickets at an average of 24.36.

Naveen-ul-Haq faced a similar sort of breach of conduct which Noor Ahmad did. Sharjah Warriors wanted to retain him for another year on the same conditions but he turned down their offer and was banned from the league for a long period of 20 months.

ILT20 CEO David White while talking about the Naveen-ul-Haq’s ban and stated: “All the players and franchise are expected to follow the rules and regulations. Naveen-ul-Haq failed to honour the terms and conditions of his contract with the Sharjah Warriors and hence the league has banned him for 20 months.”

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There have been a lot of speculations about the commencement of the league because the tournament will clash with the general elections in India. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has ensured that they will be making every possible effort to stage IPL 2024 in India. 

Arun Dhumal revealed that BCCI is planning to start the league on 22nd March. He recently stated that the governing body would be working with the government of India to finalize the dates for the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

“Planning to start IPL 2024 from March 22,” said League Chairman Arun Dhumal, as quoted by IANS.

It was learned as per the reports in Cricbuzz that IPL 2024 will begin from 22nd March and will end on May 26. The tournament will played just ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 and therefore it will serve as a great preparation for all the teams.

Recently media report emerged that BCCI is planning to announce the schedule of IPL in phases just like it took place in 2019. A source in the governing body said that they are in discussion with the Home Ministry and Election Commission related to the dates. 

“We have been discussing internally and have more or less figured out the schedule but a final announcement is likely to happen the moment we get clarity and necessary clearances from the Home Ministry and Election Commission of India on the polling schedule. 

“The schedule will be announced in phases. Like it happened in 2019. For the first few games of each team, we will release the schedule soon and then we get more clarity on the polling schedule and other important dates, we will announce the remainder,” he told News 18.

We are waiting for the schedule of the general election to be announced – Arun Dhumal on IPL 2024

Arun Dhumal recently while providing an update about the IPL said that BCCI is waiting for the Government to announce the schedule of the selection. He mentioned that only after that they will be revealing the schedule. He expressed: 

“We will work with the Indian government, agencies to make sure that the league takes place in India. We are waiting for the schedule of the general election to be announced and then we will plan accordingly…like which state will host what game at the time of election will be planned that way.” 

If the IPL 2024 will commence from 22nd March then it will be just after the ongoing Test series against England. Therefore Indian players will be getting very little time to prepare for the league. The Test series will conclude on 11th March. 

The upcoming edition of the IPL is expected to be the cracker of a season. All the teams have some quality players in the ranks and with a spot in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup Cup for grabs, all the attention will be on young players. Chennai Super Kings are defending Champions and would be eager to lift their 6th title.

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The year 2024 has started and so has the preparations for IPL 2024. The tournament is the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League. Last month, the IPL auction 2024 took place on 19 Dec 2023 in which 333 players went under the hammer.

A total of 10 IPL franchises grabbed 72 players during the IPL auction including 30 overseas players. All the franchises spent a whopping amount of more than Rs. 230 crores to grab their favorite players.

IPL 2024 mini-auction also broke previous records of bidding. Australian pacer Mitchell Starc became the costliest player ever at Rs. 24.50 crore. KKR picked the left-arm pacer into their squad.

Pat Cummins was grabbed by Sunrisers Hyderabad at Rs. 20.50 crore. It also broke the previous records for the most expensive deals.

Like last season, the Indian Premier League 2024 will also witness a battle among 10 teams. Moreover, the impact player rule will be part of the 2024 season too. Hence, every team will be able to play 12 players in a particular match by shuffling one player in the 2nd innings.

Chennai Super Kings are the defending champions of IPL 2024. They won the trophy last season after defeating Gujarat Titans in the final. Across 17 editions, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings are the most successful teams currently with 5 titles each.

Also Read: IPL 2024: Jharkhand’s Sumit Kumar And His Family Left Heartbroken After Delhi Capitals IPL Auction Goof-Up

IPL Schedule 2024 and First Match

BCCI is yet to announce the schedule of IPL 2024. However, the tournament commences on March 22, 2024, and the final Will be played on 26 May 2024. Due to 10 teams, the IPL window has now increased to almost 60 days.

Notably, the Lok Sabha Elections will take place this year. In the past, IPL was scheduled out of the country during elections. However, BCCI wants to conduct IPL 2024 inside the nation. The Indian Cricket Board is waiting to get election dates from the Indian Govt so that they can prepare the IPL 2024 schedule.

Also Read: Moye, Moye: Watch- Yuzvendra Chahal Brutally Trolls RCB’s Bowling Lineup For IPL 2024

IPL 2024 Tentative Dates

The India vs England Test series will conclude on March 11 and the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 will commence in West Indies and the US in the first week of June. Therefore, IPL 2024 is expected to be conducted during this empty window.

Hence, IPL 2024 will commence on 22 March 2024. It will conclude before the last week of May 2024 on 26 May 2024 so that players can rest ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Also Read: IPL 2024: “Rajasthan Royals’ Bowling Resources Are Totally Ready” – Aakash Chopra

IPL 2024 Teams

10 teams are part of IPL 2024. They are Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow Super Giants, and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

IPL 2024 Squads, Team List, Match List

The IPL 2024 auction took place on December 19 in Dubai. After the mini-auction, all the 10 teams have formed their squads for the 2024 season. Below are the squads of all 10 IPL teams and the IPL 2024 players list.

Also Read: IPL 2024: “Shubham Dubey Can Tonk The Ball Properly”- Aakash Chopra

IPL 2024: Best Playing XI For Each Team

After IPL 2024, there are quite a few changes in every team’s squad. Below is the best playing XI for each team for IPL 2024 post the mini-auction.

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Kane Williamson, Sai Sudharsan, David Miller, Shahrukh Khan, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan, Mohit Sharma

Chennai Super Kings: Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Dhoni (c & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Mukesh Choudhary, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah, Dilshan Madushanka

Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (c, wk), Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Mayank Agarwal, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Travis Head, Washington Sundar, Pat Cummins, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, T Natarajan

Lucknow Super Giants: Quinton de Kock (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, KL Rahul (c, wk), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Mark Wood, Ravi Bishnoi, Amit Mishra

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Cameron Green, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Yash Dayal, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Karn Sharma

Delhi Capitals: David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (c), Kumar Kushagra (wk), Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, Khaleel Ahmed

Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan, Prabhsimran Singh, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sam Curran, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Harshal Patel, Harpreet Brar

Kolkata Knight Riders: Jason Roy, KS Bharat (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy.

IPL 2024 Live Streaming Details:

IPL 2024 will be live-streamed on JIO Cinema Like last year and on TV it will be telecast by Star TV.

IPL 2024 Venue:

IPL 2024 venue will be announced with the IPL 2024 Schedule. BCCI is waiting for GOI (Government of India) to announce Election dates state-wise so that they can plan the IPL 2024 schedule accordingly.

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The right-handed batsman surprisingly went unsold in the auction held in December last year. Before that, he was released by Delhi Capitals after failing to do well in IPL 2023. He played four games for the Delhi-based outfit and managed to score a modest 53 runs. While his talent with the bat is well known, franchises decided against bidding for him in the auction.

However, things are likely to change for the Mumbai star after his stunning debut for Team India in Tests. Sarfaraz Khan hit the ground running in international cricket, scoring fifties in both innings of the recently concluded Rajkot Test against England. In the first innings, he scored 62 off just 66 balls before smashing an unbeaten 68 off 72 balls in the second innings.

Sarfaraz Khan on KKR’s radar:

With Sarfaraz Khan impressing on his Test debut, two-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders are reportedly interested in securing his services for IPL 2024. According to a report in the Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika, KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir has pushed for the signing of the batsman. The former KKR captain has advised the franchise to sign the batsman in order to strengthen the batting order.

RUMOUR : KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir has advised the franchise authorities to strengthen the batting line-up with Sarfaraz Khan as they are looking to bring in Sarfaraz Khan. (Anandabazar Patrika) pic.twitter.com/l9OixRMZT5

— Rokte Amar KKR (@Rokte_Amarr_KKR) February 20, 2024

While Sarfaraz Khan has done well in the domestic circuit and has also made a promising start in international cricket, he has not really managed to impress in the IPL. He has played for Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals so far and has not really managed to do well. He has scored only 585 runs in 50 matches in the IPL so far.

Talking about KKR, the Kolkata-based outfit will be desperate to do well in IPL 2024. They have not won the league since 2014 and will be aiming to go all the way this year. Ahead of the season, they have signed up Gambhir as their mentor and will also be bolstered by the return of Shreyas Iyer who missed the last season due to a back injury.

The post Sarfaraz Khan to be roped in by KKR for IPL 2024 after impressive Test debut – Reports appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Pandya is expected to remain out until at least March and will make his return through the Indian Premier League 2024 where he will be captaining the Mumbai Indians. The Mark Boucher-led MI management decided to trade Hardik back to their side with the all-rounder arriving at the condition of replacing Rohit Sharma who led the team to 5-IPL trophies, as the captain.

Sourav Ganguly speaks up on Rohit Sharma being named India’s T20 WC Captain

Mumbai’s decision was not welcomed at all by their fans and things escalated after Boucher claimed that Rohit Sharma might be playing his final few years in the IPL so bringing back Hardik Pandya was the best option. Rohit’s wife Ritika Sharma found those comments wrong and the possible beef between them caught fire even more. It will be interesting to see how MI performs amid this internal dispute.

Meanwhile, Sourav Ganguly praised Rohit’s captaincy, claiming he is the best captaincy choice for the T20 World Cup as he did a commendable job in the Cricket World Cup 2023.

“Rohit Sharma is the right choice as India captain for the T20 World Cup. The way he led the Indian team and won 10 matches in the 50-over World Cup is still fresh in our memory. So, Rohit was the best choice.” – Ganguly said via Mid-Day.

Winning the Anthony de Mello trophy on sight for Rohit Sharma

Silverwares have always been the most important thing for Rohit Sharma in his cricketing career and he believes regardless of quality individual performances, if a player doesn’t win major titles, all of the hard work, centuries, five-fors, and 7-fors do not matter. 

He had made these comments very recently in an interview with Dinesh Karthik before the 5-match Test series against England began and Rohit will have the chance of adding another home bilateral trophy if India claim victory in the 4th Test in Ranchi, which is starting from the 23rd February onwards. 

After helping the Indian team register their biggest-ever win in Test cricket by 434 runs in the 3rd Rajkot Test, Rohit backed his bowlers, claiming they have got their class and also applauded the team for showcasing a strong character to stage a turnaround and double their lead in the series.  

The post Sourav Ganguly passes defining verdict on Rohit Sharma taking over as India’s captain for T20 World Cup 2024 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Raina and Virat Kohli are two of the most decorated batsmen in the history of the competition. While the former India skipper is currently the leading run-scorer in the competition, Raina constantly featured in the top two when he was playing in the league.

Raina played in the IPL from 2008 to 2021 and retired from the league as one of the most successful and decorated batsmen. In 2o5 IPL games, he scored 5528 runs with the help of 1 century and 39 half-centuries. He is the first player to reach 5000 runs in the IPL. He is also the first Indian player to hit 100 sixes in the IPL. His performance at no. 3 is one of the main reasons behind Chennai Super Kings’ domination in the IPL.

Experts pick between Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina:

On the other hand, Virat Kohli has scored 7263 runs in 237 IPL games so far. Apart from being the leading run-scorer in the IPL, he also holds the record for most runs and centuries in a single season of the IPL. In 2016, he had scored a staggering 973 runs with the help of four centuries. Overall, he has hit a record 7 centuries and 50 half-centuries in the tournament.

Unsurprisingly, the experts found it tough to pick one between Raina and Kohli but eventually picked the latter. All four former players went for Kohli for the No. 3 spot in the Greatest IPL Team of All Time.

“Raina is the most successful middle-order batter in IPL history. But if I have to pick a no.3, it’s going to be Virat Kohli. Raina can bat at 4 and 5 because he can end up as a finisher as well,” said Wasim Akram.

“For me, its not no. 3 but he (Raina) is definitely in my top six. Suresh Raina is one of the best players of spin and having that left-hander in your middle-order is absolutely crucial. I have got Kohli at three,” said Moody before Steyn and Hayden picked the right-handed batsman as well.

Watch:

The toughest choice for the Star Jury is here – @imVkohli or @ImRaina for #IPLOnStar's #AllTimeIncredibleXI

Today on the 16th anniversary of the first ever #IPLAuction, the Star Jury will reveal their 'IPL Incredible 16' at 7 PM & 10:30 PM on Star Sports Network & 8 PM LIVE… pic.twitter.com/VRa64zr7AH

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 20, 2024

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Aakash Chopra also warned all the IPL franchises to buy England-based players at their own risk and somehow refrain from splashing heavy amounts, claiming they have a habit of leaving IPL mid-way through or changing their minds well before the tournament even starts.

He made these comments in his latest YouTube video and in the light of Gus Atkinson who was a 1 Crore buy from KKR during the IPL 2024 auction last December, informed that he will not feature in the upcoming edition. This would have been his first time experiencing the richest cricketing tournament in the world.

Atkinson had played 3 ICC Cricket World Cup matches for England who entered the 2023 edition as reigning champions and left after finishing below Pakistan and Afghanistan in the 7th spot to at least automatically qualify for the Champions Trophy next year. He is also a part of the England Test squad on a tour of India for a 5-match Test series but hasn’t played a single game.

His replacement – Dushmantha Chameera cost half of what KKR decided to pay for the Englishman i.e. INR 50 Lakhs. The Sri Lankan has experience of 12 IPL matches for LSG in 2022 and had worked closely alongside Gautam Gambhir before being released by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2023 auction.

Dushmantha Chameera is known for his ability to click 140 regularly and has 9 wickets at an economy rate of 8.73 from the 12 matches in the season LSG finished 3rd with 18 points. He had also played for Kolkata’s sister franchise Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the recently concluded ILT20 in UAE and Aakash Chopra is not surprised to see him arrive at KKR.

“KKR have signed Dushmantha Chameera. I am not surprised because Gautam Gambhir likes Dushmantha Chameera a lot. He was there in his Lucknow franchise (Lucknow Super Giants) when he was with Lucknow and now that he is with Kolkata, he has taken him there as well.” – Aakash Chopra said via his YouTube channel. 

“Be careful”, Aakash Chopra’s message to IPL franchises acquiring England players

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Shivam Dube missed the second game against Andhra due to the T20I series against Afghanistan before joining the Mumbai squad for their game against Kerala. In that game, he scored 52 runs and picked up one wicket, helping his team win the game by 232 runs. In the following game against Uttar Pradesh, the 30-year-old scored a century in addition to picking up three wickets.

It was followed by a half-century against Bengal before he was rested for the clash against Chhattisgarh. The star allrounder returned for the game against Assam and played a brilliant knock of 121 not out, helping his side register another innings victory. Overall, he has scored 407 runs and picked up 12 wickets in 5 games so far,

Shivam Dube doubtful for knockouts:

While Mumbai would have wanted Shivam Dube at his best for the knockout stages of the Ranji Trophy, the in-form allrounder is set to miss the forthcoming games due to a side strain. As per reports, the Mumbai star has a grade-one tear. With the IPL and the T20 World Cup not very far away, he is unlikely to take any risk. He is likely to be replaced by Musheer Khan in the Mumbai squad.

“Dube has a bilateral side strain injury and is likely to be out of the rest of the Ranji Trophy season. He suffered the injury while batting during the last match against Assam (he scored 121 not out), and didn’t come out to field in Assam’s second innings at BKC. He has a grade-one tear. Musheer Khan is likely to be his replacement,” a source told the Times of India.

Shivam Dube has done well in recent IPL seasons and recently impressed Afghanistan as well. He is expected to be a part of the Indian squad for this year’s T20 World Cup. He will be desperate to regain his full fitness ahead of IPL and perform well to strengthen his case for the World Cup.

The post Massive blow for CSK as Shivam Dube gets ruled out of a major tournament appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Aakash Chopra’s comments have come in the light of BCCI Honorable Secretary Jay Shah sending a clear message to all the players about having to play in domestic events like the Ranji Trophy if they are in full fitness and are not selected to represent the senior team at that time.

The message was a cryptic and clear-cut warning to some of the nationally contracted players Ishan Kishan, Krunal Pandya, and Shreyas Iyer among others who have continuously snubbed first-class cricket this winter.

The list might also have something to do with Krunal’s brother Hardik Pandya but him being a senior figure and imperative to India’s white-ball side, the BCCI won’t take any actions against the all-rounder.

Way before Jay Shah announced in Rajkot that Rohit Sharma would hoist the tri-color in the ICC T20 World Cup later this June, Pandya had been elected as their captain for the shortest format but the Baroda-born has still not recovered from injury since 19 October when India defeated Bangladesh in the Cricket World Cup group stage match.

With Pandya being so important, he has more than just solid chances to be integrated right away but those who are practicing only to perform well in the IPL and then possibly hope to get their tickets booked for USA and West Indies at the expense of Ranji will not select and that’s a step towards the right direction and, should have been done a long ago, feels Aakash Chopra.

“BCCI have said that if they have given you a central contract, then if you are not injured, play cricket because they will select you from there only, or else it’s not going to happen. In my opinion, step in the right direction. This should have been done earlier itself.” – Aakash Chopra said on his latest YouTube video. 

“Things have changed and for the good”, Aakash Chopra praises BCCI’s decision

Aakash Chopra went on to state that the BCCI had enough of that category of players who have shown no love for Ranji, especially after a complaint from the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee. Chopra also condemned the players for giving injury excuses even when they are not and reminded them from now on things will change for the good.

“Don’t be surprised, especially the young players, if they are not injured and are still skipping first-class cricket, remember that BCCI have also talked about the consequences of that on the IPL contract. Things have changed and for the good.” – Chopra added.  

“They (players) say they are injured or have a niggle, so the BCCI said that it’s enough. The penny has to drop. A line in the sand will be drawn somewhere and that has happened.” – Aakash Chopra concluded.    

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Mike Hesson revealed the reason why RCB was not able to acquire Yuzvendra Chahal in the IPL 2022 auctions where he was purchased by Rajasthan Royals. He said that the franchise planned to purchase back both Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal but Chahal was not even in the top 2 list of the marquee players. Even after being one of the best players in the IPL, Yuzvendra Chahal was back at No.65 on the list.

“Look Yuzi (Yuzvendra Chahal) was communicated with a huge amount and I know that because I was the guy on the other end of the phone so you know I spoke to Yuzi obviously when we did the initial retention and you know we only retained three players because we felt we wanted to try and buy back both Harshal and Yuzi at the auction. By only retaining three players, it gave us an extra four crores to try and do that and that did not mean that those four crores came off the three retained players,” Mike Hesson told Cricket.com.

“Probably the thing I’m really frustrated about even now is as you said Yuzi is probably one of the top five players of all time for RCB but he was also one of the best ever in the IPL and the fact that he couldn’t make the top two Marquee lists at that time was ridiculous and the fact that he came in number 65, I think it was on the auction list meant that it was really difficult for us to guarantee we were going to get him,” he added.

Watch- Mike Hesson explains what happened between Yuzvendra Chahal and RCB

Whole Chahal Auction explained by Hesson

( = https://t.co/GmcWVtZrWI Youtube) pic.twitter.com/YjhwtIJshE

— Sai (@akakrcb6) February 19, 2024

Royal Challengers Bangalore finished sixth in the last season and as a result, they made some adjustments in the coaching and support staff. Mike Hesson has been replaced by Mo Bobat as the director of cricket and this season the team is looking a bit different after the arrival of players like Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, and Tom Curran. RCB is yet to win an IPL trophy and this season they are willing to give their all to achieve the champions title.

RCB is one of the teams that have competed since the tournament was started in 2008 and they have not been able to win the title even after qualifying for the finals three times. The IPL 2024 will begin during the last week of March and is expected to bring some great cricketing competition between 10 strong teams competing against each other.

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Gus Atkinson was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 1 crore. The Indian Premier League issued a press release for the same and informed about the development. The press release reads, “Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have named Dushmantha Chameera as a replacement for England pacer Gus Atkinson for the upcoming edition of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.”

Kolkata Knight Riders announce Dushmantha Chameera as replacement for Gus Atkinson

“Chameera will join KKR at a reserve price of INR 50 Lakh. The Sri Lankan speedster, who is known for his pace, and can trouble the batters with his swing and seam movements, was a part of Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2018 and 2021 IPL seasons, respectively. He represented Lucknow Super Giants in the 2022 season, where he picked up nine wickets from 12 matches.”

The Sri Lankan pacer has played a total of 12 matches for the Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League and has picked 9 wickets. Dushmantha Chameera’s IPL career has also been affected by injuries and has only played in the 2022 edition of the cash-rich league.

Dushmantha Chameera has been one of the lead pacers of the Sri Lankan cricket team. Chameera used to lead the Sri Lankan pace attack and has proved to be very effective for his national side. Chameera has missed many major tournaments such as the Asia Cup 2023 and the ODI World Cup 2023 due to his long run with injuries.

If Dushmantha Chameera gets a chance to play for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2024, he will add more power to the team’s bowling lineup. With the likes of Mitchell Starc, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Andre Russell, Chameera would surely prove to be very effective for the side.

The Kolkata Knight Riders are yet to win an IPL title in the past 10 years. KKR last won an IPL title in the year 2014 under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir has once again joined the KKR management and will serve as the mentor of the team.

Gautam Gambhir would once again give his contribution to help Kolkata Knight Riders win their 3rd title of the cash-rich league.

The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League is expected to start from the last week of March, however, the organisers are yet to release the dates of the cash-rich league. As per the reports, the dates will be released in phases due to the general elections in India.

Chennai Super Kings are the current champions of the Indian Premier League, and they would look forward to win yet another title this season.

The post Dushmantha Chameera joins KKR as yet another England player skips IPL 2024 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Tilak Varma has donned the blue jersey of the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League since 2022. He was bought by the 5-time champions on February 2022 during the mega auction for the expanded edition IPL which saw the number of teams increase from 8 to 10. He was bought for 1.5 crores by the Ambani-backed franchise for 1.7 crores and they had to get involved in a tug-of-war with CSK, Rajasthan Royals, and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

His meteoric rise in the Indian cricketing circuit has been nothing short of sensational. With his exquisite shot selection, unwavering aggression, intent, and fearless approach against any bowler, Varma has carved a niche for himself. But it has mainly happened through his consistent performances in the IPL.

Tilak Varma scored 397 on his debut season by playing all 14 league matches and last year he amassed 343 runs out of 11 matches at a 164 strike rate. That paved the way for his maiden call-up to the Indian T20I side during the West Indies tour in August 2023.

Barely a month later, Varma received another feather in his cap with a call-up to the ODI side, debuting in the Asia Cup 2023 match against Bangladesh in Colombo. However, it was during India’s all-format tour of South Africa that Varma truly stamped his mark. In the third ODI in Paarl, the Hyderabad-born cricketer showcased his class by notching up a gritty half-century with 52 runs to his name.

Varma’s journey epitomizes the quintessential rags-to-riches story. With an abundance of talent and a hunger for success, he is undeniably one of the brightest prospects for Indian cricket. As he continues to evolve and flourish, Varma is poised to be a stalwart in the future of Indian cricket and Mike Hesson, who parted ways with RCB, claimed the biggest mistake they made was not going aggressively for Tilak Varma.

“Wish we pushed a little harder” – Mike Hesson on RCB missing out on Tilak Varma

When the interviewer asked Mike Hesson who is that one player they regret not acquiring in an IPL auction, the Kiwi replied Tilak Varma as RCB were looking for a good left-hander but instead went for Rajat Patidar, something they were regretful about.

Mike Hesson: 'Tilak Varma was on our radar'

On players he missed out during the auction pic.twitter.com/m85j8ByMYW

— r/RCB (@rcb_reddit) February 18, 2024

“I think Tilak Varma was the one, he was in our scouting list. But at that time we went for Patidar, you know we needed to make a decision on who we want going forward. It would have been nice having a left-hander in the top-order. There was a lot of talk that he was suspectable against the short ball domestically. So, he’s one that, you know I wish we pushed a little harder for in hindsight but he has proven that he is a high-quality player,” Mike Hesson told Cricket.com.

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The reason behind the delay is the General Elections this year. The IPL 2024 schedule will depend a lot on the elections date. And it is also the reason behind the BCCI’s decision to announce the schedule in phases, according to a report in CricketNext. The report stated that the IPL governing council is in the middle of finalising the schedule and the first phase would be announced soon.

“We have been discussing internally and have more or less figured out the schedule but a final announcement is likely to happen the moment we get clarity and necessary clearances from the Home Ministry and Election Commission of India on the polling schedule,” a source told the news outlet.

“The schedule will be announced in phases. Like it happened in 2019. For the first few games of each team, we will release the schedule soon and then we get more clarity on polling schedule and other important dates, we will announce the remainder,” added the source.

IPL 2024 to be played in India:

The report further stated that the BCCI is not even contemplating the possibility of conducting the IPL 2024 outside the country due to the elections. In 2009 and 2014, the tournament had to be shifted outside India due to the same reason. However, in 2019, the entire competition took place in India despite the elections and the BCCI is confident of conducting IPL 2024 in India as well.

In 2019 as well, the schedule was announced in phases due to election. Back in 2019, the elections were held in seven phases and BCCI announced the schedule of only the first two weeks of the IPL at the beginning. While only time will tell the IPL 2024 schedule, several reports have suggested that the 17th edition of the competition is set to be played from March 22 to May 26.

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Former South African pacer Dale Steyn while speaking to Star Sports, stated that MS Dhoni is the leader of men and has won everything including the ODI World Cup, Champions Trophy, T20 World Cup, and the IPL.

MS Dhoni chosen as the greatest captain of IPL

Dale Steyn said, “It has to be MS Dhoni. He has won everything — World Cup, IPL, ICC Champions Trophy. He’s a leader of men, and you’ve got a bunch of men here that are all at the highest level of their game, and they need someone who has been there and done that and can manage them extremely well on and off the field, so I will have to go with MS Dhoni.”

MS Dhoni has played a major role in grooming players. Players such as Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Jasprit Bumrah have been groomed while playing under his captaincy or with him. Former Australian cricketer and veteran coach Tom Moody was also a part of the selection panel that picked MSD as the greatest captain of the IPL. Moody stated that the major reason he would pick Dhoni is that he has won many great tournaments with average squads.

Tom Moody said, “It has to be MS Dhoni for me, the reason being MS Dhoni has won the title with very good squads and average squads, and that tells me a lot about the captain and how he can lead a variety of talent in a squad to success.”

Another Aussie legend Matthew Hayden picked MS Dhoni as the greatest captain of the Indian Premier League. Hayden stated that he was an obvious choice and every Indian would unanimously pick him. Hayden also added that MSD has a great capability to be an excellent coach.

Matthew Hayden said, “It’s an obvious choice, it’s not a debate over here. It’s going to be unanimous amongst the entire Indian community. Of course, Rohit Sharma, the Hitman, is such an incredible leader as well, so it’s a tough choice, but I’m going to be bold and I’m going to pick Dhoni as a Captain and Coach as well. He started in 2008, Shane Warne was captain and coach, and he took the franchise, the double R’s, to a title that year, and I just feel that MS Dhoni can also be a coach,”

MS Dhoni will be seen in action in the Indian Premier League 2024. MSD will once again lead the Chennai Super Kings and also shall be his last edition of the cash-rich league. Dhoni retired from international cricket in August 2020 and was only seen playing in the Indian Premier League.

Best-ever IPL squad: MS Dhoni (C), Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, David Warner, Suresh Raina, AB de Villiers, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kieron Pollard, Rashid Khan, Sunil Narine, Yuzvendra Chahal, Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah.

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In a recent interview with the official IPL Television broadcaster Star Sports, Gambhir stated that when he was captaining KKR from 2011 to 2017, no other batter would make him re-think so much about his plans a night before facing Rohit Sharma and MI, claiming that the Indian captain could change the complexion of a game in no time.

Both Rohit and Gambhir are two of the most successful captains in the Indian Premier League circuit which started way back in 2008. While Rohit Sharma won the IPL in only the 2nd edition (2009) under former Australian wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist’s Deccan Chargers, which is present-day Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gambhir had to wait for 4 years to claim the coveted title.

Gambhir began his IPL journey with hometown outfit Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) before the Shahrukh Khan-owned KKR franchise acquired him during the 2011 IPL mega auction. Only a year later under his captaincy, the Knight Riders won the IPL for the first time in 2012, a year before MI claimed their maiden title in 2013, which was also the first time Rohit won the richest prize of franchise cricket as the skipper.

Then in 2014, KKR became champions yet again by defeating the Punjab Kings in the finale which took place at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium, and then in 2015, Rohit Sharma’s MI defeated MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings in the final to become 2-time champions.

KKR and MI shared 4 titles between them from 2012-2015 and while the latter team claimed another 3 in 2017, 2019, and 2020, the Kolkata-based franchise is awaiting to add a third title to their cabinet. The closest KKR reached to complete the treble was in 2021 when CSK became 4-time winners in the final which took place in Dubai.

Their hopes of adding an elusive 3rd title have been renewed after Gambhir rejoined as mentor but it will be interesting to see how Mumbai Indians’ and Rohit Sharma’s 2024 season pans out. With Hardik Pandya being appointed as the skipper for the 2024 edition, MI will be entering the new season under a new captain for the first time since 2013.

“Not Chris Gayle, not AB de Villiers only Rohit Sharma” – Gautam Gambhir

In that interview given to Star Sports, Gautam Gambhir stated that none of the most dangerous batters like Chris Gayle or Ab de Villiers would give him as much headache as his former India teammate Rohit Sharma.

“The only player who’s given me sleepless nights. Not Chris Gayle, not AB de Villiers, only Rohit Sharma has given me sleepless nights in the IPL. With Rohit, I knew that I had to have Plan A, Plan B, and probably Plan C as well because if Rohit is in, I don’t think anyone can control him,” Gautam Gambhir said via Star Sports. 

“There have been times when I’ve seen the visuals, where I said fair enough, plan A is fine. But with Rohit Sharma, probably one night before, I used to think if this doesn’t work, I have to get this. If this doesn’t work, I have to get the other plan,” Gambhir concluded.

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Interestingly, there are rumours that BCCI took this decision after Ishan Kishan disagreed to confirm to BCCI order. The Indian Cricket Board urged the Jharkhand player to play in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024. However, he did not play any games in the tournament.

Ishan Kishan took a break in December last year due to mental fatigue. He opted out of the India vs South Africa Test series. Later, he did not return to the national side. Notably, there are reports that Ishan Kishan is preparing for the forthcoming IPL 2024, where he will play for Mumbai Indians.

Also Read: Ravichandran Ashwin can come anytime during the Rajkot Test, says Dinesh Karthik

If a player is fit, why he wants to sit: Mohammad Kaif

During a conversation with ANI, former India fielding legend Mohammad Kaif backed BCCI’s decision to force central players to play domestic cricket. He noted if a player is fit, why he wants to sit at home.

“This is a good decision, albeit coming a little late. If you are fit and have made a full recovery from your injury, then why sit at home? The state cricket boards help aspiring crickets and do the necessary hand-holding when they are trying to find their feet in the game, the 43-year-old said.

Kaif, who played for India in ODI World Cups 2003 and 2007, also said that one should not forget their state teams after gaining success.

“When nobody knows you, you play for your state, play Ranji to prove your mettle and get noticed by the national selectors. However, once you have become an established India player, you don’t give your services to state cricket as you used to earlier”, he said.

Also Read: “It was out of this world” – Alastair Cook claims Ben Duckett’s shots left Ravichandran Ashwin clueless in 3rd Test

I see it as the right decision: Mohammad Kaif

IPL 2024 is expected to commence in the 3rd or 4th week of March. There is almost more than a month for the tournament. Kaif also feels it doesn’t make sense to skip the Ranji Trophy now for IPL 2024, which commences in March. BCCI has made a new rule that IPL players will need to play at least 4 matches in the Ranji Trophy.

“I understand the IPL being prioritized over other events but it won’t get underway until March. So it doesn’t make sense for people to sit idly at home and not play Ranji cricket in the meantime. Hence, I see it as the right decision,” Mohammad Kaif further added.

Also Read: Ravichandran Ashwin vs Nathan Lyon! Michael Vaughan picks better spinner

Notably. Ishan Kishan was also ousted from the ongoing IND vs ENG Test series. KS Bharat, Dhruv Jurel, and Sarfaraz Khan are the three wicketkeepers who made it into India’s squad. Interestingly, Ishan Kishan played in the Test series against West Indies in August last year, which was Team India’s first series in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.

The post If you’re fit, then why sit? Mohammad Kaif backs BCCI rule on playing Ranji Games appeared first on CricketAddictor.

He was ruled out of the whole tournament and also missed the series against Australia, South Africa, and Afghanistan. Pandya will now be seen in action in the Indian Premier League and will be leading the Mumbai Indians.

Hardik Pandya uploaded a video on his official ‘X’ handle, wherein he can be seen returning to practice after recovering from injury. However, Pandya was not seen bowling during his practice session and paid all his attention to batting.

Watch – Hardik Pandya returns to field after injury

Back at it pic.twitter.com/5qC3l3iX8c

— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) February 15, 2024

However, ahead of his return to the cricket field during the Indian Premier League, Hardik Pandya has garnered headlines due to his rumored rift with Indian captain Rohit Sharma. MI replaced Rohit as the captain of the franchise with Hardik, soon after the IPL 2024 auction.

Mumbai Indians brought back all-rounder Hardik Pandya in a transfer deal with the Gujarat Titans for a whopping price of INR 15 crore. MI was forced to leave Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, who was later picked by the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

While Mumbai Indians head coach Mark Boucher while speaking in a podcast stated that replacing Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as the captain of the team was totally a cricketing decision. However, Rohit’s wife Ritika Sajdeh also made a cryptic reply on an Instagram post featuring Boucher’s comments which once again gave fire to the speculations of a rift between the Mumbai Indians management and Rohit Sharma.

Hardik Pandya is currently one of the top all-rounders of white ball cricket. The Baroda cricketer has been able to contribute with both bat and ball whenever the Indian team has needed him to do so. Also, Pandya was playing brilliantly during the 2023 ODI World Cup ahead of his unfortunate injury against Bangladesh.

Hardik Pandya has also done well as the captain of India’s T20I side. It was speculated that Pandya may lead the side in the T20 World Cup 2024, however, Rohit’s return to the format in January this year after 13 months has shut all the rumors.

Mumbai Indians have been crucial in developing Hardik Pandya as a player. In the IPL 2015 auction, MI selected Pandya for a base price of INR 10 lakh. Hardik contributed with the bat and the ball and turned out to be an invaluable acquisition for the team. He also got his maiden break for the Indian cricket team at the beginning of 2016 as a result of his IPL success.

After he was released by the five-time champions in 2021, he was picked by the Gujarat Titans. He was given the responsibility to captain the side and he didn’t disappoint the management as he assisted them in winning the IPL title in their first year of play. In 2023, the Titans managed to advance to the tournament championship game. Now that Hardik has returned to MI, the management has faith in him, and they think they can win the trophy once more.

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The ECB aims to revamp The Hundred after its underwhelming performance. The board plans to reshape it as an ‘English-dominated’ league with reduced IPL team involvement. The 100-ball tournament failed to establish its relevance within the cricketing landscape.

Indian IPL franchises are expanding their investments in international leagues, asserting dominance in various global franchise tournaments. They have notably invested in leagues like South Africa’s SA20, the UAE’s ILT20, and the USA’s Major League Cricket.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Parent Company in Talks with ECB

According to a Cricbuzz report, discussions have occurred between Sun TV Network, the parent company of Sunrisers Hyderabad, and ECB officials. However, a final decision is anticipated in April, contingent upon the ECB’s determination regarding privatization.

Sunrisers have tasted success in South Africa’s SA20, with Sunrisers Eastern Cape winning the title in the first two seasons, boosting their confidence in overseas investments. Aiden Markram led the team to victory in South Africa’s T20 tournament on both occasions.

Chennai Super Kings Exploring Investment Opportunities In English Cricket

The Chennai Super Kings are also exploring investment opportunities in English cricket, having already invested in SA20 and the USA’s Major League Cricket. However, the franchise is currently awaiting a formal proposal from the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The GMR Group, which owns Dubai Capitals in ILT20 and Pretoria Capitals in SA20, is in discussions with Hampshire County Cricket Club. Rod Bransgrove, the majority shareholder of Hampshire, is nearing the completion of negotiations to sell the stake to GMR Group.

The BCCI remains silent on IPL franchises investing abroad, fearing strengthened foreign leagues could challenge the IPL’s dominance. The concerns of the Indian board revolve around the potential competition posed by Indian companies’ involvement in these ventures.

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Some key players with a confirmed spot in the T20 World Cup squad will also have to manage their workload in the IPL to be at their best in the T20 World Cup without any injury concerns.

Players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya are some who have an almost confirmed spot in the T20 World Cup and they should not have an extensive workload ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

India has not won an ICC title since 2013 and they are hoping to end that drought in the upcoming T20 World Cup the team needs their key players in full fitness to be at their best in the World Cup.

Jay Shah was asked on Sports Today, about BCCI working with IPL franchises to manage the workload of Indian players in the IPL to which he reminded the reporter about the BCCI’s supreme power and said that the franchises have to agree whatever BCCI decides.

He said BCCI is above all the franchises and it is the supreme body. Jay Shah took over the BCCI’s secretary role in 2019 and since then he has done a great job as a secretary of the board.

“Franchises can’t get their way. BCCI is the supreme body, Whatever BCCI decides the franchises have to agree to. BCCI is above the franchise,” said Jay Shah when he was asked ‘whether it is practically possible to work with IPL franchises to manage the workload of Indian players?’ 

Also Read: Mukesh Kumar released from India squad, set to join Bengal team for Ranji Trophy clash

Jay Shah Reminds Everyone That BCCI Is The Supreme Body

Question:- Is it practically possible to work with IPL franchises to manage workload of Indian players? (Sports Today).

Jay Shah:- “Franchises can’t get their way. BCCI is the supreme body, Whatever BCCI decides the franchises have to agree to. BCCI are above the franchise”. pic.twitter.com/Rx5A5ZxrQo

— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) February 14, 2024

Jay Shah also gave a hint about who will be leading the Indian side in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 as he said that India will win the T20 World Cup under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.

There were speculations that the team management might go with Hardik Pandya to lead the side in the T20 World Cup as he was named the captain in the absence of Rohit Sharma when he was asked to rest from the T20 format after India’s exit in the 2022 T20 World Cup.

Rohit Sharma is currently leading the Indian team in the ongoing five-match Test series against England but he will not be leading Mumbai Indians franchise in the IPL this season as they announced Hardik Pandya as their new skipper.

India and England are currently playing each other at the Niranjan Shah Cricket Stadium in Rajkot which recently got renamed after Niranjan Shah who is a former BCCI secretary.

Also Read: “Generational fraud..”- Fans slam Shubman Gill after he registers a 9-ball duck in third Test

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Apart from the excitement of IPL 2024, one thing that has kept many happy is MS Dhoni will be back in the action. The keeper-batter will potentially be playing his season in the league and many are excited to take him to the field once again in the yellow jersey. 

But one of the major questions that is revolving around MS Dhoni is about his fitness. The keeper-batter struggled a lot with his knee last year and that forced him to bat down the order. The discomfort was also on the show when he was keeping as well and he was seen limping as well. 

MS Dhoni recently underwent knee surgery in Mumbai and few days ago was seen batting in the indoor nets. But there is still no clarity if he has attained match fitness ahead of the IPL 2024, which is set to take place from March in India. 

Parthiv Patel, who recently met MS Dhoni, spoke about their meeting and said that they didn’t about cricket. He revealed that they had fun as went to attend their common friend’s wedding. Speaking to TimesNow, he explained: 

“We didn’t talk about cricket at all. We were there to attend the Common friend’s wedding. We didn’t talk about cricket. And usually we don’t unless we are on the ground and stuff. These are not the times where we talk about cricket. We were just having fun.” 

There is a difference between looking fit and being fit – Parthiv Patel on MS Dhoni 

Parthiv Patel further talked about MS Dhoni’s fitness, pointing out there is a difference between looking fit and being fit. He believes that the keeper-batter’s fitness will only be known once he starts practicing. He added: 

“It’s very difficult for anyone to just say, there is a difference between looking fit and being fit. You might just get someone with six pack. But he might have a niggle in his knee and he cannot play the game. So, whether he is game fit or not, only once he starts practising or if he has started or not for a longer time.” 

Parthiv Patel further said that he doesn’t have any additional knowledge about MS Dhoni’s fitness. But he is sure that if keeper-batter has made up his mind to play then will only play if he is fit. He expressed: 

“I have also seen as much as you have seen on social media is some pictures right before that. It’s very difficult. And still, IPL still has a time. So, I am sure if he has made up his mind or if he has started or not playing then he will play only if it’s fitting.” 

MS Dhoni would be hoping to end his career on high. In 2023, he won 5th title as a leader and would be hoping to claim his 6th one.

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Also, the organisers will keep the T20 World Cup 2024 in mind, so that the Indian team gets enough time to prepare for the event. If the final of the biggest IPL 2024 is held on May 26, then, India would have a time of 8 days for the preparation of the event.

The BCCI also has to keep the general elections 2024 in their heads. The dates of the elections and the Indian Premier League will clash together, due to which the richest cricket board in the world has to manage everything and then release the schedule.

IPL final expected to take place on May 26, 2024

IPL final could be tentatively held on May 26 (repeat tentative). Effectively gives Indian team one week time (8 days) before first WT20 game on June 5.#IPL2024

— Kushan Sarkar (@kushansarkar) February 14, 2024

Earlier, the IPL 2009 was held in South Africa whereas the first leg of the IPL 2014 was held in the United Arab Emirates. The reason behind the same was the general elections. However, during the 2019 general elections, the whole IPL edition was held in India without any disturbance.

Indian Premier League chairman, Arun Dhumal while speaking to IANS, stated that they will work with the Indian government and the agencies to make sure that the tournament remains in India. The IPL organisers are waiting for the schedule of the Loksabha elections and then the IPL 2024 dates will be released accordingly.

The Indian Premier League 2023 was held between March 31 to May 28 and the tentative schedule of the tournament’s 17th edition is expected to remain the same. The matches are going to start from 07:30 pm IST onwards whereas the toss will take place at 07:00 pm.

MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings are the current of the Indian Premier League and also the joint most successful team in the history of the tournament. CSK will once again aim to repeat their 2023 heroics and become the most successful team in the history of the tournament.

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which is the world’s largest cricket ground, is expected to host the opening match of the tournament as well the final.

The brand value of the Indian Premier League has increased with every passing year. Australian pacer Mitchell Starc was the most expensive player in the IPL 2024 auction and was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders for a price of INR 24.75 crore. Also, the broadcast rights of the tournament were sold for INR 44,075 crore.

The Indian Premier League is a platform that has given many big names to world cricket. Some of them are Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Chahar and many more. The IPL is a platform for young aspiring cricketers to showcase their talent on the world stage.

The Indian Premier League is also a place where top names from all over the world come to India and entertain the Indian crowd. There are hardly any international series taking place during the IPL.

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This precious piece of information was disclosed by BAS owner Somi Kohli in a YouTube video uploaded by a famous cricket influencer named Sports Launchpad. In that video, the aged owner spoke about how BAS decided to sponsor MS Dhoni during the time of his debut.

Somi Kohli mentioned the fact that Dhoni himself had come down to his office to discuss about the sponsorship before an ODI series against Pakistan at home in which he scored his maiden ton in the 2nd ODI at Vishakhapatnam back in 5th April 2005.

There was no looking back for MS Dhoni after that major breakthrough as he went on to become the captain of the team and helped in claiming India’s first major ICC trophy since the 1983 World Cup in the form of the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup 2007 in South Africa before landing the elusive ICC Cricket World Cup trophy in 2011 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2 years, beating England in the finale on their own back yard.

He earned 350 ODI caps for the national side, 90 in the longest format and 98 in the shortest format. But that inevitable sad day for not just India but the world’s cricketing fraternity came on 15th August 2020 when MSD took to Instagram and wrote, “Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout. From 1929 hrs consider me as Retired.”

But we are lucky enough for the fact that the 42-year-old is still playing in the Indian Premier League for Chennai Super Kings. His habit and addiction of winning trophies is still as fresh as it was back then and this year, he will be aiming to add a 6th IPL trophy in what is probably going to be his final IPL season.

MS Dhoni was even seen grinding it out in the nets and was also donning the Prime Sports sticker on his bat which was a tribute to his old friend Paramjit Singh and a sign of such a humble human being that Dhoni is. Another story of his humbleness came across today when BAS owner Somi Kohli revealed that MSD refused to accept a lucrative deal for putting the sticker on his bat.

“He just said put your stickers on my bats and send them across”, Somi Kohli Reveals Conversation With MS Dhoni

Somi Kohli while speaking on the Sports Launchpad channel, revealed the conversation he had with MS Dhoni about the sponsorship deal which the Ranchi-born cricketer refused to accept.

“Dhoni did not mention any money. He just said ‘put your stickers on my bats and send them across’. I tried to convince him, ‘You’re letting go of such a lucrative contract’. He refused crores of rupees worth of contract. I requested his wife Sakshi, his father, mother. Even told his CA and Paramjit from Ranchi. They all went to his home before the World Cup. But he said, No it is my decision,” Somi Kohli said via Sports Launchpad. 

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Prithvi Shaw was retained by the Delhi Capitals despite his underwhelming performance in the IPL 2023. The right-handed batter scored only 106 runs in eight innings at an average of 13.25. The Delhi team also struggled in the season, finishing ninth in the points table.

Time For Prithvi Shaw To Step Up – Sunil Gavaskar

During a Star Sports discussion, Sunil Gavaskar said Prithvi Shaw should elevate his performance for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2024. He emphasized the importance of Shaw developing his backfoot game, noting that teams will exploit his weakness.

“Time for him to step up but what has happened is that a lot of teams have found that because of his predominant movement onto the front foot and that high backlift, they go the short way with him,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.

“So unless he starts to learn to play off the back foot, he is going to struggle. If the pitches are such where the ball doesn’t come up, then it will be fantastic for him,” he added.

The Mumbai batter was sidelined for several months after sustaining a knee injury during county cricket in Northamptonshire. The young opener missed the domestic tournaments, such as the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, due to injury.

The 24-year-old cricketer returned during the latter stages of the Ranji Trophy league. He scored a century for Mumbai against Chattisgarh in only his second match back. He amassed an impressive 159 runs off 185 deliveries, including 18 boundaries and three sixes.

Need Somebody TO Fill In Rishabh Pant’s Shoes – Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar questioned the Delhi Capitals’ strategies for IPL 2024, especially concerning the acquisition of Harry Brook. He highlighted the challenge of filling Rishabh Pant’s role, mentioning the pressure on the new wicketkeeper.

“It’s a little bit difficult to understand what they were looking to do. Clearly, you need somebody to fill in Rishabh Pant’s boots as a wicketkeeper, whether that’s going to be much of a pressure on this young man,” Gavaskar further added.

“Harry Brook wasn’t exactly a great success. He got a hundred last year but wasn’t exactly a great success in the IPL last year. So to pick him, it’s a little bit difficult to understand what was their strategy,” he concluded.

Harry Brook, who fetched a price tag of Rs 13.25 crore in the IPL 2023 auction, was secured by Delhi for Rs 4 crore. The decrease in his salary could be attributed to Brook’s lackluster performance in the previous IPL season, where he managed 190 runs in 11 matches

Rishabh Pant is set to make a comeback in the IPL 2024, but he may not be tasked with wicketkeeping duties. The Delhi Capitals made a significant investment of INR 7.2 crore to secure Kumar Kushagra as a backup option in the Indian wicketkeeping department.

Also read: “I wondered whether I…” – Prithvi Shaw reveals his confused state ahead of making Ranji Trophy comeback

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The biggest carnival of the cricketing world is just around the corner now. The excitement is building up for the IPL 2024 as a few franchises have already started assembling. But there have been speculations about the venue for the league.

During April 2024, Lok Sabha elections are slated to take place in India. IPL 2024 is expected to clash with the elections. There have been some reports which claimed that the league might take place somewhere out of India as was the case in 2009 and the first half of 2014.

In 2009 IPL took place in South Africa and then in 2014 first half was staged in UAE. The reports claimed that with elections around the corner, the fate of the league will be similar to what happened last time when the elections took place in the last two years in India.

But IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal rubbished off all the reports. He claimed that BCCI will work with the Indian government to make sure that IPL 2024 takes place in India. He also revealed that they will also finalize the fixtures once elections are announced. Speaking to IANS, he explained:

“We will work with the Indian government, and agencies to make sure that the league takes place in India. We are waiting for the schedule of the general election to be announced and then we will plan accordingly…like which state will host what game at the time of election will be planned that way.”

As per the various reports, it is learned that IPL 2024 will be played in two phases in India. BCCI will be looking at the two windows in context with the elections and then announce the dates for the league. A total of 74 matches will be played in the tournament.

IPL 2024 will most likely start from March end

Arun Dhumal was further asked about when will the IPL 2024 begin. He revealed that the league will begin from ending March. He added that they will work with the government before announcing the schedule. He added:

“It (IPL) will most likely start from March end… and general elections are in April, so we will work it out with the help of the government.”

Some reports also have claimed that IPL 2024 is likely to start on March 22. The league will also be an ideal preparation for players of all the teams for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, which will be played in the United States of America and the Caribbean during the month of June.

As per PTI, the final of the Indian Premier League 2024 will tentatively take place on May 26.

IPL final could be tentatively held on May 26 (repeat tentative). Effectively gives Indian team one week time (8 days) before first WT20 game on June 5.#IPL2024

— Kushan Sarkar (@kushansarkar) February 14, 2024

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are the defending champions. They defeated Gujarat Titans in the final of the league last year to claim their 5th title. All the teams this time have some quality players around. It promises to be an enthralling season.

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Pat Cummins grabbed attention as the costliest purchase in IPL auction history, with SunRisers Hyderabad signing him for Rs 20.50 crore. However, Mitchell Starc broke this record, as he was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a whopping Rs 24.75 crore.

Pat Cummins Hasn’t Yet Proved Himself In T20 Cricket – Irfan Pathan

During a discussion on Star Sports, Irfan Pathan highlighted Pat Cummins‘ success in Test and ODI formats but expressed doubts about his T20 performances. Pathan questioned whether the hefty price tag aligns with his performance in the shorter format.

“Pat Cummins – WTC (World Test Championship) was red ball and he won the ODI World Cup final, which was 50 overs. His numbers are not that good in T20 cricket. However, when you place such a huge bid, you say how can you make him sit out. So that pressure will be there on them,” Pathan said.

“I believe Pat Cummins hasn’t yet proved himself in T20 cricket, forget about the IPL, even in Australian cricket. Does he captain Australia in T20Is? If he doesn’t even captain Australia in T20Is, there will be a question mark on such a huge price tag,” he added.

Cummins showcased his leadership prowess by leading the Australian cricket team to wins in the World Test Championship final and the 2023 World Cup. Despite his success in longer formats, the ace fast bowler hasn’t captained the national team in this format.

The 30-year-old bowler has secured 45 wickets in 42 IPL matches at an average of 30.16 and an economy rate of 8.54. He has taken 55 wickets in 50 T20Is with a reasonable economy rate of 7.37. Cummins hasn’t played a T20 match since the 2022 T20 World Cup.

Slight Headache In Choosing The Playing XI – Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan shared insights on SunRisers Hyderabad’s squad dynamics, highlighting the positive challenge of selecting the best playing XI. Pathan said that Wanindu Hasaranga’s inclusion in the team would improve the strategy and enhance the team’s performance.

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Mumbai Indians picked Hardik Pandya ahead of IPL 2024 auction through a trade with Gujarat Titans (GT). Pandya was picked for an all-cash deal. Pandya, who led Gujarat Titans last season, was later appointed as MI skipper replacing Rohit Sharma.

To capture Hardik Pandya, Mumbai Indians also parted ways with Australia all-rounder Cameron Green. He was traded to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to generate enough funds to get Pandya from Gujarat Titans.

Also Read: “MS Dhoni loves Maheesh Theekshana..”- Irfan Pathan

Mumbai Indians might use Hardik Pandya like MS Dhoni used Matheesha Pathirana: Sunil Gavaskar

Speaking on Star Sports, former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar said that Mumbai Indians might use Hardik Pandya in the death overs like MS Dhoni used Matheesha Pathirana in the death overs last season.

“Like MS Dhoni used Matheesha Pathirana in the death overs last year, Mumbai Indians might use Hardik Pandya in the same way in the death overs. Pandya can also bowl 2-3 overs for the team, he can even bowl 4 overs. So Mumbai Indians have many options in the bowling department”, the 74-year-old said.

Matheesha Pathirana became a big reason for CSK’s success in IPL 2023. He clinched 19 wickets across 12 matches and bowled many economy and wicket-taking spells in death overs. Led by MS Dhoni, CSK won the trophy last year after crushing Gujarat Titans in the final.

Also Read: Kuldeep Yadav reveals why Team India didn’t opt for spin-friendly pitches in IND vs ENG series

Jasprit Bumrah’s return is the biggest thing for Mumbai Indians: Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar also added that Jasprit Bumrah’s return is the biggest thing for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024.

“Jasprit Bumrah’s return is the biggest thing for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024. He didn’t play last season. When he returns in this year, he will try to show that MI missed him a lot last season. I feel Gerald Coetzee will support Jasprit Bumrah as a right-arm pacer”.

“For left-armers, Mumbai Indians has two options Jason Behrendorff and Dilshan Madushanka. I also think they will used Nuwan Thusara, who imitates Lasith Malinga in his bowling action”, the cricketer-turned-commentator further said.

Also Read: Ben Stokes comments on Indian airport officials after Rehan Ahmed’s VISA issue

Bumrah missed IPL 2023 due to back surgery

Bumrah did not play last season as he was recovering from a back injury. The MI pacer missed the field for almost 11 months before his return in August 2023. During his absence, the right-arm pacer missed key tournaments like Asia Cup 2022, ICC T20 World Cup 2022, and IPL 2023.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans have named Shubman Gill as their new skipper for IPL 2024 after Hardik Pandya’s ouster. While many MI fans celebrated Pandya’s return to the squad, they later objected to Rohit Sharma’s ouster as the captain. Pandya is currently out of action due to an ankle issue, which he faced during the ICC ODI World Cup 2023.

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Hardik Pandya hasn’t played any Test cricket since September 2018 when he featured in the first 4 of a 5-match series in England and he is unlikely to feature for India’s Test team ever again. It doesn’t have much to do with his commitment or priority towards the shorter formats, where he still stands among India’s best performers in the last 4-5 years.

The 30-year-old has been out of all cricketing actions since October 2023 when he rolled over his right ankle over a ball that was hit by a Bangladesh batter for a straight drive during a league stage match in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. There were indications that he would return in time for the Indians in the World Cup but persistent pain in his ankle during a practice session ruled him out entirely.

He was expected to lead India in the T20 series against Australia at home that followed after the CWC as well as the white ball phase of the South African tour in December. However, Hardik Pandya could not recover in time and now it is being said that his return is likely to happen through the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League.

The Gujarat-born all-rounder has moved back to his first IPL team – the Mumbai Indians where he will be undertaking the full-time captaincy role for the first time. As he aims to regain fitness, a BCCI official has stated that why Pandya isn’t being directed to feature in red-ball matches.

“We can understand Hardik Pandya’s case as his body can’t take the rigors of red-ball cricket. He can’t withstand the workload of Test cricket and team India needs him fit for ICC events,” a BCCI official told PTI. 

Hardik Pandya Is An Exception But Other Youngsters Should Play Test Cricket Frequently

The BCCI official went on to state that Hardik Pandya’s case is an exception because of his fitness and given his seniority, he has earned the right to decide which format he wants to prioritize. That statement could be a cryptic dig taken towards outcast wicket-keeper batsman Ishan Kishan who is on the news for all the wrong reasons due to his behavior and reluctance to play Ranji Trophy for Jharkhand.

There are also indications about Kishan being dismissed from BCCI’s central contracts after he was seen practicing with the Pandya brothers for IPL 2024 instead of joining Jharkhand to play Ranji Trophy games. The source would also disclose that BCCI has asked Kishan to feature for his state in their upcoming clash against Rajasthan.

“Some of the other youngsters, whenever you call them, they will cite that they are currently doing physio work and that needs to be stopped somewhere. The decision makers in BCCI are well aware that some players don’t want to play any red-ball cricket,” the official source concluded. 

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ICC T20 World Cup 2024 will commence on June 1. The tournament will take place in the West Indies and the United States (USA). IPL 2024 will take place from March to May. IPL final might take place in the 3rd or 4th week of May 2024. Hence, there will only be a small gap between both tournaments.

The IPL 2024 schedule is yet to be announced by BCCI. A total of 10 teams will lock horns in the tournament. According to reports, IPL 2024 will begin a week earlier than last season due to the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in June.

Also Read: Rilee Rossouw to lead Quetta Gladiators in PSL 2024 after franchise drops Sarfaraz Ahmed as captain

Indian players not part of IPL 2024 playoffs to leave early for T20 WC 2024

According to a PTI report, Indian players who are part of teams who do not qualify for playoffs will leave for New York early. India is set to play their first four games of the group stage in the USA. A BCCI official also said that centrally contracted players will be allowed to play all games for their franchises in IPL 2024. However, their fitness will be monitored by the BCCI regularly.

“They are being paid highly and they can’t pick and choose games for franchises. But yes, for all those centrally contracted and targeted players, the franchise’s support staff will have to regularly provide fitness updates to the NCA Sports Science head”, an official was quoted as saying by PTI.

Also Read: Ollie Robinson speaks up on Jasprit Bumrah’s performance a day ahead of Rajkot Test

IPL clashed with WTC Final 2023 last year

Last year, the Indian Team had to play in the ICC World Test Championship final 2023 just after IPL 2023. Although Indian players had a week of rest before the WTC final 2023, they faced a huge defeat by 209 runs in the match.

In 2021, IPL was played in two phases. The second leg took place in September-October in UAE just two days ahead of ICC T20 World Cup 2021 at the same venue. India faced a humiliating first-round exit in the league. Later, their heavy workload in IPL 2021 ahead of the World Cup was dubbed as one of the reasons for their poor show.

Also Read: Mark Wood likely to replace Shoaib Bashir in Rajkot Test as England eyes two seamers in playing 11

India to face Ireland in T20 World Cup 2024 opener

Meanwhile, India will face Ireland on June 5 in their opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Later, they will clash with Pakistan on June 9, the United States on June 12, and Canada on June 15. A total of 10 teams will lock horns in ICC T20 World Cup 2024. They are divided into 5 teams of four groups.

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Maheesh Theekshana made his IPL debut 2 years ago in 2022, a season before Chennai’s triumphant 2023 season which saw them become the most successful outfit of the world’s richest cricketing tournament alongside Mumbai Indians who also have 5 titles to their name.

The Sri Lankan was bought by CSK for INR 70 Lakhs following an aggressive bidding war against the Kolkata Knight Riders during the mega auction for IPL 2022. Theekshana had an impressive debut season as he scalped 12 wickets from 9 matches but that didn’t benefit the Chennai-based outfit as they finished 9th in the points table after winning just 4 matches across the 10-team season.

However, CSK responded like they always do after a bad season. MS Dhoni’s side looked formidable in terms of batting as well as bowling and that was evident in their performances on the field. Chennai would finish 2nd in the points table with 17 points from 8 wins and 5 losses.

Maheesh Theekshana carried on with his form in 2023 and experienced a similar season, racking up 11 wickets this time in 13 matches. He was an imperative part of the team which also had his fellow countryman Matheesha Pathirana who had originally arrived as a replacement for Adam Milne and amassed 19 wickets in the 2023 season.

The Sri Lankan duo made a significant impact along with bowlers like Tushar Deshpande, Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, and Ravindra Jadeja among others. One of the key things behind MSD’s strategy has been handing the new ball to spinners like he used to do with Ashwin and now Theekshana.

Irfan Pathan who himself has played many times against Dhoni’s CSK in IPL, revealed that it will be no different this season as well.

“Maheesh Theekshana, I think he will start. Regardless of whenever you play in Chepauk, whether at the start of the season or a the back end of it, MS Dhoni loves to use Theekshana with the new ball.” – Irfan Pathan said via Star Sports. 

Maheesh Theekshana Awaiting For His Best IPL Season Yet In 2024 Edition

In T20 internationals, Maheesh Theekshana has a decent bowling average of 25.72 and has racked up 40 wickets for Sri Lanka across 41 matches. His wicket-taking spree is even better in the 2nd longest format, registering 55 scalps in 40 matches.

The 23-year-old has been able to replicate those performances in IPL but he is yet to experience his best season ever. His overall IPL average after 22 IPL games stands at 28.39 and has very few reasons to worry but a lot to work on. Maheesh Theekshana’s fondness to play under the captaincy of MS Dhoni has been pretty evident and it remains to be seen how well he can perform in the upcoming edition.

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In recent times, several players have opted to skip the Ranji Trophy and train alone to prepare for the IPL. The issue was highlighted after Ishan Kishan decided to train with Hardik and Krunal Pandya in Baroda instead of joining the Jharkhand team for the ongoing Ranji Trophy.

Even though India head coach Rahul Dravid made it clear that the wicketkeeper-batsman will have to play domestic cricket to become eligible for selection in the national team, he decided against it. Unimpressed with Ishan Kishan as well as a few other players not giving priority to domestic cricket, the BCCI has now made it mandatory for players to play for their state teams.

Play domestic cricket for IPL: BCCI

The BCCI could introduce stricter measures for the players to ply their trade in the Ranji Trophy. According to a report in India Today, the BCCI could make it mandatory for the players to play a minimum number of Ranji Trophy games to be eligible for the IPL as well as its auction.

The report further stated that the BCCI officials have already told Kishan to play in Jharkhand’s next Ranji Trophy game which is against Rajasthan and will begin on February 16. A BCCI official has said that the players could pay a big price for not playing in Ranji Trophy. He stated that they could miss the entire IPL if they do not prioritize playing in India’s premier first-class competition.

“The decision-makers in BCCI are well aware that some players don’t want to play any red ball cricket. If they are out of the Indian team, they would at best play a few Mushtaq Ali T20 games and then not report for state team duty during red ball season,” a senior BCCI official told PTI.

“To rein in such players, the board in all likelihood will make it mandatory to play 3-4 Ranji Trophy games, failing which, they can’t play IPL or even appear in IPL auction if released by their franchise. The state units feel unless the diktat comes from the top of BCCI, some of the young stars will treat the Ranji Trophy with disdain.

“We can understand Hardik Pandya’s case as his body can’t take the rigors of red ball cricket. He can’t withstand the workload of Test cricket and India needs him fit for ICC events. But some of the other youngsters, whenever you call them, will cite that they are currently doing physio work. There needs to be a stop somewhere,” the official added.

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The India captain has led the franchise since 2013 and completely transformed the fortunes of the franchise. Under his captaincy, Mumbai Indians turned into a powerhouse from underachievers.

In his first season as captain, Rohit led the side to its first title in 2013. He led them to four more titles from 2015 to 2020, making Mumbai Indians the first-ever IPL team to win the competition five times. However, Mumbai Indians could not do well in the last three seasons with Rohit Sharma also failing to impress with the bat. Rohit’s struggle with the bat and captaincy coincided with Pandya’s impressive show as captain.

He led the Gujarat Titans from the very front in the last two seasons. In 2022, Titans won the IPL under Pandya’s captaincy before finishing runners-up last year. He impressed with both bat and ball as the Titans made a brilliant start to their IPL journey.

Sunil Gavaskar on captaincy change:

While Mumbai Indians have been criticized for sacking Rohit as the captain and replacing him with Pandya, Sunil Gavaskar believes it is the right decision. The India great highlighted Rohit’s age and said that the decision to appoint Pandya will only benefit the franchise in the long run. With Rohit also struggling with his bat in the IPL, Sunil Gavaskar stated that the decision to relieve him of captaincy duties would help him play with more freedom.

“Look, they have always thought about the future of the franchise. Rohit Sharma is already 36 years old and also faces immense pressure, being the captain of India for all three formats. They have tried to reduce some of that burden and give that responsibility on the young shoulders of Hardik Pandya,” Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

“Handing Hardik, the captaincy is only going to benefit the Mumbai Indians. They have now given the freedom to Rohit to go and express himself freely at the top of the order. Hardik can then come at No.3 or No.5 and help them post totals of 200-plus consistently,” Gavaskar added.

Mumbai Indians will be hoping that their decision to change the captain changes their fortunes too as they will be aiming to become the first team in the history of the IPL to win the competition six times. IPL 2024 is expected to get underway next month.

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Following his last appearance in National Colors Down Under, Warner claimed that he was well and truly done before affirming that it was time for the youngsters to take over.

Despite David Warner’s tremendous effort, Australia under the captaincy of Mitchell Marsh, lost by 37 runs but they claimed the 3-match T20 series by a margin of 2-1. The Aussies were coming on the back of a 3-0 whitewash of the West Indies in the ODI series after a 1-1 draw in the 2-match Test series.

Now the Australians will shift their focus to their upcoming tour of New Zealand which starts exactly in a week. A full-strength squad as well as a playing XI will be on display for the series which includes 3 T20Is and 2 Tests of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle.

While David Warner won’t be a part of the Test team as he retired from the format last month, the 37-year-old will feature in the T20s scheduled to take place on the 21st, 23rd, and 25th February at Wellington and Auckland. He will enter the series with form and rhythm on his side.

The Southpaw was adjudged as man of the series for his two 50+ scores in the T20 series against West Indies. Warner had scores of 70, 22, and 81 in Brisbane and Adelaide and he was easily the main reason why the Baggy Greens completed back-to-back white ball series wins.

After the match ended, David Warner, while speaking in a match presentation, revealed that it was his final outing on home soil and that now it was time for the upcoming generation to take over from him and keep the Australian flag on top wherever they go, something he did so well in his illustrious career.

“I’m well and truly done. It’s time for the youngsters to come through and showcase their talents. We’ve got extreme talent here and you’ve got a lot of the guys here from Perth that are in this team at the moment. We’re in good stead for the future.” – Warner told Adam Gilchrist via Fox Sports. 

“Freshening Up And Spending Some Time With The Girls”, Says David Warner On His Post Retirement Plans

When asked about his plans after retirement, David Warner responded that he would take his time to freshen up and spend quality time with his family. He mentioned that he would be looking after their daughter’s schooling and sporting activities and just lying on his bed. But he still has about 4-5 months before doing so.

After the New Zealand series, Warner will be heading to New Delhi to join the Delhi Capitals squad for IPL 2024 before heading back to Australia and leaving for the USA and West Indies for the 2024 T20 WC.

“Freshening up and spending some time with the girls. Not sure that’s going to freshen me up but it’ll be great to spend some time with them and work on their schooling and sport and just be home in my bed.” – David Warner concluded. 

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No one is backing Aiden Markram to continue and the disbelief on his capabilities has reached such an extent that former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar believes that Markram doesn’t even stand a chance to break into the SRH playing XI due to the presence of Travis Head.

Gavaskar while speaking to Star Sports, made a bold claim that he would be choosing Cricket World Cup final’s man of the match Travis Head to start ahead of Aiden Markram in the Hyderabad playing XI.

Markram is the one who recently led SRH’s sister franchise – Sunrisers Eastern Cape towards a 2nd consecutive SA20 title and Head is the one that snatched the WTC as well as CWC title from India’s reach last year.

The left-hand batter played out centurion knocks in 2 different ICC finals, first in June and then in November. Head scored a brilliant century in the 1st innings at Oval before converting it into 163 and winning the man of the match award as Australia claimed the 2nd finale of the World Test Championship by 209 runs.

Then later on November 19, after coming off from a fracture on one of his hands, Travis Head haunted India and Indian fans at the Narendra Modi stadium with a sensational 137 off 120 balls during Australia’s successful chase of 241 to land their 6th CWC trophy and first since 2015.

It was only normal for him to generate anticipation and major interest in the IPL auction for 2024 after such a knock and it was the Sunrisers Hyderabad who splashed over 6 crores to include him in their team. But now the main question that is arising is where will Head feature in the batting order and Sunil Gavaskar has come up with a suggestion of his own.

The 74-year-old clarified that Heinrich Klaasen, Pat Cummins, and Wanindu Hasaranga will be the clear-cut choices for 3 out of the 4 overseas slots. He stated that deciding the 4th overseas player will be a challenge for SRH as they have to choose from either Aiden Markram or Head.

“Klaasen, with the form that he has shown, definitely comes in, that’s one. Pat Cummins as the captain, comes in at No. 2. I think you would want to look at Hasaranga because he will give you those good middle overs, that’s three. The fourth one is going to be the problem for them.” – Sunil Gavaskar said via Star Sports.

“I Would Go For Travis Head”, Gavaskar Leaves Out Aiden Markram

Sunny G then said that he will be picking Head over SRH’s skipper from last season Aiden Markram and affirmed that Pat Cummins too, will back his fellow countryman over the South African international.

“Markram was their captain the last time around, or do you pick Travis Head? I would go for Head. I think, Pat Cummins, if he is the captain, he also being an Aussie and having seen more of Head, will go for Travis Head.” – Gavaskar concluded.  

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However, the wicketkeeper went to Baroda to train for the IPL with teammate Hardik Pandya instead of playing for his state team Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy.

Ishan Kishan missed a golden opportunity to establish himself as a Test player for India as he missed the five-match Test series against England. The selectors gave Dhruv Jurel his maiden Test call-up for the Indian team as a wicketkeeper. India is currently in desperate need of a wicketkeeper-batter as KS Bharat is not giving satisfactory results and Rishabh Pant is injured.

Ishan Kishan impressed everyone in the Test series against West Indies and now he was needed in the team but due to his absence from competitive cricket, the Indian selectors had to snub him.

The Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) is not happy with some players because of their approach towards red-ball cricket and has communicated to all the players to play for their state in domestic competitions if they are not on the national team’s duty. Only players who are injured and rehabilitating in the NCA are exempted from this.

“In the next few days, all the players will be communicated by the BCCI to play for their state team in the Ranji Trophy, as long as they are not on national duty, with only those who are unfit and recovering at the NCA being granted an exemption. The Board isn’t too happy with certain players already in IPL mode from January,” a source said on February 11.

Ishan Kishan Will Play In The DY Patil Tournament In Mumbai

Ishan Kishan is expected to play in the DY Patil Tournament in Mumbai ahead of IPL 2024 and then he will be playing for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.

A lot will depend on his performance in the IPL as he needs to perform at his best in the upcoming season the Indian Premier League if he has to secure a place in the Indian squad for the ICC T20 World Cup which is scheduled in June this year and will be hosted jointly by West Indies and the United States.

Ishan Kishan made himself unavailable for selection ahead of the Test series against South Africa and since then he has not returned to competitive cricket. He opted out of the series because of mental fatigue after travelling with the Indian team consecutively for almost six to seven months.

Ishan Kishan travelled with the Indian team from the World Test Championship Finals in June 2023 to the South Africa tour in December 2023 without a proper break and he was also not getting enough game time and he was not in the right state of mind.

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This time GT will be under Shubman Gill’s leadership and Ashish Nehra’s guidance. Hardik Pandya led the Ahmedabad-based franchise in the last two seasons and took the team to the finals in both seasons.

The Gujarat Titans won the title in IPL 2022 which was their inaugural season and then finished as the runners-up last season after being defeated by Chennai Super Kings who won their fifth IPL title last year.

However, GT will be without Hardik Pandya’s services this year as their former captain was traded to his former franchise the Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL auction. Hardik Pandya will be leading the Mumbai Indians this season and meanwhile, Gujarat Titans announced Shubman Gill as their new captain.

Gujarat Titans is coached by former Indian pacer Ashish Nehra who has a very managerial kind of approach towards the franchise. He is always seen standing on the sidelines and giving regular suggestions to his team during the match just like a football manager does for their club.

He was asked to be the head coach of Gujarat Titans in 2022 and he guided them to the title in the inaugural season itself. Nehra is one of the most strategic coaches in the IPL and his guidance can be seen with the success the franchise has achieved in just a couple of seasons.

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The Hyderabad-based franchise bought Pat Cummins for a mouthwatering INR 20.50 Crores and made him the most expensive entity ever in IPL, moments before Mitchell Starc entered the fray and walked away with a 24.75 crore deal with the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Other than Cummins, the Sunrisers splashed over 6 crores to name 2023 Cricket World Cup final’s man-of-the-match-winning batsman Travis Head for 6.80 crores. They are now the only 2 Australians as well as reigning World champions present in the SRH squad and their other notable signing was of Sri-Lanka all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga for 1.5 crores.

But most of the limelight was stolen particularly by Pat Cummins who was expected to generate a lot of interest from franchise owners especially after a sensational CWC 2023 campaign. The craze and hype around him would have lowered to a lot of extent had he not won the world cup but since he did, SRH chose to pay the price for him.

Right after his acquisition, question marks regarding the role of South African batter Aiden Markram who recently led the Sunrisers Eastern Cape towards successive SA20 league titles, were raised. People on social media started to gamble upon the question of who will be captaining the Sunrisers in IPL 2024.

Many claimed that SRH should respect and trust Markram with the captaincy role while others wanted Pat Cummins to take over from him otherwise his price tag would not mean anything. Now with just over a month remaining for the tournament to start, Sunil Gavaskar has asked the Kavya Maran-owned SRH team to appoint Cummins as the captain.

Gavaskar stated that Cummins was a very smart buy from not just the captaincy perspective but also in terms of him being a complete cricketer who can also score runs with the bat in delicate situations or whenever the team requires. However, Sunny G also highlighted the fact that Cummins proved to be a bit over expensive.

“I think Pat Cummins was a smart buy, maybe a little over-expensive. Smart buy because he will bring the leadership aspect to their team, which was lacking the last time around.” – Sunil Gavaskar said via Star Sports. 

“That Cost Them Matches”, Sunil Gavaskar Reasons Why Pat Cummins Should Replace Aiden Markram As Captain

The 74-year-old pointed out the flaws in Aiden Markram’s SRH captaincy last year, claiming that the South African was not that great with his bowling changes and often made confusing decisions that eventually cost them crucial games and saw them finish at the bottom of the points table. And for that reason, Gavaskar feels that Pat Cummins should be trusted with the captaincy role if SRH wants to challenge for the coveted title.

“Last time around, some of the bowling changes that we saw in crucial games were just head-scratching, and that cost them matches. So now with Pat Cummins coming in, I am pretty certain that he will be the captain of the team and that will make a huge difference.” – Gavaskar concluded. 

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The Gujarat Titans traded Hardik Pandya to the Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. Hardik led the team to the final in the first two editions of the tournament. The Ahmedabad-based franchise emerged victorious in their first season, followed by runners-up.

Shubman Gill has taken over as the captain of the GT team. The franchise spent Rs 30.30 crore to secure eight players in the IPL 2024 auction, including notable signings such as Azmatullah Omarzai, Spencer Johnson, Shahrukh Khan, Umesh Yadav, and Robin Minz.

Vijay Shankar Would Have Learned So Much – Sunil Gavaskar

During a discussion on Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar shared insights on the Gujarat Titans’ strategy following Hardik Pandya’s departure. Gavaskar said that while Shankar may not replicate Pandya’s impact, he could still significantly contribute to the team’s success.

“Vijay Shankar would have learned so much from Hardik Pandya. How Hardik Pandya adapted to a particular situation, how he bowled in certain situations, if he has learned from that, he can do pretty much what Hardik Pandya could do,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.

“Not maybe have the same kind of impact but even if he has about 80 or 90% of the impact and the game-changing abilities that Hardik Pandya had, he would have done wonderfully for his team,” he added.

Vijay Shankar made his debut for the Gujarat Titans during the IPL 2022 season. The Tamil Nadu cricketer scored 301 runs at a strike rate of 160.10 in 10 innings in the previous season. He didn’t bowl much in the last season due to the Impact Player rule introduction.

Gujarat Titans Have Done A Lot Of Homework – Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar expressed confidence in the bowling trio of Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma, and Umesh Yadav for the upcoming season. He highlighted that Spencer Johnson brings left-handed variety to the bowling attack and enhances the team.

“At their age, bowling only four fours, and that too not in one spell, is a huge plus. Mohammed Shami has been nothing short of spectacular in white-ball cricket in the last year and a half. I expect him to bowl the same way, get the wickets at the top and towards the end by bowling those yorkers spot on.”

“Umesh Yadav too, with the experience that he has, will be able to get some early wickets, and Mohit Sharma was again a revelation. Spencer Johnson will bring the left-handed variety to the bowling attack. So clearly, the Gujarat Titans have done a lot of homework in getting their squad together.”

The Titans acquired Spencer Johnson for Rs. 10 crore in the previous auction. The left-arm Australian pacer has claimed 17 wickets in 20 T20 matches with an impressive economy rate of 7.84. However, despite his success in the Big Bash League and The Hundred, he remains relatively unproven at the highest level.

The Ahmedabad-based team also includes Joshua Little, a left-arm seamer, in its lineup. Little, who debuted last season, claimed 7 wickets in 10 IPL matches with an average of 42.0 and an economy rate of 8.65.

Also read: Not Rachin Ravindra! Sunil Gavaskar names Chennai Super Kings’ best buy in IPL 2024 Auction

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