Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2020: Rolling Report
All the buzz from the IPL game between the Rajasthan Royals and the Kolkata Knight Riders in Dubai
Sidharth Monga30-Sep-2020
All the buzz from the IPL game between the Rajasthan Royals and the Kolkata Knight Riders in Dubai
Sidharth Monga30-Sep-2020
Will they bring in Ngidi or Hazlewood instead of Bravo to handle the KKR allrounder?
Karthik Krishnaswamy06-Oct-20206:43
How should Kolkata utilise Sunil Narine?
Their batting looked short of power and inspiration through their first four matches of the season, but something clicked into place for the Chennai Super Kings against Kings XI Punjab on Sunday. Yes, nothing masks problems like a 181-run opening stand, but that wasn’t the only encouragement the Super Kings took out of that game. With Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo back from injury, their line-up just looks a whole lot healthier, and with three No. 8s at Nos. 9, 10, and 11 – in Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Piyush Chawla – they have the sort of depth few other sides in the IPL can match.This isn’t to say the Super Kings have turned into a world-beating outfit overnight, or even that they can consistently beat the IPL’s heavyweights. Kings XI didn’t aim high enough with the bat, and their bowling attack is one of the weakest in the tournament. The Kolkata Knight Riders are likely to present the Super Kings a far stiffer challenge.The Knight Riders haven’t quite found their groove yet this season, with Sunil Narine and Dinesh Karthik looking off-colour and with Andre Russell and Pat Cummins not quite hitting peak form just yet. The law of averages, however, suggests at least one of them will come roaring back into form in the very near future, and the Super Kings will hope they aren’t at the receiving end when that happens.
Chennai Super Kings: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Ambati Rayudu, 4 Kedar Jadhav, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Deepak Chahar, 11 Piyush ChawlaKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Sunil Narine, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Dinesh Karthik (capt & wk), 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Rahul Tripathi, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Kamlesh Nagarkoti, 10 Shivam Mavi, 11 Varun ChakravarthyMS Dhoni has a discussion with Andre Russell and Sunil Narine•BCCI
Dala returns, as does Rabada, who had missed SA’s last assignment against India
Firdose Moonda06-Nov-2020Kagiso Rabada is back in South Africa’s white-ball squads after missing their last ODI assignment against India, with a groin strain. Seamer Glenton Stuurman, who received his first international call-up, and Junior Dala, who has not played for South Africa since March 2019, were also included in the 24-man squad for the upcoming three T20Is and three ODIs against England.The six-match series will be the first international cricket played in South Africa in almost eight months since the home summer concluded with white-ball cricket against Australia. All the players who were involved in limited-overs matches against Australia at home and those who were part of the squad that went to India have been picked in this squad, apart from one big name: Dale Steyn.Steyn, 37, retired from Test cricket last August and despite playing three matches for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the ongoing IPL, was unavailable for selection for the upcoming series. Given that Steyn was not awarded a national contract in March and is omitted from this squad, there are signs that his international career has ended even though he had previously indicated that he hoped to feature in the T20 World Cup.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
That tournament was postponed by a year, and South Africa’s planning for the 2021 tournament in India is set to begin now. “This is an important season for the team, with an ICC T20 World Cup coming up late next year in India,” Graeme Smith, director of cricket, said.” I’m sure that the T20 series, in particular, is going to boast some explosive performances for cricket fans to enjoy at home.”With slower subcontinental surfaces in mind, the bowlers in this squad included a strong complement of spinners, led by Tabraiz Shamsi who will compete for a spot in the starting XI with a quartet of left-arm spinners: Keshav Maharaj, George Linde, Bjorn Fortuin and allrounder Jon-Jon Smuts.ALSO READ – Covid-19: Six Warriors players withdrawn from opening roundRabada, Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje, who have all been in action at the IPL, will lead the pace attack that also included Dala, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lutho Sipamla, Beuran Hendricks and Stuurman. All but Stuurman and Sipamla returned to action this week in the domestic first-class competition. Stuurman was forced to withdraw from the Warriors squad after being among four players who were in direct contact with two other players that tested positive for Covid19 while Sipamla is nursing an injury. Sisanda Magala, who was in South Africa’s white-ball plans last summer but faced fitness challenges, has not found a place in this squad.Junior Dala returns after a long absence because of injury•AFP via Getty Images
All the members of the batting group have been in action recently, including Faf du Plessis, who averaged over 40 for the Chennai Super Kings at the IPL. Du Plessis will travel to Pakistan for the PSL playoffs and is expected to return to South Africa by no later than November 18, giving him around 10 days at home before the England series starts. The series will kick off with the first T20I at the Newlands on November 27.Du Plessis will play the role of senior batsman, after stepping away from the captaincy last summer, with Quinton de Kock, currently the fifth-highest run-scorer in IPL 2020, leading the side in white-ball formats. South Africa have given themselves plenty of options for who will open with de Kock with Temba Bavuma, Janneman Malan and Reeza Hendricks all in the squad. That has left no room for Aiden Markram, who has not played white-ball cricket for South Africa since the 2019 World Cup.David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen and Rassie van der Dussen make up an experienced middle order while Phehlukwayo and Dwaine Pretorius are the two allrounders in the squad. Chris Morris, who has played nine matches for RCB and has sustained a quad injury ahead of the Eliminator, is also not part of the South Africa squad. Like Markram, Morris last played for South Africa at the 2019 World Cup and like Steyn, he does not have a national contract.This was the first squad picked by new convenor of selectors Victor Mpitsang, who started work on Monday. His next task is to mull over who will take over as Test captain, with South Africa set to return to the longest format against Sri Lanka over the festive season.
Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali return to squad for two-Test series in January
Andrew Miller11-Dec-2020Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes are the notable omissions from England’s Test tour to Sri Lanka next month, with both men being rested from the 23-man touring party, ahead of the multi-format tour of India which gets underway in February.Rory Burns also misses the trip, as his wife Victoria is expecting their first child in the second week of January, while Burns’ Surrey team-mate Ollie Pope will join the squad as a non-playing member, with a view to being fit in time for the four Tests in India as he continues his rehab from the shoulder injury that he sustained against Pakistan in August.With England facing a busy schedule on all fronts in the coming 12 months, with the Ashes in Australia following hot on the heels of away and home series against India and the T20 World Cup, the absences of Archer and Stokes come as part of a commitment from England’s selectors to provide blocks of rest for all their multi-format players at various points this winter.ALSO READ: Buttler could miss two India Tests as England rest playersSpeaking to the media after the announcement, Ed Smith, England’s national selector, indicated that Stokes, Archer and Burns would fly directly to India on or around January 22-23 to acclimatise ahead of the first Test of that series, at Chennai on February 5, with further changes to England’s squad also likely ahead of the third and fourth Tests of the India tour at Ahmedabad.”The way to think about this winter is in three blocks of two Tests: Sri Lanka, India 1 and 2, India 3 and 4,” Smith said. “We think that’s the only way to make sure we balance having the right number of resources in each position, and also getting rest into those multi-format players like Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes, and also Sam Curran, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, etc.”In the absence of Pope, Stokes and Burns – three players who would have been automatic picks for England’s top five – Essex’s Dan Lawrence could be in line to earn his first Test cap, after being named in the senior squad for the first time, a year on from his starring role on the England Lions tour of Australia in 2019-20.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
“This is a great opportunity for Dan Lawrence,” Smith said. “He’s a really talented cricketer, a confident player in good form, and he is absolutely delighted about being selected in the full squad.”He’s an unusual player, but he’s got that real quality about him,” Smith added. “He has his own style, and a real confidence and presence at the crease. He’s inventive, he’s versatile. He’s also a good short-format player, and he really impressed on the England Lions just under a year ago.”Jonny Bairstow is the other player likely to challenge for a middle-order berth. He has been recalled to the Test set-up for the first time since featuring in the first Test against South Africa at Centurion 12 months ago, with Smith indicating that he was back in contention as a batsman only – the role he performed when making a century from No.3 in England’s most-recent Test in Sri Lanka two years ago.Ben Foakes, who scored a century on debut and was named Player of the Series on that same tour, is the designated back-up to the current incumbent, Jos Buttler, with Smith suggesting he will be in line for a recall when Buttler is given his break from action during the India series. “Jonny has a really great opportunity here to get back into the Test mix as a batter, and that’s a really exciting possibility for him,” Smith said.With spin playing a central role in England’s 3-0 series win in 2018-19, Moeen Ali is back in the squad after opting out of last winter’s tours of New Zealand and South Africa, and is in line to play his first Test since the opening match of the 2019 Ashes.Jack Leach, who along with Moeen was England’s leading wicket-taker on that last Sri Lanka trip with 18 scalps, is also included, and is set to link up once again with his former Somerset team-mate and current first-choice England spinner, Dom Bess. However, there is no return for the third spinner of the 2018-19 triumvirate, legspinner Adil Rashid, who had been an outside bet for a recall given his importance to England’s white-ball plans ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup. He has been left out as he continues to manage a shoulder problem and is likely also to miss the subsequent tour of India.”Adil has had a long-running shoulder injury, and though he has made really good strides, he does have concerns about that shoulder in the strain of five-day cricket,” Smith said. “Obviously he’s got to weigh up his one-day and T20 form, which is outstanding. He is among the most irreplaceable players in a very, very strong white-ball set-up, and that’s where he stands at the moment.”England have, however, named three spinners among their seven-man list of reserves – legspinners Matt Parkinson and Mason Crane, whose one-off Test came at Sydney in the 2017-18 Ashes, and the Surrey offspinner, Amar Virdi.All the reserves will travel and train with the main squad, with the series once again being played behind closed doors and in biosecure environments, initially at Hambantota and then in Galle for the two Test matches, commencing January 14 and 22 respectively.Despite playing limited roles on the 2018-19 tour, England have named both of their veteran fast bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad in their main touring party, alongside Chris Woakes and two 90mph options in Mark Wood and Olly Stone, who made his international debut in the ODI leg of England’s last tour of Sri Lanka.Archer’s omission from the squad had been telegraphed in South Africa last week, after he had spent most of the preceding five months in biosecure environments, while Stokes’ absence comes in the wake of the death of his father Ged from brain cancer. He also missed the final two Tests of last summer’s Pakistan series, as well as the subsequent one-day series, to travel to New Zealand to spend time with his family.”It is a very difficult time for Ben and all our thoughts and with him and his family,” Smith said. “[In the circumstances], it made sense for Ben to take his rest for the Sri Lankan tour, and to get ready for India.”England men’s Test squad: Joe Root (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dom Sibley, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.Reserves: James Bracey, Mason Crane, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Matt Parkinson, Ollie Robinson, Amar Virdi.
The India left-armer looked back at his fairytale Australia tour, where he made his debut in all three formats
Deivarayan Muthu24-Jan-2021This was India left-arm seamer T Natarajan’s reaction to his rousing reception at his hometown Chinnappampatti, near Salem in Tamil Nadu, after returning from Australia, where he made his debut in all three formats and played his part in the historic Gabba Test win.Natarajan, who had seemingly driven down from Bengaluru to Chinnappampatti on Thursday, was greeted by hoardings, drumrolls and firecrackers. After being welcomed back by his mother Shantha, his father Thangarasu and other family members, Natarajan was carried home on a horse-drawn chariot, with everyone in Chinnappampatti wanting a piece of him.Several people thronged Natarajan’s home for selfies and some even presented him portraits of himself.On Friday, Natarajan recalled his grand homecoming at a media interaction in Salem. “I never expected to get this kind of a reception. I have to thank the people in my village,” Natarajan said. “It was an unforgettable experience in my life and I dreamt of making it big, hoping to bring recognition to Salem. It’s all god’s grace, and I’m so happy right now. There’s no limit to it and I just can’t describe that feeling. I just feel like being selected for the Australia tour was a gift for me.”
Natarajan was initially picked as a net bowler for the Australian tour, but, as it turned out, he became the first India player to make his international debut across all three formats during the same tour. After an injury to mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy he was added to the T20I squad and then hours before the ODI series opener he was included in that squad as well, as injury cover. He made his international debut in the third ODI in Canberra and took 2 for 70 in an India win.Natarajan said he felt pressure after he heard the news of his sudden call-up, but at the same time he was keen to prove his talent at the top level.”I just wanted to do my job,” Natarajan said. “I was suddenly given an opportunity – I didn’t expect to make my one-day debut there [Canberra]. Suddenly they [the management] told me that I would be playing and that was pressure for me. But I wanted to make the best use of this opportunity, so I shifted my focus to that. That [first] wicket and everything that followed seems like a dream to me.”The dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne was only the beginning of the dream. Natarajan then made his T20I debut, also in Canberra, returning 3 for 30. In all, he picked up a chart-topping six wickets in three games at an economy rate of 6.91.Related
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The T20I series ended with regular captain Virat Kohli handing the trophy to Natarajan and the Test series would end with stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane passing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to him as well.”I never expected it,” Natarajan said. “I didn’t expect Virat Kohli to come over and hand the trophy to me; I was just standing on the side. [I teared up]. When a legend like Kohli came in and gave the trophy over to me it was a great feeling – I can’t describe it.”Natarajan reckoned that being part of the IPL for four years and exchanging notes with seniors and overseas players smoothed his path to international cricket. He was first snapped up by Kings XI Punjab for INR 3 crore in 2017 and, after spending two seasons on the bench at Sunrisers Hyderabad, he became their gun death bowler in IPL 2020 in the UAE.”I’ve been part of the IPL for four years,” he said. “At the IPL, I’ve mingled with many foreign players and many Indian players, and communicated with the coaches. Plus, taking tips from the foreign players and the bowlers was useful. Initially, it was difficult for me, but things became better thereafter.”During the Australia tour, Natarajan got to lock horns with his Sunrisers captain David Warner.”He has tweeted about me and said he feels proud about me. He has captained me at Sunrisers and during a match he told me that I’m very lucky and told me everything has happened after my daughter was born. He has had these friendly and emotional chats with me.”When Natarajan was enjoying a breakout IPL in the UAE, he was probably hoping to return home for the impending birth of his child. However, after being selected in the India white-ball squads, he chose to hang around in Australia for the red-ball leg as well and improbably made his Test debut in Brisbane.”It was quite difficult [missing the birth of my child], yes,” he said. “But, for my wife and my family, me representing the country gave them greater happiness.”Having been rested for the upcoming Test series at home against England, Natarajan can now look forward to spending more time with his daughter and rest of the family before the white-ball leg begins on March 12.
He says the bubble life hasn’t taken a toll on India’s players
Varun Shetty03-Feb-20213:42
Rahane explains his responsibilities as India vice-captain
India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane is pleased at Virat Kohli’s return to the team and is gearing for his normal and “easy” role as deputy, one he says he enjoys best by being in the back seat.Rahane took over as stand-in captain, when Kohli left on paternity leave after the first Test of the Australia series, in Adelaide, and led India to a historic series victory that involved two Test wins and a draw. Rahane had only led India on two occasions before the Australia tour, but remains unbeaten as a Test captain.”See, my job is to take a back seat and help Virat,” Rahane said during a virtual media conference on Wednesday. “There are too many things on a captain’s mind, so as a vice-captain you have to visualise a situation, think about what can happen in the game, and then if captain asks you for suggestions then you should be ready. So my job is really easy. I take a back seat. Whenever required I go and tell him…or whenever he asks me about certain things, I’ll just go and tell him. That helps us a lot. For me, personally, I generally take a back seat when I’m vice-captain.”Related
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Even so, Rahane’s likely to have had a slight responsibility as the leader of the team during the Australia series win: that of grounding the team and helping them move on to focussing on the upcoming home series against England.”Australia was really special for us. We did enjoy our victory, especially that night in Brisbane and also when we came back home. But we are in the present now,” Rahane said. “What we learnt from Australia was, after losing a match in Adelaide, how we came back. So it’s all about staying in the moment. We respect the England team as well. We’re not going to take them lightly. For us, what’s important is playing a good brand of cricket, what we’ve been playing since the last two-three years. And play as a team and play as a unit. We’re not taking anything for granted. It’s all about taking one match at a time.”Ajinkya Rahane: “Whenever required I go and tell him (Virat Kohli)…or whenever he asks me about certain things, I’ll just go and tell him”•BCCI
The cancellation of the series between Australia and South Africa this month has meant that New Zealand have become the first team to qualify for the World Test Championship final, with India being strong favourites to face them in the final at Lord’s later this year. Rahane said New Zealand were deserving of the spot but said that the Indian team is only looking as far as this week’s game in Chennai, reiterating that complacency was not an issue.”We know every series, every game is really important, especially in the Test championship. What happened in Australia was really special but that is the past. We’re thinking of this series, this game particularly, and taking it one game at a time,” he said. “I don’t think we have to think too much about complacency. We know what’s our strength. We’re still respecting the England team, they did really well in Sri Lanka. So basically we have to play good cricket, back our strengths and play as a team here.”Rahane was tight-lipped about team combinations and pitch conditions, saying we’d have to “wait and see” about both, while hinting that Hardik Pandya was working hard as “a batsman and a bowler” in the nets. The return of Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer to the English team – both of whom were former team-mates of his at Rajasthan Royals – would not, he said, give England too much of an advantage.”We play IPL with them but Tests and IPL are completely different,” Rahane said. “We know how their bowlers come here and bowl, but like I said, lengths are completely different in the formats. It’s not like we tell them everything [about strategy]. That’s very important. IPL and Tests are completely different.Several of India’s players have been in a bubble since late August, just before the IPL began, and will likely have little time outside of bubbles any time soon, with the IPL shaping to be held in its regular March-April window. But, at the moment, Rahane said, there has been no mental faitgue.”We are not mentally tired at all,” he said. “We are really tough mentally. We are a unit, a family. We are enjoying each other’s company here. We are spending time in the team room. Our families are here which is really important. So we are not at all tired”
South African-born allrounder was isolated 30 overs into one-dayer in Chattogram
ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2021Ruhan Pretorius has revealed he was in “a bit of a weird space” after his positive Covid test result led Ireland Wolves’ first one-day game in Bangladesh to be abandoned after 30 overs, only for him to discover a day later that the result was a false positive.Pretorius, 30, was born and raised in South Africa but has played club cricket in Ireland since 2015, and after relocating permanently, he will qualify for international selection through residency in 2022.Related
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He was not picked for the first-class game against a Bangladesh Emerging Team, meaning that the first 50-over game was his first appearance for an Irish representative team. He had taken one wicket in his first four-over spell as a first-change bowler, but was told to leave the field after 30 overs, with the match abandoned soon after.”It’s been the most bizarre few days, to be honest,” Pretorius said in an interview with Cricket Ireland. “We started the first game all testing negative for Covid – we had to be negative in order to get on the field according to the protocols. Then halfway through the first innings I was pulled off the field and the game was stopped. To then be told I was potentially Covid-positive was a shock.”I was isolated immediately from the team and was told to wear an orange suit – kind of like a sweat suit, but this one was for isolation. I then was taken in an ambulance to the team hotel, where I was immediately sent to the isolation room and spent the evening there.”To be fair, the team management were brilliant in managing the whole situation. I underwent two tests – an emergency test and another along with the rest of the team. Luckily both came back negative, and the medical staff advised that the original test was a false positive, so I was able to resume the tour.”I was in a bit of a weird space after trying to get used to being in isolation, and thinking worst case that I might be there for 14 days if I was positive. To deal with it mentally was challenging – I was preparing myself for the worst. However, after getting the two negative results, I just tried to re-focus and get back in my normal routine.”Pretorius returned to the side to top-score with 90, opening the batting, and then took 1 for 40 in his nine overs as the Wolves fell to a four-wicket loss with two balls to spare. The series continues with the third 50-over fixture on Tuesday.
Ben Stokes has suggested associating women’s sides with that of the men in franchise leagues, especially in the IPL
Alan Gardner09-Apr-2021Heather Knight has echoed recent comments from Ben Stokes and Smriti Mandhana, calling for the formation of a women’s IPL, saying it “would be amazing for the women’s game”.Knight lifted the WBBL title with the Sydney Thunder in November and was twice a Kia Super League winner before the English T20 league was scrapped to make way for the Hundred. She agreed that an IPL equivalent would be timely, and praised Stokes for speaking out in support of women’s cricket.”It was awesome to see Stokesy talk about the women’s IPL,” she said. “The more allies we have in women’s cricket, it really helps to change perceptions. It’s great from Ben to say that and I totally agree, I think it would be amazing for the women’s game to have an IPL.”You’ve seen it in Australia with the Big Bash, and hopefully here with the Hundred having men’s and women’s competitions alongside each other, it’s a really positive thing for the women’s game and really helps to progress things. It was really nice to see Ben make those comments.”Speculation about whether the BCCI could launch a women’s T20 league has circulated for some time, following the success of similar competitions in Australia and England. Speaking earlier this week ahead of the start of the men’s IPL, Stokes, an overseas player for the Rajasthan Royals, said he was very hopeful of fully fledged women’s franchises being established, too.”Yes, I think the women’s game, especially over the last four to five years, has gone from strength to strength and it’s great how it is filtering into the men’s game in terms of [parallel] competitions and things like that,” he said on Red Bull’s Decoding Athletes podcast. “I’m very hopeful there’ll be a women’s franchise side associated with every men’s franchise side so we’re able to grow the women’s game even bigger. What better place to do it than out here in India?”Related
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Since 2018, the BCCI has staged the Women’s T20 Challenge to run alongside the men’s IPL playoffs. Initially featuring two teams, it was expanded to three – Trailblazers, Supernovas and Velocity – in 2019 and 2020; last year, the plan was to add a fourth team, but the idea was scrapped as the BCCI decided to stick to the old format as the men’s and women’s events moved to the UAE because of the Covid-19 situation in India.The Challenge event is due to be held again this year, with the possible addition of that fourth team, but no dates have been confirmed and its viability could yet be affected by the rising number of infections in India.Mandhana, captain of the the Trailblazers, was also speaking on the Decoding Athletes podcast alongside Stokes and India men’s batter KL Rahul, and said it was “the right time to start” a women’s IPL in order to help the sport’s growth.””If you’re a young girl and you see people like you playing cricket at the highest level, that’s going to encourage you”•Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images
“I think the kind of performance last three-four years… IPL is all about youngsters and if you look at the current Indian team, the average age is around 23-24,” she said. “That shows that there are a lot of youngsters coming in so IPL is definitely going to boost women’s cricket and give the confidence in youngsters which we’ve seen in men’s cricket.”People who are making their debut are playing 145-150kph [bowling] like it’s a [regular] day at office, and you can’t feel that they’re nervous on their debut. So the IPL has had a huge impact in that and I feel the IPL will help women’s cricket as well. It’s the right time to start because if we really want to grow women’s cricket, especially in India, it’s the right time to start the women’s IPL.”Although the Kia Super League is now defunct, with a regional T20 tournament being put into place this year, the ECB has pushed to give the women’s Hundred a greater degree of parity with the men’s competition. The opening night of its new format will see the Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals women’s teams go head-to-head in a standalone fixture at The Oval, with all of the other games played as double-headers on the same grounds.”When you switch on the Hundred as a young girl. you’re going to see men’s cricket and women’s cricket put on the same pedestal, the same branding, matches at the same venue, etc. I think that’s great and really important to do that, to change perceptions of getting people involved in cricket,” Knight said. “If you’re a young girl and you see people like you playing cricket at the highest level, that’s going to encourage you that it’s a sport for you.”Little things like playing the first-ever game of the Hundred as a women’s game is a really big step. It’s going to be a huge summer and hopefully the competition goes really well.”
He trained with the Sunrisers on May 1, the same day he reported a fever
ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-2021Wriddhiman Saha has tested positive for Covid-19, meaning the Sunrisers Hyderabad became the third franchise to register positive cases at IPL 2021. The team was due to play the Mumbai Indians in Delhi on Tuesday but the IPL has been postponed following the surfacing of Covid-19 cases at least three franchises over the last few days.ESPNcricinfo understands that Saha reported symptoms, including a fever, on May 1, the day before the Sunrisers played against the Rajasthan Royals in Delhi, an afternoon match. Saha had trained with the rest of the Sunrisers squad on the afternoon of May 1. Following that training session, Saha felt he might have got a heat stroke and had even got tested for Covid-19 on the same day. The result of that test was negative, but he still reported a fever.Related
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Saha was isolated immediately by the franchise. He underwent two further tests, on Sunday and Monday. It is understood that he tested positive for Covid-19 in the the third round of testing.Saha had scored eight runs in two games and taken three catches this season before he was excluded from the playing XI.Two players from the Kolkata Knight Riders – spinner Varun Chakravarthy and seam bowler Sandeep Warrier – and two members of the Chennai Super Kings contingent – bowling coach L Balaji and a member of the maintenance staff – had also tested positive over the past two days. Subsequently, yesterday’s game between the Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers Bangalore was put off, before the announcement of the postponement today.
England players unlikely to be released for tournament restart, says ECB director of cricket
George Dobell27-May-2021England are not planning on making any changes to their plans to accommodate the IPL, according to Ashley Giles.While Giles, the managing director of England men’s cricket, admitted some players may be rested from the tours of Bangladesh and Pakistan, which are likely to take place at the same time as the rearranged IPL, he said it “wouldn’t be for them to go and play cricket elsewhere”.Giles also confirmed the ECB had no plans to alter their schedule – and in particular, the schedule for the Test series against India – to enable a larger window to be found for the IPL. The fifth day of the final Test of the series is currently scheduled for September 14, with England departing for Bangladesh less than a week later. From there they go to Pakistan for two T20Is which have tentatively been scheduled for October 14 and 15. The IPL is likely to restart on about September 18 and run until around October 12.”I’m not aware of anything official, any requests to shift anything,” Giles, speaking at the launch of IG as the new official partner of England Cricket, said. “As far as we’re concerned and what we’re prepared for, the matches will be where they are. I’m not surprised there’s all sorts of speculation. Everyone wants to get their cricket in. But we’ve not received anything official and we’re cracking on.”We have a full schedule. If we go from the end of the fifth Test in September, we are set to leave for Bangladesh on September 19 or 20. We have a full schedule right through including Pakistan and wherever the T20 World Cup is.Related
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“We are going to have to give some of these guys a break at some point. But the intention of giving guys a break for, say, Bangladesh, wouldn’t be for them to go and play cricket elsewhere.”We have to manage our schedule now, so we get our guys arriving in the best shape possible for the T20 World Cup and the Ashes.”While the relationship between the ECB and BCCI appears reasonably good at present, this is the third IPL season (or part season) mooted within 12 months and there is an understanding that there is simply no more wriggle room in the congested schedule. The difference in approach from the recently abandoned IPL season – where England players were allowed to play ahead of involvement in the New Zealand Test series – is explained by the late arrangement of that Test series, which did not form part of the World Test Championship, and the pre-existing agreement to allow players to go to the IPL.Meanwhile Giles also explained the call-up of Sam Billings into the England squad as reserve keeper and batter. Billings is the only man in the squad who was at the IPL but, unlike Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow, who might also have been considered for the role, did not play during the IPL and has spent considerably less time in bio-bubbles over the last year or so. For that reason, he was keen to return to action quicker than most and represented Kent in the LV= County Championship last week.”I think we felt the best option was to [allow the IPL players to] take as much time as they needed after what they’ve been through this winter,” Giles said. “If there was a strong case from the players to get back on the horse a bit earlier and play some cricket then we were prepared to listen to that as well. They know their bodies and minds as well as anyone.”That was the case with Billings. He went back to Kent and played some cricket to put himself in the frame.”Communication was made from [head coach] Chris Silverwood to those players [Bairstow and Buttler] about what the plan was. We felt there was no need to go back on that. They’ve been spending time with families and Jos is away for a few days at the moment. We didn’t want to drag those players out of that at the 11th hour. There was no plan to change that.”IG are an Official Partner of England Cricket. For more information, visit IG.com/uk/england